I am drowning in sorting and organizing. We moved everything over to the barn and I just LOVE it, but it just got moved over there and dropped. Now I am going through the long arduous process of putting everything in it's proper place and order. It all takes time and light. Hopefully I'll have lights strung up in there today.
So it seems that is all I do at the moment.
On top of everything else, I MUST reorganize my educational stuff. I have more tutoring work that I know what to do with at the moment and I need to get my stuff easily. Right now things are a bit disheveled.
Lastly, we have a very special guest coming for Thanksgiving and we will have a 1 year old staying with us. I need to get things at least a little baby proof.
We will be starting to decorate for Christmas this week. Thankfully that was all organized after Christmas last year.
My organizing inundation is the long result of several geriatric relatives passing on over the last 5 years and the collections they left behind. Very creative people leave behind a beautiful legacy but they also leave behind a lot of STUFF.
However, I think I can safely estimate that by New Year's 2011, the STUFF we will have around the Kalinowski spread will be stuff we want and enjoy and not everyone elses collections they could never part with.
Make no mistake I am very appreciative for the STUFF as it has brought a huge lifestyle improvement to Rakieta & co. and others who needed things, but it is very exhausting to store it, especially when the parties who originally owned the STUFF were very stingy and possessive in life. That residue hangs around even after they have moved on to be with our Father.
Well, it is fully daylight now so I must say "Bonjour" and get busy with my very active day.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Update on Kassoum
I spent 3 days trying to make a decent connection to Ouagadougou earlier this week. In the process of the telephone system chaos, I missed getting to talk to Kassoum. When I finally got through I was told there was BIG news. Kassoum got a phone call on Tuesday night that he was accepted into police school. The family is ecstatic.
Of course we are happy for him.
BUT no computer school. This will not do.
I said "Now who is going to go to computer school? " ( I am not ready to give up on my dream of a computer literate life with the Tapsoba family.)
Rakieta said "Maybe I can go to computer school." I said "Maybe you can".
Stay tuned. This story will probably have many twists and turns.
Of course we are happy for him.
BUT no computer school. This will not do.
I said "Now who is going to go to computer school? " ( I am not ready to give up on my dream of a computer literate life with the Tapsoba family.)
Rakieta said "Maybe I can go to computer school." I said "Maybe you can".
Stay tuned. This story will probably have many twists and turns.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wouldn't Ya Know It?!
So, it is so funny how God blesses you in little ways.
The lack of computer skills by the Burkinabe people is pretty amazing in our fast paced techno world, but I am always pleased and made to smile by their innovation and "Little Train that Could" attitude.
But, what we go through to try to communicate always makes for entertaining stories and if we aren't laughing we are crying.
So, here is where our guardian angels have gotten into the picture:
Kassoum, one of our main characters in the saga of the Kalinowski's and Burkina Faso, is at a major crossroads in his life. I'll fill you all in here.
Kassoum is Rakieta's older brother and one of the only sons in the Tapsoba clan of Lassane and his 3 wives. For a Muslim guy, he is pretty cool. He has many, many sisters, one of whom is Rakieta, who has some American ideas and is a prosthetic wearer. Plus he has 3 moms. Needless to say, he is pretty mellow and used to dealing with a lot of estrogen. In the last year, Lassane (the dad) has developed some major health hazard which I will guess is a hernia. So, who do you think is working hard to feed this bunch?
You guessed it.....Kassoum. At this point, he has all the responsibilities of a middle aged man with 3 wives and none of the perks.
Burkina Faso has this crazy system where half the people who go to school never end up with the diploma for many reasons. A lot of it originates with lack of $$.
Well without the diploma, it is impossible to get into any of the government jobs. Yes, this is a socialist country modeled after the best of them, France.
But, Burkina Faso's idea of a benefit is to have enough rice for everyone every day. In other words, none of the sloughing off stuff European socialism is famous for.
Kassoum can not seem to get his baccalaureate (diploma) even with many attempts. There have been many reasons, but suffice it to say he is now 22, has to work like a dog to feed the masses and he needs a solution.
So, he asked Rakieta to tell me he needed Matt and I's advice. This started the dialog that we have now had. Now we spent the better part of 3 weeks in miss-communication because of the lack of computer savvy on that end. But where there is a will there is a way and finally we have connected.
I had suggested he give up making the baccalaureate his highest priority in exchange for getting training in some kind of trade. In the meantime he was trying to tell me that he wanted our opinion and blessing on computer school. So see where I say the angels were looking over us?!
Computer school costs $62.00 for the year and we look at it this way: if NOTHING else, our $62.00 will get that family and anyone else we need to talk to there into the cyber world in a way that is actually practical.
That is a very good deal from our point of view!
The lack of computer skills by the Burkinabe people is pretty amazing in our fast paced techno world, but I am always pleased and made to smile by their innovation and "Little Train that Could" attitude.
But, what we go through to try to communicate always makes for entertaining stories and if we aren't laughing we are crying.
So, here is where our guardian angels have gotten into the picture:
Kassoum, one of our main characters in the saga of the Kalinowski's and Burkina Faso, is at a major crossroads in his life. I'll fill you all in here.
Kassoum is Rakieta's older brother and one of the only sons in the Tapsoba clan of Lassane and his 3 wives. For a Muslim guy, he is pretty cool. He has many, many sisters, one of whom is Rakieta, who has some American ideas and is a prosthetic wearer. Plus he has 3 moms. Needless to say, he is pretty mellow and used to dealing with a lot of estrogen. In the last year, Lassane (the dad) has developed some major health hazard which I will guess is a hernia. So, who do you think is working hard to feed this bunch?
You guessed it.....Kassoum. At this point, he has all the responsibilities of a middle aged man with 3 wives and none of the perks.
Burkina Faso has this crazy system where half the people who go to school never end up with the diploma for many reasons. A lot of it originates with lack of $$.
Well without the diploma, it is impossible to get into any of the government jobs. Yes, this is a socialist country modeled after the best of them, France.
But, Burkina Faso's idea of a benefit is to have enough rice for everyone every day. In other words, none of the sloughing off stuff European socialism is famous for.
Kassoum can not seem to get his baccalaureate (diploma) even with many attempts. There have been many reasons, but suffice it to say he is now 22, has to work like a dog to feed the masses and he needs a solution.
So, he asked Rakieta to tell me he needed Matt and I's advice. This started the dialog that we have now had. Now we spent the better part of 3 weeks in miss-communication because of the lack of computer savvy on that end. But where there is a will there is a way and finally we have connected.
I had suggested he give up making the baccalaureate his highest priority in exchange for getting training in some kind of trade. In the meantime he was trying to tell me that he wanted our opinion and blessing on computer school. So see where I say the angels were looking over us?!
Computer school costs $62.00 for the year and we look at it this way: if NOTHING else, our $62.00 will get that family and anyone else we need to talk to there into the cyber world in a way that is actually practical.
That is a very good deal from our point of view!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Family
Family comes in all shapes and sizes. I wasn't blessed with a huge extended family through birth or marriage but we have accumulated a huge extended family through hosting and mission work. I am happy to report that through Facebook we are now in contact with all but one of the kids who we were lucky enough to have in our lives. The last one is a bit tough because she is from Japan, but I am certain that she too will one day find us.
When used for good, Facebook is a wonderful tool.
I can't wait to get Rakieta and her family on there. Stephanie is, but unfortunately no one in Rakieta's entourage has figured it out yet. I am sure after my trip over, we'll have this worked out.
I hope all of you are entering a wonderful holiday season with your families too.
When used for good, Facebook is a wonderful tool.
I can't wait to get Rakieta and her family on there. Stephanie is, but unfortunately no one in Rakieta's entourage has figured it out yet. I am sure after my trip over, we'll have this worked out.
I hope all of you are entering a wonderful holiday season with your families too.
Fall Back
Well, I seem to be adjusted to Fall Back. Only 3 days. This might be one of the easiest transitions ever. I don't know if it is the mild weather, the fact that I am so busy or if some magic fairy sprinkled dust around here, BUT I am very grateful.
Things are clicking along like they should around here. I am getting geared up for sewing season and the usual chaos that ensues with the Christmas show. It should be very nice this year.
I am actually looking forward to it.
I should be leaving for Africa right after the new year. Rakieta and company are very relieved.
This is supposed to be a very mild time of year for them so hopefully it will be a little easier on me.
Things are clicking along like they should around here. I am getting geared up for sewing season and the usual chaos that ensues with the Christmas show. It should be very nice this year.
I am actually looking forward to it.
I should be leaving for Africa right after the new year. Rakieta and company are very relieved.
This is supposed to be a very mild time of year for them so hopefully it will be a little easier on me.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
SKYPE
Wow! Skype is very, very cool. Today Matt finally got things under control and organized for a conversation with Keshav, his motorcycle friend who has a new job in Belgium. I feel like I am living on the Starship Enterprise!
Now to just get this stuff figured out to try to make it work for Burkina Faso. I think we'll be just using the telephone part. The video stuff is probably beyond what most, even the cyber cafes, have available at the moment.
It sure is cool though!
The other cute news I have is that Rakieta hauled put a word search I had sent over and was learning to play the games. It is a great way to keep her up on her English grammar.
We are so blessed to have her and her kooky family as part of ours!
Now to just get this stuff figured out to try to make it work for Burkina Faso. I think we'll be just using the telephone part. The video stuff is probably beyond what most, even the cyber cafes, have available at the moment.
It sure is cool though!
The other cute news I have is that Rakieta hauled put a word search I had sent over and was learning to play the games. It is a great way to keep her up on her English grammar.
We are so blessed to have her and her kooky family as part of ours!
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