The Kellers: Hearts and Bones

Kids are mean, but...

2011-06-18T17:05:00.000-06:00

I know kids, especially younger kids, do mean things sometimes. They don’t always understand fully how words and actions can hurt others. But today, I was met with a painful exception for which there was no excuse.

Lamar and I were walking home at dusk, and at least 10 “kids” of varying ages were out playing around in front of our house. There were some as young as 5 or 6 and some as old as at least 16 and 17. As we were passing by, I heard crying, but not human crying. I looked back, and a young boy had a puppy. He was putting the puppy between his knees. I thought this was a really weird thing to do, so I stopped and watched, just to make sure. Next thing I know, this kid is punching the puppy repeatedly in the head. He wasn’t hitting him or tapping him or anything remotely close: this kid has his fists balled up and he was punching the puppy.

Something inside me just snapped. I ran over there saying “no” and asking him what he thought he was doing. By the time I got to him, he had pulled the puppy up close to his face and was screaming at him about why he wasn’t able to listen or learn anything. I turned the kid around to face me, I bent down, I looked him in the eyes, and I asked him what he was doing beating that puppy. He looked at me blankly. Then, the saddest thing happened: all the “kids” just started laughing. There were teenagers and one girl who was an adult, for crying out loud! They all thought it was hysterically funny….this white girl worried about some kid punching a puppy to death. I told them it wasn’t funny and that it was a bad thing to do, and then I realized how useless it really was. I'm not sure what broke my heart more: the beaten puppy or the realization that it was all useless to try to get them to care. As we left, I heard them all screaming after us the only words they knew in English, “#$*& you!”

What makes all of this worse is that this wasn’t some puppy they found. About two months ago, I saw one of the kids (not the one punching him) taking the puppy home. He looked so happy. I stopped and talked to him. He had named it, and seemed to really be invested. I told him to be sure and take care of it and treat it well.

Kids are mean, but this was something extraordinary. It takes a special kind of inhumanity not only to do what I witnessed but to watch it and do nothing. And the most ironic part: the kid was irritated at the puppy because he “couldn’t listen and learn.” Interesting….I know the feeling.

Rewards

2011-06-13T05:44:00.000-06:00

Every Monday night, Lamar and I show a movie in English and serve free popcorn. Students and their friends are welcome to come to the university and watch. I give them a choice of four movies each week, and they choose the one they most want to see. It is nothing much, just a chance for them to take a break and have a little fun.

But last Monday the most rewarding thing happened. As usual, Lamar and I were sitting in the back enjoying the movie. The students had chosen The Great Debaters. One of the main characters who is a college professor and the debate team coach is introducing his class to the Harlem Renaissance and its most significant writers: Countee Cullen, Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes. The next thing I know, one of my first year students is whispering to the third year student sitting next to her. Then she turns back and looks at me, and she has the proudest look on her face that I have ever seen. She grins, and turns back around to finish the movie.

In that moment, I felt so fulfilled. I have been teaching Introduction to Literature to my first year students, and we have spent the entire semester focused on African American literature. She has read works by Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Zora Neale Hurston. She knew every author, and she knew exactly what the Harlem Renaissance was and why it was so important (both in America and Africa and around the world). And she was proud of it. And I was so proud of and for her.

To see a student feel knowledgeable and proud, to see a student trace the history of her brothers and sisters around the globe, and to see a student feel included in a world-wide historical discussion of race and equality was such an exceptional feeling. I am so glad I was finally given the opportunity to teach literature!

2011-04-26T08:40:00.000-06:00

As my Peace Corps service is drawing to a close, I am (naturally) looking back at my service experience, accounting for my time here. Did I accomplish what I set out to do? Have I given it my 100%, absolute best? Have I tread softly, encouraging others toward success with gentleness and love? Have I fought for those without a voice, those without a fair chance? Have I put myself second and others first? Have I been a good example in my behavior and speech? Have I done what was right regardless of what others were doing? Have I been forgiving and patient? Am I leaving a legacy that is righteous and honorable? Did I work as hard as I could have? Have I been honest? I wish I could say the answers to all were “yes.” More often than not, the answer is “I tried.”

But I plan to continue to work in all things and end my service with integrity and dignity, doing what I can to ensure the success of my students and the success of future volunteers at this site. At the end of the day, this is all any of us can do.

Perhaps my service will be well received and perceived; perhaps it will not. But I have the assurance of knowing that I tried to do the very best I could by Cape Verde and its people.

"So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hosea 6:3-4)

Carnival 2011

2011-04-10T06:08:00.000-06:00

The drum lines.

Just fascinating: Cape Verdeans painted black, "pretending" to be "African." Oh, the paper I could write on this one! Seriously: fascinating!

Their costume: mud.

This cutie-pie decided she wanted to watch Carnival with us. So, she did. When she was tired, she took a break and sat on my feet eating popcorn. Nice.

The theme this year was the seven wonders. These guys were Rome. My seamstress, Dona Milo, made these costumes!

Egypt

This picture gives you a good idea of the size of the floats. They were really beautiful.

2nd Annual English Teachers Workshop

2011-02-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th, teachers and student-teachers from Santo Antao and Mindelo participated in the 2nd Annual Teachers of English Workshop. It was so great to see teachers get together to share ideas, talk about issues in the classroom, and just generally work together to improve English education in Cape Verde. It was a great experience. Here are some pictures from the event:

Valdir, Donzilia, and Isaac: UNI-CV college students. They gave a great presentation on classroom management. I was so proud of them! And everyone LOVED the presentation.

Teachers from Mindelo and Santo Antao doing group work during the workshop.

Fedra, from Ludgero Lima in Mindelo. Fedra and Jimmy did an AWESOME presentation on classroom motivation. They were so enthusiastic and well-prepared. They set the bar high for next year's presenters.

My counterpart, Ms. Brito. She is the delegada for the education department here in Sao Vicente. She is super organized, efficient, and nice! She is a great counterpart. I am going to be sad to leave her.

Kate, a volunteer from Santo Antao, and Celestino, my Peace Corps boss. They were both such HUGE helps during the workshop. I could not ask for better friends and colleagues.

Donzilia, my best friend here in Cape Verde. Look at that face?! Isn't she just so cute.

Misty, a Peace Corps volunteer from Praia. She is giving her presentation on writing and current events in the classroom. It was definitely one of the favorite presentations at the workshop. She came all the way from Praia just to help me out with the workshop.

Me....checking off things on my list.

Megan, a Peace Corps volunteer from Santo Antao, and I. We were busy filling resource folders and completing diplomas. Megan was awesome--she worked all week and never complained once.

The group! We had a total of 77 teachers.

Me and Paul Simon

2011-01-31T15:00:00.001-07:00

Paul Simon. I love his music because he does both things so well: the music and the lyrics. If you don't know his work, you definitely should.

I know a woman
Became a wife
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Ain't got no rain
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

And I count myself blessed. I know so many living a life of regret.

Maybe I think too much
Maybe I think too much
Maybe I think too much
Maybe I think too much
They say the left side of the brain
Dominates the right
And the right side has to labor
Through the long and speechless night

And the right side endures...

One and one-half wandering jews
Free to wander wherever they choose
Are travelling together
In the sangre de cristo
The blood of christ mountains
Of new mexico
On the last leg of the journey
They started a long time ago
The arc of a love affair
Rainbows in the high desert air
Mountain passes slipping into stones
Hearts and bones

Still free to wander...

These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder

I know to whom I look...

Some people say the sky is just the sky
But I say
Why deny the obvious child?

Still working to acknowledge the obvious child...

2011-01-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my parents' generosity, Lamar and I spent an awesome Christmas with our family and friends back in the States. We spent three weeks in Arkansas, with Lamar traveling to Albuquerque for a week to visit his family. It was so wonderful to have everyone together to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Two of my favorite people. My cup runneth over.

Beautiful Albuquerque

Our return to Cape Verde was nice as well. Our sweet friends made sure our apartment was sparkling clean when we arrived. There was even a welcome home sign. It is a peculiar thing to leave one home to arrive at another.

(Finished two great books: Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga and The Last Report on the Miracle at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. I highly recommend them, if you have the time and inclination.)

Thankful

2010-11-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is late, but here is my Thanksgiving post for 2010.

I am thankful that Lamar and I are an excellent team. We have always worked well together; I think that is one of the reasons we get along so well. We can accomplish tasks together. Well, we made a nice Thanksgiving dinner together, and it was great. We wanted to have a Cape Verdean Thanksgiving this year.
I am thankful for friends, especially the friends I have made here during my service. We invited one of Lamar's friends from work and his wife, a former student of mine, and two of our ex-patriot friends here.
I am thankful for learning a new language. We spent the night speaking Creole/Portuguese and having a great time together. It was so rewarding.
I am thankful for being able to find a turkey and the things we needed to make an American dinner. It was such a blessing to have a taste of home. We even saved the wild rice our Sunday school class in Albuquerque sent us for tonight. It was great.
I am thankful for being able to open up our home to people I care about and feed them, love them, and pray blessings over them.

Lamar and I and our Thanksgiving table cloth and homemade banner.

Me washing dishes in an apron (aka Lamar's old t-shirt) with our beautiful view behind me.

Back, from left: Lamar, me, Valdir, Dominika
Front, from left: Isaac, Rosa (Valdir's wife), and Laurence

Some of our Thanksgiving decorations: politically incorrect and culturally insensitive Native Americans and Pilgrims.

After dinner, we cleaned up, and then we put up Christmas decorations, including this little guy:

A Positive Attitude and a Kind Word

2010-11-07T01:40:00.002-07:00

I started conducting observations this week for my new job with Peace Corps. I attended the classes of six English teachers at a local high school here in Mindelo. I came to the class, observed, and took notes. I have a form with a set of criteria for evaluation provided by the local university for evaluating teachers. At the end of this week, I can honestly say the most important thing I learned all week was just how important and powerful a positive attitude and a kind word can be.

My first two observations were “cancelled” because the teachers did not want me in their classrooms. I was a little shocked and hurt, and but I understood. People feel insecure and threatened by having a native speaker evaluate them. I imagine it would be how I would feel if I had a native Portuguese speaker evaluate me teaching a Portuguese class. So, I tried not to let this bother me, and I observed the other six teachers who were warm and welcoming. I showed up each day, briefly introduced myself, and then followed them to class. I sat in the back, observed the class, and then arranged a meeting next week to provide feedback.

In every single instance, as the teacher and I were leaving the classroom, they all asked me some form of this question: “Are you going to tell me what I did wrong when we meet?” I was taken aback the first few times, but then I came to expect it.

I had to explain to the teachers that I was not doing that sort of observation. I was not there to write down every single grammar mistake they made or correct their pronunciation or criticize their classroom management or lesson plans. I explained that I was there to see what they were doing in their classes that was working, to share ideas and resources, and to learn about teaching in Cape Verde. With that in mind, I made sure to leave each teacher with a comment about at least two things that they did really well.

When I told the teachers some of the elements I liked about their lessons, that reaction was also the same: total shock, a look of elation that is indescribable, relief, and teary eyes.

This got me thinking: what have people been telling these teachers, how have they been treated? I mean, for crying out loud. When you offer praise to a teacher and they almost cry, you know there is a problem somewhere. Now, I am not saying these teachers were perfect, and I am fully aware of the teachers in Cape Verde that are morally and intellectually inept, but these teachers were a different story. Yes, they had some issues that could use improvement, but they were also doing things that were really working as well. They just needed someone to build their confidence, to tell them they are doing a good job, to appreciate them.

So, I was reminded of a super-important lesson this week: a positive attitude and a kind word go a long way. I think there is a time and a place for criticism and consequences, but there is also a time for encouragement. Seeing those teachers feeling good about themselves is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had during Peace Corps service.

Pressure

2010-10-16T11:59:00.002-06:00

When I finally finished graduate school, I felt really weird. I had been a student for 24 years. I wasn’t quite sure what it was I wanted to do, but I knew it wasn’t school related. Lamar and I decided we should devote some time to service and giving back. Life has a way of taking over, and we wanted to travel, serve, and experience some of the world before that happened. So, we joined Peace Corps. But all the time, I knew this day would come…

Fall 2011 will be here before we know it, and we need jobs. For Lamar, this is easy. The man has actual, practical skills. He is talented, hard-working, and skilled. He will always be able to find work. I, however, am a much different story. I have one, teeny, tiny, super –specific thing I do. Finding a job for me looks much different.

After spending 13 years in primary and secondary school, and then eleven years in college and graduate school, I have to confess that unfortunately, much of my self-worth is wrapped up in my career. I know this is ridiculous, but it continually creeps in, and it is getting worse as the job search begins.

Tenure track positions at universities in America are unbelievably competitive. I mean, it is outrageous. I have already applied to nine schools, and now I just wait. I wait to see if I even get called back for an interview. I wait to see if they consider my location with Peace Corps as too much trouble to even deal with. I wait to see if they go with someone with more publications than me. I wait to see if they think my secondary specializations are an adequate match for their department. I wait to see if they feel my research has potential to draw outside funding. I wait to see if I am too young. I wait, wait, wait. It is so difficult not to take the process personally. After devoting so much time and energy to my studies, it is hard to not take it personally. I wake up thinking about it, and I go to bed thinking about it. And the thought of not getting a job this round, and having to repeat the process during the second-semester call for jobs is almost too much to consider…

But I know (heart and head) that God has a place and a plan for us. There is somewhere He wants us to be. There is a university (or high school, or Target), where my services are needed and will be appreciated. I just have to let go and trust Him to guide us there.

On the Peace Corps front:

I am working on a project with my students at the private university that I am beyond excited about. I want the project to take a more solid shape before I discuss it. But trust me: this one is going to be good! I am so excited to see what my students will do with this.

Lamar’s English class is huge this year, and he is doing great. He is really working to create unit and lesson plans. He even has one student from last year that he is still tutoring.

We made a nice dinner for our Brazilian pastor and his family last night. They are sweet people, and it was nice to spend time with them.

Yoga is still going great, and I would like to think that both Lamar and I are improving. We try, and efforts and intentions have to count for something.

Hope everyone is well. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

2 years

2010-10-10T10:30:00.001-06:00

Today is our 2nd year anniversary. It feels like our time here in Cape Verde is flying by. I know we will be home before we know it , and this experience will only be a memory.
As I was reading Ecclesiastes today one chapter stood out to me.

"Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:9

--Lamar

Oh, BCA

2010-10-05T12:11:00.000-06:00

BCA (Banco Comercial do Atlântico) is the bank Peace Corps uses here in Cape Verde, hence, the bank we use. We like to call it “No man’s land,” “that place we refuse to go,” and “air-conditioned hell.” Well, Lamar lost his card in the ATM machine at the airport. When we realized what had happened, we were instantly panicked. We were not worried about the card, not having money, etc. No, we both instantly realized what this meant: we would have to go into BCA….and not our local BCA, but the main branch, which is just a bigger, meaner, worse version of the smaller BCAs around here.

Monday morning we woke up early and headed to the bank. We got there at 7:50….there was already a group of people outside. We joined the group. At 8:02, a line formed outside the bank, but it was still not open. At 8:07, the bank opened its doors. We took our number for line A to get money out and a number for line B to request a new card. That’s right: you cannot do that at one place (that would be too efficient). You have to stand in line twice. Nice.

At 8:15, the workers were starting to turn on their computers, get their coffee, greet each other, etc. Watching them do this just makes you want to punch them in the face, but I digress. At 8:17, the power went out. At 8:20, it came back on. About 8:30 they started helping folks. We had number 28 in line A and number 17 in line B. We started to wait.

Line B had two stations ran by two men. They meant business. They started calling numbers and taking care of business. No number, no help! Awesome! Lamar got called for line B, and he requested the new card. Since the card was eaten at the ATM at the airport, the man said it would go to another bank. It would take at least a week to collect it. Then they would have to arrange a trade. He gave Lamar the advice to go to the other bank directly and skip the trade, which could take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. We loved him for the heads up.

Now…back to line A. By 9:45, we still had not been helped and our number had not been called. How is it that after two hours they were not to 28 you might ask? Well, let me tell you. First of all, you don’t really need a number—that is just for stupid and gullible people (like us). Anyone at any time can walk right up and get helped if you fall into any one of the following categories: old (or just look old), have a baby, are pregnant (or say you are), look Portuguese, police, work for any major business in Cape Verde, or are just pushy and loud enough. At one point, a guy walks up in front of us with the number 19. The teller is on number 21 at this point. She tells him she can’t help him. He pitches a fit, saying he had things to do and had to leave…blah, blah, blah. It was like listening to an obnoxious four year old. She tells him no. We feel vindicated…for a minute. Ten minutes later, she helps him…before us. Way to teach him a lesson bank lady.

Of course, Lamar and I are constantly trying to set a good example. We believe in doing the honest and right thing and modeling just and fair behavior. It is not always so easy…like when we are at BCA. We watched person after person go in front of us without a number. We were the only ones left from our original group at this point. At one point, Lamar started asking people walking in front of us where their tickets were: they just looked at him like he had lost his mind: "Ticket, I don't need any ticket." We finally get our number called, and the lady immediately looks at us with this sad look and says something along the lines of , “Sorry, there were a lot of people who were pregnant and old today.” Apparently she had stared at our faces so long she felt bad. We finally got out our money and left…at 10:10 a.m.

Oh, BCA!

The Kellers Go to Amsterdam

2010-09-26T11:22:00.000-06:00

Our trip was amazing! We had such a great time, and we are so glad we went. We have already decided to start planning and saving for another trip.

We crossed this canal bridge each day on the walk from our hotel to the city center. The canals were really beautiful. We took an evening canal cruise one night that went all through Amsterdam. We learned that they keep their canals clean and fresh by removing 1/3 of the water and replacing it with fresh ocean water regularly.

Our first day in Amsterdam, we were still pretty tired from the long trip from Cape Verde to Lisbon to Amsterdam. We strolled around and got a good look at the city. We went to a movie, and it was awesome to sit in a movie theatre again and watch a movie in English. We saw a 3-D movie, hence Lamar's glasses. We also went and watched football games at a local sports cafe.

Monday we activated our tour cards and museum-ed it up. We started at the Rembrandt House. This was Rembrandt's actual house. It had his art and cultural collections and demonstrations of his print making techniques. Then we went to the Rijksmuseum (Dutch Masters). It was amazing. It had a lot of everything, and it was well worth it.

We visited this church: De Nieuwe Kerk. It was built in 1410. It was originally a Catholic church, and then it was "redone" as a Protestant church. It survived a massive fire, and was rebuilt. The architecture was amazing, especially from the inside.

Lamar especialy loved the architecture. He took a picture of these leaning buildings. They look like something out of Harry Potter the way they lean. It was really cool to see the way the old buildings are still used today and adapted to modern life.

We visited the botanical garden on Thursday morning. It was one of our favorite spots. It was so quiet and clean and fresh. They had a butterfly house and tons of areas distinctive of specific regions in the world. These lantern plants were my favorite. I want to find some to have for Halloween!

The bamboo garden was super cool.

One of our favorite activities was the zoo. The Amsterdam Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the world. We took tons and tons of pictures of the animals, but we thought we would just post this one picture of the leaves on the tress changing colors. Living somewhere that is summer all year round really makes you miss the seasons. This was such a renewing day for us.

Thursday evening we went to the Heineken Brewery. We were tired, but we were super glad we went. We got to see how the beer is made from start to finish. We also got a couple free beers with the tour.

Overall, it was just an excellent trip all around. We bought a tour card that turned out to be well worth it. We saw a ton of museums (historical, art, religious, etc.). Lamar really enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum and the Allard Pierson Museum (archaeological museum). We visited the Dutch Resistance Museum and the Bible Museum that were inspiring, to say the least. Besides the culture and history of Amsterdam, we also enjoyed hot showers, Subway, cool weather, speaking English, and not standing out like a sore thumb. We boarded the plane more than a little sad to come back. But I suppose the temporary nature is what makes vacations special.

Another reason to love our new place . . .

2010-09-08T14:13:00.003-06:00

This is the view we have from our veranda:

We wake up and have breakfast our there, and we sit and watch the sun go down. It is amazing how having a place that is peaceful and welcoming changes our entire outlook.

Moved

2010-09-02T08:29:00.000-06:00

Sorry we have been so absent lately. We have been pretty busy. Here is what has been going on:

**We moved....FINALLY! It is so nice to finally be moved and settled in. We moved everything ourselves. We made the fifteen minute walk from our old apartment to our new apartment more times than my feet would like to count. We walked everything from one place to another except: the fridge, the stove, two bed frames (we walked the mattresses), and the bidong full of clothes. We are tired but happy to be out of there. Lamar was a total hero about the moving.

**We have an amazing new view. We will have to post pictures soon. Really, it is just unbelievable.

**I am recovering from a nasty ear infection, which is weird. I never got ear infections (even after years of swimteam) until I came here. Hmmm...must be the dust.

**We have no internet or phone. CV Telecom is moving at its painfully slow rate--in fact, the workers are on strike today and tomorrow. We probably will not have either until we are back from vacation. Blah.

**I am sitting at the school where I will be teaching my African Literature class, and I am SUPER excited. It is my secondary project, and I could not be more thrilled. Finally, I will be able to teach in my discipline.

**While I cannot say much, Lamar and I are celebrating recent revelations in God´s justice here. We haev been praying for it, and it seems as though He heard us.

**Getting ready for Amsterdam. We need a break.

Love and miss everyone.

Train in the Distance

2010-08-07T06:47:00.000-06:00

One of the main reasons I love Paul Simon is because he tells the truth. One of my favorite songs by him is “Train the Distance.”

Everyone loves the sound of a train in the distance; everybody thinks it’s true.

Guilty. I have always loved that sound, but I have also been working on reminding myself of the falseness, the hollowness in that sound. Some days I do better than others.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

2010-08-02T04:43:00.001-06:00

I am on vacation. School is over, and I am only “working” half-days at the campus. Although I have not figured out exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing there for a half-day, I show up dutifully anyway. With all of this new and luxurious free time on my hands, one would expect more to show for it. I expect more to show for it. But the only thing I have really been doing is reading, and reading like mad. I haven’t read like this, really, since I was a kid. The second I entered undergraduate school as an English major in 1998 until I graduated in 2009, I have been told what to read. Even during holidays and summer breaks, I had massive lists that I was desperately trying to cover. When I defended my dissertation and that part of my life was “over,” I felt sort of lost for a while. Then I came here, and I was too busy to even think about reading for enjoyment. The work and culture and difficulties of here overshadowed any possibility to read seriously. I managed to get a book in here or there, but not like now. Here lately I have realized why I spent eleven years of my life studying books. During this break, I have read some trash, some new fiction that was supposed to be good but wasn’t, and some new fiction that was actually quite good. I have also read some classics. I re-read For Whom the Bell Tolls, and it was better than I remembered. You read it, and it stays with you, rattling around in your heart and mind. I think it really moved me this time because in some ways it reminded me of where I am and what I am doing now.

“What right have you, a foreigner, to come to me and tell me what I must do?”—Peace Corps stresses that its mission is to share culture and help countries develop their own potential via their natural strengths and talents. Yet every single day I have this thought about myself that Pablo has about the American Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls. I feel this about myself here in Cape Verde, and I feel this attitude from people here. And of course, I don’t blame them at all; I understand it. Again, Peace Corps would argue this is not what volunteers do at all. But isn’t it? And even if Peace Corps doesn’t think we and they are doing this, the only thing that really matters is what the people of Cape Verde think….

“No. There was nothing to be gained by leaving them alone. Except that all people should be left alone and you should interfere with no one. So he believed that, did he? Yes, he believed that.” –do I believe this? Maybe. I don’t think Robert Jordan (Hemingway) means to leave a fellow human without aid, but I do think the message is to allow people to come into their own, to reject what they will and accept what they will. We want to “help,” but I am not always sure we truly understand what that means; in fact, I suspect we really have no idea…..

I will finish my service term here with the Peace Corps, but the way I will finish it is still unknown, even to me. But I do know this, “But living was a field of grain blowing in the wind on the side of a hill. Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing.” After all, “the world is a fine place and worth the fighting for, and I hate very much to leave it.”

Fourth of July (and the fifth)

2010-07-04T11:24:00.000-06:00

The volunteers on Sao Vicente got together last night to celebrate two independence days: the fourth of July for America and the fifth of July for Cape Verde. Lamar decided he wanted to grill out, so that is exactly what we did. We found a grill, and Lamar and Andrew got to work. They organized what everyone should bring, the day, and the time. They prepped the hamburgers and chicken, and they got the grill to the house and on the roof.

Lamar got the grill going great!

All their hard prep-work was much appreciated. We had hamburgeres, chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, fruit salad, salad, cheese dip and tortillas. You name it, we had it.

Lamar checking in on his favorite part of the meal....the cheese dip. Andrew had a block of Velveeta he got from home and had been saving. He was nice enough to share it.

The finished product: Lamar's burger with everything on it....including cheese dip.

Andrew and Lindsay on the roof.

We all had a very nice time together, and we enjoyed the great food and each other's company. It was a nice way to celebrate independence day. Hope everyone's fourth of July is great!

First Sighting

2010-07-02T05:20:00.000-06:00

I saw it today—the first job posting on MLA for a tenure-track position in English for the fall of 2011. It was so freaking exciting! The next four to five months are going to be exciting and anxious as I wait to see what positions open up across the United States. I know God has a clear picture of where He wants Lamar and I to be and what He wants us to be doing, but I just don’t see it yet. There is excitement in not knowing and waiting to see His perfect plan materialize. I just pray we can be patient and attentive enough to seek it out.

Other news:

We are moving! I hate to count my chicks before they hatch, but it looks like my awesome APCD (Peace Corps guy in charge of education volunteers) has solved our housing problem. We are moving at the end of August, beginning of September into another apartment. This is such an answer to prayer for so many reasons. We could not be happier or more grateful.

Lamar is busy hosting a World Cup for his kids at Nho Djunga. The winning team gets taken out for ice cream. He is working so hard to teach them about sportsmanship, team spirit and cooperation, and self-discipline. I swear the man has the patience of a saint--kids all day and then me!

My students turned in ten-page research papers. I tell you, some of them are so amazing I could hardly believe it. I don’t think I have ever been more proud of any of my students as I am of some of my students this semester. I am making copies of some of the papers to save for posterity because they are just that good and such a testament to the capacity of students when they are nurtured and given serious and professional expectations.

I had a wonderful experience with efficiency that I just have to share. I received a letter in our mailbox that said I had a fed-ex letter waiting for me and I needed to call some guy from the post-office. Well, from previous experiences, I was dreading this issue. I imagined weeks of calling and going to offices and begging for someone to please just give me the letter. Nope! I called the man at 8:05 this morning, and he was there! He proceeded to tell me he would be at my house to deliver the letter. I hung up the phone with no small amount of doubt. Not fifteen minutes later, the guy arrived at my door, had me sign, and the letter was mine. Seriously! This is the most professional and efficient experience in Cape Verde that I have had to date. Thanks awesome post-office man!

The Truth in Fiction

2010-06-23T13:09:00.000-06:00

I am currently reading Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov. I read Lolita in graduate school and was awed by the work and the writer. I came across this passage yesterday in my reading, and it was so real and true that I could not help sharing it. It is such a precise description of my experience here of late....

"I do not intend to complain, " said Cincinnatus, "but wish to ask you, is there in the so-called order of so-called things of which your so-called world consists even one thing that might be an assurance that you will keep a promise?"

"A promise?" asked the director in surprise, ceasing to fan himself with the cardboard part of the calendar (depicting the fortress at sunset, a water color). "What promise?"

"That my wife will come tomorrow. So you will not agree to guarantee it in this case--but I am phrasing my question more broadly: if there in this world, can there be, any kind of security at all, any pledge of anything, or is the very idea of guarantee unknown here?"

A pause.

"Isn't it too bad though about Roman Vissarionovich," said the director, "have you heard? He is in bed with a cold, and apparently quite a serious one..."

"I have a feeling that you will not answer me at any cost; that is logical, for even irresponsibility in the end develops its own logic."

Creepy how accurate it is, and to think.....we never even met and swapped stories.

Soccer

2010-06-13T05:14:00.000-06:00

Saturday Lamar and I went to watch the boys at Nho Djunga (the youth center where Lamar works) play soccer. It was a sort of tournament for local youth centers. All the boys from the centers formed teams and played fifteen-minute soccer games against each other. We arrived at Nho Djunga, and when the boys saw Lamar, they were super excited. It was so sweet to see how happy they were to see him there. It made me so proud to be his wife. They absolutely love him there, and it is no secret to me why they do. All the kids were rounded up, and we walked to the nearest “soccer field.” It is really just a concrete area that is smaller than a regulation soccer field. They all got together for a group photo.

Then out of nowhere, they all changed jerseys. I did not ask questions. I have learned that there is quite often simply no rhyme or reason here, and you will only frustrate yourself if you try to rationalize things. So, they changed jerseys and started warming up. It was incredibly cute. I am sure they would be so disappointed if they knew I was calling it cute. As far as they were concerned, they were practicing like the pros.

They all decided to have a pre-game huddle to talk strategy.

Here is a picture after their first goal. You seriously would have thought they had just won the World Cup. But as Lamar pointed out to me, this is the World Cup to them. They were so proud, and so were we. I finally understood my Mom's crazy cheering at any sporting event of mine. You just can't help but be crazy proud of them! Notice too that they play without shoes....on concrete. Amazing!

Well, we did not win the game, and the boys were heartbroken. The other youth center had enough money that the boys actually had someone there to work with them as their coach. But Lamar used the opportunity to talk to them about good sportsmanship, about how winning AND losing are part of sports and that even the best players lose once in a while. He was there when they were hurt and crying to cheer them up and encourage them.

Now for this little guy:

His name is Ravitson, but everyone calls him “little one,” and for good reason. He is nine years old, and he looks about the same size as most five year olds, if not smaller. Lamar carries him around like he is a gallon of milk. He is the sweetest little guy you ever met. The very first time I met him, he came up to me out of nowhere and gave me the biggest hug. It was so sincere. Well, we have been friends since then. On Saturday, we was hanging pretty close to us because he could not play. It broke my heart, but I understood why; he was just too small. I could tell it really hurt him, but it was for his own good. There is no telling how often he is left out of things because of his size. About halfway through the day, he comes up to me, puts his little bitty arms around my waist and gives me a hug. I pat him on the back, thinking he is done, and he just stands there. He stood there resting his head on me and hugging me for almost thirty minutes. It really struck me how deprived of human contact most of them are. There are simply not enough people and there is simply not enough time in the day for them all to receive individual attention from a caring and loving adult. All he wanted was someone to hold him and give him their time. Finally, something here I feel I can do and be good at......

Overall, it was a great time. I was reminded of what an awesome person Lamar is and how great kids can be.

Rains a Comin's

2010-06-11T17:43:00.000-06:00

Pictures from our roof on a cool cloudy evening

Birthday Week

2010-06-07T06:07:00.000-06:00

Lamar just finished his birthday week, and I would like to think it was great! I L-O-V-E birthdays....everyone's. So, I started this tradition with Lamar where he gets a birthday week. I treat him to one small, thoughtful present a day for a week until his birthday. It is so nice to have a week where he is just appreciated and special. For birthday weeks here, we have to get creative. There is not much spare money, and choices for gifts are limited. Some of Lamar's birthday week gifts this year included:

a can of pistachios......

some yummy chocolate....

An English word-find book I bought off a student of mine....

Button cactus seeds.....

His big present was a straw hat I searched high and low to find. He bought me this great hat before we left for Peace Corps, and he has wanted one ever since then. Unfortunately, the hat is too small for his head. We are stretching it out right now, so hopefully it will work out well. He needs one for when he works outside gardening and such. It is good just to wear a hat in general here anyway; the sun is so strong.

I also baked him individual mini-cakes in tuna fish tins so that he can have birthday cake all week. We had homemade pizza for dinner last, too. Overall, I would say it was a pretty nice birthday week for him. It was nice for me as well....having an excuse to spoil him and give thanks for him!

Disappointment

2010-05-24T06:17:00.000-06:00

It is common knowledge that students cheat here....a lot. However, I finally caught four of my students cheating on a test in my class. It crushed me. I took it so personally. I try so hard to encourage honesty and integrity in my classes. I am always on time, never miss class, and am always prepared. I do the best I can to make class enjoyable by using interesting topics and organizing activities to relieve some of the boredom that comes with a composition class. I never test them over material we do not cover (and re-cover) in class. To work so hard to provide my students with a class they can enjoy and learn from, just to have them repay me and themselves with dishonesty is crushing and deeply disheartening. The worst part is that I am now seen as some sort of "irrational and rigid foreigner" because I not only expect them not to cheat but because I punish them when they do it. I am starting to doubt my own sanity in this place.......

We Want It All.....NOW

2010-05-13T04:02:00.000-06:00

I read this really interesting article in the NY Times recently about the Montana governor. His state’s budget is balanced (only one of two in the nation), and he was discussing how he and the people of Montana achieved this. He shot down cynics who said it was only possible because his state had such a small population. He explained it was simply a matter of discipline. That’s right…..discipline. This made me think about my parents.

My parents are rocking-awesome savers and planners. I remember learning about saving from a very early age. Ten percent of my income goes to tithe, ten percent to savings, ten percent to retirement, and the rest is for me to live on. My parents set a great example of living a life of delayed gratification; if they wanted something, they actually saved for it instead of just putting it on credit! Imagine that! In an era so hypnotized by instant gratification, I think this is a lesson we Americans desperately need.

Consider this on a national scale. We want first-class, state of the art, nothing but the best education, health care, technology, streets, buildings, public transportation, farming practices, space programs, military programs…..I could go on forever. In fact, not only do we want these things, we demand them. We have become so used to getting exactly what we want exactly when we want it that we have forgotten about a little thing called consequence. We (as a nation and as individuals) are outrageously in debt, living beyond our means, and still demanding more, more, more. To put this in perspective: I read an article this morning about recent criticisms of Senator Kerry’s environmental plan. One of the criticisms is that it will inhibit the ability of major corporations to make as much money because of environmental regulations. Seriously?!?! Which do you want more: to make money or to survive on this planet? This is exactly the sort of insanity I am talking about. We want it all, and this is simply not possible (nor is it healthy).

Interestingly enough, I see the same thing here in my Peace Corps service. America has set a dangerous and poor example. People here want an “American-quality” life, and they want it now. I can discuss and lecture all day about the prices we have paid for such choices, about the detriments this life-style has created for us and others, about the impossibility of it lasting, but to no avail. Someone else is living like that, and they want it too.

So how do we combat this? Many say it is impossible to reverse, and some days I agree. I see so many greed-crazed Americans that I think it is impossible, too. Then I think of the governor of Montana, of my parents, and of other righteous families I know that are living a life of good stewardship, and I have hope. Lamar and I have made a commitment to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. What can you do?

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T05:39:00.000-06:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers (and soon to be mothers) I know, love, and miss. I know many women whom I consider Proverbs 31 women....women striving to be noble, working diligently for their families, serving the poor and needy, garnering the respect of their husbands, imparting wisdom to their children, and fearing and loving the Lord. From my mother to my grandmother to my friends whom I have watched blossom into wonderful mothers in their own right, I have been blessed by the company of great women. And while I am not a mother yet, I pray that someday I will be able to raise a child who will one day consider me a Proverbs 31 woman.

Proverbs 31

10 A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Cinco de Mayo....a day late (and other things)

2010-05-06T04:30:00.001-06:00

Cinco de Mayo is an important day for Lamar and I; we had our first (blind) date on Cinco de Mayo in Albuquerque. My jogging partner in college worked with Lamar, and she had been trying to set us up for about three months. I was just too busy with my dissertation to take time out to go on any blind dates. However, I had a dream one night that I went on this blind date and that it worked out great. I called my friend, asked her to call Lamar, and we met a few days later for our date. I remember a couple of things very vividly about the date. One of the first things Lamar asked me was what kind of music I liked, and he seemed pretty serious about it. This should have been my first clue about what a snob my husband is about music! He also told me he would be happy somewhere just "living off the land." Finally, I will never forget that we showed up wearing essentially the same thing: We both showed up in flannel-type shirts with undershirts. Needless to say, I couldn't resist, and everything worked out......and we were married a year and a half later.

Now is the time we would really be working our garden back home, and we both miss it. I think Lamar misses it a bit more than I. We have our plants and such here in our apartment, and Lamar is working with the S.O.S. on their garden, but it is just not the same. I miss LAND! Sometimes when we have time on the weekends, we shop for land on the internet....looking at where we might go and how big our garden could be. So here is to our old garden....

When I was growing up, my mom was allergic to cats (and she never really liked them), so we always had dogs. I was never a fan of cats myself. When I met Lamar, he was living in a tent in the Sandia Mountains, and he had a cat named Olive. Well, Lamar and Olive were a package deal. I must admit, I was not thrilled with the idea of having a cat. But I have to confess that now I love that cat more than any pet I have ever had (sorry mom!). She is the sweetest, funniest, most lovable thing ever. I miss her every single day. She is with a friend of Lamar's in New Mexico while we are away. Last night we heard a poor little kitten meowing all night. It made me think of Olive and how glad I am Lamar saved her from the rescue shelter.

One last thing: I really, really miss sweet tea. I grew up in Arkansas, and this means you can get sweet tea from virtually any restaurant you visit. When I moved to New Mexico, I was heartbroken to discover this is pretty much a southern thing only. So, I started making my own. THEN....Albuquerque got a McAlister's! I was so happy, and Lamar took me there after church on Sundays so I could have my sweet tea. I miss it, and I plan to drink my fill of it when I get back home.

Before and After.....again

2010-04-26T11:59:00.000-06:00

These are pictures of our class after our students and we teachers worked to decorate, clean, and rearrange. We created a space conducive to learning with art, poetry, language, maps, plants. You name it, it was in our room. We all felt so good.

Here is what our room looks like after the administration's wishes were carried out today....

Every single wall is blank. No more plants, maps, charts, art, poetry. There is abosolutely nothing left in the room but chairs, desks, a board, and a trashcan and pissed off and disappointed students.

On a day like today, I need someone to please remind me why I am here. Really, why am I here?

Stairwells

2010-04-16T11:16:00.003-06:00

Time is weird, and it is weirder in Peace Corps, and it is even weirder on an island. I cannot believe that we have already been contacted by people getting ready to come to Cape Verde to begin their Peace Corps service this summer. Have we really been here that long? It is exciting to think about their excitement.

On another, completely unrelated note: I found myself thinking about stairwells yesterday. When I first started teaching and studying for my degree at the University of New Mexico, I had to walk up this indoor stairwell each day, countless times a day. In some weird way, I used to measure time by my trips up and down that stairwell. I would come early in the morning when one was there, I would leave to swim or for lunch or class, and it was always crowded. It was creepy at night, cold during the winter, and concrete cool during the summer. I measured my five years of study by that stairwell. I would walk up it rushed on Mondays and Tuesdays, tired on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and relieved on Fridays.

I have a stairwell here at my work. It is outdoors, but I have noticed how much I think about time when I climb it. I mark my time by that stairwell, too. When I am in a good mood and class is going well and my students are growing and learning, I walk up the stairwell thinking two years is not enough time to do all I want to do. When the system here (and countless other things) get me down, that stairwell seems to remind me of how many more times I have to climb it until the end.

It is funny that when I walk both of them, the same focus on time occurs, and everything moves in slow motion. I have no doubts that when I am “finished” here (if that is really possible), I will remember this stairwell as well as I remember the one at the University of New Mexico. Hopefully, I will remember it as fondly.

Easter and Community

2010-04-06T08:01:00.000-06:00

Lamar and I had a very nice Easter, but it was definitely not what we are used to. We woke up and got ready for church, but to be honest, we were not exactly enthusiastic. I have pretty much always enjoyed church. I grew up in Sunday school with VBS (vacation Bible school), singing only Sunday night services, ice-cream socials and fellowships, and all around a super close community of believers. However, church here is different. We don't speak the language all that well, culture is different, and we are always going to be the foreigners. We really have grown to love our Pastor and his family; they are kind, giving, and fun people. Yet, we still feel very “outside” of our church and its goings on. I am reminded of when I lived in Dakar. My missionary family that was permanently assigned there rarely went to the church but conducted home worship and study instead, and I never really understood why until we moved here. The goal of local churches is to have people of every nation learn to love, serve, and worship Christ in a way that is honoring to them and their culture and in a way that they understand and take ownership in; the goal is not to make American churches everywhere you go. I feel the same way about our church here. It does not feel like home to us, but that is not its purpose. This has left us in a place without communal worship.

I never realized how important the body of Christ was until I settled in here and realized I would spend the next two years without one to which I felt connected. Lamar and I do Bible study with another volunteer, and we have our own personal prayer and study lives, but it is just not the same. I know church has its major drawbacks, and I am often the first to be annoyed by them: inane adherence to senseless tradition, hypocrisy, greed, etc. Yet Christ and His followers had it right when they realized the importance of meeting together, eating together, praying together…..living together for Christ.

As Lamar and I were reading over the Easter story, I was struck by poor Peter, Peter who loved Christ so dearly and yet denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. What I noticed is that Peter was alone, without the support of the other followers all three times. Without Christ and his other followers, Peter and his devotion to Christ were challenged, and each time, Peter failed. He still loved Christ, and he still had a heart for him; yet, Peter was alone and without the body of Christ to lift him up and support him.

Wherever you are today, if you have a body of Christ that you are sharing your life with, give thanks. It might not be perfect, but it is united by a perfect Savior. If you do not have a body of Christ to rely on and rejoice with, I pray you find one. We are not meant to be alone in our walk with Christ.

2010-04-02T04:56:00.000-06:00

The puzzle is finished. In fact, it was finished two weeks ago. It looked AMAZING. Lamar took it apart very carefully and kept it sorted so we could put it together when we get back to the States. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for such a thoughtful and smart gift.

On other fronts, our home garden is flourishing. We have turned what was our dining room into a greenhouse of sorts. The room has two windows that get a lot of morning sun, so we keep the plants in there all morning, and then we move them to the veranda for afternoon sun. We have to bring them in at night or else they get these crazy bugs from the open windows of the veranda. Everything seems to be really thriving. We are growing the following plants: cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes (Arkansas Travelers!), jalapeños, Serrano peppers, green onions, dill, cilantro, sprouts, parsley, basil, a kiwi tree (seriously—Lamar saved a seed from his kiwi, planted it, and now it is growing), thyme, a Greek giant (a type of eatable green plant), snap peas, and two mystery plants we bought off the street here in Cape Verde that are just pretty. It is wonderful to wake up each morning and see how much they have grown. Lamar even got his first harvest off his jalapeños, and he said they were wonderful.

On the pop culture front, we are still enjoying T.V. We rarely watched T.V. when we lived in the States. In fact, my T.V. was not plugged in until Lamar moved in and wanted to watch football. However, since we have come to Cape Verde for Peace Corps, we have watched massive amounts of T.V. that we never watched in the States. We have watched almost all of “The Office,” three seasons of “30 Rock,” two seasons of “Prison Break,” a season of “Scrubs,” various episodes of “Ted Talks” and “How Its Made,” and now we are watching “Firefly.” It is not that all we do is watch T.V., it is just that when what you can do is sometimes so limited, T.V. is a nice break from things.

Lamar is getting much better at his guitar. He practices almost every day. He learns new songs each week. Here recently he has learned "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac and "Rejoicing in the Hands" by Devendra Banhart. He is even practicing with another volunteer here who wants to learn to play.

I have had more time to read since my school class load has been reduced. I finished quite a few books over break that I had never read and always wanted to read: The Bluest Eye, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Death in Venice, The Famished Road, and Bluebeard. I am almost finished with Of Human Bondage; I am really enjoying it. I have looked forward to reading what I want for so long, and now that I have the time, it is not that easy. Books are hard to come by here, not to mention books in English. But I am reading whatever I can get my hands on, and that is proving to be somewhat of a nice surprise. Having fewer choices is opening up books that perhaps I would never have read. I am thankful for that.

Dia da Mulher de Cabo Verde

2010-03-27T07:51:00.000-06:00

Today is "Dia da Mulher de Cabo Verde" or Cape Verde Women's Day. I attended a special presentation this morning in honor of the day. One of the professors from my university gave a speech about the Cape Verdean woman past, present, and future. She is an excellent teacher, and to no one's surprise, she was an excellent speaker. She raised great points througout her speech, but there were a couple that really stuck with me.

1. A man is simply a "viola sem cordas" without a woman. Women are the strings to men's instruments. We are a team. We have to be a team if we are going to make music that is lovely. We have to work in tandem with each other. In a country and world where women are often afterthoughts, it is essential to remember just how critical we are. Our humanity is real, and it is crucial.

2. Women who are educated are moving this country forward and make excellent role models, but the women of the farms, fields, and fora (rural areas) are carrying the load of this country on their backs (often literally) and are raising a new generation of women. They strap babies on their backs, caryy water and harvests on their heads, and wield monda (farming) tools in their hands. Our job as women is to work for each other, not against each other. This is not an individual contest; this is a team sport. We all make it, or none of us make it. There is no victory when we step on other women to rise to the top or when women are left behind. Mothers and business women and grandmothers and farmers and wives and daughters: we are all in this together, and we each have a critical role.

3. We have to realize our worth if we ever expect anyone else to see and acknowledge it. We are more than objects, and we have to start living out our worth on our own terms. So many times (both here and in America) I see women perpetuating the idea that women are objects only. We have to be the ones that insist on faithfulness, refuse violence, resist objectification, and value intelligence and integrity. When we begin to realize our own worth, we can begin to show that worth to others.

So on behalf of Cape Verde Women's Day, I wish you all a wonderful day. Remind yourself of your worth today, and consider your sisters all around the globe. Committ to unity, and let's work for each other.

Baia de Joao D'Evora

2010-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of my outing last Sunday. I went fishing with a freind from Nho Djunga. The beach has no road access, so it is nice and secluded, and is about an hour hike away. The fishing pole we used was made of a spray can (like spray paint), some fishing line, some hooks, and a rock. Suprisingly enough he caught about 8 fish with it. I had no luck, but I mostly just helped him reel in the line. It's kinda a 2 man job. The area reminds me of South West Texas, especially the Terlingua area, but with a beach.

The Kindness of Strangers......

2010-03-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

gets you lots and lots and lots and lots of..............SEEDS!

Thank you, Heirloom Seeds. The Garden Projects of Cape Verde are going to rock over these next two years.

A Puzzle Update

2010-03-06T09:12:00.001-07:00

The puzzle is coming together.

Prayers

2010-03-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I have some issues. I have a temper that is quicker than lightening. I don't stay mad long at all, but I get that way in a hurry. My anger subsides about as quickly as it appears. I feel the need to right every single wrong in the world. I am the definition of a bleeding heart (liberal). I have yet to learn to truly control my mouth; what I think always comes out. But all of these things considered, I have been working hard lately to get a handle on things, to really work hard to make a difference and a contribution here. I have worked to humble myself, sometimes failing and sometimes succeeding.

However, nothing hurts me and gets me down me more than lying and injustice. And here lately, I have been confronted by an onslaught of both. Seriously. I have been in tears more times this past semester than I think I ever have been over a job in my life. And this week, well, it takes the cake. My personal character and integrity have been insulted and my willingness to serve has been exploited to the maximum degree.

So I am asking for those of you who read this blog to take a minute and pray. Pray that I would continue to work to be humble despite the circumstances. Pray that justice and truth would shine a light on my work environment. Pray for small victories that renew hope.

Puzzle Progress

2010-03-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on our hard work on our new, 3000 piece, old-world map puzzle Rachel's parents sent us. It is on the floor because the table is not big enough to hold it!

Hot Showers on the Horizon

2010-03-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

When Lamar and I decided to come to Peace Corps, we were super excited about the idea of being so close to Europe and maybe getting to travel. Lamar has never been to Europe, and he really wanted to go. But once we got here, we started doing what we do best: saving. We have plans and dreams for our future, and the best way for us to get there is to save. My parents are savers, and they raised a saver. What can I say? Well, we sort of just "decided" that we would not travel and would save our money. Then, we started really talking about what we wanted to do. Life goes by so quickly. Who knows when we will be this close, have the time, have the money, and be without kids. So.......yesterday, Lamar and I booked a trip to Amsterdam for six nights, seven days in September. Amsterdam is somewhere neither one of us has been and somewhere Air Portugal flies to for relatively inexpensive fares. There is so much to do and see there: Van Gogh museum, Dutch Masters museum, WWII Dutch Resistance Museum, Anne Frank House, Artis Zoo, canal tours, Heineken Brewery, Rembradnt's home, etc. Now we have something to look forward to mid-trip. It will be after our first year here, and we figure that is a good way to end the first year and start the second. Amsterdam, here we come!

Ownership

2010-02-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the three English department professors at UNICV hosted a "classroom improvement day" of sorts. Working and studying at an institution that is not supportive and often times openly hostile definitely dampens the spirits of students and teachers alike. But yesterday, we got a reprieve from this. We cleaned the room, making it look (and smell) a thousand times better. The students cleaned windows, chairs, walls, desks, chalkboards, etc. Students created an IPA chart for their linguistics classes, framed two beautiful maps, and put up various examples of art. Then, we rearranged the room to create a space to share materials. Earlier in the week, I gave a brief workshop on starting plants from seeds. We planted five different herbs: basil, parsley, cilantro, chives, and dill. We have our seedlings that we are caring for, and now we have a beautiful, tall green plant in our room as well. If now feels like a space someone would want to occupy. Just seeing the students there working and enjoying themselves was so great. Lindsay, the other Peace Corps volunteer, and I actually got teary-eyed watching them take ownership and pride in their learning environment, working to make the very best out of their situation. It really was amazing, and I felt so privileged to be a part of it.

Of course, all things come with their costs. The three of us (faculty) received a serious (and very public) lecture, were made to write a report about our "discard for authority", and are, as of yet, still unsure about what the ultimate consequences will be. We did our best to inspire our students, to show them we care about them as people as well as students, to instill pride in them and the university, and we were repaid with chastisement. I suppose the comfort is that we suffer the brunt of this and not the students. They were so proud, and I was so proud of them. I wish you could have been there. It was by far one of the happiest moments of my Peace Corps service yet, and I suspect it will be a memory I never forget.

Here are some pictures of the room and the students after the transformation.

And that, my friends, makes it worth getting out of bed most mornings......

1 Down

2010-02-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well we finished our first puzzle from Rachel's parents. It was very cool to work on a puzzle with the West view of Albuquerque. The next puzzle makes this puzzle look like childs play though. Its a monster. We are having to work on it in pieces and move it to the floor it is so huge. It's going to be a challenge, but a lot of fun. Thanks again! We will post pictures of the action in progress.

Doug and Terri

2010-02-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

My parents, Doug and Terri, are super-great folks. While this doesn't need any proof, we now have it in spades. We just got our second Christmas package from my parents. They were, as usual, overly generous. Seriously. The level of thoughtfulness that went into both packages was amazing. They spoiled us with puzzles, St. Ives Aprical Scrub, dryer sheets that smell like home, games, music, a brand new i-pod, movies, and so much more.

We are reall grateful for the way that they take care of us...when they really don't have to. We are both adults, and yet my parents love us and care for us like we were their "children." Thank you so much, Mom and Dad.

PS: Today is my Dad's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad! Goodluck with that chocolate bar! I love and miss you.

Abundance

2010-02-06T03:51:00.000-07:00

I was walking home from school yesterday, and I came across a tiny, malnourished, and scared little puppy. She was curled up on the steps, shaking. Everyone was just passing her by; she was so little and her suffering went unnoticed. I bought her some little ham sandwiches at the shop in the plaza, and I sat down beside her. She was covered in fleas, and her hair was falling out in places. Her ears were eaten up, and she had sores on her legs and paws. I divided the sandwiches into small pieces, and I put them right in front of her. She looked up at me and then at the sandwiches. I know they smelled good to her. She studied them, and then she studied me. She didn’t eat them. I thought she might be really afraid, so I moved so she couldn’t see me, thinking she would eat then—pride and fear are very strong in all creatures, not just us. Nothing. I came back and sat with her for about twenty minutes. She never ate the sandwiches. I passed by the same place again later that night, and she was still there, curled up, with those sandwiches right in front of her—untouched.

Seeing her reminded me of myself and so many others I know who struggle with the same thing. She was helpless and scared, and someone was reaching out to her to help her, and she just couldn’t take the help. That is so like us as God’s children. His help is too good to be true. We can’t believe such help, love and sacrifice could be free and sincere. We are too afraid of even the possibility that it might be true. Just like the little puppy, we are often desperate and hungry for help, but we can’t bring ourselves to accept His loving-kindness. We feel too unworthy, too beat down by life and others and our own failings. But He promises us repeatedly in scripture of his commitment to be our ever-present source of help in time of need. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living of water.’” (John 7:38) We have the chance at rivers of living water, and instead, we drink from the gutters of this world. I pray that we all would accept His offer of living water and live a life more abundant.

And on a note of life more abundant, I give thanks every single day for the life of my husband. Another reason he is so great—last night he made chicken enchiladas. They were awesome. I helped a little, but only under his head-chef direction. Again, they were amazing!

Cheesy, processed goodness

2010-02-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

So we got a package from my grandparents yesterday. Among other really thoughtful things, they also sent us shells-n-cheese. Last night we feasted on shells-n-cheese and homemade guacamole (with super-fresh avocadoes). It was crazy good, and we were thankful. It's nice to be thankful for shells-n-cheese, homemade guacamole, and your grandparents.

Service

2010-01-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

I think if you asked most people why they joined Peace Corps, the answer would fall somewhere close to this line: “I want to help people.” Everyone has different ideas about what constitutes “help,” but ultimately, I believe people join Peace Corps out of a heart of service. This is why I joined Peace Corps; however, God is using Peace Corps to bring me to a level of brokenness and desperation from which I have nowhere to look but to Him. God is using Peace Corps to serve and to help me, whether I like it or not.
I am supposed to be in class right now. I spent all day teaching, grading papers, and preparing. I am in the process right now of typing out the novels I want to teach next semester so that the cost of printing for my students will be cut in half. I have one last class on Fridays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. with my third-year students, a group that many of the faculty members, quite frankly, have given up on. I prepared a great speech to finish the week off by Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Vietnam War. I paid for copies of the text out of my own money, used my own internet to download the speech, and bought the CD. I get to class, and there is just something amiss; it is just not a good day. When I arrive, I cannot get them to look up from their computers, conversations, and phones long enough to announce the start of class. They completely ignore me, and they continue talking. I pass out the copies of the speech and work to set up the sound system, all the while the noise is growing and growing; it is literally so loud I cannot hear myself think or the speech to see if it is actually working. I ask them numerous times to just please be quiet: no go. Finally, I raise my voice over them and tell them if they have one ounce of respect they will shut their mouths long enough for me to think--I shocked even myself with my force and tone. The response: still talking. Too much. I cracked. I dismissed class. I packed up my things, and I left. I left the room to students still talking, stunned, and even disappointed about not getting to hear the speech. I was on the verge of tears…..and they knew it.

As I was walking home, crying, I was thinking about why I was so angry. I kept thinking: I have worked so hard, dealt with so much, left my family and friends and home, and all I am asking is for them to be quiet for one minute so that I can do my job. My thoughts continued along this line for a while. Then, of course, my loving Lord put a halt to it all with a simple question: what about them? I cried even harder, right there in the street. We make sacrifices not hoping for something in return; we make sacrifices out of love. Christ gave His absolute all, even for those that would scorn and mock Him. I was serving out of love, but I was expecting something in return. Whether it was their respect in the classroom or their effort or their success, I was expecting something. This is no way to serve. This doesn’t mean I should let them get away with murder or not have expectations, but I should expect their respect in the classroom because I am their teacher and because it is the classroom, not because I am volunteering a long way from home under difficult circumstances. I have to stop holding them responsible for my decision to serve.

I let my students down today, and it does not feel good. Whether I like it (or want to admit it) or not, Peace Corps is for me, and there is much to be learned……

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

Encouragement

2010-01-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Santiago this week for Peace Corps training with all the other education volunteers from all the islands. It was so nice to see everyone, hear what they are doing, see the successes they are having. I was really amazed at how wonderful these people are doing with almost no training. They are teaching classes (many of them LOTS of classes) with no experience....and they are doing great. They are so devoted and surprisingly positive. It really made me refocus and redevote my energies to what really matters: my students. I felt really proud of my group. I felt hopeful.

In addition to seeing everyone, I was able to stay at a nice hotel with an amazing view, great rooms, wonderful food, an awesome pool, and really sweet staff. I felt so blessed to have such a nice rest and treat. I really needed it. It was perfect. Thanks, Peace Corps.

However--in all of that wonderfulness, there was still something missing: my husband. I miss him. I am sitting in Praia, still. Our flight was delayed, and who knows when it will leave. All I want is to get home to see Lamar. Funny...."home".....

Swimming

2010-01-17T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have been on swimteam since elementary school. I have always loved to swim. When I was little, I just liked being outside and having fun. Through high school, I enjoyed the competition, exercise, and friends. During graduate school, it became a way to keep my sanity. I swam with a group of graduate students, many trying to earn Ph.D.'s while not going insane. I would get in the water, and I would feel every single irritating student, every single stress about school, and every single worry about finishing melt away. There was this magnificent silence under that water. All I could hear was my own breathing and my own thoughts. I have swam at least three times a week almost my entire life. Then I came to Cape Verde.

There is a beach here. It is pretty, and people are always swimming there....everyone except me. I have a completely irrational fear of sharks. I recognize how crazy this is, but it is true. I mean, we are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. So, I have been holding out. Well, I finally went swimming yesterday. I managed to buy a swim cap and goggles here, and Lamar and I and a friend of mine from school went. At first we sort of just played around in the water. Then I decided I would swim the length of the beach and back. It felt absolutely amazing. It wasn't just the exercise; it was the excitement of knowing I would be able to swim here. Granted, swimming in the ocean is much different. All you can taste is salt, you have to work harder to stay straight and not let the tide take you off course, and you have to dodge people. Of course, I also have to deal with my constant (and irrational) fear of sharks. But it was so worth it. I went to bed really tired--physically tired--and it felt good. I woke up this morning feeling like a new person.

I suppose it might seem weird to love something so simple so much. I guess everyone has their thing they feel like they could not live without. Mine just happens to be swimming.

2010-01-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Robert Castillo, you rock! We love you.

PS: If anyone is interested, we (the English faculty) are going to try and decorate our English classroom for our students. It could really use some cheering up, to say the least. One of the ideas we had was for maps of the world, maps of the US, etc. If anyone wants to sign up to send a big, beautiful map our way, we would really appreciate it.

Humility

2010-01-08T05:07:00.002-07:00

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Things have been difficult for me here lately. Things at work are less than pleasant, to say the least. Home is just as tense because of living arrangements. I found myself wanting to cry in my own home last night about work and other things, and not being able to because my boss is so close and always present. I feel incredibly frustrated.

I understand the situation from a logical perspective. No one can make us feel any way except when we allow them to; this power belongs to us. I have been striving to have compassion for those that mistreat me, trying to understand what they must be going through, what must have happened in their lives to make them this way. And yet, I still feel a disappointment with myself. And then I realized the problem: I am refusing God. He is not separating me from his abiding love; I am not resting in it.

He is calling me to be humble, humble beyond what is comfortable for me. For a while now, I have considered myself "in the right." I have refused to say what I really wanted to say, refused to engage in and recirprocate negative behavior. Success. I obey rules, even the ones I don't want to obey or the ones that are completely unjust and immoral. I am being obedient. I have been forgiving, offering a new chance each day for redemption. I have been doing all of these things, and I still felt miserable. I felt miserable because while I was being humble, I was not being humble to the level that Christ expected from me. Being humble only to the point of comfort is not being humble at all. I need to be humble to the point of being uncomfortable. I need to humble myself even when it seems unbearble.

I want things for my students, so many things. I thought I wanted it really badly, until last night. I realized I wanted to help them as long as I did not have to completely humble myself to such a hurtful person. Then I realized, I must not really want things for them badly enough. This hurt me and brought me to a level of repentance I have not felt in a long time.

I have not beein abiding my Christ's love; I had been using it in a reactionary way. I used it when I needed to control my tongue or obey an order or accept mistreatment, but I had not abided in it, and I was definitely not living proactively with it. I have not been waking up to it and going to sleep with it. I have not beein using it offensively, only defensively. And because of this, I have been failing to fully humble myself.

I pray that I might come to truly rest and abide and live in Christ's love in a way that makes it easy and light to humble myself to even the most difficult of people in order to show love to others.

New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

We got paid! We went shopping for groceries today, paid bills, and went to the post office. We even managed to find a new place to buy fresh meats. They were super low on stock, but they said next week should be better. We will try then.

We made a nice dinner, and now we are just relaxing, waiting for a nice fireworks display tonight. We got the key to our roof, and we are planning on going up there with our fancy plastic chairs and having some nice red wine and watching the fireworks from the comfort and safety of our own home.

Here are five things we each would like to accomplish this year. We encourage all of you to think of how you will spend this year.

Lamar: 1. get better at guitar 2. read more 3. finish the Bible 4. exercise on a more frequent basis 5. improve my Creole/Portuguese

Rachel: 1. "finish" and find a publisher for the project I am working on 2. find a job to go back to 3. become "quasi" fluent with my Portuguese 4. do the most with what I can for my students while I am here
5. love my husband well

We hope everyone has a blessed new year. Enjoy it, and be safe.

I wanted a tree.....

2009-12-22T04:54:00.001-07:00

It is Tuesday, December 22, 2009. Christmas is just three days away. Since the day after Thanksgiving, I have wanted to "get in the Christmas spirit." I wanted to decorate with a great tree, handmade paper chains, stockings, lights, and any tinsel I could manage to get my hands on. I tried to get a hold of Christmas music, too. None of this happened, for one reason or another. So I have gone out in Mindelo at night to see the Christmas lights, thinking that would help. Still nothing. Normally, I am the first one to get Christmas fever and the last one to grudginly give it up. Not this year.

My family is struggling. My parents did not put up a tree, and they are not planning on attending family Christmas events. My heart hurts for them. We talked with Lamar's mom, and we could tell she really misses him and wants him home for Christmas. My grandma had to put up her own Christmas tree this year, something she has not done in years because I was always there to put it up for her; the idea of this crushed me beyond measure. This was always one of my very favorite traditions.   All of this makes having the Christmas spirit seem impossible.

I get e-mails from my friends, so faithful and loving. They tell us how much they miss us, how they are praying for us, and they try to cheer us up by sharing their Christmas plans and activities, including us even when we are not there. They are so precious, but even that was not enough.  The Christmas spirit seemed impossible, until today.

I woke up thinking about my parents and grandparents and Lamar's family, about our life here, about hot chocolate, playing cards with my family and friends, my grandmother's tree, and suddenly I realized all of these things were merely a means to an end, a much, much larger end. I suppose I knew this all along. I have been able to do all of these things with a heart full of joy because of one and only one thing: the birth of Christ.    My heart was so overwhelmed when I considered this. My grandmother had to put up her own Christmas tree this year, but she has a Savior who is perfect and loving.   My mom and dad are sad and hurting without their only child, but they forget they are a son and a daugther of the King. My friends miss me, and I miss them, but we forget that we have a friend who is more loyal than any other and who was kind and wise enough to bring us together in the first place. Lamar and I miss home and family, but we forget that we have a Father who loves us beyond measure right here in our home and hearts.

Surely we can find it in our hearts to celebrate and be overcome by the birth of our Lord, Christ. His love overwhelms me. That He might forgive my selfishness and restore in me a sense of awe and wonder at His marvelous love.

"While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:6-14.

Christmas Break Is Here

2009-12-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well we get to sleep in for the next two weeks. Rachel deserves it more than I, but all is welcomed. We found a whole turkey and are planning on having our own little dinner with maybe a student of Rachel's and another volunteer who will be staying on the island for Christmas. So, if anyone wants to SKYPE let us know. The time change will not effect us since we can just sleep in the next morning. We are off to a little party put toghether by Rachel's students...a great way to start off the break. Ok, well Merry Christmas everybody.

Lamar

Growing

2009-12-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

Lamar and I are growing......flowers and vegetables and herbs. We decided we needed to do everything we can to make our house feel more like a home. We are in quite a "unique" situation in that Peace Corps, in all its wisdom, put us in the same building as my boss, and her parents are our landlords. That's right; you heard me correctly. Ah....Peace Corps. Anyway. We wanted to beautify this place with lovely greenery. So, we started our own little potted plant garden.

So far we have cosmos, sunflowers of two kinds, jalapenos, cilantro, and one random plant we bought off of a guy on the street our first week here. We also have much more coming thanks to our friend Randall who put us in contact with Heirloom Seeds. They have been nice enough to ship him a huge supply of donated seeds for Lamar's kids at his youth center, and Randall has been kind enough to ship them to us. We are super excited.

For now, here are our sweet plants.......

HIV/AIDS Day

2009-12-03T03:21:00.001-07:00

There are many things about my Peace Corps service that are not what I thought they would be. Honestly, and surprisingly, the biggest disappointments have come from Peace Corps.
But one thing that keeps me going is my awesome students. They really are freaking great. Don't get me wrong. They have their days. They can be lazy, loud, and everything else. But they can also be amazingly thoughtful and progressive, hopeful, and just darn brilliant. I love them. So, I have to brag about the awesome job they did with HIV/AIDS Day. My third year English studenst hosted an event for the second year English students, ALL BY THEMSELVES. They thought up activities, organized them, prepared, decorated, practiced, researched. It was totally awesome. At one point, when one of my most thoughtful students was talking about how HIV/AIDS is so often associated with poor, black people and what we can do to combat this, I really did get teary eyed. Here are soem pictures I managed to take in between my bursting pride and watery eyes.

My third year students. Don't they look like a load of fun!

Here are three girls who were brave enough to do a discussion on condoms. They practiced, researched, and practiced some more.

These three girls came up with the idea of presenting on the history of the red ribbon campaign. They even made every person there are red ribbon. What a nice treat.

And of course, cookies and juice.

If you are looking for something to inspire you, look no further.

Frustration....and Grace

2009-11-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

I am frustrated. It would be very easy to say I am frustrated with the things that go on here and specifically at my University. I suppose in some ways, I am. However, I am also frustrated with myself. I understand that change is slow. I understand that culture is weighty. I understand life is not "fair." I understand not all of my students will care. I understand that corruption exists and is thriving. I could go on and on. This is exactly what is frustrating: I know these things, and yet I allow them to bother me to the point of irritation, frustration, and anger.

It takes all I can do to control my mouth every single day. I see and hear and experience so many things that smack of injustice, corruption, and riddiculousness. By now, you would think I would come to expect this and move on. Yet every single day I have to struggle to control my words and actions. I let those things get the best of me all too often. I want what is best, just, and excellent for my students, and some days this seems impossible.So instead of wanting these things, I suppose I need to focus on the underlying issue. My desire is and should be for more grace. I need grace to endure the things that cannot be changed and grace to change the things that can be changed with intelligence, compassion, and patience. I need grace to handle those people who work only for themselves and at the cost of everyone else.

Then I am reminded of one the best gifts in the world: God's unending grace for us. It is limitless. He extends it to me daily in forgiveness and mercy. I need to work to exhibit this same grace to all those around me, including myself.

Outward thinking instead of inward gazing

2009-11-21T14:06:00.002-07:00

I found myself super frustrated this week. One of the main problems for students in Cape Verde is lack of access to informatioin. My students at the university here are typical university students in many ways; some are lazy, some are lazy and brilliant, some are hard-working but average, and others are hard-working and simultaneously extremely smart. Regardless, they all deserve equal access to information. That is one of my main goals while teaching here in Cape Verde; I want to bring access to information to my students. However, in order to achieve this goal, it takes some outward thinking instead of inward gazing.

I received numerous emails this week about this wonderful program JSTOR (an online repository of scholarly articles) has implemented. "Anyone" can have access to these journals and scholarly articles, and it is "free." We (PC volunteers) have access to this information because we have computers, internet, and stable (government or university sponsored IP addresses). This is great, but what about the people we are here to serve? This still, in no way, solves their problem. My students go to school every day without internet at the university. Even if they wanted to access this information, they couldn't. In addition, this does not even begin to address the lack of computers if internet did magically become feasible for them. Granted, I can download articles for them and make them pay to make copies. Yet again, this does nothing to teach my students how to research, how to choose articles with care and consideration, or even how to navigate their own freedom in learning and discovering. I do not want to seem ungrateful; JSTOR has done an amazing thing, taking a step to making information free instead of harnassing it as controller of power. Yet at the same time, we have a larger responsibility to see this from our students' perspectives, not from our own, privileged perspectives. Again: outward thinking over inward gazing.

I have not yet come up with a solution, but I am busy working on it. I have many things in the works as I write this. But somehow the frustration feels, often times, insurmountable. My students are able, willing, and deserving. Now they just need people to look outward instead of gaze inward.

Mail!!

2009-11-17T11:18:00.001-07:00

Mail call. Today I went by the post office, more out of wishful thinking than anything else. Low and behold, we had two packages waiting for us. One was from the Condrays and Bigelow Baptist Church, and the other was from a high-school friend of mine, Danielle and her husband, Jason. Check it out:

Sweet drawings from Kennedy and Jude. They now grace the walls of our living room. We see them, and we are thankful for our great friends and their great kids.

You have no idea how useful this is here. With almost no furniture, we are always having to leave stuff on the floor, which here, is a big risk (to say the least). Now we have not only a new place to store our things, but a new towel as well. Ah.....a new towel that smells like "home." Awesome!

Between blazing, hot sun and icky water, you have idea how awesome this assortment of skincare products is for us. We are St. Ive's Apricot Scrub addicts. Funny thing is that we were both hooked on it before we met each other. And of course, Paige sent hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes. Again, very useful here.

Here is Lamar, reveling in the glory of his Louisiana Hot Sauce and four cans of green chiles. We have already decided we are saving the green chiles for speical occasions only. We were also sent a ziplock bag of dum-dum suckers, trail mix, fruit snacks, and all other sorts of goodies.

Lamar has his chiles, and I have my cookware! We now have excellent non-stick pans to cook with. I am so super stoked. We also got new spatulas and these awesome new place mats. They make our dining room look so much more like a home. I just love them!! For a nester like me, these things are just priceless.

I suppose the way I will sum all of this up might seem lame, but it is totally true. We are so happy and so grateful to have received such kind gifts from our friends. But more than anything, it is just so nice to know someone is thinking of you. These two families took time to shop for us, they sacrificed to buy for us, and they took the time and money to mail it to us. We could not be more grateful for your thoughtfulness. While we work here, we recognize that we work not only for Peace Corps and Cape Verde and ourselves, but we work on behalf of everyone who loves us and cares about us. Danielle and Jason and the Condrays and Bigelow Baptist Church, we love you. By helping us during our stay here, you are helping those we are trying to help. Thank you.

Novembro e quasi ja sta (November is almost over)

2009-11-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

The time has sort of flown by this November. I guess that is what happens when you start living what resembles a normal life again. Here are some highpoints of this November:

We have not been robbed!
I am teaching four different classes, advising one monographia (thesis) student, and am on the jury/panel for two monographia defenses. Really? I mean, I signed up to work for the Peace Corps, but I didn't think I would have a heavier workload than professors in the States. To be quite honest, I am exhausted. Not only is the workload greater, but the prep.time and effort is significantly harder for obvious reasons like no books, journals, copies, etc. Supposedly Peace Corps is trying to do something about the workload; let's just say I will believe that when I see it.
I am almost halfway through my first Portuguese novel. I have been working reallly hard on it, and I am enjoying it. It is for a Portuguese literature class I am taking at the University. I will tell you how it goes.
Lamar has become a soccer star. He plays with his kids everyday, and he has gotten quite good. He even makes goals.
We have cilantro and sunflowers and other types of flowers that are all growing from seeds we planted. They are getting big and doing well. It is so rewarding to watch them grow.
We are still hooked on Kings. We are almost through the series. It has become sort of a Sunday night tradition. I know it will never replace football in Lamar's heart, but it is something to look forward to.
We have water.....and have not run out....yet.....

Well, that takes care of most of it. Most importantly, God is still good, He still loves us, and we still love Him and each other. I think that is about all one can ask for.

Lazy African Day

2009-11-06T10:52:00.003-07:00

We both had the day off today due to an island wide clean up. People are cleaning the streets and other odd things as well. Rachel spent the morning writing letters, and I drew a map of the United States. I'm working on a whole collection. First I started off drawing a map of Europe for Rachel's class, but it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be; it came out so much better than I thought also. I drew the States today, and next I'll probably work on Africa. By the end of the two years we want to be able to know a country and find it on the map. Rachel has the States down, and next we are moving to Africa.

We spent the rest of the day walkin' around. We went and ate pizza for lunch, and after I had and ice cream cone with three scoops. We spent about an hour just sitting in the prasa (plaza) enjoying what was actually a cool day. Rachel found her toilet brush, and we bought a couple things for the kitchen. I know... living the crazy life.

Our First Package!

2009-11-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today we received our first package. My sister, her husband, my brother, and my mom and dad sent us a package from New Mexico. Check it out:

It looks bad, but everything inside was great, and it was unopened. We were super grateful. Here is what my awesome family sent us: three HUGE bags of candy (M & Ms, multi-pack of mini-candybars, and a bag of mini-Snickers), two bottles of St. Ives lotion, two bottles of contact solution, a world map, an anniversary card, and set of queen sized sheets. Freaking awesome! Here is a picture of me enjoying the goods....

Mom, Dad, Alisa, Mike, and George: Thank you! It was like Christmas in Africa in November.

Love, Lamar

Hi, Joyce, George, Mike, Alisa, and George Adam,

I just want you to know how great it was to get the package from you all. Everything you sent was so thoughtful and so nice. But more than the things, I really appreciate you taking the time and being so thoughtful. It means a lot to know you are thinking of us. We miss you lots. Thanks for taking such great care of us.

Love,

Rachel

DIYN(IA) (Do It Yourself Network In Africa)

2009-10-31T11:11:00.001-06:00

Check out our kitchen before the DIYNIA work.....

And after....

So, when we first arrived to our new apartment, we had ants!!! They were everywhere and into everything. We thought one way we could help get rid of them was to regrout the kitchen so the ants could not travel in between holes in the grout of the tiles. Lamar went to the hardware store and bought some grout (masa), and we set to work. We finished most of the walls of the kitchen. Later, Lamar came back and finished the walls and regrouted the entire floor. Doesn´t it look so much better?

And my favorite DIYNIA project to date.....my new toilet lid and seat. We took a picture of the old lid and seat, but it was just too gross to post. So you get to see the new one. Notice the crystal clear water in our toilet.....ha!

Our next project....we are growing some seedlings. We will post pictures of them soon.

Wanna See Something Crazy?!

2009-10-27T13:40:00.000-06:00

Wanna see what wearing Chacos everyday in Africa will do to your feet? First look at this...

Now it takes me a really long time to tan...Now look at my wife´s feet...

She should get a free pair of Chacos for that right there!

Food!

2009-10-24T05:40:00.000-06:00

Well, we finally have internet in our home. We are using the computer Pastor Paulo loaned us. We are in the process of getting a new laptop....a whole other story. But we thought we would post some pictures. The first picture is of our very first dinner in our home. We had eggplant, grilled cheeses, and water by candlelight. Notice the wooden sporks! (Thanks, Martha!!) These things saved our lives the first two weeks we were here. They were all we had. You would not believe what you can do with sporks, especially strong wooden ones.

We have been experimenting, and we have come up with some pretty good concoctions, mostly thanks to a cookbook I have from my time in Senegal. (thanks Mrs. Cortimilia). We made popcorn the old fashion way, and it was awesome. We have this fairly regularly now as a healthy snack. It is nice to eat popcorn without all the crazy preservatives and such. The pizza recipe is from Lamar´s mom. Thanks, Joyce. Your dough recipe works so great. We have pizza once a week or so. I also made a vegetable quiche with a homemade pie shell. It was super good, and I was so proud of that stinkin pie shell. Finally, I made homemade cinnamon rolls this morning. The bottoms were a little burned, but other than that, they were pretty good. We ate them without icing; we will have to try icing from scratch another time. Baby steps.

I have also tried my hand at lasagna, homemade fajitas and tortillas with guacamole, chicken casserole, and homemade spaghetti sauce. Lamar made an awesome homemade shells and cheese with tuna. We feasted on that for a couple of days.

All in all, we are eating very well. So no worries about us wasting away. And we are learning a lot about how to cook from scratch. And George, the picture of popcorn is just for you! Dad, the picture of the cinnamon rolls....just for you.

2009-10-20T16:51:00.000-06:00

For our parents....you cant see us on SKYPE, but here we are. We miss you and love you.

Goal!

2009-10-16T08:28:00.000-06:00

Today was a good day at Nho Djunga. During break I played soccer with the kids. I scored a goal, and my team won 7-1.

After break, I teach my kids English. It is funny, they want to learn English more than they want to learn about electricity. Today I taught them colors, days of the week, and months. I also did some geography. They were blown away that it takes three days to drive from Boston to Albuquerque.

Lamar

Prayer Request

2009-10-11T07:08:00.000-06:00

Let me begin by saying that Lamar and I are both fine; however, we were robbed last night. A thief got into our house through a second-story window. How he managed to climb, we have no idea, but he did it. He came in and took things that were no more than five feet from where we were both sleeping. He took our IPOD and our timbuk2 that had my wallet with my bankcard and ID in it, as well as our MAC. That's right....the computer that we worked and saved for and that we were relying on for communication with our families via SKYPE is gone. One of the greatest ironies is that the thief did not take the battery charger. In about one hour, the computer will be completely useless to him. There are NO MACS in Cape Verde, and there are definitely not chargers. Oh, the utter uselessness; the frustration and sting is almost too much to handle at this point. He probably didn't even know the computer was in there....maybe he still doesn't. I cried and cried. Lamar and I are both seriously hurt by this turn of events. We just don't understand how/why this would happen when we are trying to work and do our best for the people here.

We would ask that you please pray for us. Pray that we figure out what the Lord is trying to tell us with this event (and more) that has happened recently. We are just feeling very unsure about everything right now. In addition, please pray that by some miracle we find our computer. Pray the thief took my wallet and threw the bag out. Pray the police find it. Pray we see someone on the street with our bag/computer. I suppose, mostly, just pray for God's will in this matter.

One Year

2009-10-10T14:42:00.001-06:00

I only have fifteen minutes left on my internet usage, but I had to make a quick post giving thanks for our one year wedding aniversary today. We went on a beautiful hike today, took a nap, and went out to eat. For our anniversary, I received Country Time Lemonaid Mix (oh my gosh you just don't understand the level of decadence of this gift) and some beautiful earrings.

Lamar and I have spent the day giving thanks for the blessing of each other and our marriage. God was so good to bring us together! Now we just have to bring Him honor by having a marriage that always points to and glorifes Him.

Waiting for .....

2009-10-03T10:17:00.000-06:00

Mail...We are super excited because we know of a few people that have shipped us things. Thank you so much! You have no idea how exciting it is to know mail is on its way. It gives us something to really look forward to.

Internet....we have our fixed landline set up according to Peace Corps' rules and regulations. Now we are just waiting for internet. They have been promising they would send someone out for over a week now. I called the lady and did the best I could with Portuguese over the phone. She seems to really believe someone is coming on Monday. We will see. If so....SKYPE!! :)

Tyler....our friend who is keeping our cat (Olive) has not been using the internet. We are dying to see him and Olive. Tyler, if you are reading this, email us....please!

Shops to open....everything closes from 12:30-3:00 or 3:30. We need to buy a couple of things, so we are just waiting for everything to open up so we can get what we need and get out of the heat.

Clothes to dry....WE HAVE WATER!! We did a ton of laundry this morning, and now we are waiting for it all to dry on the line. Then....we get to do another batch. Finally, we have clean clothes and water. I tell you, you never know how AWESOME water is until you don't have it.

Hope you all have a great first weekend of October.

Thanks!!

2009-09-25T07:27:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone. Lamar and I just wanted to thank everyone for thinking of us and keeping up with us. You guys are so great. We are really thankful for everything. You guys have responded so quickly to our wants. You don't know how nice that feels. We have scratched some things off the list that people have offered to get. We will keep a little running "wish list" if you ever want to send us things.

Also, if you all have blogs, please send us the addresses so we can keep up with you all, too! Or if your blogs need passwords, send us an email so we can keep up.

Love you!

New Address!!

2009-09-23T11:40:00.001-06:00

Announcement: So Lamar and I have started making a little list of things we could really use. We figured we would post it to the blog. If anyone can and is willing to buy and send any of these things, please just let us know through a message here on the blog or send us an email.

**Sheets (queen size, fitted please).
**World map, map of the states, any kind of map!! (our home is barren, and people are really interested in world geography and US geography here.
** Spatulas (we can't find plastic or silicon ones here....all pans get scratched)
** A nice teflon frying pan
** St. Ives
** Contact solution

Again, we won't die without any of these things, and none of them are pressing. We just thought we would let people know since several of you have asked us about what we need.

Our new address:
Keller
C.P. 1270
Sao Vicente, Mindelo
Republic of Cape Verde

Now for our post.....

We made it at last! We are moved into our home here in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. It is very different from Santiago. We live in an apartment above a driving school. The landlord's name is Mr. Pires, and he is the sweetest man you will ever meet; he is 75 years old and still very active. He has a sign above the door to his apartment (across our hall) that says "Jesus is our King" in Portuguese. He helps us with whatever we need. We haven't gotten lights yet, but he worked to rig us up with lights at night through some super-duper electrical work. We are very thankful.

Lamar went to his work at the youth center. His counterpart there seems very nice, and the kids all seemed excited and curious about the new guy! I have been to the university and met some of my future co-workers. Everyone seems really nice. I am still waiting to see what I will teach. Please pray it is literature or writing and not linguistics!!

We are both healthy and enjoying cooking and setting up our home. We will post pictures soon. Mindelo is clean, cool, and very friendly. Our neighborhood is especially tranquil as well.

More later....

Packing

2009-09-12T08:15:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update. Lamar and I have started packing. We leave to Praia on Saturday evening after our swearing in ceremony with Peace Corps. We stay in Praia for one night, and then we fly out to Sao Vicente on Sunday in the morning. If all goes well, we should be in Mindelo around 12 or 1 in the afternoon. But that is a big if. Island time is something altogether different.

We took our language tests on Friday. Lamar's Kriolu has gotten so good. I am still working on my Portuguese. I wish I could say it is great, but it is just not there yet. But I am steadily working on it. I try to keep up with my Kriolu at home, too. The politics of only speaking a colonized language are something I would rather not deal with. Therefore, Kriolu and Portuguese are receiving equal attention.

We are not sure how long it will take us to set up internet in our house in Mindelo (or if it is even possble). Once we get to Mindelo, we are on our own....so it may take a while. But we will get that set up as quickly as possible, if possible.

From what we have heard, our house/apartment is new in that no Peace Corps volunteers have lived in it yet. This means we have to furnish it. It will come with a bed, a stove, and a fridge. That's it. Peace Corps gives us money to furnish it, but we have to haggle and shop and such all by ourselves for our things. Be praying we can be good stewards of our money while we attempt to furnish our home. **One thing we do have: wooden sporks from Heifer Project. Our friend Martha got them for us a while ago, and we brought them with us. Those will come in handy those first few days in our bare home! Thanks, Martha!**

Lastly, to all of you who have written us hand-written letters and emails, we cannot thank you enough. You don't know how wonderful it is to get something from home. Sometimes we feel very isolated, and getting a message from home just makes our day instantly. We appreciate your thoughtfulness more than you could ever know.

Electricity

2009-09-07T15:45:00.002-06:00

Posting because we can. Man....you never realize how sweet electricity can be until you are without it for about three weeks (or longer) and when it is so arbitrary. We get an hour of power, and we all rush to iron clothes, fill up water tanks, charge phones and computers, and keep in touch with our families. The power has come on in the middle of the night, and we have sprung out of bed like it was a fire drill.

It is a good and critical reminder about how much more difficult life can be for the rest of the world. Just getting water each day can prevent a young child in a developing nation from being able to attend school. Something to really consider. Each difficulty is so closely linked to another. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Cidade Velha (Old City)

2009-09-05T14:42:00.007-06:00

Our view from our table at the restaurant today. Lamar and I brought our lunches to save money, but we sat with everyone. It was a great view with a nice breeze.

A view from atop Cidade Velha from the fort with cannons that Lamar liked so well. Check out that crazy sea that goes on forever and ever.

These are the Peace Corps hiaces. We have a super great driver: Estevo. He is such a great guy. He is so patient, and he has a servantºs heart.

Us enjoying some shade from the blazing hot sun.

Lamar and I visited Cidade Velha today. We had a nice time. It is the oldest city in Cape Verde. It was a center for slave trade and all trade at one point. It was destroyed by pirates. Sir Francis Drake even attacked it....I think. Donºt quote me on that one. It was just acknolwedged as a new World Heritage Site. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

And....we finally have lights! So...enjoy our post using super-fabulous electricity!!

News on the "home"front.....

2009-08-26T13:07:00.005-06:00

Today Lamar and I learned where we will be living for the next two years: the city of Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. We are very excited and very grateful. Our choices were limited because of my job placement at a university. We feel as though the Lord has really blessed us with this placement. Mindelo has many of the niceties of a city; however, it also is one of the cleanest and friendliest cities as well. Sao Vicente is right next to Santo Antao, a beautiful island for hiking and relaxing. We also learned that more than likely we will have running water in our house and electricity! We are very grateful for such nice accommodations. We will be within a short distance from our workplaces. I will be teaching at the university there (UNICV), and Lamar will be working at a youth center. Youths at this center are without parents and are provided with education, extra curricular activities, housing, and food. He will be running carpentry projects, environmental projects, and maybe even a garden!! We are very excited about our site and our jobs.

On a final note....we encourage you all to visit! We would love to have folks visit us there!

Coming and Going

2009-08-15T13:46:00.002-06:00

Things change so quickly here....including our feelings about where we are and what we are doing. I had to spend the weekend away from Lamar and away from my homestay house this weekend. I had to go to Praia, the main city. I really donºt have much to say about the stay. Praia is a big city and well....I am not a big city girl. Needless to say I was not excited about the thought. We had to ride in a "Hiace" all the way to Praia (about an hour). Let me tell you....a Hiace is NOT fun. It is a toyota van packed full of folks. When I say full, I mean freaking full!! Usually there are at least fifteen or so people in the van.....some on your lap. Often, there are also chickens and fresh fish and such. Well yesterday I rode all the way to Praia in a packed Hiace during the heat of the day next to a girl that threw up in a plastic sack the whole way to Praia. Needless to say, I really rethought my whole committment. It really did just about do me in. But I made it. And then came the going.....

When I returned, I hopped right in a hiace. Usually, you get in a hiace and it drives around in circles waiting to fill up. Sometimes this can take an hour or more. No lie. Anyway. I hopped right in a full hiace. We had no vomitters. The day was cool. The countryside was beautiful and green from the rainy season. There were no goats, pigs, chickens, or bloody fish. It was so nice. I thought about being back home to see my husband. And just like that....I felt better. I felt recommitted and hopeful. God is so good to lift us up when we get down.

The lesson I learned: some hiace rides are bad; some hiace rides are good. But they are all rides, thatºs for sure!

Serra Malagueta

2009-08-09T04:24:00.005-06:00

The SED Volunteers (Environmental, Community Development, and Bussiness) got to go visit a new national part that was created in 2003. The park is very new and especially a new idea to most Cape Verdeans. It is 2 huge valleys between Assomada and Tarrafal in the heart of the island Soa Tiago. As we climbed into the mountains on the cobble stone road we were engulfed by fog. The park actually has 2 large fog catchers that capture the moisture and distrubute the water (which is actually a lot) to local school gardens and the 251 people living within the park, and in a country with such water problems it was a huge project for the previous volunteers working within the park. The park was created along with one other by the Environmental World Fund and other National Organizations. It is now a phase 2 park which means it is out of the hands of the organizations and in the hands of the Cape Verdean government. The Organizations have plans to start 2 other phase 1 parks on Soa Vacint (where we might be) and one other island so that is exciting. The trails were actually maintained very well (very new) and some of the views and lookouts were beautiful. It's a somewhat stuggling park and needs tourists, but i think it's what Cape Verde and its people need.
Lamar

Mad Skills

2009-08-04T07:29:00.002-06:00

Napoleon Dynamite is not the only person with mad skills. Lamar and I are learning some "mad skills" of our own these days:

1. We are crazy good bucket bathers. We are quick, efficient, and not at all messy. And we like to pride ourselves on only using so much water each time we bathe. And yet...we still manage to smell relatively good (at least for the first hour after bathing)!

2. Tortilla makers. So we got super excited at the thought that maybe we could make our own tortillas and have fajitas. So....we tried it. The first one was way ugly; by the second or third tortilla, we were producing works of art. And let me tell you....fajitas have NEVER tasted so great!!

3. We are excellent "waiters." Everything here requires a certain amount of waiting. We are developing our patience each and every day. We are going to come home zen masters of waiting.

4. Finally....we are excellent nodders. Thatºs right; we can nod with the best of them. We have realized that when you just are not getting something someone is saying, the best thing to do sometimes is to nod convincingly and smile. No matter what...just keep nodding.

Dreams

2009-08-01T09:15:00.002-06:00

Last night I had a dream about my mom. For some reason I was in target here. That is obviously absurd...as there is no target. Anyway. I was there, and I saw my mom in line. I hugged her. It was so nice. I swear I could feel her when I hugged her in my dream, and I remember she smelled like she always does. It was so real and such a nice thing to wake up to. It is funny how we hold the things most important to us in our subconscious, guarding it from the outside world....sometimes even from ourselves.

We are going to the beach tomorrow. I need to go on a hunt for modest bathing suit today. That might be a little difficult, but I am sure I can come up with something that will work.

Hmmm...what else? Ah yes....just seven more weeks until training is over and we can start to work and find out where we will be permanently, settle in, etc. I am such a nester; I canºt wait to make a home for Lamar and I.

Oh...pray for us. We are making dinner for the family tomorrow afternoon. They want something "american." We are making fajitas and pico de galo and tortillas. Let me rephrase that: we are going to try to make those things. Pray that it is not a total bust. :)

We love and miss you all!!

Mail and such

2009-07-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

So we have been getting questions about whether or not we can receive mail: and the answer is most definitely YES!! In fact, we would love it. We donºt necessarily need anything; we would just love to hear from you guys, see something in our little mail box. Here....sometimes....the smallest things really make your day. Everything is often so hard that something nice and familar is especially sweet.

I canºt think of any "thing" we need really. But I promise to let you know if we have needs.

Here is our address:

Lamar and Rachel Keller, PCT
Corpo da Paz
C.P. 373
Prainha, Praia
Republica de Cabo Verde

If you received a prayer card from us, the address is on there as well.

PS: Lamar and I are going on a date soon. We found a restaurant that sells pizza and ice cream and COLD cokes. Thatºs right....COLD. Ladies and gentlemen....that is a big freakin deal. We are thinking about going on Monday. We just might eat a pizza each....and ice cream for sure.

Upcoming Week

2009-07-25T13:40:00.002-06:00

So today Lamar and I went to a wedding/baptism in Assomada at the local church. There were four weddings and five baptisms in one service. Then we went to the wedding party of one of the couples. When we came home....we rested! :)

We had a nice "descansar" or rest. We turned the fan on, got under our mosquito net, and listened to some Don Williams. It was great. We realized that you can be happy anywhere in the world as long as you have the things you love. The only thing missing was our family and friends back home. We miss you.

This upcoming week will be a little trying for the both of us. Lamar starts his commute to Mancholi...a town about 20 minutes away from Assomada. Lamar will take a Hiace (van that functions as a taxi for lots of people) to and from Mancholi everyday. He will continue learning Kriolu and getting ready to work in community development. I will start Portuguese on Monday. Since I will be in the university, I have to focus on Portuguese and not Kriolu. I am nervous. I feel like I just got a very small grip on Kriolu....and now a new language. Please pray for us during this upcoming week with all of its changes and challenges.

PS: Lamar trimmed his beard!! It looks super handsome...but I think we both miss the beard a little bit. But as Lamar always says....it will grow back soon enough!!

Tired

2009-07-21T06:19:00.002-06:00

Lamar and I are tired. We are not physically tired; we are mentally tired. We are speaking only Kriolu every single day and all the time. After a couple of hours, your head just starts to hurt. We feel like we canºt sleep enough. We are learning a log, but it sure is draining. Please pray for us as we try to keep up and learn as much as we can in such a short time. It can be so frustrating to always feel "lost." We would appreciate prayers for patience, memory, and a great attitude. We are looking forward to finishing traning and starting our projects and life here.

We miss you all. Be looking for letters from us!!

Host Family

2009-07-19T16:15:00.002-06:00

Our host family is GREAT! They are super nice and giving and sweet. We could not love them or our home more. We arrived today, and we are super happy. We just had a wonderful dinner with them. Lamar and I will be busy these next nine weeks, and we are not sure how often we will be able to update. But rest assured....eventually things will settle down and we will be more regular, we promise. We are just really focusing on learning Kriolu and Portuguese right now and integrating into our community.

We miss you all and canºt wait to be in regular contact with everyone. We are in Assomada here on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde. There are mountains all around, and it is much cooler than our initial three days in Praia. "Sta fixe!"

We love and miss you all!!

Arrival.........

2009-07-15T17:08:00.002-06:00

Rachel and Lamar made it Africa safe and sound. They will be leaving on Sunday to go to their host family's home. Once there, they will begin a three (3) month training/orientation process (adjustment time) and hopefully have a more routine daily life. For now, internet access is extremely limited. They promised to be in touch as soon they can. In the meantime, please keep them in your prayers.

Here....

2009-07-13T16:15:00.001-06:00

Made it to Boston. We ate dinner and are settling down at the hotel. Having a problem with internet, so post is short. Mom and Dad....can't SKYPE from here. But if I get it up and running, I'll send you an e-mail.

Will post tomorrow from airport before we leave.

Skype

2009-07-13T06:30:00.002-06:00

So Lamar and I are sitting in the Little Rock airport right now waiting for our flight to take us to Dallas, then Boston. We made the bag weight limit with one pound to spare!! We weighed and repackced and reweighed those bags countless times, but we did it. It is hard to try to prepare for two years with just one suitcase a piece having to weigh 50 pounds or less.

We wanted to let everyone know that we have set up a SKYPE account. If you don't know what SKYPE is, let us tell you a little about it. It is a free service when used from SKYPE account to SKYPE account. You can "call" folks and see and hear them using your computer from anywhere in the world, as long as you want, for free!! So, if you want to be able to talk with us for free, get a SKYPE account set up for free. You can find us by searching our SKYPE name: lamarandrachel under the country Cape Verde. Add us to your contact list. It's that simple. We tried it out with my parents yesterday, and it worked great. We hope to see lots of you all there.

We will post tonight when we make it to Boston. We might even get on SKYPE! :)

As for now, please just pray for our families. It is harder on them, we think, than us. We have something to look forward to, something exciting coming. They have to miss us and worry about us. Please pray for comfort and peace for them. Nothing hurts worse than to see your mother cry, and I have watched my mother-in-law and my mother cry here recently, and it is heartbreaking.

Last of the Sandias for a while

2009-07-05T22:42:00.003-06:00

Lamar and I and our friend Kat went to the Sandia Crest this evening. It was our goodbye to the Sandia mountains that Lamar loves so dearly.

Family

2009-07-05T08:37:00.002-06:00

Lamar and I attended his sister's (Alisa) wedding last night. They were married at the same place Lamar and I were married. It was so beautiful. Alisa and Mike were both so lovely. The pastor who married them gave such a Christ-centered and God honoring ceremony. He focused on how Christ's relationship wit His church is the perfect picture and model of love and sacrifice that we should have in our own marriages. It reminded Lamar and I of how we should strive to love each other in our own marriage. It also reminded us to be praying for Mike and Alisa as they begin their marriage.

Lamar and I were also able to meet Mike's family last night at the wedding and Friday evening at the rehearsal dinner his parents hosted. They hosted such a lovely and generous dinner. Lamar and I were also able to meet a sweet couple: Anita and Fred. Anita is Mike's dad's sister. Anita and Fred love the Lord, and they were such an encouragement to us. We hope we will be in contact with them throughout our journeys. They too have hearts for missions. Amazing how God puts people with similar hearts in your path.

Needless to say, it has been a blessing to us both to spend time with Lamar's family while we are here. Family is so important, and I think we are both realizing that more and more as we prepare to leave. The best thing we can give our families is our time. It is nice to be able to do that.

We are off to church this morning and a lunch/afternoon with his family. Then, we are headed to Arkansas tomorrow morning. Our days in the states are winding down quickly.

Last couple days

2009-07-02T09:32:00.002-06:00

Made the long grueling drive back to Albuquerque safe and sound. We'll have a couple of busy days attending my sister's wedding and trying to tie up all of our loose ends. Luckily our I-pod with all of our music for Africa broke down in Arkansas and there is a fancy Mac store here in ABQ that can hopefully fix it for us, which puts me at ease because we gotta have it. Loving the cool summer nights while we can and driving around with the windows down. Anxious to see what the weather will be like in Cape Verde. Thank you God it'll be an arid environment. I am such a desert rat; I can't help it. Will be saying goodbye to all our family and friends in ABQ and we'll be heading for Boston to fly out before we know it. It wouldn't hurt if time could slow down just a bit for us before we leave.

Lamar

Doin' the limbo

2009-06-24T20:25:00.003-06:00

So....here are some updates on our pre-Cape Verde activities.

** Having a good time hanging out with our family and friends in Arkansas. Excited about seeing our friends and family again in Albuquerque soon. Mostly, somewhat tired of being in limbo. Nowhere is really *home*, and we feel sort of like prolonged guests everywhere we go. Our family and friends are being so kind to us and taking care of us right now, but we are just ready to get somewhere where we can unpack our bags for a good long while. I want to nest!!

** Had to buy two tires today. That's right....two tires just to put our car up on blocks for two years!!! Oh, the bitterness. We have to make one more trip out to Albuquerque for Lamar's sister's wedding; two of our tires just can't make the trip. Hence....two new tires.

** Doing two + hours of Portuguese online each day. We are learning an awful lot, but it does get old after a while. And we found out that one of our fellow Peace Corps Volunteers has already logged 73 hours?!?! Are you kidding me? Who has 73 hours to log online?

** Received e-mails from a "coordinator" encouraging us to join a facebook group for future Cape Verde volunteers. Sorry. We are just not facebook people. I'll just take my chances and meet folks when I meet them.

** We received an update letter about our first three months in Cape Verde. We will be living with a host family, and right now we are hoping we will be living together with the host family for these first three months. There is no guarantee, but I think they try their best to keep us together.

** Also found out that one of the main food ingredients in almost every meal is BEANS!! If you know me, you know I HATE, HATE, HATE any kind of bean. They are my nemesis!!! I need to start praying for a happy disposition about my food situation right now. Lamar is just fine with the bean situation.....he loves 'em.

Pray for us as we prepare to leave....the day is fast approaching.

Travel Plans

2009-06-18T08:19:00.003-06:00

We received an e-mail yesterday informing us to call the travel agency to arrange our plans for departure. It is so exciting! We called first thing this morning. We are leaving on Monday, July 13, 2009 at 8:30 for Boston, Massachusetts. I have never been to Boston. We will be there for one and half days; then we fly out to Cape Verde. Basically, we do pre-service training in Boston: shots, passports, paperwork, policies, etc. It is pretty whirlwind from what I understand.

One nice thing Lamar and I are already discovering is the benefit of being married, and being married to your best friend. We don't have to worry about who we have to sit next to on the airplane, who we have to share a room with, etc. We know we have each other, and that sure is a great feeling. Even though, we are still excited about making new friends there.

**And Amanda Geidl, we must find a time to visit before we leave. :) **

Home

2009-06-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

Here in Arkansas safe and sound. Trip was good, but it was long. Lamar did great navigating through cities and traffic with a U-Haul and a trailer with our car on it. Now, we are just hanging out and relaxing.

More of Arkansas-Pre-Cape Verde adventures later.

Home?

2009-06-12T22:02:00.003-06:00

Lamar and I are set to head out to Arkansas on Monday morning early. I am realizing more and more that "home" is continually growing more ambiguous and nebulous everyday. Where is home for us? Is it Albuquerque where I learned to live on my own and make a life for myself? Is it Arkansas where my family and "first friends" are? Is it Africa, where Lamar and I will make our new life? In the end, it doesn't really matter where I call home here on earth. Home is next to Jesus Christ; wherever He is, is home....and that is where I want to be. So for now, we are saying goodbye to Albuquerque. There are some things and some people I will miss. But there is a season for everything. I really feel as though my season here is over.

On some bright notes. I can't wait to see my family and friends in Arkansas.

Today is Harper's (Lamar's nephew) birthday. Happy Birthday, Harper. We pray that you grow strong and healthy and come to know the loving grace of Jesus Christ.

I experienced the kindness of "strangers" these past 2 1/2 weeks in a whole new way. I was hired by a family-owned temporary agency to work the last 2 1/2 weeks I was here. The lady who owns the business gave me a chance and gave me help. She worked me, even after she probably didn't need me anymore. She was kind and friendly and tons of fun. I learned a lot working there, and I made a friend. I was so sad to leave her today. It is amazing how God brings people into your life that you never expect. I so enjoyed working there these past 2 1/2 weeks, and it really answered some of our financial needs. What an impact her kindness and generosity made on Lamar and I.

Our house is almost entirely packed up. It is a weird feeling.

Lamar made a pudding pie yesterday. It is so yummy!

We are expecting our "staging materials" from Peace Corps to arrive here very soon. These materials will let us know about travel arrangements and where we will be for two days of orientation before we leave for Cape Verde. We can't wait to get the information. It will make everything seem that much more real.

For now, please be praying for us as we make our way to Arkansas on Monday. We will both be driving: UHAUL and car. Pray that the drive flies by and for our safety and sanity. And please pray that my parents and grandparents don't worry too much as we travel.

The Gift of Life

2009-06-06T10:16:00.003-06:00

Today is my husband's birthday. We have celebrated his birthday all week long. I think everyone deserves a week just devoted to celebrating his/her life. It is such a miracle and something to marvel over. I for one am so thankful for Lamar's life. God did such a good job when He crafted him. With that....here are just some reasons why I love my husband.

** He loves the Lord. It is so amazing to watch him grow in his love for and relationship with Jesus. I am learning so much from him about how better I can and should love the Lord.

** He makes me laugh better and easier than anyone else I know.

** He is gentle and slow to anger. I have yet to see him really angry. His slow temper is such a blessing (especially when paired with my all too quick temper).

** He is a hard worker. I know I never have to worry about being provided for or cared for.

** He is not materialistic at all. He doesn't require the newest thing, the coolest thing, or the most expense thing. He is happy with what he has, and that means the world to me. I have found someone who understand me and how I want to live. We share this, and it is so rewarding.

** He is a saver. I love this quality. It goes along with the quality above. He is great at seeing a long term goal (a house in Montana with land and goats and a garden) and working toward that. He doesn't get lost in the temporary.

** He loves the outdoors and "the land." He loves to garden.

** He is so handsome. (and I just love that beard).

** He loves my family.

** He makes awesome breakfast burritos.

** He has awesome taste in music. I know it sounds crazy, but when we went on our first blind date, that is one of the first things we got out of the way. Neither one of us could really cope with listening to "pop" for the rest of our lives! :)

** He has perfect teeth. They are perfectly straight naturally, and he has never had a cavity!!

** He is quiet. I love to hear him talk, but I also love his silence. It calms me down and reminds me that it is OK to be quiet and still. I love it.

I could go on and on about all the great things about him. But mostly I just want to give thanks for him.

Happy Birthday, Lamar.

Pressed down, shaken together, and running over

2009-06-06T10:06:00.002-06:00

Last night Lamar and I went to a party that our Sunday School class hosted for us. It was a going away party. If you don't know, Lamar and I are in a Sunday School class that is super great. We kept looking for a Sunday School class that "fit" us, and we just couldn't find one. Finally, we tried this class. The age group doesn't quite match us, but the class sure did! The class is full of God's people who have so much life experience and wisdom. We have such great conversations and studies. We absolutely fell in love with the class. And last night, we were just reassured about God's perfect placement.

Everyone made such wonderful traditional New Mexico food. It will be the last time we really get to enjoy green chili and such for a long while. And the desserts....oh, the desserts. The fellowship was so sweet. Lamar and I commented all the way home about how wonderful it is to fellowship with other people who love the Lord. You just leave feeling so loved and reassured of God's presence in the world. It is always so uplifting for us.

And to top everything off, they presented us with a love offering to help us with our expenses as we prepare to leave for Peace Corps service. It was so overwhelming to see the love of God's people at work in our lives. It is so hard sometimes to accept the generosity of people, but when you do, you understand the true love of God's people.

So we both want to offer our deepest thanks to our class. It is so nice to know you are loved and prayed over.

Portuguese

2009-05-27T11:46:00.002-06:00

Well, Lamar and I bought our MAC, kind of figured out how to use it, and tonight we are going to go use free wifi at a local coffee spot and begin our Portuguese lessons. The Peace Corps set us up with free Rosetta Stone lessons. I am pretty excited to start. Of course, I love learning anything new, so that is no big surprise.

On an icky note....I sliced my left index finger open. Had to get five stitches. I cried a lot....but mostly over the freaking exorbitant cost. What a racket. Anyway. It is healing up OK. I get the stitches out this Friday, hopefully.

And with the finger injury ended my deli career. I went to a temp. agency today. I think they might have something for me as early as tomorrow. That would be great. Saving, saving. I can't just sit at home.

Working on an article about Edith Wharton's _Ethan Frome_. If you haven't read it, you simply must. It will take about two hours to read, tops. It is AMAZING!! It is one of my favorite novellas. I am excited to get to write an article on it.

That is about it for today's pre-Cape Verde updates.

Blessings!!

2009-05-20T07:05:00.002-06:00

Here are some updates, all revealing our loving Lord's excellency.

** We had TONS of offers for our furniture from craig's list. A sweet couple expecting a child and just starting out came by to look at it. They loved it, and they are coming today to pick it up. In addition to that, they wanted to buy our table and chairs!! AND--they might buy our computer desk. This is excellent news for us. Outside of my furniture that my father made for me (priceless and not for sale), we are trying to get rid of other large items. It seems that is going to happen. We will get a lot of large furniture off our hands, and make a little bit of money in the process.

** The apartment lady and I talked. I finally got a hold of my regional manager, and we talked. I was very nice (and quite proud of myself considering how mad I was with how her staff handled our situation). Well, she called me back yesterday, and.......WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DAYS WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE!! We can't express how much this helps us out. That is a huge chunk of money we don't have to pay. Jesus is so very good!

** We bought a MAC notebook. We are super excited. I am taking it to school to have one of my friends there help me learn all about it. Now we can blog and e-mail and skype with you all when we are in Cape Verde!!

** And I am finally getting around to announcing that my friend Martha graduated with her Master's degree in Education. Congratulations, Martha!! This is an accomplishment of which you should be proud.

And even in the midst of all of this good news, I am reminded that even if we owed rent, even if we never sold our furniture, and even if we never were able to buy a computer, God is still so good, and we could not love Him more. Yet, we pray that each day we would be pushed and encouraged and taught by the Holy Spirit how to love Him more.

The Switch

2009-05-18T09:27:00.002-06:00

Well, I figure it is finally time to "switch" this blog to our "adventures in Cape Verde" blog. I guess I will start with this post. Here's our progress:

** Selling our bedroom set and one computer desk on craig's list. We are hoping to sell the bedroom set tonight. So we sleep on the floor for a month. I've had it worse! :)

** Working like crazy to save money. I'm still at the deli, although I might be moving to answering phones at Lamar's other job here in the next week. Lamar is busy with his job.

** About to buy a MAC, I think. It is such a big investment for us, but it will be our only major source of entertainment and communication in Cape Verde (outside of sweet hand-written letters that I love so much).

** We have almost bought all we need to pack with us. You would not believe the sort of things you realize you need when packing for this sort of thing. We have been trying to buy it all a little at a time so as not to send our pocketbook into shock. Plus, we are living credit card free, so we only buy when we have the money.

** I am busy making up prayer cards to leave with our friends and families. It is methodical and actually quite fun.

** I have a ton of personal papers to shred!!!

It is getting very real and very exciting!!

Workin' Gal

2009-05-14T10:29:00.002-06:00

I just turned in my dissertation manuscript and watched "the man" sign the final OK page! It felt good.

Now, I am off to work at a local deli. That's right! I am a working' gal again out in the real world. I had my first day there on Tuesday, and it was fun. I have to say, it was nice to just work and not really think about anything. I enjoyed it. I'm not saying I could do that forever, but for now, it is nice. I make sandwiches all day. And I have to say, I make a pretty cute sandwich.

On a bummer note....our apartment complex people are EVIL!! We told them we would be leaving one month and two weeks before our lease was up. We told them why: that we would be volunteering in a developing nation for two years. You know what they said? "Tough!" No lie. Those creeps are going to make us pay rent when we are not living there. People's greed never ceases to amaze me. However, I got the address of the regional manager yesterday, and I am going to visit with her. I am not going to allow her to be greedy in hiding. If she really wants to eek out the very last drop of cash from two folks who are leaving to work for free for two years, then she is going to have to tell me that to my face!!

Off to make sandwiches!!! :)

Lost

2009-05-11T15:58:00.003-06:00

I have "done" school for twenty-three years now. Now that I am temporarily "done," I feel really adrift. I am not sure what I am supposed to be doing. I mean, don't get me wrong. I have things that need to be attended to. I am writing an article that is due for publication in June. I have plenty of Peace Corps preparatory work. I have a house and husband to care for. But suddenly, I feel very weird about exactly what it is I am "doing."

Everyone always says that being a teacher and a student must be such great and easy jobs. I agree, in some ways. But what people forget is that school is never-ending. I never had evenings to myself, never had weekends without tons of homework or grading to do, never had a summer without teaching a class, taking or class, or trying to study for a test or finish a reading list. My whole life has been totally wrapped up in school, and now it isn't. It is exciting, and it is scary. I will just have to make a new path. And new paths are always fun to carve, especially when the Lord is the one clearing the way.

Some places I would like my path to lead in the future:

Cape Verde.

Arkansas, where four weeks will hopefully seem like four months!

Wherever Lamar is.

In front of a finished book concerning labors and deliveries in the realm of feminist theory and fiction.

Motherhood.....maybe.

The end of a marathon.

A home on tons of land with a garden in the back.

Where do you want your path to lead?

Finished?

2009-05-06T09:18:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that my defense went great yesterday. I had a couple of hard questions, but for the most part it was quite a nice experience. I had Lamar and my parents in the audience, so that added sweetness to the whole event. I want to offer my most sincere thanks to everyone who prayed for me. We, as the family of Christ, know that nothing is possible without Him. I can only hope that my project and future work bring Him glory.

Speaking of future work....I thought I would feel this very real sense of "finality." However, more than ever now I feel the desire to work on various projects. It is as if the real purpose of the degree was to free me up to do whatever I wanted. I feel excited about the future! And I feel far from finished!

An Act in Futility

2009-05-01T10:40:00.004-06:00

I wish I could say I am so above worry. I wish I could say I am super confident in myself and my abilities. I wish I could say I felt prepared. BUT--all of that would be a huge lie. I know that, at this point in the game, it is utterly pointless to worry. Yet I could not be more anxious about my defense on Tuesday.

My friends Paige and Erica will remember this anecdote. Before I took my comprehensive exams, I almost had a total breakdown. I devised a plan where I would wear these crazy shooting range earmuff-thingies and these huge sunglasses when I took my test because I was so freaked out. In my mind, they were like a super-powerful invisibility outfit. Of course, I was only kidding about wearing them and their powers (kind of). But let's just say I feel so freaked out now I am thinking of busting out the earmuff-thingies and the glasses!!

Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy it and be confident and do the best I can and not worry about it and blah blah blah. And I really appreciate their sensible words, but STILL!!! I am going to have a room full of people expecting me to be an expert at something. And I hate to break it to everyone, but I am not an expert, by a long shot. I am just barely twenty-nine years old. I won't be an expert in anything for a very long time, if ever. All I did was stick to something. And they are going to give me a degree for that....I think.

Now I realize I am just rambling. Long and short: it is pointless to worry, and yet I do.

PS: Have you ever really considered that a Ph.D. is not about intelligence. Really, it is just about perseverance and self-discipline. Some may argue, but I believe it! I think you could take just about anyone, and they could earn a Ph.D. You just have to stick to it. But that is an entirely different debate, I suppose.