Interests:Christ, my Sovereign Romancer and Father!! people, languages, dancing (ballroom - esp swing, tango, latin), cooking, chocolate, european culture, hospitality-ing, words and language, photography, wit, eating, deep talks, architecture, most music but country and "ladies' music", being out nowhere, golden retrievers, the Bible, birds, savoring a warm dusk, flowers, being sneaky, contentedness, cities, being thrifty, pizza, pretening i play piano, sunshine, havin a nice drink out with buddies, reading, spOntinAitY, not cliches, peoplewatching, singing, painting, linguistics, tossin a frisbee around, ulty, walking places, movies, gardens and gardening, heights, tennis, hugs, sincerity, um ... lists. Expertise:unworthiness, weakness, pride! being critical/doubtful.
procrastinating. Occupation:Other Industry:Education/Research
Currently 10 Pebbles By Kostia my brother playing several of his pieces on the piano. yeah TIM! see related
I made nectarine salsa and yogurt yesterday. I don't know if the yogurt turned out, cuz i didn't have a consistent way of keeping it warm. I read up today; crockpot!
~really cheap: a gallon of milk verses 3-4 containers of $2-3 yogurt! ~really healthy: you know exactly what's in it, unlike a lot of store-bought yogurts. ~homemade! ~yogurt has bacteria that's good for you! ~cheap way to make smoothies smoother, as a substitute for milk in baking, great mixed with cut up fruit and coconut/nuts/dryoatmeal/chocchips.
There's a really detailed description of how to make yogurt HERE. (seems like a ton, but she's just SUPER detailed.)
I guess this means I'm in realtime now, huh? I've wanted to post my thoughts on this book for a couple weeks.
SOUL VIRGINS by Doug Rosenau and Michael Todd Wilson
As much as I was not in a mood open to listening to this kind of book, it and Jesus made me listen. It's a good book, more open and stronger than most Christian books these days addressing singlehood/relationships. Doug and Michael Todd actually addressed love vs eros, and what godly singles are to do with these things. It's daring of a book, I say. Read it yourself - if not the whole book, chapters 6, 9, and 16. A great theme of the book is keeping a clear view of the greater intimacy we need with God. But oh my, it's not so surfacy like that statement makes it seem. Author Paula Rinehart: "The pain of unmet desire can actually enlarge our hearts. The more we let ourselves long for life, though it brings the ache of incompleteness, the more we are actually able to savor the joys that come our way.
Moving on: chapter 16, on special blessings to singles. Yes, who isn't resentful of their seemingly steady position of singleness at times?! But this book made me remember to try to appreciate those things. Notice I didn't say "this book made me appreciate those things." I am such a work in progress and gracefully have miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep!
"Enjoying the 'Cookies' of Singlehood," taken from this book. Please feel free to add some! ~~You can get up/go to bed as early/late as you decide. For me that means when it's late and everyone else goes their separate ways, I might go make tea and grab a book. ~~You can get up and go, or leave a place, or turn your schedule on a dime. I'm not talking about responsibilities like work or church stuff, but all that making sure your plans are cleared with others. In the last year I've started just wandering off from parties or group settings and having wonderful peaceful walks. ~~On a larger scale, my year-long plans are also becoming accustomed to turning on a dime. I'll be at grad school this January, right? Yeah, or teaching, or working, or or or... I mean, I just went to Africa, because I could! Singles have that freedom! ~~You can invest extra time in new adventures and hobbies. I love cooking, and walking, and hiking, and gardening, and reading, and then going new places and trying new things! Yes, of course couples can do these things too, but it's harder to make 2 schedules align than doing these things whenever you have extra time! ~~You have more financial freedom -- you can spend or be stingy when you feel it's right or not. You can make sacrifices to save for different things without ~~You have more freedom in different relationships. I have occasional dinner/coffee dates with one of my male, non-Christian, cook friends from EC. I would never date him, but he's a good friend, and I have the freedom to catch up with him now and then without thinking about what a significant other or outsiders might think! I can have special relationships with aunts/uncles or older adults at church because they don't worry about where my s.other is or what I might be saying about them to him later. Does that make sense?
I know this blog wasn't so well written; I didn't know how to organize it or phrase it. And yes, I'm being positive. So don't go wrecking it. :)
(In a story about a single whose siblings avoided grandma's cookies because they were married and were busy or watching their diet closely...) "The cookies were all hers, and [she] would savor them one by one. They were little treasures which could so easily have been neglected but in which she took the simplest delight."
Here are the rest of my emails from Cote d'Ivoire, but a little outdated. Mostly for myself to look back later, but you're welcome to read, of course. First two letters were my two most recent blogs.
*********************AFRICA 3*********************** JUNE 19 Tchong-gw’anay, everyone!Good afternoon!
So English lessons started!Monday was a bit of a rough day, an English class taking place kind of last minute, and the students not being very respectful (thus “no, I will not go out with you.”)
TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY all day are for two pastors who desperately want to learn English to be able to read Bible commentary.They learn pretty fast, and they are so motivated teaching is long but enjoyable!The “your wife is beautiful…” was to put things on the right foot.Yes, they’re pastors, and yes they love their wives.But just to be clear.
THURSDAY and FRIDAY mornings were the morning class for the bacc students, and Thursday afternoon another random class of teenagers who want English.Le Bacc students are taking their Baccalaurett (I do not know how to spell that, bah.) June 30, so want to quick get a grasp of English, for their oral English test within the Bacc!Good luck, kiddos.
NEXT WEEK I will be teaching the l’Bacc students M, W,R, F9-12, the pastors all day T and W, and a doctor from the hospital slightly into the evening on T and W.I hope to visit a couple schools Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon, we’ll see.I’m interested in studying HOW they teach here, and especially for English.Again, it’s mostly rote.I really hope this method with my students will make a difference!It feels like it will.
After next week, for all of JULY, I want to have a kids class (although they don’t start English in schools until 6-7th grade I’d love to give them the chance to start), a class for teens, and keep going with the pastors/adults.Classes will all be a couple hours, so I’ll be busy.By “class,” please do not picture a classroom.Hah!Um, picture the Bacc students sitting close at a big table in a rough office, and picture the kiddies maybe in the shade on a few mats in the mission compound.We don’t know yet.
Foods.Like I said, a kind of starch with a sauce on top, usually a little bit of meat in the sauce.One of the common sauces tastes just like cat food smells, and usually has huge rubbery pieces of big fish skin in it.I try to serve myself, and I’m trying to train Doudou to let me serve myself, but being as polite as possible.Some foods are pretty cool, like “Alokko” – fried plantains sometimes with a little sugar, or Foutou (“footoo”), kind of like a dumpling made of ngyam (like potato) and banana, all smashed smoothly together.It’s good.They use lots of cucumber, tomato, piment (hot peppers, on the SIDE J) and onion.I’m learning to eat 6” fish, everything but the head and tail and bones – but they eat the little bones!
There are lots of hardships lately for people around here, like the very DRY weather we’ve been having, things (like whole supplies of rice or fertilizer) getting stolen.A particularly hard one is for a pastor who lives in a nearby village… He’s the only Christian in the village, and 3 of his kids died quite suddenly last week several days in a row.The hospital didn’t know what it was, and they died so fast.BUT.The whole village is very against this man coming to Christ, and not even his wife is a believer.He spent EVERYTHING on trying to save his kids, and it wasn’t much to start out.They literally have nothing, like 1 meal left.Please please pray for him to be strong amidst this!!!!!!!
Today, THOUGH the day woke humid and blue-skied as normal, a storm FINALLY came!!Everyone is very happy there was at least some rain!Most people have some size of a farm, even if a little bit away.Today is WONDERFULLY cool and all the Africans are cold.Haha.It’s 80 degrees right now.
Sorry no pictures yet!My camera is ½ broken and internet is a bit of a hassle!They’re coming!
Ok, I really need to head home.
Love!!!! Carrie
p.s. we’re getting one more teammate tonight, and we’ll come back to the base and meet her tomorrow!Hillary.She’s into the music scene, so she’s coming to help with that.More on the music workshops later – which are going very well .
*********************AFRICA 4*********************** JUNE 28
M’ma sierrio, everyone!Hello!
I was sick last weekend, Sat-Monday.I was happy to miss a day of class, be forced to relax, and I was happy to return to class on Tuesday.This is, afterall, the last week the Bac students have before their test!Some kind of intestinal thing, you know—I’d be one to get it, too.My host family has been SO kind toward me, especially Gnimeni, my host mom, who came out to the mission on Sat night to check on me!
Rain here is a glorious, glorious thing.Linn told me before we came how our American songs about the sun coming out just don’t translate conceptually.“It’s gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiney day”?“Rain, rain, go away”?The children here will run and jump into the rain yet avoid the merciless sun.I feel my attitude change for the better when the sun comes out in the States, but here is visa versa.
Tim and Andy, I think of you guys all the time when I see these many geckos.
We have a new teammate as of 6/19!Hillary is another mid-20’s and teaches music at an MK (missionary kid = international) school in Bamako, Mali (a bit northwest of here).She’ll be helping with the music workshops, and is a fun addition to the team!
THIS weekend was busy!Saturday morning I went to a ceremony to be there for my little brother, Oattara Douyire Betsalel, or “Bessa.”He got overall 2nd place in his class, so he got a special prize, but none of the family could go at that time.I was honored to be there for him, and I think he was showing me off a bit, too.Aww. We walked home together with Mari (his sister) and after eating a bit I headed to the wedding, but since I was late, hung out outside.The rest of my team was there, and we were invited to the bride’s father’s courtyard.It was really crowded, but so much fun!Lots and lots of people, and great music, which we ladies danced to!It’s so different, oh man.Being honored guests, we were also invited to a nearby courtyard to eat, then went back and said goodbye before leaving for the night. TODAY I went to the village church that Glenn and Linn are a part of, and it was interesting to 1) drive out there and 2) see village life a bit!It made living in Ferke seem loud and busy.Melissa and I might stay overnight in the village… we’ll see.
Soooo… THIS Wednesday we start the new round of classes.I’ll have 2 kids groups and an upper teens group on MWF, pastors on Tuesdays, and a couple other tutoring times.Here we go!
A fun tidbit: there’s quite a formulaic greeting in Nyarafolo culture.(This is the norm!)Translated, it goes like this: ”Did you get up.” ”yes, I got up, how is the courtyard?” ”It’s there.” ”And how are the children?” ”There’re there.”(in our case: “I don’t have children”) ”And how is your husband/wife?” ”He/she’s there.”(in our case, “I’m not yet married”)
Then you ask for “the news,” and that’s where you both expound on life lately.Unless there’s an emergency, then you ignore the whole thing, of course.
I’m off for a nap before Melissa comes so we can lesson plan! J
Much love! Carrie “Kady”
*********************AFRICA 5*********************** JULY 17
Hello, Dear Family and Friends!
Well, internet has been down for a couple weeks, and since I’ve been so busy I haven’t even tried writing! Here’s the last couple weeks:
I think last time I wrote I had malaria? It was a mild case, and the medication worked within the day I took it, that 3rd day. The meds give you a ringing in the ears/cloudy head, but other than that, recovery was basically immediate *smile*
I am very much in a routine with my students now: MWF mornings I have about 25 younger students (9-13 years old), 8:30-11. We usually meet on the mats outside under the bamboo patch in the Boese’s compound. I change the activities around as much as needed to keep their attention, and our lessons are kind of content units, like colors, numbers, family members. Lemme tell ya, teaching low-beginner English in French (um, I do not speak French) is a challenge. Keeping them in control is quite. a. challenge. I do enjoy teaching them, and all those little “get it” moments they show me. MWF afternoons Melissa and I teach 15-20 teenagers, also beginner-level English. We still do games and activities, but go into examples for grammar much more, organizing classes by grammar concepts. They’re getting it, and it’s fun to get to know them. Tuesdays I still teach a pastor most of the day, then have a tutoring session Tuesday and Thursday early evenings.
The music workshops that the other 2 interns are doing are basically done now, except for practicing and recording. The formula they have for song gathering is really neat, and depends on the culture you’re in to provide the songs. They discussed Genesis (the part of the Bible that is translated into Nyarafolo right now) in depth, writing songs during that for a few weeks, then refined all the songs they made. The Nyarafolo group collected 34 songs (and will record 27), and the French group 16! There’ve been many problems with the recording equipment until now, but as of today, everything is ready to go, and the groups will start recording tomorrow! This is a thank you to God for getting this all worked out – a surprising amount of things had been going wrong!
A prayer request: my host father Doudou had a motorcycle accident on Tuesday, and though we are very thankful he happened to be wearing his helmet, his left knee was quite smashed and will require surgery in the next couples days and months of recuperation! He is normally quite a busy guy—part of the translation team and ergo one of the leaders in the song workshop and recording, and working his farm, not to mention being the head of the now 9-person household and pastoring sometimes on Sundays! Please pray for him to let go of all those things and trust that God will take care of them. It’s neat to see my family coming around him and supporting him. We 4 interns visited and sang him a song yesterday, he’s getting lots of visits at the hospital, and the younger kids and I will make cards tonight and cookies at Linn’s tomorrow for him.
The weather has cooled down a bit! Ok, today was hot, but it’s been 80-90 lately, and raining a bit more often. The green grows so fast when it rains! Please continue to pray for rain.
I can’t believe we only have 1.5 weeks left! I’m pretty sure I’ll miss my host family the most of anything here. And the people I’ve gotten to know through the church family here, and students, and Glenn/Linn/fellow interns. We feel the time flying by because there’s lots to do still before we go. I’m staying overnight in the village this coming Sunday, then a group of people are going to Doudou’s farm to help weed because of his injury, and Linn is going to demonstrate the translation process here for an afternoon.
I will probably write you next from Abidjan in 1.5 weeks! With love, Carrie “Kady”
*********************AFRICA 6*********************** AUGUST 3
Dear Friends and Family,
I can’t believe I’m flying out tonight!The last week in Ferkessedougou went really fast with all the last minute wrapping up, goodbyes to people in several realms we had gotten to know, and precious last evenings with our host families.
Classes basically ended on Friday the 24th, but I had a bit of a party for my younger class on Monday morning.We’re all really going to miss our new friends and family here, but closure has been pretty smooth for having so many goodbyes.Some of the older students were sad to see us finish Friday classes, and a few gave us a drawing they had done or a little note.The students I had tutored said their formal goodbyes and thank yous, too, and I felt unworthy of their gratitude!Sometimes this summer I had just barely been hanging on to sanity, with students’ and classes’ needs changing, irregular participation, and occasional sickness on my part.
The last night I was with my family, the power was out again, which I didn’t mind at all, having a cozy dinner with Doudou and Gnimeni (host parents) and Fere (or “Tanti” as she’s called; Gnimeni’s sister).After dinner we had family devotions, then sang some songs (in Nyarafolo, French, English, Jula, and Cebaara!).My little siblings Mari, Eva and Bessa even got up and danced Nyarafolo style a little bit, and I discovered what a beautifully African singing voice my sister Nohomie has!Then some of my family members went around and said thank you to me, and I to each of them.But I insisted on doing my thank yous to my family members in English and having Doudou translate, because I wanted to make sure I got across exactly what I wanted to say!They had also given me a few gifts, such as a mancala-like game, a couple goodbye cards, a couple bracelets, and even ANOTHER “complet” (the African outfit, made just for me!)It was hard to say goodbye the next morning, but it was super early, so we knew goodbyes would be short.
On Wednesday, we hit the road right away, stopping quickly in Korhogo, then in Yamoussoukro for lunch and a tour of the HUGE Catholic basilica!We got into Abidjan around dinner time and settled into the missionary guest house.It’s SO perfectly cool down here, especially compared to our very hot and humid arrival 2 months ago!Thursday through Saturday we 6 went to a hotel on the beach on the outskirts of Abidjan for some debriefing and unwinding time.Good food and comfort we were not used to, coming from the northern city of Ferke!We had plenty of reading, talking, praying, dancing, walking, playing, and swimming (though not in the ocean because of undertow).Again, it was good closure for us to say goodbye to each other and to talk about all the cultural ups and downs in the last couple months.
We’re back at the guest house, and sent Hilary off this morning, then Melissa tonight, to catch her plane.It feels like it’s time to go, and I’m looking forward to seeing many of you people when I get home!
Please pray that we’d process well as we head our separate directions, but not forget new perspectives and lessons we’ve learned as we jump back into American culture.And for safety, because the 6 of us have so many miles and layovers before we’re back to normal places.Also, I’ve been semi-sick for 3 weeks now, with a fever now and then, and aches in my limbs most of the time.I had a blood test done a couple weeks ago but nothing was telling, so I’m waiting to get home and check it out.
I promise to get pictures up when I get home! I'll send out that link again with a last email.
http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"> name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11">
Hello everyone!
I am getting comfortable in Ferke, Cote d’Ivoire.Being here still feels kind of crazy!We spent 1.5 days in the big city of Abidjan (4 million!) before the drive up to Ferkessedougou.I was dropped off with my new family Friday night to settle in.We all went to a wedding the next day (town hall part = 2 hrs, church part 4!) and then spent the rest of Sat and Sun with our families.All that time really threw us into the culture!
The family I’m living with has 2 kids (boy 9, girl 11) and 2 female relatives living with them, who are about my age.I have my own little room, which is starting to feel like mine.Every house has a courtyard, which is basically part of your house.Our house has about 6 rooms total.There’s a big porch outside, then a few more rooms (or rather, nooks) on the side of the courtyard, for cooking, washing, bathing.Everything is made of cement, but our house’s walls are bright blue and aqua :)
Getting used to family life here is really interesting!!!This is a Christian home, so in terms of family relations, the father treats the mother kindly, loves and talks to the kids, etc.There are still very distinct roles though – the father is always served, the mother does the cooking, and the children always set/clear the table, etc.Life is harder but much more chill, in this “non-crisis society,” meaning they don’t really prepare for the future (even tomorrow!) like we do.
We are also getting used to the African feel of life.Most people walk everywhere (of course women carry lots on their heads), and they feel free to stare at us a bit.Time is pretty relative, so that meetings can start an hour “late” etc.M-F I’m now at the translation office, which is pretty lax right now, as we figure out what we’re doing.For now I’m planning out what kind of study I might do on my own, looking over Nyarafolo grammar, etc.As a team (Linn and we 3 interns) we spend some time learning Nyarafolo, (a COMPLEX tonal language with 5 grammatical genders and way many pronouns and determiners, to put it lightly), and doing a little more cultural orientation discussions.I walk to work and back each day, but sometimes Doudou (the father in my family) give me a motorcycle ride in the heat and sun.
A highlight for me so far was a Bible study time we had this morning with the office staff (7 of us total) about Mark 11 stuff: the fig tree thing, and praying without doubt.(Sound familiar, anyone!!??)It was bilingual and neat to fellowship with these new people!
As for FRENCH, an exciting thing for me today was that during lunch (everyone goes home for lunch, a 2 hour siesta), I was in on the conversation almost all lunch!I can BARELY get across what I want with my limited French (and they speak African French here) but am learning fast!Mon pere (my dad) speaks English decently, but basically doesn’t use it unless I’m getting confused and frustrated.I’m glad we speak almost all French.
The food is pretty good, and typical African, i guess.(a plate-bowl of a starch (lots of things like rice or couscous, with a sauce on top.Meat is a delicacy and the children know they come last in terms of getting meat in their meal at all – that’s another thing, how the children behave so well – more later!).I am always served with the father, as the honored guest, which is draining on me personally, but i’m geting used to it and will get to learn in the kitchen, too :)I’ve tried a few new things.:)
It’s not hot as other places, but I feel nice and COOL right now (I’m in Linn’s house, right by the office) and it’s ... 88 F.It’s HUMID, too.And storms are WONDERFUL sudden and super welcome, fun to watch.They kill the humidity for ... 1-2 hours.I’m basically always warm or hot, always somewhat sweaty, but it’s totally the culture! It never bothers anyone, if they even noticed, because no one can escape it! ;) I AM getting used to it, which surprises me. I sleep with a god-given electric fan on for an hour.
Um, bugs aren’t too nasty.Take that very literally.Really not horrible, but present!I love the salamanders that run around, and my family thinks I’m crazy and they LAUGH and LAUGH that i’ll catch those but freak out when flying termites come to the light over our dinner on the porch.
There’s SO much to say, ahh!!I’m getting along well with the family! The kids are cute and are learning how to communicate with me, and are helping me with French!I love the mom so much; she is SUCH A SWEETHEART!!!!!Doudou the dad is really awesome, too.
I need to get back to “work.”
Sorry, I don’t have my camera with me right now, otherwise i could send pictures!Soon!
Much love, keep praying, it’s really cool! Carrie(Kady here!“kah-dee”)because they don’t have our “r”
p.s.congrats on your marriage, Lindsay & Nick, and Doug & Mary!!!Thinking of you!!
