Sunday, October 22, 2017

Change, what is it good for?

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.” – Paulo Coelho



I took this photo this evening, 10-22-17 after English service at Lovasoa.
Wait a minute, in my last post I was saying goodbye to this place. Let me back up a bit...

    There is currently a plague outbreak in Madagascar. I've been told by a doctor, that there are cases of the Plague every year here. This is currently an "outbreak" because there are more cases now than there were last year. If you are following the news, you might know that Toamasina or Tamatave (my placement) is being hit hard. For safety precautions I was moved temporarily to Antsirabe (where I stayed my first month). I spent about a week and a half here. Tomorrow I will leave and head to Pastor Kirsten's house and on Wednesday, all 11 of us will travel to South Africa. This is a precautionary measure. Myself, the 9 other volunteers and our Coordinator are all SAFE. I believe 110% that I am completely safe here in Madagascar. For starters, I am already on a medicine to prevent Malaria, which is one of the medications prescribed to suspected Plague patients. Secondly, we are all fortunate enough to have access to medical care if something were to arise. Which is not the reality for many who live here.
    Here is part of the message that the ELCA sent out: "We are planning to stay in South Africa for 3 weeks. During which time we will do the business, fun and processing of our first retreat that originally we had planned for the end of November. We also believe that in three weeks time we should have sufficient information about the Plague and it’s various impacts on Madagascar. ... Please be assured that this is precautionary and in no way suggests eminent danger or threat. We take seriously your health and well-being. This is the right move and decision at this time."
   If you know me well, you know these two things to be true 1. I was SO excited to come to Madagascar and work at a Deaf school. 2. I hate change.
    Having to leave my new home of SeMaTo in Toamasina was heart breaking. Truth is, I cried upon receiving this news. Especially since I was warned that my exact return date was unknown. I had only spent 11 short days at my placement. However, in those 11 days, I became a part of a new family. A family which I deeply love already. I made friends, and had already learned so many new things! I did not want to leave the comfort of my new home.
    Although I was comforted in the fact that I was going somewhere familiar. I knew people here. Also, Megan, a fellow volunteer was already here waiting for me. I have to admit, being back here has not been all terrible. I saw my teachers, who greeted me with huge smiles. I made new friends, and had a lot of fun with Megan. I made tortillas from scratch, and used a can of beans as a rolling pin. It was definitely an experience, and the tortillas turned out great by the way! I helped out in English classes. I had an opportunity to judge an English speaking competition and saw 13 amazing speeches given by young adults here in Antsirabe. We went out to eat and watched Netflix (now having access to Wi-Fi) to unwind from our current reality. It was not all bad. So, it turns out I was able to make it through that change.
    Now, I am facing another change in plans. Once again, I was emotional and angry upon hearing the news that we were evacuating (I hate that word) to South Africa. This was the opposite of what I wanted to happen. I wanted my coordinator and people in charge to be getting positive news regarding the Plague so that I could return to my home. However, I was told I was going farther away and it will be at least another 3 weeks before I am allowed to return. The whole time that I have been in Plague limbo, I thought this would be my worst fear. Leaving the country. That would be a big change, and see number 2 above.... I just wanted to go to my home in Toamasina. Alas, this was not my decision to make and although it was not the news I wanted, I have to believe the people above me are making the decisions they see fit.
    However, this does not change the fact that I do not like change. I do not like it when my plans are not what I thought they would be. This is not what my YAGM year was supposed to look like, I kept telling myself. I was so angry. I was so sad. How can I possibly leave my new home so quickly? Yes, I realize 3 weeks doesn't sound like that long. But taking 3 weeks away from my 8.5 months left felt like robbery. I let these feelings fester for 2-3 days which felt like at least a week. I realized I could not go on like that. I had to start thinking of the positives of my new reality. Being angry, and disappointed was not going to get me anywhere. In fact, it was taking me to a very negative space, and I didn't like it.
    I read a fellow Madagascar volunteer's blog post yesterday in which she talked about her plan VS. God's plan. And how God was now taking her on a new journey. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." right?  I think everyone has heard that one. As I started to work on pushing the anger and sadness to the side, I had some other realizations. "A new journey" she wrote. Wasn't I just in the states desperate for a new journey, a new adventure? I was so eager to get out and see a new place in this vast world. Well, I made it to Madagascar! Although I still have a lot more to see here, I am now getting an opportunity to see yet another place. This should be a positive for a person like myself who wants to go everywhere and see everything. So I let this sink in... A positive in the change that I thought was so negative?
    Although as I have said before, this is not how I had envisioned my YAGM year starting, it has in fact started. A fellow YAGM helped me to realize my year is not on hold. The fact that things are not going according to plan, means nothing. I am still in another country, experiencing new things. I am still having my YAGM year. In fact, I might be having an even more meaningful YAGM year because of all this. After all, isn't this a year of learning? Not only are we learning new cultures, customs,and languages, but we are learning about life. Unfortunately, or fortunately, life is not a perfect plan. Things don't always happen as you envision and part of this year is learning how to cope, accept and deal with life and all that it brings. What a fantastic opportunity to grow! When I first got this news I didn't know what to do. I felt as though my usual coping mechanisms weren't a possibility. I couldn't take the kayak out and escape for awhile. I couldn't hop in my car and go to my cousin's or hang with friends. I felt a little lost. However, here I stand. I survived, and am learning to shift my thinking. Things don't always go as you envisioned them, and it's OK. I also think it's acceptable to mourn the lost path. However, when you take the time to breath, and process, a new path will show up and life will continue. And you will in fact, be OK.
 I have to admit, I'm still working on this way of thinking but I know it to be true.
    Other fun positives to come for this change of plans:
* I will get to spend time with the Madagas'gals. I sure have missed them!
* The access to a washing machine!
* New food to experience. (Also we might have done some research and found out they have           Mexican restaurants there. So fingers crossed that's on the menu one day!) :)
* The possibility of swimming was brought up.
* I'll be surrounded by new scenery. New plant-life, and hopefully new animals (come on safari!!)
*And hello, I'll be able to say I was in South Africa!!
So, cheer up buttercup..... All things are not lost. Just like leaving to come here, things will not be terrible. There will be positives. I will continue to miss my host family like crazy, but I will return to them and I will carry them in my heart. My year is not lost, or on hold. My year is bigger than I even imagined it would be!
This just so happens to be part of my adventure, and I will embrace it.

I had to lead devotions a few time during in country orientation. There was one passage that just truly spoke to me, So I'll leave you with that.
Isaiah 41: 9-10
"you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."



These words hold truth whether I am in Madagascar or South Africa.
I have been chosen, and I do not need to be afraid because God WILL strengthen me.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

An ode to Lovasoa and emotions that follow

Lovasoa, a Cross-Culture Competence Center & SO much more....
Lovasoa, my first home in Madagascar.
I could not have asked for a more lovely and welcoming home for my first month. Here I was surrounded by not only my newest friends, the Madagas'gals but also amazing teachers, friendly staff, amazing plant life, beautiful sunsets, and of course sakakely!
It was here at this new home that I began to learn Malagasy and not only the language but also the culture. The teachers were absolutely amazing!! Even Mr. Henry, who started off scaring the crap out of me, ended up being the best! I honestly can not think of one bad thing to say about any of the teachers. Yes, it was quite overwhelming a number of times... But my teachers held strong. They were patient and helpful, they made us laugh, they taught us games and dances, and they quickly became friends. To Mr. Henry, Mamia, Nina, & Jean, thank you so so much. I will never forget you.

From the moment I knew I was coming to Madagascar, I was eager to get to my site placement. I knew how fast the 10 months would fly by, and I wanted to make each second count. However, the longer I was at Lovasoa, the more it felt like home. It was comforting knowing I was in a safe place surrounded by friends. I knew my way around the area. I could get to the park and the market and even two different western stores. I knew where the pharmacy, the post office, and most importantly, where the good ice cream spot was. I was comfortable, and I found myself not wanting to leave. It was really hard to say goodbye to Antsirabe and Lovasoa. I had fallen in love so fast... In my last hour on the Lovasoa campus, I found myself just walking around, taking in all the sites that I had come accustomed to. I took pictures of EVERYTHING, not wanting to forget a thing! I was struggling with having to say goodbye...


 
The building we stayed in.
 D2 will always have a piece of my heart
Where we had the majority of our classes




English chapel 

I found sacakely right before leavng!

These flowers are not only pretty, but
they smell amazing too! They are called Telo Fanovana,
or 3 changes. This is due to the flowers blooming 3 times in a
year, and as a different color each time. Purple, Yellow, and Red.
Beautiful!

It is now, that I need to remind myself that comfortable is not what I signed up for. It is not what I wanted. I wanted change, and I wanted a challenge. I say this because I'm hopeful that in these challenges, I will find more of myself. I will grow, and change, and become more aware of the world around me and more aware of what I'm really capable of.
Yesterday I made the 6 hour journey to Toamasina, my new home town for the rest of my stay. On that winding trip, I experienced car sickness for the first time in my life. It was awful and debilitating at times. During the times I was able to look out the window though, I was once again blown away by the beauty that is Madagascar! I also had to wonder if it was really all car sickness... Or was I just feeling a million feelings all at once on top of lack of sleep? I guess I'll never know... But I do know that I am happy to be here. I am happy to say that I have finally arrived in Toamasina. I am happy to meet my site supervisor, Lydia today. I hear she is the best! I am so happy for my journey to really begin. The first month in Mada was fantastic! I can not wait to begin my adventure in Toamasina! I know with time I will love it as I did Antsirabe and Lovasoa, if not more, because I will call it home!

  Some sights on my way to Toamasina!





Thursday, September 28, 2017

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub & Some Culture

Other Lovasoa happenings since last time..


September 7th, I learned how to do my laundry the Malagasy way. This involved two large buckets, a bar of soap, a brush, and my hands. I went on this adventure with two other Mada sisters. We really had no idea what we were doing, but jumped right in. The Malagasy women in the wash room would occasionally grab a clothing item from us, and show us how to really scrub it clean, or how to use our hands to better scrub it that way. I felt pretty lost in the beginning, but knew I needed some clean clothes! Eventually I got a "tsara be" from one of the women, which means very good. So I continued to scrub my clothes clean as best I could with the soap, brush, and my two hands. Then you put the soapy clothes into the rinse bucket and just keep swishing them around, dumping the water and then refilling the bucket with clean water, and repeating these steps until you thought your water had no more soap in it. Then it was time to line dry. This was a very long process, but I felt so accomplished afterwards. 
Rachel & I scrubbing away


     
       Culture Night
One of my favorite nights at Lovasoa was Culture Night! This was soo much fun, and full of you guessed it, culture! In the audience alone were people from at least 4 different cultures: Norwegian, Malagasy, Canadian, and American. What a wonderful show we all got! It started off with an African drum, or Djembe performance by a group of young boys and their teacher. What talent!! After their performance, they invited people in the audience to come up and try a traditional Malagasy tune. Of course I went up right away. It was SO much fun!! After the drumming we saw a group of talented dancers perform a few traditional dances. During one performance (pictured below), they dressed up in the customary outfits for 6 different tribes. In the picture, my region is represented by the girl second in from the right, in pink. After their performance, pretty much everyone in the room got up and danced the traditional Malagasy dance of "Afindrafindrao" around the room.  What a spectacular night!



Amy, myself, Serena, Katie
Traditional Dances and dress from 6 different tribes. 

Friday, September 8, 2017

Happenings through 9-6-2017

                                Hike in Antsirabe to the Mary Statue  

     I feel so behind in my blogging. I have been in Madagascar about a week and a half now and so much has already happened! We started our journey in Antananarivo, the capitol of Madagascar. We stayed at the FLM (Lutheran Church of Madagascar) headquarters and guest house. While we were there we promptly started working on obtaining our work visas. Our second morning there we loaded 3 cars and headed to Antsirabe, where we will stay for the remainder of our in country orientation. While we are here, we are taking language and culture classes. Our first Sunday in Antsirabe we went to a Lutheran church nearby. Pastor Kirsten (country coordinator) told us that church was a place where a lot of the wealthier families went. The service was OK, and not as long as we were anticipating. (so that was nice 😊) During the service there were 3 baptisms and 2 announcements of marriage (weddings happen on Saturday's).


9-2-17
     Today's task for the group was to plan and cook dinner. To do this we all needed to conquer the market! The night before we sat around and planned what we would cook. It divided up nicely where each person needed to buy one thing at the market. To do this we would walk in pairs and each practice speaking in Malagasy to purchase what we needed. I was SO nervous! The day before we went to the market in 2 groups with some guides who were going to help us navigate the market. That was my first time in the big market and it was pretty overwhelming for me. I didn't get the practice in that I had hoped for, so I was worried on Saturday. Luckily for me, I had an awesome market mate. :) She knew I was nervous, and reassured me on our walk there. When we got there, we walked around a little just to take it all in. Then we started on our mission. Her job was to buy the sakamalao, or ginger which she did with perfection. We came across a power strip that she had her eye on the day prior. She asked how much it was and was told 7000 Ariary. She told the seller she would think about it and come back. We had talked about this on the way to the market and I knew she was looking to spend only 5000-6000 Ariary. Part of our market class was on how to barter. So I asked the vendor if she would take 5000, she answered no, but 6000. So my friend ended up getting the power strip. This was all done in Malagasy, and what a confidence booster it was for me! I felt great! Then it was my turn to buy the ove, or potatoes we needed which went well. The lady selling the ove was so nice, she even came down to shake our hands. I left the market that day feeling so accomplished! I went to the market, I spoke in Malagasy, I got what I needed, and I even bartered!!

Serena and I after conquering the market!





     






     





     This past Sunday 9-3-17, we walked the 30 minutes to the Toby church also connected to the FLM. This church seemed to be much more inviting and even invited Pastor Kirsten up to the alter to talk about us a little bit. Although this service was longer, and of course all in Malagasy, I enjoyed it more. We took communion at the church which was our first time since being here. Communion was nice. You get handed a "ticket" for lack of better terms and go up in small groups when you get your signal. They still do communion kneeling at the alter which was nice since I haven't done that in so long. I think this service was about 3 hours, with lots of singing of course. I tried to follow along with the hymns as best I could. We also had an order of service in Malagasy and English to help us follow along which helps. My favorite part of church that day was making friends with a little boy about 4 rows ahead of me. We played peek-a-boo, raise/lower eye brows, and open your mouth as wide as you can! haha. 😁
     After church we changed out of our skirts and loaded a bus that took us to the bottom of a giant hill. We hiked up the mountain with the Statue of Mary being our destination. The walk up was amazingly gorgeous. We stopped often to take it all in and snap some pics. When we reached the top, we had a picnic lunch. It was SO nice! It was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city, and enjoy it from afar. And as you all know, I love being outside so it was a very enjoyable afternoon for me! 







9-6-17

     Yesterday, our noteworthy task was to go out into the city, completely on our own for an hour! We did not know about this task until right before we were sent out. It didn't matter what we did as long as we were by ourselves. I felt a little unsure about this. A couple days before this, I ventured out to the "western" store all by myself and made it back just fine. I felt good about that. However, I had a task and a place in mind. I went there, and came right back to Lovasoa. This time, I had a whole hour and no real task.
     I set out towards a Karaoke and snack bar place we passed on our walk to the Toby. My thought was I could order a Fanta and read my book while the time ticked away. When I got there I thought it was closed at first, but then heard some music. I quietly headed in, and quickly saw there was no one else in the place except the guy behind the counter. So I just as quickly turned around and left. I continued my walk and saw a grassy area with a bunch of benches. I picked one facing the street that seemed less busy. I pulled out my book and maybe read half a page when I realized several kids that were there playing, were now playing as close to me as the could. Soon after they were climbing onto the bench and saying "bonjour!" I replied with "Salama" and a smile and soon had great friends for the rest of my hour. Thankfully I had my notebook from class with my limited Malagasy in it. I was able to ask their names and ages and if they were brothers/sisters. We then had fun taking pics with my phone. I can't post the pics, so just take my work for it that they were cuties. Before I knew it, my time was up and I needed to head back 
     I walked back to my home for the next two weeks with the biggest smile on my face. I so enjoyed my time with those kids! As I walked back I got excited thinking about meeting the kids I would soon be working with. I was absolutely thrilled in that moment thinking of my year ahead. In that moment, there were no worries clouding my thoughts. I was really, really happy and I loved it!