Thursday, July 29, 2010

Village Checkers

Oh how we take our education for granted. How we are taught logical deduction and systematic problem solving. We introduce games at a young age that sharpen our reasoning skills. These are skills that the Baka often lack. Yesterday, Nathan cut a piece of plywood into a square because our neighbors had been asking him if they could use some of the wood to create a game that they’ve seen. The board is basically a checkered board…which took them 3 tries to get the pattern correct. A simple checkered pattern…every other, black, white took a great deal of concentration. They cut the game pieces out of 2 different colored bucket lids. The game is similar to our game of checkers, but the board is bigger, there are more pieces and some of the rules are a little different. The pieces are all pawns that can only move diagonally forwards and one “chief” that can move in any direction.

We really enjoyed the crowd of guys that the game drew to our mbanjo (cooking/sitting/gathering shelter) for pretty much the whole day. It was neat that they taught our kids how to play. Boaz, our gamer, really got into it and even won a couple of times against the older Baka boys.

When Sufaio was playing against Boaz, as they were setting up the board he had one extra piece…or so it looked, to Boaz. He had 4 even rows of pawns, then one extra that he placed on the next row. Boaz only had 4 even rows w/o an extra, so he tried to convince Sufaio that the piece didn’t belong. Sufaio argued, counted his pieces, and said that it was correct. So Boaz conceded and they played and Boaz won that game. At the end of each game, the players switch colored pawns, so Boaz now had the set that Sufaio had had. I watched as Boaz set up his side of the board for the next game. When he got his four rows even, and had the extra piece still in his hand, he swiftly chucked it while Sufaio wasn’t looking...and they started playing without Sufaio even noticing. Cracked me up so bad!


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

We've Got Beeeeees!

After setting out the beehive last term, with no success and then trying again this term, a colony of bees finally decided to make it their home. The Baka LOVE honey...who doesn't, right? But the Baka are known for climbing tall, tall trees to gather "phoki" (honey). So why not bring the bees to them? Nathan would love to learn all about bee keeping and teach some of our Baka neighbors.
Here is looking into the hive and seeing the combs starting to form. How quickly they work, only having been there maybe 3 months.
Below is our local bee man, Michel Miel (Michael Honey). He is not Baka, but he is interested in passing on his knowledge to Nathan and the Baka about beekeeping. Notice that none of them have bee suits on. Michel, the expert, who very very slowly and gingerly handled the combs, says that he wouldn't be able to do this if the hive was bigger, and if it had been a sunnier day when the bees were more active. He's also told Nathan to go and talk to the bees everyday, so they get use to people and don't think that they are a threat. :)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Nandry in the Double Digits

Yesterday we celebrated our beautiful daughter's 10th birthday. How has time flown so fast? Parties here in the jungle are more low-key, but we did all we could to make is super special for Nandry. When we were decorating yesterday (Nandry decorated her own cake and made all of the twisted streamers for the walls), Nandry got all excited and said, "Who all is coming?...Oh yeah, everybody." Meaning, the 5 of us plus Jennifer & Heidi our teammates. Often for the boys, we have games and things outside with the Baka kids, but for Nandry there aren't any girls around here her age that she can play with, just boys.
We played games, had cake and home made ice cream, opened presents and had a good time celebrating.
I was so impressed with Boaz and Asher. I let them pick out one present each that they could give to Nandry that I had been storing for the occasion. Little did I know that both of them were way ahead of me and each had already made/prepared something for Nandry for her birthday. Asher was doing some wood working with Nathan and nailed together some flat boards to look like a birthday cake. He also gave her his art project that he had made while we were in our last home school group session. Boaz made Nandry a board game, complete with pawns and cards (but needing dice...he couldn't quite get his ball of tape square enough to work for a die) and created a treasure map that she had to follow to find where he hid her present. Are they not the sweetest? Here's a picture of Nandry hugging Asher, thanking him for his gifts.
The highlight of the night was when Nathan brought in his project that he had secretly made during the last week (with a bad hand, still not strong and bending like is should). Nandry was wild with excitement, but not sure what it was. She thought at first it was a funny looking dollhouse. Nathan had made a bunny cage, and this coming Monday we are going to let Nandry pick out a bunny from a place down the road that raises rabbits. Also on Monday we will go to Bertoua during the day to swim at one of the hotels there, to celebrate and have another fun thing for her as well as a day off for us.

I'm posting more pictures of her birthday party on facebook, so check them out as well!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Nkolbikon...the 2nd journey

Here's Nathan's story of his second camping trip to Nkolbikon:

On Monday, June 14th I drove with Jennifer, Heidi, Sufaio, Samba, Samedi and Assi for my 2nd trip to Nkolbikon. The road was muddy and we almost bottomed out once in ruts made by large trucks, but we never got stuck. Soon after we arrived, it started raining so I had to wait before setting up the tent. When Jennifer and Heidi left and I started to set up the tent, one of the poles broke but I had extra with me and was able to fix it.

That night we had a Bible Likano time and did the Creation story. It went well.

Tuesday, the guys and I, after a breakfast of plantains, went out to trap forest mice (rats). Setting up traps took most of the day. That evening, in the dark, I was shining my flashlight for Sufaio’s stepmom as she prepared dinner for everybody. I saw that we had a nice dish of meat and upon closer inspection realized that it was some of the rats we caught earlier. I got to have my first tasty meal of rats that evening, right before we did the Likano of Adam and Eve. I had Sufaio lead the discussion time, and it went well.

Wednesday morning, they wanted to go out and check and reset the traps. I got my machete and spent some time sharpening it really, really well and I was proud of how sharp I had gotten it. We headed out and I put my machete on my head, Baka style, so I could put on my long-sleeved button-up shirt as we walked. I took the machete down with my right hand and I went to place it in my left arm with the back of the blade in the crook of the arm and the handle in my palm. I did not place it well and it fell, cutting my left hand. I felt a strong tinge of not only pain but electric shock in my hand where it hit me. So I took off the shirt and wrapped the sleeve tightly around my hand. At that point I didn’t quite know how bad it was. I gave the machete to Sufaio, who didn’t have one with him, and said, “You guys go on I need to go back.”

Back at the camp, when Sufaio’s stepmom saw me, she said, “What’s wrong?” As I tried to tell her I started to go dizzy and went down on my knees, starting to faint on the ground. She came near, “Natan, Natan, e a pe? e a pe? Nathan, what’s going on?” I couldn’t speak for a few minutes until I regained my breath and strength. Others gathered around and helped me into the house onto a bamboo bed, where I laid and rested for a few minutes. I realized that my left forefinger was numb as if it had fallen asleep and I probably should get someone to look at it and sew it up. I sent money for a moto (motorcycle taxi) to come pick me up. We waited over an hour before I started to walk with Sufaio (he’d come back from the forest in that time, with a rat that got caught in one of my traps!). We walked for 10 min when the moto arrived.

It started raining really hard on the way to Petit Pol, the closest “town” that was 4 km away. We stopped at a little shack boutique and tried to get out of the rain and waited about 20 min. The rain didn’t totally stop and I asked the driver to take me to the “hospital” (3 room building with a waiting room, small office and examination room) there in Petite Pol. I assumed the road back to our place would be too bad after the rain.

The doctor was there and cleaned the cut with antibiotic wash and then betadine (which was extrememly painful). He said that he couldn’t sew it up well and I’d have to go to the hospital in Bertoua. I told him that I didn’t have any way to get there he said, “Well I’ll stitch it up then. Sorry I don’t have any Novocain.” While I was laying my head down getting ready to bear the pain, I decided to ask him more about the lack of feeling in my finger. He said, “Oh I’m just stitching you up so you don’t bleed anymore. You’ll have to get these taken out when you can get to Bertoua and they’ll do surgery on your hand.” I decided NOT to have him sew me up because it really wasn’t bleeding that badly and had him just wrap and tape it, and I went on my way.

The moto was waiting for me and was willing to try to take me the 12km back to my place. We slipped and slid all the way back in the mud. I think the moto fell 4 times. The 3rd time it scrapped up and burnt my calf but we never completely wiped out into the muck. I was never so happy to see the entrance to our place.

Laurel was worried as she saw me arrive back, days early, by moto, with my hand wrapped up. Jennifer was able to sew the wound closed and wrap it in a sling to keep it elevated. I was pampered all day Thursday and enjoyed sleeping in my own bed.

Friday afternoon, a Baka neighbor and I (one-handed) started out in our truck take a less muddy route, the long way around, to get back to Nkolbikon. This road was pretty good except for a bridge where I had to move boards around so I could cross without falling through.

When we got there, they were excited to see me and said how their hearts were worried and they were glad I was back. I heard that Sufaio and Samba did a good job while I was gone. They did the Likano Wednesday night but didn’t get to the right story on the mp3 player. They were going to play David and Goliath but ended up playing John the Baptist. I heard that Thursday not many people showed up, just a small handful and the mp3 player’s batteries had died. So they skipped the Likano but still sang and prayed. I kept letting them know that they did a good job without me and this just goes to show them that they CAN do it in the future.

The Likano time that night went extremely well. A lot people came, even people from the upper part of the camp came down to join us. We had over 60 people that night and had a great time singing with so many voices. I told them I was sad because it was going to be my last time there doing Likano for a while but I was hoping send others to do the storying. I encouraged them to meet together themselves for times of praising God and prayer, and just like I wasn’t there when they carried on that Wed & Thurs, they can go out and spread God’s word themselves.

After that night, Abeyi (Sufaio’s dad) said, “When might you go to Mayos I? Maybe we could go with you and share God’s Word with them.” I said I didn’t know when but that’s exactly what I’d love to happen. My heart was encouraged.

Then Saturday morning I cleaned up my site, packed up the tent said my good byes and headed back home with the guys.

Sufaio's family, L-R: Aunt with her baby, Father Abeyi, Little Brother Assi, Stepmom Ana and Sufaio. The two little girls are twins - Sufaio's half sisters.


Village & Likano

We want to blog a little more about some of our Baka Likano story times, this is an excerpt from Nathan's journal from his first camping trip to Nkolbikon in April:

So it's Monday - the day I'm supposed to leave for Nkolbikan. Sufaio is already there - he's expecting me. Five other guys decide they want to join me. One guy is a blind fellow who spends his days playing an aita (a 7-string African instrument) and singing. His name is Bado.

It rained a lot last night and the road to Nkolbikan isn't good. It takes me just under an hour to go 16 km. Thank God for 4X4.

We arrive to find that Sufaio's family and many others are on a forest trip. They said they would be back, yesterday. We sit. We sit. We sit. It's a common pastime here. I figure it's time to set up my tent. Sufaio helps while everybody else ooohs and aaahs. (Actually, in Baka, it's wόooooo). Then Sufaio and I go bathe at the stream and come back to sit... again.

This time we're around someone's cook fire. Bado is playing his aita and singing - so sitting becomes more enjoyable. Sufaio brings over cooked spinach-like greens (cassava leaves) and potato-like roots (also cassava) and he, his little brother Assi and I eat it with our fingers. It’s actually very good. I watch as a woman boils more cassava added to oily liquid from boiling palm nuts, and also adds some mashed roasted peanuts. To my delight we are served a large bowl full to share. This time I get to use a spoon. It, too, is good.

I had told Sufaio that he was in charge of getting people together and deciding when and where, etc. I hear them discussing the best place to meet, and then he tells me it is time. We go back to where we sat during the afternoon and wait on others to come. We are facing north and over the following hour I get to watch the big dipper rise into the sky.

A half hour later more people come and finally, Bado strikes up some music. He leads the singing for a while until his repertoire of Christian Baka songs is complete and then Sufaio leads a few more. More people join as we sing until there are around 30 people. Though I am disappointed that Sufaio’s family is still in the forest, the turn out is good.

As I prepare my MP3 player to play the Creation Likano for them, I find that it isn't listed. Disappointed, I think about my options and decide that maybe it is best to start at Cain and Able anyway since I only have a few times to share here. I sum up the Creation and mentioned how God loved mankind and loved to be with them when they were perfect - but then they disobeyed and "badness" has continued until today. I play the Cain and Able likano for them and, when it’s over, try to make sure they understand it and it's implications (ie - you might not have killed anybody but we've all sinned). Then I pray for them. After that, Sufaio asks if the folks have truly understood and he prays too. We all sing a few more songs and I feel my spirit rise as everyone seems to be enjoying the time. I pray that God would do mighty things.

It is late. We have met for about an hour - from about 8pm to 9pm. Sufaio tells them not to take so long congregating tomorrow.

So now I'm in my tent - typing this out on my netbook - surrounded by forest and people who live off of the forest - must go to sleep.


****To read more about our experiences at Nkolbikon, check our our April Archives