Short timers

I am in the capital Ouagadougou to participate in a
small presentation a few of us will be giving to members
of the health ministry. It is to summarize the activities
our group has done over the two years we've been in
Burkina Faso.

There are just a few of us left from our original group.
Many have left and weekly there is another one or two
on their way out. I've mentioned it in other
posts but it is amazing how fast the time passes. It
seems like yesterday when we met at a hotel in Philly.

I will have about 2 weeks left in the village after I return
this upcoming weekend. It is the time to start closing it
down. Burning all the old clothes and papers and giving
out a few things here and there. Which can be a source
of stress as everybody is interested in getting something.
As for me and with my past experiences, I am just going
to give the key and tell my colleagues at the health clinic
to go for it and choose what they want after I leave.

It is the time for realizing that life is going to change.
With the effort of adapting and the pains that come with
that. It is now, after getting it, as in culture, language
and the people in your village, time to say goodbye.

There are many ways to live lives. I've experienced a
few over these last years and sitting in the kiosk the
other day and observing the village life, was an
interesting moment. The kids were walking to school,
mothers riding their bicycles with their babies tied
on their backs and people to and from the pump to
fill their water cans. All this while sitting at the kiosk
listening to African pop music and drinking coffee.

Not the life of millionaires but lives with movement,
color and simplicity. Sure makes me think and question
as to which way of life is the 'best'. Sure am blessed
to have the chance to live and learn from these people.

In the end it is the time to reflect, forgive all sins
(theirs and mine) and just enjoy what's left.

Less than 2 months

That's all that's left ... less than 2 months. I've mentioned
it many times that time has flown by.

Since my last blog entry, a while ago, we have been through
a Coup d'Etat that ended up as well as it possibly could.
It was a crazy few weeks where we left our sites and
awaited the outcome in another area of Burkina. When the
coast was clear we returned.

It is the time to start closing things up and with school restarting
it gave us the chance to do 2 more sessions of the sex-education
project. There was a class last school year that we didn't get a
chance to get to but if it goes well we will be having the girls
of that class come out to the maternity building for the activity
this upcoming Saturday. We will try and probably will get to
the boys next week. I have to just talk to the teacher and we
will work out a time.

As it goes, I should be home a few days before Christmas and
in the middle of the cold weather. Not like here where cold
weather is about 50 degrees at the lowest first thing in the
morning for about a month, tops. After about 8:00 on those
mornings the sun takes over.

I am in the preparing to go close of service meeting.
When I return it will be cleaning up any loose
ends and looking to clean out the accumulation of two years.
I have kept it somewhat minimal with only what I've really needed
but things still pile up. Today I am in the nearest small
city so tomorrow, I will get to start dumping.

Also, at this time there is always the 'what is ahead' variable that
rears it's head. At this moment I am kind of formulating loose
plans but am not getting too involved with that process yet. I was
thinking of getting back and then get to the grinding
stone to hash out something. But always, there are plans, a few
grandiose, a few not so exotic.

So, the next few weeks will fly by even faster than usual. It is a
time to also close up shop with relationships made during the
last 2 years. It is always a challenge living with people in a
different culture. And that goes for me with them and them
with me. But it works out and in the end we get to leave a few
friends behind.

But as the saying goes ... when one door closes another one opens.
Just got to figure which door to choose at this point.