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~