Blog: Let it Rain (Feb. 8, 2011)
Dry season means dust up to your elbows. Dry season means small brown
particles in every crevice and every hole in your body. Dry season
means dragonflies and better roads and nights with “too much cold”. It
means you can wash your clothes without worrying about them. It means
ice cream in the market! It means many, many things. But I’ve heard
that, every once in a while during dry season—maybe two random
days—it’ll rain. Last week, showers of blessings rained down from the
sky. It was great! I’ve really, really, REALLY missed the rain. When
it rains here and you happen to be inside a house/building with a tin
roof, the noise is deafening. I love how one sound can just totally
overwhelm all other sounds. The only thing you can possibly hear when
it’s raining is the rain. No one can tell you it’s not raining, and no
one will be able to ignore the fact that it’s raining. Everyone will
know it.
Earlier this week I was listening to a David Crowder song (this
actually happens pretty much every day…). I will not be silent. I will
not be quiet anymore. I will not be silent. I will not be quiet
anymore… The words reminded me of the rain. And of the beauty all
around me. Just look. Look up at the sky. See the trees, the tall,
tall trees. They are reaching up to God. Look at the beautiful flowers
(or snow? Ha). Oh, and the mountains. I can’t even begin to do them
justice. All nature testifies that God is real. Our God is alive and
well, worthy of our worship, of all worship. The words also reminded
me of my own witness. Even if mankind refuses to acknowledge his
Creator, even if he refuses to testify share with other, then the
rocks will cry out. I cannot be silent. I will not be quiet anymore.
Now if I were you, I’d ask me- Osoula? In other words- What’s the
news? Well, let me think. Last Monday, Steve, Carol, & I went to Kumbo
for the day. It’s always nice to get online to see what’s going on out
there. Anyway, on our way back we found out that Demasias, the guy who
rode with us to Kumbo (our church landlord), was going to stay in
Kumbo. But as we were in the taxi park receiving his message, we
learned that Shey John (a very nice man who owns the largest store in
the market) had been discharged from the hospital in Kumbo and was
waiting for a taxi back to Lassin. He quit smoking last year when he
caught a ride with the Roses to Bamenda and couldn’t smoke at all for
several hours. Since he quit, he’s gained some weight (haven’t we all)
and drinks the same amount (or more) of alcohol. Since he works at the
store all day, he eats very irregularly. Anyway, he’s been in the
hospital several times for stomach problems. The hospital never really
says what’s wrong exactly, they just give him “gastrointestinal
medicine”. We all visited with him during the two and a half hour trip
back to Lassin. I suggested that it could be Crohn’s. You think? I
don’t really remember enough about Crohn’s disease except that, when
people with the disease return to the diet intended for us by God, it
can be reversed. So Steve had a bright idea. He told John to let us
(Carol & I) cook some meals for him for about a week and see what
difference it makes. I’ve had a lot of fun preparing an extra bowl of
food for him at dinner time every day this week. The only problem is,
it could look… unfavorable?... if a woman was bringing him food every
day—especially to Shey John’s jealous wife. So we’ve employed Divine
as our delivery man. Sabbath evening, though, Carol and I were going
to bring the food to him on our way to the church. We headed toward
his shop—down the shortcut, past my house, across the bridge, and up
to the market. Carol didn’t have her glasses on, so I’m glad I’m so
observant haha. From the outskirts of the market I could see John’s
store. And from the outskirts of the market I could see Shey’s wife
sitting in front of the store. Close call! We brought him the cold
food later, after our meeting.
In other news, it’s Youth Week here in Lassin, and all over Cameroon
for that matter. No school today either!! I just love holidays.
Yesterday was Human Investment Day (community service) for the youth.
We had morning classes (some English, songs, and the Bible story) at
APSL (Adventist Primary School of Lassin) and then started on our
little project. The students have been collecting firewood from the
area around the school for a few weeks, and yesterday we delivered
bundles to about 10 old men and women in Lassin. My group (the Lions!)
delivered 6 bundles to an ol’ mudda (old mother) who lives here in
Calaba quarter. I pass her house every day as I’m walking to and from
the Roses’. Usually when I try greeting her she just gives me this
look. She rarely greets back. She just doesn’t seem too happy.
Miraculously, yesterday morning as I passed her on my way to school
she actually said good morning-o! back; she even said it with a slight
smile, I think.
The Lions and I arrived at her compound around 1:45 after trekking
with the firewood from school only to find that she was not there. We
left the pile of wood by her door and hoped she’d understand it was
for her. Then the 6 kids in my group came back to my compound for
water and Nutty Buddies! Thanks McKee! Haha! Later, on my way to the
Roses’, I saw that her door was open. So, with my laptop on my head, I
stepped in front of her doorway and tried knocking—“Bong, bong!! Bong,
bong!” I saw her there inside the dark room and got her attention. I
said- “This wood is for you,” motioning to the firewood outside her
door. She gestured with both hands, a sign of respect, and slowly
stood before coming toward me. On her way, she asked if I was the one
giving it to her. I said that it is from my school, from the students
of APSL. I almost cried a little later. She came out of her house to
me and gave me a big side-embrace haha. I told her—“God bless
you!”—not knowing if she really understood. She thanked me and thanked
me. She said—“Thank you, my pikin. Thank you. I came back and saw the
wood but did not see pikin. Thank you.” I will never look at that ol’
mudda in the same way. Now I just consider another one of my
grandmothers. I love how extended my family is. Brothers and sisters,
fathers and mothers, grandparents—they’re everywhere.
I just have a bit more news to share. After Christmas break, a spent
about two weeks teaching Class 5 only. Since Kim left, they didn’t
really have a teacher (well, they still had Divine). Plus, Gregory (a
man who lives near the school and helped build it) has been doing
cement work on the school. As of today, I think, all the classes have
cement-plastered walls AND cement floors! No more dirt! Whoo hoo!
During the first two weeks after Christmas break, classes 1 and 2 were
together in either room 1 or 2 while the other was getting worked on.
During that time, both Naphtali and Julianna taught classes 1 and 2
together. But since then I’ve been floating from Class 2 to Class 5
and have been lesson planning for all of Class 2 and the English/Math
for Class 5. Teaching two classes really makes the days go super fast!
It’s nice. dClass 5, though, has been out of a classroom for the past
couple weeks and have been meeting outside. We have a very nice place
up under the Eucalyptus grove with benches and “desks”. There’s even a
chair for the teacher.
I think I’ve mostly broken my habit of counting down the days ‘til
May… now I’m just keeping in mind how many weeks I have (11.5 :D
haha!). Life’s not too bad here at all. I think the main thing I’m
really missing are the friends and family I’ve spent so much of my
life with (I already mentioned that I have friends and even family
here, too. They’re just not the same, though.). So for now, I’m just
living in today, trying to savor today. I don’t want to be living in
any other time but this moment. May will come soon enough, and, by
then, it will probably be too soon. Today, I’m being drowned (in a
good way) in the blessings of God. I thank Him for the rain, for the
children, for your prayers, for animals (saw another chameleon this
week!), for good food, and for life.
