The day started well – with the Talibe. That is truly my favorite thing I do here – is be with those boys. This morning I helped get some breakfast ready for them. All that entailed was cutting foot long baguettes in half lengthwise. Then Elli filled them with a fish paste. I was told that they tasted very good but I passed. Chicken!
Then I got to hand out the sandwiches when the boys came by. They also had some hot chocolate. I tried a smile with each one but, general, it is only the younger boys who smile. The older ones have been living this life for too long. There is not much to smile about. In between groups, I chatted with Cale, a young fellow Midwesterner who has been here five years. I envy his language fluency. His adopted orange cat came in and out and returned with a mouse once. Well done!
Next I walked a couple of blocks to help with Days for Girls. This is a global organization which makes hygiene kits for girls. A great ministry and much needed. I helped two girls with the cutting. They have this fascinating machine which marks the pattern. The fabric is put on a foam backed board. Then a plastic cover is put on top and the whole sandwich is run through a hand cranked roller which somehow cuts the fabric enough to mark it and then I would finish the cutting. I still have no idea how that all works as I didn’t see any cutting parts but it gets the job done!
I made the short walk back to the house, grabbed a little food, and did some prep for my 2:30 English class with my four girls. About 2, I set off for the Girls’ Center, confident from yesterday’s success. Ah, but be careful of that confidence! Even with my wonderful map, I made a wrong turn near the beginning and spent about half an hour wandering around. I knew I needed to turn right, then left and so. But pretty soon I couldn’t remember which way I had come. I’m passing little street vendors, with wares laid out on mats on the sidewalk, walking around goats, avoiding taxis and horse drawn carts, saying Bonjour to little giggling groups of children. Finally, I gave up and contacted Feluine through What’s App. I got a little guidance but still unclear. She asked for my location so I pinged it to her. A short while later, she called and suggested I give the phone to a lady who could then direct me. I was just ready to when I heard a call from behind me. It was Feluine’s son, Antoine. A very welcome sight! Turned out, at this point, I was only a few blocks from the house! Who knows where all I had been wondering!?
Antoine walked me back and soon I spied one of my landmarks, thanked him, and set off, finally arriving very late for my class and hot and sweaty. The girls were very gracious and we had our lesson. I’d made a floor plan of a house, with rooms, and sketched furnishings. A list of words needed was along side so we spent the time filling in the correct terms and then I asked very intelligent questions for them to answer – Where is the bed? And so on?
After class, I walked back with Daba and saw where I went wrong! A dumb mistake but that’s how we learn, I guess. At least I got my 10,000 steps in and learned another lesson in trusting God with me because I really wasn’t afraid or even worried, just frustrated with myself.
Later, I even ventured out to a little take out restaurant which is run by girls who have graduated from the cooking program. I got what was listed as an emburger. Hamburger, right? It was really more like a sloppy Joe with a few fries in it, but it was tasty and a nice change.
Some sewing prep for tomorrow and off to bed. The end of my adventurous day!