Our crazy first year in Chad

If someone would have told me when we first arrived here on May 10, 2013 at 1 pm in the 50 degree heat, that we would be staying here in Chad longer than our first required term (3.5 years), I would have probably slapped them. 

Seriously, when I stepped off the plane and headed into the indescribable heat of Chad and then further into the chaos and insanity of the 'airport'....I thought....oh my word.....just where have we moved to? I wish I could say it got a whole lot better and easier after that....but it didn't. It got worse. Way worse. 

Our first year in Chad would be characterized by health problems, hospital stays, a miscarriage, difficulty with language, ridiculous driving conditions, pregnancy sickness, major struggles with the heat and also feeling lonely to highlight a few. Sounded like fun eh? 

We left after 1 year of living  in Chad to go back to Canada to have Evelinne, and we actually came back to Chad 6 months later. Why you ask? Part of me thinks ya, why did we come back? There was really nothing good (for me at least) to come back to.....as my first year had been tainted with such awful experiences. Why in heavens name would I come back to a place that held such suffering and misery for me? 

Well, I didn't want to throw in the towel just yet, and I wanted to see if things were going to be different this time around with my health and if I could overcome the struggles I had with driving, language, loneliness etc. I couldn't quit before I had given it a fair go. Plus, I knew in my heart that this is where God wanted me to be for this time....and I held onto the lessons that He had taught me throughout my struggles in my first year of living on what seemed to me like a different planet.

Looking back on the 3 years we have lived in Chad, I can honestly say that I have learned so much and been challenged spiritually, emotionally and physically 1000 times more than I could have been back in Canada. God knows exactly where we need to be for Him to shape us into who He wants us to be....and for me, that place is Chad. (On a bad day I ask....WHY not a cooler place??? On a good day, I thank Him for not giving up on me and for loving me enough to relocate me halfway around the world to the only place I could have learned these important truths about who He is and who He wants me to be).

Interestingly enough, 3 main words/phrases stood out to me as I was reflecting back on our time here in N'Djamena, each word represented the theme of the lesson God was teaching me in that year and this is something I want to share with you all.

In the first year, the Phrase that stood out to me, that I kept on encountering over and over in my reading, in my praying, in my journalling and in my talking to others and reflecting on my experiences was that 'when everything is taken away from you, God is enough and God is there'.

 I remember several weeks after my miscarriage I ended up back in the bush hospital (no running water, no electricity, no food/water provided, oh and it was 40 plus degrees) with a major skin infection (cellulitis) in my arm and I had had a friend drive me to this hospital as Phil was out flying that day....the Doctor admitted me right away and so there I was, alone, in the this room at the very corner of the hospital, sweating like a beast, waiting for Phil to arrive and bring me some food/water and some sheets and a pillow. It was pitch black by the time he arrived (his flight was delayed and then he had to sort out the kids and pack for sleeping over at the hospital with me) and he found me, laying in the pitch dark, on a vinyl mattress, in the heat, in pain and just at a serious low point and he said he felt like crying for me. 

I remember waiting for Phil to arrive, and just battling with God....one minute I would be so angry with Him and wondering why all this was happening as hadn't we sacrificed enough for Him to come to a very difficult place like Chad and we'd given up being close to our families and friends, given up the comforts of life, given up nice weather, and being able to wear what we wanted, given up speaking English and having modern stores and roads and given up the only way of life I had ever known......and then the next minute I would be thanking God for his provision of good British Doctors at this sketchy hospital and for the people who were stepping up to take care of our kids for us. 

I do remember very clearly as I was laying in my hot bed during my 5 day stay there, as I was complaining to God about all the things we had sacrificed for Him and why was He letting us go through all of this etc....I remember a clear voice saying to me "Haven't I given up everything for you?". Pause. Gulp. Yup. God gave up His ONLY SON for me, so that I could come freely to Him. The ultimate sacrifice. That most definitely trumped my list of sacrifices. That wasn't to downplay the serious struggles we had been through (and would continue to encounter as the year went on) but it just put things into perspective and helped me to focus more on what God was trying to teach me through it all rather than just complain about it. 

I would like to say that this realization after being in Chad for only 4 months at the time of my arm infection, meant that I was good to go for the rest of our time here in Chad, but nope...I guess I am a slow learner. Many more trials and difficulties came our way during that first year and I left Chad on May 1, 2014 to have Evelinne in Canada and I remember having a conversation (more like me bawling my eyes out) with Phil on how much I hated living here. Yup. I said it. Hope you realize now that missionaries are just normal people who struggle with the same stuff you all struggle with. God was faithful to me as he was trying to teach me this lesson that He is enough when everything else is taken away (health, family, comfort, friends, home culture etc). 

Believe you me, by the time I stepped onto that plane to head back to Canada, that lesson had been drilled into my head, an important one to learn early on, as when you think about it, nothing in this life that we have is certain....everything and anything can be taken away or lost at any time....we in Canada have a false sense of security and it took me moving to Chad to figure it out, but the only thing we can be certain about is God. Who He is: unchanging (that means He's the same God in Canada as he is in Chad), that you can count on Him to walk with you through the darkness and give you exactly what you need to make it through. 

No promises it's gonna be easy, in fact, there are more verses in the Bible telling those who believe in God that it's gonna be hard, and that we will suffer but that we can cling to the One who never changes, who is totally in control, who knows the future, who does what is best for us (doesn't mean He does what we think is best for us)....all of which are such important truths for someone who feels like their whole world as they know it is shifting daily as they try to navigate this new life in a new place. 

So, on October 15, 2014, I, Merilee Henderson once again, stepped off the plane in N'Djamena but this time, I knew it was going to be different, and it was. 

Stay tuned for Part 2.....

(This has already become a bit of a novel (congrats to those who read this far down!) so I am going to highlight the 2 other themes of my time here in Chad in another blog post.) 

Thanks for all your prayers, your support, your friendships and encouragement. God is doing a good work here in Chad....not only in me but in many others who are also living, working and learning some crazy God lessons here in Chad!

Ideas from an Ex-pat Kitchen: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Before living in Chad, I had never made spaghetti sauce from scratch....I mean...why would I when there are so many choices of bottled sauces for a decent price? Well, now that those bottles of spaghetti sauce cost $5 for half the size.....I was thrown into the deep end of making my spaghetti sauce from scratch. It has been 2 years in the making, and I am happy to say that I think I have a winner! My family can attest to the fact that it has taken me a while, lots of tweaking, adding this and taking out that.....to get the flavor we all like. I have used several recipes, mixed them together and added some of my own extras too (the kids had no idea that there was so many vegetables mixed in!!!).....so for those out there who want to ditch the bottled sauce and go 'natural', or for those other ex-pats who haven't quite found the right combination of ingredients for their sauce.....try this one one.....I hope you like it as much as we do!

 Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

-2 large cans of diced or whole tomatoes
-1 teaspoon each of Oregano and Basil
-1 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 4 cloves crushed)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 bay leaf
-3-4 Tablespoons sugar
-2 Beef oxo cubes
-1/4 teaspsoon of Pepper
-1 chopped onion (optional)
-1/2 Cup zucchini, peeled and chopped
-1 medium size carrot, peeled and chopped
-1/2 green pepper, chopped
-1/8 C fresh Spinach, chopped (I found if you put too much spinach in, you can taste it!)

1) Throw all ingredients into a medium size cooking pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce is done when the veggies are soft and cooked through.

2) Remove from heat, pick out the Bay leaf, and then use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients together, or if you don't have one, you can use a regular blender to puree the sauce. Add already browned/cooked ground beef if you like or keep it the way it is and have a meatless sauce.

3) Serve or freeze for later. Serves 6-8 adults.

*This is a very easy recipe to play around with....change up the quantity of tomatoes for a larger family, and just add a bit more of each ingredient. The best part of this sauce is how many vegetables are in it, and your kids won't be able to pick them out!

Tea and a tour

I recently realized that I have not given you a tour of our home here in Kampala....so grab a cup of tea (I'd serve you some Typhoo if you were here!) and enjoy a visit with me!

Here is the front view of our house.....we were pleasantly surprised at how nice our place was.  We have a little front yard, perfect size for two little girls playing 'after dinner games' with their daddy.

This is the kitchen that has everything we need to cook and eat properly for the next three months (except there is no mixing bowl....just an 8 cup measuring cup....try making two loaves of bread in there.....a little tight!!). The stove is gas and when the power is out, you need to light it with a match......only thing is that the matches here are so short which makes for fun times trying not to burn my fingers off while lighting the stove. Other than that....it cooks great!

This is the bathroom complete with shower AND hot water!

This is the dining room where we eat our meals and also where homeschooling takes place. The girls enjoy their morning routines and look forward to circle time and school.

The girls loved their pink curtains! We have gotten used to bug nets but somehow the girls seem to get tangled up in them during the night....so I don't think the efficiency of the bug nets is exactly 100%.

Phil and I enjoy a room with a bathroom attached to it which includes a bath tub. This was very important according to Lily as she LOVES taking baths.

The living room is nice and spacious....in fact the whole layout of this house reminds me of the Prairie housing we used to live in.....not crazy big but big enough and very functional spaces and storage. We love all of the windows since there is almost always a breeze blowing through which helps on the super hot days. (this pic was taken on our first morning in Kampala....hence all the suitcases)

One of our favorite places to sit and read or hang out is on our front porch. We have a beautiful view of Kampala from our front porch and have enjoyed eating dinners out in the cool air (at night, it is often cooler outside than inside!).

Phil's brother David and his wife Allie stopped by for a week. They live in Tanzania.

This is our 'backyard' where laundry gets hung and the girls find lots of different insects to observe. Not so pretty but functional.

Our little place is beautiful and we are so thankful for a place of rest and security. Even though we are only here for another month and a half, we will make sure to appreciate this blessing we have been given.

So, now you can picture where we live, hangout, do school, eat dinner and play. Visitors welcome anytime! :)

Under the African Sun

Sorry about the length of this one.....just so much to say about this place.....pics to come soon.

Well, we made it safe and sound....flights were a breeze, kids were amazing and I even snuck in watching a movie!! We arrived sometime after 10pm and met another MAF pilot who whisked us past the massive customs line up, right up to the front of the line....saved ourselves a good 2 hour wait.....loaded our 8 bags into the 4 x 4 and drove off with the warm Ugandan air blowing in our faces. After 7 years of preparation, we had finally arrived. Phil turned around and asked "what are you thinking?".....and to tell you the truth....I don't know if I was thinking....I was just taking it all in....the smells, sights, sounds of this world I had heard so much about. It was very surreal. After about a 45 min drive (Police check slowed things down considerably) we arrived at our home.....we threw our bags onto the floor and plopped ourselves and the kids into the already made beds (thanks to the MAF ladies who prepared that for us) and drifted off to a warm summer night sleep. The next morning we had some cornflakes, and then before I even had  chance to change out of my pj's....we had a visit from our next door neighbor Mel who is a very sweet single lady who has 'retired' here (aka....she is busy volunteering). Then Karen drove in (one of our friends from good ol' Three Hills, Alberta) and she helped us unpack a little..... not much to unpack, just clothes, some toys and books and phil's electronics :). She drove us back to her house for some lunch. We then got a tour of the MAF office, met a lot more people who's names I can't remember and then ended up eating dinner with another MAF family. We got home around 9pm and plopped back in our beds.  Here are some brief observations from this Canadian girl....

Roads: C-R-A-Z-Y! Need I say more? We are talking dirt roads, ditches winding down the middle of the 45 degree hill that leads to our house, 'bodas' (motorcycles) coming at you from all directions with as little as 1 person on them or a box the size of a refrigerator on the back....how DO they balance those things??, no painted white lines, cross walks or flashing pedestrian lights....just slow moving people expecting you to stop.....good thing I rarely leave second gear (haha). The roads become paved once we reach where the MAF office is but major driver awareness is needed at all times....oh and did I mention that they drive on the other side of the road here???
Food: I have eaten 6 yummy meals since we have been here thanks to some amazing MAF hospitality....lots of rice, pasta, meat sauces, cucumbers, tomatoes, chapattis (like naan bread but thinner, like a wrap but better!), steak and even ice cream! I have been grocery shopping several times (there is no 'one-stop-shop' store here....you need to go to different stores depending on what you need. I have been everywhere from a road side fresh market (food displayed on the ground, freshly picked) to a store called "Game" which reminded me a bit of Wal-Mart but not as much variety and not as big. That is where we picked up our washing machine! In general, you can pretty much get anything you want to eat here....including Heinz Ketchup (YES!) but....and it is a big BUT........it all tastes just a little different.....for example the ketchup is spicy, the butter has a chlorine taste to it, the crackers taste.....I dunno....just different.  It will just take some time to get used to it all. I cooked my first dinner here....stir fry and rice in peanut soy sauce. YUM. Looking forward to making english muffins, bread, granola, and salsa.
Water: The water that comes from the taps isn't safe to drink......so we used bottle water for everything.....it has been a hard habit to break, not turning on the tap to rinse your tooth brush or just quickly filling up your glass for a drink.....I think we pretty much have the hang of it now, but all of us caught ourselves at one time or another about to rinse our toothbrushes under the taps--no amoeba’s for us thank you very much! The water pressure in our house is about a little more than a trickle.....but hay, at least we have running water. Showers are proving a bit difficult (I really did cherish the last shower I had in England!) so we have been showering at other people's houses and at the pool. Apparently there is dirt in the pipes? Hopefully it will get fixed soon?! Other than that, washing dishes by hand is bringing me back to three hills days.....good times.
Wildlife: okay, so I'm not talking giraffe's and lions here....I am talking about cockroaches, ants and lizards.  It's wild life to me!! We've only seen and killed 1 cockroach (lets hope it stays that way...they are BEYOND disgusting), seen several lizards but they can stay cuz they eat the bugs (oh and they don't have teeth!) and ants....well....ants are just a part of our family now....they march in and out in nice straight lines.....and clean my kitchen, floor, walls, tables for me....anything that has any trace of food left on them.  :) Sometimes I am mean and clean things really really well....other times I am nice and forget to clean up the kids break fast and see 1000 of them marching in a very loooong line. :) (I have 'special' spray for that situation!) No spider sightings yet....you'll know cuz you'll hear me scream all the way from Uganda! :)

Hmm...this is getting to be a rather long post....just wanted to give you a snap shot of what I see here in Kampala.....more to come. 

Off to Chad, Africa!

N'Djamena is the capital city where we will be living.

So, we are off to Chad after 7 years of waiting and wondering and imagining.....we are still processing it all with excitement, nervousness, anticipation and wonder about what our lives will look like over in Chad. As a mom and wife, thoughts swirl in my head: doubts mixed with courage, happiness and sadness, confidence mixed with a fear of failure.....all these emotions will be worked out in time I'm sure but for now.....slightly overwhelming. Chatting with Phil, (someone who is walking this crazy road with me) has been comforting; asking our friends to pray for us and most importantly, giving this overwhelming situation to my Father in prayer has helped me in the processing stage of our journey to Chad.

One thing we know for sure and that we are most definitely confident about is the fact that this is God's plan for our lives, He chose this place for us and will carry us through, whatever trials should come our way....He always has and we know He always will.
It has been a 7 year journey......from the time we quit our jobs in London, ON and drove across Canada in our 1987 brown Toyota Corolla ("the pooper") and headed for Prairie's Mission Aviation Program........2 kids, a lot of friends, ups and downs in our marriage, a commercial, IFR and Instructor rating under our belts, no debt (PRAISE GOD....it was a $60,000 program.....obviously God got us though that one) and now here we sit.......82% of the way through raising our monthly support needed to go to Chad, about to leave in June to Quebec City for 6 months to learn francais, and preparing our hearts to serve the people of Chad.

Typical road condition during rainy season....impassable.

But you know what? Despite some unsettling aspects about this country, Chad is actually a great place for us in so many ways......it has a Christian elementary school right in the city run by Africa Inland Mission (AIM) should we choose not to homeschool. The other pilot family that we will be living/working with has 6 kids (lots of girls), the youngest being Kaitlyn's age. The flight program is small, only 2 planes which is super attractive to Phil who didn't want to be part of a large flight program and wanted to continue flying small planes and be 'down in the dirt' with people.

After doing some research on our own, we have discovered that Chad has some huge needs. There are only 600km of paved roads in the entire country! So when rainy season hits 4 months out of the year.....the roads outside of the capital city are impassible, making aviation vital to the continuation of the many ministries working in Chad. It has the largest number of unreached people groups in Africa, and the literacy rate is a mere 25%. Poverty, a history of political instability, unrest between the Muslim north and the Christian animistic south and corruption have plagued this country for years......there is much work to be done.
So, Phil and I move forward, trusting that God has all the details worked out, and as long as we continue to move ahead, He will direct our steps. Not gonna lie.....sometimes I feel very freaked out......just so you know I am normal...no super Christian here....just a mother and wife trying her best, failing often but relying more on the One who set out this path for her. Details to come....it's gonna be a crazy ride.