What are we doing here in the Ivory Coast?
I’m so glad you asked. Our first day we were given sodas to begin meeting (which lasted for about three hours) to discuss what our time here in Diabo would look like. At the end of the meeting, nothing was really confirmed. Not only is this our first month, but this is our host’s first World Race team-so basically we have been figuring this out together.
This month has been so fun. Our translators, Elvis and Epolete, are so awesome and kind. Also, they have the most patience in the world and serve us so well-just like everyone else in the village.
We went into this month not really sure of what we were going to be doing. When we showed up and had our meeting (we have meetings about just about everything here), it still was unclear.
Each day has looked COMPLETELY different. Not only that, but each day seems to go totally different than we planned…
Africa time is a really thing. Hardly anything at all starts on time. On our schedule we will plan on 9-12 but without a doubt it is ALWAYS 10-12. This is totally fine and we are so used to rolling with the punches, but it took a hot minute to adjust to. One day, I asked our translator Elvis when we were doing something and he said later. I looked at him and said, “later means never in Africa,” and he laughed so hard. This isn’t always the case, but it sure does seem like it.
A lot of the our ministry plan wouldn’t happen for some reason or another. No one showed up, we just didn’t go, it was too late-it was a little frustrating at first. One week a few of my teammates were sick so it seemed with hardly did ministry because our hosts were so worried about them getting better.
We are leaving in about a week and we are in the groove now.
Our ministry has been super cool because of how different it always is. We have washed women’s feet, sang songs with kids, went to a school to talk about how English is important to encourage the kids, done skits in the street and spread the love of Jesus to the lovely people of Diabo and some surrounding villages.
Each day is a new adventure on spreading the love of our awesome Lord and it has been so, so lovely.
