So today was interesting. We went to Avia 2 today. It's a church (named for the area it is in). They are a very large church and I guess they have two services and I think Tim said that 800 people come to it. We saw where they have sunday school and their bookstore. We also saw where there pastor lives; he's the head of the national church, so he assigns churches to pastors and such. It was pretty neat to see. Everyone was really friendly; it would be nice if I could talk to them... 

I'm really excited about getting to go to a service here soon. Meredith said that they've been going to all the different alliance churches that are here. There are a lot of them in Libreville, but I forgot exactly how many...

Paul, Mike and Greg left today. So a lot of the day was going to hardware stores and finding screws and stuff that they're going to work out some plumbing or a water pump or something like that in Lakoni.  The hardware stores are funny, you walk around and when you find something you want you tell the person standing there and they right it down (you do not pick it up and carry it around, that makes them unhappy). Then you go and get the list printed. Then you take the receipt to the cashier at a different counter and then you pay. Then you take that up to another counter at the front of the store where they give you everything you just paid for. They're trying to avoid stealing which is apparently a problem with the customers and workers.

We went to the church after that and then to the Solvig's where we picked up Pauline's checked luggage (so the guys could take it to the train station early to get it checked) and then came back. I felt pretty sick this afternoon. So I just sorta watched everyone get ready so I rested and did some journaling and reading and napping. It was nice. Then we all headed out back to the Solvig's to pick up Pauline. 

The guys all kept picking on me because I wasn't going with them. They think I'm unadventerous (right, that's why I'm in Africa for a year), but I also think they thought I was quiet until we had to debate whether gymnastics was a sport or not and then whether Moby Dick and The Brothers Karamazov wouldn't be better books if they were shorter (which I am wholly against). They think it's funny that I'm an English major who doesn't want to write and doesn't particularly like reading. But it's just as well. Paul decided I should come along though and write a book about the trip. In the end though I stayed behind, mostly because I really want to find out what I'm going to be doing while I'm here and apparently this discussion will take place in the next day or two. Besides, Tim and Pauline said it really wasn't possible to get a ticket for me to go at this point. 

I did get a good chance to talk with Pauline on the way from dinner to the train station about her work. She is making the written language for Te Dengue (I actually have no idea how'd you spell that). She was originally in Congo doing this with Wycliffe, but because of the war she had to leave and they went to where she is now in Lakoni. They went there because they were supposed to be serving Gabon also, but didn't have the staff at the time. They also heard that the languages were similar, but later found that to be completely untrue. Then her group left, but she decided to stay. So she lives without electricity (although she's getting that soon I think), running water (to be changed in part by this team) and without interenet. She's had to learn the language figure out the grammar (it's a tonal language with two tones, and there verbs are insane with something like 20ish conjugations) and then she's creating an alphabet so that the Bible can be translated into this language. She's in need of people to do the translating though, but she wants the local's to do it because it is there language. It sounds like a very difficult task. Pauline said that translating the New testament will take 8-9 years and then if those same translators continue to do the Old Testament and assuming they are faster because of the experience then the OT will take about double that amount of time. She was really neat. 

On the way back from the train station Tim said that it would be really neat to be able to go and that hopefully they'll be able to get me out there for a bit. I hope so. It would be very cool to go, and they're pretty sure she might like the company.

So it's alright that I couldn't go this time. I could deal with some rest anyway. I was up too late talking about gymnastics and books and spiritual warfare all night. It was a lot of fun with the team here, there was always some heated conversation about something like Agriculture, bio-fuels(because Paul is a farmer), law (because Mike just graduated from Law school), or war (because Greg recently finished out several years in the army in Korea, Iraq and Iran). So there were lots of stories and joking around. 

I think the next few days will be much quieter. Tomorrow should be neat though, I get to meet Pastor Jacob (I think that's his name) and his wife and they have a new baby who is named after Tim because he drove the mother to the hospital when she was in labor (and a fire extinguisher went off in the van on the way making the van very dusty, which in turn made my shorts very dusty the other day...)

So, that's about it for today. Thank you for all your prayers!

Jessica

Moving and the beach

19 August 2008

 

Today we moved a bunch of stuff out of the Center that is the straw’s to take it to their new place. Then the guys went to the Bible school where more stuff was stored and got that all taken out of storage while Tim got a truck. But Tim got pulled over so things got exciting. I guess he was missing a document or something some rendevous with the police got thrown into the mix of loading the stuff from here and the bible school into the truck. Everything worked out though. We took it all to the Straw’s house and then went  back to the Solvig’s where the guys finished taking down the wall with a sledgehammer and screened the Solvig’s front door.

 

Sidenote: Jaunti is a funny kitty. I picked her up for a second and she’s in her cuddly mood which means she purrs like a motor and then wants to suck on your hand because she seems to think she’s nursing. But it’s a little tricky to type with a cat trying to lick you...

 

AnywayI helped get some things ready for lunch at the Solvig’s and gave some papers to Songoy so I can get my “carte de jour” (or something like that) it’s kinda like a visa I think except it means I live here (for a year anyway) and then I can just carry my little card instead of a copy of my passport.

 

There was a doctor from Mali and his wife and little girl at the Solvig’s too. I guess he’s going to learn surgery at Bongolo. He knew Barry and Terry Newman and Germain. So that was cool. He’s learning English because all the medical tests and things he’s going to have to take will be in English, so I got to talk to him a little bit. Then I played with Katie (the youngest Solvig). After that we went to the beach. It was fun. I learned how to body surf; I’m a lot better at drowning though. I kept going under the waves and sputtering. I’m not big fan of saltwater or sand, but it wasn’t too bad. I got used to the burning eyes and nose and lungs by the end. Ironically, it was cold (I never thought when packing thatI’d be cold here...) It was nice though.

 

The team of guys is leaving tomorrow to go out to the boonies and help a British missionary set up her plumbing, etc. better. She’s creating the written side of a language out there.

 

I think then we’re going to be talking some more about what exactly I’m going to be doing while here.

 

Thanks for all the messages guys!

 

Jessica

 

A Day at the Solvig’s

Got up at 7 and had breakfast with everyone today before we headed out to the Solvig’s to do some work.The guys did the hard work—they knocked down a wall to create a door between what will serve as the Solvig's kid's school room. It was impressive. here's a little video of it falling down:

I learned how to cook Pulet Yasso. It's a tasty chicken dish. Cheryl Solvig taught me how to make it. I helped out with Lunch and dinner. There is another missionary family coming soon (the Straws) and so they guys put screens over all their windows so the bugs don't get in and I helped sweep out the house.We went to a pastor's family's house too. They are taking care of 18 (I think) kids, some of them are their kids and the rest are abandoned children. We picked up some desks there that they had for the Solvig's kids to use because they are going to be homeschooled this year.I helped with some random chores too, like carrying some books to a different room and emptying out the room that they cut the door in. The rest of the time I took a nap, watched the olympics and read a book that Cheryl game me. So it was pretty awesome.We all had dinner together and then I played cards with Meredith and Cheryl and with the two younger Solvig girls, Stephanie and Katie. They stomped me, but it was fun.On the way back I got to ride in the back of the pick-up truck. It was exciting. No one thought I would do it. Ha. I'm tough :-p 

Anyway, it's been great to get everyone's messages and emails! Keep them coming; I love to hear from you all!

Also, prayer requests: my sleep schedule is all messed up, and I'm exhausted during the day, but I can't seem to fall asleep at night, so, I'd appreciate prayer that that would get worked out and I can sleep when I go to bed at night!

Au Revoir!

Jessica

Traveling -- parts 1-3

Travels Part 1

15 August 2008

 

So, I’m in the airport now (although I won’t be able to post it till I figure out if there’s wireless). For now  I’m just getting a cheeseburger because my first flight is late by a little over an hour.

 The itinerary (should you want to know where I’m at when) is generally:

6pm  fly from Cincinnati to NY

 

11 pm fly overnight from NY to Casablanca, Morocco

 

5 pm (Friday) fly from Casablanca to Libreville, Gabon

 

So I’ll arrive in Gabon about 11:30 pm Friday their time (5:30 Ohio time).

 

 

So far everything has been great. One of my bags was overweight and the guy said it would be $150. I had known there would be a fee but I only checked the domestic flight fee which was considerably less. The man at the counter explained that this would be the only fee and they would be checked through. I in turn explained that Royal Air Maroc allows 70lb bags so it wasn’t overweight for them, and my Delta flight is Domestic, (thus hopefully I could just pay the domestic fee). He went and checked on this, allowing me to clog up the bag-checking counter instead of carrying my bags (actually my parents and Kristi did most of the bag lugging for me...) to where he was going to have to check on Royal Air Maroc’s rules. He checked, and came back and didn’t charge anything after saying I met their guidelines. I was in shock that I wouldn’t have to pay anything at all, and decided not to question and find out the details there. Anyway, I think my Dad rightly summed it up by saying, “I think we’re in the part where God sees you through everything.” Yipee! So it should be smooth sailing (or actually, I hope just flying; I want my plane to have nothing to do with the ocean) from here!

 

Still I appreciate your prayers as I travel, that everything would go smoothly with my connections, and with my luggage, and the actual flying itself.

 

I miss everyone already!

 

Jessica

 

Travels part 2 – 16 August 2008

 

(The short story: I’m in Morocco, read on if you want copious details!)

 

If you think about it, the concept of anything “going smoothly” is really quite relative.

My travels have gone rather smoothly, but it’s certainly not what I was thinking of when I said that in part one.

 

I am not enjoying the Casablanca Airport during my 9 hour layover. It’s not a bad place.

If you look at my previously posted schedule you will notice that I ought to be in Gabon right now, but apparently God had other plans.

 

My travels were slightly disrupted by a storm on Thursday night, so instead of leaving at 4:40 as scheduled, or even the delayed time of 6pm, we left at 12am. They slowly changed the delayed time hour by hour. The time would creep towards the new departure schedule and then you would hear the sigh, the hushed  (or not so hushed as time went on) swear, or the unbelieving guffaw as the screen would stealthily, and unceremoniously change the departure time to yet another hour away. They gave our plane away. Then they notified us that our flight attendants were going home because there shift was over. This is understandable, but painful as they continued to announce that our new plane was to arrive at 9, and our flight attendents would arrive at 11. So close, and yet so far.

 

Eventually we did leave around midnight. We circled above NYC for probably half an hour, which I won’t complain about because I had a window seat and the city lights were absolutely stunning. It was like Christmas without the tacky colored lights (sorry Mom, I know you like them) or the blinking! It was really lovely.

 

My incredibly helpful and kind uncle, Michael came our to the airport at some ridiculously early (or late?) hour to help me get to my friend’s, Heather’s, apartment in Manhattan. Michaels efforts were really impressive since I think told him that our plane would land at 1:30am, and in actuality we were just touching down at 2:30 and then the baggage claims were probably 100 miles away (that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but my not quite 30lb carry on makes every step feel like 100) so that he basically had to wait till 3 for me. Then we began our hour and a half (this is not an exaggeration at all, I wish it had been) metro journey, complete with scurrying cockroach. One train, two subways, some walking and a taxi later we arrived at Heather’s at 4:30am.

 

Luckily Heather got off work early the next day and we were able to get lunch together  and stop in to the Met quickly (where we just happened upon a display of African wood carvings! We found several from Gabon). Then we met up with Michael and walked around Central Park. It’s a neat place, there weren’t any song and dance routines like in “Enchanted” but we did see an impressive jazz band complete with drummer, bassist, trumpet-ist and saxophonist/flautist. We also went to the zoo in Central Park, which was really fun. It was a nice zoo, very pretty and fun exhibits.

 

From there we headed back to Heather’s apartment from whence Heather and I set out on the hour and a half metro journey back to JFK. I went a little early because I hadn’t actually talked to anyone the night before. I think I was supposed to but I forgot in my horror at the late hour and trying to find Michael. So all night I kept worrying that they weren’t going to let me re-schedule my missed flights and that they would’ve incinerated my luggage since I left it unattended. Luckily, those were all unmerited and my flights were re-booked and (they say, I haven’t seen it) my luggage will arrive in Gabon with me.

 

The flight was not too bad. I’m not a huge fan of flying because I hate landing. But it all went well. It is terribly exciting to finally be in Africa. Morocco is a lovely place I’m sure although all I’ve seen is a lot of brown dirt and some scraggly bushes, but the pictures in the airplane magazine were beautiful. I did almost leave the airport because I was told to by the lady at the counter. She told me to go to the guesthouse because I have a long layover. I don’t know where this is and apparently neither does anybody else. But it was an interesting experience. I am really wishing that I had brought a French/English dictionary since I can generally figure out most of my questions in French with the exception of key words like “guesthouse.” And the question “where is the..” just doesn’t get you too far. Another thing I have learned: it’s sad to travel without the local currency. I would love to get a drink so I can take some tylenol, but I can’t find anyway to get money around here and if I use my credit card I think I have to spend a lot of money. I’m not sure if its a lot because I don’t know what currency they use here, only that I have to spend 90 of it and a soda was only 15.

 

At anyrate, once here I stood in line for an hour or so to get my ticket (which the lady at the JFK ticket counter told me I would have to do even though she gave me a boarding pass) and then the lady and the counter here said what I had was fine and sent me to the guesthouse. I got my passport stamped, got through customs (where I ran into a nice man who was trying to push two huge carts of luggage. He offered to let me set my suitcase on one if I would push it. Actually he sort of told me to, but he told me nicely, and it meant I didn’t have to hold my bag. It also meant I could follow him very closely, because people here definetely do lines differently. In the US with have this “rights” kind of system where you have a right to your place in line and if someone cuts you, you have the right to let them know exactly how you feel about it. Here if there is an inch between you and the person in front of you that means that you are happy to have someone jump in there. Or 10 someones, until you close that little gap. So I followed the nice man with a lot of luggage very closely (you basically push the cart till you bump into someone in front of you) And he in turn tried to help me find the guesthouse, but it didn’t work. I asked another person near the vacant information desk and discovered that he doesn’t know English and I don’t know French, but once again he seemed very nice.  I talked to two policemen too, but I think I confused them I showed them my ticket to explain I have a long layover and I’m supposed to go to the guesthouse, but they saw the ticket and directed me to where I could check-in. So I went back through another passport stamping place and filled out more cards (where the passport control man and I were stumped as to what to put for my occupation. I think we settled on Volunteer because he didn’t seem to recognize any other words I could come up with. His suggestions were student or military and in the end I think he wrote that I was in the peace corp. volunteering.

 

Then I sat down and basically passed out till I woke up an hour later, impressed that I can sleep through all the noise here, and a little worried that I can apparently sleep through all the noise here. But I’ve got two hours of sleep now (I think I got 2 on the plane also) and I feel a little better. So it’s 16:40 here now as the little screen is telling me, and I think that my flight might show up on the screen soon (we’re all the way to a flight at 17:35, and mine is at 17:50). It’s been a weird few days. This is kinda of fun though.

 

Uh oh...my computer’s battery is dead, so that’s it for part 2. If you read this all, I’m impressed. I just needed something to keep me awake now that my flight is approaching!

-Jessica

 

Part 3

17 August 2008

 

I’m in Libreville! The flight from Casablanca went relatively well. It seemed that there was a problem with my ticket after all. I guess at JFK they printed a boarding pass for me and I was supposed to get a ticket in Casablanca, but I didn’t (I tried...) so they had me wait till everyone else was on a plane and they could get someone to come and find my ticket number. It all worked out. Then, to my amazement I got the whole row of 14 D, E, and F all to myself. I could stretch out and sleep. I was happy.

 

I got in about midnight, someone helped me find the visa counter and it turned out that as he put it “I worship at Alliance!” So he new the right people to find to get my money and the original copy of my letter of invitation to Gabon.  It all went smoothly and after I got through passport control I stepped through the door and there was Songoy who introduced himself and he knew who I was right away and how to do everything. At first I wondered how he knew who I was, then I realized I kind of stand out here. Songoy introduced my to Tim, and then gave us a ride to where Tim was parked. Then we drove to the STMO (Short Terms Mission Office) Center or “The Center.” The drive was pretty nifty. The weather he is pretty much perfect here, warm during the day and cool in the evening with a nice breeze. But don’t get too jealous because I hear that very soon it will be rainy season and very hot.

 

Today I slept in a bit and got up about 9:30. I finally got a chance to shower and I ate breakfast with Meredith who stayed home from church so I wasn’t all alone this morning.

 

Tim and two guys, a father and son duo, Paul and Mike, who are here for a 12 day Mission trip went to Church. Once they got back we headed out to see the festivities because today is Fete de Independance, (their “fourth of July”) We drove down town (let me tell you, driving is always exciting!) and found that we had basically missed the parade and band and everything else. We got a nice little walk in on the Rue de la Mer. We saw cool black crabs and lots of people enjoying the beach. The only bad part was it smelled pretty bad sometimes because the Gabonese men urinate whenever and wherever. We saw the presidential palace too, and a huge weird statue that’s half man and half woman.

 

After walking back to the van we headed to the Solvig’s, who are another missionary family. Arnie Solvig helped me get into the country by getting me my Invitation letter into Gabon. We ate Chawarmas at there house which they had picked up for us. They’re basically Lebanese Gyros.  The Solvig’s have three daughters too.

 

We came back in the afternoon and the guys went to see the port and I took a nap. Then we went to the airport to pick up another guy, Greg, who is on the 12 day trip with Paul and Mike. Then we all went out to dinner and got pizza. It was good.

 

Tomorrow we’re going back over to the Solvig’s and the guys are going to do work there to help get a house in order for another missionary family (the Straws) who are coming. They have a plane that they fly as an ambulance for Bongolo Hospital. I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing there. We’ll find out tomorrow.

 

Oh, and there are two fantastic kittens here, Bandi (Naughty in French) and Jaunti(Nice) they’re cute. I like them.

 

Ok, well feel free to email, I miss everyone at home!

 

Jessica

Lessons About Stressing

I have been worrying lately about how much there is to do and how little time I have to do it. This whole feeling is exacerbated by the fact that most of the things I need to do I can't do. I'm waiting on various other people and situations. I'm waiting a for a letter to get my visa, and I'm waiting to get home (I'm visiting a friend in Maryland till her wedding on Aug. 3) where I can work on a whole host of little odds and ends that need taken care of. Last night I was trying to pray and my sad little prayer was coming out like some sad little "honey-do" list for God (I guess I was taking the bride of Christ idea rather seriously!). I realised that this is not the sort of relationship that I want to have with God, where I tell him what I need him to do. So I stopped, frustrated, and decided to say the Lord's prayer. I tried to focus on each phrase, as it related to my situation. 

Our Father

not "Dear fix-it guy"

Who is in Heaven 

and who knows exactly what's going on as I try to get ready and when what needs to be done because he has such a better view than I do

Hallowed be your name

It's good to remember who exactly I'm talking too--he's holy and good and ought to be praised and honored, not just barraged with complaints

Your Kingdom come Your will be done On Earth as it is in Heaven.

Because really, that's what I want anyway. I can tell him what to do, or I can ask him to do what he wants. I'd rather he have his way considering he only wants the best for us and he knows how to work that out.

Give us this day our daily bread 

Here was the really hard hitter. First I thought "Yeah, so if we think of daily bread as our needs, then I need a-z done first and then..." but then the words "This day" echoed through my head and I stopped long enough to consider the plethora of verses coming to mind that all emphasise the fact that we do not need to worry about tomorrow because we have a father who already takes care of everything when it needs taken care of. I breathed a sigh of relief at the realisation that I did not need to figure out everything before I fell asleep, I could simply turn it over to him and then take each moment at a time.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

(I prayed this part to, but I don't have much to say about it right now, because what I really needed to learn came before, but this part is good too.)

It was a good lesson that God reinforced this morning while I read James. In 2:14-26 he writes about faith without works being dead; it's a classic section, but it hit home today. Read it. It's all about how your faith has to be lived out in what you do or it's nothing. So I realised that the "do not worry about tomorrow" idea is for me, and not just an ethereal idea, but a real attitude that must be implemented. I have to really not worry, that's the action part to the faith that says "I know God will take care of me and get me where I'm supposed to be." So I'm working on that now and I wanted to share it with you all.

Thanks for your prayers everybody!

Jessica