Moments.

-I was driving through town the other day. I had the radio cranked up high, blaring a Burkinabé song of children singing in Mooré. I had the windows cracked down. Steven was sitting in the back seat eating a sweet juicy mango, skin and all (in true Burkinabé fashion) given to him as a cadeau from my veggie lady.

-Last Friday we went for a walk as a whole family. Isaak got off work early. So when the girls got home from school in the late afternoon I recommended we go for a walk to the new ice cream shop that just opened up near our house. It was just a couple streets away. The sky was overcast and cloudy, a nice treat given that it was 102 degrees. The sun stayed behind the clouds the whole time and we had a rare opportunity to walk without the sun beating down on us. There is so much to see when you walk. I miss walking. We used to walk everywhere, all the time, when we first moved here. But as life has it, when our car arrived a few months later it was easier and more convenient to drive places. But walking is nice. I asked the girls if they remembered all the walks we used to take a couple years ago when we didn't have a car and the memories came gushing out. "Remember that one time on our walk when we saw a dead crocodile in the sewer?! Do you think it's still there?!"

Goats, chickens, and stray dogs scurried past us, meandering up and down the roads munching on garbage and an occasional green plant.

Noises came from every direction. The cacophony of goats bleating, motos zooming by, horns honking, music playing from the maquis, children shouting "Nasada, nasada!" as we walked by.

We walked up and down the dusty garbage strewn streets, not bothered by the complexity of smells wafting though the air, smells of sewage, food, animals, burning trash, all mixed together to create the unique and pungent smell that is Burkina. These smells and streets have become associated with our home here. 

It's so much easier to walk here now. I thought about that, as we traveled up and down the roads, knowing that people were looking at us as we strolled by, but no longer feeling self conscious about it. Feeling at ease, confident. Like, we belong here too. Even though it's not my country, it is my son's country and we will always be connected to Burkina Faso. The realization that this country and its unique African culture is a part of our family forever.

-On Sunday Cote D'Ivoire won the African Cup and on Monday their embassy, which is located three houses down from us on our street was celebrating their joyful victory. They were blasting music all day, evening and night long, and as we sat around our table eating dinner that night we listened to the booming music waft in through our windows.

Just a few moments from the past week that brought me deep joy and reminded me of the blessing it is to do life in this country and experience another culture.