4 March 2014

We're leaving Congo. Forever.

I hate change. No really, it messes me up. When my favorite websites get a "new look" it takes me a while to forgive them and visit again. When I commute, I have to take the same route every day or I'll be totally off. I do not use an alarm clock. My eyelids just know when to open. I'm the type of person who marries a routine. And never cheats.

But for some reason changing countries always feels exciting. I moved to Egypt and then Congo without visiting either place. And without knowing a soul. When everything changes it's far easier than just one thing being different.

So here we go again. We're leaving Congo after six of the best years of our lives. In June we'll take our last flight from the place we started our family. The only home our children have known. As Mama Youyou has told us over and over, "No one is happy about this." It's true. It's horribly sad and I will probably self-medicate to make it through all the goodbyes.

In fact, last week I wrote about leaving Congo on World Moms Blog and Adam gave me a hard time for writing such a depressing post. Check it out here. I'll be referring to the supportive comments folks left there from now until our departure. (Thank you, World Moms!)

Photo credit: Jill Humphrey

But as a dear friend said when she left us doubled over in sadness upon her exit from Congo:

This was never meant to be permanent.

And so we can't stay here forever. The time feels right to move on.

After our usual visit to the States this summer, we'll pack up and head to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. And since we're switching countries, we may as well change our careers while we're at it. Adam and I will be the Country Representatives for Mennonite Central Committee, and our children will go to work charming the locals so we can make friends. They can already pronounce the words "Ouagadougou" and "Burkina Faso" so that's one hurdle crossed.








We've seen pictures of our future house, we have a nanny lined up (sigh), and all four of us will visit Ouaga in a few weeks. In some ways, it feels like we've already transitioned. It is truly a weird time in our lives.

I don't know much about Burkina Faso. But unlike the other places I've moved, I have been there before. Strangely, about 12 years ago I passed through Ouagadougou with friends on the way to Mali. And I kid you not, I had a dream about coming back there to live with Adam. Unfortunately I didn't take my premonition seriously enough to size up the place for its functionality of moving there with two children.

Luckily, many expats in Congo have also lived in Burkina. So we've been mining them for information. When we mention our move the most common words we hear are:
  • integrity
  • hot
  • friendly
  • motorcycles
  • strawberries

 Let's compare that to the most common words we hear when we tell people we live in Congo:
  • dangerous 
  • humid
  • potholes
  • Ebola
  • why?

Clearly, we love Congo despite its reputation. But Burkina sure sounds like a great place too.

I know you're wondering...yes Jill and her family are leaving Congo too. She'll write about their change in due time. And no, we don't know about the future of Mama Congo, which feels like another one of our best friends here. Dear readers: Do you have any suggestions? 

But let's get to the most important part of this post - Do we have any readers in Burkina Faso? If so, will you be my friend?


34 comments:

  1. Whatever happens, you MUST continue to write. And if the blog look changes, I'll forgive you immediately.

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  2. Can't you keep writing even from separate places? Mama Congo can just be a figurative title. Blah blah big scary changes, what will I do without Friday links?

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    1. Hahaha! This feels like exactly what I would be thinking had I read this post. Love it!

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  3. Definitely keep blogging! I'd love to read about your adventures in Burkina!

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  4. Please keep writing! This blog is one of the highlights of my week. And it would be too sad to have to say good bye.

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  5. Just keep adding onto the name... Mama Congo..Burkina..etc... It would be easy to go with especially with your current header. I think it builds the beauty and shows the various threads that have been woven in your story.. from various places.

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  6. I can only reiterate the plea to continue blogging! I am in no way exaggerating when I say that this blog is one of my favorites to read (and I read a lot) and was a huge inspiration to me and my husband when we decided to move to Tanzania.

    Hugs during this time of good-byes. It's just. so. hard.

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  7. Oh Gosh - even I'm choked up about you leaving Congo! Despite the "common words" that also rolled through my mind so many times, I knew you had Mamicho and Mama Youyou, along with the other mamas and many friends to guide and care for you. And about the blog, Congo is where you became a Mama, so I'm voting for Mama Congo in Burkina.

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  8. Yes keep on blogging! I like the idea of Tessy, add some more places to the current mama congo name :-). Enjoy the new adventure and good luck with the goodbyes!

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  9. I read your blog with tears, recalling my own transitions throughout life. After my family moved to a new community in advance of my senior year of high school (read: darn hard!), a wise choir teacher told me: "You never really leave a place you love. Part of it goes with you, and part of you stays behind." These words have comforted me through years of transitions. Warm thoughts and prayers as you transition. ~CSE

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  10. I will echo the comment to keep posting. I don't know either of you, but truly enjoy your posts. I don't live in Africa, nor do I expect to, but I love the glimpses into your lives. I have to admit that upon reading the post I started thinking, oh no, I'm going to have to go through all this turmoil with the move in June! We'll all be sharing in your sadness at leaving your current home.

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  11. Oh my goodness! My friend Alissa Irwin told me about your new adventure. Burkina is a place very near and dear to me and my husbands heart. We have done work there , currently support work there, and hope to go back again soon! I can't wait to read about your adventure and if you would liken us to connect you with any locals we would be happy to!

    Blessings - Dawn dawn_prather@yahoo.com

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  12. Yes. Please keep writing. Especially for us Mamas who long to travel but simply can't. Best wishes to your family!

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  13. Please keep writing!! I love your style, your humor, it is all so relatable! And even though I don't live in Africa, having a sister who does, your blog somehow makes me feel closer to her. Keep the blog name and please keep writing! Best to you all!

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  14. This is sad, but exciting! Mama Globe Trotter.

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  15. New adventures are bittersweet! Please keep blogging as you continue your adventure. I'm living vicariously through you!

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  16. we left Ouaga in July 2012 so a lot will have changed, but we had a great two years in Burkina. It will probably seem like a small sleepy town after Kinshasa, but there's lots to do and Burkinabe are great fun to be around, and generally have a wicked sense of humour.


    do:
    have degue (millet & yoghurt) with mango for breakfast
    eat rotisserie pintarde (guinea fowl)
    freeze lots of broccoli and strawberries in season
    visit the SIAO at least twice (with your girl friends shopping and with your husband to drink beer, eat brochette and take it all in)
    stay overnight in Tiebele
    try to eat whole Taxi Brousse burger at Gondwana restaurant
    stay out too late shaking your thang at a bar dansant

    Please keep blogging from Ouaga, there are tales to tell!

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    1. Yay! Thanks for commenting. We'll keep those items in mind. Funny, everyone we talk to says, "Oh! I have a great friend there, but they just left..." We can't wait for a small, sleepy town especially if there are broccoli and strawberries!

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  17. Hello reader friends! Your comments mean so much. Wow! We should leave Congo more often to feel this love.

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  18. Please keep blogging! Keep it Mama Congo. It represents the start. Much love and Cairo misses you. I think of your gingerbread at Christmas :)

    xx Nina

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    1. Nina! I told Adam about the gingerbread comment and he came right home to make some. It's in the oven now. Haha. Christmas in March here in Congo!

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  19. Keep on writing, wherever you are. Some of us live vicariously through you! And we're excited for a new change.

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  20. Congratulations on your new work with MCC. I work with MCC in Nicaragua, it is a great organization, one which you will be blessed to work with!

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  21. Very exciting but please please please keep up the blog! I love reading about your daily life in a far away land. It inspires me and I hope I will do it too some day!

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  22. Bye "Mama Congo". We've enjoyed reading your posts right here. We'll be reading them again from your new home. But what have you said? "Leaving Congo for ever"? Listen please: never say "never". You may be back right here. Who knows?

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  23. Even though I haven't seen you or Adam in years, I read your posts regularly and love keeping up. Please keep blogging! When you see the ip hits from Minnesota, that's me!

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  24. What an amazing adventure life is! I'm kinda jealous. Best of luck.

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  25. Sorry to hear you are leaving my birth city, big, noisy, dirty, dangerous, wonderful, ALIVE Kinshasa. Great picture of the TASOK field, named after my parents who started TASOK. More exciting adventures ahead in Ouagadougou! Blessings as you make the transition. Your kids are lucky that there is a huge TCK/MK community nowadays that was harder to access back in the pre-internet and -social media days.

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  26. I will never forget that trip! Good luck to you in your next adventure. XO

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    Replies
    1. Amy Budde!! Be in touch, friend. We think of you guys all the time.

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