Home Sweet Home

Well, After a long day and a half of traveling, I finally made it home!

I spent 3 days in Munich Germany . It was quite a transition from Paris. The area that our hostel was in was not too lively. Despite that, we ended up having a blast. We went on a bike tour throughout the city. We had a blast as we rode through the gorgeous city parks and past the historic buildings. Though I was sad to leave Europe, I was getting anxious to be home and get to see family and friends.

Monday evening we headed to the Munich train station and hoped on a train for the 11 hour ride to Paris. After a hectic transition, we hoped on another train in Paris that took us to the airport. We had a bit of wait time before our 8 hour plane ride. After a very bumpy ride, we arrived in Chicago. We had to fix a few glitches in the tickets and then rushed to the gate headed toward Columbus. Finally, around 8pm Columbus time, we landed.

It was so exciting to see Mom, Dad, and Nicole waiting at the gate. It was great to finally get to see them and give them great big hugs. Not only was I greeted by the family, but they had my favorite: Chipotle. We also picked up Cold Stone ice cream on the way home. Though my stomach was a little culture shocked...it sure tasted good!

Now I am all unpacked and am just trying to get my stomach and my sleep habits past the jet lag. Since I was not able to upload pictures while I was gone, I have included some now so that everyone can have a look. Thanks for all of your continued thoughts and prayers; they really carried me through this journey!

In Him,
Shannon

Goodbye Paris...Hello Munich!

Well, I don't have long because we are catching a night train to Munich, Germany soon. I am sad to leave Paris, because I have pretty much fallen in love with this city. We have done soooo much within four days.

Yesterday we went up te Eiffel Tower and walked around the city. Then last night we went to see the Eiffel all lit up. Every hour on the hour it sparkles and we walked up just in time to see the last sparkle show of the night....it was amazing! We joke and said it was just for us!

Today we went to Notre Dame and it was breathtaking of course. Then we walked along the river and grabbed a bite to eat before walking to the Louvre (See Nicole...last time I was just in a rush). It was gorgeous inside and out, though a bit overwhelming to say the least. We got to see the Mona Lisa...how crazy! From there we walked down Champs Elesse and saw the Tour de France riders on their test run (we are missing it by one day...bummer). This was the main shopping street. So we were in awe of course. At the end of the long row of shops is the Arc de Triumph which was also quite a site to see. We have walked a ton today in hopes of wearing ourselves out for the 11 hour train ride. We arrive in Munich around 8am ready to hit the ground running of course. Well I miss you all and can't wait to be back to see everyone early next week...what a crazy thought!

In Him
Shannon

Celebrity Spotting in Paris!

So after saying goodbye and many hours of traveling, we landed in Paris early this morning. We look the train to the hostel, transfered money, and dropped out bags off. The money transfer was depressing since the dollar is worth next to nothing these days.

There are 5 of us girls, all from the Cameroon Immersion that are together, at least for the first night. We went to McDonalds and Starbucks for lunch because we needed out American fix. We then hiked several miles towards the Luve. On our way we walk the back streets. Little did we know, this would prove to be the best idea yet! We were walking past a sidewalk cafe and passed right by Orlando Bloom ( Pirate of the Carribbean, etc..). He is even more gorgeous in person believe it or not! Then we rode a giant ferris wheel that looked out over the entire city. It was by far the most beautiful city scene I could even imagine. It better than all of the pictures! We then walked to the Eiffel Tower and hung out in the grass admiring the view. We just got done having dinner at a cafe, people watching as we ate. We are taking power naps and getting ready to go out soon! I can't wait to see Paris at night!

Tomorrow we are going to go up to the top of the Eiffel and lots of other tentative plans...who knows. We are making it up as we go, but it is proving to be a good game plan!

I miss you all and love you and can't wait to see you all soon!
In him
Shan

PS...Forgot the best part

Last week we visited a local orphanage. There are over 17 kids that a single woman has taken into her house. They all livea within her small 3 bedroom house. With little to her name, this individual woman has managed not only to take in these children, but to love them and teach them how to love others. With their love for Jesus and their love for each other, there was much to learn from them. The entire time I was there, I was able to hold and play with a 10 month old little boy name Kuzitu. Like many of the kids. Knowing with for the little time I was there, I was able to hold him close and give him the attention he needed with assuring. Yet it was sad to know that these little ones would grow up never knowing the full effect of proper affection.
We brought them toys and tooth brushes. The woman thanked us saying that they had just been to the market and when one of the children asked for a tooth brush, she was forced to tell them that she did not have the means. Once we presented the gifts, she told us that God had answered her prayers. Being an orphan herself, this woman, along with the children, truly served as an inspiration to me. Leaving the orphanage was the hardest goodbye of the trip so far. It was an amazing experience and one I will not soon forget!

In Him,
~Shannon~

"It's not goodbye...it's see you soon"

Hello there!

Sorry it has been quite a while since I have made it to the cyber...life around here has been busy to say the least! We just got back from traveling around Cameroon. We went to Yaunde, the capital of Cameroon and got to visit Peace Corps Cameroon and the US Embassy. I has really been looking forward to both visits. They were very eye opening. Its funny to see the government from the inside, after seeing/ hearing about it from those that it "serves" ( clearly using that term very lightly". From here we went to Bamenda, where its was freezing (upper 60s/ low 70s). That tells you how hot it is here in Kumba. In Bamenda we visited two traditional villages; Bafut and Bali. The Fon, or chief, in both places has many many wives and endless children. Bafut still performs animal sacrifices on a regular basis and has what they call a secret society that serves as its government. There is a certain ritual, such as clapping/ bowing that must be performed on the arrival of the Fon. You must not, however, cross your legs in his presence or shake his hand. It was overwhelming, but a really great experience.

On our journey on the TON TON ( our giant bus that looks as if it could break down any minute) got 3 flat tires. One was on the way and my friend Jenny and I play with (more like scared) the children of the village we were stopped in. They literally run from us "white mon" laughing. On the way home we got 2 more flat tires. It made the nearly 6 hour journey even longer. Luckily though, the views were beyond breathtaking. I have taken tons of pictures, but they can not even do the views justice.

Tonight we have out send-off party with all of our friends and family here. We will all wear our traditional African wear and it should be a lot of fun. We leave for the bumpy journey to the Doula airport Monday around lunch and fly out from there around 1030 Monday night. I will get to Paris at 6PM (Europe time) and will have to be ready to hit the groun running. I will be in Paris for 4 days and then we will be heading to Germany for a few days. I am exhausted, but so excited for the second leg of the trip. I know I will miss all of the people I have met here; but as my friend Zenobia says, "It is not goodbye, but see you soon!" I miss you all and will see you soon!

In Him
~Shannon~

When In Cameroon!

Hey there everyone!

I hope this update find everyone happy and healthy! I can safely say that I miss everyone back home and would love to here stories of how you are filing your summer! So leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail!

"When in Cameroon!?" has become our adopted phrase here. Sometimes in certain situations, that really all you can say. Here, Cameroonians don't really operate on a schedule and it something that believe it or not...even I have had to adjust to. There are often days at the clinic that Liz and I just sit there and watch them as they go about their work. Or we sit around waiting for some project to be complete. As the women at the center constantly do things for us, we have had to reassure ourselves that it is not a bad thing sometimes to just sit back and be in the moment. These women are wonderful at making us feel welcome and serving us in many ways. As Americans I think we are so used to constantly moving and are not good at just being in the moment. These women have taught me such a valuable lesson in that way. The next day is never promised, especially here, so they truly do appreciate each day and live in such community and in such appreciation of one another. I envy their outlook on things sometimes and hope that I can take the same outlook out of this experience.

This week heath wise has been rough, but nothing too horrible. I am exhausted but think I am getting a second wind. Today I have a lot more energy than I did yesterday. It was really good to be able to talk to Mom, Dad, and Nicole last night. Like always, they make me laugh and smile! I love to hear their voices and knowing that they miss me just as much as I miss them. I also love being able to tell them that they are worrying for nothing because I am fine...though I know they ignore me and do it anyways!

Tuesday I went to the market and bought food to make dinner for my host family last night. We made french fries, "burgers", and "puppy chow". I say "burgers" simply because the meat that we bought and had ground at the market was merely liquid and we had to mix eggs to make it somewhat suitable for patties. We also had to put peppe in it, which is this spicy spicy sauce that Africans put on EVERYTHING. Laura and I took one bite and started tearing up it was so hot. We then made "puppy chow" with only one correct ingredient. We used crackers, some thick chocolate paste, their form of peanut butter, and "powdered" sugar which is regular sugar. It look disgusting, and neither looked nor tasted like puppy chow. However, both were pretty good and the family LOVED it...so, mission accomplished. We were pretty proud of how resourceful we were!

It has been raining a ton. I witnessed an actual monsoon the other day. There was flooding all over the city. If flooding like this happened back home they would probably call in the National guard....here, it is normal. The roads are HORRIBLE to begin with, not to mention when you add mass flooding. Yesterday our car road, corection waded, through a giant pool in which the wate covered nearly half the car. I prayed hard and held my breath and we were out before I knew it. It was rather entertaining. It is sad though because the government is given money to fix the roads but keeps it all for itself. It is disgusting at times as I see the layers of this corrupt system pealed back by bit. The people here always tell us "you are free"...and the sad truth is they are far from that. They live in a place where their voice in far from audible. At time I am discouraged by this but keep reminding myself that simply being here, hearing their stories, and educating is the best that I can do.

Today I will be traveling to a village with the women from the womens center...I am very excited. This Sunday we will begin our week long travels around Cameroon. We will go to Younde, the capital, and to Bamenda, and Limbe. We get to see a lot, so it should be both fun and educational. I can't believe we only have a week left in Africa...it is bittersweet.

OOh, by the way: Mom, these sandals have been a LIFE SAVER here. Dad, the hand sanitizer is also a life saver seeing as no bathrooms here have TP/ toilet seats/ or soap. Nicole, you'd be proud, I dont change 5 times a day here, just once!

Well thanks for the continues support and prayers. Yet again, they serve as such an encouragement! I love you all and wish you could be here to see what I am seeing and to meet these people. But have no fear, I have taken nearly 500 pictures already...so I have good documentation of the trip! See you soon.

In Him and Love always,
~Shannon~

Ps..sorry again for the mistakes. I only have a few more minutes of paid time at the Cyber.

An Eventful Weekend

Hello all!

So this morning has been rather interesting. It has been raining nearly all night and morning. On the way to the internet cafe, we took a cab that was stuffed with 7 people, totally normal here. Dont worry though, Im not riding the Okada motor bikes that typically are piled with 3 to 4 people.

Well first, I hope that everyone had a great holiday! I know I did. At the Womens center Friday we learned to male Chin Chin which is popular sweet treat here...much better than the sardines or snails I might add. I am pretty sure we gave the women something to laugh at! Later that night we had a party at the newest hotel in town...it was so nice! we danced and had a lot of fun.
Though at one point during the night, Pelagie opened up and told me about here poor treatment in our house by the rest of the family; As she poured out her thoughts, I was shocked. Up to this point I had chosen to believe that this only happened outside of our house, I have been sadly mistaken. Though I am still thankful for my Kumba family, I now have mixed emotions towards them.

Saturday morning came a bit too early. We hiked out to Barombi Village to see the Ethos project that the other UD students have been working on. The hike was 3 miles around Lake Barombi. It was the most gorgeous hike through the jungle. Pictures and words arent even going to do it justice. Unfortunately though, I jinxed myself with all of that talk about not being sick yet. Needless to say, hiking 8 miles through the jungle is not really an ideal time to feel sick. Despite this, we made it to the village and were able to see the water filtration project that the other students had been working on. We were welcomed by the entire village and got to meet the chief which was fun.

Sunday we went to the 2 hour church service again and then hung out around the house. Last night Pelagie taught us to wash our laundry by hand. Because, despite rumors, there are no washing machines here. It was quite a process. I wish I could upload pictures to give everyone a laugh, but the computers here arent equipped for that.

After over 48 hours of feeling sick off and on, I am thinking and hoping that the end is in sight. It couls always be worse! Well I should head to work. Today we are going to a pig farm. I am pretty much banking on the fact that they will show me how they raise them and then make me eat one...yum! Also today I think my dress will be finished. Dolphine, one of the women at the womens center wanted to make me a dress... its gorgeous and I a, so excited!

I cant believe I only have one more week here in Kumba before we travel again through Cameroon. Thanks for the continued prayers, thoughts, and encouragement....those are what help to keep me going and often make me smile and laugh! Please ignore all mistakes in here...A. the keyboards are different B. I dont have time to edit.

In Him,
Shannon

PS... I cant wait to talk to you again Wednesday night Mom, Dad, Nicole, and Paps

Hope within Injustice

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to say that, here they would not really approve of me shouting that in the streets of shooting off fireworks....go figure right?! I miss being home for the celebrations since it is one of my favorite holidays. But have no fear, we are have our own USA & Cameroon party tonight with all of our siblings!

Well, it has been almost a week since I last updated, which means I have been in Cameroon for nearly2 weeks!!! The time hear continues to go fast, despite the laid back attitude that the entire town of Kumba seems to possess. Wednesday I got to talk with Mom, Dad, Nicole, and Paps! God bless them, they all came home in the middle of the day just to talk to me before I went to bed. It was REALLY good to talk to them. Just to hear their familiar voices was enough to calm me down, as always. It was such a comfort to have something familiar, even for just a short time. Here, I have been stripped of all my usual comforts and have been forced to recreate a new comfort zone, which let me add is MUCH larger already! It was good to be able to cry, laugh, and catch up together. It gave me the peace that I needed and I am doing much better now. Not that I have wanted to leave at any point, but the homesickness has subsided thankfully!

Life at the Womens Empowerment Center is never dull. We went to the market and bought fabric to "tie and die" and the fabric which we will make our traditional African dresses out of. I am learning to much there. The women are all gorgeous...inside and out. Their preception of beauty here is so different than back home, in a great way. Here, women are beautiful for their body, not for what they hope it will one day be or what it used to be..what a great change of pace! If only we could adopt this view in "the states" as they like to say here.

Yesterday we went to snail farm...not your average farm. The Heifer International project sponsored this woman to start here own project. She lives out in what we call the bush in a rundown village and raises these snails to sell. Despite her situation, she welcomed us will open arms, and like all Cameroonians, offered us food and drink. Unfortunately, the food was SNAILS. After watching the sluggish creaters roam arround cages...I proceeded to eat them...seeemingly raw. Needless to say, at that point, I decided this was not my new favorite treat! Later that same day at work, they brought both Liz and I our own drink. Not only was it a 40...its 5% alcohol....and during work! Yipes...but to them, it is considered respectful to do this..quite opposite of the response I would get by doing this at work at home! That made for a funny afternoon.

Each day here I am learning more and more...some good things, and some things are not so easy to hear. Poverty and prostitution here are quite prevalent. I am read through the book of Job though right now and am just being encouraged through that and reminded that God is with these people just as much as anywhere else, he is present here!

Tomorrow we are hiking anout 3 miles out to a local village and spending the day out there. I am so excited! Well...I have to head of to work at the Center now. I will up date soon. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, please keep the coming!

In Him,
~Shannon~

PS, sorry for any mispellings or errors, I do not have time to edit!!

Life in Kumba

Hey again!

Well, right now it is 6pm…weird that it is only 1pm at home! Thank you for all of your comments. It is so encouraging to know that you are all reading my blog and that your thoughts and prayers are with me. You truly have no idea how much that means to me!

A lot has happened since I last updated. I don’t even know where to begin. Well, on the rest of our short trip around Cameroon, we went to the most gorgeous beach and got to swim in the other side of the Atlantic!!!! The sand is black from the volcanoe that erupted back in 2000. Oh, did I mention that I just found out that this is the “mountain” that we are hicking?!! We also went to a banana plantation, a rubber factory, and the CDC (Cameroon Developmental Corporation). It was exciting to see bits and pieces of their economy and try and figure out the puzzle. Unfortunately, as I am coming to realize, there is no way to completely understand the government here. The wealth is in the hands of the few, aka the government officials. I have witnessed to drastically different scenes within the same city. I am aware that parts of America are like this as well, but this is like nothing we have ever seen in the states. To sit here and talk with the natives brings me to tears. The passion in their eyes as they describe the corrupt acts of the president and his fellow officers is beyond me. Basically, if you have no money here or don’t know someone who does, you are trapped in this mess for life. It is discouraging in ways. However, the people I have met seem to have a nope like none I have ever seen.

Sunday, Laura and I went to church with the Anjicums. Nicole, lets just say, if you think our masses are long sometimes, you haven’t seen anything. The mass was supposed to start at 8:30. Like all thing in Cameroon, it started an hour late, then two hours later, after shimmying myself into the 6 inch spot n the wood bench, sitting in the 95 degree church, it was over. That description makes it sound awful, and though it was long an hot, it was no neat. There was so much dancing and singing. We were at a Catholic mass, so it was really encouraging to note the many similarities as well. We then went to a send-off part for their priest. There, we got to see even more dancing and singing. They are so lively here, despite what sometimes seems like a hopeless situation. They also had a giant feast there…and this time we got to choose our own portions and had no one telling us what to eat or that we didn’t eat enough.

I am learning Pidgin, which is their dialect here. It is English…kind of. We are being taught by the natives. One example: “molo molo” which is like us saying chill or take it slow. I love that this is their approach to almost everything in life!

Yesterday we found out our job placements. I am paried with Liz and we are at the Women’s empowerment and Family Center. Last night was a difficult night. Though I was excited to start at the center today, I missed home more than ever. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, but though it has only been a week….so much has happened. My first instinct when I experience something is to want to tell the people I love…so that has been hard. My host family is amazing though, and so is the rest of the UD group, so that helps. But to make matters more entertaining, I experienced my first black out. The lights went out for about an hour, which happens a lot here, so we just hung out.

This morning, after our alarm failed to go off (naturally, since it was the first day on the job) Laura and I rushed off to work. This place works well for me though, I am always late, but on their time…that means on time!!! So we walked about 10 minutes to the center and were told all about it by Dorothy, the director. This place is amazing! They basically empower women and girls by teaching them how to cook, sew, hotel manage, and how to use technology. They also have basically seex-ed courses, encouraging women to take initiative to protect themselves. Here, women have been seen as weak if they take such precautions…the center is trying to break this idea, which is awesome!

Here I met a girl about m age named Blessing. I think I learned like 10 life lessons just talking to her for 5 minutes. She says there is nothing that “her God” can not get her through and she has faith and hope because of this. Seeing her fate in society and at the same time knowing the hope she has…it is so encouraging! It is people like Blessing that I have met that give me hope for this country.

They told us that we will learn to sew and “tie and die” as they tie die, along with getting to visit and educate women’s groups in local villages….I am beyond excited.

Not so exciting however are the endless amount of cockroaches I have killed in the bathroom. I’m am getting to be a pro though (Dad’s you would be proud). Mostly because I’m too afraid to ask Big Papa haha. But really, I am used to is. Also, lizards are to Africa what ants are to America. Luckily, I think they are cute!

Last night was the first time walking around later at night, we were in a group though,so it was safe. But the men here, though man are BEYOND nice, some hold nothing back. They say what they are thinking as you pass by. But at this point we are used to hearing it all, and my selective hearing has gotten great use!

Physically, I am tired, but my stomach has done surprisingly well (as I knock on wood). I am excited to see what life at the Center this week has to offer! SORRY this was so long…but I do not get to update often and SO much is happening here! I miss you all more than you can imagine! Please keep me in your prayers, thanks and I love you!

Until next time/ In Him,

~Shannon~

A new day, a new advetnure!!!

Hey all!

So after waiting a half hour for the internet to work, I spent 40 minutes typing a lovely update for you all and it didn’t even save! So here is take 2!

Tuesday we arrived at the “Douala International Airport” aka the smallest airport ever! There were crowds of lively natives excited to see “white man”. We spent the night in Douala and woke up early to head to Kumba where our host families and new homes awaited.

We packed into our bus and started our 3 hour journey. I imagine the biggest pothole you have ever seen, now multiply that by 10 and that is a fraction of how bad the roads here are. Needless to say the journey was adventurous. We arrived yesterday afternoon and were greeted by our families and a delicious meal of rice, chicken, fishin, plantains ( which I now love) and more! They also serve this Jino juice which is delicious.
As I am writing this I am being hit on by the guy that runs the café…it’s pretty entertaining. Ignore that part Dad!

I am paired with Laura, another UD junior and we live with the Anjicums. The mom insists that we call her Mommy and the dad, a 300 lb yet cuddly man, Laura and I like to call Big Papa. They have 3 sons, a daughter, a goddaughter, and a cousin that all live with them. They filled our plates and then insisted we eat more! They are so hospitable here!

Laura and I share a bed and have our own bathroom too! The water is cold, but that’s ok when its 95 out! We woke up this morning and were served sardines. I ate them like a champ, but found out later that my stomach was not so much a fan! Other than that, the food has gone over quite well….cross your fingers, because I sure am!

Today- Saturday we are traveling to cities around Kumba. Today we went to an oil refinery and a local college. Seeing this and the lives that people here live makes me so thankful for all that I have. Despite the fact that people here don’t have much material goods, they have the biggest hearts of any people I have ever met. I am learning so much already. It’s a weird feeling being stared at to here “white man” shouted all the time. But its eye opening to say the least.

Sometime within the next few days we will be hiking Mount Cameroon, which we are told no one has ever made it to the top…so we are excited to take a stab at it! I don’t know what each day brings, besides a new adventure. I love it! Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I miss you all, especially mom dad, and Nicole (ps thanks for updating!). I will update as soon as I can!

Love,
~Shannon~

She made it!

Hi everyone, it's Shannon's sister, Nicole. Just wanted to give you all an updated on Shan's travels so far. To the left is a picture of her checking in at Port Columbus on Sunday to begin her trip. She spent Sunday night in Chicago visiting one of her roommates before meeting up with the rest of her group and flying out for Paris at about 5:30p Monday night. She called my parents early this afternoon and after a 9 hour flight to Paris and another 6 hour flight to Africa, she has safely arrived at her destination of Doula, Cameroon. When she called the group was being serenaded by a man singing and playing guitar in the airport, so it seems like the trip is off to a good start :) She sounded pumped to finally be there after all the months of planning and I'm sure she will be blogging again soon to tell us about all her adventures!

Let the journey begin!

Well, after hearing so many people request that I keep in touch while in Africa and Europe...I decided that a blog would be the best way to go about this. For those of you who don't know, I leave for a month long expedition to Africa this Sunday. I am going through the University of Dayton. I will be in Africa from June 22- July 21.

I will be with 7 other UD students, 1 grad student and 1 professor. The professor actually grew up on Douala, the city we will be living in. Because of this, I feel that we will be in great hands. I will be paired with one of the other 6 girls and we will live with a host family.

During the first week, we will be traveling around, in hopes to better understand the Cameroonian culture. During the second and third weeks we will each be in what they call a job placement. During this time, I will be volunteering most likely in an elementary school or a women's center. The last week consists of the group traveling to the capital to talk to the government representatives and members of the Peace Corps. This is really the extent of what I have been told about this leg of the trip. After these 4 weeks in Africa, several of the girls and I will be flying into Paris. We will stay there for about 4 or 5 days and then head to Germany for several days. I am so excited to see the beautiful sights!

Right now, I have mixed emotions about the trip. Though I am nervous, seeing as I have little idea of what I am actually getting myself into, I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for me. It excites me to know that this is where I am called to be. I am convinced that this will be an experience of a lifetime, one in which I will both learn and grow a lot.

Though I don't know how often I will have access to the internet cafes, I will try and update this blog with entries about my adventures along with pictures as much as possible. I would love to hear from you while I'm gone and the easiest way for that to happen is for you to leave a message through this blog. Thanks for reading and I can't wait to update from Africa soon!!!

In Him