I suddenly developed a thirst to explore more of this foreign, red country. I wanted to speak with more burkinabes, to learn more about their culture and habits and way of life and why they did what they did. I made many African friends, especially with the youth from the church I was attending. They were a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed their company. But there was a thorn on my side: my room mates. They didn't like me. Why I couldn't befriend them was not something that was to be revealed to me although I tried to reason it. One of them hated me and the other was just indifferent. To this day I ignore why and confess myself befuddled over it for I've always believed myself to be an easygoing person. Eventually I began to ignore them as they did me although the one that hated me would do or say things to get under my skin. It wasn't easy to live in the same house with her but at least I had friends. I had even become friendly with the night guard and maid. To my delight I found out that my maid was Christian as well and had a Christian husband. I met him one evening as I was getting ready to settle for the night. I wasn't really used to having people call on me but I did my best to entertain those who did. We got to talking about spiritual matters and I found out that his father was a pastor in a highly superstitious village called Pielimpikou. He had been a pastor there for 16 years when his predecesors all left only after one year, not being able to handle the spiritual warfare of the village. I wanted to meet this older pastor who lived in poverty because of Christ, who was a brave warrior who knew why he was fighting. So when Christmas was just around the corner and my room mates had decided on a whim to throw a Christmas bash, I elected to not attend. At first I didn't know where I would go because to hear them plan it, the party would go through to the early hours of the morning. I couldn't possibly stay locked up in my room, I wouldn't be at peace. I started to thing about going somewhere exotic, fun, somewhere totally alien from everything I knew. All of my Oxfam colleagues would be doing a "western" ritual, reminiscing about home and snow and Christmas shopping but I wanted to be in Africa, living it and enjoying it.

One very hot and sunny day when Madelaine was doing our laundry outdoors, she sat on the armchair where I was sitting reading and she mentioned that she was going to enjoy her Christmas vacation. Imagine a big bright light bulb suddenly lighting up atop of my head. Why not go to her home village and meet the pastor I so wanted to speak with? I even offered to pay her bus ticket if she would take me with her. Her eyes lit up as brightly as my light bulb had and suddenly I was involved in the preparations of our "trip". And what a trip it proved to be.