A Day to Unwind

For the first time in 5 days we were able to observe the sunrise and sunset as the dust slowly moves on. It was warmer here today, eventually up to 90 degrees, but remains very dry. The day began for me at 5:30am with the opportunity to Skype with my family, including my parents. Everyone looks well, and fortunately it sounds as though they have few plans for the weekend which should afford itself to much needed rest. I rounded with Jairus and Dr. Simeon at 8am and then Lori, Dan and I, along with two other ladies headed for N'Zerekore, the second largest city in Guinea. After clearing a single police roadblock we entered an extremely dusty city bustling with activity. There were more motorcycles than one could possibly number headed in very direction on either side of the road. The road is in poor condition with the loss of asphalt quite some time ago, and potholes that could pulverize the front axle of even a large truck. There are no traffic lights, no stop signs, and no street signs indicating any kind of order. As we entered the market area, we found a parking spot in front of a small shop and commenced with shopping. I learned early on to keep my mouth shut to avoid mouthfuls of dust, later learning that this is a very common manner by which to acquire parasitic infections. It was a blast walking from vendor to vendor, bartering the price of several souvenirs and food items. My friend Dan is an amazing shopper and I am fairly certain he could put some of you ladies to shame who consider yourselves to be professional shoppers! In fact, he would argue that he is not a shopper, but instead, a professional buyer! I found most of the shopowners to be polite and engaging, some of them quite proud of their ability to speak English. I even recognized four people in town who I had been involved with concerning visits to Hope for medical care. After 3 hrs of wandering the market, we grabbed some beef swarmas (sandwiches) and headed home for lunch. My afternoon was rather simple. I fully intended to read for pleasure, but awoke 90 minutes later feeling refreshed. We all showered and then headed back to the big town for dinner. We ate at an establishment that is well trusted and enjoyed a time of lively discussion-- in English! The food was rather good and on average we spent @5$ per entree. As dusk approached, we quickly headed home to avoid having to drive in the dark. The sides of the roads are littered with motorcycles without functioning taillights, some with a family of four aboard! Pedestrians are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to the culture of travel and know to step into the bushes when cars and trucks approach. All in all, a good day to experience the sights, food, culture and friendliness of Guinea. I anticipate another fantastic worship experience in N'Zao tomorrow, and may even find time for more rest as well. Thank you all for your kind words and willingness to give of your valuable time to encourage me and my family while we are apart. You cannot know how much it means to me. Jeff