The Well-Kept Secret to Killing Cockroaches

I have a dread of killing cockroaches. My theory from the very first time I visited Africa in 2004 has consistently been, “Let it live—there are hundreds more where that one came from.” So while others are screaming and throwing heavy objects at the roach, I calmly turn the page in my book and continue reading. (I will admit, I have had my share of screams, but that’s for another time.) Every time I see a cockroach, I refuse to kill it and walk (or run) out of the room.

This week, an invasion of cockroaches has stormed our house. These roaches have an especially bad habit of interrupting Sam’s bath time. She definitely does not appreciate their visits, so I have finally had to conquer my fear (as C has been encouraging me to do since the first time I saw one here in Cameroon).

At one point—whether it was this week or it was earlier in my conquest over the roach—I realized my main hindrance to killing roaches. I was not equipped with the proper weapon. The only thing I have worn on my feet for over seven months (with very few exceptions) is a pair of flip-flops. When it’s summer year-round, there’s not much need for any other type of footwear. The thought of crushing a cockroach with a flimsy flip-flop simply repulses me. There are multiple factors involved in that fear: What if the roach climbs up the flip-flop and onto my hand? What if my flip-flop isn’t heavy enough to kill him? What if I can feel him crunch at the impact? And the “what-ifs” continue.

When I came across my third roach the other night, I decided that something must be done to stop them. That’s when I realized I would have to upgrade my weapon. In a house full of women, there are plenty of shoes. I had quite a selection to chose from and finally decided upon a pair with a heavy heel—the kind that no roach would survive.

And so, armed with a more durable weapon, I faced my roach head on. I had fallen to sleep that night hearing a rustling in a bag on the floor. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was a roach. But I didn’t want to deal with it, so I plugged my ears and fell asleep. Of course, that night I would have to wake up early in the morning having to use the restroom. As I crept back to bed, a flashlight in hand, I spot a dark blob just beyond my light beam. Sure enough—I turn to examine it and it’s a roach. Having resolved the night before to not let the roaches conquer me, I know my resolution must begin with this particular one.

Thus, at 5:00 in the morning, I found myself chasing after a cockroach with a flashlight in one hand and a shoe in the other. It was an incredible chase—time after time, I struck at the creature, but he deftly darted beyond the reach of the shoe. Finally, hunter and hunted wiped out, I dealt the final blow. Sweet victory! And then I crawled into bed, exhausted but exhilarated, confident in my new found weapon.

Day at the Water Park

Yesterday was such a fun day. We took the kids on a field trip to the “water park” about an hour away. Don’t get too excited—no, it was not a real water park. When we pulled up, I was a little surprised. We pulled over just before a small bridge, and everyone piled out. On one side of the bridge, the shallow side, was a small waterfall, ending in a shallow pool. On the other side was a large, pristine pool of water. We all decided we wanted to play on that side of the bridge, so we trooped over, carefully climbing down the side of the hill. All of the girls were a little unsure of the water, so Sam got in first to help them in. She tried to warn us that the water was really cold, but I didn’t fully believe her. And then I got into the water…

The water wasn’t cold—it was frigid. It must have been pure spring water for it to be the temperature it was. After standing in the water, freezing, for a few minutes, I decided to take the plunge figuring that the only way to get used to the water was to go all the way under. Let me tell you—it was cold!! But it was the perfect day. It was hot outside; the water was cool. We played all kinds of games together (mostly the adults and the boys since the girls were scared of the water). We saw all kinds of wildlife. There was a creepy water rat thing in the pool with us. Thankfully, he stayed on the edge. One of the girls even helped rescue a butterfly. It was lying in a pool of water, and she got it on her finger. She helped it dry off, and eventually it flew off. I have quite the sunburn as a souvenir of the day, but it was worth it! It was a perfect, relaxing day that we were all desperately in need of!

Today I’m enjoying a lazy Saturday. I slept in. Sam and I watched the Barilla kids for about an hour and a half. I finally cleaned my room. And, for lunch I enjoyed homemade nachos with homemade salsa, homemade guac, and homemade sour cream. Life will become very busy again as soon as April hits. The wedding is two weeks from today, so I know the next few weeks will be full of preparations.

Baptismal Waters

This week has been a very, very busy week so far—and it’s only Wednesday. Thankfully, we’re planning on having a field trip on Friday to a “water hole” about an hour or so away. I think everyone—students and teachers alike—needs the break this week!

On Sunday, Eddie was baptized at the church here in Foumban. There were many debates back and forth as to what to use as the baptistery. The old pool is no longer in good condition, and the new pool uses tons of water. Finally, it was decided that the old pool would used. So the pool was set up on the school side of the church, propped up between all the action packers that hold the school textbooks. We all crowded into the room and were able to witness Eddie’s testimony of faith. Of course, Carol (Eddie’s mom) wasn’t able to get a good picture while he was being baptized, so Eddie and Pastor Richard had to climb back into the pool for a staged shot. J The men decided to leave the water in the pool so that we could use it at school to flush the toilet.

Well, on Monday, I walked up to the school to unlock the door and saw water flowing out from under the door. Sure enough, the pool was leaking all over the floor. We mopped the water out of the door and tried to transfer the water to empty action packers, but there was just too much water. During breaks, we kept moving the water out the door. Finally this morning, the last of the water made its way out of the pool. It was great to see a diminished flood of water on the floor!

Here in Africa, we never know what a day may bring. We often say TIA—“This Is Africa!” But, I’m thankful for a God who is not surprised by anything, a God who is in control of all of the unexpected circumstances!

The Mangos Are Coming!!

Tomorrow is officially the first day of rainy season. I have my doubts, however, as to rainy season will actually begin on time. We did have an unexpected week or so of rain about a month ago, and it did storm earlier this week. To me, this indicates that dry season will want to hang around a little bit. We have already seen the fruits of rainy season—literally. I finally got to eat a mango!! They have not yet been in season since I’ve been in Cameroon, but let me tell you—they were worth the wait! (And if you can’t tell from my title, I’m really excited about the mangos!!)

School has been busy. I’ve been working with the 4^th graders on their research paper, and I’m teaching writing to 6^th grade. Both grades just turned in their papers, and I had fun grading the 6^th graders historical fiction stories. One of the 6^th graders wrote about a slave escaping to freedom during the Civil War. Apparently, he didn’t fully understand the concept of the Underground Railroad. In his story, his main character Jared supposedly escaped to freedom by riding a literal underground train. Carol and I corrected that theory. J

Yesterday Sam and I were able to go with Carol on one of her medical visits. That was a really neat experience. This particular visit was to see a young boy that has been having problems with his leg. Carol went to see him first on Monday, but because his mother (who speaks French) wasn’t there, she had a difficult time communicating with those that were there. But, she did look at the boy and strongly felt that he had Burkett’s Lymphoma (whatever the real name for that is). When we went to see him yesterday, his mother was there. She was able to pull out some medical records and told us that the boy had begun chemo treatments in Yaoundé. He has another appointment scheduled on the 24^th of this month. Thankfully, they have faithfully kept each of their appointments at the hospital, despite the many costs involved (of transportation and hospital fees). The mother showed us pictures of when he was first diagnosed back in September. What a difference those treatments have made! I’m so thankful that he’s been able to get medical attention. But please pray for Abdou. The poor little guy is only about 6 years old. He looked like he was in pain when we visited him, and he can only lie on the floor all day longer. We’re praying that most importantly, God will work through this situation to bring the family to Him. He is the Great Physician after all!

God is so good to give us times us sweet fellowship when we most need it. Just yesterday even, I was able to chat on Facebook with two dear friends. What an encouragement they both were to me!! The missionary ladies here are planning on having a get-together with the missionary ladies down in Bandjoun (just an hour away). I think we’re all excited for a break—and for chicken! (Yes, we’re already planning what we’re going to eat!) And we’re all looking forward to a time of fellowship together, without all the kids running around.

Wedding Preparations

Over the past week, we have really kicked wedding preparations into full gear. One of the ladies is in charge of the reception; Rachel is working on flowers (bouquets and decorations) and the cake; Sam is working on the wall decorations for the reception; and I'm working on the music. Last Tuesday, Rachel, Sam and I made a trip to Bafoussam (a city about an hour away) to scrounge through their outdoor market for fake flowers. It was a little discouraging at first because we weren't finding anything. When we stopped to ask someone where we could find some flowers, the directions she gave us were to go to the fish and then turn right. Great, I thought, just find the one particular fish station in this crazy labyrinth that this woman is talking about.

Well, God was very good and directed our steps right to the correct fish stand--and to the flowers. We found huge bouquets of 36 roses in the very colors that we needed. We decided to buy three of those large bouquets and two smaller ones. When we went to purchase them, the lady asked for an exorbitant price. Sam and I said, "No way!" Sam has a gift of knowing the proper price for items at the market. She was able to haggle the lady way down to a good price. At first, the lady refused to give us the flowers at that price, but when we started to walk away, she called us back. She seemed pretty upset over the sale, so I must admit that I felt a little guilty. I'm sure that was all a part of the show, though. That day we were able to find five different boutiques with flowers, and we left quite satisfied with our purchases. Our sense of accomplishment was affirmed when we showed Pastor Richard the flowers that we had gotten for his wedding. He exclaimed, "Wow! You got those for the African price!" That's right--we may be white, but we can barter (or at least Sam can!).

However, when we got back home and Rachel started putting together all the different decorations that required flowers, we realized that we would need more. A lot more. And so, yesterday, the three of us (and Mark, Rachel's husband) headed back to Bafoussam to do more shopping. Somehow we managed to find our way back to the lady that had the really good flowers. I was nervous to go back to her, thinking she would not welcome us back. At the boutique, a different lady came to welcome us. Then the first lady we had dealt with told her, "No, I know them. They are my customers." Wow. A pretty warm welcome. This time around, we decided to buy three large bouqets and three smaller ones. Sam and I agreed on our top price while the lady was figuring out the total from her end. I was ready to start bartering and to stick to my maximum price. And then she showed me the total. It was the African price--just under the top price that Sam and I had decided to pay! So we got all of our flowers without having to barter. What a sense of satisfaction! Apparently, the lady wasn't mad at us the first time!

The wedding is rapidly approaching--less than three weeks now. I was able to check off several items I had to deal with on the music side of the wedding. However, there are still many details to be accomplished. Please pray for all the details and for our sanity!!!

Refreshing Rain

I never realized how much I love rain until I came to Africa. I love thunderstorms. I love the cool refreshing that comes after a hard rain. I love that after a good rain, I can look across the valley and clearly see the mountains in all their majestic splendor. I love that after the rain comes, the dust settles and my feet don’t turn orange after a few minutes walking.

Well, we’ve been in dry season since November (at least, I can’t really remember when exactly rainy season ended). We had a “Christmas” rain at the very beginning of February, but that was really it. And then last week, we had rain 7 out of 9 days!! Night after night, we had big rain storms—so big that a few nights I thought the wind was going to blow our roof off. And then the last of those rains came last Friday. I have missed the rain this week. We were all hoping that rainy season was starting early. Usually, rainy season doesn’t start until the middle of March or later. And then today, it rained again. Maybe there’s still hope for a rainy season. And to think that I used to dread rainy days when I was at school!

I love the passage in Isaiah 55 that compares the rain and the snow to God’s Word: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, … so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (v. 10-11). Here in the middle of dry season, I can see this passage come to life. I can see the reality of a thirsty land yearning for water and the quenching that comes from a good rain. Water brings vital healing and strengthening. Rain always nourishes the earth. In the same way, God’s Word always effects the healing and strengthening for which God sends it out. How encouraging! I may not see immediate results every time I share God’s Word, but He has promised that His Word will accomplish its purpose.

Yesterday, C and I visited a home in Foumbot. We had visited the ladies there previously, and it seemed like the ladies were merely agreeing with what we were sharing with them, rather than really taking it to heart. C decided to try a new approach in our Bible study—to study from the beginning of the Bible, from Creation, all the way to Christ. She came prepared with visuals to help teach the Creation story. When we got to the house, the three ladies/older girls that were there last week came into the room. And then children started pouring in. When it was all said and done, there were over 15 children and 3 adults in the room. A few other adults also sat in the hallway. God really gave us a great opportunity to share from His Word. The group listened very well—paying close attention and responding to questions. We were able to cover Creation and the Fall. Please pray with us that God would allow us the same opportunity next Wednesday. I’m exciting to see how God’s Word will nourish this family.

School continues to be busy. Today, I started working on a country research report with the 4^th graders. The girls picked their countries—one is writing about Russia, and the other is writing about Greenland. This should be pretty interesting! I also started a new writing unit with the 6^th graders. Hopefully by the end of the unit, they’ll turn in very interesting and creative historical fiction stories. In 10^th grade, we are working our way through Romeo and Juliet. The girls are really loving the story (although I must confess that certain characters are really annoying us!). And in 12^th grade, Carolyn and I are trudging through our British Lit book. I must confess, Brit Lit is not my favorite, but I have discovered some authors, particularly poets, that I’ve enjoyed better the second (or third) time around. We are just finishing up a unit on Neoclassicism.

Even in the midst of life's busyness, God provides refreshing rain--both physically and spiritually. I'm so thankful for His loving care over all of the earth!