April in CAR

I had the good fortune to take two recent trips to the Central African Republic and to attend the partners’ consultation (between EELRCA leaders and their international partners) in GB.  I could write a book about activities and people, but decided to make this a photo essay instead.  (With pictures in the order that they were taken, more of less…

It is usual in Cameroon for cars (acting as small buses/trucks) to be over loaded.  It is even more true in CAR where people are added to the trunk and roof (and on top of loaded trucks).









Some of the many trucks waiting for the UN convoy to start, going from Garoua Boulai, Cameroon to Bouar and Bangui.  There have been no attacks on the road for some time and some are now willing to travel without the escort.  Progress!  

 Most villages still have traditional mud brick houses with thatched or corrugated tin roofs.  The second picture shows the underlying wood being prepared to receive new thatching.

 Leaders during a visit to the Seminary in Baboua: Anne Langdji, ELCA regional Representative; Dr. Rebecca Duerst, ELCA Director of Diakonia; Rev. Dr. Andrea Walker, ELCA Area Program Director for West/Central Africa and Madagascar; Rev. Dr. Antoinette Yindjara, Director of the Seminary.

  The same women with other church leaders in Baboua – and me peeking out from the back. 

Sewing class at Chez Marthe et Marie, the women’s center in Bouar run by FCC (Central African Women for Christ). 

Women waiting to have their babies weighed, measured, and vaccinated at the Emmanuel Health Center, Gallo.

 

 Catherine Naabeau, Director of the Heath Center in Bohong and Coordinator of Health Programs for EELRCA (holding mushrooms we bought on the roadside).

Map of the area of intervention of the Primary Health Care Program, Gallo with Michel Bouba, Director.

Thomas Sanda, artist standing with me by the artisan’s shop he runs in Bouar (yes, that is a huge painted rock). 

EELRCA headquarters 

and President Ndanga-Toue’s house that is being refurbished (courtesy of ELCA).

 

 Dinner with Rev. Dr. Ndanga-Toue and ELCA women Anne, Andrea, and Rebecca.

Antoine Mbarbet and Anne in front of a house on the Baboua station (where they both lived – at different times in the past).  Antoine is now EELRCA book keeper, chauffeur, and assistant in many other ways. 

Consultation Participants: Dr. Antoinette leading devotions at the start of the Partners’ consultation.  Also pictured are Job Mario Mamadou, EELRCA Administrative Secretary, and Rev. Martin Nouye, Director of EELRCA Youth Program.

 Patrick Kelembho, Administrator; Rev. Rachel Doumbaye, Vice President; Rev. Dr. Samuel Ndanga-Toué, President; Michel Doko, Treasurer.

Annelise Diss, DEFAP (Protestant Churches in France).

 Josephine Oumarou, President, Central African Women for Chirst; Mathias Votoko, Representative, National Church Board.

Anne Wangari, LWF representative; Willie Langdji, ELCA Regional Representative; Jakelle Cornell, representing the 3 ELCA partner synods (Western ND, Eastern ND, Texas/LA/Gulf Coast), Helmut Grimmsmann, ELM (Lutheran Church in Germany.)

VP Rachel and me

Director of the Village School in Foro (with the school’s pavilions and some students in the background.

Selling (very large!) mushrooms along the road.  This is the season.

Solar power:  recharging lamps and drying manioc (cassava) at the Seminary in Baboua.

 

Antoinette receiving gifts sent from the USA through Jakelle.

 Bougainvillea near “my” house in Baboua

Director of the Péouri Village School in Baboua (in their permanent building) with me.

Assisting with communion distribution during the the closing ceremony for the Bouar 1 District Conference in Kele Boukou (20 km. north of Bouar). 

Elie Sanda, ELCA Administrator (living in N’gaoundéré, Cameroon) and Josephine (FCC) after the liturgy. 

 Chicken coop (fertilizer accumulates under the structure) – village near Bouar).

 Willie and Antoine digging up a wild orchid plant for Willie to take to Yaoundé.  

Kids (being kids!) at a spring box made by PASE (EELRCA water project that has also worked a lot with the LDR humanitarian aid project).

Rutted (but not very) challenging, infrequently travelled road between Bouar and Bohong.

Bohong: evidence of destruction being cleaned up and houses rebuild after 2013-2014 fighting.

Jakelle sharing pictures of the kids (taken on her phone) in Bohong.

Close up of some of the students.

Gifts as we left Bohong: pineapples, avocados, and mangos (in the bag).