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!!!]
Friday, April 30, 2010
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!
Friday, April 16, 2010
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!!!
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!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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!
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!
And the DRIME Benin Leadership Team is…..
The DRIME Benin Leadership Team has been chosen!!!! WOOT!!!! This is such an exciting step for us! As you know, this has been our main task so far and it has been one I have been asking you to pray about for some time now. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
Last week we met with each individual applicant to go over their application. On Saturday [April 3rd] we spent the entire day discussing, praying, listening and deciding. Obviously we had been praying and thinking about who God wanted on this leadership team ever since we started the process of meeting with individuals at the beginning of March. But Saturday was decision day for us and it was a day full of many different emotions. It is very hard to choose when all of your applicants are qualified for the position – but at 10:30 Saturday evening we finally came to a decision! It was neat watching God work through us that day; how He would bring the same person to each of our minds and give us peace about the final four people we chose. How He gave us wisdom and advice in how to choose; how He helped us identify the four people he wanted on the leadership team. Now, let me introduce you to the DRIME Benin Leadership Team!
Rachelle Ahossinme: Rachelle was part of the team I trained last May when I was here. She has a love for this ministry and a heart for the lost. She was just married this past December and is currently looking for a job; she studied Communications in University.
Calixte Adande: Calixte was also part of the team I trained last May. His passion for evangelism is HUGE and his love for God oozes from every pore in his body! He teaches German and is very involved in the church! He is also getting married later this year.
Olivier Houetohossou: Olivier was also part of the team I helped train last May. He has helped bring leadership to the team this past year as they continued to practice the dramas! He has the biggest servants-heart I’ve ever seen! His passion for the ministry and for people drives him to do whatever he can to serve God! Olivier is an English teacher. [This is the Olivier I have talked about in previous posts – the one who has helped us get settled in and show us around.]
Martin Amoussou: Martin was not part of the team I worked with last May – but he joined shortly after I left. He is wise beyond his years - a very dedicated and hard worker. He has a huge heart for sharing the Gospel and loves using DRIME to do it! He loves learning and is in his last year of University, studying Economics.
On Wednesday the 7th we had our first DRIME Benin Leaders Meeting! It was such a blast! We had little welcome gifts for them, played some team-building games and took care of some logistics and laughed a lot! It was wonderful watching them interact with each other and work together. We feel very confident in this team God has brought together!
Thank you SO much for your prayers. Jamie, Carleigh and I are very excited to be working with this team – we know God is going to do many great things through them! We would love it if you would keep this team in your prayers!
Last week we met with each individual applicant to go over their application. On Saturday [April 3rd] we spent the entire day discussing, praying, listening and deciding. Obviously we had been praying and thinking about who God wanted on this leadership team ever since we started the process of meeting with individuals at the beginning of March. But Saturday was decision day for us and it was a day full of many different emotions. It is very hard to choose when all of your applicants are qualified for the position – but at 10:30 Saturday evening we finally came to a decision! It was neat watching God work through us that day; how He would bring the same person to each of our minds and give us peace about the final four people we chose. How He gave us wisdom and advice in how to choose; how He helped us identify the four people he wanted on the leadership team. Now, let me introduce you to the DRIME Benin Leadership Team!
Rachelle Ahossinme: Rachelle was part of the team I trained last May when I was here. She has a love for this ministry and a heart for the lost. She was just married this past December and is currently looking for a job; she studied Communications in University.
Calixte Adande: Calixte was also part of the team I trained last May. His passion for evangelism is HUGE and his love for God oozes from every pore in his body! He teaches German and is very involved in the church! He is also getting married later this year.
Olivier Houetohossou: Olivier was also part of the team I helped train last May. He has helped bring leadership to the team this past year as they continued to practice the dramas! He has the biggest servants-heart I’ve ever seen! His passion for the ministry and for people drives him to do whatever he can to serve God! Olivier is an English teacher. [This is the Olivier I have talked about in previous posts – the one who has helped us get settled in and show us around.]
Martin Amoussou: Martin was not part of the team I worked with last May – but he joined shortly after I left. He is wise beyond his years - a very dedicated and hard worker. He has a huge heart for sharing the Gospel and loves using DRIME to do it! He loves learning and is in his last year of University, studying Economics.
On Wednesday the 7th we had our first DRIME Benin Leaders Meeting! It was such a blast! We had little welcome gifts for them, played some team-building games and took care of some logistics and laughed a lot! It was wonderful watching them interact with each other and work together. We feel very confident in this team God has brought together!
Thank you SO much for your prayers. Jamie, Carleigh and I are very excited to be working with this team – we know God is going to do many great things through them! We would love it if you would keep this team in your prayers!
The DRIME Benin Leadership Team! From left to right is: Rachelle, Martin, Olivier and Calixte!
Playing a good old-fashioned team-building activity! They had to flip the carpet over without touching the ground! It was SO FUN watching them! We all laughed A LOT!!
Our new leadership team hard at work during another team-building activity...trying to put a pyramid together. [They work SO well together!]
Here we ALL are!
From left to right - Back Row: Carleigh, Olivier, Calixte, me, Rachelle.
Front Row: Martin and Jamie
From left to right - Back Row: Carleigh, Olivier, Calixte, me, Rachelle.
Front Row: Martin and Jamie
Friday, April 2, 2010
Random Thoughts......
Ministry …
Remember in my last entry how I asked you to pray for our day of ministry last Saturday? Well, we found out Friday night at 9pm that it was canceled. The person who invited us to do ministry with them had canceled the event they were organizing. We were so bummed about this as we were really looking forward to it! So thank for your prayers anyways – I’m sure God used them in incredible ways!
What we’re up to…
The end of last week was pretty relaxing as we did not have much on our schedule. However, this week is going to be a bit busier! On Sunday we received the completed leadership applications from our potential leaders and we will be meeting with them throughout the week. It is really exciting to be at this point of choosing the leadership team so we can move forward with them! Thank you for all your prayers about this process of choosing the leadership team. We really appreciate them – so keep them coming Thanks!
Humidity will be the death of me…
As I am writing this, the electricity just went out which has made our giant fan stop. Jamie, Carleigh and I are all sitting on the couch, moving nothing but our hands as we type or write. Yet sweat is dripping from our bodies [and I do mean dripping]. How is it possible to sweat this much from doing nothing?!?! We can’t even remember what it feels like not to be sweating! What I would give to dive into a pool right now!
An unexpected language barrier…
As you know, I am faced with a language barrier each day here in Cotonou. I don’t speak French, so I rely on Jamie and Carleigh to translate when needed. I was expecting this language barrier when coming here to Benin. However, what I was not expecting was a language barrier between Jamie and I! It never used to be a problem – I don’t know what happened! It began just last week – I only understand about half of what Jamie says and must rely on Carleigh to translate for me! We’re thinking there may be a few reasons for this: 1) Too much ear wax. 2) Jamie’s voice is a lot lower with his allergies bothering him. Perhaps my ears cannot pick up that low of a frequency. 3) I have a hard time understanding people that mumble. 4) I am going deaf. 5) Jamie’s voice is the same frequency as our noisy fan, so his words get lost in the sound of the fan. We’re hoping to resolve this barrier soon – Jamie has agreed to try and enunciate more and I have agreed to clean my ears [haha]. For now there are a lot of ‘whats?’ and confused looks between Jamie and I – and Carleigh laughs a lot at our confusion as she translates for us!
Remember in my last entry how I asked you to pray for our day of ministry last Saturday? Well, we found out Friday night at 9pm that it was canceled. The person who invited us to do ministry with them had canceled the event they were organizing. We were so bummed about this as we were really looking forward to it! So thank for your prayers anyways – I’m sure God used them in incredible ways!
What we’re up to…
The end of last week was pretty relaxing as we did not have much on our schedule. However, this week is going to be a bit busier! On Sunday we received the completed leadership applications from our potential leaders and we will be meeting with them throughout the week. It is really exciting to be at this point of choosing the leadership team so we can move forward with them! Thank you for all your prayers about this process of choosing the leadership team. We really appreciate them – so keep them coming Thanks!
Humidity will be the death of me…
As I am writing this, the electricity just went out which has made our giant fan stop. Jamie, Carleigh and I are all sitting on the couch, moving nothing but our hands as we type or write. Yet sweat is dripping from our bodies [and I do mean dripping]. How is it possible to sweat this much from doing nothing?!?! We can’t even remember what it feels like not to be sweating! What I would give to dive into a pool right now!
An unexpected language barrier…
As you know, I am faced with a language barrier each day here in Cotonou. I don’t speak French, so I rely on Jamie and Carleigh to translate when needed. I was expecting this language barrier when coming here to Benin. However, what I was not expecting was a language barrier between Jamie and I! It never used to be a problem – I don’t know what happened! It began just last week – I only understand about half of what Jamie says and must rely on Carleigh to translate for me! We’re thinking there may be a few reasons for this: 1) Too much ear wax. 2) Jamie’s voice is a lot lower with his allergies bothering him. Perhaps my ears cannot pick up that low of a frequency. 3) I have a hard time understanding people that mumble. 4) I am going deaf. 5) Jamie’s voice is the same frequency as our noisy fan, so his words get lost in the sound of the fan. We’re hoping to resolve this barrier soon – Jamie has agreed to try and enunciate more and I have agreed to clean my ears [haha]. For now there are a lot of ‘whats?’ and confused looks between Jamie and I – and Carleigh laughs a lot at our confusion as she translates for us!
Food For Thought
Our fridge broke on Friday night….and food does not keep very well in this humidity! It’s been an adventure trying to figure out what is still good and what needs to be thrown out. We have become experts at opening and closing the door really fast so the bad smell doesn’t escape. Our landlady is in the process of getting us a new fridge right now. She has allowed us to keep some of our food in her fridge – but we feel bad taking up the room, so we try to put as little in it as possible! We also try to avoid using things which will need to be refrigerated after opening them.
So, it’s safe to say we currently don’t have much food to eat! Tonight [Monday] for dinner we had dry cereal and split half a baguette between the three of us. I started joking about how we were going to starve tonight – I mean, what kind of meal is dry cereal and a 1/6 of a baguette? As soon as I said this a sick feeling crept into my gut and I felt such remorse. How could I even joke about starving when I am surrounded by people who live on next to nothing? I am surrounded by people who don’t get three meals a day. I am surrounded by people who, by definition are starving. How could I complain about my dry cereal and piece of baguette? It may not seem like much to me – but it might be heaven to my neighbour. The thing that gets me the most is I only have to go one or two days like this – whereas some people go their whole lives like this. How dare I complain?
Food. It’s such a part of our daily life. It’s necessary for survival. I have been spoiled growing up in a family where we always had three meals a day; growing up in a country where the majority of people have the privilege of three meals a day. Not only three meals a day, but three meals a day. We are taught at a young age to incorporate foods from all four food groups into a meal. We are taught that variety in your diet is good. Variety is not only good for you, it also makes eating more enjoyable when you don’t have to chew the same thing all the time. Lets be honest, you could probably go at least a week without having to repeat a meal, right?
Just the other day I was thinking about how tired I am getting of eating the same food everyday, 7 days a week. It has been 49 days of cereal for breakfast, noodles with tomato sauce and wieners for lunch and baguettes with jam or avocado as well as fruit for supper. Talk about a lack of variety. But as soon as I start to complain or think ungratefully about food, I am bombarded with feelings of guilt. Just because I grew up in a culture where variety in your diet is common, does not mean I have a right to it. I am living in a place where many people are not able to have a variety in their diet; a place where people can’t always afford to eat from the four food groups. When people have to live their entire lives like this, why am I complaining after living 6 weeks like this? When I should be grateful for the food I do have, thankful I can go to bed with a full stomach, I am complaining about a lack of variety. Why is it so easy for me to be ungrateful and look at what I don’t have?
Where is the balance between being thankful for what you have, no matter how much or how little, and being aware of those around you who don’t have as much. And what do you do about the tension? Do you sell all you have and give it to those who do not have much? Or do you give what you can to those less privileged? Who decides where the line of ‘what you can’ is? Is it still possible to enjoy what you have, and be considerate and compassionate to those around you who do not have much?
I know this is an age-old struggle - it’s just been in the front of my mind lately and I’m trying to figure out what to do with it. I know once I get back to Canada my awareness of this inequality will fade when I don’t have to look into the faces of these people everyday. It will be easy to lose this perspective when three different meals a day become the norm again. How do I incorporate this awareness into my life now so it will stick with me no matter where I live?
Thanks for listening to my musings. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you have any wisdom or insight you want to share!
So, it’s safe to say we currently don’t have much food to eat! Tonight [Monday] for dinner we had dry cereal and split half a baguette between the three of us. I started joking about how we were going to starve tonight – I mean, what kind of meal is dry cereal and a 1/6 of a baguette? As soon as I said this a sick feeling crept into my gut and I felt such remorse. How could I even joke about starving when I am surrounded by people who live on next to nothing? I am surrounded by people who don’t get three meals a day. I am surrounded by people who, by definition are starving. How could I complain about my dry cereal and piece of baguette? It may not seem like much to me – but it might be heaven to my neighbour. The thing that gets me the most is I only have to go one or two days like this – whereas some people go their whole lives like this. How dare I complain?
Food. It’s such a part of our daily life. It’s necessary for survival. I have been spoiled growing up in a family where we always had three meals a day; growing up in a country where the majority of people have the privilege of three meals a day. Not only three meals a day, but three meals a day. We are taught at a young age to incorporate foods from all four food groups into a meal. We are taught that variety in your diet is good. Variety is not only good for you, it also makes eating more enjoyable when you don’t have to chew the same thing all the time. Lets be honest, you could probably go at least a week without having to repeat a meal, right?
Just the other day I was thinking about how tired I am getting of eating the same food everyday, 7 days a week. It has been 49 days of cereal for breakfast, noodles with tomato sauce and wieners for lunch and baguettes with jam or avocado as well as fruit for supper. Talk about a lack of variety. But as soon as I start to complain or think ungratefully about food, I am bombarded with feelings of guilt. Just because I grew up in a culture where variety in your diet is common, does not mean I have a right to it. I am living in a place where many people are not able to have a variety in their diet; a place where people can’t always afford to eat from the four food groups. When people have to live their entire lives like this, why am I complaining after living 6 weeks like this? When I should be grateful for the food I do have, thankful I can go to bed with a full stomach, I am complaining about a lack of variety. Why is it so easy for me to be ungrateful and look at what I don’t have?
Where is the balance between being thankful for what you have, no matter how much or how little, and being aware of those around you who don’t have as much. And what do you do about the tension? Do you sell all you have and give it to those who do not have much? Or do you give what you can to those less privileged? Who decides where the line of ‘what you can’ is? Is it still possible to enjoy what you have, and be considerate and compassionate to those around you who do not have much?
I know this is an age-old struggle - it’s just been in the front of my mind lately and I’m trying to figure out what to do with it. I know once I get back to Canada my awareness of this inequality will fade when I don’t have to look into the faces of these people everyday. It will be easy to lose this perspective when three different meals a day become the norm again. How do I incorporate this awareness into my life now so it will stick with me no matter where I live?
Thanks for listening to my musings. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you have any wisdom or insight you want to share!
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