Hey guys! So, it’s looking like I have quite a bit of updating to do. Oops. We have been busy, busy, busy! So busy, I didn’t even realize it was Thanksgiving in the US until the day was already over. Haha. Such is life in another country.
Two weeks ago we had Health Awareness week in preparation for World Aids Day. Agnes, the HIV/AIDS Coordinator and I went around the Health Complex and gave health and information talks about HIV/AIDS. We were also anxiously preparing for our big day, WORLD AIDS DAY, which was December 1, 2008. What was the verdict you ask? It was a HUGE success! Way better than years past or so people have told me. We started off the day with free consultations and testing. We gave a health talk to the patients who had come to the Health Complex that day, probably around 150-200 patients. The group was completely engaged and interested in what we were saying. They asked a ton of questions and really learned a lot I think. AND a lot of them came in for testing! Many other people from the community came in for voluntary testing also, which was really great because it is extremely uncommon here. Then, after counseling all day, we held a reception for the staff of the Health Complex. We started off the night with a brief program. Agnes, Dr. Blaauw, Dr. Tong and I all spoke and then the festivities began. We had a wonderful meal of pepe soup and soft drinks all around. The only thing I felt bad about was not doing anything for the patients. I am going to suggest that next year perhaps the staff provides a meal and drinks to the patients in the inpatient unit or something like that. It just felt wrong to be celebrating awareness as staff and not inviting the people we care for on a daily basis.
Overall, I am feeling very pleased with how the work is going here. The major problem with HIV/AIDS work here is the lack of infrastructure and therefore lack of ability to disseminate knowledge. Many of the villages are so remote that it is difficult to reach them by vehicle therefore they are neglected when it comes to HIV/AIDS work. The number of deaths in these villages due to AIDS (which keep in mind is PREVENTABLE) grows by the day. So, the only time to get the information to these people is when they come into bigger cities, such as Kumba, for market days or special circumstances, for example receiving medical care and treatment. However, Agnes and I are planning a conference to teach a few people from some of these small villages how to sensitize groups about HIV/AIDS. Then, the people who are known in the villages can go back and bring the information to their own people. Now, we are just hoping to find some funding . . . I really do think we are helping a lot of people though. The social group continues to be a great opportunity for our clients. We are having our big Christmas party this coming Monday. Agnes and I will prepare food and buy drinks for the group and we will discuss what direction our group will take. Very exciting.
Personally, things are on the up and up, per usual. I continue to have a strong social network which I am so thankful for. Things have been going well with life here minus a brief bout with shingles. Without going into too much detail, the shingles are on my right thigh, so it’s basically extremely painful to sit or move. However, last Sunday, I decided to suck it up, persevere, and go to church anyways. Well, I forgot that it was the Christian Women Fellowship’s rally day at Kumba Towne. There were thousands of women present. For some reason, I was seated directly in front of the congregation and right next to Chief Mukete (a HUGE honor!). Well, sitting next to the chief is nerve racking enough on it’s own, but just picture me sitting there, SO nervous, and constantly reminding myself not to cross my legs (even though the pain was unbearable) because crossing your legs in front of an elder, especially the Chief, is a HUGE sign of disrespect and a BIG nono! Luckily, Chief Mukete, is an extremely wonderful man, very engaging in conversation, so I could forget about the pain for at least some of the six hour long celebration. Haha, oh man, what a day to sit through church with shingles. Too funny. Other than that terrible day at church, things have been going really well. I’m happy to say the shingles are healing thanks to some medical attention from Dr. B, I don’t know what I would do without him here. He is heading back home for the holidays, but assures me he will return ASAP. Thank the Lord.
I should probably get going. It’s Saturday morning, market day, so I need to go get some food. I am preparing pizza for Maryann Mukete and her girls this Sunday which I am really excited about! I am trying to come up with some American foods that I can make for people here to show them some of my culture. Unfortunately, it’s kind of difficult to come up with foods that are “American” since we steal most of our foods from other cultures. I mean besides hotdogs I can’t really think of many and it’s not like I can really buy a package of Oscar Meyer wieners here. So far I have come up with spaghetti (Italian), pizza (also Italian), and burgers. Any other ideas? Keep in mind most people only have stove tops and not ovens. I would appreciate any help you can give me here. I’m going to attempt to make Christmas cookies at some point during the holiday season. I can’t believe it’s December already! Time has just flown by! I am very excited about celebrating the holidays here with my new family. I have given my parents a few things to buy as gifts for people here. What is topping the list? Obama t-shirts. Haha. That’s what everybody wants. Love it. Okay, for real, I need to go to the market before it gets too hot outside. I hope you are all doing well! Let me know how you are doing! I like getting updates from the home front. Peace and love.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
I'm a movement by myself, but I'm a force when we're together.
Hey guys! Well, things continue to get better and better during my time here. Actually, I’m afraid you are all going to get sick of hearing how well things are going! Haha. I am as busy as ever right now with work, church, and my social life.
Work continues to improve. We now have two social groups: Kumba Social Group and Manyeman Social Group. The Kumba Group is well established and I LOVE the meetings. We are all getting extremely close and enjoy having time together, learning together and sharing experiences together. At our last meeting we all learned how to make soap. It was a really great opportunity for the women to learn a new skill that they could use to help raise some small money for their families and for our group. We now have 16 members and growing! It’s very exciting. The Manyeman Group existed a while ago and then fell apart when the organizer left, but we are trying to get it started again. At our first meeting we had 10 members. That group is going to be a little more difficult. The person who originally began the group started it out as solely a money making scheme of raising fowls. After time, the organizer went back to the US and everything fell apart. So, the group seems to be more interested in financial benefit than a social group pertaining to health and well being, but we are struggling to help them overcome this mindset and perhaps find some way to restart the fowl business. The social groups are really one of the highlights of my jobs.
I have had some hard days with counseling recently. It’s hard to have family members approach you with tear filled eyes and beg you to tell them their relative will survive when you don’t know if he will or not. The last thing I want to do is create false hope, so it’s such a sad situation. I am just really frustrated with the medical system here because preventative medicine is completely unheard of and often times families come to the Health Center when it is already too late because of lack of resources. It’s really difficult to have to witness, but there are those few success stories that make it all worth your while. For example, remember the woman I talked about whose medical care I paid for otherwise her baby would be born blind? Yeah, well, she delivered a beautiful baby boy last week and as far as we can tell so far he is happy and healthy! One other woman from our social group (the first woman I counseled!) also delivered last week and is healthy and happy with a beautiful baby girl! It is these wonderful miracles that force me to wake up in the morning and do it all again (not to mention Agie coming to my window every morning at 7 and shouting MEGAN COCHRAN, MEGAN COCHRAN time for work! Haha). Yeah, there are sad times, but what am I going to do? Stay in bed and feel bad about it? Nah, I would rather go out there and try to do as much good as I can while I can, ya know? So, we are staying busy! World Aids Day is December 1st so we are preparing! I will let you know how it goes.
I am LOVING Kumba Town parish right now! Last Sunday was Presbyterian Church Day in Cameroon! It was quite the celebration! We had a full church service with communion (approx. 4 hrs.) and then a choir competition, the Christian Women’s Fellowship traditional dances, and a Young Presbyterian Parade (approx. 2 hrs.) and after ALL of that we had A HUGE lunch! I was exhausted and thought the festivities were finished, but boy was I wrong, we still had house parties to attend! Wow. It was an incredible day.
Really, I can’t describe how loved and welcomed I feel. My African family is pretty great. Agnes, Dennis and I are together constantly and Maryann and her nieces (two WONDERFUL girls my age, another Agnes and Catherine) are such incredible supports in my life. Last night Agnes and Catherine came over and taught me how to make Ndole-a green vegetable mixed with craw fish, groundnuts, meat and a BUNCH of other stuff. It takes FOREVER to make, but is totally worth it. While they were here Agnes, her two nieces, Dennis and my other friend Yan all came over. It was a packed house, no room to move, and too hot to breathe, but I loved every minute of it and wouldn’t want it any other way. Basically, there are some ups and downs, but with such a wonderful support system, I think I can get through anything. Hope you are all doing well! Happy Thanksgiving and all that good stuff! Oh man, I wish I could have some turkey and stuffing! Eat some extra for me. Here are some pictures to wrap it up.
Oh and PS The power has been out for 30 minutes, so I'm writing this by candle light.
Learning how to make soap.
Taking turns stirring the soap. Let me tell you, it's a LONG process.
One of the choir groups processing into church on Harvest at Kumba Town.
Agnes and Catherine (Maryann Mukete's nieces and my best friends here)
Agnes and Catherine teaching me how to make "groundnut sweet." Basically, peanut brittle.
The Christian Women's Fellowship showing off their traditional dancing skills on Presbyterian Church Day.
My African Family all hanging out at my place.
Work continues to improve. We now have two social groups: Kumba Social Group and Manyeman Social Group. The Kumba Group is well established and I LOVE the meetings. We are all getting extremely close and enjoy having time together, learning together and sharing experiences together. At our last meeting we all learned how to make soap. It was a really great opportunity for the women to learn a new skill that they could use to help raise some small money for their families and for our group. We now have 16 members and growing! It’s very exciting. The Manyeman Group existed a while ago and then fell apart when the organizer left, but we are trying to get it started again. At our first meeting we had 10 members. That group is going to be a little more difficult. The person who originally began the group started it out as solely a money making scheme of raising fowls. After time, the organizer went back to the US and everything fell apart. So, the group seems to be more interested in financial benefit than a social group pertaining to health and well being, but we are struggling to help them overcome this mindset and perhaps find some way to restart the fowl business. The social groups are really one of the highlights of my jobs.
I have had some hard days with counseling recently. It’s hard to have family members approach you with tear filled eyes and beg you to tell them their relative will survive when you don’t know if he will or not. The last thing I want to do is create false hope, so it’s such a sad situation. I am just really frustrated with the medical system here because preventative medicine is completely unheard of and often times families come to the Health Center when it is already too late because of lack of resources. It’s really difficult to have to witness, but there are those few success stories that make it all worth your while. For example, remember the woman I talked about whose medical care I paid for otherwise her baby would be born blind? Yeah, well, she delivered a beautiful baby boy last week and as far as we can tell so far he is happy and healthy! One other woman from our social group (the first woman I counseled!) also delivered last week and is healthy and happy with a beautiful baby girl! It is these wonderful miracles that force me to wake up in the morning and do it all again (not to mention Agie coming to my window every morning at 7 and shouting MEGAN COCHRAN, MEGAN COCHRAN time for work! Haha). Yeah, there are sad times, but what am I going to do? Stay in bed and feel bad about it? Nah, I would rather go out there and try to do as much good as I can while I can, ya know? So, we are staying busy! World Aids Day is December 1st so we are preparing! I will let you know how it goes.
I am LOVING Kumba Town parish right now! Last Sunday was Presbyterian Church Day in Cameroon! It was quite the celebration! We had a full church service with communion (approx. 4 hrs.) and then a choir competition, the Christian Women’s Fellowship traditional dances, and a Young Presbyterian Parade (approx. 2 hrs.) and after ALL of that we had A HUGE lunch! I was exhausted and thought the festivities were finished, but boy was I wrong, we still had house parties to attend! Wow. It was an incredible day.
Really, I can’t describe how loved and welcomed I feel. My African family is pretty great. Agnes, Dennis and I are together constantly and Maryann and her nieces (two WONDERFUL girls my age, another Agnes and Catherine) are such incredible supports in my life. Last night Agnes and Catherine came over and taught me how to make Ndole-a green vegetable mixed with craw fish, groundnuts, meat and a BUNCH of other stuff. It takes FOREVER to make, but is totally worth it. While they were here Agnes, her two nieces, Dennis and my other friend Yan all came over. It was a packed house, no room to move, and too hot to breathe, but I loved every minute of it and wouldn’t want it any other way. Basically, there are some ups and downs, but with such a wonderful support system, I think I can get through anything. Hope you are all doing well! Happy Thanksgiving and all that good stuff! Oh man, I wish I could have some turkey and stuffing! Eat some extra for me. Here are some pictures to wrap it up.
Oh and PS The power has been out for 30 minutes, so I'm writing this by candle light.
Learning how to make soap.
Taking turns stirring the soap. Let me tell you, it's a LONG process.
One of the choir groups processing into church on Harvest at Kumba Town.
Agnes and Catherine (Maryann Mukete's nieces and my best friends here)
Agnes and Catherine teaching me how to make "groundnut sweet." Basically, peanut brittle.
The Christian Women's Fellowship showing off their traditional dancing skills on Presbyterian Church Day.
My African Family all hanging out at my place.
Friday, November 7, 2008
from the moment i wake up, before i put on my make up, i say a little prayer for you.
Hey everyone! Of course, it has been far too long once again. This time due to no fault of my own, but to the lack of internet in Cameroon. Oh the joys of living in Africa. Once again, let me tell you, my ability to be patient is growing by the day. Things continue to go well, thanks be to God. Last week was very intense.
A nurse that worked at the Health Center, Odette, passed away very suddenly, so it continues to be a really hard time for the Health Center staff. She was a woman I met my very first day here. We are all saddened by her loss. So, the majority of last week was spent discussing grief with the staff at the Health Center, having emotional discussions with Agie, who was a dear friend to Odette, and trying to figure it all out for myself and give myself some time to mourn. Her funeral and wake keeping were incredible. On Fridays, the mortuary opens for the release of the corpses. There were hundreds of people there; family members, relatives, and friends all standing waiting for their loved one's body to be released. Most of the family members there have kabas made out of the same material in honor of the deceased or wear t-shirts and buttons commemorating the life of the individual who passed away. Agie and I wore t-shirts to honor Odette's life. When Odette's body came out all of us were brought into a bare, open room. We sang songs and sat together and waited for the coffin to be brought in. Her body was carried in by eight men. When she arrived the women who were in attendance (maybe about 100 or so) crowded around the casket screaming, weeping and mourning. The men stood back, but were very open with their emotions as well. It was extremely moving. I have never experienced anything like it. Then, the body was carried out, loaded into a truck and we all followed the vehicle in a procession to the church where her funeral took place. It was a double funeral because another member of the church had passed away on the same day. The funeral was very moving as well with powerful testimonies from her family members and friends. From the funeral we moved to her house for the wake keeping. Her body was placed in the living room for viewing and all of the guests sat outside beneath tents and canopies. A brief service was held. Then, we all spent time together in fellowship singing, dancing, praising God and remembering Odette. It was a very powerful experience. From her home, a group traveled to her village to bury her. The wake keeping is a celebration of the individuals life the night before the burial. The group left at 2am to go to her village. It was mainly close friends who attended the burial, so I did not go, but I feel extremely blessed to have been a part of celebrating her life and we will continue to mourn her loss.
The day the funeral/wake keeping took place also happened to be Halloween. Halloween is not celebrated in Cameroon, but Eric (my bikeman friend) and I split a Twix in honor of the occasion. Haha. He loved it.
Work continues to go extremely well. Dr. B arrived which is exciting both for my personal life and work life! When Dr. B is here all the HIV/AIDS work seems to go a lot better since it is his main focus. So, he is a huge blessing. I traveled to Menyemen with him this past Tuesday. Menyemen was one of the first Presbyterian Health Center's established in Cameroon. We are going to start an HIV/AIDS clinic there on Tuesdays. There is also a tuberculosis/leper colony there. I was extremely shocked by this. I was not even aware that places like that existed anymore. Apparently, I was pretty ignorant. It was a really emotional experience. The group lives in a remote area on the hospital grounds. Most of the patients are missing limbs, have intense rashes, or other very visible signs of sickness. Doctors are still sort of unsure about how these diseases are spread, so for the most part, these people are completely ignored by the general population. Some of the patients have been living there for over twenty years. I gave them a talk about the importance of psychosocial work and introduced them to Dr. B. We are going to start a support group there next Tuesday which the group seemed very excited about. They really just appreciated that we came to visit them at all. They are extremely neglected. Overall, the trip to Menyemen was very exciting. There are many opportunities for us to do a lot of good there, so I'm praying we will be able to help in whatever ways we can.
This past Sunday, I attended church at the Presbyterian High School because they were inducting new staff: a new Vice Principal, Disciplinarian #1 and #2 and some new teachers. It was quite the occasion. The service was great, but the party afterward was even better! We sang, danced and ate until we couldn't move. It was a wonderfully joyous day!
But an even more joyous occasion than that celebration was the news of the Obama win for the Cameroonians! It was a huge day for Africa. Maybe even bigger than for the US (haha, not quite, but it was a big deal). People were so moved by Americans voting a black man into the presidency. People were openly weeping, dancing and everywhere I went people congratulated me. It was a pretty great day over here. Of course, I wish I could have been in the US for the momentous occasion, but it was pretty cool to see it from the eyes of people in another country.
Next week continues to be an extremely busy one. We have another social group meeting on Monday, travel to Menyemen to start the social group on Tuesday, Wednesday we are giving a health talk at Kumbatown parish and Thursday and Friday we have to write reports on all of those things. Then, Sunday is Presbyterian Church Day!!! The day they gained their independence! So, we are all anxiously awaiting next Sunday! I am definitely staying busy here, that's for sure. I have been taking a lot more pictures, too! So, get excited! I can't put them all up unfortunately, but here are a few. Miss you guys!
Rev. Abwenzoh, me, and Mami Pastor.
At the mortuary waiting to see Odette. I am wearing one of the t-shirts that was made in her honor.
This is where I work! Presbyterian Health Center, Kumba.
Eating my favorite meal: fried plantaines and beef stew. Mmmmm.
Agie's favorite meal: pepe soup with cowtail and boiled plantaines. Yeah, I don't get as excited about this one, but she LOVES it.
Staff at Menyemen Health Center, the tb/leper colony community, and me and Dr. B.
Yeah, this is why you are late sometimes in Cameroon. Cattle definitely have the right of way.
Receiving the chicken gizzard is a sign of honor here in Cameroon. This is Rev. Abwenzoh eating the chicken gizzard (partly on my behalf)at the party following the induction of the staff at the Presbyterian High School.
A nurse that worked at the Health Center, Odette, passed away very suddenly, so it continues to be a really hard time for the Health Center staff. She was a woman I met my very first day here. We are all saddened by her loss. So, the majority of last week was spent discussing grief with the staff at the Health Center, having emotional discussions with Agie, who was a dear friend to Odette, and trying to figure it all out for myself and give myself some time to mourn. Her funeral and wake keeping were incredible. On Fridays, the mortuary opens for the release of the corpses. There were hundreds of people there; family members, relatives, and friends all standing waiting for their loved one's body to be released. Most of the family members there have kabas made out of the same material in honor of the deceased or wear t-shirts and buttons commemorating the life of the individual who passed away. Agie and I wore t-shirts to honor Odette's life. When Odette's body came out all of us were brought into a bare, open room. We sang songs and sat together and waited for the coffin to be brought in. Her body was carried in by eight men. When she arrived the women who were in attendance (maybe about 100 or so) crowded around the casket screaming, weeping and mourning. The men stood back, but were very open with their emotions as well. It was extremely moving. I have never experienced anything like it. Then, the body was carried out, loaded into a truck and we all followed the vehicle in a procession to the church where her funeral took place. It was a double funeral because another member of the church had passed away on the same day. The funeral was very moving as well with powerful testimonies from her family members and friends. From the funeral we moved to her house for the wake keeping. Her body was placed in the living room for viewing and all of the guests sat outside beneath tents and canopies. A brief service was held. Then, we all spent time together in fellowship singing, dancing, praising God and remembering Odette. It was a very powerful experience. From her home, a group traveled to her village to bury her. The wake keeping is a celebration of the individuals life the night before the burial. The group left at 2am to go to her village. It was mainly close friends who attended the burial, so I did not go, but I feel extremely blessed to have been a part of celebrating her life and we will continue to mourn her loss.
The day the funeral/wake keeping took place also happened to be Halloween. Halloween is not celebrated in Cameroon, but Eric (my bikeman friend) and I split a Twix in honor of the occasion. Haha. He loved it.
Work continues to go extremely well. Dr. B arrived which is exciting both for my personal life and work life! When Dr. B is here all the HIV/AIDS work seems to go a lot better since it is his main focus. So, he is a huge blessing. I traveled to Menyemen with him this past Tuesday. Menyemen was one of the first Presbyterian Health Center's established in Cameroon. We are going to start an HIV/AIDS clinic there on Tuesdays. There is also a tuberculosis/leper colony there. I was extremely shocked by this. I was not even aware that places like that existed anymore. Apparently, I was pretty ignorant. It was a really emotional experience. The group lives in a remote area on the hospital grounds. Most of the patients are missing limbs, have intense rashes, or other very visible signs of sickness. Doctors are still sort of unsure about how these diseases are spread, so for the most part, these people are completely ignored by the general population. Some of the patients have been living there for over twenty years. I gave them a talk about the importance of psychosocial work and introduced them to Dr. B. We are going to start a support group there next Tuesday which the group seemed very excited about. They really just appreciated that we came to visit them at all. They are extremely neglected. Overall, the trip to Menyemen was very exciting. There are many opportunities for us to do a lot of good there, so I'm praying we will be able to help in whatever ways we can.
This past Sunday, I attended church at the Presbyterian High School because they were inducting new staff: a new Vice Principal, Disciplinarian #1 and #2 and some new teachers. It was quite the occasion. The service was great, but the party afterward was even better! We sang, danced and ate until we couldn't move. It was a wonderfully joyous day!
But an even more joyous occasion than that celebration was the news of the Obama win for the Cameroonians! It was a huge day for Africa. Maybe even bigger than for the US (haha, not quite, but it was a big deal). People were so moved by Americans voting a black man into the presidency. People were openly weeping, dancing and everywhere I went people congratulated me. It was a pretty great day over here. Of course, I wish I could have been in the US for the momentous occasion, but it was pretty cool to see it from the eyes of people in another country.
Next week continues to be an extremely busy one. We have another social group meeting on Monday, travel to Menyemen to start the social group on Tuesday, Wednesday we are giving a health talk at Kumbatown parish and Thursday and Friday we have to write reports on all of those things. Then, Sunday is Presbyterian Church Day!!! The day they gained their independence! So, we are all anxiously awaiting next Sunday! I am definitely staying busy here, that's for sure. I have been taking a lot more pictures, too! So, get excited! I can't put them all up unfortunately, but here are a few. Miss you guys!
Rev. Abwenzoh, me, and Mami Pastor.
At the mortuary waiting to see Odette. I am wearing one of the t-shirts that was made in her honor.
This is where I work! Presbyterian Health Center, Kumba.
Eating my favorite meal: fried plantaines and beef stew. Mmmmm.
Agie's favorite meal: pepe soup with cowtail and boiled plantaines. Yeah, I don't get as excited about this one, but she LOVES it.
Staff at Menyemen Health Center, the tb/leper colony community, and me and Dr. B.
Yeah, this is why you are late sometimes in Cameroon. Cattle definitely have the right of way.
Receiving the chicken gizzard is a sign of honor here in Cameroon. This is Rev. Abwenzoh eating the chicken gizzard (partly on my behalf)at the party following the induction of the staff at the Presbyterian High School.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive.
Well, for about two hours yesterday I was convinced I wasn’t going to live through the day thanks to the transportation situation in Cameroon. I had to go to Buea to figure out how to extend my visa, which of course, didn’t get figured out at all, but so it goes with bureaucracy in Cameroon. Anyways, as I entered the truck to go to Buea I noticed there were seatbelts! This excited me more than I will ever be able to explain to you. But of course, they weren’t functioning which I realized after I asked the driver, “Stanley, can I use this seatbelt?” and he replied “Honey, you are in Africa.” I guess I am, huh? After about twenty minutes crammed in the backseat of an extended cab truck with three other people and the back of the truck fishtailing as we soared down the road that switched every mile or so from pavement to loose dirt with huge pot holes, I informed Stanley that I thought he had gone mad and I wanted to trek instead of riding with him. He laughed and told me to sit back and enjoy the ride. Well, I sat back, but just prayed for the rest of the two hour trip and tried to keep my eyes closed. Those of you who know me and know my history with motorized vehicles will understand how much courage traveling here takes for me. Man, it’s tough, but it’s now or never, right? And, I mean, finding Herbal Essence hair conditioner once I got to Buea made it all worth the journey. Haha. Of course, I refused to ride with the man on the way home. The minivan crammed with poorly constructed home made seats for fifteen people and overflowing with luggage on top that probably weighed more than the vehicle itself seemed like the safer of the two options. Another new experience for this girl, that’s for sure. I made it home safely though, I’m happy to report. Even after realizing I had been sleeping with my head on the man’s shoulder next to me, haha, oops, he was nice about it at least. Other than my random scary travel moments, things continue to go amazingly well, knock on wood.
Work is more rewarding than ever as my relationships with my clients and the staff at the hospital continue to grow and deepen. However, I haven’t had as much client interaction time as I did previously because for the past week or so I have been trying to finish reading this book on Christian counseling, writing reports, planning talks I need to give in the very near future, trying to figure out my visa situation and fighting off this cold that continues to linger. But, I am looking forward to having more client time starting next week. I am also going to begin working in reception which will give me more face to face time with the patients and hopefully continue my growing base knowledge of pigin. Also, our next social group meeting is this Saturday which I am really looking forward to. Agie is giving a talk on nutrition and I will be giving a talk on improving communication skills. If the clients permit, Agie wants us to take some pictures to show you all exactly what we are doing. We will see how well that goes over.
I attended a new church last Sunday with Maryann, who continues to be such a blessing to me here. We went to the church that is right next to the health center complex. Most of the staff from the health center worship there, so it was very nice to walk in and see so many familiar faces. The service was amazing. This church is very new and is a very young congregation. They have drums, keyboards, and an incredible singer that help to get the service going. Let me tell you, the Touchberry’s were right, this service definitely seemed like more of a three hour rock concert than a church service, especially to a girl who grew up Catholic. It was incredible. Oh man, I wish I could describe the energy in the room to all of you, but the best things in life can’t be described in words I suppose. Maryann and I spent the day together after church and attending a gathering at her friend’s house. Maryann continues to amaze me. She informed me this time that somehow in her busy schedule she also manages to volunteer at the women’s prison in Kumba through the Business and Professional Women’s Organization (don’t you belong to that mom? BPW? Funny.) Anyways, she said that she is going to talk to the Warden and see if I can accompany her. I am really hoping that this works out. Along with pastoral care, one of passions is hospice, especially in a prison setting. So, I think this would be a very eye opening experience. I will keep you posted on that.
I also got to visit Pastor Janet last week. Agie and I went to one of her five congregations to give an HIV/AIDS talk and ask the congregation to set up an HIV/AIDS committee. Pastor Janet is in charge of five, very rural village congregations that are all based near her home. The trip out to this congregation was amazing. Agie and I had our bikeman friend, Eric, bring us out to the village. Wow, it was breathe taking. As we drove down the road, all three of us crammed on this little motorcycle, the scenery changed from dusty, muddy city streets to rows and rows of beautiful trees with white trunks and green as far as you could see. The temperature also dropped by maybe 10 degrees and we just soaked it all in, enjoying the fresh air. This was the first time ever I was glad I was on a motorcycle because I really felt like I could experience everything that surrounded us as we past. Of course, I forgot my camera on that trip (which Agie scolded me for over and over again), but I assure you I will bring it when we go back next month. This is something you all need to see. Also, on the way home Pastor Janet’s bike broke down, so all FOUR of us had to cram onto our little bike. However, the addition of Pastor Janet seemed like a blessing more than bothersome, even though my butt hurt a lot by the time we got home.
I continue to be amazed by the faithfulness of the people in Cameroon. Living in a developing country makes it a lot easier to notice how God’s grace works in your life everyday. Besides my courage growing daily mainly due to transportation my faith journey seems to be taking some incredible turns as well. People are so open about their faith here. It is just not a big deal at all to have an intense theological debate on a daily basis which is a big change from attending Macalester in Minnesota, even as a religious studies major. The sermons really speak to people and get inside their heads. Instead of just words it is easy to see people turning it into action which is something that still escapes a lot of us in the US.
As for me, I’m off to start turning these tomatoes into some sauce to prove to Agie that I learned something in our cooking lesson last week. I will never forget the image of Agie, her son Dennis, and her mother Mami Lydia looking over my shoulder as I tried to shred onions, tomatoes, leeks, etc. into the sauce. They were all laughing hysterically at my “weak little arms.” Haha. I’m not going to lie, my body is definitely weak. I mean come on, I’m five feet tall and a total wuss, but I assure you my faith is strengthening by the day, maybe even the hour or minute. I should be going, time to cook. I will include some more pictures. These are from Agie’s dedication into the Christian Women’s Fellowship at the Church, her party afterwards, and our cooking sessions with Mami Lydia, she looks angry all the time, but is the sweetest woman you will ever meet, so don’t let it scare you.
Agie looking gorgeous on her big day.
The women lined up to process into church.
My baby bro, Dennis, and I hanging out after the big ceremony. He wants me to teach him how to be a "cool dude," . . . I'm trying.
Mami Lydia enjoying my first Cameroonian dish! She may not look like she is enjoying it, but I assure you, she LOVED it!
Agie and Dennis really LOVE my cooking! Can't you tell?
After much persuading, I FINALLY got Mami Lydia to smile for the camera! HOORAY!
Alright, I seriously have to go now. Don't want to disappoint Mami Agie with a late meal. I hope everyone is doing well! Send me an e-mail or something and let me know. Take care!
Work is more rewarding than ever as my relationships with my clients and the staff at the hospital continue to grow and deepen. However, I haven’t had as much client interaction time as I did previously because for the past week or so I have been trying to finish reading this book on Christian counseling, writing reports, planning talks I need to give in the very near future, trying to figure out my visa situation and fighting off this cold that continues to linger. But, I am looking forward to having more client time starting next week. I am also going to begin working in reception which will give me more face to face time with the patients and hopefully continue my growing base knowledge of pigin. Also, our next social group meeting is this Saturday which I am really looking forward to. Agie is giving a talk on nutrition and I will be giving a talk on improving communication skills. If the clients permit, Agie wants us to take some pictures to show you all exactly what we are doing. We will see how well that goes over.
I attended a new church last Sunday with Maryann, who continues to be such a blessing to me here. We went to the church that is right next to the health center complex. Most of the staff from the health center worship there, so it was very nice to walk in and see so many familiar faces. The service was amazing. This church is very new and is a very young congregation. They have drums, keyboards, and an incredible singer that help to get the service going. Let me tell you, the Touchberry’s were right, this service definitely seemed like more of a three hour rock concert than a church service, especially to a girl who grew up Catholic. It was incredible. Oh man, I wish I could describe the energy in the room to all of you, but the best things in life can’t be described in words I suppose. Maryann and I spent the day together after church and attending a gathering at her friend’s house. Maryann continues to amaze me. She informed me this time that somehow in her busy schedule she also manages to volunteer at the women’s prison in Kumba through the Business and Professional Women’s Organization (don’t you belong to that mom? BPW? Funny.) Anyways, she said that she is going to talk to the Warden and see if I can accompany her. I am really hoping that this works out. Along with pastoral care, one of passions is hospice, especially in a prison setting. So, I think this would be a very eye opening experience. I will keep you posted on that.
I also got to visit Pastor Janet last week. Agie and I went to one of her five congregations to give an HIV/AIDS talk and ask the congregation to set up an HIV/AIDS committee. Pastor Janet is in charge of five, very rural village congregations that are all based near her home. The trip out to this congregation was amazing. Agie and I had our bikeman friend, Eric, bring us out to the village. Wow, it was breathe taking. As we drove down the road, all three of us crammed on this little motorcycle, the scenery changed from dusty, muddy city streets to rows and rows of beautiful trees with white trunks and green as far as you could see. The temperature also dropped by maybe 10 degrees and we just soaked it all in, enjoying the fresh air. This was the first time ever I was glad I was on a motorcycle because I really felt like I could experience everything that surrounded us as we past. Of course, I forgot my camera on that trip (which Agie scolded me for over and over again), but I assure you I will bring it when we go back next month. This is something you all need to see. Also, on the way home Pastor Janet’s bike broke down, so all FOUR of us had to cram onto our little bike. However, the addition of Pastor Janet seemed like a blessing more than bothersome, even though my butt hurt a lot by the time we got home.
I continue to be amazed by the faithfulness of the people in Cameroon. Living in a developing country makes it a lot easier to notice how God’s grace works in your life everyday. Besides my courage growing daily mainly due to transportation my faith journey seems to be taking some incredible turns as well. People are so open about their faith here. It is just not a big deal at all to have an intense theological debate on a daily basis which is a big change from attending Macalester in Minnesota, even as a religious studies major. The sermons really speak to people and get inside their heads. Instead of just words it is easy to see people turning it into action which is something that still escapes a lot of us in the US.
As for me, I’m off to start turning these tomatoes into some sauce to prove to Agie that I learned something in our cooking lesson last week. I will never forget the image of Agie, her son Dennis, and her mother Mami Lydia looking over my shoulder as I tried to shred onions, tomatoes, leeks, etc. into the sauce. They were all laughing hysterically at my “weak little arms.” Haha. I’m not going to lie, my body is definitely weak. I mean come on, I’m five feet tall and a total wuss, but I assure you my faith is strengthening by the day, maybe even the hour or minute. I should be going, time to cook. I will include some more pictures. These are from Agie’s dedication into the Christian Women’s Fellowship at the Church, her party afterwards, and our cooking sessions with Mami Lydia, she looks angry all the time, but is the sweetest woman you will ever meet, so don’t let it scare you.
Agie looking gorgeous on her big day.
The women lined up to process into church.
My baby bro, Dennis, and I hanging out after the big ceremony. He wants me to teach him how to be a "cool dude," . . . I'm trying.
Mami Lydia enjoying my first Cameroonian dish! She may not look like she is enjoying it, but I assure you, she LOVED it!
Agie and Dennis really LOVE my cooking! Can't you tell?
After much persuading, I FINALLY got Mami Lydia to smile for the camera! HOORAY!
Alright, I seriously have to go now. Don't want to disappoint Mami Agie with a late meal. I hope everyone is doing well! Send me an e-mail or something and let me know. Take care!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I like the dream of the future not the history of the past.
I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to write lately, but things have been crazy busy. I don’t really even know where to start. I will break it down into subsections to make it easy to read and understand the various areas of my life right now. Get ready for a long one. Maybe there will be a little treat at the end so you definitely want to read the entire thing!
Work: Well, I’m still struggling a bit. As I mentioned before, the program I am using was developed in Europe and is used in South Africa (basically still Europe), so it is not really translating that well into this culture. I think the idea of memory work will be able to work here eventually and be extremely beneficial, but the memory book activity itself is not really such a big hit. The song lyric I used to title this post is from a song we sing in church and is the perfect explanation for why the activity is not working. The clients don’t want to think about their past, in fact, most of them don’t know a lot about their pasts, for example their family backgrounds. Every client I have talked to wants to focus on how he/she can begin to feel free from worry and bitterness and live positively now.
So, most of what I end up doing is Christian counseling. We set up an action plan for the client for the following week, three things he/she will do that helps them to relax and feel free. Usually at least one of these things has to do with his/her faith (e.g. going to church, reading bible passages, singing church hymns). Then, the client comes back the following week, we discuss any problems or questions that came up, discuss bible passages, and start a new plan for the next week. It seems to be going well and I think it’s a good process for the patient to begin to open up and feel comfortable talking.
Psychology is very different here than in the West. The West is extremely individualistic so talking about yourself is one of the easiest things to do. Here, people don’t see themselves as individuals, but instead as one small, unique part of a large connected web that includes the environment, their ancestors, and God. Even in the short time I have been here I have learned so much about counseling and relating to clients in different cultures. So, now that I am starting to understand the differences I am trying to change the program to better suit the needs of the population. I’m such a perfectionist that it’s hard for me to not just be able to come in and fix everything right away, but I think that’s some sort of Western Superman (or in this case Superwoman) complex that I need to get over. I am continuing to plan for our next social group which is the last Saturday of the month. I am doing the meditation and giving a talk on positive communication skills. We are also going to introduce the idea of money making schemes to the women, such as making soap, oil and yogurt to sell for profit. Luckily, Shirley taught me how to make yogurt, so I can be of some help. We have invited many more clients, so if the numbers are too big we will have to split them into two groups. I am so excited about this group! Also, I am giving the meditation for the entire hospital staff on Monday, Aghhh, so nervous!
Social Life: Well, Rev. Abwenzoh, Maryann, the Matron (Judith), Agie, and Erik (Agie’s neighbor who is a bikeman) still take up the majority of my free time which really isn’t much. After I get home from work, my door bell is usually ringing within ten minutes, ha. I really feel like I have a family here already which is wonderful. There is also a new addition to the fam I have developed here, her name is Pastor Janet. She is basically the most amazing woman. She is so passionate, free, welcoming, engaging, faithful, and has this childlike exuberance about everything she does. I met her at this Pastor’s Meeting (the pastors gather once a month to talk about church issues, learn together and spend time with one another) that I attended with Rev. Abwenzoh (he really involves me in every aspect of church life and his family life too, which I appreciate so much!). Pastor Jan and I hit it off and it turns out she is friends with Agie also, so that’s another budding friendship which is exciting! In most social settings, I am the youngest by at least ten years (except when Jan is there, then it’s only 6 years.) I have always felt really comfortable with my elders, so it’s not much of a problem, but sometimes I crave time with people my own age, so I am trying to develop more of those relationships.
Maryann sends her girls over fairly often, so then I get to hang with some people my own age which is a nice change of pace. I also attend the Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) meetings at my church. There are two meetings a week, but I can usually only make it to one because of my work schedule. I am developing some good friendships there. Friendships are just a lot different here. You can be friends with someone for years and still know nothing about their personal life. Those of you who know me well, or actually know me at all, will understand that this is not my style whatsoever. Most people are shocked at how open and free I am, but that’s something I’m just not willing to change. I think it’s a positive thing to be open and honest and even though culturally it’s very different than what they are use to most of the people I am meeting seem to be very receptive and appreciative of it. It’s almost a way of letting them know that I really want to be here and get to know them. So, that’s working out well.
My friends from the CYF are also teaching me how to dance. Those of you have been here will know how hilarious this is. Harvest (which is a time of Thanksgiving in the congregations, a big fundraising season) just began at our church which means we had a four and a half hour long service last Sunday, ha. Every group and movement in the church danced down the aisle and gave their donations. It was very energetic and joyous, I LOVED it! So, I had to dance down with the CYF, wearing my gorgeous kaba of course, and the entire congregation thought it was hilarious! Haha. Oh goodness, so embarrassing, but pretty funny. I’ve been practicing, so hopefully I will impress them with my dance skills in no time. The kids have actually been very welcoming to me. At the auction this past Thursday, one boy even bought me a package of Kleenex and danced over and gave it to me. Haha. So, I think they are starting to accept me.
Other random tidbits: Well, Agie continues to tell me that no man will ever want to marry me if I don’t learn the things a woman should know: cooking, cleaning and laundry. Aghhh, everything I hate in life. So, we have weekly (more like daily) lessons on mopping floors, cooking, trying to get rid of the THOUSANDS of ants that I live with. Basically, I have realized that Agie’s ten year old niece who lives with her is way more of a woman than I will ever be according to Agie’s standards. Haha, but I might just be okay with that. I am learning how to balance really heavy things on my head though which is exciting! Not necessarily a skill I will use often back in the states, but still fun to learn nonetheless.
I have been sick for about the past week. Not a big deal, no need for concern. Once Rev. Abwenzoh got word of my cold he rushed to my side with medication in about ten seconds flat. I am starting to feel better after a couple days of rest and all of the cough medicine, eye drops and pills they have me taking. And lucky for me, cough medicine here is way more delicious than in the US, it tastes like cinnamon, so that was an added bonus.
I have officially found my husband. Well, not officially, I guess. But, I am getting love notes, haha. It was so adorable. While sitting in my room one night somebody shoved something under my door. It was this cute little note. There was a flower on it and the note said “Hello. This flower is for you. Tomorro I will lake to see you,” (spelling errors included). Haha. It was from this ten year old boy who lives down the street from me. His mom works at the hospital and she got word of the little love letter her son left for me. Of course, she was horrified and her son was in big trouble for being so bold at such a young age. But, she also thought it was hilarious, so she now refers to me as her wife and talks about bringing me back to her village and introducing me to the family, haha, and sometimes she gives me free little cakes and things, so I’m okay pretending to be the wife for now.
Ohh, hilarious anecdote of the week: Hmmm. Probably not as hilarious as getting hot pepper up my nose and snorting milk, but here it goes. Agie and I took a taxi back from visiting Pastor Jan. Apparently, some big festival had just ended so there were TONS of people who needed taxis. And let me tell you, they CRAM people into taxis here. So, it was just me, Agie and one other woman in the car when we happened upon this festival. Oh man, within seconds our car was packed: 4 people in the front seat, 5 in the back, one on the hood of the car (sort of "ghostriding" for those of you who get the reference), and three in the trunk (playing drums and singing)! The Cameroonians definitely make use of every single part of the vehicle, that’s for sure. I was scared to death of course, the lack of seat belts not helping, my eyes were probably as big as saucers and I was squeezing Agie’s hand as tightly as I could. She just laughed at me, hysterically. I thought Agie was just laughing because she always laughs at how much I worry and how scared I am all the time, but I didn’t really know why every person we passed was laughing so hard because really a car packed this full isn’t a rare sight around here. Well, little did I know, the entire time the men in the back were serenading the whiteman (me) and I was completely oblivious. Haha. Jokes on me per usual. I bet it did look pretty hilarious.
PICTURES!!!! Get excited! Not too many because I am terrible at remembering to bring my camera places, but here is a little taste. I swear I will start taking more pics soon!
My wonderful apartment! Eat your hearts out, folks!
My living room. My roommates will attest to the fact that I never actually move in anywhere that I live, so there is a good chance it will look like this until the day that I leave, unless Agie has something to say about it.
My kitchen. Probably about half the size of a normal closet in the US. By far, the warmest place in the house. Agh.
My bathroom. And yes, those are my clothes drying in the background.
My "friend" who loves to leave me presents on my doorstep just about every other day.
I forced the Matron, Judith, to take a picture with me without giving her time to prepare. She wasn't pleased, but she looks wonderful.
Agie! Of course, she is looking beautiful as ever. And cut the camera man a little slack, it was his first time taking pictures with my camera.
Agie (my mami) and Dennis (my baby bro) lounging at my place.
One of my new dresses! I'm totally embarrassed in this picture. Agie just had to help me get dressed for ten minutes because the dress was so tight and then forced me to pose for a picture while shouting "African Girl" at me, haha, oh man, I love her.
Hope you enjoyed my extremely long winded update. I will try to write more frequently so you aren't so overwhelmed next time. Of course, I keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers! Until next time.
Work: Well, I’m still struggling a bit. As I mentioned before, the program I am using was developed in Europe and is used in South Africa (basically still Europe), so it is not really translating that well into this culture. I think the idea of memory work will be able to work here eventually and be extremely beneficial, but the memory book activity itself is not really such a big hit. The song lyric I used to title this post is from a song we sing in church and is the perfect explanation for why the activity is not working. The clients don’t want to think about their past, in fact, most of them don’t know a lot about their pasts, for example their family backgrounds. Every client I have talked to wants to focus on how he/she can begin to feel free from worry and bitterness and live positively now.
So, most of what I end up doing is Christian counseling. We set up an action plan for the client for the following week, three things he/she will do that helps them to relax and feel free. Usually at least one of these things has to do with his/her faith (e.g. going to church, reading bible passages, singing church hymns). Then, the client comes back the following week, we discuss any problems or questions that came up, discuss bible passages, and start a new plan for the next week. It seems to be going well and I think it’s a good process for the patient to begin to open up and feel comfortable talking.
Psychology is very different here than in the West. The West is extremely individualistic so talking about yourself is one of the easiest things to do. Here, people don’t see themselves as individuals, but instead as one small, unique part of a large connected web that includes the environment, their ancestors, and God. Even in the short time I have been here I have learned so much about counseling and relating to clients in different cultures. So, now that I am starting to understand the differences I am trying to change the program to better suit the needs of the population. I’m such a perfectionist that it’s hard for me to not just be able to come in and fix everything right away, but I think that’s some sort of Western Superman (or in this case Superwoman) complex that I need to get over. I am continuing to plan for our next social group which is the last Saturday of the month. I am doing the meditation and giving a talk on positive communication skills. We are also going to introduce the idea of money making schemes to the women, such as making soap, oil and yogurt to sell for profit. Luckily, Shirley taught me how to make yogurt, so I can be of some help. We have invited many more clients, so if the numbers are too big we will have to split them into two groups. I am so excited about this group! Also, I am giving the meditation for the entire hospital staff on Monday, Aghhh, so nervous!
Social Life: Well, Rev. Abwenzoh, Maryann, the Matron (Judith), Agie, and Erik (Agie’s neighbor who is a bikeman) still take up the majority of my free time which really isn’t much. After I get home from work, my door bell is usually ringing within ten minutes, ha. I really feel like I have a family here already which is wonderful. There is also a new addition to the fam I have developed here, her name is Pastor Janet. She is basically the most amazing woman. She is so passionate, free, welcoming, engaging, faithful, and has this childlike exuberance about everything she does. I met her at this Pastor’s Meeting (the pastors gather once a month to talk about church issues, learn together and spend time with one another) that I attended with Rev. Abwenzoh (he really involves me in every aspect of church life and his family life too, which I appreciate so much!). Pastor Jan and I hit it off and it turns out she is friends with Agie also, so that’s another budding friendship which is exciting! In most social settings, I am the youngest by at least ten years (except when Jan is there, then it’s only 6 years.) I have always felt really comfortable with my elders, so it’s not much of a problem, but sometimes I crave time with people my own age, so I am trying to develop more of those relationships.
Maryann sends her girls over fairly often, so then I get to hang with some people my own age which is a nice change of pace. I also attend the Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) meetings at my church. There are two meetings a week, but I can usually only make it to one because of my work schedule. I am developing some good friendships there. Friendships are just a lot different here. You can be friends with someone for years and still know nothing about their personal life. Those of you who know me well, or actually know me at all, will understand that this is not my style whatsoever. Most people are shocked at how open and free I am, but that’s something I’m just not willing to change. I think it’s a positive thing to be open and honest and even though culturally it’s very different than what they are use to most of the people I am meeting seem to be very receptive and appreciative of it. It’s almost a way of letting them know that I really want to be here and get to know them. So, that’s working out well.
My friends from the CYF are also teaching me how to dance. Those of you have been here will know how hilarious this is. Harvest (which is a time of Thanksgiving in the congregations, a big fundraising season) just began at our church which means we had a four and a half hour long service last Sunday, ha. Every group and movement in the church danced down the aisle and gave their donations. It was very energetic and joyous, I LOVED it! So, I had to dance down with the CYF, wearing my gorgeous kaba of course, and the entire congregation thought it was hilarious! Haha. Oh goodness, so embarrassing, but pretty funny. I’ve been practicing, so hopefully I will impress them with my dance skills in no time. The kids have actually been very welcoming to me. At the auction this past Thursday, one boy even bought me a package of Kleenex and danced over and gave it to me. Haha. So, I think they are starting to accept me.
Other random tidbits: Well, Agie continues to tell me that no man will ever want to marry me if I don’t learn the things a woman should know: cooking, cleaning and laundry. Aghhh, everything I hate in life. So, we have weekly (more like daily) lessons on mopping floors, cooking, trying to get rid of the THOUSANDS of ants that I live with. Basically, I have realized that Agie’s ten year old niece who lives with her is way more of a woman than I will ever be according to Agie’s standards. Haha, but I might just be okay with that. I am learning how to balance really heavy things on my head though which is exciting! Not necessarily a skill I will use often back in the states, but still fun to learn nonetheless.
I have been sick for about the past week. Not a big deal, no need for concern. Once Rev. Abwenzoh got word of my cold he rushed to my side with medication in about ten seconds flat. I am starting to feel better after a couple days of rest and all of the cough medicine, eye drops and pills they have me taking. And lucky for me, cough medicine here is way more delicious than in the US, it tastes like cinnamon, so that was an added bonus.
I have officially found my husband. Well, not officially, I guess. But, I am getting love notes, haha. It was so adorable. While sitting in my room one night somebody shoved something under my door. It was this cute little note. There was a flower on it and the note said “Hello. This flower is for you. Tomorro I will lake to see you,” (spelling errors included). Haha. It was from this ten year old boy who lives down the street from me. His mom works at the hospital and she got word of the little love letter her son left for me. Of course, she was horrified and her son was in big trouble for being so bold at such a young age. But, she also thought it was hilarious, so she now refers to me as her wife and talks about bringing me back to her village and introducing me to the family, haha, and sometimes she gives me free little cakes and things, so I’m okay pretending to be the wife for now.
Ohh, hilarious anecdote of the week: Hmmm. Probably not as hilarious as getting hot pepper up my nose and snorting milk, but here it goes. Agie and I took a taxi back from visiting Pastor Jan. Apparently, some big festival had just ended so there were TONS of people who needed taxis. And let me tell you, they CRAM people into taxis here. So, it was just me, Agie and one other woman in the car when we happened upon this festival. Oh man, within seconds our car was packed: 4 people in the front seat, 5 in the back, one on the hood of the car (sort of "ghostriding" for those of you who get the reference), and three in the trunk (playing drums and singing)! The Cameroonians definitely make use of every single part of the vehicle, that’s for sure. I was scared to death of course, the lack of seat belts not helping, my eyes were probably as big as saucers and I was squeezing Agie’s hand as tightly as I could. She just laughed at me, hysterically. I thought Agie was just laughing because she always laughs at how much I worry and how scared I am all the time, but I didn’t really know why every person we passed was laughing so hard because really a car packed this full isn’t a rare sight around here. Well, little did I know, the entire time the men in the back were serenading the whiteman (me) and I was completely oblivious. Haha. Jokes on me per usual. I bet it did look pretty hilarious.
PICTURES!!!! Get excited! Not too many because I am terrible at remembering to bring my camera places, but here is a little taste. I swear I will start taking more pics soon!
My wonderful apartment! Eat your hearts out, folks!
My living room. My roommates will attest to the fact that I never actually move in anywhere that I live, so there is a good chance it will look like this until the day that I leave, unless Agie has something to say about it.
My kitchen. Probably about half the size of a normal closet in the US. By far, the warmest place in the house. Agh.
My bathroom. And yes, those are my clothes drying in the background.
My "friend" who loves to leave me presents on my doorstep just about every other day.
I forced the Matron, Judith, to take a picture with me without giving her time to prepare. She wasn't pleased, but she looks wonderful.
Agie! Of course, she is looking beautiful as ever. And cut the camera man a little slack, it was his first time taking pictures with my camera.
Agie (my mami) and Dennis (my baby bro) lounging at my place.
One of my new dresses! I'm totally embarrassed in this picture. Agie just had to help me get dressed for ten minutes because the dress was so tight and then forced me to pose for a picture while shouting "African Girl" at me, haha, oh man, I love her.
Hope you enjoyed my extremely long winded update. I will try to write more frequently so you aren't so overwhelmed next time. Of course, I keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers! Until next time.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah.
Wow, this has been an incredible week, a week of many firsts. I had my first counseling session and . . . it went really well! I was so happy. At the beginning of the week I was so afraid that people a) wouldn't understand me because my accent is so thick and b) wouldn't be interested in doing the memory work, but I was proven wrong on both accounts. One of my first patients was incredible. She was extremely open and receptive to the idea of memory work. Basically, memory work is a way for people living with HIV/AIDS to start to cope with the illness emotionally. The activity is creating a way of remembering (i.e. a memory book, box, etc.) and planning for a positive future (some sort of action plan). It really gives the patients a message of hope. It's an incredible program.
Then, today we had our first social group meeting and I even gave my first sermon! Haha. A social group is the same thing as a support group except we can't call it a support group because then people expect you to give them money. It's really difficult to get these groups started because people don't have the time or money for transportation; however, once they are started they are really beneficial. So, we invited a few patients to come to the office today for our first meeting at 8:30am. By about 9:15 when nobody showed up I was feeling pretty bad, but by 9:30 a small number of people were there! It was really sad because none of them had eaten, most of them are pregnant, and some of them had traveled far, so Agi, the HIV/AIDS coordinator bought them all breakfast out of her own money. I helped reimburse their travel expenses (about 500CFA/person, in US dollars that is approximately $1.12) from my own money. Really, that's the only way to get a group started, to give them some motivation to come. I gave the sermon this morning also. Really, it was just a brief meditation, but I was still nervous.
I focused on John 9:1-5, the story of Jesus healing the blind man. The passage explains that sickness is not a punishment for sin, but an opportunity for God's will. It's very important to emphasize that HIV/AIDS does not happen because someone did something bad or wrong. I wanted to give them a message of hope and a purpose for the social group. So, I told them that today we were here to show God's power that is in each one of us and to be a light for one another like Jesus is for all of us. The patients seemed to like it and some were very moved and had some emotional responses. People living with HIV/AIDS here really just need comfort and support and the Bible is the best place to get that from especially since all of the HIV/AIDS patients we have seen so far are Christians, so passages about healing are really helpful. If anyone out there can think of some more passages that would be appropriate feel free to send them my way (hint hint Westminster crew). I would really appreciate it. Overall, the social group was a huge success. The patients really got to know each other, opened up, and helped one another. They really showed each other love, kindness and understanding. It was incredible to witness them coming together. We have another meeting planned for next month, so hopefully the group will continue to move forward.
Some of the things I have witnessed this first week alone have been extremely difficult. It's really hard to see so many patients in such difficult situations and know that I can't help all of them. When I first got here, I promised myself I would not help any patient financially because it seemed unethical. Well, ethics kind of go out the window in third world countries. Although, it is still my goal to not help financially (especially since it's near impossible after being a student for the past four years). I did help one woman because I couldn't bare to see her go without treatment. Without proper treatment, her baby would be born blind due to complications. The medication was approximately 9,000CFA and she could only afford 3,000 of it. There are very, very limited resources for people living with disabilities here, so if her child was born blind he/she would become an orphan and have a small chance of surviving. I couldn't say no, so I gave her the extra 6,000CFA (approximately $13.00) for treatment. That's just a small example of the things you have to see here everyday at the medical center. It's so hard to watch and know that you can't help every person, at least not financially, but it's good to know that I am at least doing some good when it comes to helping them cope emotionally. I do feel like I am being productive and really helping right now. But, I think no matter how much good I do it will never seem like enough considering how hard life can be for people here. The work I'm doing is very rewarding and really I can't wait for work again on Monday. We are starting memory work with more patients next week!
Things have just been really great all around. I have been starting to make some good friends here which is nice. Kumba hasn't had running water for about three days now. Apparently, a big truck ran over a pipe somewhere. The word on the street is it will be fixed today, buuuut we will see if that happens. Basically, I feel disgusting not bathing for three days, but hey, at least I did my laundry last week, right? Ohhh funny story! The other night I decided to make rice with a red sauce for dinner. People eat this meal here often. However, it would be rude to serve it to a guest because rice alone is considered "empty." If you are cooking for guests, you always needs to have a full meal. Anyways, this was my first very minor attempt at making something sort of Cameroonian, a little experiment which turned out really well actually! But, while I was cutting peppers a huge bug flew up my nose, that seems funny enough, but of course it gets worse. Without thinking, I started rubbing my nose frantically to get the bug out. A terrible idea, considering I was cutting peppers (and let me tell you, peppers here are HOT!). After about 30 seconds, my nose was on FIRE. I had tears pouring down my face. It was terrible. Luckily, I remembered hearing that if you drank milk after eating something hot it cooled the burn. So, I quickly found a bottle of water and made a glass of powdered milk. At which point, I snorted the milk with tears pouring down my face while laughing hysterically. Man, do I wish you all could have seen this. It was absurd. That's just a little preview into my life here in Africa. You really want to come visit, don't you? Hope everyone is doing well back in the good ol' US of A. I can't wait to hear from you all. Be happy and safe!
Then, today we had our first social group meeting and I even gave my first sermon! Haha. A social group is the same thing as a support group except we can't call it a support group because then people expect you to give them money. It's really difficult to get these groups started because people don't have the time or money for transportation; however, once they are started they are really beneficial. So, we invited a few patients to come to the office today for our first meeting at 8:30am. By about 9:15 when nobody showed up I was feeling pretty bad, but by 9:30 a small number of people were there! It was really sad because none of them had eaten, most of them are pregnant, and some of them had traveled far, so Agi, the HIV/AIDS coordinator bought them all breakfast out of her own money. I helped reimburse their travel expenses (about 500CFA/person, in US dollars that is approximately $1.12) from my own money. Really, that's the only way to get a group started, to give them some motivation to come. I gave the sermon this morning also. Really, it was just a brief meditation, but I was still nervous.
I focused on John 9:1-5, the story of Jesus healing the blind man. The passage explains that sickness is not a punishment for sin, but an opportunity for God's will. It's very important to emphasize that HIV/AIDS does not happen because someone did something bad or wrong. I wanted to give them a message of hope and a purpose for the social group. So, I told them that today we were here to show God's power that is in each one of us and to be a light for one another like Jesus is for all of us. The patients seemed to like it and some were very moved and had some emotional responses. People living with HIV/AIDS here really just need comfort and support and the Bible is the best place to get that from especially since all of the HIV/AIDS patients we have seen so far are Christians, so passages about healing are really helpful. If anyone out there can think of some more passages that would be appropriate feel free to send them my way (hint hint Westminster crew). I would really appreciate it. Overall, the social group was a huge success. The patients really got to know each other, opened up, and helped one another. They really showed each other love, kindness and understanding. It was incredible to witness them coming together. We have another meeting planned for next month, so hopefully the group will continue to move forward.
Some of the things I have witnessed this first week alone have been extremely difficult. It's really hard to see so many patients in such difficult situations and know that I can't help all of them. When I first got here, I promised myself I would not help any patient financially because it seemed unethical. Well, ethics kind of go out the window in third world countries. Although, it is still my goal to not help financially (especially since it's near impossible after being a student for the past four years). I did help one woman because I couldn't bare to see her go without treatment. Without proper treatment, her baby would be born blind due to complications. The medication was approximately 9,000CFA and she could only afford 3,000 of it. There are very, very limited resources for people living with disabilities here, so if her child was born blind he/she would become an orphan and have a small chance of surviving. I couldn't say no, so I gave her the extra 6,000CFA (approximately $13.00) for treatment. That's just a small example of the things you have to see here everyday at the medical center. It's so hard to watch and know that you can't help every person, at least not financially, but it's good to know that I am at least doing some good when it comes to helping them cope emotionally. I do feel like I am being productive and really helping right now. But, I think no matter how much good I do it will never seem like enough considering how hard life can be for people here. The work I'm doing is very rewarding and really I can't wait for work again on Monday. We are starting memory work with more patients next week!
Things have just been really great all around. I have been starting to make some good friends here which is nice. Kumba hasn't had running water for about three days now. Apparently, a big truck ran over a pipe somewhere. The word on the street is it will be fixed today, buuuut we will see if that happens. Basically, I feel disgusting not bathing for three days, but hey, at least I did my laundry last week, right? Ohhh funny story! The other night I decided to make rice with a red sauce for dinner. People eat this meal here often. However, it would be rude to serve it to a guest because rice alone is considered "empty." If you are cooking for guests, you always needs to have a full meal. Anyways, this was my first very minor attempt at making something sort of Cameroonian, a little experiment which turned out really well actually! But, while I was cutting peppers a huge bug flew up my nose, that seems funny enough, but of course it gets worse. Without thinking, I started rubbing my nose frantically to get the bug out. A terrible idea, considering I was cutting peppers (and let me tell you, peppers here are HOT!). After about 30 seconds, my nose was on FIRE. I had tears pouring down my face. It was terrible. Luckily, I remembered hearing that if you drank milk after eating something hot it cooled the burn. So, I quickly found a bottle of water and made a glass of powdered milk. At which point, I snorted the milk with tears pouring down my face while laughing hysterically. Man, do I wish you all could have seen this. It was absurd. That's just a little preview into my life here in Africa. You really want to come visit, don't you? Hope everyone is doing well back in the good ol' US of A. I can't wait to hear from you all. Be happy and safe!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Why'd you have to go-o away from me?
Wow, it's been quite some time since I have updated this baby. A lot of changes have taken place since my last post.
I am now, officially, moved to Kumba. Hooray! I moved here last Monday. Last week, we attended (well, I attended and Shirley planned, organized and helped facilitate) a consultation on HIV/AIDS. Basically, the staff of the PCC who is involved in HIV/AIDS work came together to formulate a long-term plan. It was extremely productive and I felt honored to be a part of it. Everyone was so open and dedicated to their work. It was incredible. And....drum roll please, I actually made some real live friends my age! Haha. I met a girl named Maria who was the representative for CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship) and we hit it off. She told me I'm funny and she enjoys my company, so that's probably a good sign. The beginnings of a beautiful friendship I'm sure. I also got to know my co-worker, Agnus (I will call her Agie), very well. She is the HIV/AIDS coordinator for my region. The conference ended on Thursday which was also my last day with Shirley. So sad. She left me. It was hard to say goodbye. I'm already anxiously awaiting her return. I didn't have much time to be sad though because Friday I started work, well, sort of. I thought I was suppose to start work, but Rev. Abwenzoh (the minister from Kumba Towne, my church) came and got me and took me out to lunch with the chairman of the presbytery and two other ministers. Rev. Abwenzoh has basically taken me under his wing since I got here. He calls and stops by to check in, makes sure I have everything I need and drives me anywhere I need to go. He even sent his daughter here on Saturday to take me to the market so I didn't have to go alone. And, I have been to his house twice for dinner already. He is so sweet. He has really taken on a paternal role with me which is nice.
I was introduced to the congregation on Sunday. It was kind of a big deal. Rev. Abwenzoh gave this whole speech and I had to get up in front of everyone and say hello and then go and greet the chief and the other ministers. I felt so important, haha. Then, I spent the rest of the day with Maryanne Mukete. She is so wonderful! She has been so welcoming, caring and kind. I don't know what I would do without her. We ate lunch (potatoe hot plate, kind of like beef stew, I loved it, favorite meal so far), watched some tv, checked e-mail, and then sat out on the porch all evening and watched it rain. It was so nice.
I actually started work this past Monday. It's going alright so far. I am spending time with Agie, watching her work to get a feel for it before I jump in it on my own. After the first few days I was a little concerned. People here are worried about food, water and shelter and are not too interested in talking about feelings. However, I'm starting to find some areas where I am needed and can be helpful. I just need to keep reminding myself that this is a process. It's a new program, a new idea and is going to take time to implement. I just want to jump in and do everything right away. I'm pretty sure patience is going to be one of my biggest lessons during my time here. So, I am in the process of learning pidgin and starting my program. Judith (the matron) and Agi have really taken me in as their daughter. They feed me and visit me all the time. They really are my mami's away from home. They are too sweet. Agi even taught me how to make pepe (the hot sauce they put on EVERYTHING here) today! In return, I made her egg salad, but I don't think she was as impressed. Haha.
My apartment is nice. It's very cute and it's starting to feel a little like home. I don't really have much time to get everything organized though. The minute I get home from work my bell rings and all the neighborhood kids come in and hang out. I teach them cards, we play on the computer and watch movies. They are so cute. The babies are afraid of me though, haha. They scream and scream when they see me. I feel so bad. Haha. Hopefully they get use to seeing me though. So, yeah. Things are really good. I have internet fairly regularly now so I will be able to update more frequently. Once again, ignore my spelling errors it's late here. Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all like crazy!
I am now, officially, moved to Kumba. Hooray! I moved here last Monday. Last week, we attended (well, I attended and Shirley planned, organized and helped facilitate) a consultation on HIV/AIDS. Basically, the staff of the PCC who is involved in HIV/AIDS work came together to formulate a long-term plan. It was extremely productive and I felt honored to be a part of it. Everyone was so open and dedicated to their work. It was incredible. And....drum roll please, I actually made some real live friends my age! Haha. I met a girl named Maria who was the representative for CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship) and we hit it off. She told me I'm funny and she enjoys my company, so that's probably a good sign. The beginnings of a beautiful friendship I'm sure. I also got to know my co-worker, Agnus (I will call her Agie), very well. She is the HIV/AIDS coordinator for my region. The conference ended on Thursday which was also my last day with Shirley. So sad. She left me. It was hard to say goodbye. I'm already anxiously awaiting her return. I didn't have much time to be sad though because Friday I started work, well, sort of. I thought I was suppose to start work, but Rev. Abwenzoh (the minister from Kumba Towne, my church) came and got me and took me out to lunch with the chairman of the presbytery and two other ministers. Rev. Abwenzoh has basically taken me under his wing since I got here. He calls and stops by to check in, makes sure I have everything I need and drives me anywhere I need to go. He even sent his daughter here on Saturday to take me to the market so I didn't have to go alone. And, I have been to his house twice for dinner already. He is so sweet. He has really taken on a paternal role with me which is nice.
I was introduced to the congregation on Sunday. It was kind of a big deal. Rev. Abwenzoh gave this whole speech and I had to get up in front of everyone and say hello and then go and greet the chief and the other ministers. I felt so important, haha. Then, I spent the rest of the day with Maryanne Mukete. She is so wonderful! She has been so welcoming, caring and kind. I don't know what I would do without her. We ate lunch (potatoe hot plate, kind of like beef stew, I loved it, favorite meal so far), watched some tv, checked e-mail, and then sat out on the porch all evening and watched it rain. It was so nice.
I actually started work this past Monday. It's going alright so far. I am spending time with Agie, watching her work to get a feel for it before I jump in it on my own. After the first few days I was a little concerned. People here are worried about food, water and shelter and are not too interested in talking about feelings. However, I'm starting to find some areas where I am needed and can be helpful. I just need to keep reminding myself that this is a process. It's a new program, a new idea and is going to take time to implement. I just want to jump in and do everything right away. I'm pretty sure patience is going to be one of my biggest lessons during my time here. So, I am in the process of learning pidgin and starting my program. Judith (the matron) and Agi have really taken me in as their daughter. They feed me and visit me all the time. They really are my mami's away from home. They are too sweet. Agi even taught me how to make pepe (the hot sauce they put on EVERYTHING here) today! In return, I made her egg salad, but I don't think she was as impressed. Haha.
My apartment is nice. It's very cute and it's starting to feel a little like home. I don't really have much time to get everything organized though. The minute I get home from work my bell rings and all the neighborhood kids come in and hang out. I teach them cards, we play on the computer and watch movies. They are so cute. The babies are afraid of me though, haha. They scream and scream when they see me. I feel so bad. Haha. Hopefully they get use to seeing me though. So, yeah. Things are really good. I have internet fairly regularly now so I will be able to update more frequently. Once again, ignore my spelling errors it's late here. Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all like crazy!
Friday, September 12, 2008
There are places I'll remember all my life.
Here they are folks, some MUCH ANTICIPATED photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
Oh you know, just my shower.
This is the Synod Office where Shirley and I spend our days working hard and sometimes, rarely I assure you, hardly working, but enjoying each others company immensely.
This is Mt. Cameroon, the beautiful mountain I get to wake up to every morning. Breath taking, huh?
This is a common scene around Cameroon. People walking carrying ridiculous amounts of weight on their heads. Can you believe it? We are so wussy in the US.
The first of two African dresses. This is a more formal style. They are called kabas.
This is my favorite one. I like to think that the orange and blue colors are a throw back to my years at Macalester.
There you have it folks. My life in Cameroon (so far) in photo form. I hope you liked them. It took me approximately five hours, spread out over a couple days, to figure out how to load these darn pictures. Anyways, Shirley and I are off to make popcorn and have movie night. Be happy and safe!
Oh you know, just my shower.
This is the Synod Office where Shirley and I spend our days working hard and sometimes, rarely I assure you, hardly working, but enjoying each others company immensely.
This is Mt. Cameroon, the beautiful mountain I get to wake up to every morning. Breath taking, huh?
This is a common scene around Cameroon. People walking carrying ridiculous amounts of weight on their heads. Can you believe it? We are so wussy in the US.
The first of two African dresses. This is a more formal style. They are called kabas.
This is my favorite one. I like to think that the orange and blue colors are a throw back to my years at Macalester.
There you have it folks. My life in Cameroon (so far) in photo form. I hope you liked them. It took me approximately five hours, spread out over a couple days, to figure out how to load these darn pictures. Anyways, Shirley and I are off to make popcorn and have movie night. Be happy and safe!
Monday, September 8, 2008
I got all my sisters and me
Wow, it has been a busy few days since the last time I wrote. Maybe I will do a little day by day breakdown.
Wednesday: Mary, the HIV/AIDS national coordinator for the PCC, Shirley, and Clement, Shirley’s driver, and I all went to Kumba. Oh man, I was not prepared for that trip. Apparently, the road conditions have improved tremendously and this is considered a good road for Cameroon, but I was shocked. I literally have bruises on my body from being thrown around the backseat while driving over huge potholes, I mean huge, and we think roads in Minnesota are bad, goodness. It was exciting though. Everyone in the car laughed at the expressions on my face, haha. By the time we got there, I was a little frazzled, but it was time to jump right into a meeting with the people I will be working with for the next year. I met Dr. Neba, the doctor in charge, Agnus, the provincial HIV/AIDS coordinator, and Judith, the matron in charge of the nurses. The facilities were very nice for Cameroon and the hospital was crowded with patients. The meeting went really well. We made our proposal for the project implementation and the staff seemed to be excited about it. We discussed different ideas and problems that might come up. However, it is really important to keep in mind that this is their hospital and I am not here to force my views or plans upon them, so we will have to work together and try to see what works best once I get there. It’s definitely going to be a trial and error process, quite an adventure. We all went out for lunch afterwards which was really delicious! Per usual half a chicken, chips (French fries), spaghetti sauce (a little different and way spicier than ours, they put pepe in everything), and some cooked greens. Everyone makes fun of me for not being able to eat as much as they do, so I have to politely remind them that I am the size of a twelve year old. I also saw where I am going to be living, met my spiritual counselor, Rev. Forchang, and met Mami (pronounced Mommy) Pastor, the pastor of Kumba Town’s wife, who lovingly referred to herself as my Mami Pastor, very sweet. A few times Mary even introduced me by saying, “This is our sister Megan who is here to do HIV/AIDS work at the Presbyterian Health Center here in Kumba.” I felt pretty special having Mary refer to me as her sister, hence the title of this post. I was impressed with everything, but it will definitely, definitely take some getting use to, in a good way though. Then, we made the long trek back to Buea.
Thursday: We did our normal work routine during the day. Nothing too exciting. Killed some roaches and possibly saw a rat (actually a mouse, they make no distinction), but that was about as exciting as it got. Then, we had a few hours to rest, and headed to the wake keeping. Wake keepings are usually held outside and of course, of course it was raining. Not just a little drizzle, but a down pour. We went and picked up Mary and then made the trek to the house. It was totally hilarious. Shirley and I forgot our flashlights, so we only had Mary’s little crank flashlight to rely on. So, it was all of us, laughing hysterically, wading through mud and water almost to our calves walking up this huge hill. Of course everyone laughed at me when I would scream when bugs flew at my faces or a puddle was way deeper than I thought and I sunk in. It was too much, hahaha. We finally made it to the top of the hill and were welcomed by the CWF (Christian Women’s Fellowship) singing songs and getting the crowd ready for worship. The ceremony was beautiful. There were numerous passage readings, a small sermon and lots of singing and dancing. After we paid our respects to the family, there was lots of food and most people stayed all night, until six in the morning. However, we left at twelve because it was a work night. It was really powerful to be able to be a part of that service though. I felt so blessed to be surrounded and welcomed by everyone.
Friday and Saturday: Relatively laid back days. We crashed kind of hard after a long week. Friday we watched the Princess Bride, drank wine and ate peanuts with Shirley’s neighbor, Helen, who is my age. So, that was nice. Saturday we went to the market which was fun. It wasn’t too intimidating because it was a really small market. We walked there too which was nice because we haven’t really walked around too much yet. Of course, it’s a little weird because little kids shout “white man” and chase after you. It’s not meant to be mean or scary or anything, it’s just so different for them to see a white person walking around. We bought some vegetables and headed back to the house. A good day overall.
Sunday: Wow, what an incredible day. Usually, we attend church at Likoko Membia, a small congregation near Shirley’s home. However, this past Sunday we attended church at a much bigger congregation in Ekona. The church had been desecrated about a month ago, so this was the big consecration ceremony. It was incredible. There were maybe ten pastors, a ton of elders and important people from the church, members from other churches and representatives from other denominations. It was really beautiful how everyone came together. Trying to explain the ceremony seems kind of pointless because words don’t do it justice. Everyone was worshiping like I have never seen before. You could just feel the energy and power in the church. It was absolutely incredible. The entire scene brought tears to my eyes. It was so moving watching all these people come together and mourn, but be so hopeful and faithful. They introduced all the guests like they normally do; however, I’m realizing more and more that it’s extremely difficult for people here to say my name or maybe just read my writing, so they introduced me as “Maygen Koran,” which I couldn’t help but giggle at. I think I need to work on my penmanship, haha. Afterwards, we all gathered for lunch. Meals seem to be a big part of every meeting or ceremony. It’s nice. Then, we headed back and had a relaxing evening at home.
Now, things are getting a little crazy. Shirley is planning this huge HIV/AIDS consultation that is taking place in Kumba next week and I am frantically trying to plan my program and get ready to move to Kumba next week, haha. Luckily, we have each other for support, which is so so nice! I think having Shirley leave might be harder than when I left home (no offense Mom and Dad and extended fam, you know I love you the most). It’s just going to be hard to lose my one really close companion here, but I’m sure I will be fine. Oh also, I got the dresses that I had made. They are so beautiful! I'm not sure how Cameroonian I look. I think it looks like I am wearing a really, really colorful graduation gown everywhere I go. Haha. I will try to get pictures at some point.
Alright, wow, I’m so long winded. Hope it was somewhat interesting for you all to read. Actually, you probably would have quit by now if you got bored, so hooray! I’m off to do some work instead of chatting. This has always been one of my problems. When I was in elementary school I would get stars on everything except my teachers would complain that I socialize too much. Haha, I would just politely get up in the middle of class and go talk to someone on the other side of the room. Oh man, I haven’t changed much. Hope you are all well. Peace and Love.
Wednesday: Mary, the HIV/AIDS national coordinator for the PCC, Shirley, and Clement, Shirley’s driver, and I all went to Kumba. Oh man, I was not prepared for that trip. Apparently, the road conditions have improved tremendously and this is considered a good road for Cameroon, but I was shocked. I literally have bruises on my body from being thrown around the backseat while driving over huge potholes, I mean huge, and we think roads in Minnesota are bad, goodness. It was exciting though. Everyone in the car laughed at the expressions on my face, haha. By the time we got there, I was a little frazzled, but it was time to jump right into a meeting with the people I will be working with for the next year. I met Dr. Neba, the doctor in charge, Agnus, the provincial HIV/AIDS coordinator, and Judith, the matron in charge of the nurses. The facilities were very nice for Cameroon and the hospital was crowded with patients. The meeting went really well. We made our proposal for the project implementation and the staff seemed to be excited about it. We discussed different ideas and problems that might come up. However, it is really important to keep in mind that this is their hospital and I am not here to force my views or plans upon them, so we will have to work together and try to see what works best once I get there. It’s definitely going to be a trial and error process, quite an adventure. We all went out for lunch afterwards which was really delicious! Per usual half a chicken, chips (French fries), spaghetti sauce (a little different and way spicier than ours, they put pepe in everything), and some cooked greens. Everyone makes fun of me for not being able to eat as much as they do, so I have to politely remind them that I am the size of a twelve year old. I also saw where I am going to be living, met my spiritual counselor, Rev. Forchang, and met Mami (pronounced Mommy) Pastor, the pastor of Kumba Town’s wife, who lovingly referred to herself as my Mami Pastor, very sweet. A few times Mary even introduced me by saying, “This is our sister Megan who is here to do HIV/AIDS work at the Presbyterian Health Center here in Kumba.” I felt pretty special having Mary refer to me as her sister, hence the title of this post. I was impressed with everything, but it will definitely, definitely take some getting use to, in a good way though. Then, we made the long trek back to Buea.
Thursday: We did our normal work routine during the day. Nothing too exciting. Killed some roaches and possibly saw a rat (actually a mouse, they make no distinction), but that was about as exciting as it got. Then, we had a few hours to rest, and headed to the wake keeping. Wake keepings are usually held outside and of course, of course it was raining. Not just a little drizzle, but a down pour. We went and picked up Mary and then made the trek to the house. It was totally hilarious. Shirley and I forgot our flashlights, so we only had Mary’s little crank flashlight to rely on. So, it was all of us, laughing hysterically, wading through mud and water almost to our calves walking up this huge hill. Of course everyone laughed at me when I would scream when bugs flew at my faces or a puddle was way deeper than I thought and I sunk in. It was too much, hahaha. We finally made it to the top of the hill and were welcomed by the CWF (Christian Women’s Fellowship) singing songs and getting the crowd ready for worship. The ceremony was beautiful. There were numerous passage readings, a small sermon and lots of singing and dancing. After we paid our respects to the family, there was lots of food and most people stayed all night, until six in the morning. However, we left at twelve because it was a work night. It was really powerful to be able to be a part of that service though. I felt so blessed to be surrounded and welcomed by everyone.
Friday and Saturday: Relatively laid back days. We crashed kind of hard after a long week. Friday we watched the Princess Bride, drank wine and ate peanuts with Shirley’s neighbor, Helen, who is my age. So, that was nice. Saturday we went to the market which was fun. It wasn’t too intimidating because it was a really small market. We walked there too which was nice because we haven’t really walked around too much yet. Of course, it’s a little weird because little kids shout “white man” and chase after you. It’s not meant to be mean or scary or anything, it’s just so different for them to see a white person walking around. We bought some vegetables and headed back to the house. A good day overall.
Sunday: Wow, what an incredible day. Usually, we attend church at Likoko Membia, a small congregation near Shirley’s home. However, this past Sunday we attended church at a much bigger congregation in Ekona. The church had been desecrated about a month ago, so this was the big consecration ceremony. It was incredible. There were maybe ten pastors, a ton of elders and important people from the church, members from other churches and representatives from other denominations. It was really beautiful how everyone came together. Trying to explain the ceremony seems kind of pointless because words don’t do it justice. Everyone was worshiping like I have never seen before. You could just feel the energy and power in the church. It was absolutely incredible. The entire scene brought tears to my eyes. It was so moving watching all these people come together and mourn, but be so hopeful and faithful. They introduced all the guests like they normally do; however, I’m realizing more and more that it’s extremely difficult for people here to say my name or maybe just read my writing, so they introduced me as “Maygen Koran,” which I couldn’t help but giggle at. I think I need to work on my penmanship, haha. Afterwards, we all gathered for lunch. Meals seem to be a big part of every meeting or ceremony. It’s nice. Then, we headed back and had a relaxing evening at home.
Now, things are getting a little crazy. Shirley is planning this huge HIV/AIDS consultation that is taking place in Kumba next week and I am frantically trying to plan my program and get ready to move to Kumba next week, haha. Luckily, we have each other for support, which is so so nice! I think having Shirley leave might be harder than when I left home (no offense Mom and Dad and extended fam, you know I love you the most). It’s just going to be hard to lose my one really close companion here, but I’m sure I will be fine. Oh also, I got the dresses that I had made. They are so beautiful! I'm not sure how Cameroonian I look. I think it looks like I am wearing a really, really colorful graduation gown everywhere I go. Haha. I will try to get pictures at some point.
Alright, wow, I’m so long winded. Hope it was somewhat interesting for you all to read. Actually, you probably would have quit by now if you got bored, so hooray! I’m off to do some work instead of chatting. This has always been one of my problems. When I was in elementary school I would get stars on everything except my teachers would complain that I socialize too much. Haha, I would just politely get up in the middle of class and go talk to someone on the other side of the room. Oh man, I haven’t changed much. Hope you are all well. Peace and Love.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Whenever I want you all I have to do is dream.
Hey everyone! Wow, it's nice to finally have an internet connection again. Shirley and I have pretty much been without a steady internet connection for a little less than a week. We have had enough to send a few e-mails, but not enough to load anything like this fancy blog, haha. Things are still going really well. We took a trip to the Northwest last week to Bamenda. We visited a nun there who was doing psychosocial memory work with a support group that is similar to the program we want to implement here. The drive up was possibly one of the scariest trips of my life. Of course, I had nothing but faith in our driver, Clement, but I was still scared out of my mind. I mean, 100-120km is the usual speed on windy, narrow, on bad roads where it is common to have to slam on the breaks quickly for a speed bump, children, or cows. There is some sort of organization behind the chaos, I just don't quite get it yet. I got a little more use to it as we went along. We stopped at a small roadside area that had some stands to get food. I had plantaines for the first time, delicious. I've had them about three times since then and I'm sure will have many more during my time here. While walking around the stands US music was playing, and the song that the title of this post came from was playing. I loved it. It reminded me of driving around in my old Toyota Tercel listening to KOOL108 in St Paul. Usually the music playing around here is more the stylings of KDWB, which I also happen to like. So, we met the nun and everything went really well. We stayed at a church center which had nice rooms and a really nice cook staff that made us food. We even had beef stew one night which reminded me of home. I also bought some fabric at a market there to have some dresses made, so I will look like a Cameroonian in no time. Haha, should be hilarious. By the time we drove home the driving didn't bother me too much at all. I don't even slam on the imaginary break in the backseat any more. So, I was proud of myself for learning some patience and being able to take a chill pill a little bit.
Things have been good since we got back from our trip. We had a couple chill out days at Shirley's which was nice. Now our usual routine is to go to work, come home, eat dinner, then cuddle up and drink wine and watch a movie. It's really nice. Jill, you especially will appreciate that Shirley and I made beans, cheese and rice last night and I have already eaten them twice. Church this past Sunday was really great. It was three and a half hours sitting on a wooden bench and I was engaged the entire time. These Cameroonians definitely have the church thing figured out. Everyone was dancing, singing and worshiping, so fun! Now, we are back to the normal work day. We traveled to Limbe today to have a meeting with some people at a church there. We went out to lunch with the minister and the rest of the people who were at the meeting which was fun. It's nice getting to know all these new people and everyone is really friendly and forgiving when I don't understand customs or pidgin (uncongigated English mixed with local language and slang). I ate Ndole which is this green vegetable stuff with meat in it and then had plantaines again. Of course, the minister and Shirley are good friends and he insisted that she get a beer. So, I shared it with her. A normal beer here is the equivalent of maybe three beers back home. So, we just drank beers for lunch. Haha. So hilarious. Now we are back at the office finishing up some work.
We are heading to Kumba on Wednesday to meet with the staff at the hospital and plan out my position and the program. I will also get to see where I will be living and everything which will be cool. On Thursday, they are holding a wake keeping for a Cameroonian Westminster member who arrived from the US on the 29th of August. So, Shirley and I are going to attend to pay our respects. We might head to Limbe again on Saturday to see the coast and all that good stuff since we just had to go to a meeting there today. So, that's the plan as of now. Please forgive all of spelling errors, I can't be quite the perfectionist here that I am at home. I hope you all are doing well. Send updates, I like them.
Adam, I definitely listened to you sing the temptations alone in your room all hours of the night. Unfortunately, not that song. I really hope you got over that habit.
Jenni, no prize unless you get all of them right when I get back. So, good luck.
Everyone else who has written comments, you are so sweet and I love hearing from you! Keep them coming. You can send me e-mails also.
Love you guys! Be happy and safe. I will write again when I get the chance.
Things have been good since we got back from our trip. We had a couple chill out days at Shirley's which was nice. Now our usual routine is to go to work, come home, eat dinner, then cuddle up and drink wine and watch a movie. It's really nice. Jill, you especially will appreciate that Shirley and I made beans, cheese and rice last night and I have already eaten them twice. Church this past Sunday was really great. It was three and a half hours sitting on a wooden bench and I was engaged the entire time. These Cameroonians definitely have the church thing figured out. Everyone was dancing, singing and worshiping, so fun! Now, we are back to the normal work day. We traveled to Limbe today to have a meeting with some people at a church there. We went out to lunch with the minister and the rest of the people who were at the meeting which was fun. It's nice getting to know all these new people and everyone is really friendly and forgiving when I don't understand customs or pidgin (uncongigated English mixed with local language and slang). I ate Ndole which is this green vegetable stuff with meat in it and then had plantaines again. Of course, the minister and Shirley are good friends and he insisted that she get a beer. So, I shared it with her. A normal beer here is the equivalent of maybe three beers back home. So, we just drank beers for lunch. Haha. So hilarious. Now we are back at the office finishing up some work.
We are heading to Kumba on Wednesday to meet with the staff at the hospital and plan out my position and the program. I will also get to see where I will be living and everything which will be cool. On Thursday, they are holding a wake keeping for a Cameroonian Westminster member who arrived from the US on the 29th of August. So, Shirley and I are going to attend to pay our respects. We might head to Limbe again on Saturday to see the coast and all that good stuff since we just had to go to a meeting there today. So, that's the plan as of now. Please forgive all of spelling errors, I can't be quite the perfectionist here that I am at home. I hope you all are doing well. Send updates, I like them.
Adam, I definitely listened to you sing the temptations alone in your room all hours of the night. Unfortunately, not that song. I really hope you got over that habit.
Jenni, no prize unless you get all of them right when I get back. So, good luck.
Everyone else who has written comments, you are so sweet and I love hearing from you! Keep them coming. You can send me e-mails also.
Love you guys! Be happy and safe. I will write again when I get the chance.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Ain't no mountain high enough
Thought I would write a quick update while internet is readily accessible at the synod office. By readily accessible I mean that I waited for this page to load for 45 minutes. So, I hope you all appreciate this. haha. Things are going great in Buea so far. Having Shirley here has been such a blessing. My normal daily routine is waking up at 6:15, showering (I am actually starting to enjoy my bucket showers, makes the mornings a little more interesting), attending a brief worship service at the Synod office, working, making dinner and having "orientation" (long, intelligent, wonderful chats) with Shirley. Working consists of me meeting everyone and starting to plan the program I am going to be implementing in Kumba. I'm excited, but getting really nervous. It's kind of a big deal planning a program, but I think I can handle it. It's only the beginning.
Buea is really, really beautiful and actually really cold! I have been wearing a sweater and a scarf everyday since getting here. I'm told to enjoy it now because the weather is much hotter in Kumba. I wake up every morning to Mt. Cameroon which is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, a camera just can't capture it, so it looks like you will have to come visit if you want to see this beautiful place. I attended my first Cameroonian church service yesterday at Shirley's home congregation. It was great, an incredible mix of liturgy and African traditions. Very cool. I was introduced as a guest and then everyone sang this welcome song to me and the other guests who were present. The verses were something like:
"We welcome you in the name of the Lord."
"We thank you in the name of the Lord."
"We love you in the name of the Lord."
I definitely felt welcome after that. Church was extremely energetic and it was really special to see so many people excited about worship. Ohhh, the food has been good so far. Shirley is trying to let me get use to it slowly. So, I have been eating home made yogurt that Shirley makes, spaghetti, chicken and chips (fries), and other delicious foods. Haven't been sick once which is a good sign. We are making homemade pizza tonight. Did I mention that I love her? I should probably be on my way because Shirley actually has some work to do and I am using the internet cord.
Oh by the way, I have decided to make the title of each of my posts either lyrics or the title of a song. Here is my little challenge to entice you to come back and read my updates. If you can give me the name of the singer/band of every post title I will give you $100. PSYCH. I will be really impressed though. These first three were easy so get ready. And another side note, the first time I heard "Ain't no mountain high enough" I was watching my mom work out to Richard Simmons' aerobics tape in our living room. Hilarious. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!
Buea is really, really beautiful and actually really cold! I have been wearing a sweater and a scarf everyday since getting here. I'm told to enjoy it now because the weather is much hotter in Kumba. I wake up every morning to Mt. Cameroon which is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, a camera just can't capture it, so it looks like you will have to come visit if you want to see this beautiful place. I attended my first Cameroonian church service yesterday at Shirley's home congregation. It was great, an incredible mix of liturgy and African traditions. Very cool. I was introduced as a guest and then everyone sang this welcome song to me and the other guests who were present. The verses were something like:
"We welcome you in the name of the Lord."
"We thank you in the name of the Lord."
"We love you in the name of the Lord."
I definitely felt welcome after that. Church was extremely energetic and it was really special to see so many people excited about worship. Ohhh, the food has been good so far. Shirley is trying to let me get use to it slowly. So, I have been eating home made yogurt that Shirley makes, spaghetti, chicken and chips (fries), and other delicious foods. Haven't been sick once which is a good sign. We are making homemade pizza tonight. Did I mention that I love her? I should probably be on my way because Shirley actually has some work to do and I am using the internet cord.
Oh by the way, I have decided to make the title of each of my posts either lyrics or the title of a song. Here is my little challenge to entice you to come back and read my updates. If you can give me the name of the singer/band of every post title I will give you $100. PSYCH. I will be really impressed though. These first three were easy so get ready. And another side note, the first time I heard "Ain't no mountain high enough" I was watching my mom work out to Richard Simmons' aerobics tape in our living room. Hilarious. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Hello I love you won't you tell me your name.
Well, I'm here. After a long car ride on some scary roads, Jeff Boyd and I made it safely to Shirley's. So, far I'm pretty much in love but I'm sure there will be many difficulties to come. I don't have much time and the internet is spotty. So, know that I am here, safe, and thinking of you all back home. Write if you get time. I will try to update more later this week.
Oh my cell phone number, 011-237-7705-9808, I think? I will check and change it later if that is incorrect.
Love to you all!
Megan
PS Took my first bath with a bucket and a cup today. Nice.
Oh my cell phone number, 011-237-7705-9808, I think? I will check and change it later if that is incorrect.
Love to you all!
Megan
PS Took my first bath with a bucket and a cup today. Nice.
Monday, August 18, 2008
I'm leaving on a jet plane.
Hello all!
My bags are packed (almost) and I'm ready to go, I think. So, as you know, I am heading to Kumba, Cameroon for ten months to do psychosocial support work with HIV/AIDS patients. I will be using this blog to keep my family, church family, and friends updated on the challenges and joys I experience while abroad. I leave this Wednesday at 2:00pm from the Twin Cities and should arrive in Douala, Cameroon at 5:00pm on Thursday. After that, I will be spending some time getting acquainted and traveling with Shirley Hill, a woman who has been doing work with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon who is from Westminster. At the end of September, Shirley and I will arrive in Kumba. She will help me get settled and then I will be on my own with the support of the staff at the Presbyterian Health Center, the members of Westminster's partner church in Kumba, and any other friends I make along the way. I wish you all well. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm not sure how often I will be able to update, but I will try to keep you informed. Keep me in your prayers.
Peace and Love,
Megan
My bags are packed (almost) and I'm ready to go, I think. So, as you know, I am heading to Kumba, Cameroon for ten months to do psychosocial support work with HIV/AIDS patients. I will be using this blog to keep my family, church family, and friends updated on the challenges and joys I experience while abroad. I leave this Wednesday at 2:00pm from the Twin Cities and should arrive in Douala, Cameroon at 5:00pm on Thursday. After that, I will be spending some time getting acquainted and traveling with Shirley Hill, a woman who has been doing work with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon who is from Westminster. At the end of September, Shirley and I will arrive in Kumba. She will help me get settled and then I will be on my own with the support of the staff at the Presbyterian Health Center, the members of Westminster's partner church in Kumba, and any other friends I make along the way. I wish you all well. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm not sure how often I will be able to update, but I will try to keep you informed. Keep me in your prayers.
Peace and Love,
Megan
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