Life here in the Baoule Tribe looks very different from anything else we have experienced and ITS AMAZING
After waking up to the sound of sweeping and roosters crowing I will find Valarie breaking her back to mop the floors by hand with just a soapy towel.
As I walk outside I am greeted by beautifully strong women carrying gigantic containers of water to and from the well so that we have water for the day.
As soon as I start my quiet time under a shady tree near some goats and chickens, I am quickly greeted by at least 3 children who simply want to stand and stare. They do not talk. They do not want to distract. They simply want to stand and stare.
Once breakfast is ready we wash our hands, gather around the table and say grace. Together, Baoule Tribe and Americans, breaking bread.
Every meal they make us feel like royalty!
We are served by the women in the community who refuse to let us serve ourselves. They personally serve each one of us, giving us a chair and space at the table while they joyfully find a nearby stool and set their plates on the floor.
Once our bellies are full of rice and delicious chicken, fish or goat we proceed to walk the village to greet the necessary people including; the chief, family members, pastors, evangelists and people with illnesses.
As we walk through the village it is impossible to travel without a few extra limbs
All of the village children travel around with us just to hold hands, sit in our laps and stare as we have different encounters.
When we arrive at someone house to greet them, they are quick to welcome us with a seat and serve us whatever drink they have to offer. Many times it is Sprite, Coca-Cola, or Fanta but on occasion they offer juices such as cocoa juice. They very rarely serve water because water in these villages is very scarce and almost never filtered.
During these house visits it is a lot of staring at each other as we sit in a circle surrounded by children standing, staring and taking pictures.
As our host Jack explains the reason for our arrival and speaks on our behalf to introduce us into their culture, we humbly try to respond as respectfully and culturally appropriate as possible.
Some common Baoule phrases are:
Thank you (to a woman)- mommy clauo
Thank you (to a male)- bubba clauo
Thank you (formal to a male)- nja clauo
And a word we aren’t actually sure the meaning of but say regularly when they welcome us into their village- yo
Once all our greetings are finished, we head home for lunch and to rest under the mango tree. As we rest we are accompanied by our village family, cats, dogs, chickens and goats for some more sitting, staring, awkwardly laughing and tons of hugs, hand shakes and smiles.
Everyone sits out under the tree because it’s WAY TOO HOT to sit inside anywhere
During this time of relaxation, it is also normal for a local to bring their pet money by to say hey.
Next is my favorite time of the day…DANCE TIME!
One night before dinner we were hanging out with the village children trying to figure out some way to interact and have fun while having a HUGE language barrier. One of my teammates had mentioned that a certain young man had been playing a beat on his chair. I then proceeded to point at him, point at the chair and make my own beat. After me doing this over and over, he walked away…..
THEN HE CAME BACK WITH A DRUM, thus beginning our evening dance party.
I had the time of my life dancing, laughing and getting laughed at.
This is one of the reasons I love music and dancing! They are universal with no language barriers.
Right before nighttime comes all the children go home and we go inside for another delicious dinner.
Following dinner is team time with my Star Warriors, showers and bedtime
Life in the Baoule Tribe is a sweet life indeed.
We have absolutely everything we need while being surrounded by people who truly love and serve like Jesus.
We thought we were coming to serve them and show them Jesus; come to find out, we have a lot to learn from them!
