African Markets

First Market Trips

We had the opportunity during our first few weeks in the capital, to take a few market trips. One we were able to walk to. It was a HOT day & the market was a tad smelly. We saw amazingly different things. It was colorful and crowded. We weaved in and out and bought what we thought we needed. We learned so many things, like what was better to buy elsewhere, and how much to buy, etc. The butcher shop part was the least appetizing. Raw meat was laying out with flies swarming around while the butcher whacked at the meat. Some of the bones he pounded until they were like shrapnel. I'm so glad we learned that we could buy refrigerated meat elsewhere (and yes, we pressure cook it all!). It was fun to see the various beans in different shapes and sizes and colors. It was interesting to learn that you need to buy and eat your bananas & oranges while they are still green. Things ripen from the inside out in this climate. Oh, and watch out for small stones in the local rice!

At one point we were in the center of this covered market area (tin roofs or umbrellas for other stalls) and our kids started feeling boxed in. I was mentally prepared for it to be slightly unpleasant and overwhelming. Claire started climbing me, literally. She kept telling me there were too many people. Brent and I took turns holding her and telling her to either look up at the ceiling or to close her eyes. We were so thankful for the missionary guiding us around. She helped Claire pick out a bracelet & Ethan a ball. The terrifying trip to market was not so bad for them in the end.

We traveled by car to other markets (while someone watched our kids) to learn the ropes & were told we would not be able to remember it all the first time. They were right! This time, the market was crowded and maze-like. It spanned a large area & I refer to it as the “cave market” because it was a covered rocky area with rain dripping through – reminded me of being in a cave, only HOT. It was a huge place which will take me many times visiting before I can feel I've confidently mastered it. It was fun to see all the various produce available and the odd things you could find there. I liked this market but much prefer the idea of shopping with an experienced friend. We also had the chance to visit some Lebanese run stores that carried a lot of familiar (but expensive) French products. All in all, an interesting experience. Each time we come home from market was wash our shoes and feet and hands (you walk through some not so fun stuff, especially in the drippy rain). Ahh, the new shopping experience – what will I find next time?

Close encounters of the first kind

I've officially been in West Africa one week! Well, it's been fun. Today had some landmark events though. If you're squeamish about bathroom topics or scary small animals, don't bother reading any further.

So, I'm doing my business in the bathroom, and I see a flash of a small fury body along the floor. I put my feet up on the wall and finished up. Flushed and washed my hands. Then I sneaked out and trapped him in the bathroom. I didn't scream, though I wanted to a bit. I called a missionary who grew up here and told him what I caught and where.  He grabbed his broom and began the hunt. We heard banging and he came out with it, put it in a bag and saved it in the freezer.

I was a bit in disbelief. There was this sweet dead lil mouse (picture Beatrix Potter type) being saved in the freezer for another missionary's pet snake to eat. Ewww. Ok, we missionaries are a rare breed. But hey, I got kuddos for not screaming and for trapping it in the bathroom! :)

Today also marked the day that I got to see what having intestinal worms looked like (not anyone in our family). Of course, I am slightly medically minded, so I asked (yes, I asked!) to see when someone had the resident doc take a peek. Now I know what they look like. Good info for the future. We'll be taking worm meds as a preventative, I'd say.

So, my friends say, "Welcome to Africa!" I feel like I've officially joined a secret club. Hopefully, these experiences are the only "hazing" that the continent throws my way!  So good to be here - mice & all.

Beginnings in Africa - the big trip here

Beginnings

It's taken me 19 years that I know of to get to the mission field. So the three flights to get here seemed like a drop in a bucket when it comes to waiting. The kids did pretty well. Actually, great, considering Claire caught a cold & was sleepy on all flights and for days following (She's mostly over that now). I've asked for prayer for safety, health, and peace – well we got it. Previously, I had been, well, anxious to fly or even go to airports due to some previous rough trips. Pretty much since my dad's passing, I have dealt with some sort of anxiety - you begin to think about the brevity of life. No anxiety this trip though! Praise God for His peace!!! I have been asking for peace and receiving it in floods. We did wonderfully in all airports and on all flights. I was never scared nor even had an anxious moment. It's a wonderful feeling to be directly in the center of God's will. I am on the field in West Africa – finally. So thank you for your support in prayers and giving!!

I'm sitting in the guesthouse at night listening to African sounds through the screen windows as I am dripping with sweat. I feel gritty and hot, but very earthy, so for now I don't mind. I hear crickets. Women chatting loudly in a local language. I am not sure if they are arguing or very excited about something, but it sounds kinda angry (I've since been informed that they are not really angry). I don't mind the traffic noises. I like to hear my colleagues feet pounding the gravel trail around the compound when I wake up in the morning. I feel safe. It kinda feels like I'm at camp or something. My sentiments may change as we get out into the community tomorrow to go to the market. I'm sure there will be new sights and sounds and smells to get used to. It will be different when we arrive in the village. Right now we are with other missionaries in the capital, later we will be with just our two teammates in a sea of Africa faces. I am interested to see how I feel then, but for now, beginnings in Africa have been happy! I've been told that this country has no “honeymoon” phase as far as cultural adjustment goes. I think that it depends. For me, I have been walking towards this road for all my life & it just feels right. It's very weird, but I feel I'm home.

Below is the story of our recent hop over the pond for those of you who are interested in more details,feel free to read on.

We've arrived near the end of this rainy season. What a view as our plane descended upon the orange clay  contrasting against all the lush greenery! Walking off the plane onto the tarmack, we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. I had been told about it, but thought it was an exaggeration until we walked smack into it. We were instantly offered help by men who wanted to get our luggage. I picked out one and directed him in French. All our bags and trunks made it. (Now we pray they get successfully toted up country.) The woman customs officer wanted to know if I spoke French or English. I told her English, hoping she would not know as much of my language. I was right. She asked for money outright & I told her I couldn't & that my man (the guy who I was paying to lug my cart of 6 bags) was walking away with our bags! Got out of paying that bribe & nothing was confiscated. Thank the Lord!

Our ride to the guesthouse from the airport here was so surreal! They drove us at night, with no street lights. There are no lanes for the traffic. You just have to carefully & quickly squeeze in. You might need to use your horn so someone sees your vehicle. There were scores of people carrying things in their arms and on there heads in large basins to sell to passers-by. People would come up to the window of the car to try to sell us apples, or bread, or flashlights. It was amazingly bumpy at times and other parts were very smooth (here in the paved capital). It was dirty and all the small buildings had rusty corrugated tin roofs on them. Unfortunately there is trash strewn everywhere across this beautiful city. We turned down one street and our colleague who was driving shouted out in French to let us through to the man (a local guy with no authority) who had blocked the road with a tree branch. The road block was for a marriage party. We finally turned around and found an alternate route. It was interesting to find out that that sort of arguing is expected here as part of the social game that people play. We got in and cried as we were reunited with other missionaries that we had not seen since they were in the States. It sure is good to be here, in the center of God's will for our lives. Thanks for helping us on our way!

Hurry Up and Wait!

I hear that this is the lifestyle that many missionaries experience: Hurry Up and Wait.

They hurry to get in line at a bank in Africa only to find out it takes waiting most of the day and they will have to come back the next day to start all over. They hurry up to get trained before heading to the field for their first term and then wait for funds to come in. They wait for medical issues to clear up and then hurry to get visas and then wait at airports for their visas and passports to arrive by fed-ex before rushing to their flight only to sit for 9 hours and then wait for a connection for another 8 hour flight. I've been told this by other missionaries and have only experienced some firsthand.

Right now, we are rushing to get visas and paperwork for international health insurance set up in order to get on those long kind of flights in a few weeks. It's sort of surreal that this is finally happening. I am still prepared for some delay to come, but hopeful that we are in the home stretch of just getting to the field. I've been called since I was 14. If there is another delay, I can wait, but today I am hopeful that my life's calling will actually become tangible. I have been working to get to the field (mind you, I lived in France for a year and that was a mission!) and each step has been a part of this calling. I've come to grips with the fact that each step is a journey. It all comes down to how He called me, "I want you to BE a missionary." He didn't say, "I want you to DO missions." This hurry up and wait is a grand part of being a missionary in which I learn another fruit of the spirit: Patience.

Lots of work to do in the next few weeks. Not sure if I will get to blog again before we get to the field, so the next time I write, I might be writing from African soil !!
Something we've been looking forward to for a LONG time. 

Looking forward (photo credits?? sorry)

PS - New donation address as of  Sept. 2012
Brollier
c/o Judy Trollinger
1384 Meadow Springs Dr.
Lilburn, GA 30047 USA 
(Judy's email address coming soon.) Our email will stay the same, but we will end up with limited web access.

Thanks for all your prayers and gifts! This is only possible through God's and your help.
Donations can be given Online as well: see the yellow donate button on the left.

West Africa Wheels!!

We have some news (that a lot of you who get our newsletters already know!)...

We have a VEHICLE in West Africa, waiting there for us right now! YAY!!

This sounds cool, but let me tell you how cool.

We were given a goal:
Raise $50,000 to buy and ship a 4x4 rugged vehicle to Africa. Wow, that was pill to swallow. It seemed like an impossible goal.

We are close to heading to Africa now, and we have not raised the full amount. In fact, we're $20,000 short!

But God...
(You've all heard that "But God..." thing, right?)

Anyway, but God had other plans! Yes! *pumping fist in the air with "wahoo" excitement*

God planned for us to help out our colleagues in Africa. This young couple has just the type of vehicle we need, but it's too huge for just the two of them. They'd like to get something more appropriate.
So for $20,000, they sold us their vehicle! (They will use the money towards a smaller one for them) and we don't have to spend valuable time raising thousands of more dollars.

So it's a 2005 Land Cruiser, with just about 40K miles on it, and it's not seen much off-roading (super sweet deal). It's in good condish - as per our West Africa Branch mechanic.

Can we say... THANK YOU, LORD!!!

Type of vehicle we're getting - not an actual pic of it.

 PS- Sorry for the delayed news, we've been tossing strep throat back and forth around our house. Pray that we stay well and the enemy does not gain ground.