Abengourou rhymes with Kangaroo

Bonjour from Cote d'Ivoire!
(as you can see, I don't actually know French but I am trying...)

I've been here in Abengourou, Ivory Coast, for a few days and am getting settled. My teammates and I are staying in a house right next door to the missionaries. I struggle to even call it next door because it's pretty much the same property but it is divided by a half wall. We share the house with one other young woman who's doing a longer internship/exchange program with CMF. The missionaries (Andy and Stephanie Gable) have 5 kids that run back and forth between the houses and are generally bunches of fun and laughter, they love have visitors so that's lucky for us.

Since we arrived right in time for the weekend and today is Pentecost (Ivorians celebrate all the holidays), we have spent the past several days slowly experiencing life before beginning at the clinic and with CHE tomorrow. I've felt all weekend that I should write, but I haven't really known what, or how to say it. I mean, I do already have stories, but to know what's important to share now and what should be saved is proving to be a challenge.

I guess I'll begin with Moringa, since I'm sure I'll talk about it a lot so you should be familiar. Moringa is essentially the superman of plants. It's good for everything, and every part of the plant can be used. It's rich in vitamins, minerals and is one of few, if not the only, plant that contains all the the essential amino acids. Its said to help with tons of health issues, including but not limited to diabetes, asthma, stomach ulcers, the list goes on. The stems can be fed to livestock, as a natural way of beefing them up. In fact, don't give it to pregnant animals because the baby will simply grow too large and will cause problems during birth. Having Moringa in a field helps maintain proper levels of minerals in the dirt.It can also be used to clean water, it causes all the dirt to clump together leaving the top clean. Anyway, short story is that this single plant is the healthiest plant in the world and the ultimate supplement.

In Djoula (a tribe language) Moringa means "Tree of Life" and that may not be so far from the truth. It seems this plant is good for everything, and the more research occurs the more good stuff is discovered. I haven't told you my favorite part though, If you look at a map of the world with the places that Moringa grows best, then compare it with a map of the world with areas of greatest malnutrition highlighted you'll find that the maps look almost exactly the same. Moringa grows where most other things don't, and it grows incredibly well. It's like God knew and provided an all-purpose plant for his people so that they could still get adequate nutrition.

I'm learning more about the wonders of Moringa everyday, but really, through Moringa, God is teaching me about His provision a little more everyday.

xoxo Courtney