Things to Do in Tiepogo

This month I have been thinking a lot about what to share in my blog. A lot of things have happened this month and I think most people wouldn’t want to read that much all at once. But how can I just pick one thing and leave out all the rest? I would be cheating you. I thought about writing 2 blogs, but I haven’t the time. So I will give you the brief and maybe sometime in the future I can expand on them some.

Since my last blog I have been feeling much better. I was put on a, no oil, no acid diet and it has done wonders for me. It looks like I will have to stay on the diet for at least the rest of my time here though. Because I have been feeling so much better, I have spent 25 days in Tiepogovogo this month instead of 13 and a half (January). I thank God for his mercy and guidance through it all.

Since I have been spending so much more time in the village I have stumbled across things to do there. At the beginning, before I came, I said that I was going to live like they live, be apart of their lives and through relationships share the love of Christ. This past month I have seen this start to take shape. Not only have I been helping with more of the daily chores, I have been able to visit more people, and even help some people learn how to read or work on their French. I could probably write a whole blog about just these things, but in short I can now pound little things for sauce like peanuts, squash seeds and vegetables. I have even made my own sauce several times (remember my special diet). I do things like carry my own bucket for bathing, do my laundry, sit with the women and shell peanuts or seeds. As I heal and build more strength I am living more and more like they do, and proving more and more that I view them as equals not as lower than I am (they tend to hold me in too high regard as a white woman). I get so many comments when people talk to me and I respond in Nyarafolo (still only simple things) or they see me doing a village chore for the first time. They say “eh!? You are becoming Nyarafolo!” I love it! I see God working through it and I am so happy to be able to help in daily life too. These things make it fun and oh so worth while!

The last thing I have found to do here is teach in a very small school. My pastor started a school (like an elementary school) in a neighboring village some time ago. It only has three teachers for about 120 students (from all of the villages around it) and 6 classes. Everything is taught in French, which makes it difficult for the students especially because most of them, when they start, don’t know a single word of French. The eldest class, when they graduate, will go on to another school where they will start learning English. My pastor asked me to teach English to these older children so that they will have an easier time when they get to that point. I will admit, I don’t really know what I am doing as far as teaching goes, but even just hearing and seeing English will give them a better shot for success when they actually start English classes. It is also an awesome opportunity to get to know these children better and the three teachers as well. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” comes to mind here. :)

I guess none of these things are jaw dropping amazing, or even all that amazing at all actually, but I am excited because I see my God moving here, in and through me and in and through the Nyarafolo I have had the privilege to get to know. God has a lot to do in this little village and I am overjoyed to be a part of that even if it is in a small way. Oh and I didn’t even get to share about the conference we had in Tiepogovogo! Maybe next time...

Short month, lots of news :)

This month has been a good one. There hasn’t been a ton going on yet and this month was full of progress and fun with friends. This is the first time in three weeks that I have been online for one reason or another, which is strange for me. So instead of boring you with general statements I will move on to the news.

Tabea, the newest Journeyer from Germany, arrived at the end of January. She has spent all of February learning about Ivorian culture in Bouaké and moved into her family Saturday (2-23). This, as you know is much sooner than we moved into our families, but she was the only journeyer in Bouake on campus and she is leaving a month before most of the Americans are. She is very excited to move in with her family, who was actually the same family that Drew had while he was a Journeyer. We see him every once in a while but other than that he is not in the program anymore. He is now finished with his short stay and is going ahead with his video production which was the reason he has been a short termer with World Venture and his main goal.

The whole team has been in Bouaké this past week. We all had a chance to meet Tabea, take a break from the stress of immersion, learn a little more about mission philosophy and share with each other what God has been teaching us. It has been a restful and fun week.

But the real news that I would like to share is a new-found vision for my time in Tiepogovogo. I am not dead set on these ideas, and am open to God’s leading in, through or other than them. In Tiepogovogo right now they only have church meetings on Sunday morning. Many of the Christian women don’t attend on a regular basis because they have other things to do in the morning (all the time really). Many of the women in the village don’t speak French. On top of that, Nyarafolo has just become a written language relatively recently and only a few books of the bible have been translated into Nyarafolo and published at this point. They are working on translation and in just a few years, with God’s help, hopefully they will be done. I have had a heart for women for a long time and there seem to be less women who follow Christ than men and they have less of a chance to learn God’s word.

They tell me that just being in the village has made such an impact, even still it will be a long time (it seems) before I can speak Nyarafolo well enough to have an indepth spiritual conversation with people in Nyarafolo. So all things considered I decided to ask someone who speaks French to translate for me officially. I asked my friend Wayagafoli. Her French is at about the same level as mine, which is not very high. Sometimes it takes a while to communicate because we each know different words than the other. Nonetheless we have already been working together in translation and the more we talk the better it will be, as we learn French together and encourage each other in that. My idea for the near future is to get to know the women of the village through my friend and them me. Many challenges lie ahead in this but as I get to know them, visit them, help with chores ect, I will ask them why they believe in Christ if they are Christian and if they’re not share with them over time why I am and what it means to me, what difference it has made in my life. We will see what God does with all of this and I know he is faithful guide and help me in all of this.    

Sick but blessed

As I mentioned in one of my last blogs I have been sick a lot this past month. Before I came I said that I knew this would be hard, in fact probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Well there have definitely been some hard points so far. Romans 5:3-5 says “… but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Being terribly sick 4 weeks in a row would have been too much for me in the past.  Especially the last time, which even so worried me a little until I talked to my friend and nurse. It was very clear to me that morning that something serious was wrong with my stomach and that I needed to get to see the doctor as soon as possible. In the past I would have thrown up my hands and said I can’t do this anymore, and just given up. But that is not so now. Don’t get me wrong I will follow the doctor’s orders to a T and listen to the wisdom of my friends, who are nurses and my leaders in Journey Corps, but I am not giving up or giving in to worry or despair. All because God has been producing perseverance and character in my life already, he has prepared me for this and is growing me still through this.

            I won’t give you any of the gory details, but I will tell you how amazing God has been to me this whole time. Especially the first night I was terribly sick all night, God was there. He didn’t take it away, he didn’t make it stop, as we all like to absolutely demand of him. But he was there with me. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” The whole night he was near, giving me peace, bringing good Christian songs to mind and speaking to me through them; giving me a minute to stand amazed at the stars on a clear moonless night, and a shooting star too; teaching me about love and grace in the midst of the curse, in the midst of pain and illness. I fell even more in love with him that night and the next day when he spoke to me through others and his word showing me that blessing comes through pain as a song says, “I am blessed beyond a curse and his promise will endure, his joy’s gonna be my strength. Though the pain may last through the night, joy comes in the morning” (I’m Trading my Sorrows). He gave me peace, he gave me wisdom, he provided for me and I was able to go and rest in Ferké by car, which is a lot nicer on an upset stomach and a weak body (than moto).

            I have been sick twice more since then. The next time I thought it was unrelated and though I rested, I didn’t stay in Ferké for that. Nonetheless I learned more along the same lines in this illness too. This last time though as I said it was a little more serious and made me realize that all three illnesses of this type are more connected than I thought. I was afraid, but God came and comforted me and I decided to praise him as the song says “I will praise you in this storm, I will lift my hands for you are who you are no matter where I am, every tear I cry you hold in your hand, you’ve never left my side, though my heart is torn I will praise you in this storm” (Casting Crowns). That song greatly encouraged me, and God helped me remember all of the chorus (I don’t have the song to listen to).  He is who he is no matter where I am! What a powerful truth. He is the same amazing, loving, gracious, sovereign God even when a friend has died, the body is (or seems to be) falling apart and all of life seems to be rebelling. So I will glory in my sufferings, my stomach and all of its problems, my friend’s death, loss of being able to eat anything they put in front of me (I’m on a special diet now), I will glory in these things because I am gaining perseverance, character and hope. I am seeing some of this hope that I am gaining and I must say it is deeper and richer than ever before. God is so good and I am so thankful for all of the people he has put in my life here who have helped me, encouraged me and even taken care of me (all people I have only known for about 2 months some as long as 4 months). God's provision, his presence, his love and his teaching make all of the frustration, pian and ick fade away. “Like sunlight burning at midnight, making my life something so beautiful, beautiful, mercy reaching to save me, all that I need, you are so beautiful, beautiful!” ((well the whole song applies actually :)Francesca Battistelli, Beautiful, Beautiful).

A few stories

So I have been a little sick so I have more time to write blogs :) Now that I am publishing this though, I am well again! I thought I would write another one that has more to do with what is going on this last month. So much has happen all along the way that I didn’t have time to write about too. So here goes. The whole team got together in Bouaké this last week, after at least 3 weeks in our families. It was a time of sharing, celebration and a little rest too. Everyone’s situation is a little different but each will grow in their placements. I think I will share stories from Tiepogovogo though. Some of these happened to others and some to me.

Each paragraph is a new story.

One of the first believers in Tiepogovogo had a grain silo. After harvest, it was full to the brim. One day he woke up to find that there was nothing in the silo. All of that season’s work and labor was gone, he and his family had nothing. Someone was not happy that he was a Christian and had taken it to get at the family. But when the church heard about it, they all came together and gave this man some of their harvest. When it was all said and done he had more than he had had before. The person who took the harvest was ashamed and amazed and became a believer himself, if I remember right. This happened many years ago but it is one of their favorite stories.

When I first went to Tiepogovogo, all of the people wanted to make me as comfortable as possible. At every turn I would say, no this is good the way it is, no I want to live like you, I want to eat like you. Even Glen (a well known long-term missionary here) before he left said, she is not complicated she is simple she doesn’t need a lot, she wants to live like you. Still they tried. My host mom gave me 6 meals the first day (not an exaggeration). I said I can’t eat that much, really it’s ok. They offered to have someone sleep in my house with me incase I was afraid, I said no really it’s ok, I’m not afraid. They talked about buying sugar, coffee, tea, candy and all sorts of things, and I thought I would actually love to cut these things out of my diet and said no really it’s ok. One day there was a little fight between two dogs right outside the door and everyone jumped away from the door and my host mom closed the door. I just sat there and after it was all done they said weren’t you afraid, I said no I know dogs it’s ok. Time and again, I had peace or was content with the way things are, so they gave me a new name. My name is Narigaden, it means always content and even my Journey corps friends will tell you, that is not of myself, it has to be from God and it is. The day they gave me that name I was sick also, but the joy of the Lord was my strength, that day especially, but I did go rest for the rest of the day.

My host mother was with child when I first moved in. I was impressed with her. She still fetched firewood and put it on her head, still got water and so many things that require strength. Well four days after I arrived I came to her house for breakfast. I greeted everyone there, and there were quite a few, but I didn’t think anything of it. Then someone said in French something to the effect of you didn’t notice! Maari had her baby! I thought oh! I looked at her, she had a flat belly but other than that she looked normal and she was up and smiling. So I went in to see the baby. Oh what a tiny precious thing she was. She looked light skinned and wrinkly but that is normal for very new babies. Maari handed her to me. I just sat and looked at her for a while, said some prayers over her silently. All of the women came by to see her and Maari. As they trickled in and saw me with the baby, they teased me that it was my baby, I just smiled and laughed with them. When they had all left. Maari, who just hours before had given birth started to sweep her house! I was amazed but alarmed at the same time. I jumped up said something she didn’t understand, gently took the broom and started sweeping. She didn’t mind and unlike most times she let me do it. I was glad to see though that she stayed home and rested with the baby the whole day. That was the day I met Jimonga (the baby girl) and the day I saw how very strong Maari is.

There was a woman in Tiepogovogo who was very very old. They don’t really keep track of such things but all of her grandchildren seemed to think she was 90-100 years old. I think she has 15-20 grandchildren. Some of them I have gotten to know over my first three weeks there. Well she passed away my second week there. I had only met her once. She stayed in her house all the time because her health was not well. She was a Christian, so the church had a grand Christian funeral for her. They had a generator and lights, even a massive sound system that could be heard miles around. We stayed up all night for the funeral. There was singing (very good funeral songs about heaven and security in Christ btw), there was dancing (but not in celebration, more for comfort I think), there were people from all of the neighboring villages, and the good news was preached many times. At least two people became Christians that night too. Everyone wore their very best clothes. Some people slept, some went home to sleep some (me included). In the morning we all came back together. We all looked at the body, sang some more, there was more preaching, there was more weeping and then she was buried. The whole funeral was in her courtyard (which is all open) and the grave they dug for her was maybe five feet from her house (they don’t have any lines to worry about so why not). Well that very night there was another funeral: the non-christian one. If possible there were even more people there for this one. In a town of a hundred there were maybe 500 people that night. As Christians we weren’t suppose to stay up all night for that one. So I went to bed. This one was even crazier though. There were four ballophone bands, people everywhere and nobody had a good night of sleep. It was very interesting. Since then I have found out that all of those people knew her (impressive) and that funerals are the very most important event here for many reasons.

I’m sure I could find some more stories to share, but I will save them for later. Thanks for reading!

What is Faith?

I was reading my journal yesterday and I found a couple of entries that I thought I should share. Some of this is word for word, some was left out and the rest is bonus! This has very little to do with Tiepogovogo or anywhere in Côte d’Ivoire as far as sharing what life is like, just a heads up so you don’t read the whole thing just to be disappointed. This is something the Lord has been teaching me even before I came, but especially here. Enjoy!

What is faith? What is trusting God really all about? Why doesn’t God just give us all we pray for? What does it really mean to pray in Jesus’ name? These are all things that I have been praying about and that the Holy Spirit has been teaching me through all of his usual means. Yes faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we can not see (Heb 11:1), but how do we know where to put our hope and what unseen things should we be certain of. My definition for faith has been for a long time, to trust and believe in what God has said. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6). What has he actually said though? He has said that he loves me and always will no matter what I do because of what Christ has done (Rom 8:37-38). He has said that my sins are as far from me as the west is from the east (Ps 103:12) because of the blood of the lamb. He has said that he loves the nations and that the gospel is for all peoples. He has said that he is a jealous God a consuming fire (Deut 4:24) and that he cares about his glory. He has taught me that his glory is the best thing to be had, it breaks chains, bursts open prison doors, sets the captives free. It administers justice, takes care of his own, it works all things together for good. His Glory is found in all of these things and it does all of these things. It is the best thing to be zealous for because it accomplishes all that He is about.

Still, no one is exempt from the curse. We all get sick, some more or worse than others but sick none the less. We all loose loved ones and we all die. Things go wrong in our lives, or at least not the way we planned them. Everyone has to deal with this entropy, and something deep inside screams, this is not the way it should be, and it is so true. But we assume that the Lord wants us to be exempt from the curse. He never said that. Until we leave this earth we will all have to live under the curse, even if we are the strongest most upright believer on earth. But even this gives glory to God. Would we really seek him if we didn’t have problems? Would we look for him if everything were fine and dandy? Even if we did, would we grow without hardship? He is the very best thing for us and so he puts things in our lives that draw us to him. This is a hard topic, because it is so saturated with pain and hurt for many. Loosing half of my extended family falls in that category. It was more than I could bare on my own, especially as a child. But I know a love, peace and joy in God that I would have never known otherwise and I am better for it. God is a compassionate God, full of love and mercy. He does not crush a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick (Mat 12:20). He delights in bringing life out of death and healing out of hurt, these things show us his glory.

His glory includes his love, power, grace, mercy, justice, provision, it is all encompassing and therefore all I need to pray for, hope for and seek. It is the means by which he works and the means by which we see him, but it takes a lifetime to even begin to fathom. So every time I find that things are not going my way, I’m not fully supported, I have yet another bad cold or life is just plain difficult, I know that God is working on me and that I can trust him no matter what the outcome is. I can trust that I will grow because of it and that his glory will be seen (Rom 5:1-5).  I can trust that even that bad or difficult thing will work towards my good (Rom 8:38). When he doesn’t say yes to my prayers he has something better in mind, it might be harder, more painful, but way better at the same time. God is all sovereign, all wise and all knowing and what’s more, he loves me enough to come and conquer death for me. That’s right he died and rose again for you and me. Isn’t that the ultimate love? We have grown so use to the idea, but really nobody else would dear do that. So where is fear? It is left out, or at least thrown out (1Jn 4:18). Where is despair? It is replaced with praise that you wear (Is 61:3). Where is boasting? It is not in the picture at all (Rom 3:28).  It is faith not works, so God gets the glory and life is produced and abounds, freedom is found and hope is alive.  Glory to God who is worthy to be praised and trusted forever and ever amen!
Thanks for reading and may this year be full of faith and trust in our Lord!

Here in Tiepogovogo

After two weeks in the village, I can hardly believe how well I have adjusted to life in Tiepogovogo. I love it! Life is simple and there is no speedway or byway. They don’t have electricity, running water or toilets. Every time you turn around you see either cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, dogs or a cat and any combination of those. I even had bats that would go in my house every night, for a little while (they are taken care of now). Every morning I awaken to the thud thud thud of women pounding their rice or corn with these huge mortar and pestle like things and the bahing and stirring of either sheep or goats outside my house. Yet I have not had a problem getting a good nights sleep, I am thankful God made me a heavy sleeper. I love all of the sounds, all of the animals and all of the people.

The people are amazing! Tiepogovogo (my village) is a small farming community. Every family has at least one crop near by. Many of them grow either chilies, cotton or rice as main crops. Other crops include what they call auberguene (but they are not eggplant), onions, peanuts, corn and so on. Right now is harvest time for the chilies and cotton. I love to watch them come back to the village with these huge sacks of one of these on their heads, I mean we are talking around 100 pounds or more on their head. Amazing. They are helpful people too. Most of the village has been trying to help me learn Nyarafolo. The children are fun. They will come in one big wave and stand around me, sometimes to help me with Nyarafolo, sometimes to just see what I will do, other times to share my food with me. The other day I had a house full of kids. They are fun to watch, fun to play with and a joy to interact with. My family is a large one. My host father has two wives (he married the second before he knew it was not good in Christ). He has at least 10 kids. Maari, my main host mom, has 5 kids, one was just born last Friday. The baby girl is so precious; it has been cool watching how Maari takes care of her and she has let me help! Names are hard for me but I almost have my whole family figured out, just don’t ask me how to spell them in Nyarafolo. :) I don’t really know people yet, I can’t talk to them really you know, but you would be amazed how much one can communicate with simple signs and tones in voice. Even so the whole village is like one big family, my family.

I have been learning Nyarafolo, I would really like to talk to them all. It is not an easy language for an Anglophone like me. There are at least five sounds they use all the time that are not found in any Latin or Germanic language that I know of. Kp, Gb, Ny, Ŋ have challenged me to learn to use my mouth and tongue in ways I have not used them before. The grammar is extremely different too. I am still working on that one though, I’m not even close to understanding that yet, but hey it has only been two weeks; little by little, it will come as they say here. I am so looking forward to speaking to the people I see everyday with more than just greetings which are a little more complex than hey, how are you?

My accommodations are just right. I live in the village’s old church. That means I have a concrete floor and walls and a metal roof, which is different than most of the village. I have a two room latrine about 100 feet from my house. One side has a hole for number 2 in the middle and the other side has a drain that goes out of one wall this is for number 1 and bathing. The walls are mud brick, the floors are concrete and there is no roof, but I have a nice set of doors (none of the other latrines have this, don’t worry they don’t look). I have a nice cot for sleeping, which is actually quite comfortable, a mosquito net (good for more than just keeping mosquitoes out), a large water filter that holds several gallons on a stool, a plastic chair, and my bags and things and that's it. The simple life is sweet and it has been fun adjusting, I haven't missed much yet.

Where I am going

November has been extremely eventful! It started with a week with a family here in Bouaké, and recently Thanksgiving and the regional conference for the missionaries in the area (that started on Thanksgiving). We also had a team of short termers with us. They left today, Friday the 30^th. But the thing I wanted to write about the most this month is all of our placements with different families. This placement will be for the rest of the year (until about next September for half of us).  

There are 10 of us. One person, Drew, who is not really a journeyer but kind of is, has been living with a family for a month already in Borobo, which is just east of Bouaké and will only stay there until the beginning of January (shorter than everyone else). Two people a guy and a lady will be in Korhogo in two different churches, two ladies in Niéméné, two ladies in Niakara (short for Niakaramandougou), two guys in Boundaili, and two leaders (a couple) in Katiola. I will be in a small village very close to Ferké (short for Ferkessedougou) called Tiepogovogo. There are several American missionaries in Ferké and it is pretty close to Korhogo also, so I am not alone there, but I am the only Journeyer placed in that immediate area. I really like my placement. All of us will be working very closely with local churches.

There is no electricity or internet in my village, and no running water (don’t worry I will have a filter and a well). In my village people in every family have their own hut (except children), so I will have a very small building to myself (well that is what we think they will do, not sure yet really). I will be working with the Nyarafolo who are officially an unreached people group. I will have to learn Nyarafolo because not many people in my village speak French. I am supper excited to learn a local language. In my village there are 50 believers already, which is about half of the village (there were only 3 when missionaries arrived there many years ago). But the entire ethnicity of Nyarafolo only has about 0.06% Evangelical Christians (according to Linn Boese a missionary working with this people group). I will be in close contact with Linn as I stay in Tiepogovogo. She and her husband Glen have been working with this people for over 20 years and translating the Word of God into Nyarafolo. You can learn more about my village and the neighboring city Ferké from Linn’s perspective here: http://missionsfrontline.com/profile/LinneaBoese

We all were placed in our specific places because of our interests in helping the people. For example Haylei and Carina were placed in Niéméné because they are interested in social justice and the legal side of that and Niéméné is a very political town. I was placed in Tiepogovogo near Ferké for one because the Christian hospital in Ferké is expanding and I might be able to help there with my background in Landscape Architecture and my connections, but also because I can help in my town. The church in Tiepogovogo requested a young journey corps volunteer. I don’t know why yet, but I do know they are reaching out to a neighboring village that only as a few believers in it. So I look forward to working with them in whatever way I can and moreover however God would allow and open doors. Linn and I talked about maybe working with women also. All of these things are just pieces in a puzzle right now, but I know that God has a plan and I am excited to see what he does with me in Tiepogovogo!