Joyeux Noël

My big Christmas gift came early this December when I finally was able to unpack my Crate!!!! It was fun getting to rediscover all the goodies I packed, things that make my humble abode feel homier. In the crate were some of my Christmas decorations. Perfect timing!

When I put up my tree I like to listen to Christmas music, drink coffee or hot tea and then snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie.  I found it’s a little different putting the tree up when you’re living in Africa and it’s like 90 something outside.  So this year I listened to Christmas music, drank lots of Iced Water, sweated like crazy because it was hot and a lot of work, took a cold shower and then watched the first Christmas movie of the season. There was absolutely no snuggling up with a blanket on the couch …. It’s just too hot for that!  

Sadly our team had to say good bye to our friend Kaylin mid-December. Before she headed back to the US we made Christmas cookies! Making Christmas cookies just always seems like more fun when children are involved. It’s a little more chaotic but still more fun. Soooo I borrowed my teammate’s children for a little Christmas Cookie Bash. I made icing from scratch which we got everywhere (cabinets, floor, hands, hair ect). After everyone got cleaned up we enjoyed a team dinner, showed off our hidden talents of making snowflakes while eating our cookies and watching the movie Elf.

This is actually my first Christmas away from home. While it’s different and of course I miss my parents and other family members, I find that I am indeed with family.  I have brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, even parental figures around me who I am celebrating this Christmas season with. This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will still be filled with the most important thing of all and that is glorifying and praising God for all that he has done. It’s a time of remembrance of the day that unto us a child was given, born in the city of David a Savior, who is the Christ the Lord.  He is my Lord, my Savior, my Hope, my Portion, my Rock and my All in All.

Joyeux Noël,
     Jennifer

Thanksgiving in Abidjan

This past week I spent my first Thanksgiving overseas. I got to enjoy this holiday with the friends and family that the Lord has provided for me here in Abidjan. We gathered together to give thanks and acknowledge all that He has done for us.  I have much to be thankful for: I have parents who love me and raised me up in a home that serves the Lord, I have good health, I have awesome friends and family around the world, I have never been wanting of a warm bed or a meal, I was given an opportunity to receive an education, I have a job, and most importantly I have been forgiven of my sins and am a new creation.  I indeed have much to be thankful for.

Our West African Thanksgiving was complete with our favorites except for turkey. The turkey was way too expensive and still very alive.  The chicken and guinea fowl taste just as good if not better and we did not have to sharpen our machete or spend the day plucking away.  

Our Tree of Thanks in French and English

After the meal it was time to teach our friends how to play American football.  We spilt up into teams, quickly taught the rules in French and went at it. As awesome as my team was we lost horribly BUT it was fun and full of laughter. Later that evening the internet decided to cooperate just long enough for me to Skype and say hello to my family back home. It really was a great Thanksgiving.

 

 The next morning I got up early and headed to the beach. One of the perks of living in Abidjan is that I am about an hour away from Grand-Bassam. Grand-Bassam is a cool old historical town located right at the beach. It is a great day or weekend getaway to relax, refuel, swim and listen to the ocean. This is how I spent my Black Friday. There were no lines, no chaos and no one got trampled.  Occasionally I would put down my book to shop from the venders who walked up and down the beach. My big purchase of the day was the 3 pineapples I got for $2.  So I’ll end by saying I am thankful for the beach and the ability to take short day/weekend getaway to regroup and refuel. 

A Trip to the Capital

Last week I was given the opportunity to accompany a friend up country. They had taught a course at one of the schools earlier in the month and needed to return the graded papers to the students.  Since it is about a 4 to 5 hour drive up country they asked if I would want to come with them. It was an opportunity to see more of the country, view life out of the big city, meet staff and students at the school and enjoy the company of my friend.  Oh course I went!

Driving here brings new adventures and challenges daily.  The traffic, crowds, freely roaming animals, big overloaded trucks that look like they could tip over at any time(and often do), and the biggest potholes you have ever seen keep you sharp and alert. There is definitely NO zoning out while driving.  

After 5hours of dodging potholes we arrived at Yamoussoukro which is the Capital of Côte d’Ivoire. While in the capital we visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro which is one of the minor basilicas. As we started to explore the basilica and it’s grounds our guide pointed out the Vatican flag and welcomed us to Rome/Vatican City. I have always wanted to go to Rome but this is not how I imagined it. I still foresee a trip to Italy in my future.  Anyway, He explained that this basilica is a little taller than St. Peters making it the tallest Church in the world at 518 feet high.  It is certainly impressive and I love looking at the detail of the large stained glass windows. 

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro

 

 

 

 

After a late lunch we made it to the school where I was introduced to the staff and students.  They were very welcoming and even went out of their way to great me in English (um that’s a big deal).  An invitation to return and even teach a course later in the future was extended to me.  I got to see the classrooms and the living quarters of the students. The living conditions of the students are very humbling. They give up a lot to attend classes at the school for weeks and evening months depending on the course. Their commitment to the future and the future of those they will serve is encouraging. This week they will return home to their families for the holidays and will start a new term in February. 

Speaking of holidays, Thanksgiving is just about here!  I plan on celebrating it here in Côte d’Ivoire. Just the other day I saw live Turkeys on the side of the road, ready to kill and sell to the expats that live here.  I expect it to be a fun and interesting first Thanksgiving overseas. I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Let the Heat Begin

I loved receiving this care package

The month of October has flown by and I feel like it just started. This has been the month of many firsts! I received two awesome care packages brought by teams that came to visit! Thank you to those who sent goodies and to those who delivered it to me. It was so much fun opening it up. I found tons of awesome things both wanted and needed (ok wanted). 

This month I got to experience for the first time in West Africa sitting under a tree sharing stories as 13 people made Attiéké and listened to the story. I had the help of a translator of course but I am hoping that this time next year the stories will just flow out of my mouth in French.

This month I also have been given the opportunity to help out with children’s church at a local Church.  A friend tells the story while I help control anywhere from 40-80 children. It’s a lot of work and we are exhausted by the time is over, but it’s a good exhausted.

Helping with Children's Church

 I tried new foods this month… Really Big Snails, rabbit and porcupine. I got to go shopping in Adjame for new clothing. Adjame is a very busy African market if you can brave the crowd you can find some good deals on clothing and food.  

Adjame- picture from online not brave enough to take my own camera.

One of my new dresses

Yesterday I went to Prison. Yes you read that right. I went to visit the women and youth that are in one of the prisons here in Abidjan. The prisons here are set up different than the ones I have visited in the states.  Still it is definitely not a place you would like to be. We were able to give each woman and youth a care package with things like powdered milk, flour, pasta, soap, toothbrush/paste.  They seemed very grateful to receive it, many opened up the milk right away!   

I was hoping to tell you that this month I received my crate but it is sitting at customs awaiting approval to pick it up. So this month I got to experience the frustration of people looking for bribes which led to a bit of culture shock. Haahaha I’m hopeful that this will be resolved soon and I can enjoying rediscovering what I put in my crate!

Well that’s the cliff notes of October happenings. Hope you had a great October too. To those who are having a pretty fall I am jealous, things are just starting to heat up here.  

         

I recently got to go on a trip to South Africa for work. After two weeks of meetings I got to spend a few extra days exploring Jozi (Johannesburg) with a friend that lives there.  I got to go shopping, go see a movie, have fast food, eat cheddar cheese and strawberries (I don’t have them in Abidjan), eat game meat and visit the Lion Park.  

                      
 
One of the malls that I visited was Montecasino. It is a huge mall with a casino in the middle that is designed to look like you are in Italy. It is impressive and maybe the fanciest mall I have ever been in.  Beside the movies, candy Store and restaurants everything else was way out of my price range.

I got to visit the Lion Park where you can go into the baby Lion inclosement. I got to pet the baby lions! You can also feed the giraffes and ostrich there as well. It was to cool! The cubs would climb up in your lap and one even decided she want to play with my jacket.

                                                                           

The parts of South Africa that I saw actually reminded me a lot of California. It was a nice get away from West Africa and it almost felt like being back in the States.  South Africa even has McDonalds, KFC and coffee shops everywhere like home plus Wal-Mart is even starting to pop up there. I enjoyed my time in South Africa but by the end I was ready to get back home and get back to work.

     

Port-Bouët

I recently stayed with an Ivorian family in their home. I lived in their home as a daughter and a sister taking in the sights, smells, tastes and culture.  As a daughter in the home I helped out with the cleaning and cooking. Neighbors pulled out phones to take pictures of me “the white lady” who was sweeping, washing dishes and pounding the palm nuts for the family’s dinner.  By the end of my stay the shock that I would actually work had worn off and I could do my chores without an audience….well except for my little two year old friends Prince and David.

 

I shared a room with my Sisters

Family Living Room

Prepping for Dinner

 

 Throughout my stay I went and did everything with one of my sisters. She is a seamstress and owns her own business. She has been an answer to prayer in finding a friend my age. We are the same age and hit it off right away.  It’s amazing how much we can understand each other even with my limited but growing ability to speak French.

 

Each night after dinner, we as a family sat in the living room talking, laughing and watching television.  One of the funniest nights in the home was the night I was told by my teenage sister we were going to watch a “Chic movie” from America.  My Ivoirian mom popped popcorn and we gathered as many people as we could in the living room to watch the movie.  Credits started to roll and this is when I realize we are about to watch “Coming to America”. It was funny watching it in French and watching their reactions to horrible representations of African American culture.  Questions followed the movie about “Soul Glo”, the African American church and McDonald’s.

Sisters on Movie Night

 This sweet family has now given me a new name, a tribal name “Béikté” that I now answer to in their home and in the neighborhood. I am still not exactly clear what my new name means but I did understand it was given to me by my Ivorian mom because I was the daughter that grew in her heart.

I enjoyed my time with my Ivorian family. I am grateful for their hospitality and willingness to help me learn the culture I now live in.  They exposed me to many new local foods like Attiéké , Aloko, FuFu, different sauce and eating whole fish which can be purchased from street vendors throughout the neighborhood.  They even took me to the beach here for the first time. I look forward to visiting with them in the future and know now I always have a home in the southern part of the city.

  

 

I Live in a Big West African City

Abidjan has about 5 million people and is one of the top 10 largest cities in Africa.  Abidjan used to be considered the Pearl or Paris of West Africa. Now while this country is still recovering from recent war buildings are decaying, statutes/memorials lie in ruins from being destroyed in the war and the people struggle to survive in today’s economy. The people are searching for hope and stability. 

While I have big buildings and four lane highways around me it is unlike any city I have every lived in. Things I took for granted in America are hard to find here. I was excited when I found a case of Dr. Pepper. This one store sometimes gets things in from Florida or Vancouver so it’s a treat when you find something from home.

Someone wanted to know what type of fast food I have here in Abidjan. Well the closest thing to fast food is buying roasted field corn, fried plantains or fried whole fish (fufu) from street venders or ordering a Falafel or Shawarma from the Lebanese man down the street.  I do have some family owned restaurants in my area where I can get fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza and Vietnamese food if I want it. Sadly no Mexican…well there was one place but it is not really Mexican and WAY overpriced.

I am learning to adjust to not having everything I want at my fingertips right away. I now wash my zip lock bags and use them over and over again. When I finish anything that came in a container (example: Mayonnaise) the container is washed and put away for me to reuse. I have to make my own pickles, chocolate syrup, salad dressing, pretzels and granola, basically almost everything is made from scratch.  I cut my facial wipes into halves to make them last longer. I keep clean water in jugs in the bathroom and kitchen. Getting new clothes is a process, you have to find and pick out fabric, pick an outfit style you like from a bunch of pictures and then find someone who can make it. 

While things might take longer to do here in Abidjan it has it benefits. Along the way you establish relationships with neighbors and people throughout the city. I am looking forward to learning about the city and its culture on an even deeper level next week as I spend a work week with an Ivorian family.