Today for example
-6:30- wake up to Charlie popping up in her pack and play saying, "Hi!"
-6:45- take a cold shower because I am too lazy to wait 15 minutes for the water heater and I don't want to take a bath (the only way the hot water really works). The water is luke warm so it is not that bad.
-7:00- Get dressed. Hmm, what to wear? Oh the choices- always a skirt, t-shirt, and head scarf.
-7:10- Get Charlie ready for the day and wake up Josh.
-7:30- Breakfast. This morning was granola and mango. Charlie LOVES mango. She would eat 20 of them if we let her!
-8:00- Fellow missionary Carrie comes with Dada Dorkus (mother of Dorkus- my name is Dada Charlotte!). She will be our domestique (aka- life saver). Everything takes FOREVER here and there would be no way to learn Fufulde and do the house chores, cleaning, and cooking. Also, it provides much needed employment for the people. (I am trying to convince myself of this. It is still a really weird concept, but when in Africa...). Anyway, Carrie comes with Dada Dorkus to translate because she does not speak English which makes things fun.
-8:30- Fufulde lessons begin with Dada Esther and missionary Dave. Lessons are three hours and by the end I literally have trouble remembering my own name or should I say "ingaago."
Charlie plays with Jennica and Linda- her nanny and nanny's three-year-old daughter. Or Charlie is carried around by other people on the station while they work.
-11:30- come home and complete Fufulde homework- write and conjugate 20 sentences. Read them to Josh and have him try and translate. Give up and go eat lunch.
-12:30- LUNCH! Oh my goodness! Josh and I were hoping to loose weight here, but Dada Dorkus is an amazing cook. We had hamburger steak in the most wonderful gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans. I mean we were licking the plates! We invited Dada Dorkus to eat with us because after I gave her a plate of food, I realized that she was eating on the floor in the kitchen. Did I mention she is 8 months pregnant with baby #7?! Bless her soul, she deserves a chair. So then we practiced our Fufulde on her- most of which she eventually understood.
-1:00- brain break (aka facebook)
-1:30- clean up house and put away laundry
-2:00- put Charlie down for nap
-2:15- make kettle corn for missionary get together night. Burn first batch because not used to overly dramatic gas stove. Burn 2nd batch. Give up. Move onto pizza making for the get together.
-3:00- skype with my dad
-3:45- pizza making
-4:45- shower again because some days are a 2 shower kind of day! This time I choose a red shirt and green scarf. I kind of look like a Christmas pirate!
-5:00- "graduation" ceremony for 4 of the mission kids on their last day of school with Miss. Laura.
-5:30- bake the pizza
-6:00- going away pizza party for Miss. Laura complete with Coke, charade's, andJenga!
-7:30- bathe Charlie in the cement tub which is loads of fun now that she hates bath time. Maybe it is the cold water.
-8:00- Charlie bedtime in our room with the AC. Take down laundry from the line that Dada Dorkus washed and hung up. Spray ants in bathroom and in kitchen. Step on ants in dining room. Sweep up dead ants.
-8:30- blog :) and kill more bugs
-9:30- relax!
-10:00- Take malaria medicine, use light from phone to check bed for bugs, crawl under mosquito net and go to sleep!
Well, now you know!
LOVE the photo of Charlotte with the nanny. Precious. Thanks for helping us understand your day, Lori. I'm still astounded that you're really doing this. God is funny.
ReplyDeleteMISS MISS MISS you popping in with some of your funny American stories but...WOW...your description of life in Africa is as addictive as trying to beat Joshua in WORDS. As much as i would love to be giving Charlie a Grandma piggy back, I love seeing her having so much fun with these adventures.... Adds a whole new dimension to books, finger plays and dancing at the library. But I bet she still misses grandpa taking her all around playing touch and peek-a-boo! Love you more!
ReplyDeleteLove your posts!!! You are such a great writer and great and giving us an image of what your life is like...because it seems so overwhelming to the rest of us!!
ReplyDeleteShouldn't a missionary be reading the Bible somewhere in there? ;-)
ReplyDelete(Just kidding ya. I have to schedule it in myself sometimes...)
Honestly, Lori, I am just LOVING reading all about your adventures. Thanks for being so open and honest and willing to share with us here about your lives in Africa. The pictures are especially precious! We are praying for you! Praying especially as you learn another language -- that's almost impossible for me when it's just Spanish, so good luck!
Allison, I thought about the fact that I didn't mention reading my bible after I posted the blog. I usually do morning reading, but that morning everything got off track and I did it at night after I blogged. But honestly, I am having a hard time figuring out when is best with my new schedule here! So some days it is up in the air. Luckily God is always there!
ReplyDelete