Joyeaux Noel!!!

I hope everyone is doing well!! So sorry it has been so long since I’ve last posted…things have been crazy! I am now done with training!! Woo! I have been at post now for about 2 ½ weeks (Lolodorf) and I LOVE it! I’m having such a great time getting to know people in the community! I spent the first few days here getting settled in with lots of help from my neighbors!! After getting settled in, I spent some time just sitting in public to meet people/study some French/make a list of things I want to do while I’m here! It was fun for a couple days but I’m quite glad that the hospital here had a training planned for 10 days! It ended today! So the past 10 days I’ve been working pretty much non-stop everyday with no break…not even Sunday! It was training on reproductive health in which 20 people were trained so that they can essentially be extensions of the health centers to reach more people in remote villages. It’s such a great program and I was pleasantly surprised to find that my supervisor had organized this entire thing and I got to just do little animations such as a condom demonstration and a short HIV/AIDS activity. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet new people, get to know the staff at the hospital, and listen to A LOT of French!
In other news, my health is good! I had a cold but it magically lasted about 36 hours and then disappeared! I’m liking Cameroon more and more! Hehe! I also started my list of bush meat that I’ve eaten…viper, hare, and carp (supposedly poisson du brusse…). And Christmas day while each of you is enjoying a lovely honey ham, broccoli casserole, cakes, etc….I will be eating porcupine and ndole! Pretty psyched! Not just that though…I think we start tomorrow making cakes, killing chickens, starting cooking the porcupine (I watched my neighbor butcher it last week), and maybe start working on the fish too! Haha…so no sugarplum fairies this year…more like moot moot fairies! Moot moots are these crazy killer mosquitoes here…haha they’re not that bad as long as you’re not outside between 6:30 in the evening and 9:30 in the morning! In reality, the bugs haven’t bothered me nearly as much as my week on site visit so I think I’m becoming immune!
I miss you all dearly! It doesn’t seem possible that it’s two days before Christmas…there’s no tree, no presents, no English, no carols, no snow…or anything remotely like it!! But I am so happy to be here and know wholeheartedly that this is where I’m supposed to be! It gets reaffirmed every day in some way or another!! And hey…Christmas has nothing to do with where you are…it’s what you’re thinking of right? I’m right there with each of you enjoying the love of Christ and celebrating his birth!! I hope you’re well! I will try to write again soon…and I’m working my way through my address book so if I have your address there’s a good chance there will be a letter heading your way soon…about 12 will go out next Tues. when I get to Yaounde! I love you all!! Thanks for all your prayers, love and support! You mean the world to me! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
<3 Amanda