A Gift From the Dogs

Dogs and cats have a habit of bringing unwanted gifts to their owners: mice, lizards, gophers, birds, and on and on. The dogs here are no different. A few weeks ago, on a Sabbath morning, the dogs left a gift – a much-appreciated gift.

At one point the previous night the dogs had been barking incessantly, which they usually do when something especially interests them. In the morning we found out what it was: an enormous cobra. Thankfully these are true watchdogs that don’t take too kindly to intruders. The dogs frequently hunt lizards during the day and, as a result, are very efficient as a team. The cobra did leave its mark on them, but eventually it was killed. Nibbler and Sandy (the black dog and the golden/white dog) both had their eyes spit in and Tiger (the largest dog) was actually bit. When a cobra’s poison gets on the eyes they swell and are temporarily blinded but it typically fades away in a matter of days. Tiger, on the other hand, was bitten and was given penicillin so she wouldn’t die.

This isn’t the first snake they have killed, but it is the largest. I walk these courtyards every night, and as glad as I am to have the dogs constantly on the alert what is truly comforting is the knowledge that I am in the hands of God. I am thankful for His protection.

Guinean Weddings

In the past couple weeks I have been to two very different weddings: one that followed many of the Western traditions and one in the Guinean tradition. The first was a couple who are members of the Adventist church in Fria who were previously married by law but never had an actual wedding. The second was a couple from a local village, Adama Suriya. It is very common in West Africa for marriages to be very informal, many times involving only the exchange of cola nuts. Since there is not very much commitment associated with these marriages they are, as a result, easy to dissolve. Many couples get married planning on having an actual wedding ceremony years later when they have saved enough money; sometimes this happens, sometimes it does not.

Traditional Guinean weddings last for three days. I’m not sure what exactly happens on each day, but the day I saw at Adama Suriya included a discourse by the village imams and “gift giving” as seen in the video above. As people dance towards the center they drop money in two large bowls placed in front of the bride and groom, seated on the edge and covered by a blanket.

Really, there’s too much to describe here – I’ll have to tell you more, with more pictures, when I return. This just gives a glimpse of what a wedding in Guinea involves.

Boils

Never get a boil! Ever!!! For about a month I’ve had from one to three boils on my armpit, which all culminated in one of the most painful experiences I can remember. At first they look like a pimple, but they keep growing. The larger they get the more sensitive they become. When the pressure becomes too much the head bursts. From then on it’s pus and blood. The good part about this stage is that the pressure – and therefore the pain – slowly recedes. This picture Fred and me was taken after dealing with the last and worst of them. Enough about this, it’s probably more than you wanted to know anyway…