Culinary delights?

Darren suggested I write about the interesting culinary delights of the past
week so you all know that we are 'real missionaries' in a strange land.
Custom has it here that everyday at 10:00 is break time. Because of Roy's
big, soft heart, he agreed to provide coffee, tea and 'donuts' for all the
agroforestery staff everyday. This was great and we were all happy until we
had this great brainstorm that maybe if we order food from a local
restaurant it would be less expensive each day. Ends up it isn't! However,
for the equivalent of $3 each day, we are provided with 6 balls of gozo (the
local starch made from manioc which isn't at all nutritious but extremely
filling) and a bowl of meat and sauce that sometimes has greens in it. The
local restaurants are nothing more than a few local women who serve food to
the public in front of their houses, thus, a restaurant. We started by
ordering from a different restaurant each week until we decided on the best
one and she comes with her food everyday at 10:00. It happens that our cook
is Nadege, Clarisse's younger sister and my Gbaya teacher. Her food is
really good but in the last week beef must have been hard to come by or bush
meat is preferred, as we have been served gorilla, monkey and wild pig all
in the same week. I didn't try any of the above, and especially objected to
the gorilla and monkey. If it is an animal that women aren't supposed to
eat according to local custom (like gorilla, sorry, it is for the men only)
she always sends a small plate of beef and sauce for the women and for our
one Muslim employee. Muslims here don't eat anything with top teeth,
including pig and forest rat. We had the pleasure of eating forest rat the
other day after the women I had hired to work in the nutrition garden killed
two while cutting down brush. It was quite tender and not as bad as it
sounds. Darren partook of the monkey and forest pig as well as lele (forest
rat) and found them all to be quite ordinary tasting. I may be a
missionary, I may speak sango, know how to plant gozo, and wear traditional
clothes, but I am a North American and I don't think I will ever want to eat
a bowl full of monkey.

I also learned today that eating dog is quite a delicacy around here, if you
are a man. They are also forbidden for women to eat. I also learned that
if you eat cat and then subsequently find yourself in a bad traffic
accident, you will be the only one to walk away without a scratch, because
you ate cat of course! Guess I best keep a close eye on Coco, our dog,
right now. This is the time of year for cooking up dogs as people have big
work parties in their gardens and as payment they cook food for all that
comes. The favourite item on the menu for these work parties is dog. One
more reason to bring Coco home with us.

We are well despite the things we eat, though I have a wicked cough from
what I think is a bacterial infection of some kind. Don't worry though, I
am drinking all kinds of concoctions from local herbs and bark to get rid of
it (just kidding, I am on antibiotics instead). If the antibiotics don't
work I will resort to the potions from the medicine man. I hear he is very
good. Things are progressing well and the rains have started so we and
everyone around us here are busy planting gardens.
Till next time, Angela

The Chief's Son Returns

I am writing with gladness and sadness all mixed into one, as life tends to
go here. While death is a thing of daily life here, being so close to the
hospital, and bandits and disorder are no longer news to us but part of life
here, we are happy to report on some good things in the midst of it. As you
may or may not know, New Year's day the eldest son of the local Fulani chief
was taken captive by bandits and held ransom for 10 million CFA (20,000
USD). Initially we were told that if the ransom was not paid in three days
he would be killed. It ends up that the bandits had a little more patience
than that and after a 2 and half month ordeal, he was released by the
bandits this past Saturday. It is through much prayer by many people around
the world that his life has been spared. The family had only been able to
pay 5 million CFA (about 10,000 US) through the sale of cows both in CAR and
Cameroon. He has been held out in the bush for the last two and half months
with only the clothes he was taken captive in and a straw mat for shelter.
His legs were held in chains and he was given only small amounts of food as
there were leftovers. This past Saturday there was a lot of discussion
amongst the bandits as to what to do with him. They told him that since his
family didn't love him enough to pay the full ransom that they should just
kill him but the captain said they should just set him free. Eventually
they agreed just to set him free and he made it back to Gamboula on Sunday
to the great relief of his family and of the missionary community. In
Fulani culture, the first born son of the first wife becomes the new chief
of the clan when the father dies and as the chief is nearing death it was
very important to have the son back. They are all thanking and praising God
for the son's return.

In other news, our turbine has finally been fixed and we now have power and
water back at our houses. It is amazing how much more complicated life is
without running water. And, while the Eastern half of Africa is suffering
in a drought we are having a remarkably wet dry season. As I type I feel
like I am back in Victoria as it has been raining off and on all morning
just as it would be at home in the spring. We thank-you each one for your
prayers regarding the chief's son and regarding our work here. We are very
busy as this is the time of year for travelling around giving seminars on
agroforestery, grafting, banana production and gardening. I also just
finished writing a seminar guide book in Sango which was a fun challenge.