Yes, travel anywhere in the city is crazy with Zimmy-Jeans (pronounced "Zimmy-Johns") or motorcycle taxis EVERYWHERE!!! Even compared to where I've been around the Dominican Republic, the zimmy-jeans here are truly crazy! Zipping in and out and around everybody and everything. Horns blairing from all over (I'll go into the language of the horn in a later post!). Cotonou is a much busier city than I had thought, especially along the main highways. Last Saturday I went with a group of friends to the craft market, about 15 minute drive from the ship. I expected it to be like the tourist market places like I've seen elsewhere--small stands lined up down either side of the street. But this is a permanent craft market and is spread between several large orange-ish/pink colored block buildings with palm thatched roofs for appearance. Some of these buildings were long with small shops down both sides of it, each displaying their variety of wares out front, as well as in on their shelves. Others were irregularly shaped roundish buildings with 3-4 shops in each so that you walked around the outside, entering any shops you were interested in. And, of course, every shopkeeper is zealously begging you to come see what they are selling. When they find out that you are from Mercy Ships, they start pitching, "You are from Mercy Ships, yes? Oh, Yes! Very good! For you we have special price! Very good! Very cheap!"...though generally they ARE special prices. Special high prices! I didn't really go to buy this time so my friend and I simply told them all, "We are just looking. We have no money to buy today. But we will come back later." That seemed to satisfy them. Some shops we didn't enter as there was a very dark feeling over the whole shop and they appeared to have mainly voodoo masks and dolls. However, most of the shops were very nice and had amazing carvings or quilts or jewelry for sale. One set of amazing chairs and table I found were very large and each carved out of only one piece of wood each. They had lions as the legs and armrests with a tree as the back of the chair. The table had outward facing lions that the table rested on. It reminded me of something that would be Aslan's throne--the Lion of Judah and the Tree of Life--from the Chronicles of Narnia!!! The salesman kept insisting that I could take them home with me on the plane... I have my doubts!!! Several of the shopkeepers allowed me to take pictures of their wares or shops. I know I keep saying this, but I AM working on figuring out a way to get a picture slideshow up on my blog. Hopefully in the next day or so. It's been a bit of a frustrating weekend trying to get them up! Back to the markets....this morning I walked with several nursing friends into the downtown markets (more like what I'm used to seeing but a little more jumbled and busy! Of course, the zimmy-jeans are still whizzing through all over, people carrying a large bowl, pan, basket, or cushion of wares on their heads to sell. I did not take any pictures there as it is too close quarters and I don't want to risk having my camera stolen. I tried to be subtle but it was just to close-quartered with everyone. Maybe another day. There is a walking bridge over the highway. There are beggars and venders up there as well, but as you look over the market on both sides of the highway, it appears to be a pile of rusty, corrugated tin interspersed with people! We went to the cloth venders looking for material for two local tailor/seamstress to make things for us. I found a beautiful storm blue, pale yellow, cream color, and gold swirly patterned material to make into a sundress and scarf. Depending on how much extra I have left over, I might make something else as well. I was able to get 6 yards for about $10 (US) or 5,000 CFA. The currency here are called CFA (pronounce "See-fah") and I didn't have very much with me. I will definitely be going back there another time and buy more then! Several venders said that they only sell material in 12 yard pieces! I'm not a big shopper but I loved it today! And looking at the women's dress styles worn around here gave me lots of good ideas for what to have made! The tailor, I'm told, is very good--he measures very carefully, has really good taste as to what will look good on each person, and does exceptional work. The seamstress is also very good and can make a variety of other things for you, as well, such as bags. Yes, the shopping here was definitely a grand adventure!
As for using some of my other time off, I've been reading a book called "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges. I know I've not had a very good understanding of God's grace or of how much He loves me. I tend to have what Bridges describes as the "good-day, bad-day" outlook. I tend to feel closer to God on what I feel has been a good day and farther from God, or maybe even that God is upset with me, if I've messed up and had what I feel is a bad day. However, just like with salvation, God's forgiveness and presence is not based on my works--it's soley in God's grace and out of His love. And out of this love and grace, He allows us to walk freely, confidently without fear that He will leave us or push us away. His forgiveness is just that...because Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience to God (fulfilling the life of the law or God's standards of living) and died on the cross (paying the penalty for not keeping God's standards on my behalf), I have full and complete forgiveness of my sins before God. He no longer counts any of them. And that forgiveness goes for any recent sins, as well. There's no "making up for it" by being extra diligent or busy or continuing to feel guilty and pushing Him away because He couldn't possibly want me around so soon after messing up. All I need to do is simply accept that the price is paid--by all means, confessing them to God (or telling Him that I know it was wrong and He was right)--but once I've asked confessed and asked His forgiveness, it's okay again. There's nothing else to do about it, no continuing to feel guilty, no trying to make up for the bad, no trying to hide from Him because I don't feel He would want me around after that,.....No! It's covered. It's done. Nothing more is needed! Truly, our God's love is overwhelming and His grace beyond amazing! I've been working on keeping this mindset, retraining my brain to see my sin and forgiveness God's way, and it's amazing the freedom that knowledge of complete forgiveness gives! Our God is truly great!
Well, I start a week and weekend of dayshift--7am - 3pm Wed thru Fri and 7am - 7pm over the weekend. I am actually looking forward to my 12 hour shifts! I enjoy working here a lot and because we're still slow (though our main surgeon came back from vacation this week, I don't think he's working again until next week) we've had a lot of time to interact with the translators and patients. Monday when I worked, the translators had an Uno! marathon going (Augustine won 4/5 times!!!) and several different Jenga games going. It was a lot of fun! I'm feeling a little more adjusted though still frequently feel detatched from any real ministry in Africa. I was talking with another nurse from South Africa who has been here for about 6 months and is heading home, sharing what I'm feeling with her. We've both heard that from a lot of people. The beautiful thing about this trip is that the ministry is somewhat up to you--you decide what you're going to do while you're here--but it also allows you to step back, have lots of time to sit and talk with God and have Him teach you. And though the Christian atmosphere isn't as forward as we thought it would be, there are so many good resources available--the library, bible studies, churches, land ministries, etc. So all in all, no it's not what I expected but it's very good for where I'm at right now. Well, this is turning into an entire volume, so I will say "good night" ---for most of you, it will be "good afternoon." :oP
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