October 31... Halloween costume??

Oct. 31, 2005
Writing the date, I'm realizing that in the States one is celebrating Halloween today. It was wonderful not being reminded of Halloween every day for a month or two with advertisements trying to get me to buy costumes, cards, and candy. Not that it isn't fun for kids to dress up in some bizarre costume, but I don't miss this crazy celebration one bit. When I got dressed this morning in my African Gbomba, I didn't consider that fact that if I wear the same outfit next Oct. 31st, people will think I've dressed up for Halloween. :) Maybe I'll commemorate a more important day today... my 9 month anniversary of being in Benin. 9 months= 3/4 of a year; less than 1/4 left. As I sat down this weekend to figure out my remaining weeks, I can hardly believe how fast the time is flying by!! Here are my TENTATIVE plans for the time left:

Weeks of Oct.31-Nov. 20 /The next three weeks: Continue working at Plan Benin, Gohomey, and tutoring students.
Week of Nov. 21-27 Travel around the south of Benin and Togo for 4 or 5 days
Week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Good-byes at Plan Benin and Gohomey
Week of Dec. 5-Dec. 11 Annual "retreat/meeting" of Baptist Association in Togo
Week of Dec. 12-18 Pack up, close-up house, etc.
Weeks of Dec 19-Jan. 1 Another basketball camp in Ountivou, Togo during the Christmas holidays; celebrate Christmas in Ountivou
Week of Jan. 2-6 Travel around the north of Benin and Togo, hopefully going to a game park (I'd like to see more than just goats, sheep, pigs,lizards, mice, and a plethora of insects during my time in Africa. The one "exotic" animal I've seen was a very bright green snake, which I recently saw INSIDE my house!)
Jan. 7-10 Final good-byes in Benin
Jan 10 or 11th Deportation... I mean departation... I mean departure, whatever it's called
Then I'm planning on visiting my parents for a couple of weeks in Romania plus maybe one other stop in Europe, finally stepping foot on American soil approximately one year after departure, around Jan. 31, 2006, three months from today. I know three months sounds like a reasonably long time, but I know it's just going to fly by at astronomical speeds, especially with the various trips I'm hoping to make. I'll be excited to see all of you, but it will be very hard to leave my life here. But as in my last e-mail, I don't want to touch that subject quite yet... I'll save it for my final blog :).

I have no exciting news or stories to tell about the last month, since returning from Togo. But for those of you curious about the not-so exciting, how I spend my time kind of news, here's the brief update. Since being back, I started up again at Plan Benin and Gohomey. However, after not being there for 6 weeks, I already felt a little detached and sensed the same from those I work with. The women at Gohomey were busily involved in a project of making hundreds of necklaces (which the founder of the center was going to take back with her to Germany) and so didn't want to or didn't have time to work on Aja or French. Supposedly this week they want to start with me again. Even though I was a little disappointed to "waste" a couple weeks without really "doing" anything, there was a positive side as well: I learned how to make necklaces from them and was able to provide them with a little entertainment when I sang for (and with) them the Aja songs I've learned at church. Many of the same songs are sung at all the churches, regardless of denomination. Those who attend the Catholic, Pentacostal, and Church of Christ churches all knew the songs I've been learning at the Baptist churches. (Speaking of church, a little side note: Since being back in Benin, I've started visiting a very young church, started just this year. There are three or four women, 8 or so young men, and maybe 10 kids. It was started by two people from one of the two Baptist churches in Azove that I still go to every other week. Although those two people teach the Sunday school and preach the sermon, it is a dynmic boy of maybe 13 or 14 who is leading the church. This church is meeting during the week for prayer and Bible study, and they also go out Sunday afternoons to witness to others in the village. Even though I hardly understand any of the teaching and preaching (it being in Aja), their excitement for God has drawn me to go there every other week. As I mentioned earlier, the other weeks I go to the "mother" church in Azove, which is conducted in Aja and Yoruba and where a woman kindly translates the sermon into French for me.) Back to what I've been up to. At Plan Benin too, there were a couple of weeks were I was sitting around most of the time without really doing anything. And at the Association for people with AIDS (where I had been going Thursdays), the funding had stopped and the one person I had been working with moved away. I was even beginning to question my decision to stay until January... but I really would like to experience Christmas in Africa and do another basketball camp during school break as well. Plus, I just don't feel ready to leave. This last week I ended up being extremely busy, working long days at Plan Benin organizing school supplies for 19 villages (over 12, 000 kids). The person in charge was at a training in Cotonou all week, but a driver had already been hired to distribute the supplies. So, fortunately for me (fortunately because I love detail, organizational kind of work and also because it felt nice to be useful) they let me take over. The school year here started a couple weeks ago and so I've also enjoyed starting the tutoring as well. Besides, it's been nice to have the students back in Aplahoue, because without them it is extremely quiet and calm, too quiet and calm.

Having a lot more time this past month, I've enjoyed finally taking time to read some of the many books I brought with me. For those of you who've forgotten, I brought over 30 books with me, but up until the end of September had only read 8. This last month I've been on an Africa/poverty/social justice "kick" and have read five very interesting and recommendable books. The one I recommend most and challenge everyone of you who call yourself a Christian to read is Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ronald Sider. It is a statistic-packed, thought-provoking, well-writtenbook about poverty and what can and should be done about it. Most people would probably rather not read it, out of fear of being made to feel guilty or fear of having to change. But it is incredibly important, so I really encourage you to read it. Yes, yes, I know some of you are probably thinking that this kind of reading is fine for me because I chose to come to Africa and learn a bit about poverty, but it really isn't up your alley. I assure you that it is equally as important for you. Ok, maybe I should start begging you to read it, on behalf of the one billion very hungry poor neighbors that we share this earth with (two more billion are considered poor). I'll close this paragraph with a quote by Dr. Charles Brick "The rich must live more simply, that the poor may simply live."

Speaking of rich people in an age of hunger, thank you very very very much to those of you who have sent money for various people here. Because of you, students are able to attend school this year (even public schools cost money here), have supplies to do their school work, and eat breakfast. Because of you, an orphan was able to plant peanuts and beans (sadly, the rains didn't come at the right time and they haven't grown as they should) and buy a goat (which when it has kids can be sold to help buy school supplies in the future). Because of you, kids have basketballs to play with (a hoop was given to the church by missionaries who have since left that region). Because of you, a one-legged man will soon have his own tools to have a bicycle repair "shop" (and no longer have to be an apprentice, at age35 or so because he can't afford the five basic tools needed). Because of you, 8 women have goats to raise, providing income in the future. Because of you, micro-loans have been made. Because of you, four new children in Benin have sponsors. And I'm still deciding on how to use some of the money! Thank you very much for your generosity! I wish you could have been here yourself to give your gifts and received these people's gratitude and blessings personally. I will try to equally lavish all the blessings that were spoken to me on you when I write you personally, but I doubt I'll be able to do justice. Also, some people have given me thank you letters to send to you and I've taken some pictures for you as well. I'll try to get these things sent to you soon. (Note: This is not to guilt those of you who haven't given, but if you still are interested, it isn't too late. You can see one of the previous blogs for specific information.)

The power just went off (due to a much needed rain storm... well, really it's been going off almost every day lately and we haven't had real rain for two weeks), so I need to bring this to a close (the battery doesn't last for long). (Note about the weather: We recently started the second dry season, which means it's hot again. Here's a quick little climate info: Feb, March, and April were very hot and humid (and not just because I came from the freezing cold of Chicago and my body wasn't accustomed to it), May and June were better, July through September the weather was wonderfully nice, and then October started getting hot again. In a few weeks the dry dust storms should start, which will last on and off until January. I've been told that it's both hot and cold, though I haven't quite figured out what that means or how that's possible. I'll let you know.

One final thing, I'm hoping to soon get a second batch of pictures sent out to you, of my life here in Benin (my friends, my house, the market, everyday kinds of things like that). It's ironic you're not getting to see them until close to the end of my time here...but just think, if it weren't for technology, you wouldn't see them until I after I returned. :)

Hope all you are doing well. Thank you very much your continued love and prayers for me!!

With much love,
Chrischona

P.S. FYI, You'll be glad to know that I've been very healthy for the last few weeks!! Akpe non Mawu! Dieu merci! Thanks be to God! (A phrase you hear very frequently here, and something I want to remember to do daily and in all situations, healthy or not!)