I have had a couple of
people ask me for a more in-depth description of where I am and what
I am doing. To do so, I will lead you on a journey.
Our
journey starts in the jungles of Cameroon, Africa, in the Eastern
province of this multi-climate country. This part of Cameroon has
been untouched by many for quite a while because of those who live
here – whom people have somewhat derogatorily called “The Pygmy
people”. It is an area bringing with it a little more political
strife than some, because of the “protected” status of these
people. The Baka, with whom the people on this station work, are part
of this larger group (who live throughout central Africa). These
people overall have a very interesting history as a Nomadic people.
Here, though, the forest dwellers' old ways of life and the new ones
being pressed upon them by these times are beginning to clash, and
they slowly been forced to settle down. True to their “derogatory”
name, most “forest dwellers” are shorter than the average
American. During the first while I was here, and even sometimes now,
I assume people to be younger than they are, just because they do not
match up in height to the other missionary kids here. The other
missionary kid living on the station here who is my age has found it
hard in some aspects, especially in sports, being a giant by Baka
standards at six feet.
The history of missionaries
or foreigners here stretches back many many years, evident by the
fact that there are typewritten Baka lessons still in use that were
originally created by a Catholic Mission working with the same people
group. The members of the missionary team on this station have cycled
in and out throughout the years, leading up to the present, where
there are 2 families, 2 single missionaries, and myself living on the
station. In its beginning days, missionaries would come every other
week from a close-by city; the station was started with a single
house used by both families. Because of the slow growth of this
station from its infant days, and the consecutive slow building of
each of the houses, those same houses have a transient feel to them.
They are not built completely with cement, as many other missionary
houses throughout the country are, but rather with mud brick or wood.
Also, the two buildings that now house the missionary families were
built in sections as needed. To this effect, even the buildings that
are now here have more of the basics than the elaborate – with pump
bucket showers and plywood walls. Amenities have slowly been added
along with time. The small house that I am staying in now has been
there for quite a while. It has a sink with running water, but has
not gained a toilet yet. It has, at times, had electricity, but it
has depended on the distribution of solar panels throughout the team.
Due to the fact that the Conrods just got a new shipment of solar
panels and batteries, I may be able to get power soon (as other solar
panels are shuffled around). As of today, though, I still walk to my
house in the dark with my little solar lantern every night – and
proceed to get ready for bed with my single light. It is not
altogether that bad, and I may even prefer it in the future instead
of harsh lights when I'm all alone.
My house consists of two
rooms – plenty big enough for me – for I have it all to myself!
As an extra bonus, I even have a double bed! The only downside I
would say about my little house is the fact that it is not insect and
rodent proof. I have hosts of sweat bees inhabiting my windows, and
had a family of pygmy squirrels inhabiting my bedroom (as well as
different lizards – or in one case, a baby monitor lizard!).
My jobs here in Bakaland
(as it has been so dubbed by missionaries) are simple enough in
writing, but get a little more complicated in action. They consist of
the following: First, to help home-school the Conrod children in any
way I am capable, and second, to observe the medical work happening
on station. These are my official “reasons” for being here. This,
I think, is the best way possible I could have spent my post-senior
year. I get to return to my MK country, get to be integrated into a
different missionary community, get time to observe and learn from
others Spiritually and emotionally (as I learn to become an adult),
and also get to try my hand at both of the “careers” I had looked
at for my future.
Now that I've given you a
not-so-short overview of why I am here, let me explain a typical week
for your pleasure. Monday through Friday are school days. During
those times, I am literally in a position of “teacher”, doing as
much of the schooling as I can so that Laurel can get away to do
other things. I work with the kids doing stuff ranging from Math
practices, to reading Science and History, and even read-alouds in
the evenings. Talking about “the kids”, I should explain a bit
more. Meet the Conrod family – my surrogate family for this year.
The three kids are in Grades 4, 6 and 7. I call them “kids”, but
the oldest is already 13 – not too much younger than myself!
Anyways, each day I work with them one on one or in groups with
different subjects. Then, on Fridays or Saturdays, I work on making
their schedule for the next week. Mostly their assignments are
predetermined, but once in a while we need to be creative, such as
this last week. Their first writing assignment was coming due (a
general guideline is given as to when they need to have certain
projects finished), and I got the chance to look at all the material
we had, and to come up with my own plan for their assignments. I
actually quite enjoyed this part of the planning, as I got to be
creative! After I have worked out the schedules for the next week,
they are quickly scanned over by Laurel to see if any re-working is
needed, then they are printed out.
Once Saturday comes, I am
free from all scholastic requirements. During Saturdays, though,
clinic is held by the missionary doctor and nurse living on this same
station. Because I had expressed interest in this area, I have been
welcome to come and see their work. I was over and beyond happy as
they have let me be involved more than I thought. There are the
mundane things, such as ear infections and pregnancies (they come to
hear the baby's heart-beat), and then there are the rarer more
serious things, one of which happened this last weekend. That
morning, a woman had been doing wash here in the camp, and had
happened upon a razor blade left in someone's pocket. This is not a
North American razor blade – it is in the pure sharp form – just
the blade itself. Slicing her thumb very deeply, it ended up needing
stitches. As the missionary nurse was not on the station that day,
and I was there to watch, I got put to work helping to staunch the
bleeding and holding her wrist for the anesthesia. This was my first
“serious” case, and as I had no idea how I did with blood or
other serious things, I just dived in. Unfortunately for me and the
doctor, I ended up almost fainting half-way through and got someone
else to take my place. I have really enjoyed getting to see the
medical work, though, especially the three pregnant women we have had
come through – two of which are probably due next month!
Of course, besides my
“duties”, there are many fun things to do around here. The two
Mks belonging to the other missionary family are nearer my age, and
we, along with the Conrod children, have had great fun in some
exploits. There have been walks to the nearby village, forays in the
forest etc. It was discovered that a large tree had fallen down a
short ways away from the station, and so we went to explore it at one
point, and ended up returning. Because it kept all of its branches as
it fell (it seemed to have been completely uprooted by a storm or
something of the sort), it has created something close to a giant
jungle-gym, reaching high into the air above the forest floor. The
second time we visited, we ended up playing tag on the many branches
of the tree, sometimes literally play-acting at being monkeys in
order to make it from limb to limb. At one point, one of the Conrod
kids actually slipped off a branch, shooting straight down to the
forest floor about 10 feet below... and sitting there a little
stunned for a while before getting up and climbing back on, unhurt.
There are many things such
as these that I am enjoying – being part of the missionary kid
culture again, but reaching into the older, adult culture as well.
Because I am an older MK
(missionary kid), coming back to my country after a long while away,
I think I have gained a fresh and more mature view on some things
than I remember having as a child. One of those is the realization of
the gold-mine of languages Cameroon has to offer. My siblings and I
were taught a little French and a little Oroko (the tribal language
in our area) as we were growing up, but we got nowhere near to
fluency. Now, however, I have a renewed interesting in learning
languages, as I have found I enjoy the process. Also, I have come to
realize that any language learning I do in my year here will
definitely not have any negative effects on my future! To this end, I
have worked on learning a little more French (as we are living in the
“French” province, that being the trade language). As I settled
into living here, though, it has become apparent that for
communication with our close neighbors, the most efficient language
is, of course, their heart language. This being Baka in our case, I
have started to work on that language as well, even though I may
never use it again after this year. It has been rewarding, though, to
get the smiles and nods as I attempt to communicate – especially
with the kids. Sometimes you just get outright laughed at though...
but that's how things go.
So, that completes our
journey through my life here in Bakaland at the present. Later on,
I'm hoping to do a picture journey throughout the station, to show
you this place through my eyes – although a camera cannot do it
justice by any degree of the imagination.
