Don't be shy!

Hello Everyone! Just a note to let you all know that anyone can comment on any of my blog entries. I love feedback and would be greatly encouraged to know that you have been enjoying my efforts.

Thanks! Sarah

Tension

During my two months here, I have encountered something that I naively did not expect. Just below the surface of many relationships, implied by nonverbals and unspoken words, apparent in the looks of the occasional stranger, is a undercurrent of resentment because I am white.

I don't fully understand the offense I have committed, I haven't been here long enough to wrap my mind around it. I can't fully grasp the pain, the suffering that fuels it. I am not sure what to say. When I smile and greet a woman and am ignored, I want her to understand that I am sorry, that I don't want things to be this way.

How can you serve penance for a crime you did not commit? Or did I? Is it now my responsibility to make amends?

The one thing I know for sure is that Jesus is the only one who can bring comfort to us, in the midst of this tense and sensitive climate. Without him, there is no redemption, healing or love.

What do you mean I'm white?!

I looked down at my feet yesterday and was surprised that they were white! After being around Africans for the past two months, some of my perceptions have changed.

For example, church will last a minimum of three hours, there is no limit to how many people you can fit on a motorcycle and anything can be carried on the head....anything. Chicken is rarely worth the work to eat it, since the poor things have no muscle to spare, and boule made from millet flour is not half bad. Being stared at in public, having children touch your car and chase your bicycle is not at all rude, but perfectly normal. Greetings are no longer a simple “Hi, how are you?” but rather “Hi, how are you, how is your health, your family, the heat, the work, are you fatigued”...etc:-)

The other day, I realized that I was riding my bicycle with one hand, holding my skirt down with the other, dodging goats and a woman carrying water on her head in 105 degree heat while bumping over potholes.

Lord willing, I think I can do this:-)

soobaajo am "my friend"

Today was a good day.

My language tutor was not able to make it to our lesson this morning. He told me that, if he was able to find enough help, he hoped to harvest his crop of millet. He planned on working all through the evening and stated that possibly he would be too tired for our meeting. I believe this qualifies as one of the most legitimate excuses I have ever received from a “prof”:-)

The weather here has consistently remained between 104 and 105 degrees for the past week and riding my bike into the village during the hottest hours of the day did not sound very appealing. So instead of my lesson this morning I got ready and left to visit my language contacts in the village.

Sureeya is a young woman with three children who is an incredibly good language helper. She lives with her two sisters-in-law as well as her mother-in-law in the same compound. We sat and chatted for approximately 45 minutes, all in Fulfulde! She speaks slowly, repeats herself often and is very patient. She can also re-word phrases when she understands that I am hung up on a particular noun or verb, she is a huge help.

Two weeks ago when I visited I asked if I could take a photo of her boys all dressed in their duds to go to Koranic school. She said yes and asked if I could take a photo of both of us as well! So this time I happily obliged and brought along my camera. Well, the boys were not photo-ready, but she hastily changed into one of her best outfits and dressed her newborn. When I took a pic of the baby and showed it to her, she asked why she wasn't in it as well:-) So then we set up the auto timer and went to town! The result was some very lovely photos.

Before leaving she fed me some fried bread balls and a very sweet coffee. She placed my coffee in her prettiest teacup, Africans are wonderful hosts.

So today was a good day. I talked in Fulfulde, avoided the heat and advanced a bit farther in my understanding of this culture. Most importantly, I made a friend.