First it starts with a VERY hot day. Now that the weather has been slightly cooling (100's?) it's easier to tell an extra hot day. Funny to me that the heat can really predict a storm.
Sometimes out of nowhere the winds pick up. I can't even begin to describe the sounds- maybe I'll take a video next time. The tin roof gets unbelievably loud and ripples (weak word) and sounds, literally, as though it will blow OFF any second. The sand blowing (also weak word) across the roof sounds almost like rain, but we can usually tell a difference. Last night's storm I literally was covering myself hoping the roof above me wasn't going to blow away.
As you lie there in bed, you try to decide if it's really worth getting up to close windows, and then the smell of dust and the crunch in your teeth makes you decide otherwise. We have sort of shutter-like windows that you push up to close and down to open- no glass windows. This means that if you have lights on or it's during the day, you still see the dust blowing in- a sort of foggy look to the air for awhile. Inevitably it's usually the day after the house has been cleaned. A thick brown layer now covers everything.
Sometimes the winds stop for a brief moment, often the power goes out. At night, this leaves a deafening silence and the darkest pitch black dark that I have experienced.
A crack of thunder, another, and then a downpour. Or at first, it sounds like a downpour on our (strong) tin roof, but a sprinkle sounds louder than a HUGE storm at home. As it picks up strength, the roof, again, sounds as though it will soon end up a mile away.
This storm, as I laid in bed listening (and laughing) I felt a sprinkle or two. As it got harder, I started getting wet!! A great muddy combination on the floors. I thought the roof was leaking (which does happen, and Ruth marks the spot with a big chalk circle on the cement floor so we can find it again) but turned out that the rain was pouring in my windows (the side of the house the wind was attacking at that moment). This meant that for the second time in a few weeks, my desk- all my books and papers and everything- were covered in water dots (on top of the dust that came first).
Soon, the winds calm, but if it's the middle of the night like last, it's too late. We're all awake and sitting in the living room. Can't talk because it's too loud though. Yelling cannot be heard. Ruth made some decaf coffee and settled in with a book.
The blessing of these stroms is the incrediblly cool temeratures the rains bring in. The irony is that all the windows have to be closed so once opened, takes almost as long to cool down the house as it does for temperatures to heat up again.
As the rain lightens, I fall onto my bed, too tired to be very annoyed (for more than a second) by the layer of sandy dust that covers my bed.
WAWA -- West Africa wins again...
A servant for Him,
~Liz
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Updates
-350 Moringa trees were donated to the orphanage by a family who are here as missionaries in southern Burkina. The trees are extremely healthy and are especially good for treating malnutrition in babies and in nursing mothers. The most amazing part of it to me is how God provides--- on a map of the places in the world with malnutrition, almost the exact same countries are where these trees are able to grow. Such an incredible resource at our fingertips- need for education and awareness is so huge. See http://www.echonet.org/ for more info on these trees 
Planting the baby trees!
An overgrown tree, but can still harvest the seeds - the leaves and the seeds can all be used for healthy benefits
While planting, we saw an incredible thing- a rainbow AROUND the sun!! God's beauty is astounding
-Still have a few sick children- please be praying for them
-We had a huge storm last night- 2 children from the same family in our church died. We believe that a wall in their home collapsed with the intense winds and the rain beating at the foundation. This is fairly common for houses to be destroyed during rainy season as most are mud brick. An extremely difficult time for them. Not sure of other deaths, but the report was that there was a lot of damage in Yako…
On our road there were trees literally bent over completely from the high winds
A snail found next to our house (really big!)
Tibnoma, Joseph, and Ibrahim
Planting the baby trees!An overgrown tree, but can still harvest the seeds - the leaves and the seeds can all be used for healthy benefitsWhile planting, we saw an incredible thing- a rainbow AROUND the sun!! God's beauty is astounding-Still have a few sick children- please be praying for them
-We had a huge storm last night- 2 children from the same family in our church died. We believe that a wall in their home collapsed with the intense winds and the rain beating at the foundation. This is fairly common for houses to be destroyed during rainy season as most are mud brick. An extremely difficult time for them. Not sure of other deaths, but the report was that there was a lot of damage in Yako…
On our road there were trees literally bent over completely from the high winds-All kinds of funny things come out with the rains!
A snail found next to our house (really big!)-Killed this in our house!! The people here call them scorpions, but they aren't what we consider scorpions
Yuck!
-Our toddlers are talking more and more now!! :) Way to go Brittany and her toddler class
Yuck!-Our toddlers are talking more and more now!! :) Way to go Brittany and her toddler class
Tibnoma, Joseph, and Ibrahim-A huge final soccer match in Yako this past weekend!! It was pretty exciting and I ended up sitting next to the younger sister of Yako's "Depute" (I think comparable to a senator). We even had some playful banter going on as she was cheering for the other team. Yako won 2-0!!
-We have one orphanage child at university right now- he (despite many issues with the university) finished his first year with flying colors. Unfortunately, in the last 2 years there have been many strikes with the teachers as well as students. This second year that he started has now been on and off with strikes since it began, and there is a possibility that this year could be a “l’annee blanc” which means a year that doesn’t count. He’s real discouraged and I just wish I could send him to college in the States to continue with his education. He’s studying sociology and has worked so hard… Pleas pray for the teachers and university to be able to come to a good agreement and plan for the years to come (soon!), and please pray for him in this tough time
Monday, May 11, 2009
Rain!!
I can’t even begin to explain what that word sounds like after more than of a month of 120*’s heat, a constant river (not a drip) of sweat running down every part of me and sleeping with a soaking wet towel every night. Every gust of wind is a beautiful gift and we pray the power doesn’t go out at night so we can sleep. I thank God for electricity, and after babies crawling all over me and their sweat mixing with mine, I sometimes have to take a break inside under the fan. The common phrase here immediately following “Hello” is “Il fait chaud (it is hot!).” Or in Mooré "Ya Toologo". I had considered sleeping in my shower when the heat came, but decided it was too much work. Plus the towel stays wet basically the whole night.
But with that said, I AM surviving! I never thought that 90-100* heat would feel like a relief, but we praise God for a few cooler days.
The other day, one of our workers (who was sweating MORE than me at that point- I always love to see the Burkinabé sweat, it shows I’m not crazy) told me 20-30 days til rain. I almost did a dance of joy right there. Harmattan winds, tons of dust and sand everywhere, 24/7 heat almost DONE? There have been points Brittany and I think we’ll get a rain- even the smell of rain in the air- and we make a deal that whoever wakes up first from the rain has to wake the other one up so we can run outside no matter what time it is. As very rare as it is at this time of year and the couple months past, there have been a couple 10 min rains.
Today (5/7) though… RAIN!!! And rain like I’ve never seen before (minus the huge tornado and storm last year in Manistee). I had a Mooré class in the afternoon and went out with clouds in the sky, the smell of rain, and thunder in the distance. We’ve had this a few times though, so I didn’t expect anything too spectacular. After about 20 minutes of class though, we heard a few sprinkles on the tin roof. I looked at Nongewende (my teacher) and grinned- RAIN! He didn’t seem convinced it would be too much, but five minutes later it started to downpour!!! I said excuse me a minute and ran outside to catch a few drops (I think he thought I was crazy)- Brittany was walking over with Therese to do the same :)… I headed back in after a minute expecting to get back to class. The rain continued to intensify though, and we couldn’t even hear each other to work. The classroom we were in was outside under a tin roof with straw walls. Luckily there was one desk with a lid, so I stuck my books inside. We sat around for over an hour waiting for the rain to stop!! It was absolutely pouring; thunder and lightning too! The rain changed directions three times so we ended up moving all around the classroom trying to avoid getting too wet. I even had goosebumps at one point. I think it was the first time I’ve had goosebumps since December or January. The winds were crazy too- I looked outside a few times to see the branches being blown so much I thought we might have hurricaine winds coming up ;)… It was absolutely incredible. The thing with tin roofs here is that even a slight sprinkle makes a ton of noise. Imagine not being able to talk to one another when you are right next to each other- that’s what it’s like with a downpour.
But with that said, I AM surviving! I never thought that 90-100* heat would feel like a relief, but we praise God for a few cooler days.
The other day, one of our workers (who was sweating MORE than me at that point- I always love to see the Burkinabé sweat, it shows I’m not crazy) told me 20-30 days til rain. I almost did a dance of joy right there. Harmattan winds, tons of dust and sand everywhere, 24/7 heat almost DONE? There have been points Brittany and I think we’ll get a rain- even the smell of rain in the air- and we make a deal that whoever wakes up first from the rain has to wake the other one up so we can run outside no matter what time it is. As very rare as it is at this time of year and the couple months past, there have been a couple 10 min rains.
Today (5/7) though… RAIN!!! And rain like I’ve never seen before (minus the huge tornado and storm last year in Manistee). I had a Mooré class in the afternoon and went out with clouds in the sky, the smell of rain, and thunder in the distance. We’ve had this a few times though, so I didn’t expect anything too spectacular. After about 20 minutes of class though, we heard a few sprinkles on the tin roof. I looked at Nongewende (my teacher) and grinned- RAIN! He didn’t seem convinced it would be too much, but five minutes later it started to downpour!!! I said excuse me a minute and ran outside to catch a few drops (I think he thought I was crazy)- Brittany was walking over with Therese to do the same :)… I headed back in after a minute expecting to get back to class. The rain continued to intensify though, and we couldn’t even hear each other to work. The classroom we were in was outside under a tin roof with straw walls. Luckily there was one desk with a lid, so I stuck my books inside. We sat around for over an hour waiting for the rain to stop!! It was absolutely pouring; thunder and lightning too! The rain changed directions three times so we ended up moving all around the classroom trying to avoid getting too wet. I even had goosebumps at one point. I think it was the first time I’ve had goosebumps since December or January. The winds were crazy too- I looked outside a few times to see the branches being blown so much I thought we might have hurricaine winds coming up ;)… It was absolutely incredible. The thing with tin roofs here is that even a slight sprinkle makes a ton of noise. Imagine not being able to talk to one another when you are right next to each other- that’s what it’s like with a downpour.
The storm!!
Following the rain was just crazy as well. The once dry sand/dirt everywhere had turned into huge brown lakes and rivers. Flip flops get stuck very easy and you end up walking right out of them into the mud. Have you tried walking with weights attached to your feet? That’s kind of what it feels like to walk in the mud here. The kids, of course, couldn’t wait to start a game of soccer in the mud. Britt and I set up a bench to watch the slipping and sliding (and falling) in the mud. Very funny. It was so great to see the joy on everyone’s faces- rain after so long! Ruth says we’ll probably have a bit longer before the rains truly start and cultivation can start happening (it’s better for everyone if the rains start a little later for planting too). To me, this was a beautiful day (as I sit in the cool temperatures writing this), but I guess you’ll have to ask me how I feel about the rain after a few months more of it.
After the rains!
A servant for Him,
~Liz
(Side note: Friday night (5/8) we had HUGE swarms of termites flying all around the windows and doors. Interestingly enough, about an hour after they started, they all died. There were piles of them everywhere. The kids informed me that this always happens in rainy season and that they only get bigger… Wonderful… And yes, Pastor Pat, they eat them in soup when they’re bigger. Thanks for the heads up!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
