Africa Adventures

Libreville, Gabon-- Day 4-11 (April 2nd-10th)

It's been about a week since my last entry but this past week has been crazy busy! It might be my busiest week that I'll have while I'm here in Gabon. Anyway, here is the update that you have all been waiting for. Enjoy!

Saturday- April 2nd
We woke up ready to go to the market and were met by a rain storm, so we waited that out and then headed to the market. After we got home we spent the day getting ready for our team who were arriving that night. So, Saturday evening our team of twelve guys arrived from the CMA church Fellowship Alliance in NJ. All older men who are passionate for the Lord and were truly inspiring to be around. They were only here for a week but they gave so much more than a week! I think we all learned so much from each other and made friendships that will last way beyond just this week. It was so much more then just doing projects and working with sick patients it was doing God's work. It was following the Lord's leading and serving and loving His people, His children. It was being welcomed into the Gabonese family and discovering what a special place that Africa holds in your heart.  Thank you, Erik, Mike, Don, Mark, Brian, Papa John,  John 1st, John 3rd, Kevin, Fred, Dave, and Tim! I really appreciate just having had the chance to spend the week with so many men who are on fire for God! I loved getting to know each of you, all crazy car rides:) the bible studies, the meals, the fun and jokes, just everything really! I feel so blessed to have met all of you and gotten to spend a week serving the Lord in Africa with you. And thanks for always keeping an eye on me:)


Sunday - April 3rd
Sunday was pretty amazing! Since there were a lot of us here at Envision we split up into three groups, each going to a different CMA church. I was in the group that went to a village church about forty minutes away and was also the smallest of the three. The others had a few hundred people whereas our only had about fifty. The building was out in a field and was only partly built. It had half walls and a ceiling, that was the structure. It was really a unique, special, and inspirational morning. Before we even went into the church we walked through the village and talked to some of the people and met the village chief. It was just a completely different and eye opening experience. When we started the worship (which was of course in French) it was purely amazing! You really can just see a whole different level of joy and worship within the Gabonese people. God was so evident! I could on and on about that church service and the stories and sermons and all the people who we met but it would take me too long. I'll have to tell you about it in person. I will say at the end of the service everyone ran around giving each other huge hugs saying "Samba!" which means "to hug". It really was such a beautiful moment! The whole experience lasted well into the late afternoon. Which makes you rethink the way we rush through our days back home.

That night we had a huge dinner celebration and our Gabonese friends from OSPAC all joined us. We had about fifty people (possible more?) in the Envision Center. After a big African dinner we had another amazing time of worship. These people just have hearts of worship and it is truly inspiring. We sang both French and English songs, some of which included motions and dancing. It really was just beautiful to be there in that moment declaring God's greatness with the Gabonese church. We then closed in prayer. Gabonese style, in which everyone prays out loud at the same time and then a few people pray louder to close. It really was a wonderful night!!


Monday- April  4th
I woke up that morning not feeling that well so I stayed home most of the day ( though Hannah and I did go get dinner in the downtown part of the city with J. R. which was a long process but a lot of fun too). Which was a bummer because the team started their projects that morning. They came ready to do a couple different projects (with our help). Building a guest house for the CFTAC (the CMA base here) near the Gabonese bible school, working at medical clinics, and doing a project on the church's land PK 27 (which right now is pretty much just a jungle, the work we did there was the first work that had been done on the property). We had three doctors come on the team and they spent the week working at two of the medical clinics here (OSPAC and Snee), while most of the other guys worked on the construction project.


Tuesday- April 5th
Tuesday, I went with one of the medical teams to help at a clinic. We were there seeing patients from about 10 to 2:30 and then we went to the other medical clinic to help there for another three hours. It was great to help the doctors in their work and just see how passionate they are for these people. To see how despite the language barrier and translations that sometimes weren't clear they were so committed to their patients and how they had God's love for these people! At the end of the day as we were packing up we had a few minutes to play with some of the children outside the clinic, which I loved! It was so special. These kids here are just so full of joy and so eager to love. Even though most of us couldn't communicate with our words we still we able to communicate. And we had a lot a of fun with those children!


Wednesday- April 6th
Wednesday morning Olivia and I went to the construction site (instead of helping at the medical clinics) we used a nail gun and got all hot and sweaty (I think I'll leave the nail gun to Olivia:)  Then later that afternoon we went to the Hope House to give the kids a medical exam and play with them. I loved it! Those kids are all so sweet and loving. And they loved all the balloons that Mark brought! I can still picture them with their little animals, hats, and flowers running around with huge smiles on their faces! I had one little boy, Christopher who wouldn't leave my side. The whole time he pretty much had his arms wrapped around me. He made me promise to come back, and kept coming to give me one last hug. I found it hard to leave him too! His story is pretty heartbreaking and I can't wait to go back and just shower him in the Father's love. I know that God has special plans for this little boy!

 
Thursday- April 7th
Thursday we had our mobile clinic in a village about two hours away (well, with traffic two hours:). It was our group from Envision, our team, and our friends from the OSPAC medical clinic. We had an amazing time at the church there. Altogether we saw about 50 patients for medical care and 30 for eye care. We started out with sing out praises to the Lord, a testimony, words from our pastors, and medical care information about Malaria and eye care. Then we started giving examinations. Doctor Mike and Brian ( a PA) were giving that medical examinations, and the rest of us were helping in some small way. Whether it was checking in the patients, weigh them, doing pharmacy, checking blood sugar (that was my job...yes, I had to take a sample of their blood), eye care, or praying over patients. We saw people with cancer ( one man had a tumor the size of a papaya) and malaria, it was just so moving. It sad but yet the day was so full of God hope. There were many stories about that day and I wish that I could share every moment with you but just know that God is here in Gabon and here in the church working!


Friday- April 8th
Friday we spent the day in a jungle! We (our Envision peeps, our team, some of our Gabonese friends) headed out to PK 27 which is the land that the CMA church has bought and has great plans for in the future! We literally carried bags of a cement mixture (cement, sand, and gravel) along with buckets and shovels into the jungle, dug holes, found water and made 4 cement posts that sit on the corners of the land. These posts are first step toward the future that the church and the CMA have plans for. It was SO exciting being a part of what God has placed on the hearts here and of what He is going to do here!! It was hard work. I don't think I've ever carried a bag of cement before and I've definitely never hiked through a jungle. But it was so worth it!! Using the few tools we had and what God had given us and just being a part of something that is the beginning of something HUGE!

Later that night we were invited to dinner with our Gabonese friends at Mama Jeanine and Pastor John Marc's house for dinner. It was really just a great time of fellowship, fun, and yummy african food (yes, I can now say I've eaten porcupine...). I spent part of the time holding little Timothy, Pastor Jacob's son. (Pastor Jacob is probably the funniest man I've ever met as well as an incredible man of God!)  Then after dinner and just a great time of talking with friends we worshiped our God together (this is going to be one of the things I really miss when I come home, praising God with my Gabonese brothers and sisters)! Then our Gabonese friends gave gifts to all our incredible team of men and we said our goodbyes. It was an amazing day!!


Saturday- April 9th
This was the last day our team of incredible guys were with us. Even thinking about them now makes me bittersweet. I miss them already! We started the morning out at the tourist market where we went shopping,yes, I did get a few gifts...though everything is more expensive here. Then we went to the Market (this was the HUGE one) and walked around went through the meat section (I barely managed not to puke...lets just say I have seen everything), I also bought some fabric there (I have plans for an african outfit and some purses...). After lunch we went to a beach, it was beautiful! Olivia and I had a lot of fun in the water, walking down the beach, laying in the sand, and digging up clams. We came home and packed up all the luggage and had one last meeting with the guys, took some group pictures and headed out to dinner. After some pizza (not the same as american pizza) and meeting up with our Gabonese friends we headed to the airport. It was sad to see all the guys leave but I am so excited for what God has done in them and what He has planned! So, overall it was a fun day, though we did have a few bumps.... a dead car battery at the market, a flat tire at the beach, and someone got stung by a jellyfish, but really it was just a great last day and end to an incredible week!!


Sunday- April 10th
I was planning on going to Nzeng Ayong church (Pastor Jacob's church....remember there are three different CMA churches here) but I woke up with a bad headache so I stayed home instead. I slept for a couple hours and then after lunch had some quiet time. And now I am writing this blog entry:)


My camera unfortunately seems to have randomly broken, so I can't upload my pictures. Don't worry you will still get to see a ton of pictures. I've been having other people take lots of pictures for me. Olivia is going to share her pictures with me so you should see a few soon:) Also, all the pictures that the team took I will get to share, though that might take a little longer. So hang tight!  I do have some cool pictures, like one of me holding a giant rhino beetle:)

I miss everyone and can't wait to see you all again! It's hard to believe I've been here for 11 days but at the same time my time here is flying by so quickly. Already I feel like Africa is a part of me I can never loose. I've been so blessed and I am just honored to be here and be a part of what is happening!

If you want to send me a letter here is my address (it might take two-three weeks:)
Bongolo Hospital
BP 13.021
Libreville, Gabon
Africa

Love,
Shannon