Marc bought something in Kandi last week which had the following label (the only other language on it was Chinese). I think this is supposed to be English ... and can you guess what object it is referring to?!
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Monday, 19 September 2011
rainy season sunday
(written Sept 18th)
Today was a fairly typical rainy season day, at least in terms of weather! Around 7.15am the rain started – I was in our room with no noise, and heard it approaching, a low rustle gradually growing louder as it raced across the field, leapt over our wall and began to rap on our roof. We ate breakfast in a sort of half-light. I hate rainy Sunday mornings, as we never quite know when church will start. There have been times when we've turned up on time to find no one … and then the last time when we waited for the rain to stop and went late … only to find ourselves walking into a packed church! I sit at the front (the only place where I can put my folding chair – better for my back than a backless bench) so it is pretty obvious if I get there late. Since it had stopped by our usual time to go, we went then and found the church as full as it usually is when we arrive … phew!
The service was led by someone who had never led the service before, and he did very well. Discussing the sermon afterwards, however, Marc and I realised we'd had the same problem – we seemed to understand the individual words said, but found it hard to put that together into something that made sense! It didn't help that we'd found the Bible passage hard to understand, and weren't sure the sermon was exactly based on it! But during a time of prayer I was encouraged to hear one of the church elders saying how important it is to pray for our Bible translation, particularly that we won't be slowed down by illness or anything else. Very relevant since the pastor wasn't able to come to work (as a translator) for four days last week because of bronchitis.
We came home after church and were soon joined by three boys who'd come to play with our boys and/or their toys. We sent them home at lunchtime, and others arrived in the afternoon! Sometimes I feel like we're running a day-care centre.
Marc is the one who usually goes to Bible study in the afternoons, but I have been saying I should make the effort to go, and so off I went this afternoon, unsure if it would actually be happening since the pastor had been ill last week. When I saw about fifteen men sitting under the tree outside the church I knew that meant it wasn't on, but since I knew them all I went and greeted and checked that yes indeed it wasn't happening. So I went and took a photo of the corn growing inside the new (unfinished!) church building and then went to my favourite place for sitting with women, under a mango tree near the pump.
The friend I know best wasn't there, but the women who were there greeted me, and I explained why I was there and said I was “wandering about”. That made them laugh in a nice way, because I'd said something the way they would, which they didn't expect me to (if you see what I mean!). They invited me to sit down with them and I ended up staying for a couple of hours. It was a pleasant temperature (30°C-ish in the shade, with a slight breeze some of the time) with sunshine, blue skies and just a few white clouds to make the sky more interesting.
I realised that I have come on from when I first used to go down to the village, where I understood about 10% of what was said, and felt very removed from everything. Now I am far from understanding everything, but when the women talk amongst themselves I can tell more or less what they're talking about (and get some of the details), and if they talk to me I can get by (as long as I'm honest when I don't understand, so that they will repeat it!). We had some good chats about liking okra (or not), what is a good number of children to have, an old injury of one of the women which still hurts, whether my boys understand Monkolé and so on.
I think I do still prefer harmattan (beginning of dry season, before the heat really kicks in) to rainy season, but I do like days like today. Actually, rainy season isn't so bad now that I am better at remembering to put on insect repellent, and now that we don't have nappies to wash – and dry!
The blue blue sky as I walked into the village:
The corn in the new church building – one way to bring in more funds for the church!
Today was a fairly typical rainy season day, at least in terms of weather! Around 7.15am the rain started – I was in our room with no noise, and heard it approaching, a low rustle gradually growing louder as it raced across the field, leapt over our wall and began to rap on our roof. We ate breakfast in a sort of half-light. I hate rainy Sunday mornings, as we never quite know when church will start. There have been times when we've turned up on time to find no one … and then the last time when we waited for the rain to stop and went late … only to find ourselves walking into a packed church! I sit at the front (the only place where I can put my folding chair – better for my back than a backless bench) so it is pretty obvious if I get there late. Since it had stopped by our usual time to go, we went then and found the church as full as it usually is when we arrive … phew!
The service was led by someone who had never led the service before, and he did very well. Discussing the sermon afterwards, however, Marc and I realised we'd had the same problem – we seemed to understand the individual words said, but found it hard to put that together into something that made sense! It didn't help that we'd found the Bible passage hard to understand, and weren't sure the sermon was exactly based on it! But during a time of prayer I was encouraged to hear one of the church elders saying how important it is to pray for our Bible translation, particularly that we won't be slowed down by illness or anything else. Very relevant since the pastor wasn't able to come to work (as a translator) for four days last week because of bronchitis.
We came home after church and were soon joined by three boys who'd come to play with our boys and/or their toys. We sent them home at lunchtime, and others arrived in the afternoon! Sometimes I feel like we're running a day-care centre.
Marc is the one who usually goes to Bible study in the afternoons, but I have been saying I should make the effort to go, and so off I went this afternoon, unsure if it would actually be happening since the pastor had been ill last week. When I saw about fifteen men sitting under the tree outside the church I knew that meant it wasn't on, but since I knew them all I went and greeted and checked that yes indeed it wasn't happening. So I went and took a photo of the corn growing inside the new (unfinished!) church building and then went to my favourite place for sitting with women, under a mango tree near the pump.
The friend I know best wasn't there, but the women who were there greeted me, and I explained why I was there and said I was “wandering about”. That made them laugh in a nice way, because I'd said something the way they would, which they didn't expect me to (if you see what I mean!). They invited me to sit down with them and I ended up staying for a couple of hours. It was a pleasant temperature (30°C-ish in the shade, with a slight breeze some of the time) with sunshine, blue skies and just a few white clouds to make the sky more interesting.
I realised that I have come on from when I first used to go down to the village, where I understood about 10% of what was said, and felt very removed from everything. Now I am far from understanding everything, but when the women talk amongst themselves I can tell more or less what they're talking about (and get some of the details), and if they talk to me I can get by (as long as I'm honest when I don't understand, so that they will repeat it!). We had some good chats about liking okra (or not), what is a good number of children to have, an old injury of one of the women which still hurts, whether my boys understand Monkolé and so on.
I think I do still prefer harmattan (beginning of dry season, before the heat really kicks in) to rainy season, but I do like days like today. Actually, rainy season isn't so bad now that I am better at remembering to put on insect repellent, and now that we don't have nappies to wash – and dry!
The blue blue sky as I walked into the village:
The corn in the new church building – one way to bring in more funds for the church!
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Kandi-Fô camp
Today we visited the Monkolé churches' children's camp. It is being held in a village called Kandi-Fô, about 15 minutes drive from our village. They are holding it in the school there – school doesn't start until October – and we thought it would be good to go over and see how it was going. We had a few blow-up footballs to give them, which we'd been given by a friend in England, and it was nice to come bearing gifts! Just after we arrived they rounded up all the kids:
And then we went into one of the classrooms with one of the groups to hear their lesson:
It was encouraging to realise just how well I could follow the story and questions, and also to feel that we weren't just visiting a camp as we've visited others, but these were our churches (and our language!).
And then we went into one of the classrooms with one of the groups to hear their lesson:
It was encouraging to realise just how well I could follow the story and questions, and also to feel that we weren't just visiting a camp as we've visited others, but these were our churches (and our language!).
Sunday, 11 September 2011
school at home - almost!
Simon is now old enough to begin school. Actually, according to French law, he wouldn't have to start school until next September, but since we are going to be homeschooling we thought it might be a good idea to get the hang of things in a year where it “doesn't matter”!
We decided a few months ago that it would be Marc who would do the majority of the homeschooling. We had decided a long time ago that we would follow the French school system, mainly because they have a distance learning scheme which goes from Reception class onwards and which is subsidized for French people living abroad. It therefore makes more sense for it to be Marc teaching it, and that fitted in with our idea that our priority is to complete the translation of the Bible into Monkolé.
So since Thursday 1st September we have had a new routine. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 8.30am, Marc and Simon head off to the small house on our mission property for school. One of the bedrooms has been converted into a classroom … and since it was originally converted from being a translation office it actually still has a blackboard on the wall! (Funny how God provides!) At the same time, Benjy and I go to the (new) translation office, the third building on the property. The pastor meets us there, and all being well not long afterwards his wife turns up to work in our house and takes Benjy with her. (I will be writing another post soon about the translation work!)
At 10.30am we all meet up for our coffee/tea/squash break at our house, and at 11 go back to work. Marc and Simon finish at 11.30 and I continue working with the pastor until 12.30. At that point I go back to the house where I find the meal that has been sent up from the village ready and waiting to be served! A lady down in the village is cooking for us every weekday lunchtime, and so far it has been delicious! The only problem is that the quantities are enormous, and have been sufficient for both midday and evening meals … we will be putting on weight if it goes on like this!
On Wednesdays we follow French tradition and Simon doesn't have school. This gives his parents a chance to have a language learning session with the pastor (I then carry on with translation after break). We realise that we still have progress to make with the language, and need to plan in time to do this.
So far, Simon has been loving school, and is very conscientious about his work. The distance learning scheme hasn't turned up yet, however, either because it is taking an awfully long time to get here (most things are taking about 6 weeks from Europe at the moment) or because it has got lost. We are praying that it won't take too long to arrive. For the moment Marc has plenty to occupy Simon as he has a lot of books which either his family have sent to us, or we've bought in Cotonou, but in years to come we hope we won't be starting the school year a month late just because we haven't received the resources!
As for Benjy, he did seem a little unsettled by the changes the first couple of days, and wanted to stay in the translation office with me instead of going with the pastor's wife. I had brought some toy cars and colouring books to the translation office with us. But then he realised that his friends were playing over in his house without him, and that actually he might have more fun over there!
I'm going to do some English school some afternoons with both boys, but am waiting until we get used to our mornings before structuring our afternoons more. It is going to be a challenge to find some things which will interest them both, and other things where I can supervise them separately at different levels. But I am looking forward to it! Marc is using his afternoons to prepare teaching for the church.
Simon and his teacher!
Benjy in his little corner of the translation office:
We decided a few months ago that it would be Marc who would do the majority of the homeschooling. We had decided a long time ago that we would follow the French school system, mainly because they have a distance learning scheme which goes from Reception class onwards and which is subsidized for French people living abroad. It therefore makes more sense for it to be Marc teaching it, and that fitted in with our idea that our priority is to complete the translation of the Bible into Monkolé.
So since Thursday 1st September we have had a new routine. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 8.30am, Marc and Simon head off to the small house on our mission property for school. One of the bedrooms has been converted into a classroom … and since it was originally converted from being a translation office it actually still has a blackboard on the wall! (Funny how God provides!) At the same time, Benjy and I go to the (new) translation office, the third building on the property. The pastor meets us there, and all being well not long afterwards his wife turns up to work in our house and takes Benjy with her. (I will be writing another post soon about the translation work!)
At 10.30am we all meet up for our coffee/tea/squash break at our house, and at 11 go back to work. Marc and Simon finish at 11.30 and I continue working with the pastor until 12.30. At that point I go back to the house where I find the meal that has been sent up from the village ready and waiting to be served! A lady down in the village is cooking for us every weekday lunchtime, and so far it has been delicious! The only problem is that the quantities are enormous, and have been sufficient for both midday and evening meals … we will be putting on weight if it goes on like this!
On Wednesdays we follow French tradition and Simon doesn't have school. This gives his parents a chance to have a language learning session with the pastor (I then carry on with translation after break). We realise that we still have progress to make with the language, and need to plan in time to do this.
So far, Simon has been loving school, and is very conscientious about his work. The distance learning scheme hasn't turned up yet, however, either because it is taking an awfully long time to get here (most things are taking about 6 weeks from Europe at the moment) or because it has got lost. We are praying that it won't take too long to arrive. For the moment Marc has plenty to occupy Simon as he has a lot of books which either his family have sent to us, or we've bought in Cotonou, but in years to come we hope we won't be starting the school year a month late just because we haven't received the resources!
As for Benjy, he did seem a little unsettled by the changes the first couple of days, and wanted to stay in the translation office with me instead of going with the pastor's wife. I had brought some toy cars and colouring books to the translation office with us. But then he realised that his friends were playing over in his house without him, and that actually he might have more fun over there!
I'm going to do some English school some afternoons with both boys, but am waiting until we get used to our mornings before structuring our afternoons more. It is going to be a challenge to find some things which will interest them both, and other things where I can supervise them separately at different levels. But I am looking forward to it! Marc is using his afternoons to prepare teaching for the church.
Simon and his teacher!
Benjy in his little corner of the translation office:
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