Adventures in Mexico!

DRIME San Diego was part of an outreach event in Tijuana Mexico on Oct. 30th. The outreach event was put on by a network of churches and ministries in Tijuana. It consisted of carnival game activities for the kids, free lunch, doctors and dentists providing free care, music, drama, preaching and giving away bags of food.

We arrived later than we expected to because we got a little lost along the way but by the time we got there the morning rain had finally stopped. The rain had put some activities on hold as the sound system they were hoping to use for the music, dramas and preaching was not able to be used. With the sound system we brought for our dramas they were able to start up the program! There was lots of dramas, music and preaching in the afternoon and the funny thing is, the majority of what I did that day was work the sound machine! The night before this event I was praying that God would use us tomorrow as He saw fit….and He did – just in different ways then I had expected…which is usually how it works with God!

The team kept busy by helping the doctors set up for taking patients, performing the dramas and speaking to the crowd about the dramas. The team of youth, from a local Mexican church, who I had trained the week before in a few DRIME dramas came to minister with us. It warmed my heart to see them sharing their faith with their neighbours through the dramas.

The enemy tried SO hard to stop the Gospel from going out that day but God prevailed because 45 people gave their life to the Lord that afternoon!! Praise God! The new believers are being followed up with and discipled by the local churches that were present at the event.

The day was nothing like I expected but much more than I had hoped! It’s so exciting to be part of God’s work.

This is the DRIME team with some of the doctors from the Outreach.

Here we are doing a drama....and the lovely sounds system I worked all day :)

This is the group of youth I trained performing one of the dramas.

These are the people who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!

My Life in Pictures

I was part of a little skit at my church one Sunday morning! We had fun!

Here are some of the DRIME San Diego team members :D

It's Halloween time at the Boldt house!

Here's Logan the Pirate, Maisey as Belle and Avery as Snow White!!
[I got to do their makeup - it was so much fun!]

Here I am training the drama "It's My Life" to a group of youth in Tijuana!

More training....teaching the person playing the role of Jesus how to be lowered.

The wonderful group of youth I got to work with!

It's so fun watching them perform the whole drama after a few hours of training!

Bet you can't guess what this is!
This is the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. Pretty cool, eh?

Hola!

Hi Friends! I haven’t been able to post an update for a long time because for some reason it would not let me! I kept checking and trying but it hasn't been working this past month. Its working again now so hopefully there will be regular posts again!

I’ve had the privilege of going to Tijuana Mexico a few times since being here. The first time I went with a friend to spend the afternoon playing with kids at an orphanage. I also went twice this past week because I was training a group of Mexican youth at a local church in some of the DRIME dramas. On the 30th there is a large outreach event happening in Tijuana which DRIME has been invited to minister at. The DRIME San Diego team will be doing ministry and this group of youth will be joining us!

I thoroughly enjoyed the hours I spent training the youth in the dramas! None of them spoke English so I had two friends come to translate for me! I can’t describe the joy it brought me to be training people who don’t speak English! It reminded me of my time in Benin, which brought part of the excitement but there is something about passing on this tool across language barriers that is exhilarating for me! It adds an element of challenge to the process of training the dramas, which I find enjoyable. Because of the extra challenge there is an even bigger sense of accomplishment at the end when the team has learned the dramas! It just brings me so much joy and excitement - because now this group of youth have another tool they can use to share the Gospel with their friends, families and neighbours.

I also love trying to learn a new language! I’m torn between continuing to work on my French or trying to learn Spanish. From the drama training I learned how to count to 8 in Spanish – a very helpful thing when training – as well as a few other words. I love it when the youth giggle at me because I’ve said the wrong word – or I’ve said the right word but it just sounds funny because I have no Spanish accent! I’ve discovered that trying to speak a language you don't know is a way to bond with people who don’t speak English.

Speaking of people giggling at me…apparently we Canadians do have a pronounced accent. I did not realize this before - but people like to smile and sometimes outright laugh whenever I say ‘out’ or ‘about.’ I don’t hear any difference in how I say it and they say it but apparently there is one. People also giggle at me when I say I’m going to use the washroom. There are no washrooms here….just bathrooms and restrooms. I don’t know why by washroom is always the first word that comes to mind for me!

Well – that’s all for today folks! Hope you enjoyed this peak into my life here in San Diego! If you think of it, please pray for DRIME San Diego as we are ministering in Mexico this Saturday the 30th as well as ministering on Sunday the 31st at ‘Fall Fest’ - a community outreach my church is putting on.

If you are interested in receiving my newsletter which comes out every 2 months please send me your email address [janna@drime.com] and I’ll make sure you get it! It has different stories and info in it from what I put in my blog posts!

A SUNDAY ADVENTURE

INCREDIBLE, RIGHT?

I just had the most incredible day today! I was able to experience the baptism of someone who has made the decision to follow Christ. This young man, we’ll call him Fred [since it is not safe for me to mention his real name], grew up with a Muslim family in a Muslim country. He came to Canada last year for a conference where he ran into our DRIME team doing ministry in Vancouver. He is a very intellectual man and got into a deep conversation with Tanya [the Director of DRIME]. At Tanya’s invitation he came to church with her and some friends the following day. He ended up going to church with them for the remaining Sundays he was in Canada for. They had lots of good conversations about Jesus but Fred left Canada without making a decision.

Last week Tanya received a call from Fred who told her about how his life has changed since they met. Over the past year he began to open up his heart to God; he began to read the Bible from his heart, rather than from his mind. God was at work in his heart and Fred came to the place where he desired to be in a relationship with Jesus! He has desired to be baptized for some time now, but had to wait until he came to the USA, since outwardly converting to Christianity in a Muslim country results in death.

I drove to LA this morning so I could be part of his baptism – and what a blessing it was to be there! The joy that radiated from his smile was infectious and hearing about his journey with Jesus was inspiring! He was SO excited to FINALLY be baptized, despite the risk this presents to his safety and that of his family. He said this during the service:

"I was blessed being born to a family with great hearts, they gave me a name which means the one who seeks and probes to find the truth, I am so happy that I finally found the Truth and finally got what I really wanted. Even though my life is at risk, they cannot take away my soul as I have dedicated my soul to Jesus, my Lord."

Incredible, right?!?!

MY THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS

This has reminded me of how lightly I take baptism; how ‘normal’ it is to me. I suppose growing up surrounded by Christianity does that to a person. But I don’t want it to be ‘normal’ anymore because it shouldn’t be. Following Jesus outwardly should be a risk for all of us. I think I have become too complacent; I subconsciously try too hard to fit in with society and do as ‘they’ say. I think if I were to really live the kind of life Jesus calls me to live my life would look a little different. I think it probably starts with straightening out my priorities and putting God first in every area of my life...something that is much easier said than done. The baptism of my new friend Fred has reminded me that I am called to a higher purpose because I am following Jesus, even if it means risking looking different from the societal norm.

I don’t know if that all makes sense to you but I thought I’d share what’s going on in my heart because it has been inspiring for me. I hope you can glean something from it too! Today has also encouraged me because it reminded me that God is touching and transforming lives of people through the DRIME ministry, not only in Benin but also in North America!!

Here, There and Everywhere

BENIN:

What a whirlwind! It’s been 36 days since I’ve been home from Benin and it’s still hard to believe it!

So much has happened which makes it feel like I never left Canada – yet my experiences in Benin are so real to me and I know that I am a different person than I was 6 months ago. How can that be? It must be because of amazing experiences that I have had which have shaped my thinking and my lifestyle.

Here we are sporting our traditional Beninese outfits!
We wore them to church our last Sunday there and people just loved it!

I can’t describe how hard it was to leave Benin – saying goodbye to friends I’d made; friends who had been my life for the last 5 months, friends who I had made despite a language barrier, friends who I know I will not see for a long time. As exciting as it is to know that we worked ourselves out of a job in Benin and to know that DRIME Benin is in very capable hands, ready to be lead by a local leadership team – it was still hard to leave.

Our last time with the DRIME Benin team!
They gave us each a gift - a traditional Beninese outfit!

Our last few weeks in Benin were very full but we were able to accomplish everything that needed to be done. We had a mini leadership retreat with our leaders on the last weekend – and it was wonderful. We did some planning and goal setting for the upcoming DRIME year and also treated our leaders to an afternoon of swimming at one of the local hotel pools—so fun!
We have heard such encouraging things from DRIME Benin since we returned to Canada. Thirty-eight people gave their lives to the Lord in the first two weeks after we left! The leaders have continued to meet once a week and the team has continued to have practice and do ministry once a week as well. DRIME Benin has an Advisory Council which has been confirmed and solidified and has met once already since we left. The DRIME Benin Advisory Council is made up of 8 people who give guidance and advice to our leaders when needed. The Advisory Council members consist of Pastors, business men, members of other Christian organizations and church elders.

Our last meeting with our beloved leaders! Abby painted them a little goodbye gift!

In a nut shell – Benin was AWESOME!!! I saw God work in incredible ways and grew through the many experiences and challenges. One of the many highlights for me was seeing how much our leaders have grown over the 5 months that we were there. Watching them grow in their relationship with God, develop in their leadership abilities and grow in their self-confidence was an absolute thrill for me.

ONTARIO:

When I left Benin on July 12th I flew right into Ontario because my brother was getting married three days later. The wedding was beautiful and enabled me to see a lot of friends and family all at once! My time in Ontario was filled with spending time with family and friends, unpacking and repacking, helping with wedding preparations and camping with my family! Time went by quickly and soon I found myself boarding another plane on August 4th – which took me back to Langley.

My family!

Me, my little brother and my new sister-in-law!!!

BRITISH COLUMBIA:

I thought my time in Ontario flew by quickly – but the last two weeks here in BC have simply disappeared! I have been spending my time catching up with friends and working on many different tasks—I have been wrapping up details from my 5 months in Benin as well as preparing for what is coming next – because soon [August 23rd] I will be boarding another plane [or perhaps driving my car] for San Diego, California!

SAN DIEGO:

As you may recall, last fall I went down to San Diego with Jennie Wiley to help start a DRIME Base. Jennie is currently in Paraguay planting another DRIME Base which leaves the San Diego Base without a leader for this next year. So, DRIME has asked me to be the team leader for DRIME San Diego for the school year [8-9 months]! While I am there I will be finding and training a local leadership team – [just like I did in Benin] so that when I leave next spring they are ready to lead on their own!

I am very excited about this opportunity! I loved my time in San Diego last fall so I am excited to go back and re-connect with people. I am also very excited because I am blessed with the opportunity to keep doing what I love! If you haven’t noticed – I have absolutely LOVED the process of establishing a DRIME Base in Benin and that is essentially what I will be doing again in San Diego!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Finances: Please pray that the remaining monthly support I need will come in. I am in need of $2,000 more in monthly support, and these finances will help me as I live and lead in California.

• Transportation: When I am in San Diego I will need a vehicle to get around. I was planning on driving my car down but it has been having some transmission problems. Please pray for the finances and wisdom to deal with this situation.

• DRIME San Diego: Pray for me as the first month and a half I am in San Diego I will be busy promoting the ministry and recruiting for the team. Pray for people to be interested in joining and for opportunities to share at different churches and schools.

• DRIME Benin: Pray for our four leaders as they lead the ministry on their own and for the team as they continue to minister each Sunday.

• Healthy Transitions: Please pray for me as I have been experiencing so many opposing emotions: I am sad to have left Benin, but happy to see friends and family and excited to go to San Diego. Pray that the lessons I have learned in Benin will stay with me and my life here will look different because of it.

• Strength: Please pray that God would give me his strength and perseverance each and every day as there is always much to do and not much time to do it in.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! This work could not be done without your help, and I am so blessed to have such a fabulous team of people supporting me.

Looking forward to updating you about what God is doing in San Diego!

The Last Days…..

Well friends, this is the last blog update I’m going to be writing from Benin! I can’t believe it is actually that time – how has it been 5 months already?!?! I am planning on continuing this blog when I’m back in Canada – to keep you updated on my ministry with DRIME. I probably won’t be writing quite as frequently, but I’ll still be keeping you in the loop – so keep checking it, okay?

The past week has been full of last minute preparations for our departure – preparing both ourselves and our leaders! Jamie has been doing a lot of translating [you’re awesome Jamie!!] and we’ve been doing a lot thinking and planning about next steps for DRIME Benin once we leave. We had our last official leaders meeting last night [sad!] and all that is left is a 2-day retreat we are having with them this weekend. We are going to give the leaders time to plan out the next DRIME year and dream about where they want to see the DRIME team. We are also going to treat them to a day at the pool – to let them know how much we appreciate them and all that they have done and will do for the ministry! It’s going to be a good weekend!

On Tuesday we had the privilege of going to Oussa village with a GAiN team that is here from Canada and the US. The drill team had just finished digging the well this village so they were doing a dedication ceremony for it. This was the first time GAiN had been to this village to do ministry – so it was very exciting! We ended up doing our ministry right outside the voodoo temple, which was quite interesting. Besides for problems with the generator everything went well. Around 30 people gave their life to the Lord that day!! I can’t wait to see where this village will be in 3 years – hopefully they will have their own church by then!

We had a time of prayer for anyone who wanted healing. Alphonse and one of the Pastor’s from the GAiN team were praying for this lady who could not have children and really wanted them. While they were praying she started crying and shaking. At the end Alphonse asked her what she felt when they prayed. She said that she couldn’t feel her legs, it felt like she was floating; and she felt something like a tunic come out and off of her! She said she felt different, felt lighter. The Pastor told her what God was telling him – God was saying that this was her year to have a baby – if she really believed that God has healed her, she will have a baby. Isn’t that incredible!!! Wow! God did a lot of work in that village on Tuesday – I am honoured to have been a part of it. Praise the Lord!

Prayer Requests:

I’d love your prayers for this weekend – that it would be refreshing and rejuvenating for the leaders – they have been so busy in the last few months so we hope that this weekend will allow them to relax and feel appreciated!

If you could also pray for us on Sunday as the DRIME Benin team is having practice and ministry in the afternoon/evening. Last week we did ministry at the beach and we easily had 200 people watching! I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes! Pray that God would be moving in people’s hearts already so that on Sunday people can experience the freedom of Christ in their lives!

Please pray for Abby, Jamie and I as we are getting ready for our departure. We all have mixed emotions of excitement to see family and friends as well as sadness because we have to leave our family and friends here. Pray for our leaders as well as this will be a big transition for them also.

Pray for our safety as we travel on Monday and Tuesday. Jamie and Abby will be flying to Vancouver and I will be flying to Toronto for my brothers wedding!

HAPPY CANADA DAY FROM BENIN!

Don't worry, we're celebrating Canada Day here in Benin too!!

Well friends, the count down is on – 12 more days until we leave – CRAZY!!! How does time go so fast? I have been asking myself that question a lot lately and I still don’t have the answer! In some ways it feels like I have been here a lifetime, yet at the same time I feel like I just arrived! How does time do that? I’m trying to soak up as much of Benin as I can while I’m still here – trying to enjoy every minute. But why is it that you are always busiest right before you have to leave? It makes it really difficult to enjoy your time and get everything done! I seem to be saying goodbye and hello to people a lot in my life - I know, that’s the price I pay for travelling the world – but I hoped that it would get easier with time, but it doesn’t. And the ironic thing is that even though goodbyes are hard, even though I keep leaving my heart in different cities around the world – I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. Funny how that works. Speaking of experiences, let me tell you about......

A DAY AT THE ZOO
Last Friday we found out there is a zoo here in Cotonou – so we went to check it out – we wanted to see some “cool” African animals before we left – the only animals we have seen in the last 5 months have been, dogs, a few cats, tons of chickens, lots of goats, too many cockroaches to count and lizards, gecko’s, and even more lizards and gecko’s!

We arrived at the zoo full of expectation and excitement and left feeling a little sad and disappointed. The official name of the zoo is The Mini Zoo of Cotonou. But really it should be called The Hobby Farm of Cotonou. It was small – you could see from one end to the other no problem. And the animals, well they were either roaming free, tied to a tree, kept in empty freezers, or in cages so small they couldn’t do more than turn around. We saw 2 baboons, 2 other monkeys [not sure what kind], a baby monkey [again, don’t know what kind] alligators, crocodiles, turtles, pythons, a stork, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, guinea pigs [we think], fish, a cat, some sort of lizard, dragon thing, 2 birds [I think one was just a pigeon], an eagle [with a dead goat carcass in it’s cage – it just ate apparently], a stork and I think that’s about it. Oh, and did I mention that it really stunk?? I don’t think they ever change the water or clean out their cages, or in some case freezers.

The highlight for me was the turtles and the baby monkey! I’ve always wanted a pet monkey – and this just made me want it more! And turtles are really cute! Oh and the snakes, I held pythons again!

HELLO NIGERIA!

Hello again! It seems I am getting worse at keeping my blog updated! Sorry about that! For those of you who have read Abby’s and Jamie’s Blogs this will be old news for you – but for those of you who haven’t….well read on! I want to tell you about the crazy week we had the first week of June. Remember how I asked you to pray for us because we had a team from Nigeria coming for training for a couple days and then our own team had Bootcamp that weekend? Well it was a crazy week, but SO awesome! Let me tell you about it.

The Nigeria Team consisted of 11 high school students and 2 chaperones. They spent 3 days with us, learning 5 different dramas and how to use them for evangelism. The days were long and full but very enjoyable. Let me tell you a few of my highlights:

HIGHLIGHT #1: I was able to train the dramas in English again! What a nice break that was! It was refreshing to be able to use my English again!

In case you can't tell what I'm doing....I'm training the drama It's My Life! Check out the cool nametag....Abby made them - she's so artistic!!

HIGHLIGHT #2: Our leaders came each day to help with the training. This was their first experience with training a drama and it was so fun to watch them pass on what we have taught them!

HIGHLIGHT #3: The team was so kind and wonderful! It was fun working with high school students and seeing them catch the vision of DRIME and really become passionate about this tool! Also, their gratitude was so overwhelming. They gave us gifts on the last day and did not want to leave – they said they wanted to stay with us! They said that this was the best thing that has ever happened to them in their lives! It’s just so amazing how the simplest thing made such a big impact on their lives. Their response was so humbling because it really felt like we did nothing to deserve such thanks.

The Nigeria Team!!!

BOOTCAMP A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

We spent June 12th and 13th with the DRIME Benin team at their first ever Bootcamp! The weekend was full of drama training, evangelism training, prayer, games, food and ministry! There is SO much I could say, but I’ll try and keep it to a few highlights. I apologize in advance if I get long-winded!!

Highlight #1: Becoming a DRIME Family

It was such a blessing to watch the team and the leaders get to know each other and interact! There were 24 members who showed up for Bootcamp [6 of them couldn’t make it] and when they got going, boy was it LOUD!!! [Plus we were in a building made of cement so the sound echoes like crazy!] We’d spend time playing some fun team-building activities – and the members would get SO into it! They are such a fun group! They left Bootcamp more excited and passionate about this ministry than I had prayed for! Just before leaving Sunday evening Aldo, one of the members shared this with the group: “I have never experienced such joy or felt such a sense of family than I have in these last two days!” It was so encouraging to hear this! I had been praying for this to happen within the team and I never imagined it happening so soon! Praise the Lord!

Highlight #2: Watching our leaders LEAD!!

I loved watching our leaders lead their team for the first time! It was fun watching them train the dramas to their team, joke around with each other, lead their team in prayer and worship and lead the time of ministry! This was the first time our leaders were on their own and we were only there to be their assistants! We followed their lead instead of them following ours! They did an awesome job and I am so proud of them! I definitely had some “proud parent” moments!


Highlight #3: Ministry with the team!

Sunday afternoon we did a few hours of ministry beside this church in an open lot. The new members did a great job performing the dramas they just learned and our leaders did an awesome job of leading! Also, it had been pouring rain for the majority of the day but God stopped the rain for us so we could do ministry!! I was blown away by the courage and boldness of the team members. As soon as we started the first drama set members walked out to people who had gathered to watch and began talking with them! They would even cross the street to talk with people who had stopped on the other side to watch! The entire two hours the Gospel was being shared through conversation and through drama. God’s presence felt SO thick and tangible. I just felt like God had His arms wrapped around the area, where we were doing ministry, in a gigantic hug! His face was turned toward us, looking down at us with an enormous grin on His face! I was overwhelmed with a feeling of fullness - it felt like my heart was going to burst! It’s the kind of feeling you get at the climax of a movie, when the music builds into this magnificent sound that resonates with ever pore in your body. When the main character, after much trouble and trails, finally reaches their goal and your heart swells with joy for them! Well, if felt something like that!



Our team members led 24 people to the Lord that afternoon! As I write, these people are being followed up with by a local church we have partnered with. Calixte, one of our leaders, was using his limited English while speaking to a Nigerian man [who only speaks English] – and he led the man to the Lord! He was elated when he told us this afterwards and gave all the credit to God for giving him the right words! Amazing, huh?!?! God is SO GOOD!

Highlight #4: Driving a Motorbike!

Okay, I just had to put this one in here because it was very exciting for me! My friend Alexandre taught me how to drive his Motorbike! Beside the church there is a big open lot so he let me drive his bike there! Mind you, he was on the back of the bike with me the whole time. After about 10 minutes of driving around the lot he took me on the road! Don’t worry, it was a side street and there were only like 2 other motorbikes on it. But still – it was fun and felt like such an accomplishment! I understand now why people like motorbikes so much! Might have to get myself one when I get back to Canada! Haha! Just kidding!

UPCOMING EVENTS

We are currently in the midst of doing a lot of preparation work because we have 2 big events coming up.

From June 7-9th we are hosting a team of high school students from Nigeria who want to be equipped in the DRIME tool. They are getting three intensive days of drama and evangelism training so they can use this tool for ministry at their school. We are excited for this opportunity because it will allow our leaders to have some experience in training the dramas; this will be good preparation for Bootcamp!

Bootcamp? What’s Bootcamp? Well, it is the kick-off weekend of the DRIME Benin Team! June 12th-13th will be the first time all the members of DRIME Benin come together to begin their training in the dramas as well as to experience their first time of ministry! Jamie, Abby and I are very excited for this time because we will get to watch our leaders be the leaders of their team! All the teaching and training we have been doing with the leaders, all the recruiting, promoting and planning – all of it has helped to create the start of the DRIME Benin Team! And now that start is just days away!

We have acquired 4 pairs of interesting glasses at our home....and our leaders had fun with them!

PRAYER AND PRAISE ITEMS:

Training the Nigeria Team – pray that all the details will come together and that the team will feel filled-up and equipped. Pray that God would reveal Himself to the individuals in new ways, during this time.

Bootcamp – pray that all the details will come together! We are still waiting for some of the big details to fall in place [like the location!] so pray that God would provide for all our needs for Bootcamp. Pray also that the members would leave the weekend feeling passionate and enthusiastic for the ministry and for what God is going to do through them.

DRIME Leaders – please keep our leaders in your prayers as they prepare for Bootcamp. Pray that God would give them strength and energy for all they have to do. Pray also for their health; now that the rainy season is in full swing it has become Malaria season [just like we get the flu season]. Olivier had Malaria a few weeks ago and now just finally recovered. Rachelle currently is in the second week of having Malaria. Martin thought he was getting Malaria, but so far he has remained healthy. You can also pray for Martin as he is in the process of taking his year-end exams. Each exam is worth 100% of his mark!!! Crazy, hey?? Pray for him!

Our health – We are all healthy here…no Malaria or food poisoning or stomach problems! Praise God for that! We would appreciate your continued prayers though, especially since there are many more mosquitoes now and it is Malaria season.

A baby girl!!!! Alphonse [GAiN staff and translator for DRIME] and his wife just had a baby girl! Her name is Netania which means ‘God’s provision’! Praise the Lord!!! The baby and the mother are healthy and strong and I think Alphonse is the happiest man on this earth because I could feel the joy coming from his smile through the phone! Please pray for continued health and safety for Netania and her parents.

Here we all are with our leaders....shortest to tallest :)

J’APPRENDS LE FRANCAIS…..

With Carleigh back in Canada Jamie is the only fluent French speaker. Abby and I are at about the same level, except for me being here for a few months already and having a chance to remember some of the things I learned in French class! Since the three of us are not always together, I am being forced to use my French more [which is a good thing] and I am realizing that I know more than I thought I did! I am by no means fluent – far from it in fact – but I am able to express myself [most of the time], although my sentences are probably grammatically incorrect most times. But, it is a very liberating experience after so many months of not being able to do things on my own. When Abby and I go out to get groceries, I am the one who communicates with the vendors. During leader meetings, when our leaders are discussing things and Jamie is following the conversation, I am the one to translate to Abby what I understand of the conversation. I remember during the first month and a half when we would be buying our groceries and the vendor would rattle of the price, I could never understand what they would say. I know my numbers in French, but I could never recognize the number they said – and this was SO frustrating! I don’t know when the change happened but now I have no problem understanding what the person is saying when they rattle off the price! It is encouraging to know I am slowly learning and picking up on the French language!!

Like our new look??? Haha!!!

A MYSTERY SUBSTANCE….

The other day I noticed a tiny pile of light-brown, perfectly round balls, about the size of a grain of sand beside my bed. Not sure what it was, I swept it up not thinking much of it. The next day the pile returned in the exact same spot, which freaked me out a little. I pulled Jamie and Abby into my room to get their verdict on the substance. We contemplated the possibility of it being dirt, maybe some special African dirt – but it was too perfectly formed for that. Maybe wood-shavings from the bed? Again, they were too perfectly formed and piled. Maybe some sort of insect feces? Possible. Or insect egg?? Possible.

We decided to scoop up the unknown substance and keep it in a jar to see what would happen. Two hours later I went back to my room and found that a pile of the unknown substance had re-appeared in the exact same spot! What was it? Where was it coming from?? I was really hoping it was not some kind of insect egg….but if it was, it might explain all the bug bites I get at night!

Nothing was happening with the unknown substance in the jar, so at the next leaders meeting we enlisted the help of our trusty leaders to solve this mystery. We showed them the pile of the mystery substance which had re-appeared in the same spot by my bed again…and they started laughing. They informed us that the mystery substance was wood….and those responsible for putting it there were termites! Ugh! So apparently I am sleeping in a termite infested bed! Perfect! If that doesn’t give me sweet dreams, I don’t know what will! Haha! The leaders had a good laugh over our egg theory….especially that we had wood droppings in a jar! Oh, the things you experience when you’re in Africa!

FYI….

I believe I mentioned this a while back but I will say it again – If you want to hear more about what’s happening here in Benin, you can check out Jamie and Abby’s Blogs! They are, www.jamieisinbenin.blogspot.com and www.abbyinbenin.blogspot.com

AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE!

I must apologize for not writing in a long time! I just have not gotten around to writing an update until now! I will try my best to get in the habit of writing weekly updates again! There is so much that has happened in the past month that I want to tell you about, so let’s start at the beginning!

On May 5th we welcomed Michele and Abby to Benin!! It felt like Christmas in May because they brought with them goodies, notes, cards etc that people sent for us. Oh, and they also brought a lot of hugs from people too! It was SO wonderful seeing people from home! Thanks to everyone who sent things for us…and for all the hugs too! We felt very blessed!!

Christmas in May!! Thanks everyone!!!

Someone sent Starbucks Coffee! [Thanks Samantha!!!] This was my first cup of coffee in 3 months....and it tasted SO good - you have no idea! I just sat there and smelled it for the first 5 minutes as it cooled - it was delightful!

VILLAGE MINISTRY

We had the privilege of doing ministry with our leaders and some members from the Vodje team [the team I helped train last May] during the week Abby and Michele were here. We spent two days in two different villages with the GAiN [Global Aid Network] Jesus Film team. When we arrived at the village we would set up our sound system and start off our time of ministry with a drama set. After we have invited people to accept Christ and spent time talking individually with the villagers who watched, we would bust out some skipping ropes, Frisbee’s, and soccer balls to play with the kids. Duck, Duck, Goose always made it into the repertoire of games as well! After playing with the kids for some time we would continue our time of ministry with another drama set.

At the first village, after the drama set our leaders were talking with people and sharing the Gospel. I really wanted a chance to talk with people as well but our only translator was Alphonse [from Gain] and he was busy talking with some new believers. So I grabbed one of our leaders, Martin, who can understand my English pretty well [even though he won’t admit it] and asked if he would try to translate for me. He hesitantly agreed. We approached three young women and started talking to them. I shared the Gospel with them and asked if they wanted to give their life to Jesus, the person who gave His life for them. To my surprise they readily agreed so we prayed together! We took their names afterwards so we could give them to the Pastor from the near-by church who was overseeing the follow-up for the new believers. I left that conversation in awe of how ready people are to accept the Good News, how ready people are to hear about Jesus. [God just needs us to share!] I think Martin left feeling a little more confident in his English too!

CITY MINISTRY

For the first time we did ministry in the city [Cotonou]! City ministry here in Benin has a different feel than village ministry and a different feel from doing ministry in Vancouver. One afternoon we went to a plaza and gathered a big crowd! Most of them were children who stopped to watch on their way home from school. We also did ministry on the beach one afternoon! This time stands out in my mind because God moved in huge ways! Many people stopped to watch and many people gave their life to Christ that afternoon.

The enemy was trying very hard to keep us from ministering that day. The cord that runs from the sound system to the generator was broken but we were able to get it fixed. When we were all set to go, the generator would not start. The guys kept working on it and we kept praying. And sure enough – it started! I knew then that God had big plans for our ministry time. I couldn’t believe the number of people who stopped to watch – and it was people of all ages. When we asked if anyone wanted to accept Christ, 51 people came forward! The whole time our leaders were talking with them about what it means to be a Christian and praying with them, I was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s presence. We took the name and phone number of all 51 people so we could pass that information along to the evangelism team at our church, who agreed to do follow-up and discipleship with the new believers.


These days of ministry were a very exciting experience for me because it gave me a glimpse of the kind of tidal-wave effect DRIME Benin can have and will have on the nation of Benin and Lord-willing, all of West Africa!

A DAY AT THE POOL

Michele treated us to a day at a hotel pool while she was here. It was SO wonderful and refreshing! I think I spent more time in the pool than out of it that day – but that’s because if I were an animal, I think I would be a fish!

At the same time that it felt wonderful, it also felt a bit strange to be there. It felt like we were no longer in Benin because everything was so nice and clean and fancy! There were also a lot more yovo’s there! The entire day we all kept commenting on how we felt like we had left the country and were at some tropical resort. It was just another vivid contrast of the wealth and poverty that exist so blatantly side by side.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE….

On May 14th we said a sad goodbye to Carleigh and Michele as they headed back to Canada. So now Jamie, Abby and I are continuing the work here in Cotonou!

Here we all are with our leaders!!!

DRIMING IT UP

The month of May has been keeping us very busy here as we are preparing for the start of the Benin DRIME team! We have been attending 2 different churches each Sunday sharing about the DRIME ministry and inviting people to be part of it. We have also hosted 2 information meetings where we have had a great turn out of interested people. Our leaders are currently meeting with each potential member to get to know them and see if they would be a good fit for the DRIME team. There are currently about 50 people interested in joining DRIME! It’s such a big number that we are slightly overwhelmed and very overjoyed with the response from people!

One of my favourite parts of this whole process has been watching our leaders in action! I have loved watching them share at the churches we have been going to; I love seeing them share passionately about this ministry that has become their own. Once we were the ones sharing about DRIME to our leaders and to other people here in Benin. Now our leaders are the ones sharing! I have also loved watching them grow and be stretched in new ways. From performing new roles in a drama, to taking charge of the Duck, Duck, Goose game during village ministry or speaking Fong in front of people when they used to be too shy to do so. I find so much joy in watching God grow them!

We are in the process of planning the very first DRIME Benin Bootcamp! This is a weekend of drama and evangelism training and team building; it is the kick-off to the DRIME year! Bootcamp will be June 12-13th so I would love it if you could keep us in your prayers those days, and the ones leading up to it as we prepare for it!

Here we are at one of our information meetings. Abby was closing off the info meeting for us - so we had two translators for her - Jamie translated into French and Rachelle translated into Fong!

EXPERIENCING MORE OF THE BENINESE LIFE

Rachelle took Abby and I shopping one day [yes, girls love to shop, even here in Benin!] and it was quite the experience. The market we went to was like one giant value village, except things were not organized and hung nicely. Also, instead of one big store it was many tiny shops – most shops were about the size of a closet. The word that comes to mind when I think of that market is ‘chaos.’ As you walk from place to place you have to push yourself through crowds of people, at the same time being careful not to get run over by motor-bikes. People will also be grabbing your arms and telling you to come and look at their shop. And yes, I probably got a little more attention than most people because I was the only white person there but I saw people grabbing Rachelle’s arms as well! Oh, and did I mention that if you want to try something on, you go to the back of the “shop” and stand behind a curtain to change. The only thing is that there is no room to move behind the current because you are pressed up against the wall. This was quite the exhausting adventure – but I’m glad I was able to experience it!

Another fun Beninese [well African really] thing I did was getting my hair braided! When I think of this experience the word that comes to mind is ‘pain.’ I have never been in such an extended state of pain – pain that included my entire body! It took 11.5 hours to braid my hair – and there was anywhere from 1-3 girls working on it at all times. Getting your hair braided is painful because they PUSH VERY HARD at the beginning of each new braid as they attach the extensions and then they PULL VERY HARD as they braid the strand. My scalp is still bruised in some places from the pushing and pulling. Abby was getting her hair done beside me so I watched how they were doing it – it freaked me out when I saw her scalp being pulled away from her head as the girls were braiding. I honestly thought at times that they were going to pull my hair right out! [I think they definitely pulled some of it out!] Okay, so that’s the pain my head was enduring.

The entire 11 hours I was sitting on a very hard, very wooden chair. At first it did not seem that bad but after 1.5 hours it feels like the most uncomfortable thing ever. My body is beginning to hurt just thinking about it! So this wooden chair made your bottom hurt like no other. Then your back and shoulders and neck start to hurt from sitting in the same position for so long, coupled with the lack of support from the very hard, very wooden chair. Your legs, feet and arms start to ache from the lack of activity and the lack of blood-flow. The pain encompassing your entire body changes from a sharp pain to a constant throbbing after about 3 hours. At about the 3 hour mark the numbness comes, except the numbness turns into an ache so deep in your bones all your mind registers is the discomfort and pain. One of the things that kept me going was thinking about our motor-taxi ride home because the seat of the motor-bike was going to feel like a cloud compared to the chair!

That night and the following day it was SO painful every time a braid moved on my head. The ladies at the shop did such a good job so the braids were very tight against my scalp – but this unfortunately causes more pain when they move. Add this to my already sore scalp from all the pushing and pulling, and well, you get one painfully sore head! I spent that night and the entire next day wondering why I had done this to myself! However, now that I am at the point where it no longer hurts and I can actually enjoy my hair – I love it and I am SO glad I got it done! What this experience has given me, besides beautiful African hair, is a greater appreciation for all African women!!

Jamie decided to get his hair braided too once he saw how AWESOME Abby and I looked!!! haha - just kidding!!

Here we are with the finished product! SO worth the pain :)
[Notice how we are all starting to look alike?? Haha! We call it 'the Jamie smile'!!]

Exploring Ouidah!!

We were tourists for the day on Thursday the 22nd! It was our first real tourist-type activity since arriving – and it was SO much fun! Martin, Rachelle and Olivier came and spent the day with us! There is SO much I could say, so let’s see if I can get it all in here!

Ouidah [Wee-dah] is a town outside of Cotonou, along the coast. All 6 of us squeezed into a tiny car for the one hour ride; there were four of us squished in the back and 2 people shared the front passenger seat. Normally you take the main, paved road to get to Ouidah – but there were police stationed along it that morning, catching drivers who had not paid their yearly tax [for driving]. Apparently our driver had not paid his tax because we took two detours to avoid the main road where the Police were stationed. These detours involved very bumpy dirt paths – which are not nice when you are sitting sideways on one hip! Ouch!

Our first stop when we arrived in Ouidah was The History Museum of Ouidah. We had a guided tour of this small museum and learned about the history of Benin, based around the slave trade. The coast of Ouidah was one of the major slave ports. People from England, France, Holland, Denmark and Portugal came to this port for slaves. This museum is built where the Portugal Fort used to stand – and focuses on the Portuguese slave trade.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS I LEARNED:

The kingdom ruling what is now Benin, was called Abomey. The king would send his men out to other towns and villages to capture people which he would sell to the slave traders. The king would accept many different things in return for the slaves – one that our guide mentioned was how a canon was worth 15 men or 20 women.

The Portuguese brought their slaves to Brazil to sell; along with the slaves came their culture and customs – this is how voodoo was brought to Brazil, Cuba and Haiti. The slaves were forbidden to practice their religious beliefs [voodoo] and were forced to take on Catholicism. The slaves refused to give up their culture and beliefs, so they secretly continued to worship their gods, while at a church. This is how voodoo and the church first became mixed. [Today in Benin the Celestial Church still exists and it is a mix of voodoo and Christianity.]

When slavery was abolished they were free to return to their homeland. Many came back to Benin, but had no idea where they came from or who their family was. These now free people brought pieces of Brazilian culture with them. The mixing of the church and voodoo was brought to Benin, as well as many new foods and traditions. There is something I love to eat here – they call it Yovo-doku – which literally means ‘cake from white man.’ These timbit-like things came from the slaves who returned from Brazil!

AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES….

After the museum we walked across town to what we thought was a snake museum. When we arrived and paid to enter we realized it was an actual place of worship for those who follow voodoo – but they have opened it up to the public to learn about voodoo; it is called the Python Temple. We had a guided tour of this small compound; we saw a sacred tree where they make sacrifices and learned about some of the rituals. Our guide kept repeating how people only ask the gods for good things – not bad things. He said all the bad things get blamed on voodoo, but voodoo is not the cause. I don’t believe him because I have heard otherwise…but it was interesting to hear about voodoo from someone first hand.

The best part of the ‘snake museum’ were the snakes!! The pythons are kept in a sacred room, where you had to take your shoes off before you entered. There were A LOT of pythons in there! The python is a deity for those practicing voodoo – they worship them. The pythons are given no food during the day, just water. At night they are let out and they go around the town looking for food. Apparently most of them return to the temple on their own in the morning. People in the area know if they find a python in their home, they are to return it to the temple. Crazy hey! I would not want to live around there!

Oh, and guess what? I held a python!!! I was really nervous and scared at first…but I told myself to face my fears and just do it…so I did! The guide even put it around my neck! It was freaky at first…but as we stood in the room with all the pythons I began to warm up to them – I actually left thinking they are cute! Their faces are so tiny and cute and when they ‘smell’ you with their tongue it tickles! Their bodies are a lot stronger then I thought they would be – they felt really cool! This is definitely a highlight!! I was able to sit beside a cheetah in Kenya, now I’ve held a python in Benin….I wonder what’s next?!

After the Python Temple we began the 2km trek to the beach. This was the road the slaves walked in chains to the awaiting ships. Along this dark-red road bordered by lush green fields and trees are statues built to remember the slaves. Each statue represents something; this one statue about half-way to the beach represented the place where slaves were instructed to forget their home, their family, their culture, their religion. They would be spun around 7-9 times [depending on male or female] and when they stopped spinning they were to have forgotten. It boggles my mind how they were expected to forget their entire life up to that point. How awful. As we were walking I reflected on how people walked that very path hundreds of years ago and were led away to either their death or a lifetime of abuse, cruel treatment and forced labour. The anger, fear, sorrow and desperation these people must have felt as they walked this road…..I can’t even imagine.

When we finally reached the beach we saw the monument which was built in remembrance of all the people who were taken as slaves; it is called ‘The Door of No Return.’ It is said that once you reach that point you never return.

It was so nice to finally reach the beach. Soaking your feet in the cool water after all the walking felt refreshing. I don’t know what it is about the ocean, but I could honestly stare at it for hours. There is something so magnificent, mysterious and peaceful about it. [The waves at this beach are gigantic and I accidentally got soaked up to my waist when a wave was a lot bigger than I had anticipated! The previous wave only reached mid-calf – who would have thought this next wave would go up to my waist?!? It provided my friends with a lot of entertainment….and it was kind of refreshing!

Our Ouidah adventure ended with a squishy car ride back to Cotonou! We returned to our apartment hungry, tired and little crispy – but SO content and happy.

[I tried to post some pictures with this note....but the internet would not let me. I will try and post them another time....sorry about that! ERRRRR I'm angry with the internet right now!!!]

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

[Just so you know, I wrote this Blog post last week – but was never able to upload it to the site….so if you’ve read Carleigh and Jamie’s Blogs, this will be old news by now. So I apologize for my tardiness…but I hope you still enjoy the read!]

THOUGHTS FROM THE PAST WEEK:

LEADERS RETREAT: On the 16th-17th we had the first ever DRIME Benin Leadership Retreat! We packed it full of drama training, leadership training, training in DRIME specifics, games, and of course good food! We began the discussion of figuring out specific details of how DRIME Benin will function – like what days/times practices and ministry will be, what churches/schools we will contact to begin recruiting, etc. We introduced them to the Canadian delicacy of Sloppy Joes – and they loved it! Mind you it was Sloppy Joes baguette style! We also introduced them to crepes which they loved as well! There was much laughter and joking around over the weekend – it brought much contentment to my heart! It is fun watching our leaders become more comfortable with each other and with us!

PRACTICE: On Sunday [18th] we had another practice with the team at Vodje [our church]. We reviewed two dramas, one which we just taught them the week before. I enjoy the process of teaching the dramas because I love seeing when they get it! The moment they do the drama with no mistakes, or master a new part in the drama – it’s so fun seeing their excitement and sense of accomplishment! I love it!

RENEWAL: We had to renew our Visa’s on Monday – it was a much easier, although more expense process than we thought it would be. So now we are able to stay in the country for another 3 months! Woo! Praise God!

POWER STRUGGLES: Our power is constantly going out! It’s a given that we will be without power at some point each day. Our electricity was more reliable when we first arrived, but we have been adjusting to this unpredictability. Apparently, because it has been so hot and dry lately they purposely turn off the power for portions of the day, sometimes entire days. What I really find amusing is the company which sells electricity sometimes doesn’t have electricity themselves! When one goes to pay for more electricity for their home, [it is a pay-as-you-go system here] sometimes they aren’t able to receive any because the company has no power themselves!

Jungle Trekking

Today was the best day ever because I had pizza and ice cream for lunch!!!! Yummy!!!! Honestly, I can’t tell you how good it tasted!! Over and last week Jamie, Carleigh and I have been talking about the foods we were missing and pizza and ice cream definitely made the list. So today was SUCH a treat!!

Last Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th we had the opportunity to do ministry with GAiN! Each day we went to a different village with the GAiN Jesus Film Team. We did ministry for a couple of hours during the day and later that evening the Jesus Film Team showed the Jesus Film to the village. The previous day, the Jesus Film Team had trained 6-10 people in how to do follow up with people who accept Christ. This follow-up team comes from a nearby church which will be responsible for helping these new believers. I think this is such an awesome and effective system to have set up. It was great to know that the people who received Christ through our ministry during the day would also be followed up with by this same team.

GBEGBESSA

The village we went to on Friday is called Gbegbessa. The people here were very warm and welcoming. They had soda and pineapples for us when we arrived and before we left they insisted on feeding us a meal of rice and chicken! They also gave us a few pineapples to take home with us. I was blown away by their generosity. I look around me and see mud structures for homes, naked children, and mal-nourished-looking people. My heart tells me not to take the offered food, but my head tells me it is very rude if I do not eat the food they have so graciously given. So I eat the food, all the while wrestling with the idea I am eating food someone standing 20 feet from me needs way more then I do. This reminded me of a time when I was in Kenya visiting the caretaker of some of the orphans I was working with. She fed me tea and mandazi [a cross between bread and a donut] and before I left she gave me a duck and some corn. All of these things are part of her lively-hood; she grows corn and raises ducks to sell and have an income. She generously gives so much when she has nothing, especially in comparison to me. Why is it that those who do not have much seem to give more generously and freely than those who do have much?

Perhaps these people are not as ‘bad off’ as I think they are. Maybe they think they are well off. Maybe they are not aware that they don’t have has much as some of the world. Or maybe they are aware, but they don’t care because they have all they need? I’m not really sure what is going through the minds of these people – I only know I want to learn to be as generous as they are. I want to learn how to give without reserve. I want to learn how to treat ordinary people like they are kings and queens.

Ministry went really well at this village; at the end of the drama set when we asked if anyone wanted to receive Christ around 30 people came forward! Praise God! Even though I have had the opportunity to minister here quite a bit I am still always so surprised at how willing people are to accept Christ! It is such a different atmosphere here than in downtown Vancouver. Yes it is very dark here as well, but people are far more open to hearing about the Gospel and accepting Jesus. Praise God for all the work being done in Benin and all the people who have been preparing the hearts of these people!

FANTO

The village we travelled to on Saturday is called Fanto; it had a very different feel to it as we did not get the warm and gracious welcome we received the other day – neither were they rude though. As soon as we arrived people began to gather. Some of the first people to come were a group of about 8 ladies who are the voodoo leaders of the village. They all wore white bracelets on their upper arms, many colourful necklaces and a white head-wrap. We were warned not to say anything about voodoo, which might anger them.

We did 2 drama sets again; a drama set is when we have someone sharing between each drama we do. The person sharing talks about the drama which was just performed and relates it to something in their life as well as relating it to the lives of those watching. When we gave the opportunity for them to give their life to Christ, around 30 people came up to pray with us! As well as a group of about 20 children!! Incredible! God is SO good! The voodoo ladies did not look pleased at this point but they thankfully did not interfere. However, I am worried for these new believers – because it is very common for Christians to be persecuted in villages with a strong voodoo presence, like this village. So if you think of it, send some prayer to the believers in Fanto!

Between the drama sets we played some games with the kids! We played Duck, Duck Goose, Octopus Tag, did the Hokey Pokey and played one of their games called Robototo! It was such a blast! All the adults were watching and cheering as we played Duck, Duck, Goose! It felt like we were professional Duck, Duck, Goose players because we had such a big, loud audience! It was a blast and we had some good laughs!

SIDE NOTE:

Remember at the beginning of this post when I said today was the best day ever? Well, it turned into the worst day ever. I couldn’t even finish writing this blog entry last night because I began to feel nauseous. I was lying down on the couch, trying to wait it out – I had not felt this nauseous since I was in grade 6 and accidentally ate some peanuts [which I am allergic to] – only this nausea became way worse than that and lasted much longer. Jamie and Carleigh began to feel really sick around the same time….and before we knew it our insides were not on the inside anymore. We all spent the night by the toilet and it’s safe to say it was one of the worst nights of our lives! [Can’t say I’ve ever had that kind of team-bonding activity before! And I can’t say I ever want to have it again!] Thankfully today we are slowly feeling better as the day passes [yup, this is my second attempt at writing this blog] and we have been able to stomach a little bit of bread. And it’s safe to say we will never be going back to that restaurant….no more pizza or ice cream for us either!

OKAY, BACK TO VILLAGE MINISTRY….

After one of our drama sets a traditional choir came and sang for us! Alphonse [who works for GAiN and can speak English!] told us that the song they were singing was about thanking God for us because we brought them clean water. I was very touched, even though I didn’t have anything to do with bringing them clean water – that was GAiN’s doing. But seeing how thankful they were – it was like clean water was the best gift they could have ever received!

It was a fabulous 2 days of ministry! I can’t wait for DRIME to be completely up and running so that ministry can be happening here every week! God is going to do some amazing things here in Benin!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for our health – after last night I realized how much I have taken for granted the good health we have been blessed with. I hope to never have to repeat a night like that again – so your continued prayer about this is appreciated!

Pray for our DRIME Benin leaders – Rachelle, Olivier, Martin and Calixte - they have a lot to learn in the next few months! Pray that God would give each of them His dream for DRIME Benin.

This weekend [the 16th-17th] we are having a retreat with our leaders! Pray that this time will be energizing and uplifting weekend for them. We will be teaching them more about DRIME, working on some dramas, discussing leadership, and starting to think ahead to recruiting for team members! It is going to be a packed two days – so pray for lots of energy for us all!

Please pray for our fourth team mate Abby as she is back home raising support so she will be able to join us here in May for the remainder of the time! Pray that she will feel encouraged and that God will provide the remaining funds she needs!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PRAYERS! KNOW THAT I THANK GOD FOR YOU EVERYDAY!!!

Fun in the Sun at Obama Family Beach!

I spent Easter Monday with le groupe de Jeunesse [aka – Young Adults] at the beach! It wasn’t just any beach – it was the Obama Family Beach! [I’m working on getting a beach named after a Canadian Prime Minister….I’ll let you know how that goes!] It was such a FUN day! Jamie and Carleigh were not able to go so I was forced to use my French [which is a good thing] a lot more! A few people were even trying to teach me some Fong [local language] – which gave everyone listening in a good laugh! It’s hard to get your tongue around some of the words!

We played some games, had some lunch and had a big discussion about relationships! Young people here are very open about their status – if they are ‘free’ as they say, or in a relationship/have a fiancé or married. For example, at the beginning everyone had to introduce themselves saying their name, what they do and if they are single, married or in a relationship! I was a little surprised at this – but Olivier explained to me it is a normal thing to ask here. Apparently it is good for the young people in the church to know who is available and who is not! I learned many things about how relationships [for a Christian] work here – it’s quite different from Canada! Here are some of the differences: Guys can approach a girl and express his feelings for her, but a girl is not allowed to approach a guy and express her feelings for him. Once a guy has expressed his feelings and they are returned by the girl, the couple goes to see the Pastor of the church to ask his permission for them to ‘date.’ They also have to ask the Pastor, as well as the parents’ permission to get married. Another difference is guys don’t get married until they are in their very late 20’s or early 30’s because they must be financially stable. They don’t understand how people are able to marry so young in North America. This was a very interesting discussion to be part of!

After this lovely discussion I went swimming!!!! Oh, I just LOVE swimming and LOVE being in the ocean! The gigantic waves, the salty water…and did I mention it is SO refreshing after cooking in the humidity and heat of the day?!!! So wonderful!!! Olivier and Marielle swam with me – and it was Marielle’s first time in the ocean/first time swimming! Mind you we didn’t really swim – the water was way to rough for that. We just waded in the water and had fun trying not to get knocked over by the waves! Marielle was laughing the entire time – it was so fun seeing the joy on her face!

Since it was a holiday [Easter Monday] the beach was very busy! There were people everywhere! It was quite the experience and definitely one of the busiest beaches I’ve been on! Surprisingly there were not many people swimming. Apparently not many people know how to swim and people are warned to be careful on the beaches of Cotonou because the water can be pretty rough. Another surprising thing is most people at the beach were wearing dresses and pants and shoes! They were wearing their everyday attire! I don’t know how they do it….I would die from the heat! I also saw a handful of other yovo’s [white people] there! It is always weird running into other white people here! Who would have thought! I always want to go up and ask them what they are doing here! Haha! They are probably wondering the same about me!

Well, that about sums up my day at Obama Family Beach! I’m so glad I had this opportunity to get to know people better and spend the day at the beach! I also got some colour on my skin  Whoohooo! It was a very refreshing and wonderful day!

Sweet sign hey? There are actually posters like this up around the city...we walk by one every time we go to the cyber cafe!

Fun in the waves! I could have stayed in the water ALL day!

My swimming friends...Marielle [right], Olivier [left] and Rachelle [in the back]

Sunset!