Thursday, July 10, 2008

Hello All! Well, this will be my final post, as I am safely back in the United States. I arrived around 8pm last night into Miami airport. It was so very sad to leave all those I met, but especially Megan, behind. I am so in awe of her spirit of adaptability and her positive attitude towards the many changes we have faced, and now she will face individually in Guyana. I have not one doubt that she will successfully conquer any hardship and win over anyone that crosses her path. (Not that she will need to win anyone over, she is a natural when it comes to people skills!) I feel that a part of me is still with her there, tasting new foods, meeting new people, falling off bikes and ferry boats, dealing with the bugs…enjoying the spiritual blessings. I am envious of the experiences that she will yet enjoy, and cannot wait until I can rejoin her in Guyana or another adventure down the road.

My taxi driver picked me up from the Ellis home around 6:30 am. Meg and I had met him the night before and he offered to take me to the airport. I accepted only after I thought about the consequences. What consequences you ask? Well, usually in Guyana, loud reggae music blares from every minibus and taxi within sight. Of course, I accept a ride from the old Guyanese man who blasts his gospel. A “spirited” preacher, who you could practically imagine foaming at the mouth with his “inspired words”…jumping up and down maniacally as he preached about Jesus and the destruction of sinners. I figured, surely he won’t be blaring that at 6:30 am….right???? WRONG! I had to listen to the “enthusiastic minister” for 45 minutes to the airport! Even when we got pulled over for speeding, the sermon continued. I video taped a portion (I pretended to be taping the countryside) so that you all could hear it. I will try and post the video now that I am in high speed internet land again.

I arrived safely at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Temehri, and found myself in endless lines for check-in, exit fees, immigration, customs…etc. And a strange Guyanese man with a crew cut sat near me on all my flights all they way thru Trinidad and Tobago, and into Miami. He kept trying to make conversation, borrow my pen, help me with my bag…I just wasn’t having it. : P On arrival in Trinidad, I devoured some KFC. I hadn’t eaten since the night before and I had never been so happy to see a greasy piece of chicken. I had to go thru immigration and customs in T&T then go back and check in with American Airlines. Then go back through immigration and customs and security to board my flight to Miami. Going thru security the man asked to see my keys. And oops! I had forgotten to take off my pink Swiss Army Knife and put it in my checked bags, so that got confiscated with much attitude! Then I went into the gate area and began to take a few pictures of the beautiful green mountains that surround the airport. I see the same security guard who had taken away my pink knife slowly approaching me. He says in a low voice, you cannot take pictures of the runway area. I laughed. “Come again?” I said. He repeated his warning. I laughed again… “Seriously?” His reply...”Yes. Seriously.” And walked away. So there I am the big security threat with the pink knife, camera and pigtails! Watch out Caribbean islands, I’m the newest trouble maker! After returning to my seat from my scolding, I was able to get on the internet (they have amazing wi-fi in the airport there) and call my Dad who was en route with my grandparents, returning home to Lake Charles where my grandmother will be admitted into St. Patrick’s hospital for continuing observation and rehab. The connection was very good and it was like they were next door. It was so heart-warming to hear her clear strong voice again.

As we were preparing to board, I noticed 2 American men sitting near me, one looking very familiar. I checked the name on his boarding pass which was sticking out of his back pocket, and sure enough it was the father of some kids I used to take music classes with. I introduced myself and we reminisced and he filled me in on everyone. I hadn’t seen him in 17 years! He said I haven’t changed. Great. I mean, REALLY? Not since I was 10? Haha. Very strange how small the world is. Seeing someone you know in Trinidad. I boarded the plane and we had a few technical difficulties with the AC so we landed about an hour late into Miami.

I was greeted by my Uncle David and my mom, smiling ear to ear. It was so good to hug them both and see them again. They are getting read to leave for Belize the early part of August. I got a lovely dinner surprise as they whisked me to Miami Beach, where my uncle’s boat was docked. We climbed in the boat and went riding along the bay to a waterfront restaurant where we met up with some of my Uncles friends and had a lovely meal under the stars, looking out at the ocean. What a truly splendid way to end a long day of travel. I’ve now just woken up on Wednesday the 10th and am attempting to get organized and get out of bed, but I just don’t want to!!

I should fill you all in on my last few days in Guyana…so here goes it:

July 08, 2008 – My Last Day in Guyana

Naturally I couldn’t sleep in! No, sleep is for more fortunate people! I woke up at 6 am sharp and haven’t been able to settle back in. After over a month in Guyana, I finally got really, REALLY sick. I will spare you the gory details, but it was a rough night. I wake up today feeling kind of, well…empty. It’s almost time to attempt to eat again, at least get some coffee. (Bro. Ellis that we are staying with has been spoiling us with yummy coffee every day!) I woke up today and realized, this is it! My last day in Guyana. My last day with Meg. For now, of course. It’s very hard to leave your friend behind. I know she is well taken care of and is totally prepared for the next few months without me, but it adds to the “empty” feeling when you part. I know she will continue to have amazing experiences and develop a better, darker, farmer’s tan that I have. For that, I am eternally jealous!

Yesterday we took a “family vacation” with the Ellis’s to Baganara Island, which was once visited by the legendary Mick Jagger. (I’m assuming this was the same time he visited Kaiteur Falls, also mentioned on that tour) We stopped at Fort Island, a small island home to the oldest Dutch colony and last monument standing from that time. It was also inhabited by some lovely kids, one in particular who attached himself to me as my personal guide, getting us mangos, showing us the sights and even taking me into a cave to show me a bat! He’d climb up on one of the monuments then yell my name and wave, with a big kool-aid grin on his face. So precious. It’s really the kids that stick to your heart when all is said and done. His name was Ajeune and I will never forget that sweet smile. (Well I have a picture…so….:)

Then our boat took us further down the river to Bartica, the gateway to the interior. It is the last larger town on the Mighty Essequibo before you enter the interior (jungle area) of Guyana. The interior is where all the gold and diamonds are found, which is what makes Guyana most of its money, and a popular destination for treasure seekers. The rumor was always that the golden city of “El Dorado” is somewhere in Guyana, most popular opinion is that it is under the caverns of Kaieteur Falls. I would love to go on an expedition and find out! HA! Anyway, Bartica was not much to see, although Meg and I loved their crazy road signs. Always a good a picture when there is a funny sign around.

We then went even further down the river and passed the large “maximum security” prison where they keep all the ones that aren’t going to be getting out any time soon that was eerie. Their “security system” doesn’t seem to be too sound. It’s just an island, with some meager barbed wire. EEK! After passing that, we finally arrived at Baganara Resort, right on the river. It was beautiful and a nice respite after being surrounded by less than savory conditions in the cities along the ocean. There was no trash, the water, although brown, was clean.

After a delicious meal, Meg and I braved the fast moving currents of the Essequibo and went for a 2 hour swim! (With our day-glo orange life jackets… a must according to our tour guides) Later on, the Ellis family was recounting to us all the creatures that we could have possibly been swimming with….fresh water sharks, (oh my) Anaconda’s (eeeeeee!), PIRAHANA’S!! Not too mention a wide assortment of water bugs and frogs, etc. We weren’t sure WHY we didn’t think of these aquatic perils beforehand. But what a great time we had. I mean, we played pool games like “who can hold their breath the longest underwater” in the ESSEQUIBO RIVER! The largest river in Guyana!! It was a memorable day for all. We departed Baganara around 4pm in a torrential downpour. It rains in Guyana in a way that I’ve not experienced before. They way it falls is so even, so beautiful, and it sounds crazy but it is just different. I love it when it rains here. Anyway, it was a great day and a wonderful chance to enjoy the association with Meg and the Ellis Family before I left. And perfect my Guyana-Tan!

So Tuesday, my final day in Guyana was filled with shopping for the local jewelry, going with Meg, Ryan and Ange to pick out furnishings and essentials for the new need-greater house in New Amsterdam, and enjoying a final meal with the Ellis family. It was a lovely end to a beautiful experience, one I am sure not too forget anytime soon. And even though Guyana has it’s disadvantages as a country, beautiful in one part and disheveled and uncomfortable in others, it has one continuous truth. The absolute stunning nature of its people. Especially among our brothers and sisters, I found such an appreciative and willing spirit. Determination and mature goals are firmly implanted in many of the young ones, which is what so encouraged me. I learned much from their self-sacrificing spirit. Their prayers for our other Brothers in the world who are “not as comfortable” as they are. Amazing. I leave Guyana with an uplifted spirit, and an eager anticipation to return.

I could ask for nothing more.

Thank you all for sharing this journey with me, and I pray, Jah willing, it is not the last.

Love,
Simone

A Change is Gonna' Come...

Wednesday, July 02, 2008
It’s 8:30 am, and so far I’ve had a busy day… around 2am, Joshua (the hell-cat) made his way into our room (we weren’t sure HOW!) and proceeded to pounce on us thru our nets, making holes and scratches. The first time I expected it, it’s his usual night-time activity. But the 2nd, 3rd and 4th time, it was WAR. :P Meg is highly allergic to cats, so it was up to me to un-pin my tent (net) and track him down and throw him out. (After unbolting our security door and passing the retina scan... ha!) So by the 4th time which was roughly 7am, or was that the 5th, I was FED UP! My sleep had been disturbed nearly every hour and no cute purring or soft little paws were going to make up for it! I stumbled out into the living room not caring who saw the mess I am in the morning… and threw Joshua outside (imagine throwing a football.. JK) and closed the doors. I crawled back into bed and secured myself in my net and almost got back to sleep when I felt a paw on my head. Yep. He was back in!!!! I figured out that he is getting in the windows!!! He is climbing outside and walking around the roof and into our open windows. Tricky tricky! Anyway, that was just my morning stress. So, since I was already up, and “sleeping in” was no longer an option, I got on my rain boots and walked to the little store across the street that opens at 7:30 and always has fresh eggs. (REALLY fresh… as in, I found momma’ hens feather on the egg!) My scrambled eggs with Tony Chachere’s and toast (that we make on what they call the “tawa”) have become a big hit. So I made eggs and toast for 8, and all was well!! By the way, the “tawa” is a flat circular cast iron skillet type of thing that you put directly on the gas burner on the stove, and that’s how we toast bread!

Now it’s the quiet morning lull before preaching activities in New Amsterdam. One group has left for Skeldon area and will be gone all day. Meg has gone to the hospital for a checkup on her fractured/dislocated (they aren’t sure which) foot. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Haha. Yes, poor Meggie tripped and fell coming off the Ferry when we were returning from Georgetown Friday night. It was a torrential downpour and I had slipped several times as well. (There’s not much to ensure your safety or the worry of lawsuits here!) Well Saturday we went to the DR and she had x-rays taken and he found a minute fracture. I had wrapped her leg the night before and she kept it elevated which prevented further swelling. He said she needed a cast for 2 weeks and was to stay off her feet, but was unable to give her a real cast due to her mosquito bites (She has over 100 now!) so they just gave her a think gauze cast. Well the brothers were able to get her into see a sister that works at the hospital (which is free and gross!!) and they now say she dislocated it, although I clearly see a fracture on the x-ray. They gave her a hideous rainbow colored boot and a fiberglass partial cast that is itching like crazy!!! She has a good attitude about it and I think is enjoying being waited on hand and foot! (Kidding!! She’s moving around more now, and we are all more than willing to help her out!)

I also fell on Sunday, it was another typhoon like downpour, and we were all dressed and ready for service in our raincoats. Well i was the first one down the stairs, and about the 3rd step, down i went! BAM BAM BAM BAM!! (thats the sound of my tailbone hitting the steps all the way down to the bottom.) You know when something hurts so bad, and knocks the wind out of you so much that immediately tears form? It was like that. I am now the proud owner of a black and blue tush! :) (TMI!!)

So now I’m just catching up on emails while Trisha and Brittany struggle with the washing machine in the dungeon. Oops I mean, basement. :) In other good news, a new Need Greater home has been found! We might be moving as soon as Thursday. Of course, I told Meg that they would find a beautiful place just as I was leaving and that has proven to be true! I am leaving Guyana on July 9th, and heading to Louisiana to be with my Maw Maw. But I leave Guyana with such a deep love for the people here, and a satisfaction of giving my best to Jehovah, knowing that I can never out-give his generous hand. I am so relieved that our prayers for new accommodations have been answered, and I feel better leaving my dear friends here knowing that they will not be fending off the plethora of wildlife that live amongst us nearly as much. They will have an ice cold freezer that actually makes ice, and a refrigerator that functions as such and not just one that collects water and dampens your bread!! It is truly a blessing and I think that after living here, we complain less, appreciate more, and on the whole are generally stronger people!

I also went on an amazing bible study yesterday, Holly. She is one of Kali’s studies and recently gave her first talk on the school. She is very bright, and has more ASL knowledge than most because she studied it in school a long time ago. She had been missing for a bout a week from the meetings and her regularly scheduled studies, so I rode to her house with Brittany and Ridonna and we found her alive and well, but with a flu given to her from bugs that bit her. (That’s the story that I understood anyway) We were able to sit in her little wooden house and study the Bible Teach book. We were discussing Jesus ministry, who he was a person on earth, and how we can copy him. It touched my heart and gave me chills how she so desires to have that same determination in service to Jehovah. When I told her about how people thought Jesus was crazy, and how even the Devil himself tried to get him to stop serving God, he refused. I asked her if the roles were reversed, and her family, the government, etc was telling her she must stop…what would she do? Well before I even finished the question, she was firmly shaking her head “no” and gave me a look like, ‘Simone, what a SILLY question! I will never stop serving Jehovah!” What a beautiful expression of faith from someone so young, who has overcome so much. I will miss Holly a lot.

Well, that’s all the news for now… oh and I’m getting eaten ALIVE by mosquitoes the past week or so. Not nearly as bad as Meg, but I literally wasn’t getting bit at all, and now they suddenly love me. What gives??? Maybe Guyana has made me sweeter.

Love to you all,
Monie

Escape to Kaieteur Falls!!

Sorry don't have time to write the full story, so here's a quick pic for now... but let me tell you...WOW> so beautiful. Kaieteur Falls is the tallest single drop waterfall in the world, cascading down almost 800 feet to a breathtaking green lush valley. Truly a paradise.

Love,

Monie

New Arrivals!!

As the title of this post alludes to, we received new arrivals in the form of 2 sisters from Indiana today. But more on them in a minute… I have to backtrack to where I left off, as there is always something crazy or so mundane that it’s to the point of being crazy. I don’t want to deprive you all of it one bit.

After the girls returned to G-town on Monday night, I felt I was being a bit quiet and down…so our evening was farely low key, as most of our nights seem to be. But there comes a point where Meg and I, being such good friends, settle into a comfortable silence, when in reality, a little conversation might be up building or encouraging. So we discussed that Monday morning as we waited for the ferry to cross into Rosignol for our morning of bible studies. We want to be more of a support to one another, but it’s quite hard when you have your own stresses such as homesickness, illness, and uncomfortable situations, and so on to deal with. You want to have something left over to give to the other person, but sometimes you just don’t. But we both decided we need to make a concerted effort to have more fun, laugh, and try to be more supportive to each other. I especially feel guilt as I am leaving before her, and it really makes me feel like I’m abandoning her. Even though I know that ultimately that is not the case. In any event, we had a lovely morning of studies that we had never been on before. Ryan and Angelique were in Georgetown with Ramon and Kali (who are leaving for 7 weeks to work and visit home before returning). So it’s always a challenge to go into a home and study with a deaf person we have never met before. But thankfully, we have had nothing but a warm reception from the families and students.

Our first study was with a middle aged woman named Loreen. (her own sister didn’t know how to spell her name when I tried to work on her alphabet with her). She had to go get a registration card to show me! Loreen is very eager to learn ASL but it’s a bit difficult because she is a copier. You are not sure what she understands and what she doesn’t because she copies EVERY sign that we do and nods her head yes when we ask her if she understands. So finding the right kind of exercises to elicit a response from her on her own was a challenge at first, but with pictures and repetition of the signs, she started to remember things on her own. We do very simple things like drawing a picture of a mother, father, sister and brother. Then we show the signs and actually draw pictures of the hand shapes used to create the sign. Then we quiz her by pointing to the pictures. In 30 minutes she remembered the whole family, how to spell her name, and a few other signs used in the God’s Friend DVD. The study was observed by her blind grandmother, Enid who listened intently, but sadly it was all in ASL so at least the Holy Spirit was there with us, and hopefully she was encouraged simply by our visit. Her sister Emily was so kind and thankful. It’s so touching to see these humble ones, tossed aside by the rest of the world, finding themselves under such loving care by Jehovah and his earthly organization.

For our next study, we hopped back on our bikes (yep it was an off-road biking day for meg and I ) and onto the next study. A 9 year old boy named Urijah. He was very hard to draw out, but after some maniacal acting and signing he finally started to open up and smile a tiny bit. His family is Rastafarain and very loving. All the children were so polite. At the end of the study, a man who I am guessing is his father was playing with a parrot that looked like it has molted recently. (or had a horrific disease) In any event it’s the first parrot we’ve seen close up here, so Meg asked if we could take a picture with it. He hopped on my finger and I talked to him while Meg took pictures. Urijah got a kick out of this. Then Meg dared his claws and asked to hold him as well, never holding such a bird before. It was funny to think we are on a bible study, in South America, holding parrots! The family was so warm and as we left, the father called out to us, “The Rasta’s Love You!”

We saw some really dark thunderheads on the horizon so we high-tailed it back to the ferry just in time for the downpour. Back in New Amsterdam we stopped for lunch at Demico (our official hangout) and enjoyed the AC with some mormons that totally ignored our polite hellos. ( I mean, we weren’t trying to make conversation but they were sitting right next to us) I wonder if they wonder what we are doing here. It’s not like we blend in!

So because Meg and I had the house to ourselves, we decided to have a relaxing afternoon preparing for the arrival of the new sisters on Tuesday. In alignment with our “more fun” policy, we had dinner at a restaurant in Palmyra, Caribbean Cuisine. We were the only patrons in this beautiful establishment. There were twinkle lights, lit up fountains, a disco ball, and a dj booth playing Bryan Adams, Backstreet Boys, and of course, Guyana’s favourite, Celine Dion. We had the BEST meal. Normal, boneless chicken breast, in a yummy sweet and sour sauce. It was a little tough but we were so happy to have chicken off the bone! Accompanying our meal were good drinks, and cheap! Meg had a “long island iced tea” which consisted only of Coca Cola and Rum. I had a mixed drink called “international incident”. I figured the name was appropriate for our current state. It was quite a yummy concoction, more like a dessert drink with crème de’ cacao. We laughed, talked, took pictures and thoroughly enjoyed our night out.

The thing about palmyra is that it’s not the main town here. So cabs were few and far between. Finally a minibus picked us up on the dark road leading out of town. Amazing how brave and comfortable we have gotten. We used to never wander out at night. Don’t get me wrong, we are careful… but also learning to be more balanced in our fears. J People are used to seeing us now… Meg recently learned that we’ve even been the talk of the town! When we got home from dinner, the party didn’t end there; since we had the house to ourselves we stayed up late and watched “Footloose”! Believe it or not I’d never seen it.

With Ramon and Kali’s departure, we also got a new addition to our family, Joshua the Kitty. I wasn’t terribly fond of him before, but I must say he has grown on me and now we are inseparable. During the movie and then again during our family study, he climbs up on my lap or wherever I am and just rolls around, purring, before falling asleep. The best is when I am on skype with my family, talking on the headset. He climbs behind me on the couch and has batting practice with my head. He is a crack head cat, but I’m happy he’s here. He is also the master at catching and cornering the nephilim cockroaches we have here. Last night alone he aided us in the capture and annihilation of 5! For that we are grateful. Meg was worried at first about her allergies, but I think he is benefiting us all, being all crazy and playful. And we keep things mostly open so as long as he stays out of our room and off her lap, it’s bearable.

So the new sisters I spoke of, Trisha and Brittany, arrived in New Amsterdam with Ryan and Angie. They are in their early 20’s, and going to assist the Palmyra English Congregation. They also have an interest in learning and assisting in ASL if they can. They shared with us their Starbucks Mocha Chocolate bars so we are cool. They can stay. J

It was my cook night but I opted to buy Chinese food for everyone. Meg came with, and on our way there, I noticed 2 white men walking on the opposite side of the road. They were dressed in casual clothes, so they weren’t mormons, and they looked at us and smiled very friendly as we passed. I have to say they were good looking… it was shocking just to see them in town. Like I said, we don’t exactly blend in with the crowd. It’s a “one of these things is not like the other” situation. We wondered what they could be doing here but didn’t stop to chat, and continued on to the Chinese place. On our way back, we ran into them on the street (the same side this time) and they asked what we were doing here, and vice versa. They are dentists here doing dental work I suppose with a government aide program. I then noticed the scrub pants they were wearing. They seem to be in their mid 20’s, from Arkansas and Tennessee. They told us about deaf they had met on the plane, and other Jehovah’s Witnesses they had met in Georgia and Mexico that were involved in ASL groups there. They inquired how long we were here for (They are only here 1 week) and where we are staying. (They were impressed we were living as the locals do and not holed up in the local hotel) It was at this point that they invited Meg and I to dinner at their hotel, which we graciously declined.

When we went our separate ways, Meg and I had to laugh at the irony of getting asked out to dinner by two gorgeous southern dentists… in GUYANA! I have to admit, we feel so ugly here most of the time. I mean, we aren’t going to win any beauty contests… so it was a nice little self esteem boost. And good to be able to give a witness as well. (don’t worry Dad, we won’t be going on any dates!!!)

After our family study, where we listen to a talk and in this particular case we all tried to interpret it into ASL… (The new girls were fascinated or scared, not sure which!) we stayed up and chatted with everyone for a while. Then there was a couple surprise guests. 2 young girls that come to the kingdom hall. They are half sisters, and the older one just qualified as an unbaptized publisher. I don’t think ive mentioned them before, but when Audrian was here they started getting a little clingy with us, showing up at our home uninvited at odd times and following us around after the meeting and on our way home. Normally, the attention from the kids here would be adorable and flattering, but there is something wrong with these girls. They have made countless superstitious comments in our presence and have openly had conversations with their worldly friends on the phone stating about us: “they aren’t demons, they are Jehovah’s witnesses!” Kind of scary. After a barrage of similar strange spiritistic comments we spoke to both Ramon and Ryan about it. So when the girls showed up last night, Meg immediately grabbed a watchtower article that she had found on spiritism, and instead of playing games and chatting, we sat down and studied. The one girl, was very resistant and said some shocking things. We are very very concerned. The other girl, who is an unbaptized publisher says all the right things, but is still involved in certain rituals and practices which are obviously spiritistic. We are going to alert the elders of the situation, and are not really comfortable having the one girl into our home anymore, unless she agrees to study. You want to help but at the same time, they have to want to change, and want the help. Apparently the Amerindians practices are steeped in spiritism. They said they grew up with it and learned it, stating it is “a part of who they are”.
We hope that they will accept the study and learn about Jehovah’s views on the matter, but we are also proceeding with caution. Just another interesting day in New Amsterdam! J

The power is currently out as I’m finishing my email on Wednesday morning. After my 10 am study with En-Cosie, we are heading to Georgetown to stay one night with Chantel and Jenni from Ohio. Then Thursday is Kaieteur Falls!!!! We can’t wait. (Well meg is decidedly unsure about the 12 seater plane and swimming in the water…parasite fears, you know you’ve seen those horror story shows) I am trying not to think about that part.

In other news, my Maw Maw is now off the ventilator and mostly breathing on her own, only with assistance from a mask now and then. They are taking her for an MRI as she is unresponsive on her left side of her face and arm. They feel she may have had a small stroke during the surgery and will need physical therapy to correct it, but they don’t seem too worried. (Easier said than done for ME!) However, she is gaining more alertness and the family is very encouraged by her progress. Slow and steady wins the race!

Well time to get up and cook breakfast…
Love to you all!
Simone

p.s. the picture of my hand is an example of the interesting bites i wake up with...i was some mosquito's midnight snack!!

All At Once

I’m listening to Jack Johnson on my ipod, all snug in my bed and netting. The song is talking about how the world can overwhelm you, asking ourselves if we are strong enough, are there things we are too proud of? Do we dare to remove pre-conceived notions and ideas and allow for new thought to take root? Or do we cling to our old ideals of how things should be?

Those are all things I ponder down here. Am I being open-minded enough? Am I opening my heart enough to let these experiences in? I guess all we can give is our best. All we can do is what we know how. As someone recently wrote me, all we can know is hope and optimism in certain situations. And that is the viewpoint I try to think in, and write in. It helps give me perspective on what I am experiencing, and after you put in down on paper (or Microsoft word) you revisit the stories later and remember the good, not the bad. I want to remember the good. Not to say I look at things entirely through rose colored glasses, but sometimes a little tint doesn’t hurt.

Enough of my introspective ramblings… so our sweet Audrian is gone. And I miss her so much! No one to scream at the suicidal dogs, or swerve her bike into traffic at the sight of a goat! Although with Audrian gone from Guyana, the children are once again safe to cycle the streets! :P We talk about her in some form or another every day. I know there will be a reunion in our future!

So after Audrian left in the middle of the night on Thursday, Meg and I spent a leisurely morning at the Ellis home, getting in a good hot shower before we headed to Oasis to have lunch and meet up with Chantel and Jenni. They are 2 sisters from Ohio that have been here almost 2 months. We met them last time we visited G-Town and made plans for them to come visit us in Berbice.

They experienced their first minibus ride to Rosignol. And it delivered all that we had promised. Speed, high flying adventure, strange smells, loud music, and random stops, ensuring that we miss half the meeting. Also an added bonus was the small naked baby on his parents’ laps next to me that constantly was pooping or puking. The smell was a lovely combination, wafting my way every few seconds.

At one point, we hit a huge bump and immediately a foul smell of dead animal filled the bus. Sadly, the girls had seen that we hit a dog that had recently been hit. Double whammy. I didn’t need to know that detail, but if I know it, I have to share it with you.

We board the ferry at Rosignol and are bombared with the usual kids (Child labor law posters line the ferry dock) selling us “chips chips..drink drink..cold drink, guiness, banks”. They approach every 2 seconds. We get people begging us to “paternize” them. I think they mean patronize? Ha! It was a beautiful crossing, even though it took forever and we were an hour late for our meeting.

In talking to Chantel and Jenni, it is refreshing to know that we aren’t alone in our difficulties with adjusting to the country. It has been so nice to have them here. We got out and explored Main Street a little more, trying a few new places. (ok 2 places…it’s not like there’s a lot to choose from) We have managed to find all the air conditioned places around. We discovered a hotel restaurant that is decorated like a small town redneck wedding reception. (in a bad tacky way, not a beautiful quaint way) But they have ice cold banks beers and the best French fries I’ve had here! We sat several hours and enjoyed sharing our stories and impressions. It was one of the most normal nights I’ve had. That definitely felt good. They are hilarious girls. We will be going with them to Kaieteur Falls this Thursday. We will go to Georgetown, and then take a small plane into the interior of Guyana. (Google map it!!) The falls are the tallest single drop waterfall in the WORLD! Pretty sweet! It is the same height as the Seattle space needle and we get to hike up to it, and approach it, no fences or security guards or crazy tourists. This is straight up National Geographic stuff here! Then we will go to a 2nd waterfall where we will be able to swim. I am SO thrilled about this. Considering all I want to do here is shower. To feel cool... Continuously! I hope to be able to take some amazing pictures there.

Thursday night after meeting, we headed to Demico for dinner (Meg’s cook night) and upon leaving that Air Conditioned place- o-fun we saw billowing red smoke coming from Pitt Street and Backdam road. Of course, as the nosy Americans we are, we all walked closer and closer to the fire. We were only one block away and took some great pictures! The whole town was literally clogging backdam road for blocks to do some rubbernecking at the blaze. Apparently, town gossip says that the woman’s house went up in a blaze because she had a Nintendo store on the first level and either the machines overheated, or she was stealing current and the way she had the current box (electricity) rigged, it overheated and started a fire. Those are the 2 versions. The next day we rode by to check out the wreckage and thankfully no other houses were affected even though they are all so close together. Only the neighbor’s water tank had melted down.

In other interesting news, Meg discovered a huge cockroach in her bed saturday morning. I will definitely be paranoid about that tonight. So far we haven’t had anything like that in our beds. Hopefully, like the mosquitoes, they will not be attracted to me. I tell Meg its because she’s sweeter. J I try to make her feel better about it, but poor thing she is BIT UP. I think the count is up to 93 bites? I woke up Sunday morning with little red bites all up and down my arm. Reminds me of when I had bed bugs in NYC! EEK! Jonny was afraid to touch my hand because it looks like I have the plague.

We had our pioneer meeting with the CO on Saturday. Very encouraging, from what I could hear. The Guyanese in our congregation speak very low. I have a hard time distinguishing what they are saying, between the accent and the lack of volume. But it seems to be only the witnesses because there are people outside on the street at all times of the night that have plenty of volume to spare! Anyway, the CO shared some very encouraging points, about relying on Jah to sustain us in our full time ministry. He then asked me personally to enlist others in the states to come down and support the growth in Guyana. I said I would certainly do that. Just forget all the stuff I said about the bugs, and home invasions, and what not!!

But seriously, there is a lot of help needed. And a lot of blessings to be had. The friends, especially the young ones are so encouraged by the need greaters that come here. It’s amazing to feel so loved by the children. I’ve not had so many hugs and kisses and kids falling all over me. It’s a great feeling to know that your presence lets them know how Jehovah’s love doesn’t just apply in one area, but is a worldwide affection. What a valuable lesson that some don’t learn until much later in life, but they are developing at a vital age.

Speaking of the babies, the 4 of us girls got home around 6:30pm (Saturday) after trying a new place to eat, the Little Rock Hotel. We had prawns and fries. Pretty good, but the prawns were fried, and they were orange. It was definitely odd. Goes along with the pink rice! We had a nice meal and enjoyed a few ice cold banks. Our new favorite brew. Nothing cools you down quicker!
So when we returned home, there were wall to wall kids!! Okay, only 4 but they are so hyper! Their grandmother, Sister Valerie brings them all (when she can manage) to the meeting. 3 of them are in the ASL group. The eldest of the 3, Steven, is deaf and literally comments about 20 times in the watchtower. His little brother and sister are prolific commenter’s as well and so affectionate. We played in the hammocks, had tickle fights, and took a ton of crazy pictures. It was a great night, playing with the local babies and eating G’nip.

We ended the day with a good movie, and a cold shower, as always.

Also, my Maw Maw is progressing well. The last update I received was this morning and she was still on the ventilator but her breathing was improving and they are slowing taking her off the morphine. She should be able to breathe on her own tonight or tomorrow, but everyone’s bodies re-adjust differently. I’m so happy the family is all there surrounding her. I can’t wait to be by her side before too long. Thank you for keeping her in your prayers.

It’s now Sunday and I’m getting to the point in the afternoon where all I want to do is sleep! The reggae music is playing loudly through our windows and I’ve taken my afternoon shower that keeps the insane amounts of sweat at bay.

I could sure use a cold banks right about now!!

Love
Monie

A Very Happy Day!

As i wrote in my last update, my Maw Maw was to undergo open heart surgery this morning in Houston, TX. It was a very difficult and tumultous night for me, tossing and turning, despite being in the comfortable G-Town home of the Ellis family. My stomach just had this raw, gnawing feeling that all to well reminds you of how far you really are from where you want to be. That being said, i just recieved an email update (my internet phone isn't working) from my Dad that Maw Maw's surgery was a success and they have taken her off the ventilator and will be moving her to ICU shortly. Thank you Jehovah. I have yet to hear the surgeons final report, but the head nurse said the surgery was a success. I know i should breathe a heavy sigh of relief, but being in another country when i want to be by her side, still makes it difficult. But i am so overjoyed that things went smoothly. What a blessing! All my love and prayers are with her and my family right now.

On a bittersweet note, Audrian left us early this morning to head back to Chicago. We stayed up practically all night talking, reminiscing, laughing... she will be sorely missed. Her presence was such an inspiration and encouragement. It's amazing to me how one day you don't know someone and the next, they enter your life and it is changed forever. She is truly a sister, a partner in crime, and i can't wait for our next adventure together. (preferably with less "animales") You can see pics of my last 2 weeks with Audrian at: http://www.simonecbreaux.shutterfly.com/

Anyway. Meg and i are headed to Oasis Cafe, our little bit of paradise here, for a "last meal" before returning to our campground. I mean, house. :)

Hugs to you all!
Monie

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It’s a balmy Monday night and the rain is hitting our tin roof providing a wonderful noise for sleep (well I had a LOT of coffee today, so it’s around 1:30 am Tuesday) and Meg and I are wide awake. She is looking at old pictures of our time in NY, and I’m catching up on emails. Those of you that have written comments on here, or sent me an email, I really appreciate it. It’s one of the few times that anything in my daily life feels normal. So I look forward to it immensely!

Things have been interesting as always here, and believe it or not, the time is moving a bit faster. (whew!) Meg, Audrian and I have discovered that playing cards (Spit in particular) is extremely time consuming and distracting. We almost forget about our rats, bats, and various amphibian friends living amongst us. (a little Demerera Rum with Coke helps too!) We’ve had several late nights of table slapping, hollering, card playing fun. And what’s weird is that we always just bust into a deep spiritual/emotional/girly discussion mid-game. Audrian commented that it’s so funny how the game of Spit has that effect on us. It’s really a release of all the anxieties and frustrations we face but can’t always verbalize. Positivity is really key down here. As well as laughter. I really give those need-greaters and missionaries that have lived here for any length of time a LOT of credit. Like Brother Neumeyer told me at Gilead Graduation this year, “Guyana is NO JOKE”. He hit the nail on the head with that one.

Thursday night at our meeting our new friend Johnny sat with us. Of course. Meg and I are the worst people to sit with at a meeting. We both doodle in our notebooks like we were 5 year olds. We ended up getting Johnny in a little bit of trouble (oops!)… he was making paper planes and writing “I Love You” on them for Audrian, Meg and myself. I made the mistake of saying it back and then he proceeded to write (in pen) on his hand… “I LOVE YOU TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Yes, there were that many exclamation points! Ramon made him go sit with his mom for the remainder of the meeting. We will work on being a better influence! In all fairness, the sound was really bad that night and we couldn’t see the interpreter. Meg did help him find several comments but he didn’t get called on. Meg got dinner from Demico and it was so yummy. Fried rice and plantains. I think I can forget about losing any weight while I’m here! We eat pretty well!

Friday I wasn’t feeling too well, so I stayed home from the ministry and rested. I Caught up on laundry and was able to talk to my parents. My dad informed me that my Grandmother Breaux (from here on out called “Maw Maw”) was going to be having her open heart surgery on Thursday. I was really afraid that the surgery was going to happen while I was down here and so far away. It really threw me for a loop and I was unsure about whether to go be with the family in Texas for the surgery or to stay here in Guyana. After a few days of prayers over it, and getting some good feedback from family and friends, I’ve decided it’s ultimately more practical for me to remain here in Guyana. I was even able to speak to Maw Maw tonight, and although she wishes I were there, she is so proud and happy for me to be here, experiencing things she has always desired to do. I know this is where she really wants me to be, and I will be of more help later on when she is recuperating. I’m at peace now with this decision, even though my every thought and prayer is with her and my family. My Paw Paw said a prayer over the phone tonight and that made me feel so good. It was just the boost I needed. I will keep everyone updated on that situation as well. The doctors are very positive about it, and say that she will be up walking the next day. She is undergoing an Aortic Valve replacement surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.

Our weekend was jam packed with service and fun! Saturday was studies in Palmyra, where I experienced a new fruit that we apparently have in Florida but I’ve never seen. Here they call it “Gilep”. It’s a small green fruit that you peel the skin off and a large seed covered in a slimey fruit is revealed. The texture takes a little getting used to but the flavor is very nice. Between passion fruit and mango, a little like Lychee. The bible students sister kept bringing us handfuls during the study.

Saturday afternoon I was wrecked! I slept most of the afternoon and emerged around 5:30 pm to a packed house! We had a “Celebrity Cook-Off” for the kids in the congregation. Everyone was in pairs, and one of the people had to act like a celebrity. It was “Cooking With the Stars”. Usher, Chris Brown, and several others made an appearance. And I have to say, the food was pretty good!! The winners made Shepherds Pie. In taste and presentation it was a 10! Jason from the Georgetown ASL group (who used to live in New Amsterdam) came down for the festivities and to be a guest judge. He was the “Simon Cowell” of the group for sure! After we ate, Meg, Audrian, and I led the group into the dance portion of our evening. It was so much fun. Meg was calling out different dance moves ( lawn mower, toss the pizza, clean out your ears, shopping cart, arsenio hall, etc.) and they followed everything we did. (Even though they have no clue what a lawn mower is! It’s machetes down here!) Such power! Haha. We have even come up with a dance to honor (ok, mock) our new dear friend Audrian. She laughs and reacts to things with such… mmm, enthusiasm. So much so that it has spawned several new moves. We have video of the kids all dancing along with that. Priceless!
My main dance partner was Johnny. He has really secured himself a place in my heart. He is a special kid, lost his father one year ago, learning ASL, yet he keeps this enthusiasm for life and for Jehovah. He is almost 9 years old, and I am learning from him! Plus he has some great dance moves! He gets out of school July 4th and is so excited to have his days free to spend with us in the ministry. The moments I feel discouraged, or that I can’t tough it out any longer, I think about him, and all the other young ones here and it helps me firm my resolve to keep on.

Sunday was my first interpreting challenge! The public talk. “A Clean People Honor Jehovah” was the theme. It was a very strange feeling! I had called the Brother from the neighboring congregation the night before and gotten the scriptures he was planning to use as well as some of the resource material he was using. I stayed up late Saturday night glossing (changing the English text into ASL signs written down on paper) the scriptures and illustrations used in the resource material. There were only 2 scriptures that I could find on the ASL DVD’s.

Sunday morning I was nervous, but knew it would be fine if I could just stop sweating!! It was a particularly hot morning, and no breeze seemed to be getting into our little atrium where the ASL group meets. So I had my little sweat rag with me along with my notes as they called me to the podium. It is an odd feeling to be introduced for the Public Talk! I don’t envy you brothers at all! So with my cute little bandanna head covering I strained my ear to hear the talk going on inside and matched that with the notes I had made the night before. All in all, I think it went well. Everyone said they understood, and only Meg caught it when I signed “GOD” incorrectly! My nerves! At one point the brother was speaking about a certain type of clothing that was worn down here a long time ago, and I had no idea what he was talking about or how to spell it. So I just made up my own story to match his point. I had to think quickly! I was worried that his accent would be very thick like many of the Guyanese down here, but thankfully I understood him most of the time. I am really grateful to have had that experience and feel more assured in my signing, even though I would never go so far to feel skilled. I’m happy to have a knowledge that can make me useful, and to see the deaf understanding points is a beautiful reward.

Sunday evening we went to Sister Althea’s home for dinner. She even paid for our car ride to her home which is far off the main roads in Palmyra. Going there in the little car, weighed down by 6 of us, felt like an amusement park ride mixed with obstacle course. Deep ditches at every turn! Horses blocking the only clear path! Crumbled buildings in our way! Oh My! After arriving safely we had a lovely meal of fried (pink) rice, fried plantains, macaroni and cheese and some kind of chicken. We are all still a little wary of the meat here but we ate up. After dinner we had Pina Colada liqueur, and confetti cake. Very yummy! Then we watched about an hour and a half of Whitney Houston’s music videos (with karaoke lyrics at the bottom). We started with “I wanna Dance with Somebody” and went all the way past the Bodyguard Soundtrack to the Heartbreak Hotel! Ramon, the only male present, looked as if he was in pain as we wailed to “I Will Always Love You”. He was a good sport about it! Audrian kept getting attacked by “animales” , baby chicks, cats, dogs, frogs, lizards, gnats…they just love her! It was a great night spent with Althea and her family.

Monday we slept until 11. Meg and I both were having some issues with the bugs and itching, so we took a benadryl that knocked us out. Audrian slept right along with us.
After we finally got up, we gathered our goodies and all went over to Ramon and Kali’s for our traditional “Stretchy Pants Day”. (taken from Nacho Libre) It’s a little break for the pioneers to just sit and watch movies and eat all day. It’s a beautiful thing. My first stretchy pants day was back at 90 Sands in Brooklyn with Ramon, Kali, Amber, April and Pat. It was great to do it again here in Guyana, and a needed break for us all.

Today, Tuesday, we headed into neighboring Palmyra for service and the rain tried to bully us out, but we persisted. A nice lady in the thrift store was kind enough to give me an umbrella to fight the “Typhoon” with. Ryan, Meg and I braved about 2 miles of muddy roads and rain to get to Citra, an Indian deaf woman. After our study she told us very plainly that she didn’t like our hair (meg and myself) and that we were in danger because of it. She kept pointing to my highlights and shaking her head and doing a “thumbs down”. I mean, I know they are growing out and I need a touch up, but that’s just harsh! J She also didn’t like Meg’s curly hair. She made a frown and shook her head in disapproval. We laughed so hard! Then she jumped back about 10 feet when she saw the size of Ryan’s shoes. We all thought she was talking about a large bug or snake, but all the hollering was for the mammoth size of his feet. Hilarious. We made it home in one piece, and now I’m going to prepare some vegetables for dinner. We start our Circuit Overseers visit tonight, so I’m looking forward to that.

From sticky, stinky, Guyana… all my love.