Thoughts on.... From my journal on 11/20/11

From my journal on 11/20/11
My prayer, over small things made into large things.

"Lord, please forgive me for losing my peace over things that didn't even exist in your day. Be strong in me, decrease me; I yield my control over to you. Amen."

So when you are in the bush, most modern conveniences, if available, are limited. Power and the internet were two of these things. Looking back, I went through withdrawals. Reading my journal confirms this for me pretty well.

Once I was adjusted to having two hours or less of internet each day, and one go on the 4 hour computer battery, I was so much more FREE!

Once lesson planning was done, I still had time (sometimes).

I had hobbies again, I played the guitar (I even own one here in the States, and haven't touched it since June because I don't have a consistent practice time!), practiced the piano (they had some keyboards there), learned the recorder, made crafts with Nandry (daughter of the missionaries), and more.

I read like a thirsty person drinking from a deep well, and I was able to spend extended time in the Bible, praying, thinking, just...being.

I ran again. (More on that when it comes...in a few more posts.)

I felt so....alive!

Which begs the question: What was I, then, when I was here in the States?
Before I left, I was working two jobs, meeting with people every chance I had, doing lots of odds and ends preparing for Cameroon, and I fell asleep exhausted early into many mornings, still with a to do list a mile long. I was definitely surviving, but I would not recommend that as living for a long period of time!

As I look towards going back to Cameroon again, I am faced with my memories of that hard time just before I left. Suffice it to say that, whatever you believe about the Enemy, my experiences in that time made him very real to me, as he targeted every weakness, and many weaknesses of those closest to me when he couldn't get to me directly. It is only through God's great love that I made it through that challenging time, and the dedication of friends who believe in the calling on my life as much as (and sometimes more than) I do.

As I persevere in living a life of quietness and rest (not to say I don't work, but where work and rest both have their value and their place), I have to admit I am nervous about going through the pre-field time again. I still feel alive, and in touch with who I am in Christ. I listen to the part of me that will say, "Enough! No more for today!" and I go home, turning down social things if I need to rest.
I am praying that, as the time to return gets closer, that I will have enough advance notice that it will be able to be less intense.

The most important thing I have learned, I think, is that I must entrust the schedule, and the to do list, to God. He really can make sure that everything gets done, as long as I am obedient to listen for when I need to tackle the tasks I don't especially relish. If I commit to that, I will be able to get enough rest (both mentally and sleep), which will make me able to be more efficient and fully present in all of the other things.

So, then, it all boils down to trust, and giving up control. Which is also what got me through my initial adjustment to life in the rainforest of Cameroon. :-)

Until next time.

Thoughts on.... From my journal on 11/19/11

From my journal on 11/19/11
My prayer, in the midst of trying to adjust and feeling overwhelmed in a new (in every way) world:
"Lord, I need you to lead me. The enemy wants to steal my peace by keeping me distracted when I try to do too much. I will aggressively pursue peace here in Cameroon. Show me only what you want me to do here. Give me the freedom to do just and only those things, and free me from feeling guilty for not doing the things you do not call me to do. Amen."

My time in Cameroon was used to show my task-oriented self what a work-a-holic I was/am. It also illuminated my addiction to the pace of life in America.
Africa is slow - well at least it was in the rainforest of Cameroon.
Being in such a starkly different environment was like what I have heard drug withdrawals are like. And it was rough for a while as I made it my daily work to adjust to this new, other, different world. But then, one day, the withdrawals were over. And it was beautiful! I had time!
I had time to read my Bible. I had time to intercede and pray for friends and family. I had time to read for my general enjoyment and growth. I had time to be creative - it was SO WONDERFUL!
I have managed to cultivate most of those habits now that I am settled in back here at home. Still working on some aspects (like getting enough physical activity). But I have an awareness I never before had about my time.
Now that I am (and have been for a while) back in the States, I am glad that I cannot adjust back to American pace. And it is not just that I liked "African time" (like island time) because of my running late tendencies.
I actually get to most things relatively on time these days - because I don't say yes to everything anymore.
Before, when I was in the States, I had learned the value of saying no, and had used it some. But I still said yes to far too much, and was always stressed and usually late. I didn't give people the time and my undivided attention that they deserved, because I was checking off hang outs like tasks on a to-do list. Not that I didn't love my time with people, but I couldn't get out of that mindset.
It is funny now, because people are like, "Oh, when you aren't busy, let me know!"
And I try to tell them, "I am actually not busy at all. I am home a lot. I work some during the day, but I have a lot of availability generally."
It feels really good, really freeing to say that.
So, if you want to hang out, you know how to reach me. I am available. :-)

Day 180 - wrapping up

Well, I've been back a few days, and I feel like I am adjusting well. I have been able to meet with my accountability team and debrief with them, and spend some time with my mom. I've also been able to connect with a few familiar faces, some planned, and some unplanned. This life, I realize, is so different, but it is home, and I am sooo happy to be here.
I am ready to dig in here, and see what God has in store for this time.
I am still talking with my friends in Cameroon about coming back, so I will keep you posted!
I am so thankful for all that God has taught me in this season; truly it feels like, in part, that He pulled me away during this time to draw me closer to Him, and to grow and mature me in Him. I am so, so grateful for it all. What a great experience, and great friends made. I am so thankful.
So now, for the next chapter.... I'm excited for this ride.

Day 177/179 - May 8th/9th (Travel so it all blended together)

Coming Home Day!
Even after staying up wayyyyyy too late, I woke up at 7am. I got to spend some time with Nandry in the morning, and we played a little Uno, and then did some beading with our beach shells. We made some fun stuff! After some lunch, it was time to face the inevitable task of the final sorting and packing, and getting ready to go to the airport. I put on some good music, and got to work, and was done in enough time to have a few minutes of calm quiet before the storm.
Then it was time to get ready to go.
Younde has public running water, but it is not always so consistent. This is Africa we are talking about, but where we were staying, the CTC (Cameroon Training Center) run by Wycliffe Bible Associates, has a backup system of cisterns. Apparently they have been relying on it heavily in recent weeks, and so it, too, was very low. By the time I went to shower, the water was only coming out in a trickle. Thankfully, the Conrods are used to planning ahead for such situations, and Nathan had filled up a bucket as a backup the day before. So I was able to do what I needed to do. And by the time I was out (not very long) there was no running water left at all. Crazy. Later I found out I could have showered at the CMF Youth Hostel that my friends, Gord and Denise, run...they are so hospitable. :-) But I was clean before my 30+ hours of travel, so it all worked out. :-)
Anyway, after praying and saying our final goodbyes, I left for the airport with Nathan, who worked his way past the airport people and was able to help me with check in and baggage and stuff. I was so glad he was there, because they only had me ticketed through Brussels, and he helped when my bag weights were a little off balance. After talking with the airline people and a phone call, they got my ticketing and luggage tags straight, and it was time for my final goodbye!
All my flights were uneventful and ran mostly on time. I met and observed interesting people. I was able to access my gmail on my kindle in Brussels, which was a first for me and really cool! I had my first pear in 6 months in Brussels, and my first latte from Starbucks.

Just seeing the Starbucks logo was like a GIANT welcome home sign. :-)

I had more ticket troubles in Brussels, and had to have my boarding passes re-issued by United, rather than use those issued by Brussels Airlines. And they subjected us to the U.S. security questions (did you pack your bag yourself, etc.).
I managed to sleep on my first flight (during the night) and to stay up for most of my eight hour trans-Atlantic flight (departing at noon and arriving at like 2:30pm, that felt weird). I listened to part of an audiobook of the book Switch, which was REALLY interesting. And I watched a really compelling movie called Machine Gun Preacher. DISCLAIMER: It is rated R and for plenty of good reasons. That said, it is very "real" and very little is gratuitous. I have actually been to Kampala in Uganda, which they talk about in the movie, which was crazy for my brain. It really was a GREAT story, and is based on the true story of Sam Childers, which you can check out here. And then we were touching down in D.C.! I was ready to kiss the ground I was so excited to be back where I don't have to think about everything that I do in order to not make some social or other flub - it was like taking a giant sigh of relief! (I didn't actually kiss the ground; I had the presence of mind that it was not THAT clean, LOL) As I approached immigration with a giant grin on my face, a lady smiled at me who works at the airport, and asked, "U.S. Citizen?" I answered, "Yes!" And she smiled more and replied, "Welcome back!" Great moment. :-)
Customs and security was a dream, and I practically waltzed through, since I was running on excitement and adrenaline. And all the sights and sounds I had forgotted about! Like the automatic flushing toilets that always flush too soon...LOL In fact, here's a quick list I made:
Food smells, especially Wendy's fries and Five Guys (right by my gate!)
Auntie Annie's Pretzels
I didn't notice the AC immediately, but it snuck up on me :-)
Do-it-yourself vs. service (even on the plane) [related: the independence]
Personal space (mentioned on the plane by flight attendants...humorous)
sarcastic, playing humor (flight attendants)
U.S. security check points (it is so lax and disorganized and inconsistent in Africa)
Moving walkways
Safety warnings everywhere and on silly things
functioning escalators (they are actually motion activated in Brussels...smart!)
signage in English
faster wi-fi!

That's about it!
Once I got my coffee fix and online fix in D.C., it was time to board.
I was almost home! I started crashing, and dozed a bit, and then we started our descent!
I was greeted with flowers and a giant stop sign (if you have known me since the days of Axel and Gadget, you might know what I am talking about :-)) and lots and lots of hugs! My accountability team, mom, and cousin Megan were all there to greet me! I felt so loved! I was so tired I was half incoherent, but they helped me gather my bags and get them to the car.
I came home to my mom's to a wonderful steak, broccoli, and sweet potato dinner. Soooooo gooooooood.
And I was out by 10, up by 5. Is this night owl trying for early bird status? STRANGE..... :-)

Day 176 – May 7th

We all woke up before 7, and headed down to the beach for a last hurrah. We made a final sandcastle attempt, which started to go terribly wrong when the sand was too wet, all on its own! But Nathan saved the day, getting the largest part out of its bucket, and then it was SOLID. We managed to build a tower about three feet high or so. It leaned slightly, so we quipped that we made a model of the Tower of Pisa. After taking some pictures, we let Asher destroy it. He ran a kicked the base, which made the top part fall, but that solid bottom part took some significant effort from him to break it down. :-)
Then we played in the water, took more pictures, went up to clean up, pack up, have breakfast, and then... it was over. Back to reality. Back on the road. Back to Younde and being connected to the rest of the world.
Back at CTC (Cameroon Training Center – where we usually stay), Asher wasn’t feeling so hot, so I taught him to play Uno, since he wasn’t up to playing outside with Boaz and other kids around (like Joey who we know from SCA). He did pretty well, and Nandry played some, too. After dinner, he went to rest, but I played for a long time with Nandry and Boaz. We all did well and won a few hands, and I had them playing cut throat (my house rules from growing up) before it was all over (stacking draw cards). They even got to stay up a little playing, since Asher was already out.
I also showed them how you can make a tornado in a large bottle as you empty it (by spinning it) and then they were so fascinated that they were practically fighting over whose turn it was to refill the water reservoir bottle! Cracks me up.
I’m glad we had that time to just play, since I leave....TOMORROW!
It feels a little real. And also not. I have to repack a bit post beach tomorrow, but otherwise I am ready! I had a GREAT refreshing time at the beach – and now I am longing for home, and all the people and places that make it that. I’ll try to post before we are airport bound tomorrow afternoon, but if not, my next post may be from the States!

Day 175 – May 6th

I actually slept in, being on vacation and all. :-)
We went back to the far tidal pools today, as there were more people on the beach, but most didn’t venture where we were, so we still had that stretch to ourselves. I saw a gushing spring pouring out of rocks by the shore; it was SO COLD, and it made a little waterfall! I dared to try some of the water, and it was definitely spring-fed, fresh and cool. All among the rocks were more springs, tidal pools, and creatures – we were able to observe and catch fish, snails, and crabs. The boys made “resorts” for them in the little pools. Nandry and I caught two little brightly striped fish by damming off part of their pool, then getting them to swim into more and more shallow water.
Later, while we bodysurfed, the ocean grew almost as calm as a pool for about 30 or 40 minutes, and we saw fish jumping up out of the water, with the sun glinting off their scales!
After we collectively demolished an entire watermelon, we made another sandcastle attempt (#3 if you are counting). And... it began to rain. We covered part of it and played in the water, which was warm compared to the cool rain. But then lightning started, so we had to abandon it, and the rain knocked down the sentry towers. And boy did it storm! The power even went out for a while, but thankfully the hot water still worked, and it soon came back on. So we watched a movie (projectors and white walls are great) and later had dinner.

Day 174 – May 5th

After a yummy omelet breakfast and an earlier start, I had some quiet time before joining the Conrods down on the beach. I listened to a song by Hillsong (United?) called “Highest,” and it embodied perfectly where I was! Here are the lyrics:

Your love O Lord is like the oceans
Deeper than endless seas
Your faithfulness is like the mountains
And Your Word never fails

Chorus:
Glory to God
Let every heart sing
Glory to God
In the highest

Let us adore
Wonderful Saviour
Crown Him
Forever our King

I could picture the creation all around me as I listened to the song. So simple, and so powerful; I just left it on repeat for a while. :-) And then I went out into God's great creation!
Today I got good pictures of the tidal pool’s springs, and other interesting things [NERD ALERT] I saw weathering and erosion at work in several different ways. I saw LOTS of volcanic rock specimens, so I took pictures of many of them, and gathered a few, too, including some pumice stones. We explored some other tidal pools which are spring-fed, and they were FULL of little creatures who call them home. I loved observing them in their own little ecosystems.
Later we made attempt two at a sandcastle, but I didn’t get a picture of it, and really I ran out of time. We went up to clean up and eat lunch, and in the afternoon, we went to a wildlife conservation center (mostly primates). Two of the small monkeys actually escaped their enclosure, and I got to see them only about six or eight feet away! They are a species who are native to the area, though they are having trouble in the wild, so I guess if they had completely escaped it wouldn’t be as bad as into an area where there is no place for them. They eventually climbed back in, but can you imagine that happening in the States! Crazy! :-)
Then we ate at a popular local restaurant called the Hot Spot. It reminds me just a little of the Conch House in St. Augustine, FL. We ate facing the ocean, and could see at least a half dozen islands, some pretty close. We could also (strange juxtaposition) see an oil rig. I had HUGE shrimp (each one was at least two bites) with grilled veggies, dodo (Cameroonian for fried sweet plantains), and a soda I like called Djino. As the sun set, what a view, so magnificent!

Day 173 – May 4th

What a fun, relaxing, exhausting day!
While waiting for breakfast, I saw some awesome birds! I saw a big brown hawk, sunning himself with wings spread, and a smaller bird looking for his breakfast. He had a vibrantly orange beak, but looked to be plain otherwise, with a white chest and neck, and mostly black wings. Then he dove down from his perch, after some breakfast. And I was in awe – his back and wingtips we electric blue! He was so beautiful! I was mesmerized as he flew from perch to perch, with his lovely ocean backdrop. It was all so wonderful.
On the beach, we started back in the tidal pool, but as the tide moved in rather quickly, we moved onto sandcastle making. Nandry and I fell to it, and Boaz later joined us. We worked on a moat and barrier wall, naively thinking that we could hold back the sea from our castle to be. We took a break, leaving that part of the beach for a bit, and our efforts were all for naught – the waves flattened our barriers and filled in our moat. At Limbe beach, the tides are pretty drastic. I will post pictures of low and high tide, but know it is like two different beaches! So the water eventually goes all the way up to the rocks near the trees at the top of the beach (it would be like the ocean in JAX going all the way up to the dunes).
During our break, I took a little rest in our lovely air conditioned room. Yes, we enjoyed AC for a few days, and it was wonderful, especially when coming off the steamy tropical beach in the middle of the day!
Later that evening, after a yummy dinner of (of course) seafood, we went on a moonlit walk on the beach, and we ran into...CRABS! Tons of them! And many we as large as my hand! The boys, of course, immediately gave chase, and managed to catch a couple in a container they found. Those crabs were tough and feisty, and had sharp barbs all over them! I tried unsuccessfully to pick one up, but I did manage to get some GREAT pictures of our little friends. We later asked if the locals eat them, because they are so big, but we didn’t end up getting a straight answer on that. And we eventually let ours go.

Day 172 – May 3rd

Today we traveled from Younde to Limbe Beach – what a cool drive it was! We went through several sizable towns, and Douala, the largest city in Cameroon! Douala is also the main port city, where containers come on ships, and many are then sent on trains elsewhere in Cameroon. This also means that if you can’t find what you are looking for at the store in Douala, you are probably not going to find it in Cameroon. We actually drove along the shipping channel, and saw much of the commercial/manufacturing area. It was really cool – cranes everywhere, and the rail crossing was not functioning which meant that the thankfully slow train got too close for comfort! We drove by countless distributors of as many varied items, and so many colors!
We later drove through plantation land, where we saw rubber trees, already tapped for their sap. We also saw corn coming up in a few places! Then we got to the Del Monte plantation, where many of your bananas come from. As the regimes (bunches) become recognizable on the trees, they cover them with large thin blue plastic bags, which stay on while the bananas grow to their full size. That is why your bananas look so clean and perfect when you buy them at the store.
Closer to Limbe, we passed an oil refinery, with a flame burning high in the sky. Then we passed the Semme (water) bottling plant and their (really nice) resort next to it. Apparently, as it is spring fed from nearby Mt Entebbe (aka little Mount Cameroon), the resort has a large spring-fed swimming hole right next to the beach. For you FL folks, think Ginny Springs or one of the others, only leading into the ocean. Pretty cool, huh? Literally, it is just as cold!
When we finally arrived at the Tsaben Beach Hotel, our final destination, we met up with the Schlinskis (from SCA), and their friends, who also were checking out SCA, and we hung out with them at the Schlinskis’ house for a game and dinner night during SCA, and also two other women around my age, one of whom is interning at the orphanage the Schlinskis run, and the other is a friend of theirs who had just arrived in the country (but has been to Africa before). Wow that was a lot. ANYWAY, we all had a blast catching up/getting to know each other. And the kids had fun in the water and digging in the sand. They stayed on for a while, but then it was time to part ways again.
We (Conrods and I) stayed down on the beach, and explored a tidal pool. We saw a sea anemone, lots of crabs, snails, mussels, barnacles, seaweed, and small COLD springs bubbling up from the bottom of the water. And when the tide comes in, it is ALL covered.
Great day!

Day 171 - May 2nd

Now writing from Younde! HOPEFULLY, before we pull out tomorrow, I will have an update out to inboxes all over. I have been organizing bits of it all afternoon, at a VERY SLOW internet speed. Like, at its fastest (for like 5 mins) it was maybe half the speed out in the bush. At least they don't turn it off!
I should remember to be thankful for it - I couldn't have had a mostly functional daily blog from the rainforest of Africa probably even five years ago.
Anyway, tomorrow night we will be at Limbe Beach, in an air conditioned room. Though, right now, it is pretty cool, actually.
So, yeah! Not much else to report! :-)
Beach tomorrow, and home ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

Day 170 - May 1st

It is May. The month in which I leave. Okay, if it wasn't real before, it is now!
My room is empty. My bags are packed. The addition no longer looks like home.
I helped the Conrods with their preparations today, and I see even more, all the hard work they do that has made my life pretty easy! They are awesome!
One more night in my room, and from the looks of it, I'll be falling asleep to the soothing rain, one more time. :-)
I'm just glad it let up some, so the internet would work. :-)
Things I will miss from "the bush":
Hearing the rain
Walking in the orchard
The sound of the birds, bugs, and other creatures, especially right at dawn and dusk
Hearing people living around me, even when I am alone
Having limited time for internet (so I have time to read, write, and think without having to force it)
Jungle hikes (other than the one through the swamp)
The food :-)
The simplicity of life, but good harnessing of technology for some conveniences

Obviously I will miss the people, too, but this is what I think of as I listen to the thunder rumble in the distance as the rain dies down.
Beach in 2 days, home in 8 days. :-)

Day 169 – April 30th

IT IS FINISHED! AND I HAVE ROOM TO SPARE!
I am truly shocked that I have a little room to spare (coming home with 2 checked bags, carry-on, and personal item). My third bag will come home packed in my luggage, not full of stuff. :-)
And I was able to fit things well, keeping weight in mind. I can lift even the heaviest bag (which will come in handy in DC, where I have to go through customs). That will be a super fun layover...about 2 ½ hours to land, get all my bags, go through customs, recheck my bags, and get to my next flight. I don’t forsee much downtime.... But at least I know that I can manage it all, since it is less than I came with. Good times.
Sad day...said more goodbyes today. It was my last time seeing Julie, who helps us here at the Conrod house. We parted with a hug. :-)
And Julie’s daughter, who came with her today, is going to keep Squirrley-poo-poo for a pet. So we all said our goodbyes to him, too.
So. Beach in 2 days. Home in nine days. It feels real now, as I look around my empty room with my bags off to one side, as it thunders and the rain comes down outside. So strange, the feeling I had when I arrived is back, the feeling as if your life in one place is dying, or at least going to sleep, and simultaneously your life is getting ready to wake up in another place completely different.
Only now, after all this time, where this has been home, and has become familiar, it doesn’t seem so different, after all. I mean, how life is lived is, in many ways, VASTLY different. But the people, as people everywhere, are the same. We all have hopes, desires, potential. We all have the capacity to grow and change, love and hurt. We all have need for Jesus, and His transforming power can work a miracle in any of us, if we are willing. And the results, in any culture, can be positively inspirational. What great things God can do.
I am thankful to have been on this journey, where I have seen that transformation first-hand, and actively in my own life, too. He is so able, and faithful, and if I had it to do again, I would follow wherever He leads, yes, even to Africa, away from everyone I love at home. For now I find my heart enlarged. I love people here, too. Cameroon has become home, too. I guess, in God’s love, more is definitely better. :-)

Day 168 - April 29th

Well, I started the day with a scrumptious Conrod brunch of hashbrowns, cheesy eggs, and baconnnnn. Eat your heart out Cracker Barrel (and Denny's, IHOP, etc).
Otherwise, I finished making jewelry with Nandry, packed our beading stuff we are taking to the beach, and sorted more of my stuff. I am DONE with that, FINALLY!
Now the fun part! Trying to pack it all in such a way where I only have to minimally repack when we leave the beach! I think I have everything separated out for the beach and the States, other than what I am still using. Good times.....

Also, from today, your TIA (This is Africa) moment. Today, school ending felt final. We tore up all their old papers and threw them into the trash pit, which we then torched. It was quite the inferno.

I'm excited to have some RNR with the Conrods at Limbe Beach this week, and then to head home! 4 days til the beach, and 10 until I land in JAX! This ride is speeding up, it feels like! Woohoo!

Day 167 - April 28th

What a great Saturday! We did max out at 91 degrees Fahrenheit today, but we had an occasional slight breeze which kept it from being completely stifling. The heat got most of my clothes dry, and it waited to rain until after we had already taken everything down.
I did some jewelry making with Nandry, and packed our craft bin, which was quite a feat to get as much in there as I managed to do!
I also went through more of my stuff and organized/threw out more.
I need to finish packing. Like. Tomorrow. I just hate it so much, and how final it makes everything feel! Laurel is the packing queen - they will leave later in May for 6 months back in the States, and they have packed so much already, even some for the States!
I will have to recruit Nandry to keep me company again, and just try not to get sucked into beading with her. :-)
Well, here pretty soon, things are going to start happening really fast! I will update during the later part of next week and beyond as I am able!
And I'll be Stateside in 11 days! Believe it! (I am finally starting to.)
Also, update on my thumb (that I drilled a week ago)- it seems to be healing pretty well! :-)

Day 166 - April 27th

WE ARE FINISHED!
This morning was the end of school for the Conrods for the 2011-2012 school year! And the kids are soooo happy about it! The afternoon was pretty chill... Nandry did some jewelry making, and worked on my beads which are actually sawed down porcupine quills! I saw some jewelry with them in Bamenda, and had asked what they were, and when I learned how easy it was to make my own beads, I just bought a handful of quills and decided to do it myself! The day I drilled my finger I also sawed the quills into long bead-lengths without incident. So today I sanded them down, and made holes in some of them. The inside of the quills is about the consistency of styrofoam, so that step is super easy!
Otherwise, I tried to still take it easy, as I'm still not feeling 100%. And tomorrow I have to get some serious packing done!!!
Beach in just a few days, and I'll be in the States in only 12 days! Crazy but true!

Day 165 – April 26th

Our final Thursday of school is over! Everyone has worked ahead, and all before lunch, too, so all we have for our last Friday is Spelling Review, and History for Boaz and Nandry. Boaz has finished his State Report on Tennessee, all thirty pages of it! I think I am excited about that as he is!
I agree with what Boaz was saying to me this evening, that it doesn’t feel like tomorrow is the last day of school. He said he felt like we’d still have school after the weekend. It will be fun for us to be done, and able to go to the beach and play! We are all very excited about that coming up.
Prayers are appreciated – I’m not feeling so great today. I got some time to rest, but I am still not feeling so great still.
Excited that I will be home in less than two weeks! :-)

Day 164 - April 25th

Wacky Wednesday!
Not really, more like "Tie up loose ends Wednesday!"
We got a lot accomplished in school, and things are tapering off! Hoping to make slime with the kids tomorrow, if we have enough glue.
The end is in sight for Boaz's State Report, and he is THRILLED about that! We just have one final spelling test for Asher, and Nandry is almost finished, too. And the end is in sight with History, too. Just two more days of school!

My thumb is lots better today, I'm happy to report! I am almost back to complete usage, and I'm only experiencing a tiny bit of numbness.

I also had a medical debrief for coming home with our lovely Doctor Reda before she heads back to the States tomorrow. She was super helpful and knowledgeable - a Godsend. (She and Jenn make a GREAT team!)

The afternoon was a frenzy of loose ends and the beginnings of goodbyes. :-(
I had a final debriefing wrap-up with Barry, my Field Director, and chatted with he and his wife, Desma.

Then, remember the coffee I picked back in the fall, that Heidi later dried? Well I finally roasted it with her today in a popcorn maker over the stove! Once you roast it to the desired darkness, then you take a handful at a time and roll it around in your hands to break off the skins, which you can then just blow off of the beans. It was a cool learning experience, and a chance to have a last little visit with Jenn, Heidi, Reda, and Annabella. I'm gonna miss them!

Finally, I went back to the Abbotts' house to grind my coffee (and deliver theirs which we had also roasted). And I got a chance to talk more with Desma for a little bit and say goodbye. I know things will be busy in the morning, and she will have lots to do as she closes up their house, so I am glad we had a few minutes tonight for that.

The Abbotts, Jenn, Heidi, Annabella, and Reda start for Y-de in the morning. I could possibly see them in a brief passing on the road next week, but it is unlikely, so it looks like tomorrow is goodbye to my team, other than the Conrods! It isn't real yet, but I know it will be as they drive off in the morning.

So I guess this is the beginning of the end of my time - no denying it anymore. I'm so sad! Yet I am excited to be back in Jacksonville, too - which I will be exactly two weeks from today!

So I am torn. Oh, the in between, the starting over. My old friend, transition. Can't say I have missed you! Yet I know that here is where God is leading me, and here I will go. There are things to learn here, things which will grow me closer to Him. So, where He leads, there I will go.

Day 163 – April 24th

Tuesday! We had a good school day – the end is definitely in sight for all the kiddos. We are in tying loose ends mode. Asher’s pretty much done, Nandry has her final Language Arts Test tomorrow and is writing a story, and Boaz is soon to also finish Language Arts and his State Report on Tennessee. We are working hard in History to finish South East Asia, and we are enjoying some experiments with magnetism! We had our last lesson in art today – sad to see that end. I allowed the kids to choose from our different art materials, and they had fun coming up with what they wanted to create. Nandry and I worked on our jewelry, for which I drilled holes in shells, and sawed porcupine quills so I can make them into beads with a needle (the inside is as soft as Styrofoam). So far, so good, they just need to be sanded and threaded.
However, while I drilled holes in the shells, I started feeling more confident, and, alas, the drill bit just happened to SNAP while I was working on a shell, and the remaining bit slammed into my right thumb. All I remember is pain and, well, you could imagine, but I’ll spare the squeamish folks the details. Needless to say, if I am able to type now, my finger will be okay, though it does hurt quite a bit. I’m not good with blood, but once I was able to be comfortable and not see my hand, I started feeling better. We have a nurse on our team, Jenn, and the doctor of our team, Reda, is here for a couple of weeks right now, too, so I was in good, adept hands, besides the care of the Conrods. They were there assisting, too.
Adventures in Africa! I’m just glad I am okay and that I am able to do most things still, though I find I need help with some surprising things. I use my right hand more than I thought! :-) And I still have packing to work on.
Prayers are definitely appreciated as I wrap up my time here – this is not the first close call I have had over the last week. A few days ago, our hot water kettle’s handle just broke while I was carrying hot water over for a shower. Thankfully, it was not boiling hot, but it was pretty painful. Felt like a bad sunburn that night, but it is totally fine now.
So prayers are appreciated! Three more days of school! And only 15 days until I am back in the U.S. of A. It is still not real.

Day 162 - April 23rd

The final Monday is over! We did it, yay!!!!!!!
We had a hard-working, productive school day, and even did a science experiment where we saw how many paper clips we could hang from a magnet. Then we layered tape to see how many less the magnet would then hold. Our most paperclips hung was 19 with no tape. When we got to 60 pieces of tape, it could only hold like 2. It was cool, and the kids worked patiently at it.
Later this afternoon, I had a good meeting with Barry and Desma, and stayed to dinner with their family. Good stuff. :-) We are working on all that I have coming down the pike...prayers appreciated as I sort all of that out, and I'll share more as soon as I can. :-)
16 days until I am on American soil! CRAZY.
And four more days of school. We can do it!

Day 161 – April 22nd

Great and busy Sunday! Went to Mayos for Baka Likano. Our visitors from the Cameroon Baptist Convention (World Team and other mission organizations partner with them) were with us. We have had women from the Women’s Union visiting with the Mayos women, and then, while church was going on, one of the area pastors, one of the area chairmen, and some others also stopped at Mayos. This was not arranged prior, but it was cool for the Baka to see that their own countrymen (and women) are pulling for them, and want to equip them to reach their people with the story of Jesus. I am SO GLAD that the Cameroonian Christians share that vision of equipping the Baka believers. They know their language and culture best. We want to be like Jesus, who came and lived in his culture and related to people within the culture. He criticized things which were wrong in his culture, and used things everyone would understand to teach all that he taught. He made disciples who were to do all of those things, too. And, with the sacrifice of his life, he began to transform his culture.

Today, we send missionaries so that all will hear. The best ones realize their role in the process, and pour themselves into evangelism, yes, but also into making disciples, which brings about life change. Once there are believers to be sent out, the missionary’s job here is done. Awesome!

Speaking of sending out local believers, I forgot to mention that we sent out two of our Baka men yesterday on an evangelistic outreach of a nearby region. They will be gone for some days, reaching out to some other Baka communities. Please be in prayer for Timothy and Nestor!

Back to today, I had a pleasant afternoon, and also worked more on packing. Suitcases are scattered about my room now, at various levels of being filled. I’ve gone through everything except some bookcases. Getting there!!!

Dinner was sooooo gooooood. I’ve talked about Laurel’s pizza before. I decided I should call it pizzahhhhhh. Yum.

After dinner, I borrowed Nathan’s binoculars and slipped outside after dinner. After my eyes adjusted, WOW! Soooo many stars! I couldn’t possibly count them. So beautiful. So glad the rain clouds from earlier cleared out so I could see that.

And just now, I went to use my flashlight. My awesome 4 sevens mini I that has been soooooooo awesome. And the top snapped off. CRAZY – glad it lasted most of my time. It was my low reading light, too!

Well, that’s today! Tomorrow is our last Monday of school, and I get to hang out with the Abbotts after school, talk about the future, and share dinner with them. Pray for our last week of school and those conversations. God is good!

Day 160 - April 21st

18 days and still doesn't feel real. Today was sort and pack and clean yucky suitcases day. I made some good headway before the rain! Note: You can spray vinegar on a surface to kill and inhibit the growth of mold. True story. My room smells the testament of it - thanks to my bags. At least the fumes are harmless. Reading GREAT books by Elisabeth Elliot. I think I would recommend any book I have ever read by her. I have yet to read one that doesn't reach me in some way, teach me something, and challenge me as I grow closer to God. Good stuff. Well, we have one week left of school! Our math curriculum is finished already, and we are just finishing up and tying up loose ends. And we will be beach bound for some R and R in about a week and a half! I can't wait - it will be such fun to play with the kids! We already have talked of sandcastle design ideas! And to see the beach again.... :-)

Day 159 - April 20th

Today I witnessed something cool. We received some ladies from the Cameroon Baptist Convention who will be staying with us out in Bakaland for the weekend, learning more about what our team does and how they can best serve the Baka. It was really cool hearing things from their perspective, as the Cameroonian church begins to move towards being "missionaries" as well. One of the ladies talked about how they heard stories from their families about when the missionaries first came to their people. It is so, so cool to me that they are now at the point where that first outreach is reproducing from Cameroonian to Cameroonian. That is why my team does what they do - to equip the Baka to reach out to their own people. They can do that so much better than we can. We are just here to get that work started.

Day 158 - April 19th

Well folks, I will be home in twenty days. And I cannot comprehend that as being true. Home (in the States) seems an entirely other world. And yet, things there have gone on (as life does), and I am about to plunge head-first into it. Again, can't fathom that.
But I plunge on in the packing, albeit somewhat mechanically. At least packing will be SO much easier than when I left to come here.

Today was a pretty good day! Most of our school was done at a decent time, and Nandry and Boaz worked pretty much independently on a large part of their history! I am trying to get them to be more and more independent, especially as we bring things to a close, and today felt like definite progress in that direction! Baby steps... They are growing up! :-)

Fun thing from today:
Our pet, Squirrley-poo, is still alive and well, and FAT. And we moved his cage out onto the veranda (porch) this week, where the pet bunny lives, and Buttercup the dog hangs out a lot. He is adjusting well; in fact, this morning I greeted him running around the outside edge of the veranda (he used the old cat door hole). And later, he was hanging on the screen door to the inside, and I traced my finger along it near him. He started following my finger, even when I drew circles. It cracked me up. :-)

Day 157 – April 18th

I am really starting to realize how close to the end of school we are. I have started putting books away that we have finished using, and I keep seeing things and thinking, “Oh, we are done with that!”
Such a good feeling. :-) It is encouraging the kids to keep working hard, too, which is GREAT. :-)
I was really excited when Boaz did the beginnings of algebra today! And both he and Nandry are doing lots of fractions! I keep being reminded of Level E – G in Kumon – which is nice after so long. I am reminded how much I love doing math when I get excited about the kids’ math lessons each morning. Asher will even do some dividing tomorrow!
With school being busy, I have not done as much packing as I would like. But I prayed about my anxiety today, and was encouraged by some daily devotional readings that it will all get done in the right timing.
That is about it for today! Countdown is at 7 school days, and 21 days until I am back in the States!

Day 156 - April 17th

Tuesday!
School was good - the kiddos are all in the countdown mode, which makes them work better (of which I am glad, because in some schools I have been in, knowing the end is near makes them not work at ALL).
Nandry started a retelling story based on the Emperors New Clothes, only it is set in the jungle in a kingdom of monkeys. It is shaping up nicely - stay tuned!
Asher finished writing a pattern story for kids telling about the numbers 1 to 10 with pictures. I told him he should read it to Annabella (Jenn's one year old).
Today was also art! We painted with watercolors, and applied plastic wrap to the wet paintings to make a design. They turned out pretty cool! The kids have been good sports with our adventures in abstract art these last few weeks. So next week (our final week!) I think we will do something they can envision and draw....we are leaning toward doing wax resist lizards. Should be a hit all around, and easy to clean up! Stay tuned!

Day 155 - April 16th

Well, especially for a Monday, today was a GREAT day! ALL our school stuff was done by 3, and most of it was done by 2:30! I was so pleased with my hard-working kiddos!
We are all feeling this 2 week timeline now, and I am trying to get my head around that I need to work at packing as much as I can as soon as I can, so I am not stressing and not getting enough sleep closer to our traveling. Old habits, you know.
Other than that, I got art planned for tomorrow, and little things ironed out in the school planning for this last two weeks, later on this afternoon.
Good, productive day.

Day 154 - April 15th

Sunday fun-day at Bertoua! We attended Bertoua Baptist Church. (Which the drive took us about 30 mins on an almost completely paved road - only 5km remain to be paved! Before it took nearly an hour! Ah, progress!)
We enjoyed great singing and worshipping with them, and after church we visited the pastor's house for a little while, and they shared some yummy cake and fanta with us. :-)
Then we did some quick shopping - I manned the kids in the car while Nathan and Laurel went to buy things nearby. The system seemed pretty efficient!
Then we went to a restaurant and had a late lunch that was sooooo yummy, with pizza, hummus, french fries - a totally unhealthy but tasty meal! (Well hummus is healthy, and the pizza was thin crust and veggie covered. :-))
I was exhausted when we got home, why I have no idea, and I crashed for like two hours before dinner!
Good day!

Day 153 - April 14th

Ah, Saturday. Restful and productive. Love it.
Not much to report, good conversations were had, and planning for the future.
That pretty much sums up the day!
Tomorrow, we are going to church in Bertoua - should be cool! Only my second time ever in Cameroonian church... :-)
Until next time!

Day 152 - April 13th

TGIF! It was a great day, but the weekend is now upon us!
The kiddos worked hard and we were pretty much all done with the basics by lunch (our Friday goal). Nandry and Boaz played a funny trick on me, acting like they weren't working on their map, then running when they heard the lunch bell. BUT, they had finished everything, and worked pretty much independently the whole time! So that was an awesome surprise! :-)

Today, Reda Anderton, who, with her family, were some of the first living out here in Bakaland, came out to stay. She helped me with some medical questions (she's a doctor) via email when I was first Cameroon-bound. So it was nice to finally meet her in person!

We did a science experiment with magnets later on, where two of them wound each other up on their strings, hanging from the table. It was pretty cool!

Then we had music - we talked about Beethoven, then learned about the Star-Spangled Banner! I actually taught using the same story about the Star-Spangled Banner when subbing for my friend earlier this school year! :-)
Then, after prepping for next week for a bit during our afternoon rain, I went and worked on some crafty stuff - more jewelry making with the shells and glitter and wire and beads.

And after dinner, we watched Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin - the kids loved it, and I loved it all the more now that I am an adult and understood little things I missed as a kid. Really a great movie. :-)
Happy Weekend!

Day 151 - April 12th

The kids worked really hard today, and we were done with all of our school before 3pm (history, too)! Just in time for the rain, which was light and refreshing, and not crazy, at least. I'm feeling under the weather, so I rested most of the afternoon and evening. Prayers are appreciated for good health, this close to coming home! I am thankful that I have only had one really bad cold/sinus/chest congestion thing, and have otherwise had really good health, thank God, sometimes in spite of sickness around me. Pray I don't pass this on even if I don't have full blown symptoms (and hope not to).

Day 150 - April 11th

Wacky Wednesday! We worked hard, in spite of the most interesting distractions, though those lively and lovely critters can suck away your time. Boaz caught a worm/catterpillar thing, stuck it in a container, and it had spun a web/cocoon-looking thing when we next examined it. So we left him in there...we'll see if it was indeed the beginnings of a cocoon.
Later in the afternoon, Nandry and I started making jewelry with beads, wire, and shells. Boaz and one of the Abbott kids helped for a while, but Nandry and I kept on until dinner. We were having fun with glitter and things. Some of my shells look like mermaid tails. :-)
Tonight, Laurel cooked our Easter dinner. (She was ill on the actual day, bummer, but doing better!) It. was. AMAZING.
She did a honey ham that smelled like pumpkin pie, and tasted sooo good. Her gravy was unlike any I've ever had, and I told her I HAVE to have a recipe! Mashed potatoes, homemade and non-dairy but still good, corn, and homemade butter croissants rounded out our stellar meal. And THEN - she made cheesecake! I took my chances on the dairy, drizzled some mango on top, and savored a taste of delight. YUM.
Going on the list of things I will miss - Laurel's cooking!

On that subject, we should have a countdown. After all, the blog says 180 days (really 177 if you read the fine print), and you may also notice that we are at 150. So only 30 more days here at the blog, and only 28 days until I am on Florida soil.
Still not real. Crazy.
And only 2 more full weeks of school - we are all starting to feel that!

Day 149 - April 10th

It was critter day! The boys caught some butterflies which we later examined with great interest under the microscope. Some baby rats were brought for the snake, which had already eaten, but they were almost cute in their helpless state!
I went to get a book off the shelf in the school, and a wasp's nest fell off (with no adult, thankfully). It burst open when it fell, and Boaz promptly examined the contents. There was a larva, and one that looked to be an adult but was dead, and he opened another of the pods, and a new adult flew out and away, much to my relief. He should go into taxidermy or something...
Speaking of that, sadly, Delta the chameleon died today. :-(

Day 148 - April 9th

Monday Monday Monday! (We have 2 more left!)
School went relatively well!
The Discipleship camp had its last day, and the groups shared Bible stories, questions about them, and new songs themed for each of them - it was a great time of learning and sharing! I was again impressed by the unity and community between the folks of the different villages. And then it was over, and they were sent off - home, where they can put all of their new knowledge to work, sharing the story of Jesus. Prayers are appreciated for them, that God would seal the encouragement in their hearts.

Day 147 - Easter Sunday - April 8th

He is Risen Indeed!
We spent our morning at church at Mayos with many of the Baka who live there, nearby, and those who are here for the Discipleship Camp. It was good for us to worship God together. :-)

Later in the afternoon, I went on a walk with the Abbotts, and as we passed by Koo (Ko-oh) we saw some of the people from the Discipleship Camp working on their original song related to the Bible story they are learning. It sounded like they were making progress!
When we walked back by they had disbursed, which we later found out was so that we didn't hear them and spoil their surprise when sharing tomorrow. :-) It was cute. I'm glad they are enjoying it, and getting lots out of this experience.

Otherwise, I can scarcely believe that I will be on a plane headed back to the States one month from today. Prayers are appreciated - there is much ground yet to cover, both here, and preparing for home. I am starting to get excited!

Day 146 - April 7th

I love Saturdays here. Today the discipleship weekend continued, and I have enjoyed hearing about it from my different team members who are facilitating different aspects of it. The coolest thing is hearing about the people hanging out from all of the different communities - singing and talking together in the downtimes.
Tomorrow we will all go to Mayos and have church together, similar to Christmas, but with all who are here from the camp, too! I am looking forward to it.

Otherwise, it was a good balanced day. Some chill time, some school prep time. Some sun, some rain. :-)

And a lovely dinner with the Abbotts, complete with yummy banana shakes for dessert. YUM!

Day 145 – April 6th

Friday is here! (And the best Friday - the reason I am here) :-)

We finished school before lunch. :-) All involved were pleased.
After lunch, I went and had a wonderful chat with Desma, and we prayed about lots of good stuff. She is awesome, and a true God-send…we are cut of the same cloth. So much of her life she has shared with me can be gleaned from where I am right now. And I will be meeting with her and her husband, our Field Director, Barry, in a few days just to talk about future possibilities. I do not know for sure what is next, and it depends on soooooo many factors. If Haiti comes together, then GREAT! But I am eagerly seeking God to discern what is next for sure. Conversations are in progress, and I’ll share more as I can. Prayers are APPRECIATED so so much in this season.

Right now, we are hosting a discipleship weekend for many of our Baka friends from all over the area. Some have traveled a significant distance (over an hour drive, not sure how they got here, whether by moto or walking). There is a GREAT turnout! We were in school, but I heard them singing before starting their teaching, which was lovely to hear in the morning time. I heard some about the teaching, too, from our team. There were sessions where they learned about nutrition and some local foods they can grow to have more nutrition, and tomorrow they will learn more about the value of protein. With Barry, they got a picture (from a coloring book, completely random) and had to tell a story about it, embellishing at will. They will learn some bible stories over the next few days, and learn how to tell them in the Likano (storytelling) style. Then they will be able to go home and tell stories without having to have a saber player (we have some of these around which have all of the stories which are in the Baka Likano style and their language). These folks will be able to teach others the stories, and so share the gospel. Cool stuff.

A little sad – today we lost the baby bunnies. :-( They didn’t make it, even with the attentions of Laurel, the kids, and I. All was done that could be done. :-(

Day 144 – April 5th

Today was a long work day – but mostly by choice, because I was working hard to plan out the rest of the year for history and other things, to pace us out a little better. I now understand the value of a curriculum person at a school if they want everyone in the same place in a curriculum!
But I feel good about the plan – I think it can be carried out with all of us getting done each day at a good hour of the afternoon, so the kids can go play, and I can get us ready for the following day. We make plans, but the Lord directs our steps. I will trust His leading with the kids – I am trying hard to seek Him in school matters, and use our class time to point the kids towards Him through our doings in the day. It doesn’t cease to amaze me how hard that can be in any situation, which is a blessing since it points us to Him, and reminds us how much we need Him.
This evening, I got to do something new for me! Two of the rabbits from the rabbit project have a habit of getting out. The Baka are always able to bring them back to the cages, though. Recently, on one of their rabbit searches, they found that the female had babies! They had to wait and leave her for some time, to let the babies get bigger. (Rabbits are completely helpless when born, and if they are handled, the mother often will eat them. This has already happened with this mother.) So, since then, all the rabbits were brought back. Only two babies are still alive, but the mother is not caring well for them. So they are in an improvised nesting box in the Conrod house. They haven’t eaten a whole lot, but I got the chance to feed them tonight, and they ate pretty well. They are a little bigger (now) than newborn kittens! They each easily fit in my palm, and I fed them with an eye dropper. It was a cool experience. :-)

Day 143 - April 4th

Today was a pretty good Wednesday! We all worked hard at school, and I had a really good chat with Desma Abbott (as they got back today from Njibot). The kids were so happy to have the Abbott kiddos home so they could all play - today they were pirates with newly carved wooden swords! :-)

Day 142 - April 3rd

Today was a really good, but also long, day. School went really smoothly and well, with hard work by all! Nandry, who was sick, even came up and worked for a while.
Later in the afternoon, when (conveniently) the heavens opened, we dyed Easter eggs. We used several cool techniques, new and old. I tried tiedying which was more like splatter painting (couple of drops of food coloring on freshly vinegared eggs, then shake them around, let set for 30sec, repeat with 2 other colors, set with water and let dry). We also tried marblizing, where you dye the egg one color, then briefly dip in a second color which has oil in it. It worked best with a lighter first color.
We also did wax-resist with crayons, rubber bands to block dye, and stickers as well, to act as stencils.
Laurel also designed one making a stencil with craft paint, which you then wash off after dyeing the egg.
They all look awesome!
And I hope so, with how long we worked on them :-)
But we had a fun afternoon, rain or not. :-)
Because it kept raining, more on than off, and still keeps sprinkling periodically. Hello rainy season, nice to meet you. Please don't soak my bed. K? Thanks.

:-)

Day 141 - April 2nd

Hello Monday! Only three more of you where we do school - CRAZY!!!!!!
That's right, folks, counting this week, we have four more weeks of school. I can scarcely believe it! We are beginning to finish some of our workbooks, and get near the end of textbooks. And we are all starting to get restless. You remember those days in school, right? :-)
Anyway, after school Nandry made me some lovely earrings! :-)
And I had some quality reading time and a little nap. Welcomed and needed.
I'm glad for our sometimes slow afternoons. :-)

Day 140 – April 1st

The highlight of today, other than it being a nice, slow day where I was able to do things at my own pace, was doing craftsy things with Nandry. I was sewing the finishing touches of Asher’s box, and Nandry was making earrings.
Then, after threatening to for several hours, the heavens opened and it began to rain. It stopped briefly just in time for us to go over to dinner, then started again, HARD. Like some hail even. My shutters had to be closed to keep the rain from coming in, and my bed got a little wet. Oops. And there were some new drips, too. THAT, Nathan said, was our first “real” rain of the rainy season. The kids all went out to play in it (under umbrellas this time) and then it tapered off.
Before I called it a night, I was holding the squirrel for Nandry, so she could brush her teeth, and Squirrley-poo-poo pooed on me, then went to my other shoulder and peed on me, too! I was grossed out (obviously) so I went to go wash up and change. Eww.

Day 139 - March 31st

Ah, Saturday.
A pretty quiet day - savored my coffee over an awesome egg and stuff burrito, helped Nandry figure out how to make glasses out of legos, worked on finishing up Asher's box, did laundry, got school stuff ready for Monday, caught up on some reading from this week, and other assorted stuff.
Thanks to my waiting on starting the laundry, and the overcast day it was (no rain, but it sure looked like it would), I have a drying rack in my room, and more things in a basket to go back out tomorrow. I think maybe 5 things were dry. Oh, well, hoping for more sun tomorrow!
We sent off the Abbotts and Heidi to Njibot today (where the Abbotts will be transitioning to working), so it has been pretty quiet when the kids were off playing.
Good day!

Day 138 - March 30th

Today was Asher and Heidi's birthday party! Earlier in the afternoon, Asher and all of the kids played outside games with water balloons. One of the Baka boys, Hakem, kept getting totally soaked! It was hysterical to watch it all, though I had to make a run for it more than once to avoid being soaked myself!
Later we had the cake and ice cream part of the party with our whole team. Laurel and Nathan made cakes that looked like lego pieces - it looked AWESOME! And we played several lego themed games.
Great night!

Day 137 - March 29th

Day 2 of rain, but just some super light sprinkles….
Also day 2 of a spastic lizard falling on me while I am getting ready in the morning. I didn’t scream loudly like yesterday at least. Yesterday, it fell on my foot when I grabbed my deodorant, and wiggled around wildly like a snake (so I screamed loudly and tried to get away as quickly as he did until I realized it was a lizard). Today one hit my shoulder as I was washing my face. Maybe I didn’t scream because I had cleanser on my face…. I am happy the lizards live in my room, and eat any wayward bugs unfortunate enough to get near the lizards. BUT I do NOT like their poop (that gets on stuff, yuck) and I REALLY want this falling on me pattern to end. Like today. We’ll see.
Also, today was Asher’s birthday! The poor kid was up sick half the night, but felt better as the day progressed and was able to play and have a good day!
Tomorrow we are having a party with water balloons and a VERY cool cake. But I’ll write more about THAT part tomorrow. :-)
Otherwise, it was a good school day. Nandry has conquered her World Religions Report – It IS FINISHED! I think I am just as relieved as she is. She worked so hard on it – I am very proud of her.
And Boaz is hard at work on his State Report on Tennessee. We put in a solid hour on it today. We still have some ground to cover on it, but we are making progress.
I also got some good work done on Asher’s present, which he will get (hopefully) tomorrow. I have some ground to cover, but I’m making progress! Pics to come!
That about covers today! Stay tuned!

Day 136 - March 28th

So I haven't mentioned rain for a few weeks...... because it has been dry as a bone! (Rainy season SHOULD have started about 2 weeks ago.)
Today, it POURED! The kids even put on swimsuits and went to play in it! And several of them came back to the houses COVERED in mud, some head to toe! Hysterical. I will have to later post pics of it.
Also, we had Delta the chameleon up at school part of today, and he decided to play hide and seek a few times, once with a sizable spider (I scared the kids when I screamed bloody murder [as they called it]) and once I had to find and retrieve him from behind a bunch of stuff. Glad he likes to climb sticks!
Our newest pet, the squirrel Nandry and I call Squirrley-poo-poo (thought that the boys would like that since it mentions poo, but not so much) was super cute today, and we got him to eat some cornbread and lentils (he's been having only milk and water).

Day 135 - March 27th

Today, we had art! We painted (and I, in my usual form, have paint all over my clothes). We are doing a two part project using painted texture. Today, we painted patches of color on paper board, adding texture to the wet paint with combs, toothpicks, toothbrushes, and other tools fashioned out of the paper board. They look cool so far!
Next week, we will cut the patches into shapes and layer them together to make pictures. Exciting stuff - I'll post pics of the steps on fb!

Day 134 - March 26th

M-M-M-Monday!
WHEW! We had a full and productive school day! As we start to work toward wrapping things up, I am trying to keep our time in the forefront of our activities, so that things like history get tied up nicely. We started Russia today, talking about the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
So I think that Delta (the chameleon) likes me (or at least my hair). Boaz brought him to me up at school around 5:30, and he stayed on me willingly until about 8:30. I kinda like 'em. I mean, I did keep lizards as pets sporadically as a kid, so this is not a stretch. :-)

Day 133 - March 25th

Today I went to Likano (Baka church) at Mayos. We listened to the story of the sower and the seed. Very relevant, as planting season is here now.
Then we came home and had a yummy breakfast with bacon! YUM! (hard to come by here sometimes)
On our way home, the Conrod menagerie grew some more. We stopped to get some fresh beignets, and the people insisted Nathan take a baby squirrel for the kiddos. So now we have a squirrel so small we are feeding it with an eyedropper!
It is super cute - he chatters if left alone, but will snuggle in clothes anywhere it is warm. He, and the chameleon are growing on me. At one point after dinner, when Nandry went to get bunny food, I already had the chameleon on my head (he likes it there, for some reason) and I had the squirrel under the edge of my shirt in my lap.

Day 132 - March 24th

I love Saturdays.
Today was pretty chill - did the usual straightening up and laundry, read, worked on some little projects...that's really about it!
I went for a good run later in the afternoon - sooooo hot! These are the days I want to not have hot water (we can heat water on the stove - not today)!
I feel so peaceful. :-)

Day 131 - March 23rd

FRIDAY!!!!!
All the kiddos were motivated to get done today (Friday is our short day with just Language Arts, Math, and Spelling) - and they were all gone before noon!
This was good for them, so they could go play, and good for me, as it was so early that I was able to plan and organize for next week all this afternoon. I have a few other extra tasks to attend to, but overall, I will be able to stay out of the school for the whole weekend - so that is a happy!
I don't mind working on the weekends some to be ready, but it is so nice to look towards the weekend and not have to think about school for a couple of days.
Soooo that was pretty much my day, other than working on presents, and the kids putting Delta, our pet chameleon, back on my head. Good thing reptiles of most types don't freak me out, huh?
I did NOT go run, which I probably should have, but Boaz keeps telling me he wants to go running with me tomorrow. So we'll have to do it. :-)

Day 130 - March 22nd

What a fun Thursday! Today we celebrated Annabella's (Jenn's Baka baby) 1st birthday! We blew bubbles outside with our Baka neighbor kids, and all of us had a BLAST with that, whether blowing the bubbles or popping them!

Then we went inside and played with balloons, and then sang to Annabella and ate an amazing teddy bear cake and ice cream!
Annabella wasn't too interested in eating or playing with her cupcake and ice cream, but she enjoyed getting it on Heidi and a little on Jenn.
Then she opened her presents! She is getting good at that tearing wrapping paper thing! All in all, she had a great party, and seemed to enjoy it and her company - she would laugh when the kids were playing all around her.
Just before dinner tonight, the new pet chameleon was out of its cage, on a shelf in the living room, above the couch. The couch where I was sitting. The next thing I knew, I let out a yelp, because something bigger than some bug dropped on my arm.
Then I realized it was the chameleon, who promptly climbed up my arm, ear, and into my hair above my ponytail. Then he got really still, and fell asleep for the next two hours or so. I just went about my business, eating dinner and hanging out, since he seemed so comfortable. Finally, though, I needed to go outside, and I didn't want him to wake up and jump off into the night, so I get the kids to get him off of me. Toooooooooo funny. Only in Africa, right? Here's a pic of our reptile friend.

Finally, I took a picture of an interesting banana. It is actually 2 bananas, but sharing one skin! We haven't opened it yet, but we can see the two points at the end where it came off the regime of bananas. I guess they didn't have room to spread out.

Day 129 - March 21st

We are still working hard at school and on presents for all the upcoming birthdays!
And we have finished our Mongolia unit - onward to Russia!
Tomorrow will be baby Annabella's first birthday party, and we are all so excited for her (probably more excited than she is, since she doesn't know any better, LOL).

Day 128 - March 20th

We had a pretty good school day today, and after school we had art! The kids each made a sea scene with the background made of tissue paper, and they cut out some magazine type of marine or seaside life for the foreground. They all really were creative with it - I LOVE how they turned out, with all the variations in color.
Later, I wanted to go run, and sometimes the boys will ride bikes along, so I invited them to come. Boaz and Nandry decided to run with me! We probably went about 3 km (30 mins), and near the end we sprinted! I was beat after that, but it was fun! Boaz and I were neck and neck!
It felt so good to run!

Day 127 - March 19th

Monday fun-day!
School was pretty good, especially for a Monday! We were able to get to all our work in a good amount of time, and some even did a little above and beyond!
And we had another present-making session in my room later in the afternoon. Making progress - pics to come once mine is done!
Also, lately we have been studying Gengis Kahn, and Boaz is REALLY into it. Laurel overheard just how into it he was today:
Laurel: I was so impressed with Boaz as I was listening in on his world domination chat with Asher, standing in front of the wall map, stating detailed facts about Genghis Khan and the mongol conquests...until he added "and then he was defeated by the Americans!"
Love that kid!

Day 126 - March 18th

Sunday!
Today I was more academically and creatively productive! We are ready for school tomorrow, and I am working hard on round two of presents. We have three birthdays by the end of the month! But I feel better now that I spent some good time on that today.
And we finished going through Colossians as a team in our church services.
Oh! AND at dinner I got to try breadfruit (similar to breadfruit in Haiti, or like a potato only sweeter), and a Cameroonian mango! Wooooo soooooo gooooooood! :-) Counting the days until our mangoes are ripe on the tree outside...it is laden with them already. Mmmm mmmmm.

Day 125 - March 17th

Happy St. Patty's Day - not that we really talked about it here. :-)
It was a HOT, beautiful Saturday - and I worked on boring things like laundry and cleaning.
In the afternoon, Nandry, Boaz, and I worked on presents for upcoming birthdays. Those kids are so crazy and fun. Asher was here for a while, too, but my room is a crazy-free zone, so when he started the crazy, I got him to go play outside, which is what his little body needed anyway.
Nathan got back from Younde this evening, hauling the motorcycle he and Barry bought to drive around out here. Fun, fun! (And cheaper than their giant trucks.)
Good day!

Day 124 - March 16th

FRIDAY! Today went well! We got all our school finished, even history, by lunch! Later I read about Gengis Khan (Boaz LOVES this book we are reading as part of our Mongolia unit), and we had music, learning about JS Bach. We read a story about his childhood, listened to some of his music, and then played Musical Composers bingo! Asher won, and he was super excited to claim his candy prize. :-)
I had a slow afternoon, and caught up on some reading. It was pleasant, even though it was a hot afternoon.
Looking forward to it being Saturday!

Day 123 - March 15

Today was pretty good - I think we are all anxious for it to be FRIDAY!
I had to stay on my toes, because I have to closely supervise Asher always, and then, both Nandry and Boaz are working on reports, so they need more one on one time, too. And we had art, where we made collages with tissue paper. I'll have to post pics of their finished projects tomorrow, they were great!
I was being lazy about exercising this afternoon, but Jenn came by and invited me to walk with her and Heidi, so I ran to change and join them. We explored a trail off the road (where we were walking), and then I ran a few intervals in the orchard before dinner. Whew - and I felt so much better after exercising!
Good times!

Day 122 - March 14th

Movie till 10pm + early morning = fun school with the kiddos! right.......and I was super cheerful myself, sure, I wish.
We all made it through, and had a fun afternoon reading about Gengis Khan and his Mongol horde, working on birthday presents, and, later in the evening, playing the card game Mad Libs! It was fun, hysterical, and got the kids to practice making sentences and identifying parts of speech! Can all the teachers say with me, "Win, win, WIN!"
:-) Love it.
We will be using this to help with making our Language Arts curriculum more enjoyable for the kiddos. And they actually WANT to. Yes, please!

Day 121 - March 13th

Today we took our friends on a forest hike to the Baptism site - it was a great day for a hike!
After dinner, we watched the movie Sahara. It was so funny, and a GREAT movie. And set not far from here in Africa - Mali!
Good day visiting with friends.
Tomorrow - back to school!
Soooooo.....bedtime!

Day 120 - March 12th

Today, we had visitors arrive out here in the bush! Some friends we know from SCA are here, with their son, and with a pastor and his wife who are associates of theirs. The boys had a blast playing with their friend, and the rest of us were very entertained by their antics.
Thankfully, we were able to mostly finish school by their arrival, so that the kids were able to play with their friend.
I had a great time catching up with the mom, and she, Laurel, and I went on a 5k walk down our road! They set a good pace, so I got a workout!
After dinner, we roasted marshmallows. Our Baka neighbors did, too, and the Baka kids (normally pretty quiet in the evening) were running around, laughing, playing, and then dancing to one of the radios some of the adults have. It was hysterical! Sugar has its effects on kids, no matter where they call home! LOL

Day 119 - March 11th

We had really good team church time yesterday, reading and talking about Colossians (the first 2 chapters). It was really good for me, especially, because I got some sad news right before. Please be praying for my family, and for our friend's family, because we lost a family friend yesterday morning.
Prayers for me are also appreciated, as this is my mom's best friend, and I really want to be able to be with her in this time.
Thanks.

Day 118 - March 10th

Busy and productive Saturday! I slept in a little bit, had an awesome ham, egg, and cheese biscuit (ham and cheese are not always on hand so it was a nice treat), and got to washin'! I had to handwash some of my Cameroonian made clothes, and boy was today HOT! I think I got sunburned just trying to hang my wash on the line, even with sunscreen! (Did you ever think about needing sunscreen to do your laundry? LOL)
Then I tackled my room, trying to finish cleaning and organizing it from when I was gone for so long!
One of my new books was CHEWED while we were gone, I noticed. Might be mice. Nice. We need another cat....
And I had some nice journaling time this morning, thinking through a lot. Good stuff. Good day.

Day 117 - March 9th

Fun Friday! School went well, we finished our core stuff early, and the kids got to go get some playtime after science and history reading.
I then read a book and took a nap on accident. No regrets, though. :-)
We had a lovely taco dinner with our teammates Jenn, Heidi, and Annabella.
Then we watched Valiant, a CG movie about messenger pigeons in WWII. It was really good! And it was fun to watch Annabella, who will be one in just over a week, watch the movie - she really got into it!
Good day, good night.
From the other day-
A picture to share. Have I mentioned I live with monkeys who can tree shimmy to retrieve fruit? Check this out: Boaz got us the ripe papaya. And it was delish.

Day 116 - March 8th

Today was a good day here in the bush!
School went well and at a good pace...I think we are all finally getting into the swing of things.
In history, we are studying Mongolia. So today we made our best go at building a yurt (also called a ger), but out of sheets, not felt. If you want to know what a yurt looks like, go here.
Here is a photo of ours...

After a while, we got Jenn, Heidi, Annabella, and Brianna to walk with us (while the boys rode their bikes). We had a great time being outside and getting some exercise while hanging out.

Oh, and today, in a package, the boys got Whoopie Cushions. And it has been a giggle-filled day ever since. :-)

Day 115 - March 7th

The Cameroon side of things today was good...
Nathan brought a snake up to the school to show the kids and I.

Praying for home and for the World Team home office.
Both places experienced losses on Tuesday, and I knew people who are gone in both places, and many affected by their loss.
I'm praying, and I'd appreciate prayers for my home church and young adult community in one case, and for my Mission Organization in the other, as well as for all the families and friends and colleagues affected in both cases.
I'd appreciate your prayers for me and my team, too.
Thanks.

Day 114 - March 6th

Good day, not too much rain, school was okay, and I got to run some. I'm motivated to get back to my exercising here in the bush! And excited to have some friends here join me (Jenn now that she has a stroller, perhaps?) :-)
And the orchard is so pretty and green; everything is coming to life anew with the rain. So beautiful!


It always feels so good to run... I'm ready to stretch now.....

Day 113 - March 5th

It's MONDAY! In all its glory.....

More critters today - Mama Lindo and her son, Samba, showed up with some tiny turtles. They reminded me of my niece Sage's turtle when she first got it, and now it is bigger than my hand! Boaz wanted them as pets... :-)

We had more rain today - this will probably become a theme, folks :-)

Still getting settled back into the routine, but we are off to a good start. Glad to be home, but still missing friends. And so it goes. :-)

Day 112 – March 4th

Today was my last lazy day for a while… I read for most of the morning, good, good books.
I worked on some planning for tomorrow, though everything is pretty much set for the rest of the year. I’m happy I did all that extra work now!
I saw a good sized minotaur lizard up close and personal today, though it was dead – destined to be dinner. Apparently they taste like fish.

Late in the afternoon, it got more and more windy, and then….. it rained and rained and stopped, then rained some more! Rainy season (or the change of seasons, at the very least) is here.

Day 111 - March 3rd

Travel day - I'm home!
We had a good and uneventful drive, and we managed to all fit (with our stuff) in the Abbotts' big truck (affectionately called The Green Monster, Kermit, etc, or, as I like to call it, The Incredible Hulk, lol). I am sooooooooo happy to be home, especially since, other than when we were here a few days in between my traveling, I have been gone for nearly a month! I have much to do to get my room to rights - good times!

Day 110 - March 2nd

Yesterday was a more chill day. I got to meet some other missionaries (my neighbor where we were staying, Yolanda, and her friend who was from Virginia. The friend said, after I said "y'all" in passing, "You said y'all and that makes me happy!"
Ah, the little things. Home, in a word. LOL, and I knew just how she felt.
I got to check out the Educational Resource Center (ERC) with the Abbotts after a late breakfast, and I found several books I was interested in, as well as some...educational resources, of course.
I even found a book of the Star Spangled Banner which I used to teach on it for my friend Melissa (a music teacher back home who I subbed for). So we will be learning the Star Spangled Banner soon!
Later that afternoon, Jenn and Heidi came from their beach vacation, and it was sooooo good to see them! I ate dinner with them, too, as the Abbotts went to go get Desma's parents from the airport.
We all visited once they got back - her parents are such nice, sweet people. Just like Desma - so that makes perfect sense. :-)
Good times in Younde!

Day 109 - March 1st

Thursday was Younde shopping day! It was intense! :-)
I accompanied the Abbotts on their stock up shopping day, and we went to lots of stores, and I found quite a few things I have been wanting, and a few other things that were a nice treat. Later in the day we went to a huge market for vegetables and fruit, and it was fascinating to watch the process!
First, Barry talked to a lady near the entrance to the market who had papayas. We got those, and she asked what else we needed, and lead us to someone associated with her. They found everything else we needed, even yelling for another shopping bag when ours filled up! And what they didn't have, the lady adjacent to them had. And just about 10 minutes later, we had a wheelbarrow full of food, and someone to push it back to the car!
I also got to see the Muslim side of town, as there was an errand to run over that way. Their artistry was exquisite in their prayer mats, shawls, and hats. It was interesting to see how differently they carry themselves than anywhere else I've been in Younde. But the Muslim culture there seems different than other Islamic places I have been. Interesting.
At our last stop, a grocery store called Mahima, there was so much variety! I was amazed at what can be available for the right price! I had a strawberry ice cream cone, too, and it didn't make me sick (I am supposedly lactose intolerant, or was until perhaps recently.....).
Good times with the Abbotts! :-)

Day 108 - February 29th

Wednesday was a leisurely day. I actually couldn't sleep in (thanks crazy travel schedule) but I read a whole book for fun, and had a restful day.
Later in the day, we hung out with the Abbotts, and ate dinner with them.
And Barry and I took Marcus to the airport. What a good visit!
Barry and I had a good talk about future possibilities and all that is to come for me on the way back. It was a good perspective check.

Day 107 - February 28th

Sorry for the delay folks - to catch up....
On Tuesday Feb 28th, we headed for the Entebbe airport at 2 am and had no trouble getting to the gate in plenty of time.
We were delayed in Nairobi for a strange reason - they said we had to be able to land in the Congo if there were problems, and they didn't have room for that until almost 2 hours later. Welcome to the African "wait!" But our flight went smoothly, and I slept, which was great.
Upon our arrival back in Younde, we were picked up by Gord, the CMF hostel dad, and I had to brave my terrible French to go to a boulangerie. We survived and got food. :-)
Later we got with an English speaking taxi driver, Thomas, and saw some of Younde, including the American embassy. The sight of our flag, billowing in the breeze, has never made me so homesick or to feel so patriotic. It is so strange to think that I would be on American soil if I just walked in!

Day 106 - February 27th

Today my friends and I visited the place which is the source of the Nile River! They claimed that the river is 70% fed by Lake Victoria (which we were on some) and 30% fed by a spring (which it looked like was bubbling up near a sign marking the source).

We rode all around in the boat, which was fun, and we saw lots of birds of all kinds, dragonflies, and even what we are pretty sure was a Black Mamba snake! It was at least three feet long, and was hanging like garland in a tree near the shore. Our boat driver approached closer on purpose, and one of my friends FREAKED out, yelling, Those things can jump from tree to tree, far!"
Thankfully, the snake took off when our boat was close...it was as scared of us as some of us were of it!
We saw pretty large Minotaur Lizards, too, whose bodies were about the size of my arm. And we saw water birds fishing, other birds roosting, and lots of nests. Some of the non-water birds were brightly colored - one had a blood red stomach, and another looked like a zebra with its black and white stripe like markings.
There were people fishing, too, so we saw many other boats with people hard at work.
And what a view! Three countries touch Lake Victoria (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania) and the views are spectacular! Green hills, distant mountains, lush jungle, and the vast water. Breathtaking! The photos to come later will not do it justice.

Even the land on the drive there was lush. We drove through a portion of rainforest, and apparently farther up the road than where we were, babboons just hang out by the road. We traveled alongside countless fields, and I saw a tea plantation, among other crops. And we saw cows, goats, etc. We would see some small "village houses" like I would expect in Cameroon, and within five minutes, we would be going through a town with lots of shops and advertising everywhere. There are a LOT of billboards here in Uganda, just like at home, except they are tall and not as wide.

Then we had lunch at a great restaurant, and we all had bacon cheeseburgers and fries. It was so ridiculously good. I haven't had a burger, much less one with cheddar cheese and bacon on it, in a loooooong time. Mmmmm :-)

I got to go to one of the nicest grocery stores in the city on the way home, and it was like walking into one in the States. It smalled like one, was lit like one, offered most of the same items you'd buy at home, some with variety and choices, and the checkout counter was like home. You don't realize how different things can be until you've experienced it, and it is hard to describe how the subtle differences add up. I wish I could have stocked up on soy milk, since they had several kinds, but I don't want to have to figure that out with traveling.
It took a loooong time to get home, because we hit downtown traffic...way worse than home in Jacksonville ever is. There are people selling stuff on the street, and constantly maneuvering bodabodas (motorcycle taxis), in addition to all the cars. We were near where embassies and government buildings are, so we saw beamers, Benzes, etc. We enjoyed most of our drive, however, laughing at the random things the people were selling (vanity mirrors, childrens' toys, chargers [how would you match that up?], and pretty much anything that they could carry. They should sell cold drinks...those would sell! We cheered on one man who ran after a car where he had a potential sale, and they bought the carrots successfully when they stopped again in traffic, just long enough to make their exchange before the car advanced again! We clapped and waved at him, and he raised his fist, triumphant. Too funny. We also enjoyed people watching in that very international area, and we got a laugh when some people were doing the same thing, and staring at us.
It passed our time, and finally we arrived back home.

Everywhere we have gone screams progress - Uganda and Ugandans want to work toward a greater, more successful future. They are more advanced than Cameroon already. They have some significant hurdles to overcome as of yet, but the people seem committed to working hard and gaining progress.

We'll be airport bound soon....I will be sad to leave my friends. Being with them, and visiting some of the more western places, has often tricked my brain into thinking I'm at home, or somewhere in the States.

I am excited to get back to the bush, teaching, my friends there, and my quiet life, now that we are finished traveling. But I am really going to miss my friends, and home now, I think. I really can't believe that I will be going home to Florida in only two and a half months. Time really has flown in many ways, though I know I will never be the same as before this experience. God is good. I've learned a lot. I've gained perspective and vision. I still don't know what God's next step is for me with certainty, but I know that He will provide what I need in it.

Day 105 - February 26th

First off, shout out to my MOM - who is awesome! It was her birthday! But thanks in part to some awesome people off the coast of Kenya (welcome to Africa!), internet was crazy, though I was at least able to send a quick email to her wishing her a happy birthday. Thanks to my friends here for making that possible.

On Sunday, we went to an awesome Ugandan church, where the service was in both English and Luganda (the language here). I had a GREAT time worshiping with my Ugandan brothers and sisters in the Lord. Their worship was so genuine, and they were so kind and welcoming. I am so glad we got to share that time with them. And the area the church is in is just beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice.

Then we went to the pastor's house for lunch, and stayed for tea, too. The meal was amazing, and I enjoyed just talking to new people and seeing their life and home. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Day 104 - February 25th

So, since I posted last, we've:
- been in 3 countries
- been in 3 time zones
- used 4 currencies (talk about confusing!)
- been in two different hemispheres
In the last 36 hours, I've gone from fairly remote rainforest to the largest city in Uganda, which even has a few tall buildings in downtown (small skyscrapers).
Talk about reverse culture shock in some ways!
I am GREATLY enjoying our time with our friends, and their girls. They are soooo cute and love to play.
We all went out to have dinner at a Chinese Restaurant here in the capital(minus the kiddos), and I had beef and broccoli. I love broccoli, and it can be hard to impossible to find in Younde (and not found elsewhere in Cameroon). And then we hung out after dinner, and it just felt like home as we all walked and talked.
So happy to be here with good friends. :-)