I've been meaning to write about several of these things for a while, but I waited so I could get all my thoughts straight and because I've been busy. So I appologize for the wait since my last update, but here we go.
First I want to let all you know, I was able to work out a new ticket with my travel agent. I never did find my ticket so I'm thinking it got mixed with something else and thrown away. But God did provide for me nonetheless, so I will be heading home for some vacation and weddings very soon!
Second on the list is my recent trip back to Djibo. This is the town up north that I went to when I first came here in October. I was excited to see how my reaction would differ from my initial reaction when I had just come. So Galen and I headed up there and to my surprise I hardly recognized the village Senno Bonni where we stayed. That was because most of the village when I was there last time was hard to see due to the amount of millet stalks that were standing. October was end the of the harvest so there were a lot of stalks standing everywhere. Now, nothing. It is the very beginning of the raining season and most people have just or will plant soon, so the ground is pretty bare. A lot of the cows seemed pretty skinny too. But I think I enjoyed my time there more than I thought I would partly because I wasn't in a state of semi-shock for the trip like I was the first go around. Galen and I slept outside to the tunes of donkeys and cows, sheep and chickens. Actually when I woke in the morning the first thing I saw was a donkey about 15 ft. from me chewing on some grain stalks. I have to say that's the first time I've woken up to see a donkey eating.
Third, grad's. We all know it's the time for graduation, and while I started thinking about my college grad a year ago I also got to celebrate the high school graduation of some wonderful kids that I've been able to get to know over the coarse of this year. In some ways it makes me feel kind of old to see kids going through this occasion and thinking how long ago it was for me. But I'm very proud of all of them. Afterwards I was the official party chauffeur. I took the truck loaded about 13 kids (the 5 grad girls and some other youth group friends) plus me in and took them to dinner and then to a bowling alley here in Ouaga. Yes, they do have bowling here and I have to say it was quite a fun time. And I got all the kids back safe and sound by 3 AM. Pfffew that was a late night, but I remember being able to have a grad all nighter after high school grad and thought I should help them have something similar. I do have a warning though. Each frame we bowled a different way. One was with the eyes closed which I got a little confident and launched a ball halfway down the lane next to me. Whoops. But that's o.k. I recovered o.k. after that little slip.
And finally the goodbyes part. This actually falls into both the previous categories. Galen left 2 days ago for home. He'll be home for 6 or 7 weeks and come back in late July. There is a team coming out in August that he'll be here for. Then he'll be around until late August or so to wrap things up and then he's gone. Actually that's not even true because he'll be back in Feb. for another team which will be his last trip. But after the August departure that is really going kind of the end of my time under Galen's watch. So that's a big deal for me, but I'm going to transition helping another missionary here who I like and respect. So I'm looking forward to the new work and transition. Galen's leaving was the reason we went up to Djibo it was to say good bye to that village that he's been visiting for almost his entire time of working here in Burkina. The other goodbye goes to the Grad's who are leaving and heading off to college in different parts of the America. I don't know if I'll see them again but they were really fun to work with, teach, and hang out with over this past year. I know the other kids will miss them because they were good role models.
So that has been my life recently. Here are some different pics from Djibo, and graduation. Enjoy.
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