YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Street Umbrellas

It was HOT in Cameroon. Vendors used umbrellas for shade. Umbrellas along our way.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Peace Corps Days

Cristina served on the women's art team - translating classes, facilitating conversations and helping us through the cultural landscape.  Her helpful and much appreciated experience came out of 2 years of service in the US Peace Corps in Cameroon. 

Relationship is a high value in African culture and Cristina made many friends in those 2 years.  I was happy she had the opportunity to catch up with them.   
• US Peace Corps Cameroon office - Yaounde.
• Cristina and colleague/friend from Peace Corps. 

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Designed In Glass

Close-ups of stained glass window designs at the retreat center workshop described in last post - Stained Glass Windows 

Great photos by Marcia on the art team.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Stained Glass Windows

It was treat to unexpectedly meet artists on this trip. This happened on our last day at the Catholic retreat center.  

A garage door was open and there inside, were several men working on stained glass wndows. We almost missed seeing this.

The priest (at right), in charge of the retreat center, was the artisan teaching the younger fellows the craft.

Taking on stained glass window commissions was a way to sustain the center. It was great seeing art happening in the grounds.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON My Batiks

Here are my two pieces of handmade batik by Charlotte.

Each piece is very long and nice weight.  

Will cover the whole extended dining room table. 

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Beautiful Batiks

It was so hard to choose from the glorious selection of batiks - all created by Charlotte.  I finally chose one. There's Charise sorting through the piles with me.

Then Marcia and Charise surprised me and bought me the other batik I really loved! Thank you Charise and Marcia!

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Shopping With Cristina

Cristina, on our team, lived in Cameroon with the Peace Corps for two years.  She knew great places to take us shopping.  

Her friend, Charlotte, had a business creating batik fabrics and Cristina took us to her shop. Piles of gorgeous batiks!  It was so hard to choose, we had to go back a second time that day!  

1. Charlotte laughing at my reaction.
   
2. Cristina and Charlotte outside the shop.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON The Artist Wabi Pearl

The Sunday in the middle of our - almost 2 weeks in Cameroon, we were in the home of Wabi Pearl, the artist of beautiful ceramic jewelry. 

Wabi Pearl is wife of the pastor of the Presbyterian church in Yaounde. Both were in my last post. Nelson gave the sermon at their church that day.

I bought a necklace and earring from her. Here she is adjusting the earrings before she packaged them up for me. 

Marcia and I wearing our jewelry made by Wabi Pearl.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON A Patron Of The Arts

Nelson and I are always joking around our house that he (being my husband) is a patron of the arts - supportive in a lot of ways!  I have to say it is impressive, heartwarming and astounding even to observe a husband who is super supportive of his wife, an artist. It is not often the case. 

I ran into a lot of sad stories of unsupportive spouses, when I was involved speaking and teaching in the quilt world.

We met a wonderful couple after our final women's class on Saturday. He was a pastor of a large Presbyterian church and his wife, well she did all kinds of creative things and did them really well!  We later got to know her as a jewelry maker, but that's another post.  

Here they are with Marcia after lunch looking at her collaged story book of Ruth.  How refreshing to see the husband equally engaged as his wife, learning the creative process and story from Marcia, the artist.  Yes, another patron of the arts! 

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness In Your Heart: 
Marcia speaking about unforgiveness, had a length of yellow rope - one end tied to my wrist and one end tied to her wrist. 

" When you have unforgiveness in your heart, you are dragging the memory of that person around with you where ever you go.  It is like a dead weight on your soul. Your days are colored by that person and the hurt you won't forgive. Release it by forgiving the person and bringing them to the cross and give them to Jesus." Marcia Carole

"Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving  the criminal of his crime.  It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being the victim-letting go of the pain and transforming oneself from victim to survivor."  C.R. Strahan

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON At The Foot of the Cross

"We keep our stories, our 
wounds and sins buried deep in our hearts because we don't believe God has truly forgiven us and loves us profoundly through Jesus," 

said Marcia. 

After she talked about each troubling issue, Marcia passed the representational object to me and I put it at the foot of a simple cross.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON What's In Your Heart?

What's In Your Heart was the title of the teaching Marcia did with the heart pillow.  A close friend of mine developed and used the idea in cross-cultural work. We too have traveled together with my art.

Since then it's been used by Cathy in Peru (link to see how) and by Marcia in Cameroon and other far away countries.  

Teaching creatively, using visuals, speaks to the heart much more effectively than simply talking through a lesson.  Both Cathy and Marcia took this idea and have taught it in slightly different ways. As their mentor of sorts, I've been blessed seeing them creatively making it their own!

In the presentation, objects are pulled out of the heart pillow. These represent issues that have a grip on a woman holding her back from walking free and unburdened: generational sin; greed; love of money; misogyny; idea that beauty will save you; the hold of drugs or alcohol; worry; depression and others.

After the objects and issues are talked about one by one...then what?...
• toy mice-worry that 'nibbles' away, wearing you down, becoming all-consuming. • black rik-rak- representing Satan's schemes, evil or witchcraft. 

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON The Heart Pillow

On the third morning, Marcia taught with her heart pillow. Take a look. It lights up! With a string of Christmas lights inside, it causes a stir at the airport - but always makes it through.  

What's this about? 
To be continued....