Friday, May 29, 2009

Foreva', eva'?




















With exactly two months left to the day of my departure from Burkina Faso, the place I have called home for the past two years, I am faced with a dilema. How do you say good bye to someone forever? The simple response to such a question would be to simply open my mouth and utter the words good bye, but it is not as easy as it sounds. In the past when I was at a transition point in my life where I was moving to a different place or city, the words didn't seem to have as much meaning. Sure I said good bye, but it wasn't really good bye. In the states a good bye is merely an extended see you later. There is always the odd chance that you will see the person again someday. But in this situation, I find it highly unlikely that I will bump into Fatimata Thiombiano walking down the streets of Springfield, Missouri. Then again, who knows what the future has in store. I will just take it one person at a time, one good bye at a time.

On another scarier note, a lion has been terrorizing the villagers about 10 km from my village. It has to date eaten two children, attacked one grown man, and several cows. It is actually a family of eight lions with only one angry old one, so I am told. The latest attack was just yesterday, but they have all been outside of my village and nowhere near where I live. There are people that go out on a weekly basis to find and kill this lion, but have yet to be successfull. This however is not cause for alarm. I am perfectly safe and if this ever did become an issue in my village, Peace Corps would be the first to know and I would be the first to leave. Once they do kill the lion, they are going to bring it back to my village and let me take pictures of it.

Picrues Above:
Dust Storm
Dust Storm
Trees in shower after I threw out all the duds
Corn
School
Teachers

4 comments:

Luna Mariem said...

Your presence will be missed greatly I'm sure. But the memories and the impact you've had on that village and the people who live there will live on foreva eva. ;)

can't wait to see pics of this lion!

hugs
`ash

Barrett said...

Awww, man. This definitely brought some tears. The pictures are wonderful - the lion is exciting! - and I'm souhaiting you beaucoup du courage these last few months. Oh, and I'm a Thiombiano, so you might run into one. Just not the ones you'll be missing . . . :P

Anonymous said...

Happy 3rd birthday in Africa, Caleb!
We hope you celebrate your next birthday in America!
Love you,

Mom & Dad

Amelia Lawson said...

Hello Cousin! Today is your birthday!!! I hope you have not been eaten by the lion yet!

Amelia