Pinelake Care Retreat: Group Time in Alentejo

We began our time with our church group on Monday morning. We met at the Lisbon airport, loaded the bus, and went to our pousada. It was absolutely beautiful. A pousada is a renovated hotel that was once a castle, monastery, convent, or important landmark. Our pousada was in the Alentejo region. It had several walking trails, a pool, and several meeting rooms where we could sit in groups. 

My love language (whether you believe in them or not) is gifts. So I felt really loved this week! Every morning, the staff wives would give us "happys". On the first day, we got these little cookies in the shape of Mississippi with the church's logo.  And yes, they tasted as good as they look!

One interesting note about our pousada was that is largely self-sustainable. There is a large garden, vineyard, and farm on property. I loved going for walks and seeing kitchen staff out picking fruit and vegetables for dinner that night.

This is the town near our pousada. What a beautiful view every morning! On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to go into town for lunch. It was a sweet little village with a lot of charm. 

Below is the view of our pousada from the top of the town. Seth and I hiked up the hill for a good picture. It was so windy, but the view was magnificent. My eyes could not see how far the landscape stretched. One thing I loved about Portugal is how the hills keep rolling and rolling.

This is the church at the top of the hill. We didn't get to go inside, but the hill provided lovely views. I'm so glad Seth was so adventurous on this trip!

The pousada was quite an estate. This chapel is my favorite place. It was absolutely breathtaking.

The best group! We had 17 missionaries and 13 staff members from Pinelake come. We all enjoyed getting to worship, learn, and fellowship together. I made so many new friends and loved getting to see old ones.

These kids were too much fun. Kaitlyn and Cameron were great travel buddies. They allowed me to read aloud from my guidebook, didn't mind getting lost, and have a love for sweet treats. So it was a perfect adventure group. 

On Thursday, we were given the keys to the city. Well, the freedom to roam the city. Seth and I (with our faithful travel friends) went to Belem near Lisbon. Here, you can find a huge monastary, the Monument of Discovery, and the Cafe du Monde of Lisbon. My favorite part was the Monument of Discovery. Portugal has so much history, and this monument is a great display of that. From Henry the Navigator to Vasco da Gama, so much of the world was seen. It is a really neat place!

We are so incredibly blessed to have such a supportive church family. They have been so consistent our entire time in Burkina as well as our time in MS this summer. God has truly answered our prayers for a faith family that supports us in so many ways. We learned so much this week and experienced true rest. 

Pinelake Care Retreat: Lisbon Weekend

 Last week, Seth and I had the immense blessing of joining our church family for a missionary care retreat. There was some serious soul-keeping lessons learned, and the countryside certainly helped with that.
Honestly, Portugal has never been on my list of must-see places. However, it should have been at the top! It was so beautiful. Portugal is a country with gorgeous nature. The people were so friendly, and luckily we never met someone who didn't speak English. Seth pulled off pretending Portuguese a few times by using his basic phrases and having confidence. I, however, did not. The food was amazing. It was unlike anything I'd had before. This country is truly a gem.
The retreat officially started Monday morning, but Seth and I left Ouaga on Friday night and arrived Saturday afternoon.We spent our evening exploring Lisbon, Portugal's capital. We walked from our hotel (ibis Saldanha) to the old city. We had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe (don't judge), went to H&M, and found many lovely old town squares. We went to the top of Alfama, one of Lisbon's original neighborhoods that was not destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. It had magical views of the city (see picture above).

We walked through one of Lisbon's biggest squares to the city's waterfront. People were sitting on the bank talking, watching street performers, and picnicking. This bubble man was quite impressive. I was in awe, as well as 20 other children who wanted to pop them.

Oh, Rick. What would I do without you?! 4 years ago, my friend Kelly brought a Rick guidebook on our trip through Italy. It was our lifesaver. Ever since, he's my go-to. Portugal is not a popular destination for Americans. So my guidebook options were limited at Barnes and Noble. Luckily, old Rick pulled through and his guide was as helpful as always. We used it in Lisbon and the Algarve.

On Sunday, Seth and I joined forces with another couple from our church. Our first stop of our incredibly busy day was Cascais (not cas-cas, but kIsh-kIIsh). Cascais is an old resort town and fishing village. We did a lot of walking, saw an old fort, and had lunch (Pizza!!!). Cascais is about 45 minutes from Lisbon by train. It was once the vacation spot for royals and celebrities. 

Cascais was very artistic. Graffiti filled spare walls, but artistically so. Poems, portraits, and quotes marked the walls.  We also stumbled upon this street of Chinese lanterns, which was really neat.

After leaving Cascais, we took a bus to Sintra (seen-TRAH). Here, we saw the Pena Palace and Moors Castle.  The bus ride in itself was quite an adventure! Hair-pin turns, straight drop offs, and lots of going/stopping/backing up. By the end of the hour and a half ride, the four of us had our heads down and were focused on breathing. During the journey, we stopped at the Cabo da Roca. It looked really neat, but we stayed on the bus because we were unsure of when the next bus was coming and that we would have to pay again. So we SAW it. Once we arrived in Sintra, we made our way to the old city center. Sintra is a medieval town with so much charm to the square inch. 

We took a taxi up the hill (mountain!) to the Pena Palace. It is unlike anything I've ever seen. I would mark it as a "must see"! It looks like a Disney castle!

We had the best time with Cameron and Kaitlyn. What fun folks! They are getting married in December. Seth and I loved getting to talk with them and exploring Portugal together!

It is hard to get a picture of a group of 4. So we found this mirror in the castle to do make it work. It is possibly one of my favorite pictures from the trip. 

After the palace, we decided to walk DOWN the hill since we were so lazy and took a taxi UP the hill. Well, we got a little lost. One of those times we should have gone left instead of right, but who knew, so here we are 2 hours later with sore feet. We happened upon a local fair/carnival so we enjoyed that for a few minutes. We watched a traditional Fado band, ate a Portuguese Hot Pocket (but way better) (oh, and we split it 4 ways), and enjoyed the fun atmosphere. Then, we continued our trek. It was a time where I walked so far (and have no perception of distance) and claim that we walked a farther distance every time I tell the story. So I'm currently up to 9 miles, but it was realistically like 4, maybe 3. But I felt every step in my calf muscles for days. 

WIRED Service Day

A few Saturdays ago, we had a service day with our youth to help prepare the new home of missionaries in Ouaga. The Durkees have helped with WIRED for many years. They returned from stateside and have begun renting the house directly across the street from us. We have enjoyed getting to know them and helping them get settled. We put together the service day the week we got back to Burkina, and we had 8 students come! We also had 5 of our adult leaders help. Seth and I are so incredibly thankful for being blessed with our adult leaders! They are always willing and work so hard.

Great workers. These students woke up early on a Saturday TO CLEAN. They're pretty awesome.

Water break! Notice Erinn is drinking water from a bag. This is how filtered water is stored in BF. Bottles are available as well, but the baggies are cheaper. You can buy 50 for $1! 

Esmirie working! She was never still. She swept the porch with this traditional Burkina straw broom. It works really well, but it takes a long time!

Seth pretending to be busy :) Just kidding. He works hard and plays hard.

French in France Program (Summer 2014)

I am so late on this post, so do forgive me. But it was such a good time, I find it worthy of a post. As many of you know, I am currently working on my Masters degree right now with USM. I have managed to take an online class since being in BF, but it takes a long time to get a degree when you can only take one class at a time. This was the first time I had met anyone from USM, a school I've been virtually attending for over 2 years. I enjoyed getting to know all of the students in our group!

USM French in France Group

During the last week of May and first week in June, I got to attend the French cultural study program with my school. I feel like I learned a lot of French and perfected a lot of problems I've acquired since being in BF. I had the privilege of living with the best host family in all of France. I had a host mother (Isabelle) and brother (Antoine, age 17). If you have followed my blog for a long time, you know that I did not have the best experience with my host family when I studied with MC in Tours, France. This was the exact opposite. We would have typical 4 hour French dinners where we would have lengthy talks about current events, food, politics, and holidays. Isabelle has hosted students for 18 years, and she is very good at it. She was so hospitable and encouraged my French ability.

Jardin Andre Citroen --- This was a park near our home. I loved the modern architecture that surrounded the green space. It was a really different side of Paris than I had experienced. I enjoyed finding new places, and this was one of my favorites.

Another big plus to my time in Paris was my roommate Pamela. Ah, she is the best. The only other grad student in the program, we always had a great time going on adventures. We would go to museums, get pastries, sit in parks, and find local boulangeries for lunch. She really pushed to always speak French with me, which I greatly appreciated and was a huge benefit in my language development. She has the patience of a saint and will be a wonderful French teacher one day. She is a remarkable woman and I learned a lot from her in two short weeks. 

My roommate Pamela

I attended France Langue in Victor Hugo area in Paris. The school did not offer a class at my level (B2), so I decided to go to B1 instead of C1. I felt like I actually participated in a French class for the first time. I also did a lot of independent study by reading books and watching movies in French. I got the best grade I've ever gotten from a French course. Guess that means I'm finally motivated!

These two beauties were with USM and were in my class for the two weeks. I loved getting to know them and getting our ice cream treats. 

A few new places I went during the two weeks were the Musee Marmottan-Monet, a concert by the MSU singers in the Madeleine Church, St. Sulpice, and experience a Bateaux Mouches boar ride.

I got to take a tour boat ride on the Seine as part of a field trip. What a great field trip!  It was a neat way to see the city. 

Kathryn and Jason, two of my new friends from USM. Loved getting to hang out with you two!

 Since I only attended half the program (2 weeks of class = 3 hours of grad credit...I consider that a pretty good deal), I had one free weekend to explore. My friend Kathryn was equally as adventurous as I am, and we planned an overnight trip to Lille, France. We planned Wednesday night and left Friday after school. That's fast planning in my book!

We found a magical cafe in Lille called the Honey Pot. They had delicious coffee and these Nutella muffins. 

A book bazaar in an old college forum building.

Just a typical Saturday morning in Lille! They had huge pieces of canvas taped down through the Old Town Square. People set out paint and wrote or drew whatever they wanted. It was really neat!

Kathryn and I had a great time in Lille. It is a modern city with a lot of old touches.  We stayed at an ibis near the main square. We ate great food (check out La Chicoree), went to the park (which had a great free zoo), and did some shopping. Kathryn is a fashion expert, so she made a great shopping buddy. Lille is close to Belgium, so there was a lot of Belgian character. We had some amazing frites and the architecture was like something you'd see in Brussels. I would also like to quickly brag on us and say that we packed for the trip in our purses, complete with our schoolbooks. That's impressive!

Lille was quite an eccentric place! This was a highlight for me. These older ladies did local dancing, complete with hoops and bells on their shoes.

School field trip to Versailles. 

Walking home from school one day, I stumbled upon a parade on the Champs Elysees. And then here comes the QUEEN of ENGLAND! Wow! And the French president Hollande in tow. It was quite a surprise!

This is the Hollande's motorcade.

Statue of Liberty in Paris!

I know this post is coming about 3 months late, but I really had a great time! I definitely learned about French culture and got to experience a more French side of Paris than before. I spoke so much French that I was dreaming in it by the end of my stay!

My attempt at gardening in West Africa

Life in Burkina can be slow. There are some days where our car does not leave the garage. We are learning to be content in only seeing one another over the course of a day. To curb the occasional boring morning, I decided over our time stateside that I am going to pick up some hobbies.

Hobby #1: Gardening. 

Growing up on a farm, I loved to get my hands dirty. Seth picks on me a lot about my country ways. Well, this one has stuck with me. I don't know a lot--but I remember pulling a lot of weeds in my day, shelling peas, pulling potatoes, and walking the vegetable rows with my sister Rachel, dad, and papaw. I also have the fondest of memories of my Granny's "wildflower" garden, which my Grandaddy lovingly referred to as her weed patch. I remember riding the tractor with my dad, but not for too long because I had a mean case of allergies.
In addition, a non-so-sentimental reason for gardening is that I like my squash, red peppers, and spinach. The first is nonexistent in this country, the second is $5 for one pepper, and the last doesn't taste very good. I also want to fill my ugly flowerbeds.
Last reason--Lowe's has really cheap seeds.

So this may keep me busy for a few weeks. I have a friend who is sweetly giving me her planter barrels, I've made my own weed killer (thanks Pinterest), and I have planted my little seeds that are smaller than a pinhead.

I have also already explained to my guard that the pots are for flowers and not to eat from. He thought it clever to put the pots in the flower boxes, thus smooshing my little green sprouts. I have my work cut out for me.

Here's to waiting! Possibly my greatest weakness.  I have written in dates on my calendar for when the seeds "germinate", bloom, and are ready for picking. Pictures soon to come!

Making friends over the fence

Fits of giggles, barking, doors slamming, and little girls singing.

These are the sounds I've been hearing from over the wall to our left for the past year. I love sitting down with my Coca Light in the morning and listening to my neighborhood come alive. The motos zooming by, the trash lady with her donkey cart, the lady whose job is to sweep the dirt around in front of the houses on our street, and listening to kids walk to school while chanting their English song "HOW ARE YOU? I AM FINE." There is of course the usual dog barking, which I am now immune to because my dog feels the need partake as well.

For anyone who has visited my house in BF this year, you are aware that we live in a very African neighborhood but we have a lot of "nassara" (foreigner) neighbors on our street.  I love my little community. We've got our funky little Lebanese houses that all look the same, our day long water cuts, and dirt roads that require 4-wheel drive during rainy season. But these are always great bonding experiences!

Last night, I went outside to check on our night guard and found him helping our neighbors start their car. Knowing nothing about cars, I stood watching as he slowly flooded the engine. Our neighbor's wife came over and began talking to me. She was so excited to meet a "voisin"/neighbor and we had a nice conversation. Her husband works for an oil company in the Cote d'Ivoire and was recently transferred to Burkina. Living in our neighborhood, they are limited in whom they can speak to, just like me! They must communicate in French because they, like me, do not know the local language. We really hit off and they have the cutest little girls. She came over today just to say hi and ask about my day/husband/dog/work/health/activities/etc. I see the beginnings of a potentially beautiful friendship. The only problem is her French is super fast--as in for the first time on this continent, I had to ask someone to slow down when speaking to me. She definitely does not have Burkinabe French, which I usually compare to Mississippi English--slow and simple, but to the point.

Please pray for me as I try to befriend Vanessa. Pray that the language barrier would be minimized and God would use me to reveal His truth. Pray for courage in this opportunity and that God would continue to break down barriers.

In the case of Ebola...

In preparing to come back to Burkina from our time stateside, everyone was very concerned about our vicinity to where the disease currently is. As of now, we do not share a border with any country that has Ebola. Burkina is taking preventative measures such as taking people's temperature at the airport, promoting hand washing, and pushing awareness of the disease by using posters and other tools. Health organizations have begun to designate isolation stations in the event Ebola does cross the borders.

However, while being concerned for this disease is normal, please consider all of the people who have been greatly affected by the disease. You can look at dozens of articles about the effects and spread of Ebola. Don't become immune to the emotion being felt in these places. These are entire families and communities.  It is easy to watch the news and become numb to numbers. Stories blend together, and top stories change daily. The virus is still aggressively growing and shows no sign of slowing down. Prayers are still needed as much today as before!

Please be fervent in praying for these areas---pray for the doctors and health physicians, families affected, and those with the virus. They spend weeks in complete isolation from their loved ones and only interact with doctors who are covered head to toe in protective suits. PRAY that the Holy Spirit would be more evident than ever to those affected and that He would bring comfort beyond understanding. What a dark place where the Lord needs to be known! I challenge you to pray for the salvation of these nations and for healing, both physical and spiritual.