On the Jesus film

It is about 7:30 as we arrive in the dark yard. Everyone is finishing their dinner as we set up my computer and the video. As they see the light, they come out. Earlier in the day my friend in the yard had asked why we hadn’t shown the Isa film in their yard. “Do you think people would come?” I ask. “Lots of people will come!” She says enthusiastically. And she’s right, there’s between 20 and 30 people huddled around my laptop under the big mango tree tonight.

They didn’t come because they want to convert to Christianity or even necessarily because they are super curious about the life of Jesus. They would come out to watch any movie that was showing for free. I don’t want you to have the wrong idea. But- this movie is special, this movie isn’t in French or English where they depend heavily on the action to understand the plot. This movie is in their heart language. They understand every nuance (linguistically anyway) in the telling of this Good News. 

They nod in recognition as they watch Adama and Hawa in the garden, and the almost-sacrifice of Ibrahim’s son. They laugh in amazement/bemusement when the boy Jesus asks his parents why they were confused by his being in the temple. At least one person reacts in a way that communicates “this is a totally backward and weird but interesting” when Jesus says to turn the other cheek when you are hit. My favorite reaction is that of the old men chuckling admiringly at Jesus’ responses to religious leaders (give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, is my teaching from God or man? etc.) They say, “Jesus can answer well! They say “ka?!” that’s like “what?!” as they are beating and crucifying Jesus. They have the same reaction when Jesus turns up again amongst his followers three days later. 

 To me these stories are as familiar as the back of my hand, but this is fresh news to them. I wish all cradle Christians could have this chance to watch and listen to the reaction of someone who has never heard the story of Jesus hear and see it in their mother tongue. I guess you will just have to take my word for it that it is a wonderful experience!

Dry Season vs. Rainy Season

In an effort to give you a picture of our two seasons, I have listed pro and cons of each from my experience thus far:

Dry season pros: dry roads (this one is huge), clothes dry super fast on the line, cooler temps(though for our friends here this would not be a pro!)

Dry season cons: dust everywhere, all the time-choose to dust and sweep everyday or just give up on having a clean house (the choice was not a hard one for us.) Chapped lips, cracked heels, dry eyes, more respiratory infections

Rainy season pros: farming friends fields’ get growin! Rainwater collects in barrels at side of house, so easy access for laundry-less hauling, rainy afternoons where all I can do is stay in and read, falling asleep to the sound of rain on our tin roof

Rainy season cons: in our location we basically don’t drive on the roads around us if we can help it during rainy season, sores on legs stay infected longer because they are never dry (neighbors’ not mine), a faint but ever present smell of mildew and mold in the house, drying clothes becomes more of a challenge.

In America I wished for summer in winter and winter in summer- here I have the same tendency. I remember all the good things about rainy season during dry season and forget the bad; and vice versa in rainy season. However, I must tell you, Beyla was voted  ‘Guinea’s city with the best climate’ by this old guide book I read. And I would have to agree, to the north of us is dry dry dry, and I almost melt when we go to the capital in April. So, I am always happy to come home after traveling!

On Food

 As I was preparing to come here, doing presentations and talking to people about what my life here would look like, I said I would be eating a lot of rice and sauce. This hasn’t really been the case. I eat it sometimes, but no more than once a week, and often not even that. The bulk of the diet of our neighbors consists of rice, oil, Maggi cubes (MSG in there), and onions- there are some other foods too but these are the staples. As my body doesn’t need the oil or MSG, I don’t often go seeking  food from nieghbors. From a western perspective, this seems like a huge social loss; but sharing meals here doesn’t seem to carry the same “breaking bread together” significance.

 While we don’t have access to a lot of Western foods, we do manage to maintain a fairly Western diet. We do this by stockpiling when we are in the capital at the stores that pretty much cater to the expat community.So we head home with a three month supply of olive oil, juice, cheese, frozen broccoli or strawberries if we are feeling splurgy. And we come home to put into our cave while we hibernate. Really that is what I feel like, our kitchen is a major storage area. 

As far as diet changes, I eat less meat here, and all my produce is organic by default. We make our own yugurt and granola for breakfast, though we are also big muffin fans. No fast food, obviously.  Cooking has become a creative outlet for me. Both Brittany and I enjoy browsing our cookbooks for new things to make that that ingredients we could get or substitute for. Some of our favorite finds and now regulars in our meal rotations: sweet potato pancakes (cans from the states), pumpkin soup (technically squash), ginger colesla.

This term we bought food from the food shipment that comes from the states; but next term I am considering trying just eating stuff I can get in country. Really, globalization is happening before our eyes, we can get many products that veteran missionaries  never would have dreamed of buying here.