Well, I have been quite tardy in blogging. Something about not being in Bongolo gets me out of my blogging routine.
The trip back from Libreville was largely uneventful. Within ten minutes of stepping off the airplane, two different travelers came up to me and asked for directions to certain gates. I guess I look helpful?!...I had a 7.5 hour layover that made me feel a lot like Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal. I set my backpack down on a bench and to sleep I went for about four hours. When I was finally up and functional, I walked around and took advantage of the German pastries available. I became very familiar with the Frankfurt airport during my layover. Eventually, I sat down on a bench and read for a while. Every once in a while, I’d peak over my book and observe all the people around me. I had lots of fun just observing all the people around.
As I was boarding the Frankfurt-Toronto flight, the German Lufthansa representative took the ID and info of the passenger in front of me. She quizzed the Iranian man on his address and Canadian resident information and he couldn’t remember. Needless to say, this made me slightly nervous. My nerve level increased 10x when he sat down in the seat in front of me and then a big, burly Middle Eastern man sat next to me. The man next to me had a watch with a timer that periodically went off about four times during the flight. The timer, the man’s refusal to look me in the eye, his constant need to get up and just stand in the aisle and his extremely nervous look, put me into panic mode multiple times. I was very happy when the flight landed in Toronto. I made it through U.S. customs in Toronto without any problems, except when the customs officer asked me where home was, I almost said Gabon…oops!
Side note…I have officially fallen in love with Lufthansa airlines. I’ve flown them before, but I forgot how wonderful they are. I have also made an official experiment of it and have discovered that if you speak German, the German flight attendants treat you better. Very interesting. I had the flight attendant completely fooled and she thought I only spoke German ;-)
After a 4.5 layover in Toronto, I boarded a small little plane with only 19 seats to Rochester, NY. There were only three other people on my flight and the plane was so small that there was no door for the cockpit.
It is a little bizarre being home. I feel a little bit like a stranger in my own house since it seems like I’ve been gone for ages (in one respect). It is just that life is so different in Bongolo, that it is hard imagine that Bongolo and Rochester exist in the same world. I am eating my fill of salad, vegetables and cheese since we don’t have much of that in Bongolo. I’ve decided my house here is too clean. There are no little granules of red jungle dirt, no ants, no geckos…its all a little strange. My mom sent me to the mall to use up a coupon...I didn't last more than 15 minutes and called my mom asking if she was ok with me not using the coupon and just coming home. I got to the store and was just too overwhelmed by the people, how different things are here and everything else…So, there is reverse culture shock for you, but I know that soon enough I’ll get back into the swing of things and life in the U.S.
On the health front, I am definitely feeling a lot better. My rash is gone and I’m feeling pretty good. Every once in a while, I have sweats/chills and I feel pretty tired…but MUCH better than last week!
Last night, Joanna Thelander's parents (who live in Rochester) came over and I was able to share my pictures and stories with them. It was an awesome time and I was so blessed to share pictures and stories with people who understand. It is a real blessing when people listen with interest to stories and things that God has shown you during trips like this one.
Thank you to all those who prayed for every part of this trip. Life in the jungle isn't always easy and I definitely relied on every single prayer. God really blessed my time in Gabon and I saw him move in so many ways. I had an awesome time getting to know the missionaries better and gleaning from their years of wisdom. I am so blessed to have also been able to build relationships with Gabonese people and other Africans…that is probably the hardest part. It is easy to come home if you just go in and out of a country and don’t build relationships. It is much harder when you leave a country and leave both new and old friends behind. It is so hard because I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I have to trust God that I’ll make it back to Africa sooner rather than later…already looking forward to my next trip!
I will keep blogging every once in a while even though I am not in Gabon, so stay tuned!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Back in the U.S.
Thank you to all who prayed for a safe trip back to the U.S. It was a long trip, but I made it...I'll post sometime tomorrow with more details, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it back safely & I appreciate all the prayers & support.
Bon nuit!
Bon nuit!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Food for Thought
"Faith looks back upon the past and remembers that God has never once failed any of his children. It recollects times of great peril when deliverance came, hours of awful need when strength was received, and cries, "Always before, the Lord has helped me, and He will help me now." -Charles Spurgeon
Lisa, a missionary nurse in Bongolo, shared this quote with me and I absolutely love it. Charles Spurgeon captures the essence of faith well. It relates oh so well to so many passages in the Bible including the story of Isaac's sacrifice in Genesis 22 and the following passage in Deuteronomy 7.
"You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out." -Deut. 7:17-19a
Lisa, a missionary nurse in Bongolo, shared this quote with me and I absolutely love it. Charles Spurgeon captures the essence of faith well. It relates oh so well to so many passages in the Bible including the story of Isaac's sacrifice in Genesis 22 and the following passage in Deuteronomy 7.
"You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out." -Deut. 7:17-19a
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Journey to Libreville
Sunday I ran around and said goodbye to my missionary friends, the residents and others in Bonoglo. In the evening, the THelanders invited me over for my last supper. Had an awesome time with them, as always! I’m so blessed to have been able to come to Bongolo this summer and I can’t wait to come back ASAP!
Last night with Joanna Thelander:
Yesterday morning, the Thelanders came over at 7am to say goodbye. Even the kids dragged themselves out of bed to say goodbye to me! I hate goodbyes and it was so hard to say goodbye to the Thelander fam mostly because I don’t know when I’ll see them again.
Philippe, the hospital driver, picked me up and drove me to the airport in Mouila (appx. 2 hour drive). As we bumped along the roads to Mouila, Philippe drove and I slept. If you know me well at all, you know that I can sleep just about anywhere. When I wasn’t sleeping, Philippe was in a very chatty mood, so my broken French kicked into gear and I tried to pay close attention to make sure I was responding correctly.
We arrived at the airport and unloaded my stuff… “Check-in” consists of giving your handwritten La National ticket to the unofficial looking person behind a white block. Other passengers stood in line with all the random odds and ends that they wanted to check as “luggage.” The most popular item was coolers full of fish. Or, in some cases, the fish was paced in a cardboard box with blood seeping out the corners. My suitcase was overweight, so Philippe told me it would cost extra. I asked how much. He said 7,000 FCFA (about $14 USD). So, I handed him the 10,000 FCFA and expected 3,000 FCFA in change (logical, right? haha). He gave me a receipt and 4,000 FCFA back. According to the receipt, I was charged only 5,000 FCFA, so I should have received 5,000 FCFA back in change...but Philippe gave me 4,000 FCFA....SO, I have no idea who ate the extra 1,000 FCFA, but whatever. I wasn't sure that it would be worth the hassle to figure out.
As I was sitting with the other passengers a tall Gabonese man in a striped polo shirt came and said “Passport!” in a loud voice and then motioned for me to follow him into a closed room. In an effort not to make much of the sketchy “customs” situation, I followed the man into his office. He then requested that I shut the door completely. Hesitant to obey under the bizarre circumstances, I left the door ajar. I handed him my passport and he was just getting the mini interrogation underway when in barged Philippe saying that Sangoye (pastor in LBV) was on the phone for me. After speaking with Sangoye, the interrogation continued…Who are you? What are you doing in Gabon? Are in the Peace Corps? What is your occupation? Are you a student? What are you doing in LBV? When do you leave for the U.S.? Etc.
Finally, that was over and I waited for the plane to arrive. Planes don’t have a precise schedule in Gabon. They arrive and leave whenever they’d like and the schedule is subject to change without notice. The plane arrived and I boarded along with the other passengers. The little plane is quite old and I imagine that Indiana Jones probably boarded a similar one in the older Indiana Jones movies. The FAA would not approve of the state of the aircraft on so many levels, but it does the job in Gabon. The plane stopped first in Tchibanga and then in LBV.
Papa Pierre was supposed to pick me up in LBV, but as things sometimes go in Gabon…he wasn’t there. Thank God for cell phones and big cities (like LBV) where cell phones actually work. After some phone calling, Papa Pierre was on his way and I eventually met up with him after warding off some creeper dude.
I arrived at the guest house around 1pm and had lunch with Hannah, Jess and Kayla. Hannah is one of the EnVision (short-term missions) directors in Libreville. Jess and Kayla are summer interns. We cooked quite the gourmet meal together and passed out pretty early because we were all tired. So, today I am chilling out at the guest house and will probably do the same thing for most of tomorrow. Late tomorrow evening (around 10pm), I fly out of Libreville.
Saying goodbye to Gabon is hard because I don’t know when I’ll be back :-(
Last night with Joanna Thelander:
Yesterday morning, the Thelanders came over at 7am to say goodbye. Even the kids dragged themselves out of bed to say goodbye to me! I hate goodbyes and it was so hard to say goodbye to the Thelander fam mostly because I don’t know when I’ll see them again.
Philippe, the hospital driver, picked me up and drove me to the airport in Mouila (appx. 2 hour drive). As we bumped along the roads to Mouila, Philippe drove and I slept. If you know me well at all, you know that I can sleep just about anywhere. When I wasn’t sleeping, Philippe was in a very chatty mood, so my broken French kicked into gear and I tried to pay close attention to make sure I was responding correctly.
We arrived at the airport and unloaded my stuff… “Check-in” consists of giving your handwritten La National ticket to the unofficial looking person behind a white block. Other passengers stood in line with all the random odds and ends that they wanted to check as “luggage.” The most popular item was coolers full of fish. Or, in some cases, the fish was paced in a cardboard box with blood seeping out the corners. My suitcase was overweight, so Philippe told me it would cost extra. I asked how much. He said 7,000 FCFA (about $14 USD). So, I handed him the 10,000 FCFA and expected 3,000 FCFA in change (logical, right? haha). He gave me a receipt and 4,000 FCFA back. According to the receipt, I was charged only 5,000 FCFA, so I should have received 5,000 FCFA back in change...but Philippe gave me 4,000 FCFA....SO, I have no idea who ate the extra 1,000 FCFA, but whatever. I wasn't sure that it would be worth the hassle to figure out.
As I was sitting with the other passengers a tall Gabonese man in a striped polo shirt came and said “Passport!” in a loud voice and then motioned for me to follow him into a closed room. In an effort not to make much of the sketchy “customs” situation, I followed the man into his office. He then requested that I shut the door completely. Hesitant to obey under the bizarre circumstances, I left the door ajar. I handed him my passport and he was just getting the mini interrogation underway when in barged Philippe saying that Sangoye (pastor in LBV) was on the phone for me. After speaking with Sangoye, the interrogation continued…Who are you? What are you doing in Gabon? Are in the Peace Corps? What is your occupation? Are you a student? What are you doing in LBV? When do you leave for the U.S.? Etc.
Finally, that was over and I waited for the plane to arrive. Planes don’t have a precise schedule in Gabon. They arrive and leave whenever they’d like and the schedule is subject to change without notice. The plane arrived and I boarded along with the other passengers. The little plane is quite old and I imagine that Indiana Jones probably boarded a similar one in the older Indiana Jones movies. The FAA would not approve of the state of the aircraft on so many levels, but it does the job in Gabon. The plane stopped first in Tchibanga and then in LBV.
Papa Pierre was supposed to pick me up in LBV, but as things sometimes go in Gabon…he wasn’t there. Thank God for cell phones and big cities (like LBV) where cell phones actually work. After some phone calling, Papa Pierre was on his way and I eventually met up with him after warding off some creeper dude.
I arrived at the guest house around 1pm and had lunch with Hannah, Jess and Kayla. Hannah is one of the EnVision (short-term missions) directors in Libreville. Jess and Kayla are summer interns. We cooked quite the gourmet meal together and passed out pretty early because we were all tired. So, today I am chilling out at the guest house and will probably do the same thing for most of tomorrow. Late tomorrow evening (around 10pm), I fly out of Libreville.
Saying goodbye to Gabon is hard because I don’t know when I’ll be back :-(
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Au revoir Bongolo!
Where have I been in the last week? Most of you probably heard by now that I’ve been sick most of the week….very frustrating to be sick during your last week in Africa! Last night I broke out in a lovely polka-dot rash from head to toe, so I think the general consensus is that I have a form of Dengue Fever or something like that. Thank you to all who prayed for me!!! I am finally on the mend.
A few times, I thought I was better (wrong!), so I went down to the OR for a bit, but most of the time I was just sick. Yesterday was my first functional day! The Thelander kids and Rachael Thompson came over to help me bake cookies for petit Luc’s birthday party in the morning. After baking, the kids and I sorted shells that we collected in Panga. Luke Thelander packaged all my shells up professionally so that they don’t break on my trip home. After shell sorting, I cleaned and sorted boxes of orthopedic supplies and ran some errands. From 3-5pm was petit Luc and Christine’s birthday party at the Bataneni’s. The birthday party was done African style complete with a crowd of people, lots of food, an emcee and a powerpoint presentation on Luc and Christine!
After the party, I scurried home to finish cleaning some orthopedic supplies (I’m finally done!) and then headed off to the Thelander’s for dinner :-) After the Thelander’s, Rachael and I stopped by Lisa’s to say goodbye to Lisa and Renee since they are leaving for Panga today.
Tomorrow, I’ll be leaving Bongolo early and driving to Mouila. From Mouila, I will take a plane to Libreville and arrive sometime Monday afternoon/evening. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent in Libreville. Wednesday evening, I leave for Frankfurt, Germany. Then Thursday morning, I fly from Frankfurt to Toronto and then Rochester.
Today is my last day in Bongolo : -( …I’ve already cried once today and the day is young, so I’m sure that more tears will follow…Going back to the U.S. is always a bummer.
Christine, petit Luc, Jean Claude & I:
Afoussa, Joanna & I:
Myomectomy:
The Three Musketeers (Rachel, Lisa & I):
A few times, I thought I was better (wrong!), so I went down to the OR for a bit, but most of the time I was just sick. Yesterday was my first functional day! The Thelander kids and Rachael Thompson came over to help me bake cookies for petit Luc’s birthday party in the morning. After baking, the kids and I sorted shells that we collected in Panga. Luke Thelander packaged all my shells up professionally so that they don’t break on my trip home. After shell sorting, I cleaned and sorted boxes of orthopedic supplies and ran some errands. From 3-5pm was petit Luc and Christine’s birthday party at the Bataneni’s. The birthday party was done African style complete with a crowd of people, lots of food, an emcee and a powerpoint presentation on Luc and Christine!
After the party, I scurried home to finish cleaning some orthopedic supplies (I’m finally done!) and then headed off to the Thelander’s for dinner :-) After the Thelander’s, Rachael and I stopped by Lisa’s to say goodbye to Lisa and Renee since they are leaving for Panga today.
Tomorrow, I’ll be leaving Bongolo early and driving to Mouila. From Mouila, I will take a plane to Libreville and arrive sometime Monday afternoon/evening. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent in Libreville. Wednesday evening, I leave for Frankfurt, Germany. Then Thursday morning, I fly from Frankfurt to Toronto and then Rochester.
Today is my last day in Bongolo : -( …I’ve already cried once today and the day is young, so I’m sure that more tears will follow…Going back to the U.S. is always a bummer.
Christine, petit Luc, Jean Claude & I:
Afoussa, Joanna & I:
Myomectomy:
The Three Musketeers (Rachel, Lisa & I):
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