iShouldn’tPAD

Posted on July 26, 2013 by David

What’s the deal with iPads?

I (David) know that MAC has come up with millions of reasons everyone on the planet should buy an iPad, but there are certain tasks that I’ve just had a difficult time understanding why. Even in Cameroon. They even sell special cases so your 6 month old baby can have one.

iPads, and tablets in general provide a great tool to carry multiple Bibles with you in multiple languages at all times. Books, Music, Games , etc… Good Use! Great for business people on the go, notes and emails.

But there are still other tools in the wider market place that seem to me would do the job better than the iPad. Tools most other people already own. I’m not saying this just because I’m not a Mac fan.

I was recently at an event in Yaounde where I was the only non-ewondo speaker and every so often they would stop the event and explain to me what they were saying in French. But I had a hard time taking my eyes off the guy walking around videotaping with an iPad, especially since there was a video camera sitting there on a tri-pod 2 feet away. I saw the same thing when we were in Washington DC at the Museum of Natural History, instead of maybe taking a picture here or there a person was walking around with their tablet in front of their face videotaping everything there.

I don’t get it? Maybe I missed the advertisement or the reason iPads should be used for this purpose. Well that’s my rant, and since Andy Rooney isn’t doing this anymore for 60 minutes I guess I’ll give someone my 60 seconds on, So What’s the deal with iPads? Maybe they should call them iCanDoAnythingPad.

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Mysterious Holes

Posted on July 23, 2013 by David

I plan a menu for each week and like to set the recipe cards on top of my recipe box in order of the menu to easily access.  I noticed that some of my recipe cards were getting small holes in them.  One had holes and poo on it.  I tossed that one.

I looked at it carefully, but the holes and poo were too small for a mouse, plus our cat would’ve taken care of a mouse.  I asked Sophie about the mysterious holes and poo and she said they were made by a cockroach.  I never knew that cockroaches would eat paper like this.

I stopped placing my recipe cards on top of the recipe box and now place them in the front of the box.

I was thinking about the age old excuse of my dog ate my homework and thought if the boys left their homework out it’s possible that a cockroach will eat their homework.

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Cotton Swabs and Matches

Posted on July 22, 2013 by David

Every day we use many matches to light our stove/oven and we use cotton swabs to clean various body parts.  While refilling the cotton swab holder (a.k.a. Tupperware container with a lost lid), I (DeAnna) looked at the bag and was struck by the different sizes (some are more than double tipped) and some only had the cotton on one side of the stick (ouch!).  I’ve always been confused with the matches.  Some are short, too short to light, some are missing the striking part and are just a piece of wood, some break easily when struck to light and some are solid.

These cotton swabs and matches remind me of me.  There are days when I feel like I’m solid, ignited and more than double tipped.  There are more days when I feel like the match that easily breaks or the cotton swab that is missing one of its cotton ends or the match missing the striking part all together.

Since our return to Cameroon in November, I’ve had to work through a lot.  Shortly after we returned and I went to the basketball court where Jonah was injured, a surge of emotions ran through me, practically paralyzing me.  I went into fight or flight mode and I wanted to fly, but I couldn’t, literally couldn’t because all our passports were in a governmental office so we could have updated residency type identity papers.  I didn’t want to go anywhere near the school, but I had to daily because Joshua was attending there and he needed to be dropped off and picked up.  I turned to a friend for help who used to serve here and who is a counselor.  I’ve worked through a lot and am so thankful for the Lord’s work within me and that once we received our passports back, I didn’t feel the need to hop on the first jet plane outta here.

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Building Project

Posted on July 19, 2013 by David

Jonah loves to build things.  When we were in the USA last summer and once he was out of his casts, he thoroughly enjoyed the Home Depot and Lowe’s kids project Saturday’s.  He loved building the kits.  He saw a picture of a doll house in a book and wanted to build one.  His wouldn’t be a doll house, but a fort for his two stuffed animal cats that he’s had for years.  He was busy building Lego furniture to furnish the fort before the fort was built.

David and Jonah went to the local hardware shop and purchased the materials, then came home and together built the fort.

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Wishful Thinking

Posted on July 17, 2013 by David

The boys were daydreaming and bouncing a conversation back and forth at what their life would be like in their made up world.  I love listening to them while they are playing.  I noticed that their cross-cultural upbringing has influenced some of their wish list items.  Below are some of those items.

We would have so much internet we could download any game or movie we want.

We would have our own hospital and make sure it has all the equipment ever and the best doctor’s.

We would have the best security in the world that no one could bother us.

We would have hundreds of pounds of bacon that we could eat every day.

Some of the other items they said are that each person in our family would have their own vehicle, they would live in a hotel and they would own 15 Wal-Mart stores.

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Coloring

Posted on July 15, 2013 by David

I think the mantra for all kids during summer break from school is, “We’re bored!”  In the past I’ve came up with something to learn just to keep the boys occupied, but I promised them we wouldn’t have any type of “school” during this summer break.

The boys enjoy playing in the neighborhood with the neighbor children most of the time.  Yesterday the boys took out crayons and coloring books to share.  At first the older kids grabbed up the coloring books and told me there aren’t enough books for everyone.  I told them that each child needs to look through each coloring book and choose a page from each book that he or she would like to color; they can tear it out, color it and keep it.  There is a boy named Junior who didn’t want to let go of the Superman coloring book.  He asked me if Superman’s wife was in the coloring book.  I asked if he was referring to Wonder Woman.  He then explained that Wonder Woman is his dream wife and he wanted to color as many pages as he could that had her on them.  I chuckled then stood back in awe watching the joy coming from their faces as they colored the pages.

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Plantain Chip Agent

Posted on July 11, 2013 by David

I’ve (DeAnna) been privileged to become friends with a woman named Rosalie.  She’s a very sweet woman who makes and sells plantain chips.  Her chips are very tasty and liked by most in the mission community.  She sells them once a week at one of the compound gates.  I began helping her with her financial management a couple of years ago, which led to our friendship.  She was sharing with me that in the past when many missionaries leave during the month of June, her sales drop.  She shared that last year, she would make ten bags of chips and leave with nine.  She simply can’t afford to purchase the plantains, fry them, package them and not sell them.  I told her I would send out an email and ask for people to pre-order, then I’ll call her with the number she needs to make, give her a list and she will need to be firm to only sell to those on the list.  The wonderful part to all of this is that she is selling more bags of chips with pre-orders than she did when she just showed up to sell.

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10 things I thought were always included

Posted on July 10, 2013 by David

I know the toys never have the batteries but there were certain things I thought always came with a rental property.

One of the responsibilities that I have is that when a new missionary arrives in Cameroon is to ensure that they have a place to live. We have many apartments on our various centers, such as the one we lived in when we first arrived. But, there are not enough houses or apartments for everyone so I need to find additional housing from time to time and this sign I saw reminded me of the many different items that I thought were always included when getting a rental property.

  1. Hot Water, not all houses have hot water heaters and even those that do if they break it’s not something most landlords will fix.
  2. Appliances. I haven’t seen this included once in a rental.
  3. Emptying of the septic tanks. Why would you ever think this needs emptied!
  4. Trash removal services. Your options include burning it or throwing it out by the side of the road and hoping the trash truck might come through over the next few weeks.
  5. Taxes.  Yes I have seen the local tax collector go door to door asking for proof from the renter that the property taxes for the last 5+ years have been paid.
  6. Painting, very rare occasion the landlord will paint the exterior.
  7. Lawn service, get ready to find a machete.
  8. Electricity. There is a good chance you will need to pay the previous few months of electricity if you would like service at your new rental from the previous renter.
  9. Privacy. Not really negotiable.
  10. Dishwasher and garbage disposal, just kidding I know they don’t have those anywhere.

Well, I have learned some of the legaleze required in a French rental contract I’m still learning that advertisement is done via word of mouth or signs on the side of the road.

Translation - Modern rooms for rent, with water and electricity. Shower is inside.

Translation – Modern rooms for rent, with water and electricity. Shower is inside.

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Sprung a Leak

Posted on July 9, 2013 by David

Summer here is the opposite of summer in Missouri and Pennsylvania.  We grew up where summer was hot and you needed to cool off in a swimming pool.  Here that kind of summer is November – February.

We have cool (cool for us 66-72 degrees), rainy weather.  Summer break from school is long and boring because you’re stuck inside a lot without entertainment options.

The other day it was raining somewhat heavy (it wasn’t a tropical downpour) and we heard water coming from the porch area.  We looked out and discovered our gutter down pipe sprung a leak.

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10 years, a decade, dix ans

Posted on July 6, 2013 by David

Today Joshua turns 10 today!  Double digits!  He’s so excited and it’s so hard for us to believe he’s already 10!

100_0146Joshua loves the TV show Amazing Race.  He’s seen seasons 1-7 that we borrowed from friends while they were serving in Yaoundé.  For his birthday party he wanted an Amazing Race theme.  Yesterday, he had an Amazing Race to 10 party with his friends.  They raced around the outside and inside of the house starting in New York and visiting Paris, Zurich, Tokyo, Sydney, Maroua before ending in Yaoundé.  They had to have their picture taken with the Eiffel Tower (keychain), eat their way to find a smiley face, build a Lego car and prove its road worthiness down a ramp, search with binoculars for wild animals, cross Lake Promenade, build a skyscraper and more!

IMG_1766They were able to end with foods from every country they “visited.”  Fondue, Damper Bread, Crêpes, Brochette Chicken, Hotdogs and Faux Sushi.

IMG_1782Happy Birthday Joshua, you are amazing!  We love you!

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