Joyeux Noël !

Joyeux Noël ! As I've heard today. Last night I started out our African Christmas celebration. We got to the church around nine o'clock at night and we were there until about midnight. We could hear the party the minute we stepped out the door of our house. There was dancing, lots of dancing, which all took place in the church's courtyard. I ended up holding baby Emmanuel (not really Jesus) for a few hours, until I realized he peed...on me! Here they don't wear diapers around here, so yeah...needless to say when I got home I took a shower RIGHT away and washed four times...ahhh! I won't even use cloth diapers after that because I don't want it to seep through onto me...never again! But it was well worth it, the baby was adorable and his mom got to dance a lot longer without him. Today we went to church for the longest service of my life, which I think seems longer when you don't know the language, but two or three hours is long its self. I hope you're enjoying family and friends because that has been the hardest part of the this season of Christ's birth for me. I've learned a lot about family and how close I really am to them. I miss them all like mad. Give them a hug for me if you see them, please! Thanks a ton for your prayers and support. Love and miss you all!

Grace, peace, and love from Africa,
Kait

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Gourds for Christmas

Christmas Eves’ Eve, was marvelous. One of those days that was completely unscripted, but perfect all the same. The night before a man that does the Christian radio drama team called and asked if he could pick us up at nine o’clock and take us around town. So, we did just that. Our first stop was to a house where there were tons of women and children. The courtyard was filled with so many, all happy and smiling, some were cooking, some resting in patio like room. He explained to us that this lady had just returned to her pilgrimage to Mecca. The man told us we could take pictures, so we started to at the end, which ended up being the beginning. I think se spent twenty more minutes there just taking pictures of everyone. Everyone from eighty to a baby wanted their picture taken and they loved seeing what they looked like. It was so much fun communicating with out even speaking. The kids were adorable and loving.

Then, we went just across the street to another house where her son was with other men, he too had returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca, with his mom. We spent some time there just talking the men and having children come say hello to the “too baboos,” white people. On our way out some ladies were trying to get a little girl to say hello to us, but she was one who was scared of the white people. It’s interesting because every time I hear too baboo I turn and look, trying to see who I can wave at. When I get home I’m not going to know what to do walking down the streets and not being famous or being yelled at. Kids seriously run after us just to shake our hands and we’ve taught some to give “high fives.” It’s cute. They have picked up “bye-bye” (from somewhere) in their adorable Bambara accents and I tried to teach them toodles, but I couldn’t communicate for them to repeat it…motions are easier.

After that we went to a CMA church, evangelical I think, and just sat in the courtyard with the pastor, youth pastor, his wife, and some other guys. They all just talked and caught up. Rachel and I were watching the baby chicks and contemplating trying to catch them, but we decided not to since there are so many diseases American chickens, so we didn’t want to even know what the African chickens carried. Today we will be coming to together with the CMA church and the church the Eadleman’s attend to celebrate Christmas, which we’re really excited for. (We are singing for them, which I’m not thrilled about seeing how I don’t like being in front of people doing something I’m not passionate about…so we will see how that goes.)

When we got home two girls came, Abbey and Karen, over to talk with us. We ended up going to the house of missionaries, who have left for a while due to health problems, to take their tiny little puppy and play with him for the afternoon. It was fun being outside with them all day, just talking as best we could. I loved it because there were two African friends and two American friends coming together to enjoy the day. At the end of our afternoon we all went together to return our puppy, now named Cashew. We followed Abby to the tailor to get out African dresses, which didn’t turn out like we expected at all, and then went to the church to help decorate for the Christmas celebration.

At the church we had a blast with a few younger kids. We made cootie catchers, paper airplanes, purses, and snowflakes out of paper. I met my new friend Eli (ah-lee) who is probably four or five. The whole entire time he never left my side. My favorite part was when he pouted; it’s my weakness because I just think it’s so cute and funny. He would pout to me in Bamabara and I would talk to him sometimes in French (but not really since I don’t know it and he didn’t either) and mostly in English. We would both just talk, him pouting and me semi-mimicking his pouts, you know when the mom sticks out her lip and says something like it’s the end of the world. He never gave up. I taught him how to take a picture on my camera (I had the strap on my wrist Josh, so he couldn’t break your camera) and I got some of the cutest pictures. When I was trying to teach the kids to smile in pictures, he would just start laughing on of the funniest laughs I’ve heard and I even got it on video.

Here are some of my observations for now:

1. Albino Africans-I have now seen two albino children and two half albino children (orange hair, white lips and hands, and distinct lighter features.) I really want to know the statistics of albino children in Africa and the “expected lifespan?” When I get home I’m taking a cultural diversity class, so I’m hoping that I can do some research for that in my class.
2. Holding hands and sitting on laps-It is a foreign concept to children here. We didn’t have enough seats so I had a girl sit on my lap, she really didn’t know at all what to think about it. She eventually got up and stood by me. Eli held my hand while I was walking to the tailor and he just kept looking at my hand. When we got back he looked down at his hand and wiped it on because it was so hot it was sweating. It was super funny to see how confused he was by holding hands.
3. Too baboo-I’ve started realizing that I have not once had a little boy run away and cry because I was white, nope just girls. That’s interesting to me. My thought…is girls naughtier then boys so they get told more that the white people are going to take them away? Or do girls naturally have that tendency to not know what to think?
4. Denominations-One of my favorite thing about yesterday was seeing the fellowship of three denominations. All genuinely being interested in one another’s lives. Yes, you see Baptist being friends with Reforms in America, but how often do you see the pastor going to see a family who juts returned from their pilgrimage to Mecca? It would be easy for us to say, that would be supporting their disbelief.
   

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM AFRICA!

prayers

I am still doing pretty good, my kidney hasn't been giving me any problems, praise God! On the flip side, I do have an infection which is common due to being on antibiotics (our malaria pills and I was on some for 2 weeks before leaving) so I'm dealing with those side effects. Please pray that they will clear up quickly and I will be able to enjoy my Christmas celebration in Africa better, as well as be in good health. Thanks a ton!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Christmas list

So I wanted to expound on my post concerning Christmas. Since so many people don't even know where to begin, I thought that I make a starting point for us, together:

• Match your child’s toys- For every toy you buy your child, have them pick out a toy or necessity of life for a child in another country who would otherwise not get something for Christmas, bit on top of that they may not know of Christmas. By getting a physical gift from you, they are also receiving an eternal gift or a seed planted of Christ’s love as well. (https://giving.samaritanspurse.org/c-7-gift-catalog.aspx?skinid=1)
• Less is more- Take the opportunity to spend less on yourselves and your children. Instead of spending a hundred dollars, spend maybe half or even three-quarters and donate the rest to a foundation set in place to help a cause of your choice. (www.5for50.com)
• Serve- Jesus Christ came to this earth to take our sins up on the cross. He came to die for you and me. What else did he do for us? He served us and showed us the kind of love we had never experiences or known. What better way to celebrate Christmas then serving the homeless or needy for your Christmas dinner? (www.meltrotter.org)
• Speak your voice with love- PLEASE speak your voice about Christmas, loud and clear. Stop by your neighbor’s houses telling them of Christ’s love and show them the message of Christ’s birth, the reason we celebrate. Please, I beg of you, keep the “Christian grinch” mentality away from a day of the celebration of Christ’s birth. It’s a day that’s the easiest to talk about Christ, so don’t do Him the disservice of not sharing with love, joy, and happiness.
• Another great resource is www.adventconspiracy.org

Those are just a few thoughts from a girl who gets to experience Christmas in a land of many, yet little.

Grace, peace, and love,

Kaitlyn

A Note on Christmas

Rachel and I with our Christmas tree

I know that a lot of people have been there, including me, but here are my thoughts on Christmas. After spending time being bitter about how "Americans spend Christmas" I'm kind of just sick of hearing about it. People get on rants and raves about how Americans don't remember that Christmas is about Christ's birth and that all we do is spend too much money on pointless gifts that aren't needed things when there are children starving in Africa...yes! All of these things ARE true, but here is my recent dilemma on this topic...what are YOU doing about it? Are you being a "grinch for Jesus?" Sometimes I feel like I'm just surrounded by people that are becoming negative about Christmas because others aren't remember Christ or are spending too much. How is that helping others remember Christ's birth to take our place on the cross for our sins? I'm not really seeing the how that all adds up when Christians themselves become negative toward Christmas...

Our tree

On another note from Africa...yesterday I got to pet a baby donkey...TWICE! But something more...I finally got to hold a baby! It honestly has been one of the greatest highlights of my trip and if you know me you know why: I LOVE babies and children in general! They bring so much joy into my life and a genuine smile on my face all the time. I've always had a tender heart toward children and wanted to do foster care or adopt for as long as I can remember. Loving kids is just part of who I am. When there is a baby in my hands, you can see the true me. But, on the adopting note I have learned a few things:

1. If people here tell children the "white people" will take them away if they're bad, what do all the kids think when being adopted or when their friends are adopted? How many different lies have been told to adopted children around the world with out their new parents ever knowing? What thoughts are going through their heads on top of already leaving their only known things?

2. In international adoption there are obvious cultural and language barriers that come with taking a child from another country, upbringing, and social situation to America. How can these type things help be lessened in the process? Here are a few of my ideas in that area: spend lots of time in a region or country before you adopt so you can better understand the true culture, adopt children of the same language so that your family can have a common bond as well as making the transition smoother, do lots of research, and there are so many more ways.

This trip hasn't necessarily been everything I anticipated for my first trip to Africa, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I have learned a lot about: myself, God, and where my future husband and I fit into that larger picture; my friends and family; the support and love of my church family; what the daily life of missionaries and natives look like and so much more.

Sadly, I haven't been to an orphanage yet, but everything here was very loosely planned, all tentative schedule and because of things coming up I don't think visiting an orphanage will happen. Obviously that makes me sad at the thought, but I know that God has a bigger plan for me. When I look on the street or market I know that so many are orphans physically or spiritually. There are a lot more spiritual orphans who don't know the love of Christ and that some day they will suffer greatly, even more then the daily sufferings now. How many people do you interact with everyday that don't know that either? Have they seen the love of Christ through you or don't they notice anything different from you to the next person?

On a lovely note, I will be returning to the capital, Bamako, on the 28th of December and there we will be working with the "Street Boys," who although they probably have a family somewhere they cannot find them because they fell captive to human trafficking. They have escaped this "modern day slavery," but they have no means of finding their family or even where to being. So this woman, Jessica from another African country, has opened up this "warehouse." It's basically a storefront that she has opened up to the boys at night (around 50), she has quickly out grown her facilities, and had to turn children away at night. Just before we left Bamako to stay in Kadiolo she found a place to rent where she hopes to hold up to 250 children. While we come at night we are going to attempt to teach them numbers in their trade language here (Bambara) and since we have just learned some basics, we will see how that goes. But Jessica hopes to hire a full-time teacher to come after their day job to teach the children enough to catch them up to their grade level since they haven't had any education.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. The love I've felt, even from across the ocean, has been overwhelming.

Prayer and Praises: I have been in relatively good health thus far in my trip, although I haven't been feeling well the last few days. Please be praying for me as my throat is starting to hurt and some pain in my kidney woke me up last night. Praise God it has subsided today, but all prayers are welcome. Praise God that I am not as homesick, but it comes in and out often. Be praying that the Christmas holiday will be good for my family and Evan. It will probably be easier for me because when there isn't snow it's hard to think it's Christmas and it's a celebration of a lifetime. Be praying too since I will be missing out on Trace's (my nephew) first Christmas as well as mine and Evan's first Christmas day Christmas together. Praise that in all of this I have been able to keep in relatively good contact with my family. Please also be praying for my dad as he is having some troubles with his shoulder and other muscular problems, which interferes with his sleep. He also is suppose to be leaving for Mexico the morning I come back (January 8th) for Mexico, so pray for discernment on whether or not he should be driving such a great distance.

Thanks again!

Grace, peace, and love,

Kait in Africa

Me and baby Emmanuel