evolution

After my move to Goré, I promptly got down to settling in for two weeks which is why you might not have heard anything from me for a little while. In the time that I’ve spent in my new abode, I’ve attended the Catholic mass twice, made a few trips to the market, gotten lost among all the winding paths in between houses, and found my way back out again.

The first mass that I attended in Goré was the second mass I’ve ever attended in my life and it was quite similar, from what I can remember. Except that it was all in French and there was a choir to the side that would sing hymns in between and during different parts of the service. One hymn was so lively, that several of the nuns felt the Lord calling them to sashay up to the front of the church clapping and dancing, with their lavender dresses and head scarves swaying behind them. It was a joyful sight and the congregation seemed to radiate with energy after witnessing it. Thankfully, mass is only around 2 hours long which is a welcome relief from the 4+ hour-long evangelical services I was used to in N’Djamena. (Although, I do miss all my friends from Foyer Fraternel and the theatre troupe.)

In moving down to Goré, I’ve changed climate zones from the Sahel to semi-tropical forest area. I’m not sure if those are the technical names, but I think it’s close enough. The weather is a bit humid but cooler and the vegetation is still lush and hangs over walls and roads. The clouds in the sky feel wrapped closer here, like they’re hanging within reach.

Looking out over the back wall of the convent

The people in the south are mostly agriculturalists who keep lots of animals: even in the center of town! My whole life is now a perpetual compilation of cute goat videos. That is further helped by my arrival at the end of the rainy season when there is plenty of food, which translates to the perfect time to have baby goats. The nuns tend to many different fruit trees, including papaya, grapefruit, lemon, orange, and mango and they also keep hens, a few roosters, and two ducks along with a guard dog.

Two weeks after I arrived, a few other nuns from a neighboring community paid us a visit. We sat around in the afternoon drinking espresso and tea and chatting about a variety of topics. The chickens and ducks came up in conversation, and I found out that both of our ducks are female. One of the sisters asked if they still lay eggs without a male duck around, and another replied that yes, they still did. She explained that she herself didn’t understand how that was possible without a male duck until one day, she saw with her own eyes one of the roosters mounting the ducks. The nuns gasped, and I heard several utterances of “Oh Seigneur.”

I am certainly no expert in poultry reproduction, so I guess for the moment, I’ll just have to believe what I hear.

One of my favorite parts of being in Goré after a few months in N’Djamena is that I have been able to make significant progress working with colleagues in the field. It is so enjoyable to be able to sit down and have a conversation instead of having to communicate over email. Don’t get me wrong: the modern age has done wonders for communication but when dealing with a foreign language and navigating cross-cultural differences, it is usually just easier to talk in person. I have been able to visit two of the repatriation camps so far and I’m looking forward to starting more work in the field in a few months.

For now, I’m happy just watching and learning while I adapt to my new surroundings!

Crossing the bridge into Goré

garden

A second reason that I’ve been so busy these last two weeks, is that I moved! I am no longer in N’Djamena. Last Monday, the country rep Jean Claude, another MCC employee Abakar, and I loaded up the MCC truck and drove out of town at 6am.

We stopped halfway through the bumpy, pot-hole filled journey at Bongor for a meal of grilled lamb, bread, and local Chadian green tea (which, again, is actually red and also from Cameroon). We reached Moundou around 2pm and met up with MCC partners for the afternoon and evening. Tuesday morning, we set out even earlier and made the three-hour trek down to Goré, which is less than 20 miles from the border with the Central African Republic. (Unfortunately, it is not pictured on the map to the right.)

And now Goré is my new home! My SECADEV partners here had arranged for me to choose between several different rooms at the local convent (insert “Get thee to a nunnery!” joke).

The main building which houses the nun’s quarters, kitchen, and dining room.

At first, we were shown two rooms: a very large room without adjoining toilet and a teeny tiny hallway-of-a-room with adjoining toilet. We ultimately decided that neither the small nor the big room would suit my needs and thus the sisters showed us a medium sized room that seemed just right (insert “Goldilocks” joke). The front door of my little apartment actually opens into a hallway with four doors: two rooms and two toilets. I have taken the front room, leaving the back room unoccupied except for the occasional Daddy Long Leg spider and perhaps a mosquito or two that have yet to be caught and eaten by said spider. This arrangement allows for my bike to be stored in the hallway overnight instead of outside or in my room with me, which is also a plus.

My door, window, and bike.

Walkway from the back garden toward the main building.

Wednesday morning, Jean Claude and Abakar left for N’Djamena and I took a tour around the grounds of the parish. In addition to the fenced in grounds where the nuns live, there is a cathedral, a primary school, a mechanic’s garage where the priests work, and the bishop’s residence. I also found our guard dog who, I am told, is particularly averse to the presence of men. Despite being male, it seems even the dog has taken vows? The residence of the nuns is built to house at least a dozen sisters, however there are only three and a half if you count me? We have passed several very pleasant meals together. We even had the good fortune to enjoy some lovely cheese brought over from Italy, which was a special delight.

I am happy to report that the parish grounds here are truly peaceful. The extensive fruit trees, flowers, and vegetable gardens have made me feel much more connected to nature than the crowded and dusty streets of N’Djamena. (Even though I found the city to have its own appeal.) Please enjoy the following photo collection which I have titled: Just a Bunch of Close-Up Shots of Flowers and Vegetables.

I have already begun to feel the beginnings of a community here. My two supervisors at SECADEV have both welcomed me into their homes and I have met their wives along with several (though not all) children. I’m sure I will be stopping in to say hello and perhaps ask a favor or two from time to time.

In Goré, there is also a large presence of NGO’s including a few of the UN giants: the World Food Program, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Food and Agriculture Organization along with various other international players: Doctor’s without Borders, CARE International, and organizations whose acronyms I don’t understand just yet: OEM, RET, ACRA. The presence of all these groups means that there is always an NGO truck rumbling by the office for some reason or another. I have met a few young American women working for these NGOs, and I am looking forward to becoming more acquainted with them as I settle in.

In conclusion, I’ve been channeling a lot of Fraulein Maria in the last few days, just enjoying life, nature, and living with the nuns.

 

moonlight

I have been unusually busy for the last two weeks, which is why I am just now getting around to chronicling the adventure (from October 21) that was the 42^nd anniversary celebration of the church choir in N’Djamena. Before experiencing this momentous occasion, I had no idea what was in store. Let me try to describe my understandings and small role in all the activity.

The primary reason that I was involved, is because the church theatre group, “La Colombe,” of which I am a part, had been invited to perform a skit for the church service as part of the Sunday morning message. La Colombe had been rehearsing for weeks and the director had even given me a small speaking role in the first scene.

As the day of the performance approached, we hurriedly gathered our coordinated uniforms from the tailor and the women found white scarves to tie up our hair. My pursuit of the white scarf led me on a last-minute trip to the local market with a friend the night before the performance. (Side note: we ended up walking back to her house while I waited for a ride home and found her pregnant dog had just given birth that night!!)

Sunday morning, I arrived at church bright and early at 8am, as usual, and found my place among my fellow thespians. The service was packed with over 1,000 members, friends, family, and even a special guest choir from out of town. The chorists were all dressed in matching green and yellow fabrics which made for an impressive sight, considering that there must have been over 75 members. We sang and danced (and sweated) for the first several hours of church and then it was time for our skit.

We played our parts very well and the congregation laughed heartily when – as part of the skit – one of the actors introduced me as a half-Polish, half-Chadian member of their fictional choir. Still somewhat hard to believe, I think…

Following church, members of both choirs and La Colombe were served lunch before we all piled into the beds of various trucks to drive over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for another celebration service. At first, I was confused because I didn’t understand what the government had to do with all this celebrating, but I was quickly informed that the Ministry building is home to the only auditorium big enough to fit all the invited guests. Even with all that room, there were many people left standing at the back and in the aisles and soon, the singing and dancing had started up again.

By the time the service ended, it was 7pm and we had all be at it since the morning. I wondered how everybody could keep up that kind of pace! I was exhausted and luckily found an air-conditioned car ride home to a nice meal.

My two young host cousins at home were eager to start up their new favorite game after dinner and even with all the day’s activities, found it in me to play a few rounds of cards with them. The electricity hadn’t come on yet, but luckily it was the right time of the month, and we played Go Fish by moonlight.