Starting Chadian Arabic

Picture is of our neighbor's yard just after a dust storm

It’s tough for me. The Arabic I learned in Jordan is a pretty respected form, with a decent amount of literature and art produced in it; politics take place in that form of Arabic, et cetera...I guess I appreciated that it seemed like a language that sort of opened doors for you onto the world. This dialect of Arabic is humbling for me because it doesn’t really open doors to anything except ability to live and minister in Chad. Yes, I know that is the point! I guess I’m saying that the ‘cool factor’ is very weak with this language. The other reason it’s hard is because it is very similar to middle-eastern Arabic, but just different enough. Like I learned a word ‘makaan’ that means ‘place. Somehow that word became ‘bakaan’ in Chadian Arabic. It’s psychologically stretching to accept that the Chadian word is just as valid as the original Arabic word it came from, and then to replace it in my mind. Imagine trying to learn Nigerian English. It is just as valid a form of communication as American English. Words that came from Britain may have changed somewhat in their African form, grammar may have shifted a bit, but now you must adopt these unfamiliar peculiarities as your own, forgetting what you were always taught was ‘proper’ English. Switching to Chadian Arabic is a little like that.

Our language helper Habiba is very friendly. She talks a lot in French and in Arabic, and sometimes forget that neither of those are our first language! But so far so good. I've learned how to buy things, and how to pray so far. I do one half-hour lesson three times a week right now. Then I study that lesson for about an hour outside class. I am also reading Genesis in Chadian Arabic, one chapter a day, watching portions of the Jesus film, and doing lessons from both a French and an English ‘how-to speak Chadian Arabic’ manual. The amount of resources on this language is pretty small, but those who have done work have done a lot, and done well.

It is hard to not learn Fulfulde, the local language. We still have another language after Chadian Arabic, and don't want to put unneccessary words into our memory, but you can't help but learning things because everyoen in this town speaks Fulfulde, and loves to greet us "Jam bandu? Awaaly jam na!" That's what it sounds like at least. It means how are you and hello or something like that.

Abdel-Aziz

There is this one guy I really want to share the gospel with named Abdel-Aziz. He lives on our street. I was walking one day and he calls out to me, ‘Hey do you play basketball?’ So I go over and start talking to him. He asks me to build a basketball court for the village of Meskine. ‘It could be your good deed for us,’ he says. Anyway, I have seen him around and he is just on my mind and heart. I would like to share about the Lord with him. Maybe you could pray for him and for a chance to do that. He always has a smile on his face. Sometimes he wears the traditional Islamic gown with a skullcap, and sometimes he wears a polo shirt and khakis. We speak French because I don’t know Fulfulde, but he is always teaching me words in Fulfulde.

First Day in Cameroon!

I guess I had pictured that after the ordeal of leaving France, packing for Africa, and traveling all day to get to N’ Djamena, that we would finally get to our village home, relax and go to bed early. Well, it has not been that one. It has been one challenge after another! But, and I mean this literally, God has been right here with us. On our first night here in our village home, we tried to relax at night, but all manner of large bugs and even a lizard kept walking right into our house under the door and then there was a feeling of ‘ uh, we’re sleeping here?’ We didn’t know where we were in town, had no money, and didn’t (still don’t) speak the local language Fulfulde. It was dark, stifling hot that night, and after hanging the mosquito net, we lay there on our waterbed, yes it’s true, can’t say I recommend it, but it works, and sweated out the small amount of salt and water we had in our bodies. Karen was so brave in the face of that challenge. So we prayed together, honestly afraid and discouraged, wondering why we had come and how things would ever get better. We asked Jesus to just keep his precious promise to us (now I am tearing up thinking about it): ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even til the end of the age.’ We asked him to come and be inside the mosquito net with us, and then things were calmer almost immediately. We drifted off to a kind of fitful sleep, and when we woke up it was morning. He had helped us through a very hard moment.

The next day at lunch I told Karen that I had the strangest sense that when we prayed, he had answered immediately, and come there. Not like a special spiritual encounter in some new-age sense, or even like we were emotionally shaken by it, but just the absolute certainty that he was there. She said that she had the same sense.

In that night, and in at least five other specific ways, he has answered prayers we have prayed in time of need, often in tears for help. It is hard, but it goes one moment at a time, and it goes with Jesus literally at our side.

Things yesterday were so much better than that first day. Last night we actually slept quite well, although woken up many times by noises and bangs outside. It was really nice. Karen is a wizard in the kitchen, whipping up beef stroganoff with a pathetic lack of ingredients, and keeping us well fed.

The Carters have been so helpful. They let us stay in their place, in their own bed after we arrived the very first night from Ndjamena so we wouldn’t have to deal with our new place alone after such a tiring journey. Rachael had baked us some bread, Margit had left us some mangoes, and it was really helpful.

All 7 of our bags made it, amazingly, and our stuff was in good shape for the 99% of it, just a couple boxes inside had broken.

It is hot, but clouds come from time to time and really cool it down. We have a night guard at our place who speaks some French as well as Fulfulde. We will get house help on Monday to help us with the humongous task of living here. We are a 20 minute walk from a missions hospital with a surgeon, at least two doctors, and over 100 trained nurses. They are the ‘ reference hospital’ for this entire region. People even come here from Ndjamena to see the doctors.

We had shipped 3 bags air-freight, but do to an extravagant bribe being asked, we had to leave them behind in Chad. Thankfully someone has agreed to go try and get them out of customs for us and then when the McKenzies drive down in a couple days they can bring our stuff with them.

Dave let me borrow the car he is borrowing from the MCKenzies yesterday to drive the 13km into Maroua from Meskine. The car is a huge truck really. Dodging pedestrians, bicycles, other vehicles, motorcycles, chicken, sheep, goats, and potholes really makes you want to keep your eyes on the road. But it went OK, and it’s nice to know I could drive somewhere if need be.

So much more to tell you about. For now we are feeling better about life here as we learn more each day. Our fridge has enough for a few days now, and that is re-assuring. Next market day is Tuesday. Oh, yeah, we have a fridge! Can’t imagine not having one. We have furniture too, and curtains, and a beautiful backyard. There isn’t dirt here, it’s all sand, but beautiful flower trees back there with the blue and yellow lizards and black and yellow butterflys.