Into Africa

October 1: Signe in Benin

I am here in Cotonou, Benin, city of 1,000,000 inhabitants, 100,000 street vendors, 10,000 moped taxis (zemi-johns), 1,000 hole-in-the-wall restaurants, 100 medical clinics, 10 varieties of rice, I large beach, 100,000,000 mosquitoes who take over the city once the sun sets.

I arrived at the airport after a few long flights on September 9^th at 7:30 p.m. It was dark already, since it is only 6 degrees above the equator. We filed into lines to go through immigration, our yellow fever vaccination cards were checked, passports stamped without any hassle. No question which baggage claim carousel was ours — there is only one.

This city, in a developing country, is quite different from anything that I have ever experienced in my travels throughout the U.S. and Europe. ….

I have so many experiences already, and it has only been three weeks. I am really beginning to see the needs here. I want to help! I want to begin many projects, and some of them require very little money. I guess it is expected for my first time in a developing country. I feel like crying when I hear about horrors here, or I see them, or I think about them. It is all part of the territory. I wouldn’t give it up for anything….

Tonight mamie said that I am part of the family now — I am her last daughter. If I feel uncomfortable about anything, to tell her frankly. To let her know about food I like or don’t like, etc. Just like I would with my own mom. She is very glad that we have bonded already and is sure that God has put us together. I’m sure of it too