And it All Comes to an End...

I've been home a little over a week and have had some time to reflect on the summer... It seems odd to write a blog using an American keyboard and Internet I don't have to pay for, sitting in the air conditioned comfort of my own house! Switching cultures is definitely something I continue to get used to.

On our last Sunday in Abidjan, the church presented us with elder garments, and told us that we were now African kings and queens! Many people from the congregation had made dresses & shirts from the same fabric to celebrate the end of youth week and the end of our stay.

Sunday night we welcomed a new guest to our house - John Watton, a Nazarene missionary from Ghana. The discussions we had with John were challenging, especially hearing his view of North American culture and his perspective as a missionary. One of my favorite observations he made is that North Americans rush and hurry just to find comfort. Parts of our conversations seemed to tie the entire trip together, from what we had seen and experienced to what we would see and experience upon re-entry to the U.S.

John also challenged us in a less serious way. That is, when we saw photos from his last YIM team and the weaves/braids they had gotten on their trip, he told us, "Just do it!" So we did. 9 hours later for me, and 7 hours later for Sarah, over the course of two days, we had African weaves. And they looked pretty ridiculous!!

This is the end of the process - soaking the hair in boiling water!

The end result...

We were privileged to leave the extra money from our food budget for the Central and Southern Districts, to buy a pulpit for the church where we did some construction, and for a camera for the NYI council (Berenje, Parfait, Rita, and Samuel)! We got to spend lots of time with those four during our last days, and I was so thankful to take it all in!

After an entire summer away from home, I found that the Wednesday we left, I was wishing for more time! The NYI council brought a meal over, and we all ate together around the dining room table one last time. We headed to the airport after a few premature tears by Sarah & I as we pulled away from the guest house. The actual leaving process is a story of its own, so you'll have to ask me for that one in person. My last view through my tear-filled eyes was the council members waving as we passed through security. I couldn't be more grateful for the friendship and love they provided.

We traveled for 37 hours to make it back to El Paso. You would have thought it was Christmas when we sat down on the flight from Abidjan to Paris and discovered what movies we could choose from on our personal televisions! We spent five hours in Paris and got to watch the sunrise, have breakfast, and buy some souvenirs. Sarah and I even saw the Eiffel Tower when we took off (from the top level of a 747!)

After a nine hour flight, and a long layover in Atlanta (where we got some much desired fast food!!), we finally finished our trip and ended in El Paso. As soon as we got out to the shuttle for the hotel where we were staying, we saw our other YIM world-travelers... What a blessing to be able to share our stories and pictures with others who really understood. I reminded myself that these 40 students were the ones who would understand best what it was like to spend a summer in another country and return to the United States (where, I might add, I was completely shocked by women wearing shorts, people speaking English, and how fast everyone moved!!).

Our time in El Paso at re-entry camp truly was precious. Whether it was laughing and sharing stories as 5 people helped take out Sarah and my braids (yes, it took hours), welcoming back our family group, the Mexico team, spending time in worship together, or meeting with Norm as a team to work through our experience, the entire process was priceless. One of my favorite nights was the weird souvenir show... I'm not sure what kind of convention the hotel guests thought we were a part of! Girls wore dresses that looked like huge bags, Jake brought his noise-makers from the World Cup, teams shared the songs they used for VBS, and Mexico brought back some iguana skin... Just to name a few. Of course, we truly were re-entering U.S. culture. When the maid came after the first night, Sarah, the girls from Senegal, and myself were so confused about why she'd need to clean our room! "Ummm... Can we just have a few new towels? Yeah, that's all we need..." Sarah and I were also amazed at the cars who let us pass across streets instead of honking at us, and we nearly flagged down the first taxi we saw because we were so excited!

We concluded our time together Sunday morning by sharing meaningful Scripture from the summer, then headed to the airport on different shuttles. Saying goodbye wasn't as hard as I expected, knowing how small the Nazarene community is... I'm sure I'll run into my YIM friends throughout the years, and I know I'll see Sarah when she brings her sister to Olivet in a month. I flew out of El Paso to Las Vegas, the epitome of the awesome U.S. culture I was adapting to. Not. However, I found a sweet surprise in Las Vegas... I was talking to Chris as I got off the plane, when he said, "In that letter you sent home, you forgot to write about when I surprised you at Olivet for your birthday... blah, blah, Las Vegas..." Thinking he misspoke, I argued about what I wrote in the letter, then asked, "And what about Las Vegas?" He repeated himself, "When I surprised you at Olivet for your birthday... and when I surprised you in Las Vegas... Turn around." I turned in slow motion, to find Chris ten feet away in the midst of the airport rush, smiling at me. Through my tears and our hugs I asked the stupid question, "Are you on my flight home, too?!" He was :)

My family awaited me in Indianapolis, my luggage did not. It took an extra trip to Canada... oh well, what's a night without the clothes I wore all summer?

I left home May 26 with Africa in my head, and I left with Africa engraved on my heart. I was forever changed by the things I saw, the people I met, and the hospitality and love they showed me. I am challenged by the lifestyle I once thought was the American dream - go to school, get a job, have a family, retire. Is this really all that God calls us to be? I hope that this summer writes missions on my heart for the rest of my life, whether supporting missionaries, or going to other countries myself. It just doesn't seem like enough to live here, unassumingly, while others fight the injustice and poverty (physically and spiritually) of this world. Join me in asking God what we can do to fight for his winning Kingdom. Thanks for tuning in this summer, it's been incredible, and I'm glad I could share a small piece of it with you!

Youth Week in Abidjan!

This week has been designated for all the youth in the district to put on the activities in the church, so our team has been working with them all week! On Wednesday we spent time staining pews, painting, and cleaning a Nazarene church with the youth. The process of cleaning the concrete floor was really different from the U.S. We started by using a palm branch handheld broom to sweep out all the sand and trash, then spread soapy water all over the floor. Next we used the handheld broom to "mop" the floor and scrub up all the dirt. The dirt is slowly pushed toward the front door and down the stairs, then two buckets of clean water are added to continue pushing the dirt and suds out the door. Finally, damp cloths are used to get the suds, and then towels to dry the floor... and all this is done by bending over and doing it by hand! It was quite a process!

On Thursday we attended a youth service and soccer game. Sarah and I got to giggling in the service when the little girls on our laps fell asleep... Her's started snoring, then my little girl twitched and her hand landed on Jordan's thigh! It was pretty hard to get ourselves back under control after that.

This morning I'm writing after an all night service!! We got to the church we cleaned around 3 yesterday and waited around for 5 hours without really anything to do... We tried our hand at singing, practiced some of our dance moves, and made friends with some of the children. Around 8 we joined the hoards of people walking along the highway and made our way to a restaurant to share dinner with the NYI council! We had chicken with tomatos and onions and aticca (similar to rice)! The service began at 9:30 and the church was packed! It was mostly youth, but several adults attended, too. The routine was - pray, sing & dance, worship, listen to a preacher, pray... repeat three times! That's right, it was a 9 hour long service!! The singing and dancing was definitely my favorite part, especially since I'm starting to recognize some of the songs, even if I don't know what they say! The sermons were difficult to stay attentive to, between listening thru an interpreter, it being the wee hours of the morning, and each sermon going over an hour... The first preacher, however, completely stopped a song to walk to the back of the church and tap a sleeping couple to wake up, then the song started back up! The last preacher had a tough audience, there were only about 5 people awake!! By the time the sun came up and the service ended around 6:30 this morning, I felt pretty accomplished!

We spent two hours walking around downtown Abidjan after the service this morning, then got to see the President's quarters here - the equivalent of the White House. Tonight we eat with Pastor Djédjé's family! Please pray for safe travels as we finish our program tomorrow, come back to the U.S. on Wednesday, debrief at El Paso, then come home on Sunday!!!

Only a Week Left!!

Again, I can't believe how quickly time is flying by!! We finished our last weekend in Yamoussoukro and are now back in Abidjan for the remainder of our trip. Logan was pretty sick on Saturday this past weekend, so we all laid low for the day. The Sellers had us over one more time to say goodbye and we enjoyed dessert and watched A Knight's Tale! To finish the night, we all joined hands and Mr. Sellers prayed over everyone. On Sunday we headed to church where Jordan preached an awesome message! God truly spoke through him.

After the sermon, Pastor Prowell told the congregation that we were an example of sacrifice for coming this summer... But to me, the way Ivoirians give to the church, share meals with us, and even give us gifts is a much better picture of sacrifice. On Saturday one of our favorite church members Betty gave us dresses and dress shirts she'd made for us, so we wore those to the church service! Then after the message, they gave us Baule scarves, another set of dresses/dress shirts with the traditional African print, and the fabric they tie around their waists to make a skirt! At the end of the service, the congregation filed past us again to say goodbye. Keeping with Cote d'Ivoire tradition, the women gave us three kisses on the cheek, and the men gave us three head bumps to show love and respect. Later in the afternoon, another of our favorite women Josie gave Sarah & I jewelry and the boys little vases, as well.

Aside from the gifts on Sunday, we had a few other adventures as well. We went to watch the feeding of the alligators at the President's old palace area. First we watched a man tease them with a live, tethered chicken that they snapped at, then Logan paid six dollars to launch a live chicken into the center of the alligators... It zigzagged a few steps and avoided about 5 alligators before being eaten. As we waited for the men to bring meat to feed the rest of the alligators, a big military vehicle pulled up. Logan got to talking with the men, and found out that they were Bangladesh men from the UN army. Since the alligators weren't being fed, we quickly became the main attraction; The men lined up to take pictures with the Americans... especially Sarah and I! We just giggled and held on to each other in the middle of all those guys! Eventually they brought back a giant leg of an ox, hacked it to pieces, and threw it into the alligators! We ended the night at a restaurant with Pastor Prowell, Pastor and Mrs. Gomez, and our friend Rubin, watching the World Cup finals!! Sarah and I were happy to say we supported Spain for a couple weeks now, and they won :)

Yesterday we spent the day traveling back to Abidjan, settling into our verrry spacious guest house again, doing laundry, getting groceries, and resting! Please pray for physial wellness and energy for our bodies during this final week of service in Africa!!

"Black People are Weller"

It's hard to believe how fast the time is flying by here! Our friends here often ask us to stay for another month! We began this week as last week, spending time with people in the neighborhood. Pastor Gomez usually asks if anyone knows English and has them come practice with us. We met a young man leaving school one day who said he had his English oral exam the following day. We were talking with him for a while when he said, "White people are well.... But black people are weller!" The communication never ceases to be a form of entertainment both for us and the people we're trying to speak with! Through our time here, I've also grown accustomed to the importance of greeting people. In a conversation similar to many we have, we shook hands as we approached, when we were introduced, when we were introduced by our new Baule names, as we left, and when we finally said goodbye! I now understand why Professor Swanepoel, my professor from South Africa, was so offended when she entered saying, "Good afternoon!" and only one or two replied!

On Wednesday this week, we traveled to the village of Zimbakro. In the "backa" (the 15-passenger van with 20 plus people) I sat shoulder to shoulder with a man carrying a briefcase on his lap and an alive, bound chicken hanging between his legs! That put a new spin on the chicken I've been ordering every night! I loved all the sweet children who followed us around, eventually two or three taking each of our hands! It is not unusual to see village children wearing threadbare clothes and having a protruding stomach from malnutrition.

Yesterday we enjoyed a day of rest. Some of us ventured to the market here, and we've discovered a city block's worth of hidden stalls of merchandise behind the storefronts. The paths between stores create a maze between the clothing stores, salons, and a fresh food market (with LOTS of fish), all hidden from the streets and covered with various tarps, umbrellas, and tin roofing. A family from the church had us over for lunch and made all of the things we order in the restaurants - french fries, salad, and charbroiled chicken! Their hospitality was so meaningful to us.

Today we spent time with over 100 children from the neighborhood again! Leigh and Joe joined us, and made the perfect Goliath for our story once Leigh was on Joe's shoulders! Another highlight of the morning was playing leap frog. Once the guys realized it was too difficult for the smallest children, Jordan and Joe began taking the arms of the last child and carrying him or her above the rest of the kids to the front of the line! You can imagine how much fun they had.

The next update will be from Abidjan... We will be very sad when the time comes to leave our friends here in Yamoussoukro on Monday!

A Busy Week in Yamoussoukro!

We have had a busy and fulfilling week of work for the kingdom here in Yamoussoukro! Each day we've been in the neighborhoods surrounding the school where the Nazarene church meets. A typical neighborhood has dozens of small compounds, where one compound may have three or four concrete buildings that make up the sides and surround a central area. The small buildings then have three or four rooms each, representing the homes of three or four families. After spending time in these areas this week, it seems that all of the activity takes place outside the rooms, aside from sleeping. Women cook, people come and go to the outhouses, laundry is done by hand and dries on lines hung between trees, and mothers bathe their children in buckets of soapy water. We spent three days in these homes inviting people to church on Sunday and telling them about Jesus. Pastor Gomez and 3-7 laypeople came with us each time to translate. There are 60 different tribal languages in Cote d'Ivoire, with Baule being most common here. Many times we speak in English to Pastor Gomez, who translates it to French, and a woman from the church translates it to Baule. Through the language barriers, the message was evident and it was incredible to see several lives led to the Lord, and many more seeds planted. At each stop we made, we prayed for the people of that household. Many times we prayed for the sick, and at one home, a women told us that we'd been an answer to a dream she had. In her dream three nights before, people had circled her and prayed she would be healed... exactly what we'd done. Talk about getting goosebumps!

We were also able to minister to the children of the neighborhood two days this week, and had around 100 children each day! Again, it is incredible to have the opportunity to explain the salvation colors from a soccer ball to 100 kids who might otherwise never hear about Jesus. On the second day, Pastor Gomez prayed the sinner's prayer, and dozens of children followed along. I'm hunbled at the ways God moves. Our team believes we've already been able to work with over 1,000 different children this summer!! The boys got to play soccer and share the gospel with the youth on Saturday night, while Sarah and I were occupied with all the neighborhood children watching.

Sunday morning we attended the Nazarene church. We were slightly confused when we asked Pastor Gomez what time service started (8:30) and what time he'd pick us up (8:30). It quickly became evident that the first hour is for church members to trickle in, while we prayed and sang. Pastor Gomez did a Sunday School lesson, then we moved directly into the celebratory worship - aka sing, dance, and sweat! After we finished, they brought us up front, where we stood awkwardly until they handed us the microphones and explained that we were singing for the congregation. We pulled off He Will Make a Way, Amazing Grace, and He's God the Whole World in His Hands! During the time of testimony, several said that they had come for the first time based on the invitations given during the week. Logan got to preach the message and Pastor Gomez translated for the congregation. Based on the number of "Hallelujahs!" I think they were blessed :)

Because Sunday was the 4th of July, the Sellers invited us over to relax! We appreciated their hospitality, especially on a day we were all missing home so much! They grilled hamburgers, and we had french fries, plantain, and apple cobbler!! Who knew how much better American food and American company could make you feel? We are truly blessed by their generosity. We finished the night with a movie, lots of talking, and laughter. We have a day off today, so we went to the market this morning, then met Joe and Leigh at the pool of a nice hotel in town. It's been warm and sunny here, and we really enjoyed a day to relax!

The rest of our week will be similar to this past week. We typically wake up at 7:30 and eat omlettes at the hotel restaurant at 8. They use different ingredients every day! From 9-11 we do whatever is on the program for the day, then eat salads back at the hotel. From about 1-4 we rest - read, nap, make bracelets, watch soccer - then 4-6 we do the program again. We finish with dinner at another restaurant within walking distance. We only have 3 weeks until we're back at home - please pray that we finish strong for His kingdom!!

Hello, Yamoussoukro!!

We've arrived safely to Yamoussoukro and we LOVE it here already! We traveled on a coach bus, by ourselves for our first public transportation! Pastor Djedje and Parfait got us all set, buying tickets, getting us bread and water for the trip, putting our luggage away, and getting us insurance for the bags, just in case! The trip was uneventful and took a little under four hours. We stopped a few times so the food vendors could come up to the windows if people needed a snack. There was also a short "bathroom" break when about twenty men and the driver got off the bus and went to the bathroom facing the field, not minding the coach bus and highway behind them! It was not an equal opportunity.

Pastor Prowell, the District Superintendent for the Central Distric of Cote d'Ivoire, picked us up at the bus station and took us to our hotel. The Catholic guest house we were supposed to stay in wasn't available, so we have two of the three rooms at this small hotel. Sarah and I estimate our room is about 9' x 9', including the bathroom! Really, the bed takes up most of the room! In the bathroom, the toilet is about a foot away from the showerhead, with no separation of a curtain or tub, just a drain in the corner. We haven't really figured out how to shower without soaking the entire bathroom yet! We went to Pastor Prowell's home and met Pastor Gomez, the pastor of the Nazarene church here. We had rice and fish around 5, talked for a bit, then walked back to the hotel to clean up. Around 8, we walked back to the pastor's house for dinner! This time they cooked American food for us :) We had french fries, fried chicken, deviled eggs, and bread!

On each of our walks around the city here, we marveled at how different Yamoussoukro is from Abidjan! The people here describe the city as one big village, and that's really how it feels. The roads are large and we can walk six across without any worry of traffic. Actually, a car only goes by every minute or two, not like the traffic in Abidjan with taxis honking at us every 20 seconds and people trying to sell things to us. It is very spacious, very quiet, and feels like the country. We love seeing the green landscape and smelling the fresh air! It is really wonderful.

Today was scheduled for a day of rest, but thankfully the Sellers picked us up this morning so we weren't in our tiny rooms for the day. Their son Leigh and his friend Joe are here on holiday from the high school they board at in Senegal. Today we saw what I think is the most incredible man-made structure I've seen in my entire life - the Catholic Basilica of Yamoussoukro. Mr. Sellers dropped the six of us off and we got a tour from a man who knew English. (The guys are bilingual, so that helps, too!) The basilica is the tallest cathedral in the entire world! Our guide told us that crews worked day and night for three years to create it, a 40 story building could fit inside the cathedral, and the entire sides are made of stained glass with Biblical pictures. Words cannot explain the majesty of the building! Please Google pictures and see for yourself!

After our outing, Mr. Sellers drove us around showing the area, then we came to their beautiful home for lunch! They have a very large porch with flower bushes and ivy growing up the sides. They have lawn furniture and a huge table where we ate. Their yard is full of flowers and shrubs, and again, it's so quiet and relaxing here! We are all extremely grateful for their hospitality and for helping us get used to the area. In fact, I'm using Leigh's computer to post this right now! Tomorrow we're heading into a village to pray and hand out tracs, so pray for opportunities there!

Okay, I Lied...

THIS is the last update from Abidjan, I promise :)

We've had an incredible last few days that I'd really like to share before we leave. Yesterday we met with the youth from six churches in the district and cheered on their soccer teams! Before the tournament started, we passed out tracs to people on the streets and the firemen at the complex where the teams were playing. The games were exciting and fun to watch - Logan & Jordan were even able to join teams! (and Jordan's team won overall!) The rainy season really has cooled down the weather here, so we enjoyed an overcast day in the 70s and finally got a little tan. It was unfortunate that Ghana beat U.S. last night, but I have to admit, it was pretty sweet to sit in my room and hear the cheers, honking, and excitement on the streets at the end of the game!

Today was one of the first days I felt like I finally had a routine down. I know now to expect our hosts after the time they tell us, to plan for 20-50 more children than they estimate, and to hold to plans very, very loosely! I've finally picked up on things like eating a big breakfast so I don't feel sick, but not too big that I can't finish a huge lunch after church! I expect to walk through the slums on the way to church and see children hardly dressed, living conditions that are less than suitable, and trash everywhere. I know that we will be welcomed with incredible hospitality, told that their church is our home, and applauded as if we've done more for them than just attended a service. With all of this in mind, we traveled to Macedonia Church of the Nazarene today. We were met with a warm reception, as always, and took part in their worship and dance! We had so much fun.

After worship we spent time with the children explaining salvation through the colors on the soccer ball sent from the Nazarene Gol 2010 project. Gol also sent hacky sacks in the same colors, which we were able to hand out today! The idea is that the children will share the message of salvation with their friends and families... I was proud that the Nazarene church saw an opportunity to witness through soccer and the World Cup this summer! (Most of our teams this summer were given four soccer balls, one smaller one, and 75 hacky sacks to leave in their country) We had a wonderful meal of rice with onions and sauce, fish, and passion fruit juice for lunch! Today was the first day my plate looked like the Africans' when they are finished with no help! It was a serious accomplishment :) We finished the day by watching the Germany-England game with our new friends back at our house. We teased them about missing us these next two weeks we are away, but truly, I know I'll miss them! Abidjan is really starting to feel like home, believe it or not. I'm reminded that God doesn't call us to be comfortable, and our work in this country isn't finished. So we head to our next adventure, confident in His power.

One Last Update from Abidjan!

This will be the last post in the city of Abidjan before we head to Yamoussoukro for two weeks (June 28-July 11)! We worshiped on Sunday in the church in Abobo where we've visited before for the daycare and The Jesus Film. We made the children bracelets out of the salvation colors and explained what they meant. They loved them!

After Sunday School we sat in the three hour service! Berènjè translated for us, and it was a great message with a dynamic pastor... I thought he was going to lose his voice!

On Monday we cleaned the headquarters where the school, church, and HIV/AIDS clinic are located. The amount of dirt, sand, and dust on the floors was unbelievable, so I really felt like we accomplished a great deal by the time we finished.

Sarah and I had been seeing World Cup commercials promoting Africa United. The commercials take famous players from all of the African teams and they have on awesome yellow shirts that say Africa United. Everywhere we drove, we kept an eye out for the shirt so we could buy them, but they were no where to be found. On the news we finally caught a glimpse of people wearing the shirts in an area called an African United Village. It looked like a huge festival with music, soccer games, and activities. We asked Parfait and Berènjè about the shirts, and they told us they were only promotional, not for sale. Before we began cleaning on Monday, Parfait told us we might be able to get the shirts... We were so excited! We got into taxis later that evening thinking we were headed for the black market, but we pulled up at the Abidjan African United Village!! Berènjè said he had spent the afternoon trying to get the shirts and it was very difficult... Not knowing what to expect, we followed the guys over to jumbotron where a World Cup game was playing and at least 600-700 people sat in chairs watching. We met the general manager of the village and were escorted to the VIP tent! A few minutes later, Berènjè walked over with shirts for all of us!! At half time, everyone turned their chairs to face the opening in front of the tent, and two men with mikes, a camera person, and girls with tshirts came out. The crowd went crazy trying to catch a shirt, and they brought a few out to play a game and win prizes... The the camera turned to the Americans in the VIP tent and they approached us! We were given a microphone one by one and had to answer questions about where we were from and what Cote d'Ivoire players we knew, all while hundreds of people looked us on the huge screen! Needless to say, we looked like quite a troupe after having cleaned all day and hardly being about to answer in French... But we got our shirts!!!

We spent the day yesterday outside Abidjan in an old French town and at the beach! We'd never seen 20 foot waves before, but they were incredible!! Sarah and I enjoyed the water from a little farther back so we weren't swept away :)

All the guys at the beach!



I've also been meaning to share the Scriptures God laid on my heart in El Paso. I've been reading Isaiah 61 and Psalm 37 daily, and I'm in the book of Acts right now. It reminds me of the church here in Cote d'Ivoire that is vibrant and passionate for Christ. God is moving here!!

A Few Photos!

Our family group in El Paso, Texas on June 30. Nate (teal), Sarah (black), Estella (green), and Nate (red) are serving in Mexico this summer! My teammates are Sarah (blue), Logan (white), and Jordan (plaid)!


This is the dining room of the Baptist guest house we currently live in in Abidjan!


Slums like these line the highways everywhere we drive in Abidjan.


This was our first group - Armstrong school at Trinity Church of the Nazarene!


A few of the kids we met in our first time to Abobo at the daycare.


Contrary to how this may appear... this is a road!


Visiting a church outside Abidjan last Sunday... The walk when I realized we're finally here!


The Nazarene church in Divo where we spent three days last week.


Sarah and I on a boat this Friday! We went with the NYI council members and some of the youth from the district to an island for the day! It was beautiful and relaxing. The guys swam, and we played basketball, soccer, and volleyball, and just relaxed.


Here is the group of the youth and council on Friday... We found out that "youth" in Africa are ages 15-30! Berènjè is standing on the far right, Rita is sitting in the front in white, and Parfait is directly behind her in white. We hang out with these three the most!

On Friday night, we heard English outside our home during dinner. It turns out that a missionary couple (the Sellers) from the Church of God are staying on our compound! They came in to chat and told us they've lived in Yamoussoukro for 15 years now. (Yamoussoukro is where we spend June 28 - July 11). They were very kind and invited us to dinner once we got to town... About 15 Nazarene missionaries used to live near the Sellers, but had to be removed for safety recently. The Sellers spoke highly of the missionaries and their hospitality, and said they'd love to pass it on to us. We really appreciate any time we can relax with Americans and we're excited to spend time with the Sellers in the next couple of weeks!

Saturday tested our patience once more in terms of timing... We were told we'd be picked up at 9 and they came at 2:30! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it! We spent Saturday afternoon with the children of the district. They had a singing competition, dancing competition, a rap, a skit, and a fashion show all at once! My team led a few games, then they had the championship soccer game between two churches! The best part was Logan trying to ref the game over the youth band's extremely loud music and a man who doubled as a commentator and backup singer, however the Lord led him :)

We spent Sunday in Abobo (the church from the daycare day) with the children and then worshipping with the congregation. Sarah and I made bracelets for the kids with the salvation colors and Jordan explained what each color meant... They're a great testimony! The service was about three hours long. After singing slower songs and praying over the service, we got into the loud singing and dancing that they love so much! Everyone dances forward to put their offering in a basket, then into a separate basket, those who made money during the week put their tithe in. The pastor introduced all of the church leaders to our team, too! He preached for about an hour... I thought he would be hoarse by the end, the way he preached! He was very charismatic and the congregation loved him. We were blessed to have Berènjè translate (it can be a little difficult when he doesn't!)

Pastor Djèdjè is sick today, so no French, but we're looking forward to our last week serving in Abidjan for a while!

African Names...

I almost forgot the congregation at Divo gave us new names! Sarah is Akissi and Logan is Kouadis... which both mean fast walker! Jordan's name is Konan, or "cool," and mine is Aya, for "simple." I don't think I've ever been called simple before, just ask my family or Chris! :)

Boyage to Divo!

The beginning of our week we were blessed to visit a town about three hours away called Divo! Getting there was quite an adventure, though! We left by taxi, and were warned by Berènjè to keep our belongings close and follow them closely once we arrived to the bus station. I was in a taxi with Logan and Rita (th NYI treasurer of this district) when we hit traffic. A young man approached the taxi and began yelling things to the driver and Rita. He would kiss the windows trying to make us laugh, direct us through traffic, and then be back to yelling through the windows. Soon he had another friend with him. They obviously wanted money, and we had no where to go. Once traffic began moving, they jumped on the back and on top of the taxi and rode it to the bus station where we hit yet another jam and were joined by 2 more friends! Now there were four pretty big men surrounding our taxi, along with many other people and cars... I started to get a little nervous, especially when they banged on the windows or tried to open the car doors (don't worry, I locked mine right away!). Eventually Parfait emerged from the crowd and joined our taxi, and we also saw the pastor from the construction site and another man we recognized outside. We jumped out and were herded, more or less, to the "bus" we were taking. A bus is similar to a 12 or 15 passenger van with about 20 people and luggage packed in. Our friends followed us to the bus, and then one crossed the line. He touched my leg asking for money, and I sternly said "NO, NO!" and waved my hand in his face. Thank goodness "no" is universal! I turned back around to the bus and all of my teammates and hosts were laughing at me. What an experience. After about 40 minutes sitting in the bus, we gave them the equivalent of a dollar and they left us alone. What a hassle to get a dollar! Berènjè said, "They are only kidding... But don't smile."

We traveled for about 2.5 hours into the countryside to Divo, a town of about 10,000. We checked into our "hotel," which was much more like a motel in the United States. It had a bed and a small table with a tv, but couldn't have been any bigger than 9' x 15' total. On a positive note, we had air condition! On a negative note, the one towel was dirty, so Sarah and I used our shirts... All in the experience, I guess! We met with people from the local Nazarene church in a common outdoor room for dinner, which the women from the church carried on their heads. As we noticed Sunday, the women and children don't eat at the table, they prepare the food for men and guests, then eat leftover or simple food after the table is cleared. It's very humbling to be served so generously. After dinner (rice & fish), we took a walk for about an hour to see the area around our hotel. We saw many cows, goats, sheep, and even army ants, as well as a lot of their agriculture!

After dinner we went to the pastor's home to set up The Jesus Film. It wasn't until after we were entirely set up that the question was raised... Where do we get electricity? How differently minds work here! That issue took another 45 minutes or so to solve, but the boys figured it all out. In all, over 400 people watched the film, and 19 said they would like to receive Christ at the end! Here, they take the names of those who come forward, then visit them in the next days to personally talk to and disciple them, which I think is really neat. Because the film didn't finish until 11:30, there were no more taxis, so from 12-1 am we walked back to our hotel with our "convoy," as I call them. This is the group from whatever church we've visited that walks with us until we get a cab usually. On Monday night I was especially grateful for the 11 adults and several kids who walked with us, especially once we got to the dirt path where we used cell phones to light the way and had to cross paths with the army ants again! Some of our friends headed home during the walk, but at least 5 men came all the way and would have to return the entire distance. Again, the hospitality is amazing here.

We were woken at 9 on Tuesday morning by the pastor who was all ready to go! They got us a delicious breakfast of bread, orange juice concentrate (didn't figure that out until too late... we thought that's how it tasted in Africa!), and hot chocolate! Because they had to go get the food, it arrived around 11:30 and we finished "breakfast" at noon! The pastor planned on shuttling us back and forth to the church on his motorcycle, but somewhere we made a wrong turn... and he never found us. We ended up walking for another hour in the mid-day heat (and I mean HEAT) to the church! Cote d'Ivoire played their first World Cup game on Tuesday, and they explained that everything shuts down on these days! We ate our lunch around the television watching the game. This was another community meal of fish and rice, the kind where we eat with our hands! There was also a sauce of vegetables... Sarah and I had the non-spicy kind and it was hot!! We also had papaya and oranges, then they brought out fouton and more fish! Lots of food :)

After our meal, Sarah and I asked to use the restroom. We had to walk with three men about 7 minutes through town to a Jewish church where we asked to use the toilet. And Parfait had to buy us toilet paper... Awkward :) We spent time at the church in the afternoon, playing with the kids and taking pictures with about everyone in the congregation. Sarah says we're like Disney characters here! We set up the second film once it got dark - an African movie with a Jesus-like character. This time, Sarah and I made friends with many of the little girls... They surrounded us, petting our arms and legs, playing with our hair, and pressing buttons on our watches! We both ended up with a little girl on our lap for the film, too. This movie had almost 800 in attendance and 30 came forward at the end - so incredible. We were blessed to be a part of this different culture and their path to the cross. Fortunately, we caught a taxi after only an mile or so of walking Tuesday night.

On Wednesday we were back at the pastor's house for my favorite meal yet - breakfast! We had oats with condensed milk and bread. As much as I have been enjoying the culture here, I finally began to feel the strain (I've been anticipating this!). Logan helped me understand that every location is more and more out of my comfort zone. In El Paso, I wanted to be home. Once we got to Abidjan, I wanted to be in El Paso. This time in Divo, I was ready to come back to our guest house in Abidjan. This was the first time we've been submerged in their day-to-day living. We saw the front porch as a kitchen, the lack of water and power, and just a general feeling of oppression... It was definitely outside of my comfort zone. After a 2.5 hour wait at the bus station for the seats to all sell, we took a coach bus back home. We were very tired and ready to be back when we finally arrived at the guest house around seven. Sarah and I spent the evening doing laundry, taking showers, and writing in our journals. We are all very very thankful for a free day today to relax, connect with our friends and fa,ily, and get more groceries! The sun is out today, there's a nice breeze, and it is a beautiful day here half way around the world!!!

We sometimes feel disconnected from the world, and I know people from all of our friends and family are reading about our adventures... If you are following my blog, would you mind posting a comment with your name so we can all see who is reading? Thank you so much!!

Love, Paige

We're Finally Here!!!

... That's what I kept saying to myself today. We took a taxi, then a bus finally out to the country, finally away from the busy city! We walked for about ten minutes in silence - no taxis honking! - until we reached a small, thatch-roofed, wood structure... The countryside is breathtaking... dirt roads, lush forest, and rolling hills. The small structure was the Nazarene church, and with our team, Parfait, Berenje, and Rita (the NYI treasurer) we doubled the church's adults! Parfait preached and we sang and danced to worship, then did a small skit for the children and got the parachute out. My favorite part of the day was walking the dirt road to the pastor's home, holding hands with two precious girls, thinking... this is how I imagined our trip would be! The hospitality was wonderful. We shared a meal at a table for eight under an awning of of branches and the leaves of a passion fruit tree that kept the rain from getting us wet. We ate le foutou, a banana and plantain mix, with fish and a spicy sauce. It was wonderful to worship with this small community of Nazarene believers!

On Friday night this weekend we shared The Jesus Film with a community in the slums... They taught us a French phrase to invite people and we walked around... Then around 300 people came to see it! Jordan issued the call at the end, and while no one went forward, many prayed the sinner's prayer out loud, and we have great faith that the Holy Spirit was planting seeds in that community!

On Saturday we spend the day at a youth competition for the district involving singing, preaching, and Bible quizzing! We were sweating pretty badly about three hours into it, and I finally looked up and realized heat was radiating doan from the metal ceiling! You can pray that our team fights the nausea we feel in the extreme temperatures or with very strong smells here... It may seem silly, but it really affects our ministry when one of us isn't feeling well! The competition/hot box lasted from 9-3, so we were pretty tired afterward! Fortunately the World Cup has begun, so now we have another activity for our free time!!

We covet your prayers and I firmly believe that God is actively working through you half way around the world! Tomorrow we're leaving for a two-night trip to Divo where we will share The Jesus Film... Expect another update Thursday :)

Love,
Paige

Rainy Season is Here!!

That's right, we've had a ton of rain this week!! We've had days we just walk in the rain, and one night it was pouring to walk from the supermarket home with all of our groceries! The biggest imâct the rain makes is on the dirt roads. It kind of feels like a roller coaster ride going thru them in a taxi, and you have to have a strong stomach! The roads are basically reduced to "potholes," or big puddles! Along with our driving, I realized yesterday that most of the roads have no middle yellow line! That's why we drive in the opposite lane to pass cars. When the taxis pass in the left hand lane and another car is coming, the drive becomes a little like the game of chicken, and the first one to swerve gives. It's a little nerve-wracking!

This week we've discovered that we have a ton more free time than we thought! We're really doing about 3 hours of work each day, plus driving time, then we have lots of time to just hang out! We've been reading, making bracelets, playing card games, and watching Disney movies on Sarah's laptop! (This week we've seen Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin :) Last night we even busted out the coloring books and crayons we brought for the kids and colored for 3.5 hours while we listened to country music and sang along!

We've had a couple of funny miscommunications this week that lead us to remember to be flexible... Monday morning we woke up at 7:45 to find our host Parfait already in the kitchen and 5 missed calls from him on our little cell phone we bought... oops! So Tuesday morning we got up at 7 to make sure we were ready.. And our hosts didn't arrive until 1! Oh well, we're getting used to it :)

On Tuesday we went to the market, thinking it would be a nice place to find souveniers! We were immediately ushered into a small room where Berénjé's brother has an office, and the Berénjé and Parfait went to scope out pants for the guys. After they located the "store," the guys were allowed to go out and look at the pants while Sarah and I waited. There was no souvenier buying to be done. Once business was finished, we were escorted through the mud and trash on the ground, and told to keep our belongings as close to us as possible! I walked through the rain clutching my purse to my chest thinking, "Hope our friends and families aren't disappointed if we don't have anything to bring back!!" It was just a little different than we expected :)

On Wednesday, we traveled back to the headquarters to work with children with families affected by HIV/AIDS. We weren't sure what kind of numbers to expect, but we ended up with 130 kids in a room no bigger than 15 x 30 feet! We played games for about three hours, and the children's joy, as aways, was so evident. When I heard them scream in excitement, I reminded myself that it was five or ten minutes they weren't worrying about mom or dad being sick, or how they would eat at night. On Thursday we had the opportunity to walk through the slums to a Nazarene church under construction and help them for a bit. The church used to function, but a storm took off the roof. The pastor explained his vision of a church, pastor's home, medical clinic, and nursury for the community that is so lacking these things. He said the goal of the church was to reach and save all of the children in the area! What a cool thing to be a small part of!! After we worked, they brought a mixing bowl-size dish of rice, beans, and two whole fish for about seven of us to share. We ate with our right hand, as is the custom here, and at the end, only two fish tails remained! I thought it was a neat moment of community between two cultures. We ended the day by joining hands and singing and praying together.

Thanks for your continued prayers!! We need them very much to continue dealing with team dynamics, culture adjustment, and the ever present language barrier! God is good and He is working!!

June 5-7

Hello from Africa! Our team has planned to use Sundays for updates and Internet, but on days like today when we're done by noon, it seemed like a great time to let friends and family know how we're doing. There is so much to share, and we're constantly wondering how we'll ever explain it once we get home. Don't worry, we are all taking lots of pictures to help!
On Saturday, I'd say we encountered our most difficult day yet. We went into a slum area to a small Nazarene church. By small, I mean twenty feet by twenty feet with a stage in the front and made up of wooden planks. The church functions as a preschool for fifteen kids in the slum, and our host Parfait is the manager. We of course planned for fifteen children, but quickly realized that our white skin is very interesting to the children of the neighborhood. We ended up with at least sixty children in the small church, playin with the soccer ball, learning Red Light Green Light, and just sharing laughs and hugs. The children here are all hungry for attention. Once they warmed up to us, we each had ten children hanging onto our hands, shoving to sit near us, petting us (haha!) and even pulling out pieces of our hair! They are incredibly sweet and joyful.
Leaving the church, we had to walk for wbout ten minutes through the area they lived. It really affected each of us to have been playing with these sweet children, then thrust into the reality of their circumstances. There is more trash and stench than you can imagine, dirt roads, some washed out leaving ten foot long puddles that we drove through to come in... Children in various states of having been clothed, and mothers looking at you from rows and rows of shacks and boarded up rooms used as homes. It is heartbreaking.
Our hosts took us to the zoo, where we saw many animals, especially monkeys! Sarah and I handed bananas to monkeys that werent part of the zoo, but ran right up to us... And we even fed the elephant that has no fence whatsoever, just a five-foot wall that it balanced on sometimes! We also stood about five feet away from two lions separated from us by a link chain fence. So if anyone wants to know if I saw those animals in Africa, I can say I did... in a zoo :) Sarah pointed out that we became a zoo attraction once we sat down for lunch... A mother brought her children to say hi, and another large group of Muslim kids walked over to wave to us!
We were exhaustedwhen we returned home on Saturday... physically and emotionally. Three of us just went to sleep for two hours before dinner, unable to think about what we'd seen anymore. Dinner was quiet that night. I wrote about our friend Leslie in the last blog, but I need to reiterate her profound importance to us. She has been stranded here for the past 3 weeks waiting on a car part, but I know it was so she would be here to help us. Saturday night was her last night before heading back to the tribe she lives with. She came in later at night and talked with us for an hour about everything we were seeing and feeling. She reminded us that we don't have to be brave every day, we're allowed to say we hate it here or we really miss home... But most importantly, she reminded us that we cannot change the circumstances around us. Yes, we must live wisely, but the only thing that lasts is God's love and salvation... And especially with our language barrier, that's all we can hope to convey. She prayed for each of us and encouraged us... I know God was with us that night. Please pray for her, if you think of it. I know our team was greatly blessed by her wisdom and understanding this past week.
By Sunday, we had recovered. We went to the Nazarene "headquarters" of the district to be introduced in church and play with the kids. Once again, we're learning to be flexible as our numbers doubled once the neighborhood kids saw us outside playing games. We acted and shared the story of the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep on Sunday, and even taught them Jesus Loves Me! We were completely blown away, however, when they began singing. Their four teachers harmonized beautifully, one young man played the drum, and they sang so loudly and joyously, with all ofd their hearts! It was incredible. Of course there was dancing involved! We pretty much had a mosh pit in the middle of Sunday School. Can you imagine the heat of 90+ degrees, plus humidity, plus 100 children singing and dancing? It was a joy to sweat right along with them. Again, we were exhausted after about 3.5 hours with the children... We sat in on a church council meeting, then walked to find a taxi. Stqnding right outside the church, a group of kids gqthered and were waving and giggling. They started chanting something, and we waved back and laughed... Walking away, I asked Parfait what they'd been saying... They were chanting "You are white! You are white!" We're still laughing at that! Part of our walk took us through a huge landfill where children were playing. It was unlike anything I've ever seen.
Today we went back to the headquarters for a French lesson, and after the Internet we'll go to the store! We usually get bread from the bakery in the morning, eat leftovers or sandwiches for lunch, and cook for dinner... I really enjoy our meals together, devotional time in the mornings, and laughter around the table. Please continue to pray for our energy! It seems to be sapped quickly here, qs we continue to get used to our surroundings, the work we're doing, and the language barrier.

Love,
Paige

We're Here!!

On June 1, my team and I left El Paso, and around 7 pm Tuesday, we finally met our hosts! Travel was comfortable - I even watched Avatar as I ate my yummy dinner on one flight! I saw Paris in a flash... We ran through the airport in order to catch our flight, only to realize we had full water bottles at security. With no time to pour them out, we chugged them and continued at full speed... Little did I know I'd be sitting by the window and a very sleepy French couple who kept me in my seat for four hours! Though our luggage didnt arrive, we made it safely and were met by Pastor Djedje, the South Cote d'Ivoire superintendent, Beronje, the NYI president of the district, Parfact, the vice president, and another Nazarene pastor.
The men drove us to our guest house in Tu Plateau, which I've come to understand sits in the "Carmel" of Abidjan. The house sits on a compound shared by the groundskeeper, maid, and boss' houses. It is surrounded by a 12 foot locked, metal fence and two very ferocious-sounding doberman dogs! We have a dining room table for eight, four bedrooms (we share two) and a boys bathroom and one for the girls! Honestly, the walk in tile shower is nicer than mine at home, and we get hot water! What a surprise! We also have a living room and kitchen, and porch, where we currently have our first load of laundry hanging to dry (its been almost 24 hours, its too humid!)
Which brings me to the weather! it is very very very hot and humid. It rains in the afternoon and at night very hard, but the day is cloudy or sunny. We sweat alllll the time, even after a shower laying in bed for the night. But we just laugh and say what they taught us at camp - it's different, but it's okay!
I should also mention that a wonderful Christian missionary has been staying at our compound because of car trouble... What a blessing to have an American to talk to and explain things to us! Sh eassures us that the Ivoirians are very kind to Americans and it is quite safe here. We have never been jeered at or felt unsafe, which is wonderful!
Though the first night was overwhelming, things have become much more familiar... The first day, Parfact came to walk with us to the bakery for sweet bread for breakfast. We do that on our own now each morning, and eat around our table with stir in coffee! (hard to drink when it's so hot out!) It is refreshing in the morning to be among the many, many people walking the streets in the "cool." In the afternoon, Parfafct showed us the supermarket, about a mile in the other direction. It is within a small mall, and also has the clostest Internet! We also went with him to a small restaurant for lunch, then finally had our first dinner just the four of us - leftovers :)
Our second day - yesterday - Pastor Djedje picked us up and we drove 40 minutes to the Nazarene headquarters, passing incredible slums on the way. It was then that I realized our living circumstances are highly unusual. There are BMWs and Mercedes everywhere on the highway, as well as billboards for Gucci... All right next to the slums. The air is polluted black on the streets (sometimes when we blow our noses it's black!), and the people drive, as Jordan noticed, as if the road has three lanes when it has tzwo! There is a lot of honking and the taxis drive all the way up on the curb to pick you up! The headquarters is a church, offices, school, hospital, and HIV/AIDS counseling center all in one. We met ALL of the people who worked there :) After lunch, we had our first French lesson with Pastor Djedje, who used to teach French! It was very helpful. Last night we ventured to the supermarket alone and found it to be quite frustrating... Speaking very very limited French and not fully understanding conversions of their currency was difficult! (I should say that our hosts speak broken English, enough to get along and have many laughs together!) After getting in bed that night, we were scared awake when our luggage finally came!!
Finally, today we visited a Nazarene school, having prepared activities thinking there would be 50 kids. There were 220!! We had so much fun with the colorful parachute, soccer balls, and acting out the story of the lost sheep while Beronje interpreted. They really warmed up to us, and gave us so many hugs when it was time to leave. The tachers thanked us for bringing joy to the children... We were so blessed by the experience. We shared a meal with our friends Beronje and Parfact... We eat a lot of rice, chicken (on the bone - haha!) and plantains!
Well, my hour is up at the Internet cafe. Until next time, your prayers are greatly appreciated.

My Time in El Paso, Texas :)

I've spent the last 5 days here in El Paso training for my summer in Africa... What an incredible time! Though the days have been long and draining, they've been full of information to guide us through the summer. We've worked with our groups teambuilding, looking at our personality strengths, in wellness seminars, and in deep, intense worship together. We've learned how to take care of ourselves abroad, how to present our testimony, lead VBS, lead a Bible study, and communicate with our teammates. The incredible staff here have poured their hearts into our experience!
One of the biggest blessings has been our team leader Heather Eby. Her father is the site coordinator & a missionary to Senegal, so she has spent years in the areas we'll be visiting. Her cultural advice, encouragement, and enthusiasm is so helpful. We also received a tenative itenerary, including the Jesus Film, soccer camps, youth camp, HIV/AIDS awareness, visiting an orphanage, and much, much more.
A second huge blessing are my teammates!! I love them so much already. I have so much confidence in our abilities as a team and with God's help. Today we had the opportunity to go into the community and worship with any body of people we'd like. My teammates and I chose to take a few public buses (nothing like Mexio buses!) to the Islamic Center of El Paso. A kind man talked with us for over an hour about the beliefs of the Islamic community. The information will be wonderful, as Cote d'Ivoire is 84% Muslim. It was a great chance to be on our own as a team and work together. We know the journey will be incredible!
Tomorrow I leave from El Paso at 11 AM for Atlanta. After Atlanta, I'll fly through the night to Paris, France! [an 8.5 hour flight] We'll spend 2 hours in Paris, then take another 6.5 hour flight to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire... I can't believe it is finnnallly here!!!

Only 6 Days Away!

The packing has begun & the countdown is on... In 6 days (May 26) I'll fly to El Paso, Texas to join with my team and all of the other students preparing to part ways and spend our summers in all corners of the world! Each of us has come from different paths and callings to meet through Youth in Missions, but we all have the single goal of glorifying God through our experiences this summer. We will train together for 5 days in Texas, receive flight information on Sunday, May 30, and begin our travels on Monday, May 31!

My team consists of myself, Sarah, Logan, and Jordan, all students from Nazarene colleges around the country. We're heading to Cote d'Ivoire with the advice - be flexible! A little unnerving... but we've raised money, learned a little French, got vaccinations, prayed, packed (sort of!), and put this trip in God's hands.

Our contact from the Ivory Coast, Pastor Tim Elby, says we are the first missions team to come in 10 years since the war broke out, and that the local church is excited to receive us! Most of our time in Cote d'Ivoire will be spent in the city of Abidjan. Tim says, "The city is right on the coast with high rise buildings, modern roads and infrastructure, beautiful beaches, and even a small mall." May-July are Cote d'Ivoire's rainy months, so it will be a hot & humid summer! My teammates and I will stay in a small apartment during our time in Abidjan, and our host will be Reverend Djedje Yao Clement. The other portion of our time will be spent in the country's central district with Reverend Prao Kouakou. During our time in Africa, we'll be working in children ministries, youth events, outreach activities, and compassionate projects.

Thank you for your prayers as I make the final preparations for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Love,

Paige