Weeks two and three
Around Abidjan
Weeks
two and three in Ivory Coast included lectures on literature, the system
of education, the state of the environment, Christian missions and the
colonial history of the country. We explored the lagoon that surrounds
Abidjan--the second largest port on the continent of Africa.
- At right, Ross, Angela, and Andrea on the boat.
- View of Abidjan from the lagoon.
- Getting ready to board the
boat.
In
week two a worship service at
the unit house focused on the struggles that many of us experience
as we leave home and our loved ones and attempt to understand another
culture. The focus of music, a meditation and group discussion was on
the 23rd Psalm. Each group member described their walk through shadows
and their strategies to come out of the valley.
Kationon
At
the end of week three we traveled nearly 400 kilometers north of Abidjan
to spend a weekend in the village of Kationon. Each
student was hosted in a village
home--typically constructed of mud and thatch..
Highlights
of the weekend included trips to the fields surrounding the village
where students assisted local
farmers in cultivating their corn and yam fields, and a village
soccer match (right). Linda was the only woman on the field. The village
chiefs also slaughtered two goats for our Saturday evening meal and
we concluded the evening with traditional music and dance. Shortly before
our departure for Abidjan the group participated in a worship service
with the small Ivorian mission station that is posted in the village.
- Josiah and Ross meet their hosts
- Another scene of village life.
- Watching the soccer game: 1 | 2
- On the way back to Abidjan we stopped for Chawarmas at Yamasoukro. The traditional Lebanese sandwich is sold at stands throughout the country.
