Family Life

Living with a family means that I get to experience their family life, which can be really fun. On Saturday the girls wanted to go swimming, so they blew up their kiddy pool and splashed in delight as I took pictures of them (I’ve wanted to put pictures on the blog, but the computer system here has a mind of its own). Another time I went with Felix to watch the girls play tennis. There are courts nearby at an International School, and it was fun hearing tennis lingo in French.

Felix and Nema have friends coming in and out on occasion, and one of their family friends offered to take me on his motorbike and see the city. What an experience this was! (You feel like you have to brush your teeth afterwards; the dust is profuse!) It was very interesting seeing how the city changes- from dirt roads that are really just pot holes strung together, to wide paved streets with massive houses and multistory buildings. I saw the University of Ouagadougou, their new stadium, a large monument, and even a fancy hotel art gallery! There is a newly built mall in the very upper-class region on the city, but it is mostly vacant because of the price it takes to lease a space. The mall offers one thing that is nice for an American, fixed prices.

Nema took me to “the main market,” and despite my other travels out of country and in markets, I have never experienced such chaos. Not 10 seconds inside we were flooded by men shoving products in our faces and pleading for us to come into their shops. “Good price! Good price! You like? I have more!?” The market is rows and rows of tiny shops that are shoved full of merchandise from shoes to fabrics and dyes. Nema reminded me that if I really wanted something nice I should tell her and she would come back alone and get it for me, because the merchants won’t reduce their price to someone they think has a lot of money (because I’m white). She did an excellent job of bartering for a few items I did purchase.

Fried plantanes is a favorite and common dish here, and I also have enjoyed their fish (which is bought alive and appears on your plate with scales and fins). Oh yes, how could I forget, (concerning food,) on the road yesterday I saw a motorbike making more noise than usual. When I looked I saw little goats tied together at their feet and flung on the back of the bike with their heads dangling down. PETA would be horrified! Not soon afterwards there was a large truck with chickens tied in the same manner balanced on top in a crate!

I was challenged to learn some Bible verses in French (from the friend who took me to see Ouaga) and it has been difficult but fun. It helps me learn vocab faster and it also gives me something to talk about with the other workers at the hospital. Since some of them do not follow Christ, it’s an easy way to bring up spiritual thoughts. This week I’m working on 1 Corinthians 10:13- wow! The workers like to hear me talk in French, and even if I am amusement to them, I pray that this is God working in their hearts.

Till next time that the power holds on long enough for me to post!