Get A Life

Actually I think it's "ALife" - the magazine for the CMA. I think Alace Straw, the wife of the pilot for the Bongolo hospital, has an article in the March issue!! It tells a little about their journey to Gabon, Africa. Just thought it was cool she had a published article!

Christmas is here!

You actually might think this, since the city still has the Christmas decorations up - on the 20th of February!!! Actually we did see them taking down some of it today. But actually I'm referring to the Christmas Shoeboxes... they just came into Gabon recently and yesterday Joseph worked at getting them in storage. Joseph works with Pastor Jean Marc who is the director of the Shoebox project here in Gabon. They are very excited to have five containers coming in this year! Two that will be distributed here in Libreville, while the other three will go to Port Gentil, Lambarene, and another place I forget.

I was excited to see reminders of my home state! Actually Jean Marc deals a lot with Boone, NC since I think that's where Samaritan's Purse headquarters are located.

Unity in the body

It really makes you expand your view of the body of Christ (the church) when you are standing on another continent talking to women who believe in Jesus in another language.

Mama Jeanine is the wife of Pasteur Jean Marc (wrote an earlier blog on them) who used to be the president of the CMA church here in Gabon. So she often is asked to speak at women's retreats. Well this past Saturday she asked me to give a short message before her message. The theme that day was something along the lines of "looking in the same direction for a victory". The words that hit me were "meme direction" (same direction). So I ended up talking about John 17 - where he prays for the people in the future that will believe and prays for their unity. I also talked a little about the body of Christ and how difficult it is if the hand wants to go in one direction and the foot wants to go in another direction (it is difficult to do this move in a skirt!).

Although I have been called "preachy" before, my goal is always to teach. In my case I love interaction and so I tend to ask questions (so I know the students are paying attention and getting it). This took them off guard at first since they are used to listening to a preacher and not necessarily having to respond to them. Even in school, their teaching method is by lecture. But when I started talking to my feet, they started giggling and opened up a little more.

Are you really surprised that I talk to my feet? I mean I talk to myself all the time!! Where have you been? Ok so I was trying to explain that the body has to listen to the head, because the parts of the body don't necessarily know all that goes on. For example, in order to walk there is the movement of the feet, but there is also the breathing and the blood pumping... so I was asking my feet if they knew that the heart was pumping the blood or if the lungs were breathing. I think they were a little nervous in front of an audience, because they didn't respond.

After that I gave my testimony and then Mama Jeanine spoke. We hung out with the women for the rest of the day as they discussed things, sang, and prayed.

Misc random

Mom do you remember giving me that Compay Secundo CD - yes the Latino one... well here is a night club that has a memorial to him. In downtown Libreville, Gabon... go figure.

I just thought this was interesting... no heat in the vehicle. Not that I am surprised. Admittedly in the dry season I have put a light blanket over me at night and I have worn a jacket, but also remember I get cold easily - poor circulation.

En bruce encore

Again what it sounds like when they are talking about going to their plantations. This time I did end up doing a little work, but they were more concerned with me seeing the whole plantation and experiencing it, than my work.

Mama Jeanine taught me what leaves to use as a dinner plate and also as a glass for water... here she is with her "glass" of water.

Here is a picture of me with one of the baskets they use. This one just had bread in it for lunch so it was fairly light.

Also for all those sweet potato fans out there (WEB) - here's a picture of some hills of "potates". I'm convinced they are white sweet potatoes.

This was a neighbor's potato patch so I don't know if the hills were formed individually or if the rains eroded them - just one of the great mysteries of Gabon.

Here is a Jean Marc sitting on a neat little bench that they made.

Mama Josephine is cleaning the peanuts in the stream in these cool baskets they make (they being somebody else - we bought them). She was definitely the hard working one in the group, the rest of us did work, but you could definitely tell we weren't on the clock or getting paid. ps. I love the lighting in this picture... sprinkling through the trees.











Cool picture of a grasshopper... and you thought they were all green! I'm thinking He had just finished creating the yellow jacket when He came up with this one. Any other guesses?

Sorry about the long pause

Internet connection issues... still not all resolved, but I do have at least internet at the house now... sometimes.