No worries…I made it! First of all, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update. This is the first chance I've had to use the internet...but that should get better now that I am more established here!
After a several months of anticipation I have finally made it to Moundou! While it has only been a little over two weeks since I left for orientation, so much has happened. I guess I’ll begin at the beginning…
On August 12th I said my final goodbyes, finished the interesting and difficult process of packing for a year in one suitcase, and got in the car for the short trip to Akron, PA for a week of orientation. I was only missing one thing…my visa. The trouble began when I first mailed my application and passport to the Chadian embassy in DC back in mid July, only to have it returned to me a week later marked as “undeliverable as addressed” After some investigation, I found a new address on the embassy’s website. Apparently they had moved last September and neglected to update the information. I remailed the application that same day, crisis averted…or so I thought. It was an interesting and scary thing to leave home for a year and not know if I would actually be able to leave. Lacking the one thing that was required before leaving the country, I was in limbo. I tried contacting the embassy multiple times to no avail, and finally on the 16th, three days before I was scheduled to leave, I called one more time. “Chad” said the voice on the other end of the line. Finally someone answered! And what was the problem? The embassy would not accept the type of check I sent…so nothing had been processed. With only three days left before my flight there was only one thing I could do. I sent my dad to the embassy in DC the next day, he picked up my passport with a newly inserted Chadian visa and hand-delivered it to me in Akron!!! Following so much uncertainty and nervousness I must admit I was a little emotional. I might have even teared up a bit. I know, crazy right? I was just excited that I would actually get to go :)
After a week of orientation with around 60 other SALTers heading to countries all around the world, around 30 IVEPers coming from countries all around the world for a year-long service term in the US or Canada, and 7 YAMENers coming from several different countries and heading out on service assignments elsewhere, I was a little sad when it came time to leave my newly made friends. (MCC really likes their acronyms if you haven’t noticed!)
We left for the airport at 2:00am on the 19th. Rose, Arienne and I were the first three to leave Akron to catch our flights in Philly. We flew from Philly to DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with a tech stop in Rome (unfortunately we didn’t even get off the plane). Once in Addis, Rose and I bid farewell to Arienne who is spending the year in Burkina Faso, walked around for a bit, then passed through security to board our plane to N’jdamena. It would be an understatement to say we stuck out. Our flight was full of mostly men, dressed in suits or the typical Islamic dress, and our efforts to fit in by wearing skirts and headscarves probably made us stand out even more.
We arrived safely in N’djamena and made it through the airport without a problem. Pastor Sem (who we will be working with at CENTRAM), Levy (the MCC country rep), and Doug and Naomi Enns (MCC service workers in N’djamena) met us in the airport. We spent the next four days in N’djamena with the Enns recovering from jet-lag, learning about Chadian culture, adjusting to the heat, and adjusting to the infrequency of electricity :)
N’djamena is an interesting city. It is the capital city of Chad but has very little infrastructure…less than any city I’ve visited anywhere in the world. Next time I head north I will try to take some pictures...which could apparently get me in trouble with the police! Pictures aren’t supposed to be taken in the capital, but I’ll make sure the coast is clear before I attempt to take any!
Pastor Sem picked us up Wednesday afternoon for the trip to Moundou. It is not too far—about five hours, but the heat, bumpy roads and lack of any restrooms along the way made it seem far. Once we arrived in Moundou we stopped first at Pastor Sem’s house for dinner, headed next to my host home…and ate another dinner, then I said goodbye to Rose as she headed to her host home for a third dinner!
Since Wednesday I have been settling in here in Moundou. It is much cooler than N’djamena, and less desert like. I LOVE my host family. They are wonderful, welcoming, and patient with me and my broken French.
Sorry for the novel…but a lot has happened since I left home. I love you all and I will leave you with a few fun things that I have done/seen…
*communicated only in French
*ate three chicken gizzards (Giving the gizzard is the Chadian way of welcoming guests)
*ate pigeon
*swept a dirt courtyard
*saw a man riding a moto (motorcycle) with a live sheep strapped on
*rode on the back of my host mom’s moto…in a long skirt…without showing my knees
*sifted sand out of flour
*was followed by children chanting “Nassarra” everytime I left my house (Nassara is a Ngambaye word for white person)
*figured out how to change google and blogspot out of arabic so that I could actually sign in to my blog!
*LIVED IN CHAD FOR TEN DAYS!!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Countdown.
In less than two weeks I will be on my way to a week of orientation with my fellow SALTers, all preparing for a year long life changing experience somewhere in the world. I guess I'm finally starting to feel a little nervous...but I know the reality of living in Chad for a year will not hit me until about three months in. That's just how it goes I guess.
I've been spending my summer soaking up time with friends and family and of course preparing for this trip. What have I done so far?
* unsuccessfully looked for ANY job that was willing to hire me for only 2
months. I even took a literacy test. I didn't get the job.
* Visited the Eye Doctor, Dentist, and Family Doctor all to attest to the fact
that I am in good health and able to spend a year in Africa.
* Visited the travel clinic for my yellow fever, typhoid fever, and meningitis vaccines. Yay!
* Picked up my 370 Doxycycline from the pharmacy...at which point, after looking at my overloaded bag of pills, the pharmacist asked, "where are you going and for how long!?!?" BRING IT MALARIA.
* Cut 12 inches off of my hair and donated it to locks of love...it's too hot in Chad for long hair.
* Submitted my visa application...only to have it returned a week later reading "undeliverable as addressed." Apparently the Chadian embassy moved back in 2009 and decided not to tell anybody. They didn't even update their address on the bottom of their CURRENT visa application form.
* Re-mailed my visa application form.
* Fundraised $2,310 of the $4,450 I need.
What do I still need to do?
* Receive a Chadian visa before I leave for Akron on August 12th.
* Fill out the rest of my stacks of paperwork for MCC...including forms concerning what to do in the event of my death. Comforting.
* Fundraise at least $1000 more. After that I can make up the rest. It's not too late to donate! ;)
* Call Brigid Hogue to get some tips on living in Africa :)
* Say goodbye to friends
* Pack
Naturally (and not surprisingly)I haven't started packing yet. Actually I have a lot of years-supply-of shopping to do beforehand for things that can't be purchased in Chad. I hope my bottles of contact lense solution and DEET don't take up too much weight in my ONE 50lbs suitcase I am allowed :)
Thanks so much to everyone who has been so supportive and encouraging during this process. To those of you who donated financially, I am so incredibly grateful and blessed by your support. And to everyone who I know is praying for this transition and this coming year, THANK YOU!
Peace.
I've been spending my summer soaking up time with friends and family and of course preparing for this trip. What have I done so far?
* unsuccessfully looked for ANY job that was willing to hire me for only 2
months. I even took a literacy test. I didn't get the job.
* Visited the Eye Doctor, Dentist, and Family Doctor all to attest to the fact
that I am in good health and able to spend a year in Africa.
* Visited the travel clinic for my yellow fever, typhoid fever, and meningitis vaccines. Yay!
* Picked up my 370 Doxycycline from the pharmacy...at which point, after looking at my overloaded bag of pills, the pharmacist asked, "where are you going and for how long!?!?" BRING IT MALARIA.
* Cut 12 inches off of my hair and donated it to locks of love...it's too hot in Chad for long hair.
* Submitted my visa application...only to have it returned a week later reading "undeliverable as addressed." Apparently the Chadian embassy moved back in 2009 and decided not to tell anybody. They didn't even update their address on the bottom of their CURRENT visa application form.
* Re-mailed my visa application form.
* Fundraised $2,310 of the $4,450 I need.
What do I still need to do?
* Receive a Chadian visa before I leave for Akron on August 12th.
* Fill out the rest of my stacks of paperwork for MCC...including forms concerning what to do in the event of my death. Comforting.
* Fundraise at least $1000 more. After that I can make up the rest. It's not too late to donate! ;)
* Call Brigid Hogue to get some tips on living in Africa :)
* Say goodbye to friends
* Pack
Naturally (and not surprisingly)I haven't started packing yet. Actually I have a lot of years-supply-of shopping to do beforehand for things that can't be purchased in Chad. I hope my bottles of contact lense solution and DEET don't take up too much weight in my ONE 50lbs suitcase I am allowed :)
Thanks so much to everyone who has been so supportive and encouraging during this process. To those of you who donated financially, I am so incredibly grateful and blessed by your support. And to everyone who I know is praying for this transition and this coming year, THANK YOU!
Peace.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
A Support Letter.
Dear Friends and Family,
As you may know, this August I will begin one year of service with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) SALT program. SALT stands for Serving And Learning Together and is a one year, cross-cultural program for young adults. As a part of the SALT program I will be serving in Moundou, Chad as an English language teacher. I will be working at the Center for American English (CENTRAM) in Moundou, which is a branch of the Evangelical University of Chad. While in Moundou, I will be living with a Chadian host family as a part of their household. On August 12, 2010 I will leave for a week of orientation and on August 19 I will leave for Chad.
My decision to go to Chad was both an easy and an incredibly difficult one. I know that God has given me a love and appreciation for the many cultures of the world and the desire to serve cross-culturally. While there will be many challenges, I know that I will grow and be stretched mentally, emotionally and spiritually. MCC is an incredible organization dedicated to “relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ,” things that as Christians, we must be deeply committed to. I am excited to serve with such an organization and for the life-changing experience I know this coming year will be.
I am writing to you because I cannot do this alone. I need the support of my family and friends both financially and through your prayers. Thanks to MCC, the financial contribution for each SALTer is only $4,450 for the year. While this is a relatively small amount, I still need the help of my family and friends to reach this goal. I ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me in this way. You can donate by check using the enclosed form or online at https://donate.mcc.org/project/serving-and-learning-together-salt For online donations, add an amount to your basket then choose to donate “in memory, in honor, or in support” followed by “in support of–SALT.” In the box include my full name: Amelia Roberson and my id#: 655717. While financial support is important, even more important are your prayers. Prayer is powerful and will be invaluable during my time in Moundou. Also, if you would like to keep up with me during my year in Chad I will be posting on a blog at http://musingsfrommoundou.blogspot.com Thank you for the ways you all continually impact my life.
Much Love,
Amy
As you may know, this August I will begin one year of service with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) SALT program. SALT stands for Serving And Learning Together and is a one year, cross-cultural program for young adults. As a part of the SALT program I will be serving in Moundou, Chad as an English language teacher. I will be working at the Center for American English (CENTRAM) in Moundou, which is a branch of the Evangelical University of Chad. While in Moundou, I will be living with a Chadian host family as a part of their household. On August 12, 2010 I will leave for a week of orientation and on August 19 I will leave for Chad.
My decision to go to Chad was both an easy and an incredibly difficult one. I know that God has given me a love and appreciation for the many cultures of the world and the desire to serve cross-culturally. While there will be many challenges, I know that I will grow and be stretched mentally, emotionally and spiritually. MCC is an incredible organization dedicated to “relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ,” things that as Christians, we must be deeply committed to. I am excited to serve with such an organization and for the life-changing experience I know this coming year will be.
I am writing to you because I cannot do this alone. I need the support of my family and friends both financially and through your prayers. Thanks to MCC, the financial contribution for each SALTer is only $4,450 for the year. While this is a relatively small amount, I still need the help of my family and friends to reach this goal. I ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me in this way. You can donate by check using the enclosed form or online at https://donate.mcc.org/project/serving-and-learning-together-salt For online donations, add an amount to your basket then choose to donate “in memory, in honor, or in support” followed by “in support of–SALT.” In the box include my full name: Amelia Roberson and my id#: 655717. While financial support is important, even more important are your prayers. Prayer is powerful and will be invaluable during my time in Moundou. Also, if you would like to keep up with me during my year in Chad I will be posting on a blog at http://musingsfrommoundou.blogspot.com Thank you for the ways you all continually impact my life.
Much Love,
Amy
So...I'm moving to Chad.
And so it begins...life after graduation. And with it comes the all important question, "so what are you doing next?"
My answer: I'm moving to Chad!
To be more specific, I'm participating in a program called SALT (Serving and Learning Together) which is run by the Mennonite Central Committee. For a year I will be living in Moundou, Chad as a part of a Chadian household and teaching English language classes at the Center for American English in Moundou; a branch of the Evangelical University of Chad. Chad's official languages are French and Arabic...French where I'll be, along with a local language most likely. I'm pumped...and terrified...but in a good way :)
While I'm in Chad I will do my best to post updates, stories, thoughts, whatever. As most of my friends will attest I'm not the best at keeping in touch...but I promise to try hard!
More to come later.
Much Love.
My answer: I'm moving to Chad!
To be more specific, I'm participating in a program called SALT (Serving and Learning Together) which is run by the Mennonite Central Committee. For a year I will be living in Moundou, Chad as a part of a Chadian household and teaching English language classes at the Center for American English in Moundou; a branch of the Evangelical University of Chad. Chad's official languages are French and Arabic...French where I'll be, along with a local language most likely. I'm pumped...and terrified...but in a good way :)
While I'm in Chad I will do my best to post updates, stories, thoughts, whatever. As most of my friends will attest I'm not the best at keeping in touch...but I promise to try hard!
More to come later.
Much Love.
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