"Jennifa, My stranger"...

Sunday, March 22, 2009

The past three weeks have been a whirl wind and I can’t believe it’s almost April! I’m realizing how fast the time is going to fly and I’m already sad thinking that I’m going to be leaving in less than 4 months. It must been getting pretty warm back home and I’m sure there are slight signs of spring coming. I talked to my mom and dad this week and they said that the last few weeks have still been very cold but the last week has warmed up a bit. I couldn’t believe when they said it was still -30! Well even if the weather still is cold I sure hope everyone is doing well and excited for spring to get there.
Right now we are in the middle of exam week. We began exams on Friday and we go until Wednesday of this coming week. After exams we have a two week break. Easter is in the middle of the break so it’s kinda nice to have the time off. The kids have been trying to study and I’ve been working really hard to get the kids prepared. It’s interesting to think, since as an adult you don’t really think that you had to “learn” to take a test. I’m realizing that yes, even taking a test is a learning process. I thought that during exam week, it would be a bit more relaxing where I wasn’t as active in the class and I could focus on getting my exams marked. I’ll say this right now….I was very wrong. I think it’s the complete opposite actually. Since my kids can’t read, they can’t read instructions and since most of them have trouble with just sitting in their desks and listening in the first place, I can’t only explain the instructions once. I have a wide range in my class because some of the kids are very very intelligent and can pretty much move on to grade two – IF they could just sit and concentrate and then I have some kids who can’t speak English or don’t know they’re alphabet. It’s interesting come exam week, that’s all I’ll say.
One thing is for sure, that when I take my camera out at the school almost every child wants his or her own picture. Its hilarious to see the extent that the kids will go to just get their picture taken. I’ve been in the middle of a screaming circle of kids that were trying to jump on my back to get their picture taken and every time I get a kick out of it. I have tried to take a lot of video because it’s hard to get what the kids are actually like through just a picture. And, boy when the kids see the play back of themselves they go crazy. It’s really funny.
On the 9th of March (I think that’s the actual date) is “commonwealth day” and since the Gambia is part of the common wealth they always have a celebration at school. I have heard of commonwealth day before but I can’t honestly say that we ever celebrated it in Canada. But Paul and Armando were heading the whole day’s events and they had a little play that they were organizing. They had the kids chosen to each be a president, vice president, queen, etc of each county that was in the commonwealth and so they would each come out with their “first lady” and make speeches. It was so cute because all of the boys dresses up in suits and the girls dressed in their nicest dresses. Then the big hit at the end was that the president of the Gambia – Yaya Jammeh and his wife were coming out. The great thing about it was that he looked just like how Yaya Jammeh dresses! It was really cute! My camera battery had died that day but there was a photographer who was there, so I bought a few pictures from him and I was fortunate enough to get one with “Yaya Jammeh”. The speeches were great and the kids liked that they had a day off of studies. The rest of the kids who weren’t involved in the play were supposed to dress up in their native tribes dress. From what I’ve learnt, each tribe has different woven fabrics and ways they dress to distinguish from each other. The girls came in their woven wraps and they all had their hair plaited (which was one plait down the center of the head and three on each side) and they had candies (which they call minties) and shells tied in it. Most of the boys didn’t dress in the traditional dress. They all brought their own lunches and at lunch time, since it’s tradition to always invite everyone to eat – even if you only have a little bit, all the kids were inviting all the teachers to come and eat with them. I tried various different foods that day and it was all very good.
One question a lot of people have been asking me from home is if I have lost much weight. Haha…I wish that was the case. To my surprise, Gambian’s cook with a lot of oil. I would say that the majority of every meal is cooked in oil. So, I actually haven’t lost much weight. I really enjoy African meals so if anything I think I’ve stayed close to the same weight as when I left. I’ve been trying to make sure I get a run in every day or two and even though it’s not the same as going to the gym every day I think I will probably come back a bit lighter than when I left, but not much. I thought it was hilarious because just a few days ago, Lucina said to me when I walked outside, “Ha…Jennifa’s skinny now.’ And my reply to her was, “Was I ever fat?!” She laughed and said, “yes, when you got here you were fat.” Haha…I just laughed knowing that the girls here are so thin and most of them have never learnt to work out that when I came and since I’ve always been athletic and never had a problem putting on muscle size, to them I looked fat. If there’s one thing I can say about the word “fat’ it’s that the people here don’t have any discretion about telling anyone if they are fat. To me, since in America to tell someone they are fat, it is such an insult that when I hear it it’s like nails on a chalk board. But they are only just telling the size of the person, not to insult anyone. I had to get that through my head the first few times I heard it. Speaking of being active, like I said I’ve been trying to go for a run every day or two but recently I’ve been playing a lot of football. I have a friend who plays on a division 1 football team and when I first met him he was injured so he was just recovering by playing with some of the younger players by the college. One day he invited me to come out and play and even though I had been playing with some of the younger kids, I was a bit nervous as to what everyone was going to say since I was the only girl playing. I didn’t actually play that long that day because they were almost through when I arrived but at the end the score was tied so of course they had to have a shootout. I think they just like to see who can score and goal keep well. Anyway…they all took their turns trying to score on the keeper and then they all wanted to see if I could score. Of course, being the only girl on the field and all the guys eyes staring back seeing if I was good enough to score really made me a bit nervous. After I kicked they all started laughing and I thought they were all laughing at me because I couldn’t understand them. So I asked my friend Musa what they were saying, and as he was laughing he said, “They said, you kick harder than this guy,” as he pointed to one of his teammates. I began to laugh thinking that they had been laughing at my American skills. Every time I go out to the field they’re always asking me if I want to play. I have always loved soccer but this has given me a good opportunity to play it a bit more, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.
On the 14th of March the young sisters had a vocational retreat for all sisters, priests and aspirants (young people who would like to become religious), and anyone else who wanted to join in. The sisters asked if I had wanted to go and sit in on the retreat and to see the place. The retreat was held in Lamin, a village about 20 minutes north of Brikama. What I didn’t realize was that Lamin had a junior seminary and college. We got there and mass was being said by the Bishop at St. Peter’s church which is just off of the highway and just inside the grounds of St. Peter’s. The church is huge! It’s the biggest one I’ve seen since I ve been here and it’s really beautiful. After mass we went to the junior seminary to start the retreat and there were actually quite a few people who had come to attend so we had to move from a room inside to underneath the mango trees. I thought it was really neat, we ended up sitting under the trees all afternoon for the retreat. The junior seminary is for young men who think they have a call to the priesthood. They stay in the seminary and go to the secondary school which is on the same campus. During the lunch hour Sr. Bernadette, Sr. Biban and I went to look around at the campus. It was really beautiful. When you first come onto the campus you see St. Peters’s church on your right hand side. Just behind the church, which as you’re walking down the driveway is on your right hand side. Right behind the church is a huge football field and then a bit further there is a basketball court. There are trees that line the whole field and actually the whole drive way. On your left hand side is the seminary and once you get to the middle of the campus you have a huge courtyard with trees and actual grass (which you rarely see anywhere here – at least in the dry season). The school begins where the courtyard begins and wow, it’s really quite big! I’m pretty sure it’s a technical school, so there are a lot of classrooms for computers, woodworking, electricity, etc. It’s really quite neat to see.
The retreat was really good and we spent the afternoon getting to know everyone and a bit about how some of the religious became religious. It was inspiring to see some of the young people and I was inspired most by one young kid. The funny thing, was that he couldn’t speak English very well so when he went to share he didn’t speak a word of English. While I was listening to him talk there was just something about him that was inspiring and I realized that when someone beholds “Christ” living and being within themselves, that Christ just draws you to that person, not to draw you to the PERSON but to draw you closer to CHRIST himself. This young kid, even though I couldn’t understand at all what he was saying knew that Christ lived in him and Christ just poured from his being. I found out later by Sr. Josaphine that this young kid had always wanted to become a priest and when he told his family his father wouldn’t allow it. He actually kicked him out of the house because he didn’t support his idea that he wanted to become a priest. So, an uncle helped him to get to the seminary so that he could start his journey. It was amazing to hear it after I had had my little realization because to see someone so young and so sure of who Christ is and knew that he wanted to become a priest, it was just inspiring to see how Christ uses him in just being himself. Like I said…I didn’t understand a word he spoke but yet when he spoke it was like Christ was speaking to my own heart. Just the realization that our Lord desires to do something great in my life too, as He does all of us. When I finally realize my own weakness, that I can do nothing without Christ, then Christ within me can fully shine through and He can do the work without my pride and selfishness getting in the way.
After the retreat we headed home and we had taken a taxis to get there so we took a taxi home. I’m definitely getting a bit more used to taking taxis and as uncomfortable as it was for me in the first place to be the only white person in a crammed vehicle, I’ve come to the realization that I’m the only white person most places so if I’m in a rush to get somewhere, I just hop on in and take the ride and don’t mind all the stares. I’m not sure if I have mentioned it but I have started driving here. Did I mention that yet? If so…I’m very sorry for the repetition. I think all of you know how scared I was of driving when I first got here because of the amount of people and the random animals that like to cross the road when your travelling Mac speeds. But one day when we were travelling back from selling eggs, Sr Sue asked if I wanted to drive. I will admit that the fear slowly has been fading because I’m getting used to how things run around here but it was a bit dark and I was hesitant to drive. But, I tried to look at the bright side of the situation and I thought, “well…we may as well start with it being dark then maybe I’ll figure it’s easy in the day time.” And it wasn’t bad. I have to say that the amount that people are beeping their horns – just to let you know that they’re coming, or at animals or even people sometimes on bikes, I don’t’ know that I will get used to using it that often. Seeing that anyone beeping their horn at home seem to be upset drivers. So, Sr. Sue had to reach over to the steering wheel a few times to just let people know we were behind them. I’ll have to get the hang of that one. We arrive home safe and sound and since that day, I’ve been driving a lot. The sisters enjoy it since most of them don’t like driving, and I actually have come to enjoy it. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I have to go home and not have pot holes or animals or people to swerve around! Then again, I remind myself that I come from Saskatchewan….we’re known for our bad roads. Haha… but yes, the only thing I wish I had done before I left was taken a crash course on automobile repairs from Rene before I came here since the truck likes to break down often.
This week I received a few packages from my friend Josh. Do you remember I said that he and my friend Wendy had decided to donate volleyball and footballs? Well…all I can say is that when the Lord gives, He gives abundantly. We received 6 new volleyballs and 5 new footballs. I wish I would’ve had my camera out when we gave the kids the balls because they went CRAZY! It was probably the most rewarding and funny moment I’ve seen with these kids so far. I hadn’t even given the balls and the response that we got was honestly priceless. They were saying “Thank you friend of Jennifa, Thank you Jennifa!” It was so priceless.
About two weeks ago, I was on my way to the bank after mass when I saw a friend, NdayFatou (who is my friend Musa’s sister) and she was on the way to the hospital to bring her son because he was sick. Since the bank and the hospital are on the same street we walked together and when we reached the bank I realized it was closed for another hour, so she asked me to go with her to the hospital. I didn’t mind at all. So off we went, through the market to the hospital and I was kind of shocked at what I saw, but I kind of expected it too. There were tons of people waiting to get in to see the doctor and I think because NdayFatou knew a few people she just said a few things in the local language and we went around the waiting room to another area of the hospital. It didn’t take long and the nurse had done what he needed to do and we were out of there. The whole time I just stood in the door way and watched. I’ll be honestly that it looked better than I thought it would but it still didn’t look like the type of hospital I was used to. Definitely not as organized but you can tell that it’s developing. On our way out the Pharmacy was closed so we thought that we would go and check if the bank was open and if not we would go to the market so she could get the things she needs to buy for lunch. The bank wasn’t open, so off we were into the market. I’ve learnt a little bit more about the Brikama market and from what I see there are “areas” just like in a supermarket. Ok…just bare with me, I’ve used my imagination on this one – just so that I can maybe try to grasp more about the market. So from what I see, there is an area where you get tourist things, an area for clothes, and the area we went to today is where you buy the local grown food. I like to call this area “the produce isle”.  You can get anything you need for cooking. One thing is for sure, I stick out like a sore thumb. I just look like a tourist and I hate that. I can’t talk to anyone since they’re all ladies who don’t speak much English, so I just follow along and smile. But Nday was good about telling me what to say when people greeted me and I appreciated that she cared enough to help me out. One thing I realized after we left the market was Nday (as well as most women) do this everyday. They get up early in the morning to get the things they need to cook, since most don’t have a fridge or freezer or sometimes its because they may only be able to afford what they can eat for that day. I’m not exactly sure what the case is for Nday and her family but I would guess it’s closer to not being able to afford much for each day. I met Nday because, like I said her brother Musa, introduced me to her and her family. She is married to a musician – who, funny enough used to always stop me on the street to chat. I’m finding that this definitely is a small world and the Lord is bring people into my life that are significantly intertwined. It’s really crazy. Every day that I walk to the supermarket or to church I stop by their little store to just say hi and sometimes to chat and I honestly look forward to it every time. I don’t always get to see Nday because she is sometimes at home cooking but most times she’s there cooking fish to sell. But her husband’s name is Pupiss (I think I spelled it right) and he is a local Brikama musician who apparently is very good. I hear about him on the street and I just find it funny that Lord placed this family in my life. I know that even though he is a musician, he doesn’t make a lot of money and I know that they have a very hard time making ends meet. They have three children, two boys ( I can’t remember the oldest one’s name but the youngest is Babocar) and one girl (Mancy). On our way back, after we had made it to the Pharmacy and the bank, we walked to their little shop and Nday invited me to their home to visit. Like I said, when someone invites you to their home, it’s an honor and they like to show you what is theirs. I was glad to go and see. I am continually reminded of what an extravagant life I live at home, and I am honestly grateful for coming from where I have come from. When I saw their home, it was a small room that didn’t have much with another room that had a bed and the few things that they owned. It wasn’t much. I didn’t say much but I knew she was so proud of the things that they had. These are the times you wish you could just hand over money to someone to give them a little better situation than what they are in. Like I said, I’m so grateful for what I have and where I have come from and I can say that when I left Canada I thought I would come back with a realization that I don’t need all the things that I have, but I can’t really say that is the case. What I will say is this…I APPRECIATE the things I have at home more and more every day. I appreciate the fact that I can buy clothes and food and what ever I need or want and that I don’t have to go by day to day struggling and wondering if my kids are going to be fed or if I will be able to pay my children’s school fees. I wasn’t able to stay long but I know that she was grateful that I stopped and I don’t think I will ever forget her hospitality. Since that day, Nday now calls me, “Jennifa, my stranger.” I think that as surprised as I was to have her come into my life, she is just as surprised to have me in hers. I know that over the next months her and her family will make a great impact on my life. Even to this day every time they see me coming on the street, Mancy runs straight to me yelling, “toobob, Jennifa. Toobob, Jennifa” the whole way. Also, since I went with her to the hospital that day to take Babocar, she now calls him, “Babocar, your son.” I’m grateful for these people being in my life, and I’m realizing that Mother Teresa really is right when she says, “do small things with great love.” The people here appreciate even the smallest thing that you do for them.
I had gotten home that same day and since Sr. Josaphine had the nursery school independence day march, I walked out to SSP (which is a huge football field on the edge of Brikama) where they were holding the festivities. It was quite the walk but I really enjoyed myself. I always go out that way on my way to Kembojeh but usually I’m in a rush and never get to see anything that is on the way. So I really enjoyed having the opportunity to walk and take in the sights. When I got there the kids were just starting the march and the scouts were the first to start marching. It was adorable because all the kids were so young and looked like little soldiers all marching in a line. They all wore their school uniforms and the teachers marched right beside all of them. I think there were also sponsors who marched because I honestly haven’t seen so many white people in Brikama at one time! Most of the sponsors had dressed in traditional dress just like the other teachers. It was really nice to see! It was really hot out and I can’t imagine the kids standing out there for much longer than they did. After the march, Sr. Josaphine and all the kids loaded the bus and went to make lunch. I decided to go back to the house to do a for things like wash my clothes and clean my room up a bit but by the time I ended up getting home, since I had seen so many people I knew on my way, I only ended up getting the cleaning my room part done before I had to go back and then go on my way to Kembojeh for the evening. I had actually met up with a friend who wanted to join me in Kembojeh so we walked to SSP and then we were on our way to Kembojeh. We were going to get a taxi and we started walking and realized that we were not very far from Kembojeh so we just kept walking. I was really shocked at how close it was from Brikama and most of the walk was done on our way out to SSP. I’m glad that I actually walked because it makes me appreciate driving there most of the days that I go.
Well I’m sure this is long enough but I guess I had to make up for three weeks of not writing! I hope that everyone at home is well, I miss everyone a lot! Please pray pray pray for me as well as the Sisters and Brikama. I’m praying for all of you!

Much Love, In Jesus and Mary,

Jen