Christmas has come and gone. It was a flurry of activity as we attempted to create some new holiday traditions here on this side of the world. We baked gingerbread cookies (kind of…), we played frisbee golf (not overly Christmas-y!), we hung snowflakes and lights, we had a feast on Christmas day, and we hung stockings for everyone early Christmas morning. Friendships were cemented, fun was had, and it was a good alternative to spending the holidays with my family at home. I definitely still missed them, but my first Christmas away from home was actually nice. We were also blessed to be able to share Christmas gifts with several children and women here in the Rumbek area because of the generosity of some of our supporters in the states. And most importantly, we were able to share the Christmas story with hundreds of people through the women’s Bible study and through a drama that Jamie and Laura helped organize with the youth from one of the local churches.
As we come to the end of 2008, though, I have found myself thinking through all of the changes that this year has brought. There were good times and bad times, happy and sad. Jobs changed and locations changed. Many miles were covered. Goals were made…some were accomplished, some were not. I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve learned a lot. So rather than recap this whole year and go through where I’ve been and what I’ve done…and more importantly, what I’ve failed to do…I thought I would share a little of what I’ve learned this year. So, in no particular order, here goes:
1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I have learned since leaving home that this is true. To my family and friends back home, I am fonder of you than ever before. This also holds true with the Dinka occasionally. When I’ve had a rough day with the Dinka, if I leave them for an evening, by morning, I typically love them again…typically.
2. Some days it’s hard to love people. Some days it’s easy. The hard days are harder …obviously…but they are also much more rewarding.
3. Wasps don’t sting unless provoked. I think my parents tried to teach me this in childhood, but I never really believed it. Mom and Dad, I now know that “if you don’t bother it, it won’t bother you.”
4. I really like chocolate. Some might call it an addiction.
5. When an African says he will be somewhere at 8 am, you will be lucky if he shows up by 10am. However, if you say that “maybe” you will come visit tomorrow, he will sit at home for the better part of the day and wait for you to come...and be upset when you never show up.
6. The people come when the drums start playing. If the drums haven’t been played, how will they know that the event is starting? And as long as they arrive before the END of the event, they are on time.
7. Sometimes potholes just can’t be avoided.
8. Clothes that stretch are not ideal for places where clothes are washed by hand and hung on a line to dry. I now have many long shirts.
9. In Sudan, it doesn’t really matter if your clothes match. In fact, it’s even okay to wear socks with sandals.
10. If you leave a package of cookies sitting out and a mouse comes and eats them one night, you should always remove the package of cookies or the mouse will continue to come back night after night and eat through all of your things. He will start expecting milk, and then he’s gonna want some gum. And if you give a mouse gum, then he’s gonna start wanting peanut butter crackers and birthday candles, etc…
11. Just because you think you are saying something correctly does not mean that you are.
12. You should always avoid hitting cows whenever possible.
13. If you see someone who you don’t know taking clothes off of your clothesline, chances are they are not just trying to be nice.
14. Just because it looks like pasta noodles does not mean that it is indeed pasta noodles.
15. You should always open the door when DOOMing an enclosed space…unless you want to get high.
16. Not all snakes are bad. But most are just plain evil.
17. Here’s another “Dad-ism” that I’ve found to be most helpful this year: “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do.” (i.e. Sometimes you just have to eat that termite, even though you don’t want to. Sometimes you just have to use the long-drop toilet, even though you don’t want to. Sometimes you just have to be nice to people, even though you don’t want to.)
18. Trips to the market…or anywhere for that matter…during bouts of explosive diarrhea are not wise. And when you live in Africa, you might as well become comfortable talking about it because it’s just a fact of life here.
19. Never put off until tomorrow what could be done today. Because tomorrow, it will pour rain from sunup to sundown, or tomorrow you will discover that it is yet another “explosive day”, or tomorrow the big man has gone to Juba and won’t return for a month…
20. And last, but definitely not least, I have learned that I am incredibly blessed. Beyond words. I am blessed by my wonderfully loving and supportive family. Blessed by my incredible friends and church family. Blessed by my terrific colleagues and supervisors. And blessed by the Savior who calls me His child. I am blessed.
Happy New Year everyone! Be safe, and enjoy the start of 2009! My prayer is that it is a blessed year for you all as well!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
We celebrated Thanksgiving in Sudan today. This is the first of the major holidays that I have spent away from home, and while it was sad to be away from family, we found ways to celebrate and remain thankful. Over the course of the day, we made pilgrim hats and Native American headdresses to wear at lunch. We crafted hand turkeys to give away to people here on our compound. We hosted an American football game and spent a couple hours teaching Englishmen and South Africans how to play. And we made a campfire and roasted marshmallows (not traditionally Thanksgiving-esque, but we do what we can to make ourselves feel at home).
But most importantly, today I took some time to reassess all the things in life for which I am incredibly thankful. This year, my list is much longer than usual. So, here are just a few of the things that top my list:
1. I am incredibly thankful for my family. I have never fully appreciated them until now when I am away from home and realize what incredible support, love, and encouragement I get from them every day.
2. I am incredibly thankful for my friends. Many of my good friends have stepped up to help with projects, to send packages, to call and send emails. Many friends have become good friends, and many acquaintances have been friends. I am blessed beyond words by the friendships that have developed over the last several months and the friendships that remind me anew every day of the love that ties brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. I am incredibly thankful for my supporting churches in the US. I could not do what I am doing without so many dedicated prayer supporters and churches devoted to seeing the glory of the Lord displayed in this place. What an encouragement it is to know that there are hundreds of people praying for me and this project!
4. I am incredibly thankful for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which provides the majority of the support for me and many others like me. I am so thankful that I do not have to raise my own funds but that dedicated churches and individuals across the US step up each year, even when it hurts financially, and give to the offering that places and keeps workers on the field!
5. I am incredibly thankful for my teammates here in Sudan. For my colleagues and supervisors here on the field who challenge me and encourage me daily—who keep me sane when I’m going a little crazy…and who help make me crazy when I’m going a little sane.
6. I am incredibly thankful for the ways I see God moving in this place already. I am so blessed to be able to witness firsthand the miraculous ways that God is changing this place and drawing these people to Himself little by little.
7. I am incredibly thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross. Every day, I deserve death, but every day I am given Grace. How incredible!
My prayer for you today is that you have been blessed to think of the things for which you are thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Yet Another Plague...
The more I read of the Bible and the more I see of Sudan, the more I see very clear comparisons between some of the ancient civilizations and this one…namely in the matter of curses and judgments. Disease, violence, famine, floods, and starvation are all common in the Bible. You might remember reading about a termite plague earlier this year. Well, over the last few weeks, we have been experiencing another kind of plague—frogs.
There are literally frogs everywhere. With almost every step you take, some poor little frog jumps out of the way of your foot…and sometimes they accidentally jump INTO the way of your foot. Every day, we go into our shower and squeegee out the frogs before showering…only to find the remnant hanging out in the corner, ready to jump at you the first time they get splashed. Most of these frogs are small (none really big enough for frog legs! :)). They are just little guys, and they really won’t hurt anything. But they are just plain annoying at times. For instance…
The other night, Jennifer and I were hanging out in the room before bed. I was sitting at the computer and she was reading a book. All of a sudden, I saw something fall and then Jennifer jumped up in a panic, throwing the book and her bedding in her haste to get away from the attacking creature. Fearing the attack of a scorpion (a man on our compound was stung by a scorpion four times last weekend!), I jumped up to help her. She finally said, “A frog just dive-bombed me!”
We searched the room for the frog to no avail, so we went back to reading and working on the computer. About thirty minutes later, I saw the poor frog jumping up in the corner near Jennifer’s bed, shooting straight up into the air behind her head. Again, we got up and searched for the frog. Jennifer eventually found him hanging out on the wall behind her bed. She pushed the bed back against the wall so he couldn’t attack her from the air anymore, and again, we went about our business.
Later that evening, I intentionally put my mosquito net down thinking, ‘If I go ahead and put the net down NOW, then the frog won’t be able to get to my bed during the night.’ After turning out the lights and preparing for bed awhile later, I began to get under my mosquito net. Just as I was tucking my head under the net, I felt something fall squarely on my neck. In a panic, I immediately flung the poor creature off of me and hurried out from under the net. In my panic, though, I had accidentally flung the frog underneath the net and onto the mattress. So, for the next several minutes I chased the frog around my bed, trying to catch it in a plastic cup, until I finally caught it and was able to toss it outside.
I’m not afraid of frogs, which is a definite plus. The Dinka are often afraid of them. Perhaps we should be afraid of them. If the frogs here are all of the dive-bombing, attack-from-the-top-of-the-mosquito-net type, then maybe we should be more afraid of them. Can you imagine a plague where the frogs are constantly committing aerial attacks? Anyway, I just reread Exodus chapter 8, and I found verses 2-4 to be most applicable. :)
There are literally frogs everywhere. With almost every step you take, some poor little frog jumps out of the way of your foot…and sometimes they accidentally jump INTO the way of your foot. Every day, we go into our shower and squeegee out the frogs before showering…only to find the remnant hanging out in the corner, ready to jump at you the first time they get splashed. Most of these frogs are small (none really big enough for frog legs! :)). They are just little guys, and they really won’t hurt anything. But they are just plain annoying at times. For instance…
The other night, Jennifer and I were hanging out in the room before bed. I was sitting at the computer and she was reading a book. All of a sudden, I saw something fall and then Jennifer jumped up in a panic, throwing the book and her bedding in her haste to get away from the attacking creature. Fearing the attack of a scorpion (a man on our compound was stung by a scorpion four times last weekend!), I jumped up to help her. She finally said, “A frog just dive-bombed me!”
We searched the room for the frog to no avail, so we went back to reading and working on the computer. About thirty minutes later, I saw the poor frog jumping up in the corner near Jennifer’s bed, shooting straight up into the air behind her head. Again, we got up and searched for the frog. Jennifer eventually found him hanging out on the wall behind her bed. She pushed the bed back against the wall so he couldn’t attack her from the air anymore, and again, we went about our business.
Later that evening, I intentionally put my mosquito net down thinking, ‘If I go ahead and put the net down NOW, then the frog won’t be able to get to my bed during the night.’ After turning out the lights and preparing for bed awhile later, I began to get under my mosquito net. Just as I was tucking my head under the net, I felt something fall squarely on my neck. In a panic, I immediately flung the poor creature off of me and hurried out from under the net. In my panic, though, I had accidentally flung the frog underneath the net and onto the mattress. So, for the next several minutes I chased the frog around my bed, trying to catch it in a plastic cup, until I finally caught it and was able to toss it outside.
I’m not afraid of frogs, which is a definite plus. The Dinka are often afraid of them. Perhaps we should be afraid of them. If the frogs here are all of the dive-bombing, attack-from-the-top-of-the-mosquito-net type, then maybe we should be more afraid of them. Can you imagine a plague where the frogs are constantly committing aerial attacks? Anyway, I just reread Exodus chapter 8, and I found verses 2-4 to be most applicable. :)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Beautiful Things...
In light of all the comments I received in emails and elsewhere about the gross nature of the last post, I thought it was time for me to post something more uplifting.
There are days here when I become intensely irritated with life in Southern Sudan. Sometimes, the people are difficult, insulting us or glaring at us. Sometimes they drive recklessly down the middle of the road on their motorcycles, nearly causing a head-on-collision that would be deemed our fault. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are beautiful things here. But sometimes, the beautiful things are just so obvious.
Friday night, we went to language school. Our professor was not feeling well, and eventually we ended class because he too sick to continue. We had been picking him up before class throughout the week, and so we decided to give him a ride home that night. As we dropped him off at his house, Moses, who is a very big man, carefully climbed out of the car. He was immediately greeted by several children, one of whom was a little boy of about three. Then, we witnessed my favorite sight from Southern Sudan to date. The little boy reached up and grasped Moses’ hand. As we were driving away, I watched as big Moses walked slowly across his yard holding the hand of this tiny child. And it reminded me all over again of just what we must look like as we walk with God. It was simply precious. I praised God in that moment for beautiful things—those ordinary things in life that make life just so sweet.
There are days here when I become intensely irritated with life in Southern Sudan. Sometimes, the people are difficult, insulting us or glaring at us. Sometimes they drive recklessly down the middle of the road on their motorcycles, nearly causing a head-on-collision that would be deemed our fault. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are beautiful things here. But sometimes, the beautiful things are just so obvious.
Friday night, we went to language school. Our professor was not feeling well, and eventually we ended class because he too sick to continue. We had been picking him up before class throughout the week, and so we decided to give him a ride home that night. As we dropped him off at his house, Moses, who is a very big man, carefully climbed out of the car. He was immediately greeted by several children, one of whom was a little boy of about three. Then, we witnessed my favorite sight from Southern Sudan to date. The little boy reached up and grasped Moses’ hand. As we were driving away, I watched as big Moses walked slowly across his yard holding the hand of this tiny child. And it reminded me all over again of just what we must look like as we walk with God. It was simply precious. I praised God in that moment for beautiful things—those ordinary things in life that make life just so sweet.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Blue Bulb Snot Suckers
I have decided that the things that Southern Sudan needs more than anything else are the big blue bulb snot suckers used by mothers to remove the crud from their children’s noses.
Last week at church, we were singing songs in Dinka and enjoying a good time of praise when out of the blue, I noticed that the song leader suddenly stopped singing. She leaned down to her baby, covered his nose with her mouth, and heartily sucked the snot out of his nose. Then she calmly turned around and spit the snot out onto the ground. I think I must have looked somewhat disgusted, because our supervisor's wife, who was sitting opposite of me and Laura, saw our faces and said it was priceless. This was not the first time I have seen this interesting practice, but it never fails to shock and appall me just a little bit.
And I thought American mothers were devoted to their children…
Saturday, August 30, 2008
A Great Day!
Tough days are common here. In this line of work, it seems like there is ALWAYS something that can and will go wrong. However, every once in awhile, a day comes along that makes every hard day seem completely worth every second of struggle. Last Thursday was just such a day.
After several days of feeling sick (we had been passing around a bug), we were mostly all feeling better. Jamie and I walked to class that morning, and more than any other day, I was awake and alert the whole class period! We read and learned and actually retained information! It was amazing!
At the end of class, we walked home, passing the house of a lady we visit with nearly every day. Her name is Rose, and her family is just precious. Rose is a widow with several children and grandchildren under her care. She is crippled and uses a hand-pedaled bicycle to move around. She helps out at the Catholic women’s development group next door to her home, but Rose doesn’t have a job. In recent weeks, she has been stuck at home because her bike is broken and the closest route to the market, church, or women’s group is flooded and too muddy to pass. Rose has patiently and sweetly encouraged us and taught us little tidbits of language over the last months, and we have enjoyed every second of our time with her!
A few weeks ago, Rose mentioned that it was very cold, and she doesn’t have a blanket. When we saw Rose on Thursday, she mentioned that there is no more food in their house, she has no money to fix her bicycle, and one of her friends at the women’s group needs money for malaria treatment. She concluded that conversation with, “I don’t have a job, and I can’t go anywhere to get one.” It was then that the light bulb went on in our minds. We had been praying for a female language tutor for months, and Rose, who had been teaching us all along and who speaks slowly and in beautiful English when necessary, needed a job.
Later that afternoon, we asked Rose if she would be interested in helping us learn the language, and she was THRILLED! She immediately began to talk about how great it is for us to learn the language and how she would be so pleased to be our teacher.
At one point during the whole conversation, it hit me that this is something we have been praying about for months. I have been requesting prayer for a female language tutor who speaks English, and we as a team have been looking for just such a person for so long! And here is one…right under our noses, who was just waiting for us to ask!
At one point, I know I saw tears in Roses’ eyes, and I began to think about how many prayers this may answer for her as well. I was so encouraged to think about how God uses different events to meet the needs of all of His children. Not only did He answer our prayer, but He is using us to meet this family’s needs. How awesome that we have such a caring God who hears all of our requests and answers them so perfectly!
So, now we have a language tutor! We will be meeting with her for a few hours a week while we are still in language school, and we will adjust that as soon as our schedules are a bit more flexible! But thank you for your prayers! They work wonders!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A Day in the Life...
This is what one hour of my life looked like today…
4:01 pm Take computer to the banda (little hut) to try and get internet to work. Try for several minutes...nope, still no.
4:11 pm Begin biking to language school.
4:12 pm Hit massive pothole, bump leg on bike frame, and realize you have just given yourself a huge knot on your knee.
4:17 pm Get skirt caught in bike chain. Yank free and wave to the Dinka women who are laughing at you. Assume you have accidentally displayed more than is culturally appropriate to all in sight.
4:22 pm Maneuver around the pack of children trying to chase you and throw things at you…yell to them in Dinka as you pass, “That is rude! Don’t do that!”
4:25 pm Arrive at language school to find out it has been canceled for the night. Professor Moses is suffering from “la ror apei”…don’t ask.
4:32 pm Watch as supervisor attempts to reconnect the battery on his vehicle. The potholes have shaken it loose again.
4:34 pm Hear teammate ask you, “Is that blood on your leg or just mud again?” Investigate and reply calmly that it is indeed blood. When she asks what it is from, admit that you have absolutely no idea. Realize that neither one of you is particularly worried about the fact that you are bleeding.
4:35 pm Begin biking home.
4:36 pm Stop and talk to Dinka ladies. Greet them, practice a few sentences, and leave quickly because it has begun to rain.
4:45 pm Get stung by a wasp that gets stuck in your shirt. Grimace in pain…
4:47 pm Maneuver around the motorcycle accident on the main road and the crowd of people that has gathered to debate what happened.
4:49 pm Get stopped by military personnel to allow an important person to pass uninhibited in his vehicle. Wait by the side of the road for two minutes before continuing.
4:52 pm Arrive home soaking wet.
4:54 pm Watch as a teammate fixes his bike…the seat fell off on the ride home.
4:55 pm Discover that someone has cut a large hole in your fence sometime during the 45 minutes that you were away from home.
4:56 pm Notice for the first time that the tree in your front yard has the word “MINE” written on the side in bold, red spray paint and there are nails stuck in the tree where the “Danger: Mine” sign used to be located.
4:58 pm Feed glucose biscuits to the impala that sleeps on your verandah.
4:59 pm Discover that there is a large pile of cooked rice resting beside the termite mound in your front yard…and wonder why it is there.
5:00 pm Thank God for yet another exciting day in Southern Sudan.
4:01 pm Take computer to the banda (little hut) to try and get internet to work. Try for several minutes...nope, still no.
4:11 pm Begin biking to language school.
4:12 pm Hit massive pothole, bump leg on bike frame, and realize you have just given yourself a huge knot on your knee.
4:17 pm Get skirt caught in bike chain. Yank free and wave to the Dinka women who are laughing at you. Assume you have accidentally displayed more than is culturally appropriate to all in sight.
4:22 pm Maneuver around the pack of children trying to chase you and throw things at you…yell to them in Dinka as you pass, “That is rude! Don’t do that!”
4:25 pm Arrive at language school to find out it has been canceled for the night. Professor Moses is suffering from “la ror apei”…don’t ask.
4:32 pm Watch as supervisor attempts to reconnect the battery on his vehicle. The potholes have shaken it loose again.
4:34 pm Hear teammate ask you, “Is that blood on your leg or just mud again?” Investigate and reply calmly that it is indeed blood. When she asks what it is from, admit that you have absolutely no idea. Realize that neither one of you is particularly worried about the fact that you are bleeding.
4:35 pm Begin biking home.
4:36 pm Stop and talk to Dinka ladies. Greet them, practice a few sentences, and leave quickly because it has begun to rain.
4:45 pm Get stung by a wasp that gets stuck in your shirt. Grimace in pain…
4:47 pm Maneuver around the motorcycle accident on the main road and the crowd of people that has gathered to debate what happened.
4:49 pm Get stopped by military personnel to allow an important person to pass uninhibited in his vehicle. Wait by the side of the road for two minutes before continuing.
4:52 pm Arrive home soaking wet.
4:54 pm Watch as a teammate fixes his bike…the seat fell off on the ride home.
4:55 pm Discover that someone has cut a large hole in your fence sometime during the 45 minutes that you were away from home.
4:56 pm Notice for the first time that the tree in your front yard has the word “MINE” written on the side in bold, red spray paint and there are nails stuck in the tree where the “Danger: Mine” sign used to be located.
4:58 pm Feed glucose biscuits to the impala that sleeps on your verandah.
4:59 pm Discover that there is a large pile of cooked rice resting beside the termite mound in your front yard…and wonder why it is there.
5:00 pm Thank God for yet another exciting day in Southern Sudan.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Dancing Lessons and a Clothing Exchange
This morning at church, I learned to Dinka dance. I know, I know...Baptists dancing at church? But I assure you, it does happen.
Anyway, towards the end of the service, Jamie, Jennifer and I were greeting several of the ladies and children from the congregation. We were practicing our limited language and introducing ourselves when the ladies suddenly came rushing over to us. They lined us up on one side and immediately formed a semi-circle in front of us, cheering and clapping excitedly. A young boy began beating a drum and two of the ladies stepped into the center of the circle and began to dance around each other. The Dinka dance is a rhythmic jump up and down while the arms are held down by the stomach. Occasionally, the ladies throw an elbow up towards the sky while they jump, just to make things interesting. When they get fancy, they do a leap, leap, hop kind of step. It's really interesting. But after the first two ladies danced, they grabbed Jennifer and another Dinka lady and had them dance in the center. Everyone laughed uproariously at Jennifer's dancing. After a few seconds, they made her leave. I was next. They pushed me into the center, and I danced next to another lady. Unfortunately, I smiled too much while I danced. Rather than laughing at my dancing, they scowled at me and instructed me firmly to "be serious." They take their dancing very seriously, apparently. Then I was booted from the center of the circle, and it was Jamie's turn to dance. She did okay, but only lasted a few seconds, too. Finally, the ladies began to say good-bye to us and shake our hands for us to leave. But as we were leaving, many of the ladies began offering us consolatory apologies and saying things like, "It's okay. So sorry." It was then that we realized we had just competed in a dance competition, and we all totally lost. We realized that the ladies were trying to make sure we weren't upset about losing! They actually do this frequently. They have dance competitions between the ladies to see who is most graceful. So, I found out today that Dinka women find me completely ungraceful.
Also, one of the women who made us dance also wanted to swap clothing with me. She kept motioning to my clothes and grabbing my skirt. I thought she simply wanted my clothes (which is a fairly frequent problem), but then she began grabbing her own clothes and pointing at me! Finally, she grabbed my hand, said something about going to her house, and started grabbing both of our clothes at the same time and pointing furiously between the two of us. I finally realized what she meant to happen. She wanted to swap outfits...I would take her dress and she wanted my shirt and skirt. This is actually something that the Dinka ladies do among themselves sometimes, especially between friends. It was a sweet gesture, but I am pretty certain that her clothes would not have fit me and mine probably would not have fit her. Eventually, after much maneuvering, I was able to leave with my own clothes and she kept her dress. It's a tricky thing, this culture. By the time I leave, I will probably have all sorts of African dresses and absolutely none of my original clothing.
Anyway, towards the end of the service, Jamie, Jennifer and I were greeting several of the ladies and children from the congregation. We were practicing our limited language and introducing ourselves when the ladies suddenly came rushing over to us. They lined us up on one side and immediately formed a semi-circle in front of us, cheering and clapping excitedly. A young boy began beating a drum and two of the ladies stepped into the center of the circle and began to dance around each other. The Dinka dance is a rhythmic jump up and down while the arms are held down by the stomach. Occasionally, the ladies throw an elbow up towards the sky while they jump, just to make things interesting. When they get fancy, they do a leap, leap, hop kind of step. It's really interesting. But after the first two ladies danced, they grabbed Jennifer and another Dinka lady and had them dance in the center. Everyone laughed uproariously at Jennifer's dancing. After a few seconds, they made her leave. I was next. They pushed me into the center, and I danced next to another lady. Unfortunately, I smiled too much while I danced. Rather than laughing at my dancing, they scowled at me and instructed me firmly to "be serious." They take their dancing very seriously, apparently. Then I was booted from the center of the circle, and it was Jamie's turn to dance. She did okay, but only lasted a few seconds, too. Finally, the ladies began to say good-bye to us and shake our hands for us to leave. But as we were leaving, many of the ladies began offering us consolatory apologies and saying things like, "It's okay. So sorry." It was then that we realized we had just competed in a dance competition, and we all totally lost. We realized that the ladies were trying to make sure we weren't upset about losing! They actually do this frequently. They have dance competitions between the ladies to see who is most graceful. So, I found out today that Dinka women find me completely ungraceful.
Also, one of the women who made us dance also wanted to swap clothing with me. She kept motioning to my clothes and grabbing my skirt. I thought she simply wanted my clothes (which is a fairly frequent problem), but then she began grabbing her own clothes and pointing at me! Finally, she grabbed my hand, said something about going to her house, and started grabbing both of our clothes at the same time and pointing furiously between the two of us. I finally realized what she meant to happen. She wanted to swap outfits...I would take her dress and she wanted my shirt and skirt. This is actually something that the Dinka ladies do among themselves sometimes, especially between friends. It was a sweet gesture, but I am pretty certain that her clothes would not have fit me and mine probably would not have fit her. Eventually, after much maneuvering, I was able to leave with my own clothes and she kept her dress. It's a tricky thing, this culture. By the time I leave, I will probably have all sorts of African dresses and absolutely none of my original clothing.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Language Learning
Language school is always an interesting experience...
Today, I was reprimanded for reading a sentence too cheerfully. Upon further inspection, I realized that the sentence I had just read translates to say, "A person has been killed." My teacher spent the next five minutes of our class time explaining to all of us exactly why this is actually NOT a good thing...just in case any of us were confused about that.
The same teacher, Moses, also went on to tell us about hunting hippos...how more often than not, the hippo kills the person rather than the other way around. He explained that when he was fifteen, he witnessed this very thing. Then, he went on to tell us that actually, after a person has been cut in half by a hippo, as long as the person is still in the water, he or she can still talk! However, when the person has been removed from the water, he or she immediately dies. Of course, we were all skeptical and questioned the validity of this statement. Moses was unmoved and firmly told us that, while the talking rarely makes sense, this is actually true. He kept repeating, "I have witnessed the very thing!" So, by the end of the class, Moses had taught us how to say "Why do you talk like the person who has been cut in half by a hippo?" which is actually a common phrase in Dinka to indicate a person who is not making sense.
We also learned several key phrases like, "Don't talk in the way snakes move. Speak clearly!" and "You must take a bath!" And we also learned the meaning of the name of our town...Rumbek. In fact, Rumbek means "the thick forest (bush) where Bek was." Bek was actually a person. Who knew?
Anyway, language school is good. I have learned so much more than the little language I now possess. Learning a language is such a great way to learn a culture. For instance, the Dinka language uses the same word for the colors blue and green, it does not really have a word for yellow, purple, or pink, and the word for orange is nearly identical to the word for red. However, there are probably twenty different words for the colors of cows. There is ayen, amer, yar, akur, majok, makol, mabor...and the list goes on. Learning the language not only helps us communicate, but it helps us understand. So while I joke about the language and my teachers sometimes, I am so thankful that we get to learn this! It's amazing!
Today, I was reprimanded for reading a sentence too cheerfully. Upon further inspection, I realized that the sentence I had just read translates to say, "A person has been killed." My teacher spent the next five minutes of our class time explaining to all of us exactly why this is actually NOT a good thing...just in case any of us were confused about that.
The same teacher, Moses, also went on to tell us about hunting hippos...how more often than not, the hippo kills the person rather than the other way around. He explained that when he was fifteen, he witnessed this very thing. Then, he went on to tell us that actually, after a person has been cut in half by a hippo, as long as the person is still in the water, he or she can still talk! However, when the person has been removed from the water, he or she immediately dies. Of course, we were all skeptical and questioned the validity of this statement. Moses was unmoved and firmly told us that, while the talking rarely makes sense, this is actually true. He kept repeating, "I have witnessed the very thing!" So, by the end of the class, Moses had taught us how to say "Why do you talk like the person who has been cut in half by a hippo?" which is actually a common phrase in Dinka to indicate a person who is not making sense.
We also learned several key phrases like, "Don't talk in the way snakes move. Speak clearly!" and "You must take a bath!" And we also learned the meaning of the name of our town...Rumbek. In fact, Rumbek means "the thick forest (bush) where Bek was." Bek was actually a person. Who knew?
Anyway, language school is good. I have learned so much more than the little language I now possess. Learning a language is such a great way to learn a culture. For instance, the Dinka language uses the same word for the colors blue and green, it does not really have a word for yellow, purple, or pink, and the word for orange is nearly identical to the word for red. However, there are probably twenty different words for the colors of cows. There is ayen, amer, yar, akur, majok, makol, mabor...and the list goes on. Learning the language not only helps us communicate, but it helps us understand. So while I joke about the language and my teachers sometimes, I am so thankful that we get to learn this! It's amazing!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Whitney, the snake slayer
I killed a snake this morning. It was my first kill in Africa…actually, it was my first kill ever. It was a black mamba. It was small so it wasn’t a big deal, but still…I killed a snake in Sudan. It was cool—and a little bit scary.
The School of Hard Knocks…or at least Interesting Knocks…
Since coming to Africa, I have felt as if I am in a perpetual state of learning new things. Some things are enjoyable to learn, and other things are not so enjoyable. I have decided that, in order to be a good steward of my newfound knowledge, I should pass along some of my information to you all. Here are some very important life lessons from one living in Africa:
1. Timeliness is NOT, in reality, next to Godliness. If it was, the whole continent of Africa would be doomed. Speaking of doomed…
2. DOOM, the bug-killing spray, does not kill lizards. Nor does it kill wasps. Frequently, termites survive DOOM, as do many mosquitoes. Basically, the bugs here are hardy and determined. They are troopers and will not go down without a fight. DOOM will, however, temporarily render a person unconscious when inhaled (just joking…this hasn’t really happened! But it’s probably true…this stuff is lethal.)
3. Anything that can be solved with words in the States is solved with a gun out here. Our supervisor's wife told us that shortly before we returned in May, a man escaped from the “frison” (prison). The prison guard told her, “We caught him by shooting.” That is the way of things here. Shoot first, ask questions later.
4. After weeks of turning down marriage proposals, we finally asked our friend Rebecca if this was appropriate. She was surprised, and responded… “Yes, of course it’s appropriate! They just want to interact! They don’t REALLY want to marry you!” Upon further investigation, we have found this to be true. When you stop to talk, actually carry on a conversation, and move quickly to other topics, it is much less awkward and tends to result in a new friendship. If we had only thought to ask earlier!
5. Airports are not run the same here as they are in the States. There is a Brian Regan skit that talks about compliance to the tower…how no one ever questions the authority of the tower. Well, that does not hold true here. Laura had a very interesting experience that resulted in the pilot announcing over the intercom, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for the delay. We have not been given clearance to land, but this is ridiculous and I have decided to land at my own discretion. We will be in Juba shortly. Enjoy your flight.” Oh, Africa…
6. No matter how superior your language skills are, the nationals will still laugh at you. Always. It is apparently very, VERY funny to hear a kawajja speaking the native tongue.
7. Bicycle tires never last as long as you think they should. I had two flats in one day. And beds take four times as long to build as you anticipate. And when you think they should be completed because you saw them nearly completed yesterday, you will inevitably arrive to find that the beds have been sent away for “fainting”(painting)…meaning, they were sold to someone else yesterday as soon as they were finished. It will then be another week before your beds are actually completed.
8. If you are not careful, the goat will eat your food right off your plate.
9. Never say “maybe.” In Africa, maybe means yes, yes means yes, I don’t know means yes, and no often means yes. I told one guy that I would see him tomorrow…MAYBE…thinking to myself, “nope, not gonna happen.” Three days later when I saw him, he was spitting mad at me for not coming to see him the following day. And then he demanded the watch that I “promised” him…I guess I said maybe to that request, too.
10. This is a fun but challenging place. I am learning frequently that things are rarely what they seem, that what I learned yesterday will inevitably be different today, and that more than anything, I have to be flexible. It is certainly an adventure!
1. Timeliness is NOT, in reality, next to Godliness. If it was, the whole continent of Africa would be doomed. Speaking of doomed…
2. DOOM, the bug-killing spray, does not kill lizards. Nor does it kill wasps. Frequently, termites survive DOOM, as do many mosquitoes. Basically, the bugs here are hardy and determined. They are troopers and will not go down without a fight. DOOM will, however, temporarily render a person unconscious when inhaled (just joking…this hasn’t really happened! But it’s probably true…this stuff is lethal.)
3. Anything that can be solved with words in the States is solved with a gun out here. Our supervisor's wife told us that shortly before we returned in May, a man escaped from the “frison” (prison). The prison guard told her, “We caught him by shooting.” That is the way of things here. Shoot first, ask questions later.
4. After weeks of turning down marriage proposals, we finally asked our friend Rebecca if this was appropriate. She was surprised, and responded… “Yes, of course it’s appropriate! They just want to interact! They don’t REALLY want to marry you!” Upon further investigation, we have found this to be true. When you stop to talk, actually carry on a conversation, and move quickly to other topics, it is much less awkward and tends to result in a new friendship. If we had only thought to ask earlier!
5. Airports are not run the same here as they are in the States. There is a Brian Regan skit that talks about compliance to the tower…how no one ever questions the authority of the tower. Well, that does not hold true here. Laura had a very interesting experience that resulted in the pilot announcing over the intercom, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for the delay. We have not been given clearance to land, but this is ridiculous and I have decided to land at my own discretion. We will be in Juba shortly. Enjoy your flight.” Oh, Africa…
6. No matter how superior your language skills are, the nationals will still laugh at you. Always. It is apparently very, VERY funny to hear a kawajja speaking the native tongue.
7. Bicycle tires never last as long as you think they should. I had two flats in one day. And beds take four times as long to build as you anticipate. And when you think they should be completed because you saw them nearly completed yesterday, you will inevitably arrive to find that the beds have been sent away for “fainting”(painting)…meaning, they were sold to someone else yesterday as soon as they were finished. It will then be another week before your beds are actually completed.
8. If you are not careful, the goat will eat your food right off your plate.
9. Never say “maybe.” In Africa, maybe means yes, yes means yes, I don’t know means yes, and no often means yes. I told one guy that I would see him tomorrow…MAYBE…thinking to myself, “nope, not gonna happen.” Three days later when I saw him, he was spitting mad at me for not coming to see him the following day. And then he demanded the watch that I “promised” him…I guess I said maybe to that request, too.
10. This is a fun but challenging place. I am learning frequently that things are rarely what they seem, that what I learned yesterday will inevitably be different today, and that more than anything, I have to be flexible. It is certainly an adventure!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Termite Invasion!
The other night, Jennifer and I were sitting in our room having a good discussion at about 10pm when this large flying bug suddenly appeared fluttering around our light bulb. We immediately sprayed it with DOOM and proceeded to chase it around the room until we finally killed it. A few minutes later, however, we noticed that there was another of these large, winged creatures buzzing sporadically around the room. We chased it down and killed it, only to realize that there was now ANOTHER one to kill! We realized that these bugs were coming in from the crack under the door, and as we were looking at the door, probably ten of the bugs began to crawl in under the door, one right after the other! We began our valiant effort to kill all of the bugs, running crazily around the room swatting at bugs and spraying DOOM at all of them. Finally, we had killed all of the strange bugs and Jennifer said, “What is this? A PLAGUE?” We laughed about it and finished our conversation in peace.
A little bit later, Jennifer went outside and I could hear her gasp from inside the room. I went out to see what had happened, and I saw one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen! Three of the others were sitting under a mosquito net at one end of the verandah, and at the other end of the verandah—right next to our doorway—there was a massive swarm of bugs! Thousands of these bugs were swarming all over the porch, the wall, the doorframe, a desk sitting next to the door, and the light at that end of the porch. There were thousands more swarming all over the ground right beyond the porch. Jennifer said, “I was just joking when I said this was a plague, but I think it really is a plague!” The other three were watching the whole spectacle from the comfort of the mosquito net, and apparently they had just turned the porch light off, enticing all of the bugs to attack our window and door. This is when we experienced the onslaught of bugs coming in under the doorframe.
The following morning, we found out that every year, thousands of these bugs, which are actually African termites, come up out of their holes in the ground. They fly around in huge swarms when the weather gets cooler, then they shed their wings and crawl back to their holes. Unfortunately, not all of the termites did this during the first day of cool weather, but instead, we had a second termite invasion about a week later. The most interesting part of this whole escapade is that the Dinka eat the termites. After the wings fall off, the Dinka collect the termites and fry them. We ate termite at a house the day after the second invasion, and they are not too bad…kind of crunchy, and they taste a bit like corn nuts!
Through this whole experience, I have gained a newfound appreciation for what a plague of locusts might have been like. Not a pleasant experience, for sure!
A little bit later, Jennifer went outside and I could hear her gasp from inside the room. I went out to see what had happened, and I saw one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen! Three of the others were sitting under a mosquito net at one end of the verandah, and at the other end of the verandah—right next to our doorway—there was a massive swarm of bugs! Thousands of these bugs were swarming all over the porch, the wall, the doorframe, a desk sitting next to the door, and the light at that end of the porch. There were thousands more swarming all over the ground right beyond the porch. Jennifer said, “I was just joking when I said this was a plague, but I think it really is a plague!” The other three were watching the whole spectacle from the comfort of the mosquito net, and apparently they had just turned the porch light off, enticing all of the bugs to attack our window and door. This is when we experienced the onslaught of bugs coming in under the doorframe.
The following morning, we found out that every year, thousands of these bugs, which are actually African termites, come up out of their holes in the ground. They fly around in huge swarms when the weather gets cooler, then they shed their wings and crawl back to their holes. Unfortunately, not all of the termites did this during the first day of cool weather, but instead, we had a second termite invasion about a week later. The most interesting part of this whole escapade is that the Dinka eat the termites. After the wings fall off, the Dinka collect the termites and fry them. We ate termite at a house the day after the second invasion, and they are not too bad…kind of crunchy, and they taste a bit like corn nuts!
Through this whole experience, I have gained a newfound appreciation for what a plague of locusts might have been like. Not a pleasant experience, for sure!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
So what shall I do?
I learned two things from my supervisors shortly before we left to go to Zambia. Both pieces of advice have come in so handy during my short time in Africa.
First, my supervisor's wife told us to always make your luggage appear light, regardless of what it weighs. This is so true. Frequently, we have arrived at the airport knowing that our luggage was a pound or two over the weight limit. If you look as though you are struggling with it, they will make you weigh it. If you look as though you could run a mile with the pack on your back, they will smile and let you pass without weighing the bag. This, of course, would never work in the United States, but in Africa, anything goes.
Secondly, she told us to always remember the phrase, “What shall I do?” This is an incredibly helpful phrase as it gives the African the ability to decide how THEY want to solve the problem…rather than having an American tell them what they want to see happen. It is really quite effective. For instance, the first night that we were at the resort at the end of 40/40, I left my room at about five in the evening and didn’t return until after dinner at about 8. When I came back, I found my room completely flooded with about an inch of standing water flowing from under the door. My toilet was leaking. I immediately went to the manager of the hotel and told him the problem. His response to the situation was, “Well…the man who fixes those kinds of things is gone for the night, so we will fix it in the morning.” And that was all he was going to do about it. After informing him politely but firmly that I would not stay in a room that was flooded that badly, he realized that he was going to have to do something about it. He followed me to the room and was shocked to find the room in the exact state that I had told him he would find it. He then said, “Well, I do not know what to do. We have no rooms available to put you.” At this point, I remembered my supervisor's wife's advice and pulled out the “well, what shall I do?” phrase. It worked like a charm. After I asked him what I should do, he immediately said, “Well, now that I think about it, we may have one room…come with me.” Within five minutes, I had a new room and the water problem was solved. Amazing!
First, my supervisor's wife told us to always make your luggage appear light, regardless of what it weighs. This is so true. Frequently, we have arrived at the airport knowing that our luggage was a pound or two over the weight limit. If you look as though you are struggling with it, they will make you weigh it. If you look as though you could run a mile with the pack on your back, they will smile and let you pass without weighing the bag. This, of course, would never work in the United States, but in Africa, anything goes.
Secondly, she told us to always remember the phrase, “What shall I do?” This is an incredibly helpful phrase as it gives the African the ability to decide how THEY want to solve the problem…rather than having an American tell them what they want to see happen. It is really quite effective. For instance, the first night that we were at the resort at the end of 40/40, I left my room at about five in the evening and didn’t return until after dinner at about 8. When I came back, I found my room completely flooded with about an inch of standing water flowing from under the door. My toilet was leaking. I immediately went to the manager of the hotel and told him the problem. His response to the situation was, “Well…the man who fixes those kinds of things is gone for the night, so we will fix it in the morning.” And that was all he was going to do about it. After informing him politely but firmly that I would not stay in a room that was flooded that badly, he realized that he was going to have to do something about it. He followed me to the room and was shocked to find the room in the exact state that I had told him he would find it. He then said, “Well, I do not know what to do. We have no rooms available to put you.” At this point, I remembered my supervisor's wife's advice and pulled out the “well, what shall I do?” phrase. It worked like a charm. After I asked him what I should do, he immediately said, “Well, now that I think about it, we may have one room…come with me.” Within five minutes, I had a new room and the water problem was solved. Amazing!
Clash of the Cultures!
During our village homestay, our hostess, Agness, provided us with a loaf of bread to eat for breakfast. This loaf had been partially eaten by a rat, and the remaining portion was feeding several cockroaches. We decided to swap out the nasty, unopened loaf in favor of a clean loaf we had opened earlier in the weekend. We finished off that loaf and threw away the wrapper. Unfortunately, Agness came back in, saw that the first loaf had not been touched, and left in a huff, thinking we had not eaten anything! We finally realized that she was upset with us because she thought we didn’t want to eat her food, so we apologized profusely and told her numerous times how we thought she fed us so well! Then we gave her a cultural lesson from America as one of the girls told her, “In America, my mother always told me to finish the loaf and THEN open the second loaf…never open two loaves at once!” It eased the problem, but we all decided that if we were served the rat and cockroach loaf again, we would simply have to eat it!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Marriage Proposals
As single, white females, the other journeygirls and I tend to get a lot of marriage proposals. Most of these proposals are made out of a desperate attempt to get rich quick...because most Africans believe that all Americans are made of money, which unfortunately, is not true.
We have had some very interesting encounters so far. One man offered me American money instead of cows (the preferred dowry in Dinkaland), to which I replied that I would rather have the cows. This was not a good response. I think some of the other team members have thought seriously about selling me for the beef.
But in all seriousness, we do get a lot of proposals. Just yesterday, we were sitting in a mini-bus in downtown Lusaka when a man approached Jennifer's window. He greeted her first, as is customary, and then immediately said "I would like to apply to marriage you." She, of course, turned him down gently.
My supervisor says I am worth at least 100 cows, and that he would not let me get married for any less than that. Others in Rumbek say that a white wife could get at least 250 cattle. That's a lot of beef...so let's just pray that the team doesn't become too desperate for meat.
We have had some very interesting encounters so far. One man offered me American money instead of cows (the preferred dowry in Dinkaland), to which I replied that I would rather have the cows. This was not a good response. I think some of the other team members have thought seriously about selling me for the beef.
But in all seriousness, we do get a lot of proposals. Just yesterday, we were sitting in a mini-bus in downtown Lusaka when a man approached Jennifer's window. He greeted her first, as is customary, and then immediately said "I would like to apply to marriage you." She, of course, turned him down gently.
My supervisor says I am worth at least 100 cows, and that he would not let me get married for any less than that. Others in Rumbek say that a white wife could get at least 250 cattle. That's a lot of beef...so let's just pray that the team doesn't become too desperate for meat.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Names, names, names
The Dinka people really struggle to pronounce some of the sounds we use in English. For instance, Dinka often mix up the 'f' and the 'p' sounds, as well as the 'r' and 'l' sounds. You might hear a Dinka man say, "Let us crap for Jesus!" from the pulpit of his church. Or you might hear a Dinka woman talk about the great "farty" that she attended the other night. Basically, any time a Dinka tries to speak English, you will frobably know immediately that they are not a native English speaker.
When introducing myself, I ran into a number of difficulties with my name. The Dinka have few words where a consonant is placed right next to an 'n' where the consonant has to be sounded. Thus, many of the Dinka struggle to pronounce my name correctly. If I am not very careful to introduce myself as "Whi-ta-ney," they will always call me "Whinny." And then most of them giggle, laugh, and point at me because I have such a funny sounding name.
I was able to receive a Dinka name as well. So many of my new friends were struggling with my real name that they thought it best that I receive a whole new name. They named me Mary Ayen, because I favor the gray milk cow...obviously.
However, I much prefer these names to the one I hear most often..."Kwashja!" This means person with the white skin. And of course, it is accompanied by much pointing and laughing.
Perhaps by the end of my term here, I will have found at least one Dinka who knows my real name!
When introducing myself, I ran into a number of difficulties with my name. The Dinka have few words where a consonant is placed right next to an 'n' where the consonant has to be sounded. Thus, many of the Dinka struggle to pronounce my name correctly. If I am not very careful to introduce myself as "Whi-ta-ney," they will always call me "Whinny." And then most of them giggle, laugh, and point at me because I have such a funny sounding name.
I was able to receive a Dinka name as well. So many of my new friends were struggling with my real name that they thought it best that I receive a whole new name. They named me Mary Ayen, because I favor the gray milk cow...obviously.
However, I much prefer these names to the one I hear most often..."Kwashja!" This means person with the white skin. And of course, it is accompanied by much pointing and laughing.
Perhaps by the end of my term here, I will have found at least one Dinka who knows my real name!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Stories Galore
I decided that I will just have far too many stories over these next two years to write them all in newsletters or to wait until I get home to share. So...the third option! I have decided to start a blog. Basically, this will contain all the fun and quirky stories that don't make it to the newsletters but are still noteworthy. Of course, reading the blog does not exempt you from reading my updates! :) However, if you ever want to know more about life in Southern Sudan, feel free to check out the new blog!
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