Ebola Don Come

Okay, I am going to rant a while about the Ebola Virus, how it is affecting West Africa in general and Sierra Leone specifically , so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat.

 Disclaimer: All of this is my own opinion and I am not a doctor, virologist, epidemiologist, anthropologist, or that requires more than 4 years of University. I have lived in Sierra Leone and have not left West Africa since mid 2012.  Also my ideas are not original. I am not going to give footnotes but just know that I borrow good sense from other people from time to time. Taking things from one source is plagiarism; taking things from several sources is research.

 
Question: Why is this current outbreak of Ebola so bad?

Answer: Transportation, Behavior, Slow/Bad Response.

Transportation: We have some very bad roads in West Africa, however they are getting better than ever (at least in Sierra Leone). Other Ebola outbreaks in the past have occurred in remote, hard to reach villages where a part of the village died off but the virus could not spread far infected  people couldn't easily travel far. Now you can travel from Guinea, to Port Loko, To Makeni, To Kenema, To Kailahun to Freetown all in less time than it takes to begin to present symptoms of EVD. As a result it is possible for EVD to spread across the map rapidly.

 

Behavior:  Behavior has not changed here, especially among the uneducated or undereducated. I see it every single day. Behaviors like, body contact, walking hand in hand, shaking hands, eating from communal bowls with hands, hugging, kissing, more importantly funeral rites involving ceremonial washing, drinking of said water, home treatment of the ill, hiding of ill family members, mistrust of government and medical workers, are still going on. Until behavioral changes take place, or an effective virus is implemented Ebola will be around.

 

The governments, the international community, NGOs all of us where too slow to respond to this particular outbreak. Even now there is far more that can be done in the region to stop this virus. If we are honest we were all several months to late before anyone took serious steps against EVD. Now there is a mad rush to win a fight against an enemy that cannot be seen (except by some very high tech laboratories). As in some grass roots revolution or guerrilla war, people with no former experience in infectious diseases or any medical experience have joined the fight.  Soldiers, child protection agencies, various non medical charities, traditional chiefs, community leaders, and yes even I have gotten involved in my own way. It is a fight that must be won, but it is an uphill battle.

 

When will Ebola be finished. I am asked this question regularly, as if I know. What I want to say is, EVD will be finished many months after and not before we change dangerous behaviors region wide and especially in Sierra Leone, treated or (God forbid) let nature take its course for all existing cases without allowing for further transmissions/reproduction, and got serious about our response. Instead I just shrug my shoulders and say, only God knows.

I Will Wait

I have many years of practice waiting on different things. This is a lesson that every child has to learn and we adults keep relearning. Patience is a virtue. So it should get easier right. At this point in time I should be really practiced at waiting. Only I am not. I hate waiting and I have a very low tolerance for inaction. My family has been separated since early May of 2014 and it is not getting any easier as time goes by. I have waited for circumstances that are out of my control, (such as Ebola to change for the better) for months. I still await circumstances that I should have a modicum of control over, to change (red tape), but cant seam to make any measurable progress. It is maddeningly frustrating to be so close to a goal but never able to reach it. Call me Sisyphus.

 

As I wait what do I learn? I suppose I gain patience by waiting but I can't seem to hold on to it for long. I learn determination. I learn focus. I learn stress management. Heartache, frustration, anger, loss of trust in humanity all of these classes I attend regularly. The school of life constantly in session. Cant it take a holiday break? I suppose the most important lesson I learn is to trust in God. I am forgetful and so need to brush up on that class quite regularly. I learn to pray. I learn that life is not about me. I learn that grey hairs are not so bad.

 

I feel like I have passed this waiting class, so can I move onto another class? I lost my syllabus so I guess I will see what lessons are up next. I will wait.

 

I feel the need to end on a positive not, but am not feeling very positive, so I will end with a quote. I wiser fellow than myself once said, "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear, well he eats you."

M.R.

Ninja Gingerbread Cookies are AWESOME...

We are still here! Sorry folks.

We do feel that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Yay! We've been closely monitoring this whole Ebola thing and we are seeing major improvement in several affect countries and it looks like Sierra Leone isn't far behind! We are ready to be home and hit the ground running with new tasks, old ones and all the Ropieckis under one fun African roof!

Until then...
What have we been doing? So much! Michael has kind of been a rock star when it comes to locking down The Covering. Employees and kiddos remain Ebola free, healthy and in good spirits. It's ok, you can say it, he's freakin' awesome. He's also had a few side projects that he has been working on helping a few other organizations. Can't go into detail, but he gets more awesome.

He's also been an awesome dad to two little toddlers that we now have guardianship of and have paperwork in order! Awesomeness oozes from this man.

He does all this while maintaining a perfectly straight house, cooking three square meals per day and dabbling in flower arrangements and interior design...A few of these details may be embellished. But since he is the man of my dreams, I can dream big!

As for the stateside Ropieckis...
We've missed home a bit. But we are making significant headway in fundraising. We have been so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support. We appreciate so much everyone seeing the importance of what we are doing. It is humbling to say the least. We ask you to please continue with your help in raising awareness and support for our work. We still have a significant deficit in our budget for 2014.

We have also hit the books once again. School is in session full swing for these young ladies. They are not elated, but it has to happen! We have been hiding out at our family's cabin in the woods, which has been awesome! It is quiet and beautiful and quiet...really, it has been such a retreat. Just ignore the banjo music!

I have also been working on some TRS projects here and assisting where needed. Although being here this long wasn't the idea, it has been great for connecting with leadership and learning some ins and outs of an organization we love. And since this paragraph does not contain the theme word of this post...TRS is awesome. AWESOME!

Also, we made some crazy awesome ninja gingerbread cookies. Awesome really isn't a big enough word for them. I mean they are gingerbread cookies, shaped like ninjas. Your mind was just blown. 

So, lessons learned? Stories to tell? America is a little tricky for us to navigate these days. As I type this I look to my right and see the word "complain" strategically placed over my little trashcan icon on my computer...so there. God is working this out. I see it often, sometimes it feels not often enough and I don't quite grasp the reasons, but whatever the case, he's faithful and I am glad I don't have to do this without him. Lamentations (I know, not the most uplifting book to consult on this one) says, "The Lord's loving kindnesses, indeed, never cease. For his compassions never fail." My compassions do fail. ( I have a few friends and family that would attest to that) but he loves me.
Also, ninja gingerbread cookies are AWESOME!

I Get It Now.

This post can start with an apology. My friends who have gone down the adoption road, you mother's whose heart was filled with that child, my compatriots in the fight for our children, I didn't understand.

I have stood beside you and said the right things. I have hugged you and considered myself a fellow traveller down this road with you. I have insisted that God has the best timing. I have said I am praying (and I did pray). I have loved you moms. But I didn't get it.

I thought I did. Although I have been through an adoption before, the way was so quick, the workload was heavy and it flew by. Ella was in my arms the week after we knew she was ours. Maggie and Hawa have been loved on and cared for by our little quirky family for 2 years. Our struggles have been so small.

But four months after kissing my precious babies, wiping Hawa's tears and promising momma will be "right back". I'm still not there. My heart aches. I see a picture of their feet and I can't even describe the desire to be tickling them. I think about them like a love sick teenager. I understand that hurt and haunt now. I apologize for not really understanding. Loving those kids far away is the most wonderful hurt imaginable.

I'm sorry my words were inadequate. I'm sorry I didn't pray more. I'm sorry that you were hurting like you were. This is hard stuff.

What words should I have said? "Guys, this sucks." God's hand is all over this, but so is the enemies and our families are his target. Sister in Christ, be strong and fight.

Ephesians 6:12, Ephesians 6:11, Psalm 144:1, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

We are fighters. We are tired sad fighters some days, but fighters none the less.
I am sorry for not warring with you properly. I will do better from this moment forward. I get it now. These people are under our skins and in our hearts.

We are making progress. I could go into detail but it is Africa and trust me, any progress is progress and it never makes sense. We should have tangible progress in our hands in a week or so, then we will party a little, folks!

In the meantime, Michael has been a rockstar, caring for two toddlers, running to the center almost daily to help with lockdown issues and spending a considerable amount of time with other NGO's and Social Welfare. Go ahead, say it, he's awesome...I done goooood.
Thank you for your prayers and continued support. Thank you for lifting us up and checking in on us. Thank you for joining our war.

Sierra Leone Mission and Ebola Update

 

Dear Friends,

 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We have appreciated every phone call, email and message that has been sent our way. This has been a difficult time for our family and it has taken us some time to muddle through our options.

 

We have taken a little time away and used the last week to rejuvenate and spend time as a family praying and talking through what is happening in Sierra Leone now. Thank you for being patient and understanding when we don’t have answers and we have been out of touch. We have certainly needed this time. Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that the Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone is only worsening and may continue to do so for some time. Travel is slowly shutting down and the case number is increasing. However, we have many friends remaining in country and living with modifications to their normal routines. This is a serious disease, however, panic is not the best solution and life must go on for most people living there.

 

Michael, Hawa and Maggie are still in Freetown and are doing very well. They are careful about traveling now and limit trips outside our home. Increased hand washing and the use of bleach are also a step that Michael is taking with our family there. Our home is also on a bit of a lock down from visitors. We are limiting contact with the public in general as much as possible. At this time, there are 11 confirmed cases of Ebola in Freetown and 757 in Sierra Leone. Michael is being cautious.

 

Michael is working on a possible plan to leave Sierra Leone for another part of West Africa. We do not know what may come of it, but he is seeking options if he sees the need to leave Sierra Leone. He will not leave unless our two daughters are able to go with him. This is not an option for our family. It is not even a consideration. There is paperwork that must be approved and ministries that must sign it, and we are now in a waiting pattern. This is not America, this is a country where things move slowly and that slowness is amplified by the current issues the government is dealing with. We must be patient.

 

At this point, we have decided that I will not be bringing our three American children back to Sierra Leone until we see a turn in the number of cases of Ebola. This is for three reasons. First, we do not want any more of our children than necessary on the ground at this time. Secondly, the cost to travel in and out of Sierra Leone is astronomical because of the crisis. Lastly, it would be much easier and more cost efficient for Michael and 2 children to travel, if the opportunity arises, than for seven of us to attempt evacuation.

 

This does not mean our work in Sierra Leone has come to a standstill. Michael is currently working with The Raining Season (TRS) to secure the orphanage and assist in a lockdown. We are both looking forward to helping TRS with some new programming and projects when we are both on the same soil. We are staying in close contact with the staff of the Southern Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone (SBCSL), helping them prepare for future church planting projects, revivals and partnerships abroad. We call Sierra Leone home. We love our work there and we still have a need for the gifts and talents God has given us. Although things are temporarily seemingly off-schedule, we see that there will be an even greater need for our work when this outbreak is brought under control.

 

What do we need and how should you pray? I am using my time in the States to continue raising support for our living expenses. We still need to raise approximately $62,000 to continue our work over the next year.  The cost of living has increased by 30% over the past 3 weeks and we have had to add extra security measures during this time of unrest. This amount needs to be raised before I can entertain going home. Please pray that people would see the need to come along side our ministry and support our work there. Please pray for the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Pray for the individuals who live there. Pray for those people infected and those who are watching over them. Please pray for healing and a total end to this disease. Please pray for safety for my precious family there. Pray that the government will remain stable and that this will remain a time of peace and calm in spite of the confusion. Pray for God’s protection.

 

The unknown at this time is the travel costs for Michael and our two girls currently in Sierra Leone. If he is able to obtain paperwork to leave Sierra Leone, he would then need to purchase tickets that have had an extreme price increase, as well as new lawyer fees and visa costs. We estimate a possible cost of $10,000 to accomplish these tasks. 

 

Thank you again for your love and support during this time. We cannot tell you how much we love and appreciate you all. Please understand we are doing everything we can do to remain safe, make future plans and carry on with life. We were never promised that this would be an easy time when we chose to follow God’s call for our family. We were never promised an easy time. We were promised that he would never leave or forsake us and we know that he has absolute control over all of our situations.

 

Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Michael and Rachel Ropiecki





This web address will show you a few options on how to give. There is also an option to mark it
for the Ropieckis. This is easy and completely secure.

http://thebridgefellowship.net/online-giving

THE BRIDGE FELLOWSHIP
5066 LEBANON ROAD
LEBANON, TENNESSEE 37087

You can also send a check to the above address and just put “Ropiecki Africa Mission” on the for line.

   

Decisions are made

I have wanted to put this off for so long. It is my least favorite part of what we do. My favorite parts: working on putting an internship in place, thinking of ways to improve the school and systems that are in place at TRS, watching my husband work with Pastor Daniel to build a garden and play area for the kids, teaching the kids at TRS, spending time getting to know them and what they love, getting to know community members and their needs and then trying to find a way to help, talking with Sierra Leonean nationals about adoption and what it means. I love so many things about this job God has called me to, but naming our own needs is not one of them.

God has provided and blessed us throughout our time here. We have been blown away! Every month God gives us what we need in love, cards, special notes, financial contributions and little extras that get us through those tough days. It is so amazing to me!

We have made the decision to call Sierra Leone home for a while longer. We feel that there is more work we want to accomplish both with TRS and with other ministries that exist here. (We’ll tell you more about that one later) However, we still have need to go to the US for an extended stay trip to visit churches that partner with us, talk with new churches about partnerships, see our dearly missed friends and family and restock on supplies we can only get there. It has been nearly 2 years! We are a little homesick.  We will then come back home to SL and continue the work we are doing. Both leaving here and having to leave there will be bittersweet.

When we arrive in the US we will be fundraising for another two year stay. However, the need to fundraise is not waiting for our adoptions to be finalized and we find ourselves short to finish out the year. Rent is paid one year in advance here as well as residency visas, vehicle renewal expenses, etc. If you are reading this you may already contribute to the ministry we are doing here and this isn’t a plea for you to give, give, give, but a request that you share with others what you obviously see as important. It is important and it takes a village to do it. We could never do this on our own. We have teams of people helping us, family that supports us so totally. We have prayer teams that drop everything to lift us up, we have smart financial people keep track of things for us, we have friends packing bags with gifts that make us happy, happy, happy. Not to mention, friends and family that come to see us and boost our spirits. There are no words.

We are asking for a little more help though. We have a large sum of money we need to raise and quickly. So we are asking you to do our job a bit and pass on the word for us. If you know someone who may be interested in being a part of what we do or even a group of people that want a connection here in SL. We are so close we just need this extra push.  

In all honesty, we are in a time crunch as well. We are hoping to take care of many of these details by the end of the month. It’s a big task and we are sure God is up to the task.

We appreciate everything we know you all do for us. We are overwhelmed by the love that is poured over our family and we can’t wait to hug necks and see everyone who has been such a support throughout this crazy ride. Thank you for seeing value in what we are doing here.


How to give:


http://thebridgefellowship.net/online-giving 
This web address will show you a few options on how to give. There is also an option to mark it
for the Ropieckis. This is easy and completely secure.

THE BRIDGE FELLOWSHIP
5066 LEBANON ROAD
LEBANON, TENNESSEE 37087

You can also send a check to the above address and just put “Ropiecki Africa Mission” on the for line.

 

Aubrey's Guide to Freetown

Do you like blistering sun, spicy food and Madonna bumper stickers? Then you're going to love Freetown, which has an insane excess of all these things!
Here are some tips on what to do when visiting:


When packing, DO NOT, repeat, DO Not bring water proof bug repellent and safari, nature-y tourist clothing. I'm going to be frank with you, anyone who wears that stuff ends up looking dorky and basically sweating to death. Besides, you really only end up wearing "tourist clothes" when you come to Sierra Leone, then they are put in the closet never to return.


Tip Two: no matter how crappy you think it is, enjoy the plane ride while you have it, because once you step off that plane there will be no air conditioning or new movies.


As for tip three, when in Rome do as the Romans do, or in this case, when in Africa. Don't spend your time here sulking about what you're missing from home, just join the crowd and go with the flow. Try your best to be an optimist!


Tip four: if you happen to break down and go a little crazy, do not panic. Just take a deep breath, splash some water on your face and take a big gulp from your canteen. Look at the big picture, you're getting to do something few people get to experience! In the words of my BFF, Bob Marley, "Don't worry about a 'ting..."


There's a whole lot of cool things to do while here, and as long as you follow my four step plan, there's a good chance you'll get to experience them. But if you really want my advice, get an advice giver who isn't thirteen!

Fowl Business

I will begin with a disclaimer and apology today. To those of you who have listened to my endless chatter and talk of dreams of chicken ownership, you were great friends. After reading this blog you will be hitting the great unfriend button of life because after countless hours of waxing poetic about the joy of chicken ownership, I have realized my folly.

It seems romantic and glamorous on film. Zha Zha made it look whimsical and fun. I even have a visual of Miley Cyrus on a tire swing, young and carefree (pre-turk of course) feeding chicks and bringing joy to the hearts and lives of pre-teen girls everywhere by producing eggs for consumption. I imagined myself flinging grain and baring my soul to the beasts as they gently click and coo around me, obviously understanding the turmoil of a young mother and the hardships I face. But what Ms. Gabor and poor little misguided Miley omit in the fanciful forays in fowl life is the poop.

We all do it. If you want to be a living organism you must commit 20 seconds to 45 minutes to the task daily. Some animals stop in the woods, some read a book others answer questions like where are the sneakers I wore last Thursday and how do they make margarin. (Cause mom is clearly a captive audience at that point) I understand the need, but a nice quiet throne room with candles and matches should be the goal not my front porch, back porch, and once in my shoe which was under my kitchen table. These birds are the greatest escape artists ever. I’m pretty sure they are plotting with graphs and charts as I am writing this. We wire and re-wire and nail and staple but the little slop-suckers keep escaping! How? After escaping they must immediately evacuate their bowels…everywhere! Why? I’m losing my mind! Even the 15 month old screams no and chases them now. It is a great exercise plan (running while bent over flailing your arms, it’s like planking…only better and with yelling). It is chicken pandamoneum here. And what do we have to show for it? 2 eggs every other day. Wah wah wah…

So, to all my friends out there who heard my cries for chicken and prayed with me to have the joy of my heart…I’m sorry. And to those friends who are drinking the cool-aid and seeing chicken ownership as an investment in your future happiness, don’t believe the hype. Just like Zha Zha and Miley, it can go very bad.

Playing catch up

First, I am so sorry that there has been such a gap in posts. We have had crazy internet and power issues and we have finally worked out a few kinks. I have been trying to write during the silent times anyway so I can update folks, so if you are interested in what we’ve been doing…

 

November 2013

We haven’t been doing very much…Just moving!! We finally have a home that has a private compound and room for everyone. We are so excited and so blessed that the Sisco family allowed us the opportunity to take over their lease. It is amazing.

We have loved everyone home we have stayed in. The small 3 rooms of the village were a little tough and going outside to use the potty was not on my top 10 favorite things I have done, but each place has stretched us and been a place where everlasting relationships have been made. The thing is, we had no idea how much alone time we did not have! We have lived in compounds with constant traffic and daily random visits and we have loved it, but our house is quiet now. No one is sitting on my front porch and I just sent my kids outside and I don’t know what they are doing! I got up this morning and walked through my house in my pajamas to sit on my couch. I am a new woman.

We are getting settled in and my girls are loving the fact that they don’t all have to share a dwelling. Five kids in one room was a bit much…a bit. Everyone has decorated appropriately and they love home. It feels like home.

Thanksgiving was a quiet affair with just us guys and that was ok. We ate turkey and all the good stuff that goes with it and talked to our families and relaxed. This year’s turkey was baked in an oven and not in a coal pot and the feast was topped off with an apple pie. See how typically boring we are. Weeeeee!!!

We are finding our groove at TRS and learning the ropes. We are so excited about the work ahead. Everyone is good. NOTHING is going on.

 

It was my buttocks...

In full disclosure, this is a story that is not flattering or pointed in my favor at all. Yet, I feel that it is a tale (tail) that should be told…at least before my husband tells it.

I have had the unfortunate problem of breaking into hives on occasion. When I was young we didn’t always know the cause but in later years we realized that it often occurred when I had an infection that wasn’t treated completely. Most of the symptoms would be gone but then a few days later I would wake to hives. They are not fun, in case, you were thinking they were. The hives stick around until the infection is treated. Not really a big deal just very annoying. I had a little bout of stomach issues last week and so took the appropriate meds and felt like I was on the mend. Then I woke to the hives and took stock and remembered I’ve had some sinus issues that I have been ignoring and I probably had a little sinus infection. No big deal. But the hives…

Michael loaded me in the car and off to the doctor we went. We have a good doctor here who has been wonderful. He has truly saved our kid’s lives and has kept us healthy. He was also a Tennessean for many years…so we are connected. Totally. 

We get to the office, I put my name in. My husband spends the next 15 minutes haggling for what price we are going to pay on our bill. Yes, he bargained my doctor bill. I realized then, it was not going to be the best visit. After three hours of waiting I go to see the nurses. After a lengthy explanation on the past two weeks and a good showing of the hives that covered most of my body, I see the nurse write down diarrhea and fever on my chart. These are two symptoms that I really hadn’t put much emphasis on because they really weren’t relevant to our current situation, but ok.

After another 30 minute wait a technichain comes out putting on her gloves and tells me to come for my malaria test. I am pretty confused at this point because…well, I have no malaria symptoms. But she says the doctor refuses to see me without. Now, maybe it was the waiting, or maybe me skipping lunch, I have a hunch it revolved mostly around the incesently itchy marks and that little heat problem we have over here. But I went crazy white lady. I refused the test I marched out and told my husband he better choose the right team, here. He followed me out and said those words I most hate to hear, “Now, Rachel…”AHHHHH! I then fish in his pocket pull out the key and promptly lock myself in the car and tell him to get our fee back. This was not one of my better moments as a wife, a missionary, an adult. But it’s were I was and unfortunately, it was not one of my worst moments of this day.

My long suffering husband goes back into the office, gets his hard haggled money back and joins me in the vehicle. I was a bit embarrassed at this point and say, “I’m sorry, they were just listening to the doctor weren’t they.” He smiles and says, “No, he’s been out to lunch for the last couple of hours.” So maybe my fit wasn’t justified, but come on!

I know what my doc in the states would prescribe so we head down to our pharmacy and I write a list of all we will need. Sure enough I could get everything I needed and our pharmacist is one of the nicest guys on the planet. We head home with the meds that will cure all that ails me and a smile on this nutty woman’s face.

We walk in the door and I ask Michael if he would mind giving me the injection that will jump start the end to these hives. We have both had  to learn a few things since coming here about medicine, and injections is one of those things, so I knew he could do it. But…a strange thing happened when I asked Mike about the shot. He got this crazy smile on his face and a gleam of anticipation that I haven’t seen…well we’ve been married a long time. Then it occurs to me what a royal pain in the butt I have been all day and I understand something, first my husband is really looking forward to stabbing me with a needle and second, he is my only option. Oh no. We go into the kitchen and I prepare the syringe and I keep hearing him tell the girls how he is going to stand back and shoot the thing just like a dart then he can do a quick spin kick to push in the depressor. I’m not a fan of shots, especially not the one that may be administerd in a questionable fashion, plus, have you spent time with my husband? Do you trust him with a needle and your behind?

I make my way to the bedroom and lie across our bed, my safe place, my refuge, but now it is just an ugly place of torture. Sweat is litteraly running down my back and I may have swallowed my tongue. My husband walks in the room and I bare the royal behind so the mark can be made. He makes contact with the spot about to take the hit and I turn to look at his face and he is smiling!! Like Jack Nicholson in that movie with the kid. You know, “red rum red rum.” And then an even stranger thing happens I roll over and grab his hand and start screaming. I am literally fighting my husband. What is happening?? I keep saying, no this is a bad idea. Stop! He continues to laugh and I continue to insist we stop the madness. Then he pulls the ultimate below the belt (no pun intended). He turns and yells, “Hey kids, come hold mom’s arms so I can give mom a shot.” What? The man has called in the calvary! Of course Anna is the first to enter the room with a smile that looks vaguely like the one her father is wearing. This is getting very real very fast. The rest of the crew follows. A decision has to be made at this point. I will have to take all of my children to the doctor again sometime in the future and I will probably find myself in a similar situation to the one I am in now. When this happens, what do I want their response to be? I turn around like a good girl at this point. Of course, not without a quick, “You better not be smiling, Ropiecki.” I turn my head to the side and look at my children lined up in a row at the foot of my bed seeing this all unfold.

My husband proceeds to inject me with what feels like hot boiling lava all while surpressing a giggle and my kids all laugh and point and say, “I see mom’s butt.” I revised my parenting plan this morning. I then doped myself properly and slept for the next two hours both because I was very itchy and because I couldn’t face the shame…

Lessons learned, um, no. Butt hurts, um, yes. But I do think I made my husband’s day.

 

Running for our lives, cake and rockstars!

What have we been up to? Whew, here we go…

Michael has been working so diligently on the adoption of our 2 babies girls. He has been hounding the Social Welfare Office, arranging travel for relatives and running interference with the lawyer. So, we are happy to report that some progress has been made!! Yay! It is a slowly but surely thing but he has been relentless and it is starting to pay off. We are on our way!

He has also been working on the community outreach portion of our TRS ministry. We have been spending time out in the community and seeing what and how TRS can be a part both with teams and an ongoing basis. We’ve been talking with team members, staff and locals finding the best fits. Ok, this has been fun! We are loving getting ideas together, dreaming big and figuring out logistics. Can’t wait to start these projects!

He has become a runner once again. He fell back into it sort of seamlessly. I sort of hate him for it. I wish I liked exercise, but it hurts, so I will leave it to him.

Rachel has a control problem. Now it is out there. You probably didn’t notice it before, but confession is good for the soul. We have been talking with different NGO’s working in SL to see if there are existing ministries that may need help or that we can collaborate with in certain projects. I had a neighbor talk about her foundation which focuses on breast cancer awareness here in SL. Breast cancer has affected my family personally but more than that my heart aches when I look at the health care system here and what women must endure. This organization is really working to make a difference here and they have a staff that loves Jesus! I wanted to help them get ready for their first half-marathon ever here in Freetown. So, I volunteered to make little pink ribbons for them to sell as a little fundraiser… On day 3 of my work, I became the coordinator of the run. There is that control issue.

The run was a success! We had around 600 participants, raised money to help support the clinic Thinking Pink runs and more importantly were able to spread the message of awareness in some high official’s forums. It was pretty great. As of yesterday, I am retired from duty and tired!

Another bonus was a great number of people we were able to network with that we would have never met otherwise. Sierra Leone is a country of who you know and now we know a few more people! We also made some friends that we are happy to add to our lives.

With all of this I have gained a major appreciation for working moms. It is crazy! Trying to do all I need to at home and get anything else completed, wow, it’s hard. At one point I told Michael to push Maggie down if she tried to take her first step without me, I hated missing out on what was happening here! Don’t worry, no babies were injured.

Aubrey has read somewhere around a million books. She is working really hard at her schooling this year and working on making a few friends here in our neighborhood. She is only a month away from 13 and she reminds us daily. I wanted to be a mother to daughters, just not the teenage kind. How did that happen?

Anna is a rockstar.  We were sitting on a bench the other day and two girls her age walked up and sat on a bench across from us. She stands up and says, “I’m going to go make those girls my friend. I’ll be right back.” Aubrey and I sat with mouths gaping and watched as she walked over, started talking and hanging out with these two kids. She walked by a minute later and said they were heading to the swings to talk, be back. Rockstar.

Ella still loves all things Africa. She has decided her chosen profession…drumroll, please…She is going to be a street vendor who sells things from the top of her head. At any given time you will see her walk through the compound with something on her head yelling “groundnuts two thousand” or “sweet cake five hundred.” I’m hoping to redirect her dreams at some point.

Hawa has learned too much English. It is a nonstop talkathon. There is often some interpretation needed, but she gets her point across. She wants nothing more than to plant her baby’s hair, po-po it around the house and cook papella (we have no idea what papella is, it is not a local dish because the locals think she may be speaking Spanish, so it is open to interpretation). She is pretty stinkin’ cute. I like her a lot.

Maggie did conquer walking. Our house will never be the same. She is into everything and she has quite the temper. She isn’t a crier but she does like to yell, hit and throw things when her demands are not met. It’s bad, but it is a little cute too. Look, it’s #5, I know I wouldn’t let it slide with #1 or #2, but now I am worn down a bit. We correct but then we turn away and giggle like crazy. She is also talking quite a bit. She waits until the girls go down for bed then goes through her roll call of Aubrey, Anna, Ella, Hawa. I just think this kid is adorable.

What is on the agenda? Finish this adoption!! We want to legally have our kids. We are still working on TRS items, including their internship program and some discipleship programs. We really want to incorporate the kids at the center in some serving programs as well, because we believe fully that if you want a kid to grow up to serve you have to teach them to early. Exciting, right?

That is the short! Aren’t you glad I didn’t go for long? Next blog will be a post from my kiddos! I’m excited they are a little less than enthused. They will get over it!

Funny story: I went into the supermarket a few weeks ago. We have a little grocery we like to go to because we love the employees. They are incredible, kind and loving to our kids and we just enjoy the experience. I walked by our favorite employee while I was heading to an aisle to join my family. He was eating a very delicious piece of cake. I said, “Wow, that looks great!” He promptly replied, “Have a bite.” I declined and started to walk off. This is a sharing society. You can only say no so many times. So, it got to the point I had to accept his offer. There was only his fork. Yes, this kind man did feed me his cake from his fork in the middle of the supermarket…and yes, it was delicious. What’s the moral? Tell people who have cake it looks delicious and you may get to eat cake!

The "Even ifs"

I always sound better in print then I actually am. I’m sure that reflects the rose colored glasses I see myself through. However, occasionally God gives me a glimpse at who I am. More accurately, who he is and how I view him.

In all honesty, I have not loved living life here over the past few weeks. Maybe it’s really been more about me not loving life. (I’m not ending it all or anything, put down the phone) I was let down by some people I loved. What I thought God wanted from us, was not his full plan, I have had some very sick kids, I just feel a little lost and some of the “cultural differences” that I ordinarily would not worry about have started to make my eye twitch. Did I mention we haven’t had power in 7 days?? A chicken, followed by a pack of crazy wild dogs ran through my house while I was trying to clean my toilet! I have had a royal pity party all week long. I have moped and been the biggest whiner all week. I hate whiners!! It just leaked out of me. Of course, I decided to do a study of Job in the midst of all this. You are about to turn off your computer, aren’t you? Clearly, I am not the brightest bulb in the box.

I started this study with my kids. I will say it did lead to some funny moments with Anna saying, “You gotta be kidding me!” and Ella yelling, “Why does the dummy keep opening the door for these servants? They will only bring bad news!” But it really boiled down to I was having what I viewed as a bad week and I wanted to wallow with Job. I wanted to see that someone at one time had it worse than me. I wanted to prove to myself that it probably wasn’t as bad as it seemed cause, well, look at Job. I wanted to find the exact point where God would tell me to stop my belly aching and put on my big girl panties and move on. On a side note, I often think I will work as the voice of God. I sometimes believe I need to be convicted of things and here is how and where he will do his convicting… sort of a controlled life changing experience. It’s quite impressive really. I am so disillusioned as to be my own Holy Spirit from time to time. Call me if you too would like to live in my virtual reality.

This week God chose to love me. There wasn’t a correction. There wasn’t a person sent to me to make me say, wow, I’ve got it good. He just loved me. He also asked me a question. Ok, so he didn’t literally ask me, but it is a question that keeps playing in my head and I’m pretty sure it’s his.

I got a counter in our kitchen this week. We have had a small stove and small sink but nowhere for me to prepare food and nowhere to store anything, so I have had boxes stacked on top of each other. To get this counter was really a wonderful thing to me. Small, I know, but it was big in this house. I found Ella a pair of sandals that I have desperately been looking for. No one had malaria this week! I made a really wonderful new friend and spent some much needed bonding time with existing friends. Aubrey was able to go to a friend’s house for the weekend. I went to a wonderful dance party and danced until my feet hurt. I got a stain out of a shirt that I thought was ruined. (Obviously these aren’t always great victories, but I am counting them all.) Every time one of these events occurred I had to stand back and say, ok, the good is there with the bad.

All of the negative has been multiplied because I have been afraid. In writing and in phone calls home, I seem fearless and confident. I just say God is going to take care of us. Meaning, God is going to work out all the financial worries I have. He will make sure we have the fundraising we require to stay in Sierra Leone with our children, doing the work he has asked us to do. He will provide an easy path for the adoption and God will spell out our exact ministry in the sky. The fact is that isn’t necessarily his style. It is that underlying fear that has made my “No good, terrible, awful day” even worse.

God has provided so much. I can’t even begin to tell you how overwhelmed we are with the donations we have received. We love the people of Sierra Leone, we want to love them and show them to Jesus. To have other people come together with us and love the people of Sierra Leone with us, to aide us in getting out the message to them, it fills my heart. We cannot say thank you enough to those joining with us. In spite of the outpouring, the doubts fill me. What if we can’t raise the funds from here? What if we must return to the states to raise the remainder? How will I explain this to Hawa? To Maggie? How will we put aside a ministry we care so much about? How will I handle the pain of separating myself from my children? God, what could you possibly teach me through this?

Here’s where Job came in. He lost it all, and yet he praised God. Don’t get me wrong, the dude complained too. He lamented to God. He wanted to die. But he praised his maker in the same chapter. The verse that hit me this morning, is Job saying, God, even if you kill me, still I will praise you.

We attend church at The Raining Season church. This morning was such a wonderful service. If you have attended a church service with the kids you know how wonderful they are. But I have to say when you become one of them and you come to a service, it is even better. We are not quite the novelty we once were and so the kids and aunties and uncles worship completely unencumbered. It is so beautiful. Even more so, because it is no longer a novelty to me either and I find myself worshipping with as much abandon as they have. We sang a song that says God, we declare that we love you. We declare an everlasting love for you. I stopped singing and watched the orphaned children around me. I watched the aunties and uncles singing to heaven with me. I watched children who have come from the brink of death. I held Sara’s hand as she laughed and clapped. I watched Moses bounce up and down. I saw 3 of the older girls singing with arms wide and tears in their eyes. They were praising their maker just as Job.

I asked myself, what my kids would say if I asked why we should praise God. I think they would say because he gave us such incredible, amazing, funny, smart and doggone attractive parents. (I may have added to their actual statements)  They would thank God for a roof over their heads. They would thank God for food to eat. They would thank him for their toys and things they have.

Back to the room I was in. Some of these children were found in gutters. Abandoned. There are no parents, still they praise God. They have experienced no roof over their heads, yet they praise him. These kids know hunger. But they were whole heartedly declaring their love. Their “even if” happened and they are praising him.

Which brought me to my “even if”. I don’t know God’s will. I don’t know that all the financial issues will work themselves out. I don’t know if I will have to leave my children. I pray that I don’t but even if…

God is a big God. I lamented the things that brought me down this week and he’s ok with that. I praised him in the ways he lavished his love on me, he will take that too. But he wants me in the “even ifs” as well. Oh, my even ifs…

I wish I could wrap this up with a great happy ending that God told me it’s all good, baby girl, but I don’t know. I do know I am thinking about my “even if-s” and what that says about my faith. Not that I don’t have faith that he will work it all for my good, but even if what follows isn’t what I understand to be good, will I praise him?

 

 

We are sooooo boring!!!

We have a mouse. I, for the most part, have become accustomed to the critters we have everywhere. That last statement was a lie. I hate the critters. I have mostly stopped reacting though…I lied twice in one paragraph. Sorry.

Right now Levi Sisco is stalking what he believes to be the dwelling of said mouse because he is going to destroy it. I’m rooting for Levi.

We had a spider this week as well. Ironically, the spider was larger than the mouse! It was so big it moved a bag…a large bag. You could hear it hitting the floor when it jumped down from the wall. It made my husband scream like a tiny women. (I hope that picture keeps you warm at night)

We, however, haven’t seen a single cobra. None came in our luggage or followed our car. It’s very liberating!

We are all getting used to city life. Things like indoor toilets and occasional electricity are pretty good. Things like really loud neighbors and no grass are taking some getting used to. We have ventured out to see the neighborhood and visit the center. Poor Maggie spends the whole time waving at everyone who walks by because that’s what life in the village is like. My sweet little “bush baby”.

We have spent some time with just our family recently and it has been very refreshing. It has been a great way for us to renew and just get life here set up. We have also been getting to know our neighbors and spend some time at the center with some of our favorite people.

This is such a boring report! Isn’t that nice? Normal…but what is normal?

This time has also been a great time for reading, reflecting and studying. We are a family of readers. We are not ashamed of our nerdom.

I have, for some time, really dreamed about being BFF with Jen Hatmaker. Pretty sure if she met me, she would love me back. So much of what she says puts words to my heart and the journey we have taken over the last few years. I just finished “Interrupted”. It is wonderful. It speaks to the heart of the church. However, darn it; it also convicted the crap out of me. Ugh.

The writer Paul, in full disclosure, is not one of my more favorite authors. I know, that takes out a large portion of the New Testament for me, but I just feel annoyed sometimes by him. This generally means God is speaking to me, but I ain’t havin’ none of that. Then I decided to read 1 Corinthians after my homey Jenny (she loves it when I call her that) referenced it. Chapter 9 was my undoing.

I have a tendency to hide. I have 5 kids. Staying in my home and doing the homeschool mom thing is very easy for me to fall on. Now, don’t start cutting me slack and saying it’s my most important job, it’s so hard, blah blah blah. It may be true, but loving my family and doing what is good for them does not absolve me from ministry. I signed up to follow Christ and he was no couch potato. He WENT OUT and ministered to people. He was all things to all people. (He still is, by the way)

1 Corinthians 9:19-23  I am not anyone’s slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the Law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the Law of Christ. When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.

Oh, I struggle. I am rebellious by nature. I hear my mom and dad clapping across the ocean. It isn’t being someone’s slave that bothers me. It isn’t serving others that gets to me, it is conformity that gets me. To bend what I know and like to fit someone else in hopes to lead them to Christ. How selfish!! And let’s not stop there, it isn’t just winning people to Jesus, but also discipling them to a greater knowledge. So, and this is my downfall, the immature Christians who have looked to other sources for an understanding of God need me to put aside my ability to understand and explain pretty much everything that has ever been and ever will be in order to show them how to live like Christ. Woe is me.

We are here to minister to people in a way that meets their needs. This includes Christians or people who call themselves Christians that just don’t get it, in a way that they get it. This means worship like they do, eat what they eat, meet them where they are rituals and all. ("We" means you too. If I have to be under conviction you have to be there with me, sucka)

This week’s goal; minister outside of our walls, in a way people in this new community need. Less of me, more of thee.

A parting story you may enjoy. I brag on how wonderful my kids are to anyone who will listen. They are awesome. But as you will see, very human. (Some of my kids more human than others)

Aubrey has been doing extra chores for some allowance. We think it is important and they really work hard. She told me the other night the reason she is saving up money is because she wants to buy Anna a birthday present. It warmed my heart. I was relaying this story to Michael and ended it with “Our children are so kind and loving to each other.” It was at this moment we hear yelling from the other room. Anna: ”Hawa if you speak again, I will beat you!” Michael and I look and each other and he says, “Definitely love.” 

The Really Big News!

Sorry for the radio silence. It has been a bit crazy lately. Hang with me for the next few paragraphs, I am struggling with words and feel a bit rushed because my computer battery will only last for so long!

Our family began praying about moving to Sierra Leone almost 2 years ago. We wanted to serve the poorest of the poor and bring the love of Jesus to a country that has little understanding of him. This is what drives us. It lights our fire, it is something we can’t stop talking about. Coming to visit, we were able to see faith at work through the staff and children at The Raining Season. It is an orphanage that understands loving God and loving people. Orphan care is another topic near and dear to our heart. TRS captured our heart. We jumped at the chance to help TRS in any way possible. Just Hope International, although not in the business of orphan care, wanted to help TRS move to a community that would allow them to have more space for the children and an opportunity to help more kids who are discarded, forgotten or in need of someone to stand up for them. We saw an opportunity to help TRS by joining with JHI. Although we loved our time in Bauya, it was evident that we could not share our attention with the building project and our passions that I mentioned earlier. We never intended to only build a structure, we want to grow the kingdom. Our time with JHI confirmed that desire and revealed more of what our true work here should be.

So, what does this mean? A few things, actually. Our church, The Bridge Fellowship, will now become our sending organization. This opens us up to more of the ministry we love and to meet what we feel truly called to do. We will also be partnering with The Raining Season to do community outreach programs, here in Freetown, the country’s capitol. This will also include discipleship training both in the community and in the center itself as well as helping with various other tasks at TRS. We are so excited about this new page in our lives and feel blessed to have this opportunity.

Our family is making the transition to Freetown and life out of the bush! It has had its’ advantages (ice cream seems to be the most important one to my children…and Michael). However, we were very sad to leave a community that we loved being a part of and people we considered family. It is a bittersweet change. We are securing housing, starting to get in the rhythm of living in a city, meeting our neighbors and trying to find our silverware! Also, we are getting used to indoor plumbing and a stove that doesn’t require charcoal. The times they are a changin!

Please go visit The Raining Season’s website. It is an amazing organization and their aren’t enough good words for me to say about them. You will love it.

There is a down side, of course. We initially wanted to come to Sierra Leone as volunteer missionaries. This involved raising our own funds and support. Our move here was expedited because JHI wanted to offset our living costs so that we could move earlier. Now that we are no longer a part of JHI, it is up to us to raise the support we need to live here while working. Normally, this would be something we would do while living in the US. However, we have 2 Sierra Leonean daughters that cannot bring back to the US yet. I think anyone can understand that leaving our children behind is not an option for our family. They are so much a part of our lives and hearts that to leave them would feel like ripping off an arm and leaving it behind. So, we are going to attempt to do this across an ocean. We need financial support. We need both monthly donations and one time gifts. We need a miracle.

Frankly, we should be more nervous about this portion than we are, but we know that God has laid the foundation for the task before us and so far he hasn’t given us a job and not provided the way. It is expensive to live here. The numbers seem huge and we cringe a little every time we review them but we are certain God is capable and he will get the glory.

We are just going to be as specific as we can. However, please keep in mind that TIA(This is Africa) and it is likely to change any second! We anticipate our monthly living costs to be around $3,500.00 per month. We anticipate onetime costs to be approximately $36,000. This will include our rent and transportation. It will also include furnishings and household costs as we did not purchase those personally when we came but only for JHI. This will also include airfare for a return trip home at the 2 year mark for our family.

We did not anticipate this change when coming here. We are still trying to wrap our heads around all the changes taking place right now. We have planned a budget through next March at which time we will be making a trip home to spend some much needed time with friends and family. We will have lived away for 2 years at that point and will need to regroup as well as fundraise. This also gives us time to settle into a new job, city and life.

We have been blessed to have so many people give so faithfully to our work here and support us financially as well as through prayer and words. We came to serve, but we have seen so many people serve us time and time again. We have been humbled and in awe of the sacrifices so many are willing to make in order to send us to spread the word of God’s love. It has been such an awesome example of the hands and feet and body of believers. Thank you for being a part of this adventure with us.

Wow, now that all the big news is out of the way, here are the details. We are now having all funds go through our church, The Bridge Fellowship. All funds designated for us will be sent straight to us. They have a user friendly website where monthly automatic withdrawals can be set up as well as one time donations or checks can be sent directly to the church. (See below for details) All donations are tax deductible and if you have any questions or concerns about financial donations, ministry happenings or just curious about what the heck we are doing, please send me an email. We believe in transparency and we are happy to talk through anything that might come up. Also, if you don’t have a home church, you have to check them out. They are truly amazing! They are not perfect, but they so love Jesus.

It is also my intention to make weekly posts. I don’t always see our life as extremely exciting so please, send me questions you have or curiosities. I don’t always notice the craziness of my life anymore but I’m sure other people do, so give me some suggestions!

Ways to give:

http://thebridgefellowship.net/online-giving 

This web address will show you a few options on how to give. There is also an option to mark it
for the Ropieckis. This is easy and completely secure.

THE BRIDGE FELLOWSHIP
5066 LEBANON ROAD
LEBANON, TENNESSEE 37087

You can also send a check to the above address and just put “Ropiecki Africa Mission” on the for line.

A third option is to just drop it in the offering plate on any Sunday morning at The Bridge. Again, just mark it for Ropieckis.

615-547-2739-Call The Bridge office if you have any questions about giving or about the church.

Ropieckir@gmail.com- feel free to drop me a line. It’s nice to hear from home! I will be happy to answer any questions I can and find out who knows the answer if I can’t!

Yes, that is a spatula shaped burn on my leg.

The number one question we are asked by friends and family at home is what do you eat. This is a funny question to us because really we eat very boring foods and often the same thing again and again. It’s not as exotic as you are thinking, I promise. That said, we have eaten some strange things or at least tried them, but they aren’t on our everyday diet.

So, here I am with our list of weird things we have eaten and our list of ordinary things that we eat and maybe a little insight as to how everyday cooking goes down.

First, my kitchen is outside. We literally live in three rooms and none of them are food designated areas. We do have a great hut that we use for our school area and dining area. So eating is done off the ground. I do not have my children eating in the dirt, promise.

We have a small two burner gas stove top, like you use when you are camping. It is really handy for quick heat ups like boiling water, etc. But we mostly rely on our coal pots. They are metal containers with a clay inside that we put charcoal into and cook over an open fire. Our life has best been described as an extended camping trip. I think this especially applies to cooking time. I like to bake, so we devised a way to use a big pot that we bought here to bake certain items. First, let me say these giant aluminum pots are melted down engine blocks….got that mental picture? I fill the coal pot and light it, then when it is good and hot, I put the item to be baked into the giant pot and put some of the hot coals on the inverted lid. It kind of has a dutch oven effect. Now, there is no temperature control so a timer isn’t really reliable. I have to work off smell here and pray that the smell isn’t of burning food!

We bake chicken or fry chicken, we can even make pizza and breads. We can sometimes get potatoes and we love to bake those or fry them up. We can’t get vegetables very often except for the local potato leaf or cassava leaf. These have to be cooked, they aren’t like salads. They aren’t bad but you can only eat them so many times a week. I try to buy a large amount of carrots and green beans when we go to Freetown and I steam them and freeze them for use throughout the month. So, with limited ingredients, we have become quite creative!

A few days per week we eat local dishes. They are not bad, just repetitive. Every dish contains onion, tomato paste, local hot peppers, oil and some leaf or vegetable all served over rice. Our favorites include blackeyed bench (blackeyed peas cooked with all the above ingredients). We also love groundnut soup (peanuts ground super fine with above ingredients added) and we like punky stew (pumpkin with…you get the picture, right?). We like these but only so much!

We eat 2 meals per day because, well, can you imagine firing up a coal pot everytime you want a snack? We have oatmeal 5 mornings a week and Saturday and Sunday we live it up with pancakes and the big treat of bacon and eggs. I am hungry on this Monday morning just thinking about it! We eat whatever fruit is in season around lunchtime for a snack then have an earlier dinner. Yes, we have all thinned out, but we aren’t hungry as much during the day either because we are just so busy. I am starting to question the validity of the five meals a day being best. Africa: the ultimate diet!

We can’t get bread here very easily. So we may have it a few times per month. We also longingly remember milk, a commodity completely unavailable here. So pop open that red or blue top for us tonight. We plan to drink it by the gallons when our feet hit the ground! Cheese is expensive here, we enjoy each bite. Cereal isn’t something we get very often because at $10.00 a box…who could buy cereal? Crazy, right?

I really love good food. It is something I think about and dream about. It has been kind of fun coming up with new recipes that require minimum ingredients and also interesting to use ingredients I never really found or used in the states. Curry is a fun new favorite as well as eggplant in everything, lentils in a lot of things and the use of frozen peas as a good filler. That said, if you have any ideas leave a recipe! We would love to add to our repertoire!

Now, weird things we have eaten…

We have purchased and butchered ourselves a couple of goats now. I really like goat meat. But I have a new appreciation for the phrase “tough old goat”, it’s not a compliment, at all! Goat, isn’t that strange but I’m easing you into this.

We have also purchased and butchered in our backyard a couple of pigs. Our favorite experience in this is when our Christian friend Mohamed and our Muslim friend Moses killed and gutted one on an old door in the backyard. Think about it, you will see the irony there.

We had a really nice pepper soup with porcupine one night. We purchased a giant porcupine like you see at the zoo and ate it. Not too bad but a little chewy. And I was a bit freaked out when someone cut off it’s tail to let the baby use it as a rattle. Too far, too far.

We have had several Freetown Bo’s for dinner and this is our favorite bushmeat by far. However, sad, cause they are cute little tiny dear.

We did it. We have eaten monkey. Sorry. It was good…real good. Then someone handed me a piece of meat and I put it’s little cooked hand in my mouth and now I have sworn off monkey eating. Those little faces and hands are too much! But, it was good.

Pumba, was also delicious. For those who do not understand my Disney reference, a little warthog is a good thing.

Giant snail. This I am not sure I would recommend, but you should try everything once, right?

Number one, hands down, strange thing we have eaten…termites. A little like nutty popcorn, we like them. But you have to get over the fact that there is a bug in your mouth.

We still have a few things on our “to try” list but we are working our way through! I think giant rat and snake are still to be consumed. Not sure those are going to be for me! The kids are total troopers and try everything. We’ve been totally surprised by what we have liked and they can say they have eaten these cool things! They, as I have said before, are pretty much the coolest.

So, to all those grandparents, aunts and uncles who are concerned about our food intake, as you can see we are surviving just fine. Our diets are different but we are pretty good about taking our vitamins to make up for any lost nutrition. And overall, I would say we have gained a lot in the way of cutting out processed or nonessentials in our diets. That said, feel free to send chocolate. I could really go for a reeses!!

Things I've learned in Africa

Tonight as I was sitting on my back stoop washing a tub of shoes, I realized there are so many things that I have learned here that were never even on my radar before. That crap about everything I needed to know I learned in (fill in the blank), not true and has not applied to my life.

So without further intro, except this, I give you the things I have learned!!

1.       I have learned to use a washboard. Not heehaw with spoons style but with my feet in a river bent at the waste scrubbing my dirty drawers. This is a life skill I never thought would come in handy, but my whites have never been brighter and no stains!

2.       Talking loudly and making large hand gestures does not convey your point when the person you are speaking to does not speak your tongue. This is a common misconception in the US where I have spent many a conversation with a non English speaking friend talking v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y and loudly over and over while flailing my arms about like a crazy person just trying to say I like your outfit. Then, I am confused as to why I am not understood. Now, I am the one being yelled at over and over and watching these crazy people try to tell me things in Mende. Turns out I understand them no better whatever their volume may be or the gesture.

3.       My kids are awesome. Not funny, but they really are!

4.       I don’t need a hair dryer. I am 9 months clean and it is refreshing! Ok, I miss it sometimes but I have survived!

5.       Not everything tastes like chicken. Somethings have a taste all their own…..but that is another blog!

6.       Snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them. Lies, lies, lies. I have disputed this for years. They are evil, um, remember a little guy named SATAN? They are looking to eat me.

7.       How to cook with charcoal. I can literally cook anything on my coal pot now. Just try me. Take that Martha Stewart!

8.       I love high fructose corn syrup. Go ahead. All those health conscience friends that I have,  judge me. I hate my body, I will die, so unhealthy, blah, blah blah. It tastes real good, real good.

9.       Flip flops can double as dressy foot wear. I love a good pair of high heels. It’s a fact. But flip flops are my footwear of choice here and I can rock them in shorts or a dress like it’s nobody’s business.

10.   I don’t visit enough with my neighbors. I knew my neighbors but we only saw each other for 3 minutes total each week. Otherwise, we all went to our separate corners and tried to stay out of each other’s way. Here, we are constantly greeted by our neighbors just because they love us. Now, this has a down side, but only because I am a crazy closed off American.

11.   I don’t know how to wring things out. This is something I thought I mastered when I was like 10. Turns out I am a total idiot. Every time I try to wring out anything here it ends in someone grabbing from my hands, saying don’t you know how to wring, then doing it themselves. I have quit and just hand it over automatically.

12.   A country road is not a country road is not a country road. I have ridden on more southeastern country roads in my lifetime than I can even count. They were nothing. These dirt roads have been around since the Pharoah had a little kingdom. It’s insane.

13.   A large tub is a very useful household tool. I have 4 but I wouldn’t object if I had 2 more. They are awesome. What do I use it for, you ask. Good question! Well…..dishwashing, laundry, shoe washing tub, bean soaking, baby bath, water fetching, storage for fruits and veggies, upside down-chopping surface, rain collector, drum, the list goes on and on.

14.   The name Muhamed is not just a Muslim name. Do you know how many Muhameds there are within a 2 mile radius of my house? Crazy big number. But a number of them claim to be Christian. Confused?

15.   Africa is not dry. The humidity is like 900%. If it is possible to have more than 100%. Even in the dry season, it is so humid!

16.   There are 1001 medical uses for brake oil. Can’t begin to tell you how many times people have encouraged me or others to rub brake oil on it. While I can’t confirm that this is the miracle drug that some people believe it to be, I myself have adopted a similar attitude toward apple vinegar cider. It is good stuff! Drink it, rub it on something, spray it in the air from your mouth like a fountain, it will probably cure some ailment you have.

17.   Every piece of trash has a repurpose. I have never considered myself a wasteful person. Then I moved here. Everything I throw away is taken from my trash bin and repurposed. I had a broken water pitcher I tossed, it was taken and reused today. Old coke cans were melted down for cooking pots, all plastic has an ultimate purpose, and no clothing item is beyond repair.

18.   Women’s underwear, it’s not just for the ladies.

19.   A hair saloon is not a place to go for a hairdo and a bar brawl with ruffians and hooligans, it’s just a misspelled salon. This was heartbreaking to the children and I.

20.   God will not give us more than we can handle…..this is a bold face lie. I call bull crap! I can’t even put a number to the days that have ended with me in the fetal position saying I can’t do this!! He has put me where it is way not something I can do or handle. Can’t even find a biblical bases for that nasty rumor that we can handle it. I do see that if I can’t he will and he gets the glory. So I am happy to step aside when the frogs out number the humans in our compound making us relive the Egyptian plagues or when it hasn’t rained in, oh, 6 months and let him do his thing, cause I can’t handle it!

 

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg! I have learned so many lessons and life skills while here. It really is awesome. There are still things to learn though, I’ll keep you posted!