This week was out and around Tamale. I had lots of interesting things happen. One neighbor was pounding cassava and I gave her a break while she was eating. They will take it to a grinding mill to get it fine like flour. They use the flour in their foods. And it was so interesting because in a healthy food magazine I got for Christmas, there was a recipe for cassava flour waffles! Who knew? And yes, I made them. And yes, they are good. Tastes the same, mostly.
I also spent some time with Rafia, my dear, patient, seamstress friend, who must always roll her eyes at me. But I do make her laugh. This week's story: There was a goat bleating around us all morning. I said to her, in Dagbani, that I don't like animals. She said maybe I did not have animals around me when I was young. I said that I had lots of animals. And I said that my father had many cows...or I thought I said cows...and I said "milk" (because I don't know what the verb would be for to milk haha) and then I made the gesture of milking with my hands. She started laughing. I was like what is so funny? And she repeated to me that I milk...and used the word I used... hens. She repeated hen again...and it dawned on me. I said I milk hens! Now I was laughing. Good times.
Then on Thursday, Damary and I, along with two ladies, drove to Gushegu where they had a conference on Orality. It was so good! It was very practical. It taught us how to share a story and the ask questions about it in a very non threatening way. Half the group was made up of women and I know many of them cannot read. I have never been at a conference where I have seen women get involved, and some of these women did. It was exciting. It will be great to see what could happen if people take this teaching to their communities.
It was a great week. While I know people who live around my parents were in a polar vortex, we were in...I can't find a name clever like that, so let me be boring and just say we were in a deep heat of 100 degrees daily. For a few days the humidity was so high too. I felt like my feet were just dragging I was so drained and exhausted. But towards the end of the week, during the conference, the humidity went way down. For me, I like the dry heat. So yay!
Love you. Thanks for praying.