Back to the start

Hi everyone,

It seems like a long time since I last wrote a blog, lots of things have happened! I have finished school and got the results I need to apply for medical school and Ruth has just finished her first year of studying Theology at Exeter University. I have decided to spend a gap year volunteering with BMS World Mission back in Chad. I'm going to be working with the ACACIA project which was set up by TEAM  and Mission Africa to help Vulnerable Women in N'djamena. For more information about these missions please click on the links.

A Chadian market scene painted by Ruth

N'djamena, close to where I'll be living

The project helps women who are trapped in prostitution or domestic violence and who may be suffering from HIV/AIDS, by offering them counselling, a chance to learn new skills and also a purpose through Christ. After 6 years of reaching out to women in the community, a centre has been opened where 2 missionaries run rehabilitation courses with a bible based syllabus and teach women how to make soaps, cards and jewellery. I'm going to be helping at the centre and will probably spend most of my time with children either out in the communities or playing with the children of the women who are on the course. I may also be translating course documents from English into French so I can put my hard earned French skills to use!

I feel that after living in Chad for 6 years I still don't know much about Chadian culture as I have spent most of my time at a French High School. So I'm really excited to be able to go back and find out what it's like to really live in Chad on my own and outside the hospital context. I'm going to be living in the middle of N'djamena, the capital, which will be quite different from Guinebor (where I have been living for the past 6 years with my parents) which is on the outskirts of the city. I'm going to share a flat with another short term missionary. I'm hoping to get more involved in Chadian life mostly by joining a Chadian church and maybe joining a choir!

I will be updating my blog so you can see how I get on throughout my gap year!

Rebecca

The heat goes on

The hot season has arrived and unfortunately exam time as well! Ruth will be passing the French baccalaureate at the end of June and Rebecca has just one exam which will count towards next year. Here are some pictures of life at GII at 50 degrees C:

Dad working hard one Sunday afternoon (yes the water on the floor really is his sweat!)

Ruth has a special luxury: a fan so that she can revise properly for her exams! We were glad to go back to school just so that we could live in air conditioning for 7 hours a day!

Rebecca's holiday jobs included making the most of the one good thing about the hot season: mangoes!
 We've been drying them in our solar cooker...

And making mango chutney! It's a great way to get even hotter, spending hours stirring boiling vinegar!

I can't wait till I next feel like putting a jumper on!