The things I do in Africa...

So, have you ever had to order Chinese food in Africa using French? LOL…ah the things I do in Africa!!

A inti jam! (Good afternoon) Language study is going great…Fulfulde is definitely challenging but that makes me all the more determined to learn it as quickly as I can. There are many little rules and things to learn...in fact, I have an entire section in my notebook that I have affectionately titled "Random Rules." And guess what else?!? In Fulfulde, there are not words for the different colors but rather there are verbs that literally mean "to be red" "to be yellow" and so on!! Aaahhh...the joys of language learning! But our teacher is wonderful and very helpful not only with learning language, but also with learning cultural issues as well.

I’ve been having some driving lessons with Melissa recently. All the vehicles here are stick-shifts and I do not know how to drive them. So, we went out a few days and have driven around the compound a little. I’m proud to say that so far, I’ve only killed it three times. Not too bad, I think, for a beginner. I have also, unintentionally, had to stop and start again on a hill. Not the funnest thing in the world but I made it. I think it will be a little while before I have enough confidence to drive out on the roads in the capital – it’s one thing to learn to drive a stick in the states – it’s a completely different issues learning to drive a stick in Africa!!

Mostly, my days are consisting of going to Fulfulde class, studying my notes, taking a break to eat, and then studying some more!! And of course, a few ocassional trips to market to pick up a few "necessities" like cloth for skirts and outfits or bracelets or headwraps, or....lol

My first true "bush" experience

These past few days were absolutely amazing!! Melissa and I went out to a village to spend somet time in the bush. This is a picture of one of the huts of the Fulani people we were visiting.













This is the bed that I slept in. We slept outside under a mosquito net because it is cooler that way. I also got my hair braided while I was there...so here are some pictures of that.









Yes, my hair really is in a knot!! It REALLY hurt when she was doing it but it was worth it in the end...just the time spent with the women there was worth it!



















Here she is, adding the finishing touches!

This week was one of the best times I have had since I've been here!! Praise the Father for His blessings and for refreshing my spirit!!

French study

Here are some pictures of me hard at work learning French!!! We spent three weeks learning French because it is the trade language here and we can use it while we are in the capital city to go to market, the tailor, and various other things.


Melissa, Sarah, and I were in class together. And we were able to help and learn from each other. It was especially fun to laugh at all the mistakes we made!!! Learning language will most definitely keep you humble!!


We met with a teacher everyday from 9:00 until 12:00 in the morning. We spent much of our time learning vocabulary and practicing conversations. We even were able to talk with Father and share stories from the book in French the last week!! French has been very useful to us as we have been buying food, clothing, and even just greeting people on the street.


Here is a picture of our classroom. The majority of the time we met outside under this little shelter. We have a chalkboard and everything! Other than our chairs sinking in the sand on occasion, we had a pretty nice set-up!!


Our teacher was very helpful and very interested in helping us to learn the language and the vocabulary that would be useful to us! We were very blessed to have him as our guide!!

Language learning is a blast!!!

More pictures!!

Here is a picture of my team and I enjoying some African food and new friends!! Eating with your hands, while a little messy, makes for a fun meal!!

Here is a picture of some scenery along the road....and can you see what's on the right of the picture??! YES...it's a CAMEL!!!

One of these days, I'm going ride one...just wait and see!!

This is a picture of some African construction. Much different than in the states!!

I forgot to add this picture to my giraffe section. This is our guide. As you can see, once we started doing some off-roading, he would hang out the window of our truck and watch for the giraffes!! He would tell us which way to turn by moving his hand in front of the windshield. It was quite interesting! Especially when we passed close by some small trees and bushes!

Making Friends!

This is me and my new friend from near our house!! She gave me a new name - Hysa. I am so excited about the prospect of building relationships with her and her family!!!