I did my first “practical” or lab with my SS1 Chemistry kids this week. While it didn’t go perfectly, it was fabulous! J The kids were so excited to be doing lab!!! The groups were way too large due to limited supplies, but it worked out okay. There are about 36 in the class and we had enough supplies for 6 groups, so 6 kids per group is typically way too many, but they were so excited to be in lab that they wanted to participate and few were just observing which was good! We were doing a mixture separation lab with salt and sand (we canvassed Jalingo for iron filings unsuccessfully before we realized that we could get some from a welder but it was too late!) and I in my initial naiveté thought we could do a percent composition…yeah…not so much! It was their first hands-on experience with using a balance, so we were working on first things first. I was pleased that they had written a procedure beforehand and they were actually using them! They had to teach me how to light the kerosene burners that we were using as bunsen burners. The lab time allowed me to get to know them more and we built some great rapport! They were asking so many questions about different lab equipment that they saw. We had some minor issues like trying to use a 50mL pipette as a stirring rod, but they were trying and it was exciting!
My other favorite moment of the week was in my computer training class with the teachers. I was teaching them what the top three boxes in the right hand corner of every Word document do. When I had them minimize, they were devastated because they had just typed a couple of sentences using proper typing fingers and now they thought it was gone forever. Their looks of pure delight when they saw it the box at the bottom of the screen and then reappeared when they clicked it were priceless!
With that said, it’s been a terrific week except for the awful cockroaches at night! Thanks so much for the encouraging emails and photo comments and prayers! They are so much appreciated!! People in the internet café have told me more than once that I look so happy when I’m there and it’s because of all of you!
Here is a link to some pictures of my kids and co-workers:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35471&l=4f4c3&id=501312909
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Frustrations and Blessings!
Most of my experiences here have been fabulous, but there are certain frustrations that I encounter here which are typically pretty inconsequential. After a few of them are compounded, I have to consciously look for the positives (which are always present) to keep the right attitude!
Frustration
I was really excited for computer training on Friday. The generator was to have been fixed, more computers had been found, tables had been scrounged and then NEPA even came on! It was a time of disappointments. The generator wasn’t fixed. Then, I had hoped NEPA would come on, but it didn’t for the first class at least. When NEPA did come on, it proved to be even more frustrating. The two new desktops acted like they had power because the monitor, speakers and mouse were getting power, but the CPU wouldn’t turn on, probably due to low voltage. Then, we realized that the charging cord of the new lap top I’d brought had been fried and would no longer charge the lap top that was completely out of battery. This makes me really nervous that the power strip we have is going to blow out other pieces of equipment. Then another computer that was plugged into the wall directly was receiving no power. I found out that despite the appearance of many outlets, a number of the outlets have no fuses, and therefore have no power.
Blessing
Habukuk, the maintenance person at school, said that he’d check the outlets for me. When he found one that worked, it was on the other side of the room so he had to make an extension cord by crudely wiring two cords together to reach, now one more computer has the potential to have power! (Today, Tuesday, we had training and the computers are now hooked up to a stabilizer and we had 8 functioning computers! So exciting!!!)
Frustration
When I got home, I was going to go to the little store right outside the compound to get some water, since we were completely out and return my pop bottle. Henry, the owner, wasn’t there. There are plenty of other stores down a little further, but I had bonded with Henry and like to frequent it!
Blessing
My friend owns the store next door, so it was nice to get to chat with her for a bit. A little while later, a friend of hers came to my house to let me know that Henry had returned. I got two big bottles of water from the store and then also got some biscuits (that taste just like shortbread Girl Scout cookies!) and little chocolates that he had purchased just for me!
Frustration
Then when I got to the internet café, the generator was out of fuel so I had to wait about 45 minutes for fuel to arrive. Then the internet was sickeningly slow and I wasn’t able to access my Facebook page during the two hours that I was there.
Blessing
However, I was thankful that I ran into Liatu and was able to chat with her while waiting for fuel. She spent 7 years in the U.S. and so she’s as close to an American perspective that I can get.
Frustration
When I got home, I tried to turn on the big generator to pump some water as the pressure was getting quite low and it was dark. Though the generator seemed to be running fine, it wasn’t giving my house any electricity! I tried troubleshooting the best I could and made 3 trips back and forth to see if it had worked and was unsuccessful. I had to turn on the little generator meaning that I had lights and charging power but no fans or water pumping.
I ran out of water on Sunday morning because the big generator still wouldn’t work. When Ronald came over to “fix” it, it appeared to work fine for him (I think it’s because NEPA was on when we were testing it), because again it wouldn’t provide me electricity on Sunday night. When I tried to turn on my small generator, it was out of fuel.
Blessing
I’m SO thankful that James was here to help me solve these problems the first 5 weeks! Now that he’s gone, I know that I’ll have to do more troubleshooting on my own as well as be more dependent on Ronald but thankfully, I feel settled enough and confident enough in my surrounding that while these situations are frustrating, I am in a position to deal with it and survive okay. I learned that NEPA (city electricity) has enough power to pump water to my tank when I shut off the other tanks in the compound, which is valuable information to know and should prevent me from running out of water again even if the generator doesn’t work!
Throughout these situations, “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. As my shower trickled to a stop on Sunday morning, I can’t say that I was rejoicing. But when I was able to see the people of my church literally bringing their first fruits of the harvest…yams, ground nuts, eggs, chickens, goats…to the alter, it brought the scripture in Deuteronomy 26 alive in a way I could have never imagined! I was then able to praise God for such an authentic and spiritual experience. My paradoxical Nigerian experiences continue!
Here is a link to some pictures of my Nigerian home!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35042&l=d4f33&id=501312909
Frustration
I was really excited for computer training on Friday. The generator was to have been fixed, more computers had been found, tables had been scrounged and then NEPA even came on! It was a time of disappointments. The generator wasn’t fixed. Then, I had hoped NEPA would come on, but it didn’t for the first class at least. When NEPA did come on, it proved to be even more frustrating. The two new desktops acted like they had power because the monitor, speakers and mouse were getting power, but the CPU wouldn’t turn on, probably due to low voltage. Then, we realized that the charging cord of the new lap top I’d brought had been fried and would no longer charge the lap top that was completely out of battery. This makes me really nervous that the power strip we have is going to blow out other pieces of equipment. Then another computer that was plugged into the wall directly was receiving no power. I found out that despite the appearance of many outlets, a number of the outlets have no fuses, and therefore have no power.
Blessing
Habukuk, the maintenance person at school, said that he’d check the outlets for me. When he found one that worked, it was on the other side of the room so he had to make an extension cord by crudely wiring two cords together to reach, now one more computer has the potential to have power! (Today, Tuesday, we had training and the computers are now hooked up to a stabilizer and we had 8 functioning computers! So exciting!!!)
Frustration
When I got home, I was going to go to the little store right outside the compound to get some water, since we were completely out and return my pop bottle. Henry, the owner, wasn’t there. There are plenty of other stores down a little further, but I had bonded with Henry and like to frequent it!
Blessing
My friend owns the store next door, so it was nice to get to chat with her for a bit. A little while later, a friend of hers came to my house to let me know that Henry had returned. I got two big bottles of water from the store and then also got some biscuits (that taste just like shortbread Girl Scout cookies!) and little chocolates that he had purchased just for me!
Frustration
Then when I got to the internet café, the generator was out of fuel so I had to wait about 45 minutes for fuel to arrive. Then the internet was sickeningly slow and I wasn’t able to access my Facebook page during the two hours that I was there.
Blessing
However, I was thankful that I ran into Liatu and was able to chat with her while waiting for fuel. She spent 7 years in the U.S. and so she’s as close to an American perspective that I can get.
Frustration
When I got home, I tried to turn on the big generator to pump some water as the pressure was getting quite low and it was dark. Though the generator seemed to be running fine, it wasn’t giving my house any electricity! I tried troubleshooting the best I could and made 3 trips back and forth to see if it had worked and was unsuccessful. I had to turn on the little generator meaning that I had lights and charging power but no fans or water pumping.
I ran out of water on Sunday morning because the big generator still wouldn’t work. When Ronald came over to “fix” it, it appeared to work fine for him (I think it’s because NEPA was on when we were testing it), because again it wouldn’t provide me electricity on Sunday night. When I tried to turn on my small generator, it was out of fuel.
Blessing
I’m SO thankful that James was here to help me solve these problems the first 5 weeks! Now that he’s gone, I know that I’ll have to do more troubleshooting on my own as well as be more dependent on Ronald but thankfully, I feel settled enough and confident enough in my surrounding that while these situations are frustrating, I am in a position to deal with it and survive okay. I learned that NEPA (city electricity) has enough power to pump water to my tank when I shut off the other tanks in the compound, which is valuable information to know and should prevent me from running out of water again even if the generator doesn’t work!
Throughout these situations, “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. As my shower trickled to a stop on Sunday morning, I can’t say that I was rejoicing. But when I was able to see the people of my church literally bringing their first fruits of the harvest…yams, ground nuts, eggs, chickens, goats…to the alter, it brought the scripture in Deuteronomy 26 alive in a way I could have never imagined! I was then able to praise God for such an authentic and spiritual experience. My paradoxical Nigerian experiences continue!
Here is a link to some pictures of my Nigerian home!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35042&l=d4f33&id=501312909
Friday, September 19, 2008
Food!
Over the past 5 weeks that I’ve been in Nigeria, I’ve had the opportunity to eat many delicious and authentic Nigerian dishes! I’ve really enjoyed almost all of the culinary experiences with one exception…kunu! It’s awful! Sorghum is boiled with water and supposedly sugar is added. It looks like watery chocolate milk and tastes like pickle juice! When I said this, they didn’t know what pickles were! I said that pickles were good, but drinking pickle juice that looks like chocolate milk isn’t favorable.
Two days ago at school, a Fulani woman came by with “no no”. I was told that this was milk. The Fulani tribe is nomadic and follows the cows around as they graze, milks them and brings the milk to the market daily. She came with a large bowl filled with bowls of this “milk”, sugar, and cereal to add. All of my co-workers were encouraging me to try it while I was a little leery. After asking about 10 times if it had been boiled, I decided it was worth the experience to risk it. It turns out the “milk” is really yogurt and surprisingly good! I hadn’t had any dairy products since I’d been here since questionable refrigeration and pasteurization makes it difficult and I was excited to try it. The next day, I decided to have a bowl of it and really liked it. They promised me this woman is very clean in her preparations. She said she would bring me milk that was extra boiled and extra clean in the future.
Moi moi is another traditional Nigerian food that I helped to make this past Saturday with Laura. I’m going to be a better Nigerian cook than American cook by the time I leave! We soaked and shelled white beans and then mixed them with pepper and took it to the neighborhood grinder to be run through with water to make a kind of soup. Then, Laura added an expert mixture of curry, maggi seasoning, chicken boullion, salt, dried craw fish, and peanut “groundnut” oil to the mixture while I was the stirrer. Then we poured this mixture into little bags or “leathers” with half a hard-boiled egg into boiling water for about 20 minutes. It was so good!!! I was very excited that I had even participated in the yummy result!
It’s amazing how central food is to culture! I’m thankful that I really do enjoy the food because my Nigerian friends are so excited when they see me willing to try the native food and actually like it! Everyone has been so thoughtful and kind in offering me food and sharing in the new experience with me. I’ve been very conscientious about trying everything while keeping the safety issue in mind! :) Also, I can now see the fun in preparing a meal as entertainment. There are no movie theaters or malls or parks or trails…well walking through the town is basically like walking trails…but cooking together is a lot of fun! Nigeria must be having an effect on me! :)
***I added some pictures of these food experiences to the picture folder...here's the link:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Two days ago at school, a Fulani woman came by with “no no”. I was told that this was milk. The Fulani tribe is nomadic and follows the cows around as they graze, milks them and brings the milk to the market daily. She came with a large bowl filled with bowls of this “milk”, sugar, and cereal to add. All of my co-workers were encouraging me to try it while I was a little leery. After asking about 10 times if it had been boiled, I decided it was worth the experience to risk it. It turns out the “milk” is really yogurt and surprisingly good! I hadn’t had any dairy products since I’d been here since questionable refrigeration and pasteurization makes it difficult and I was excited to try it. The next day, I decided to have a bowl of it and really liked it. They promised me this woman is very clean in her preparations. She said she would bring me milk that was extra boiled and extra clean in the future.
Moi moi is another traditional Nigerian food that I helped to make this past Saturday with Laura. I’m going to be a better Nigerian cook than American cook by the time I leave! We soaked and shelled white beans and then mixed them with pepper and took it to the neighborhood grinder to be run through with water to make a kind of soup. Then, Laura added an expert mixture of curry, maggi seasoning, chicken boullion, salt, dried craw fish, and peanut “groundnut” oil to the mixture while I was the stirrer. Then we poured this mixture into little bags or “leathers” with half a hard-boiled egg into boiling water for about 20 minutes. It was so good!!! I was very excited that I had even participated in the yummy result!
It’s amazing how central food is to culture! I’m thankful that I really do enjoy the food because my Nigerian friends are so excited when they see me willing to try the native food and actually like it! Everyone has been so thoughtful and kind in offering me food and sharing in the new experience with me. I’ve been very conscientious about trying everything while keeping the safety issue in mind! :) Also, I can now see the fun in preparing a meal as entertainment. There are no movie theaters or malls or parks or trails…well walking through the town is basically like walking trails…but cooking together is a lot of fun! Nigeria must be having an effect on me! :)
***I added some pictures of these food experiences to the picture folder...here's the link:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Monday, September 15, 2008
Rain
It's the rainy season here in Nigeria right now. I enjoy the rain for the most part as it keeps it cooler, but it's really interesting how the Nigerians aren't really fans. They appreciate the rain for the agriculture and for the clean drinking water, but they think it's way too cold! Today I was walking to the Internet Cafe after school when it got really cloudy and I could tell that rain was coming soon. People were packing up their food booths and scurrying around to beat the rain. As I was walking by, normally people just stare, but today I had so many people look at me and say, "Rain! It's going to rain!" (Really, I think they were implying, "Idiot, it's going to rain! Get inside!") I just smiled and felt that I now had a legitimate reason to walk fast. Thankfully, I made it before it poured!!!
I had been told last week by my friend Laura that people had commented to her that her white friend walks too fast. I started noticing that everyone here walks at the pace of a leisurely stroll. I'm used to walking as if I'm on a mission because normally I am! I am now making a conscious effort to slow my pace down in order to better blend in...okay...a girl can hope, right?! :)
I had been told last week by my friend Laura that people had commented to her that her white friend walks too fast. I started noticing that everyone here walks at the pace of a leisurely stroll. I'm used to walking as if I'm on a mission because normally I am! I am now making a conscious effort to slow my pace down in order to better blend in...okay...a girl can hope, right?! :)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Classes!
I officially taught students on Wednesday! It felt like it was a really long time in coming. Monday was essentially just teacher meetings then Tuesday classes began, but since I’m only teaching 2 classes. I have 1 section of SS1 Chemistry (sophomores) that meets twice a week: once for 80 minutes and once for 40 minutes and 1 section of JS3 Integrated Science (freshmen) that meets 3 times a week for 40 minutes each. This is not abnormal. Most teach 1 more section, but it is much less teaching intensive than what teachers do in the US. I’m also going to be in charge of the labs or “practicals” for SS2 and SS3 chemistry. The kids aren’t used to doing many hands-on activities at all. I found a balance in the science room and brought it in for the kids to utilize in making observations of a candle in my chemistry class. These sophomores had never seen a balance before! Overall, the chemistry class went well but there are definitely some students in there who are trying to push me to find my limits and they’re doing it subversively. I think we’ll understand each other better as time goes on. There are some great kids in there!
The JS3 students are adorable and precious! They are so excited to learn and everyone participates and asks questions. I’m really excited about working with them! The challenge with this class will be that the book that it’s based out of is wacky. As one of the other science teachers said, “maybe they didn’t really understand the science and were just money hungry”. This book tries to teach chemical reactions before learning the parts of an atom and Chapter 1 of the book starts out with the nervous system…yeah…not body systems or systems…or living things…the nervous system! What?!? I will clearly not be following the order of the book. They are working on getting me the standards that the students will be tested on from this course.
I forget how much I love teaching by the end of a school year, but at the beginning I remember again! I truly love being with students and doing science. While I’m excited to have a lot more time to plan it really is pretty nice it takes extra long to scrounge up materials to use in activities. I asked to check out the kitchen to see what supplies were available since there is typically lots of good stuff there for chemistry experiments…yeah…when I got to the “kitchen” there was seriously an empty room with a concrete floor and a fire pit off to the side…hmmm…I said, where’s the food? There was a locked little closet with rice, flour, sugar, salt, tea, and not a whole lot else. I was hoping for maybe an orange (they come on Saturday’s and are eaten on Sunday’s) or some aluminum foil…no such luck! I did purchase two candles and four boxes of matches for about 45 cents!
When I initially thought that the lab was fairly well stocked, I clearly hadn’t tried to actually conduct any experiments! J One balance that functions questionably, no magnesium ribbon, zinc powder, calcium carbide, no good alkali metals, and the iodine solution had no lid. There will be some challenges, but I’m excited about the challenge and think that I’m going to learn a lot about actually planning lessons ahead of time and producing presentable lesson plans complete with objectives and everything!
The JS3 students are adorable and precious! They are so excited to learn and everyone participates and asks questions. I’m really excited about working with them! The challenge with this class will be that the book that it’s based out of is wacky. As one of the other science teachers said, “maybe they didn’t really understand the science and were just money hungry”. This book tries to teach chemical reactions before learning the parts of an atom and Chapter 1 of the book starts out with the nervous system…yeah…not body systems or systems…or living things…the nervous system! What?!? I will clearly not be following the order of the book. They are working on getting me the standards that the students will be tested on from this course.
I forget how much I love teaching by the end of a school year, but at the beginning I remember again! I truly love being with students and doing science. While I’m excited to have a lot more time to plan it really is pretty nice it takes extra long to scrounge up materials to use in activities. I asked to check out the kitchen to see what supplies were available since there is typically lots of good stuff there for chemistry experiments…yeah…when I got to the “kitchen” there was seriously an empty room with a concrete floor and a fire pit off to the side…hmmm…I said, where’s the food? There was a locked little closet with rice, flour, sugar, salt, tea, and not a whole lot else. I was hoping for maybe an orange (they come on Saturday’s and are eaten on Sunday’s) or some aluminum foil…no such luck! I did purchase two candles and four boxes of matches for about 45 cents!
When I initially thought that the lab was fairly well stocked, I clearly hadn’t tried to actually conduct any experiments! J One balance that functions questionably, no magnesium ribbon, zinc powder, calcium carbide, no good alkali metals, and the iodine solution had no lid. There will be some challenges, but I’m excited about the challenge and think that I’m going to learn a lot about actually planning lessons ahead of time and producing presentable lesson plans complete with objectives and everything!
JSS vs BHS
I don’t know if it’s possible for teaching at JSS in Jalingo to be more different from teaching in Boerne and to be so similar at the same time! I’ll try to describe this relationship in a sort of Venn Diagram manner for all of you who love graphic organizers! J
Differences
BHS-public day school (though there were occasional prayers, it was still a secular institution) the kids arrive in fancy cars or busses.
JSS-private boarding school the kids are already there and we teachers arrive in a beat-up 15 passenger van (they haven’t been deemed too dangerous here yet! J) because taxis won’t transport down such a bad road.
BHS-A teacher teaches for 22.5 hours in a week
JSS-A teacher teaches for about 6 hours in a week
BHS- about 8 computer labs with about 20 computers a piece
JSS-6 computers…maybe once a monitor gets “fixed”
BHS-A teacher gets paid $40,000+ per year
JSS-A teacher gets paid about $200 per year (fuel prices are exactly the same!) and have gone multiple months without paychecks.
BHS-Teachers groan and complain (me totally included) about going to technology inservice.
JSS-Teachers clapped when it was announced that computer training would be provided and were so excited!
Similarities
*I work(ed) with fabulous teachers totally care about the kids and are doing their best to teach them.
*Some kids want to learn, some kids don’t.
*Teachers at these schools are getting paid less than comparable schools in the area.
*Getting supplies to do labs is challenging…at BHS when I wanted to buy materials to do labs, it took an act of God to get a purchase order, get the credit card with the Tax ID Card, buy the items, and return the card with the receipt…at JSS it takes an act of God to find simple materials like candles and matches at a store and certain chemicals have to be ordered from across the country….but it’s totally worth it to do the experiments!!!
*Chemistry is the same everywhere!!!
Differences
BHS-public day school (though there were occasional prayers, it was still a secular institution) the kids arrive in fancy cars or busses.
JSS-private boarding school the kids are already there and we teachers arrive in a beat-up 15 passenger van (they haven’t been deemed too dangerous here yet! J) because taxis won’t transport down such a bad road.
BHS-A teacher teaches for 22.5 hours in a week
JSS-A teacher teaches for about 6 hours in a week
BHS- about 8 computer labs with about 20 computers a piece
JSS-6 computers…maybe once a monitor gets “fixed”
BHS-A teacher gets paid $40,000+ per year
JSS-A teacher gets paid about $200 per year (fuel prices are exactly the same!) and have gone multiple months without paychecks.
BHS-Teachers groan and complain (me totally included) about going to technology inservice.
JSS-Teachers clapped when it was announced that computer training would be provided and were so excited!
Similarities
*I work(ed) with fabulous teachers totally care about the kids and are doing their best to teach them.
*Some kids want to learn, some kids don’t.
*Teachers at these schools are getting paid less than comparable schools in the area.
*Getting supplies to do labs is challenging…at BHS when I wanted to buy materials to do labs, it took an act of God to get a purchase order, get the credit card with the Tax ID Card, buy the items, and return the card with the receipt…at JSS it takes an act of God to find simple materials like candles and matches at a store and certain chemicals have to be ordered from across the country….but it’s totally worth it to do the experiments!!!
*Chemistry is the same everywhere!!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Internet Cafe Woes
Hey there all! I had typed this whole detailed explanation about my first day of classes and now the internet cafe seems to have put a virus on my jump drive so I can't access any of the files, there's something wrong that won't let me open any of my emails and the photos that I wanted to upload have been corrupted for the second time. Grrrr! So the sparknotes version is that classes are going really well! Some of the kids are great and some are challenging, just like the US! :) Lots of planning time, but very limited supplies!
Monday, September 8, 2008
I'm in the choir?!?!
I went to Bible Study at the church that is within walking distance of my house on Thursday and was excited to go to church there on Sunday because I knew that I would “know” or at least recognize some people there AND there’s an English service! (I hadn’t been to a church service in English in a month!!!) When I got there I realized that the English service is much smaller than the Hausa one, but there were quite a few people I saw from Bible Study and was excited to sit with them. Here in Nigeria, “youth” constitutes people up to age 30; therefore, I am part of the youth group! I sat with them and before I realized it, there was an announcement that the youth group would now be performing a song. Everyone around me stood up and I was faced with the choice of standing up in a group and not knowing the song or remain the only person seated in the entire section. Either way, everyone was going to be looking at me, so I stood up and decided I would try to figure out the song as I went. Everyone was swaying and clapping along with the song…not just clapping a steady beat or even clapping the off-beat…no, clapping in some syncopated rhythm that everyone but me felt quite comfortable with. Let’s just say that I did my best and now realize that choir practice isn’t really an optional activity!
Saturday...a day in Jalingo!
Saturday
Saturday was the first time that I felt like a resident of Jalingo as opposed to a vacationing person. It was fabulous! My new friend Laura (I think it’s a rule when I move to a new place that I find a friend named Laura!) walked over to my compound to pick me up and took me to her compound, introduced me to a bunch of her friends and gave me some great experiences! We went to the market and picked out a live chicken, it was partially killed and handed to us with tied legs to be brought 10 steps over to be fully butchered. I watched it be de-feathered and cut up placed in a plastic bag and handed over to us. We promptly brought it home and cooked it up! I felt so sheltered that I had never experienced that before.
Then, Laura was cutting it up further and I was embarrassed to say that I had only ever purchased frozen breasts of meat before and definitely had never seen the head put in which I simply decided to not let bother me. When we were eating the fabulous lunch that Laura had prepared (I did help peel some potatoes with a ginormous knife without cutting myself!) on a single burner kerosene stove and no running water, I was asked is life easier here or in the US? Alright, now the obvious response is that it’s easier in the US. There are many more conveniences there to make many tasks like laundry and cooking less work intensive. However, I feel that in a certain way, life is “easier” here in Nigeria...but when I tried to explain myself I was at a loss. I’m still reflecting on that question and I told him I’d get back to him on that question.
After lunch, we went to the gym where Laura’s boyfriend works. I was unsure about what to expect from a gym here in Jalingo and was completely impressed. It’s housed at a hotel and had multiple tread mills, bike machines, ellipticals, weight machines. It was definitely superior to the facility I had at my apartment complex in San Antonio! There was even a machine I had never seen before called a massager machine. You stand on a platform and then it vibrates and shakes out your muscles after a tough workout! It was crazy!
Then, I went to my first restaurant in Jalingo with some of Laura’s friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I had a great time!
Saturday was the first time that I felt like a resident of Jalingo as opposed to a vacationing person. It was fabulous! My new friend Laura (I think it’s a rule when I move to a new place that I find a friend named Laura!) walked over to my compound to pick me up and took me to her compound, introduced me to a bunch of her friends and gave me some great experiences! We went to the market and picked out a live chicken, it was partially killed and handed to us with tied legs to be brought 10 steps over to be fully butchered. I watched it be de-feathered and cut up placed in a plastic bag and handed over to us. We promptly brought it home and cooked it up! I felt so sheltered that I had never experienced that before.
Then, Laura was cutting it up further and I was embarrassed to say that I had only ever purchased frozen breasts of meat before and definitely had never seen the head put in which I simply decided to not let bother me. When we were eating the fabulous lunch that Laura had prepared (I did help peel some potatoes with a ginormous knife without cutting myself!) on a single burner kerosene stove and no running water, I was asked is life easier here or in the US? Alright, now the obvious response is that it’s easier in the US. There are many more conveniences there to make many tasks like laundry and cooking less work intensive. However, I feel that in a certain way, life is “easier” here in Nigeria...but when I tried to explain myself I was at a loss. I’m still reflecting on that question and I told him I’d get back to him on that question.
After lunch, we went to the gym where Laura’s boyfriend works. I was unsure about what to expect from a gym here in Jalingo and was completely impressed. It’s housed at a hotel and had multiple tread mills, bike machines, ellipticals, weight machines. It was definitely superior to the facility I had at my apartment complex in San Antonio! There was even a machine I had never seen before called a massager machine. You stand on a platform and then it vibrates and shakes out your muscles after a tough workout! It was crazy!
Then, I went to my first restaurant in Jalingo with some of Laura’s friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I had a great time!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Motorcycle Ride
I officially had my first ride on a motorbike! It was a little scary! However, luckily my friend Magdiel was here and so I knew the person I was riding with and I made him promise to drive very carefully! :) I was extra safe...don't worry!! (I wish I could say that I wore a helmet..but I haven't seen one of those here in Nigeria yet.)
Here is a link to some new pictures. I feel that once school starts the amount of pictures will decrease signficantly, but for now, I have fun with them! :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Thanks for the fun comments!!!
Here is a link to some new pictures. I feel that once school starts the amount of pictures will decrease signficantly, but for now, I have fun with them! :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Thanks for the fun comments!!!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Address
So, I found out that I can receive mail at the school where I teach. I think it's going to take a while, but that's okay! :)
Carolyn Carter
UMCN Junior Seminary
P.M.B. 1012
Jalingo, Taraba State
Nigeria
Despite packing what felt like a bazillion books, it's amazing how fast I read without internet around! :) I've been here less than 3 weeks and finished three books! Any and all mail is much appreciated!!! I love you guys and have so appreciated all the comments/emails/facebook posts! They are seriously huge highlights! I love everything here, but it's so nice to hear from home!!!
Carolyn Carter
UMCN Junior Seminary
P.M.B. 1012
Jalingo, Taraba State
Nigeria
Despite packing what felt like a bazillion books, it's amazing how fast I read without internet around! :) I've been here less than 3 weeks and finished three books! Any and all mail is much appreciated!!! I love you guys and have so appreciated all the comments/emails/facebook posts! They are seriously huge highlights! I love everything here, but it's so nice to hear from home!!!
Offering...Dance Party Style
Though I have been gone from Iowa for 3 Sundays, this was the first Sunday that I was able to attend church here in Nigeria due to travel. Everyone was so welcoming! We were given the place of honor and asked to sit up front facing the crowd. While that’s slightly awkward it is exacerbated by the fact that the entire service is done in Hausa meaning I catch about 1 word every 10 minutes or so which makes it difficult to focus for hours. However, things got really exciting during the offering portion of the service! I’m convinced that if we treated the offering portion of the service with a fraction of the joy and jubilance that they did in Zing, the church would bring in more money! More importantly, I’m certain that is how Jesus would want us to be bringing forth our gifts with a spirit of delight in giving.
There was music going and people singing and dancing while coming forward to put their money in the bucket. This process when on for 4-5 different songs and what seemed like 6 different offerings, but it seriously felt like a dance party! Now, I was a little leery when they motioned for me to come around back so I could dance my way up to the front. I don’t dance well and definitely not in front of people, but I’m in Nigeria, so I danced! I had the freeing feeling of being so different that it didn’t matter how I danced. They were thrilled that I was doing my little interpretation of their dance up the aisle alongside of them. It was so much fun!
There was music going and people singing and dancing while coming forward to put their money in the bucket. This process when on for 4-5 different songs and what seemed like 6 different offerings, but it seriously felt like a dance party! Now, I was a little leery when they motioned for me to come around back so I could dance my way up to the front. I don’t dance well and definitely not in front of people, but I’m in Nigeria, so I danced! I had the freeing feeling of being so different that it didn’t matter how I danced. They were thrilled that I was doing my little interpretation of their dance up the aisle alongside of them. It was so much fun!
Friday Afternoon Crowds
Growing up in Wilton, Iowa, attending college in Cedar Falls, Iowa and then living for 4 years in San Antonio, TX, I have clearly always lived in predominantly Christian communities. Before coming to Jalingo, Nigeria, I had read that the area was divided fairly evenly between Christianity and Islam. A friend who had lived in Lagos, Nigeria for a year had mentioned the craziness that ensues on Fridays when the mosques let out. Thankfully, I have not encountered any pandemonium, but on Friday afternoon we were picking up a few things downtown and there were throngs of people walking along the streets. I asked Hannahtu if there was some big special event going on. She said that it was simply people walking to the mosques. Interesting experience!
Perspective
While living in San Antonio, I taught in Boerne where I had many students whose families were incredibly financially well-off and honestly made me feel pretty poor. However, then I would encounter other students both in Boerne and while I was doing some student teaching at an inner-city school in San Antonio that reminded me of the plenty that I do have. Really, there are some very poor areas in most cities of the United States that require attention and support. In spite of this, all cities and citizens have running water and public electricity and telephone services (to my knowledge). When I arrived in Lagos, it was clear that I had arrived in a developing country indicated by the lack of air conditioning and the dilapidated state of many of the buildings but there was a bustling business-like feel to it. After a flight to Yola and a two hour drive to Jalingo, I realized that I had left the big city and arrived in a huge “small town” with erratic electricity, no public water and allegedly no newspaper. Just when I thought, WOW, I remember I still have access to internet and a cell phone. I, then, arrived to the small village of Sibre where everyone lives in huts and farms and realize that the people of the city of Jalingo are living in luxury because many people there have access to generators. But, the village of Bargarmi added yet another layer of perspective.
This village was settled in the 70’s when people were looking for an area of land that could be cultivated for farming. This village was about 6 miles (thank you GPS!) off the main paved road and we reached in an hour thanks to about 8 guys from the village that walked about 3 miles to meet us and navigate the massive wash outs, lift us out of muddy bogs, and push us through the river. Sibre instigated a church in this village a few years back and a church in Nebraska had helped to fund a building for them and the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership and assisted them with a deep-water well. Seeing the villagers show off their well and the pristine water that was flowing from it was a spiritual experience for me. There is nothing more loving that could have been given to this community than clean water. This community has no school for its children no healthcare facility and lives off of the food they are able to grow, some of which comes from the donated seeds.
While we were there and Beverly was reading a letter of greeting from their partnering church in Nebraska, they were intent listening to the translation (they don’t even speak the native language Hausa…but only their tribal language Mamui…I was proud that I was able to tell that it wasn’t Hausa…baby steps!!) when one of the villagers brought in a tubular plant they hadn’t ever seen before but wanted to know how to prepare it. James identified it as a type of radish and sliced it for them. They were all tried it with great expectation! Really, it’s a radish, a little is okay, but they were eating thick cucumber slice sized pieces….yuck! Most enjoyed it, but this woman that I had sat with couldn’t keep the squeamish look from her face! It was cute!
This village was settled in the 70’s when people were looking for an area of land that could be cultivated for farming. This village was about 6 miles (thank you GPS!) off the main paved road and we reached in an hour thanks to about 8 guys from the village that walked about 3 miles to meet us and navigate the massive wash outs, lift us out of muddy bogs, and push us through the river. Sibre instigated a church in this village a few years back and a church in Nebraska had helped to fund a building for them and the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership and assisted them with a deep-water well. Seeing the villagers show off their well and the pristine water that was flowing from it was a spiritual experience for me. There is nothing more loving that could have been given to this community than clean water. This community has no school for its children no healthcare facility and lives off of the food they are able to grow, some of which comes from the donated seeds.
While we were there and Beverly was reading a letter of greeting from their partnering church in Nebraska, they were intent listening to the translation (they don’t even speak the native language Hausa…but only their tribal language Mamui…I was proud that I was able to tell that it wasn’t Hausa…baby steps!!) when one of the villagers brought in a tubular plant they hadn’t ever seen before but wanted to know how to prepare it. James identified it as a type of radish and sliced it for them. They were all tried it with great expectation! Really, it’s a radish, a little is okay, but they were eating thick cucumber slice sized pieces….yuck! Most enjoyed it, but this woman that I had sat with couldn’t keep the squeamish look from her face! It was cute!
Past Missionary Impact
This morning, Beverly, James and I went first to a community about a half-hour’s drive from Jalingo called Sibre. There is a United Methodist Church of Nigeria mission station located there including a Rural Development Program of a fish farm, carpentry training program, garden and clinic. Jusef and Mary are spear-heading this ministry. These Nigerians grew up in Bambur and worked alongside some missionaries from the states and were trained in helping others achieve self-sufficiency and grow in their faith and moved their ministry to this poor village, Sibre. Now, however, the church of Sibre has reached out to a ridiculously remote village, Bagarmi which I had the opportunity to visit on Friday. It is encouraging to see the positive and wide-spread ripple effects that can take place!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)