Saramaccan Greetings

Every morning "oo-fa-weki!" was the greeting I received the moment I stepped outside and it means good morning. Every person that you pass on the way will greet you this way and I responded "oo-weki-o!" Then you could be asked, "weki tanga?" which is like did you sleep well? My response could be "weki boon-boon!" (I slept good) or "weki wan-say wan-say" (I slept alright). There were many call and response greetings that really showed me the way the villagers cared to connect with you. In the afternoon the greeting was "oo-day-no!" my response would be "oo-day-o!".

These conversations through the day really showed me the care and interest they had for one another. To show how intertwined an open they are, a grown woman could be on her way to the river, to bathe, and after the call and response without being asked she would explain where she was going and what she was about to do. Simple living really allows you to take time and invest in your neighbor whom you pass by everyday. As a personal addition to my life it would be good to stop and greet people. Be simple and make time to find out what is going on, because just one minute invested could really make the difference in someone's life. Living among the Saramaccan people was really a joy and privilege.

Can't wait to go back...

Where to Begin

I feel like I have been away for so long and with all that has happened I don't know where to start. That is why it has taken me this long to post. As you know I was up the Saramacca river in the interior of Suriname for about 4 weeks. My friends that I told you about, part of an organization called NAPS, came and did a great work. A dentist, medical doctor, and medical assistants came and helped almost 1,000 people. Daily we walked, weather ~rain~ or *shine*, two miles to the school where all the children attended. We taught over 100 children Math, English, Science, and Biblical Morals. The villages where we were working  really were ignorant of biblical truths. Nightly we had meetings that enlightened them of the truths that God has in the bible for them. One of the closing events of this trip was a baptism, where 11 persons were baptized.

Now a village that had no church will meet in our locale to have weekly church sessions. The captain of the village, who by the way got baptized, gave us a portion of land where we could build a church. My husband is actually go back down there this weekend to study the dynamics of the land and assess all the things needed to build the church. This is pretty much all that happened in a nut shell, but as the days progress I will try to share with you more of my experience in the interior.

Ahhh...the ball is rolling again!

Foto Friday

Mommy is visiting us in Suriname!