Wow!  Where has this week gone?  And why haven't I found the time to blog?

Here's the rundown:

Monday

Eric picked me up at 9 a.m. in his trusty taxi.  With Christmas shopping list in hand and a pocket full of money, I was determined to do the impossible.  It was to have been a one day shopping marathon.  Then I would be done and wouldn't have to think of going back into town again.  No more hassling with the dreaded Christmas traffic, which seems to get worse every year.  

Good idea.  Brilliant plan.  Forgot to calculate just how long it takes to maneuver through traffic at this time of the year.  Returned to Shiloh at 5 p.m.  Exhausted!  Tired of shopping!  Bah-humbug!  List not finished.  Have to go back into town.  Hopefully just a half day though.  I've almost licked this problem.  How bad can it be?  But not tomorrow.  Tomorrow is reserved for finishing decorating Shiloh for Christmas.  Cannot drag that project on any longer.

Tuesday

The best laid plans of mice and men...How does that saying go again??

Eating breakfast with a guest when the phone rang.  Missionary friends wondered if I could possibly go out to the airport right away and pick up their lost luggage?  Just got word that it has safely arrived.  Sure.  I could do that for them.  After all, the airport is the opposite direction from town and all that traffic.  Shouldn't take too long.  Then I can tackle the final Christmas decorating.

On the way to the airport learned that another missionary needed help buying a particular book that is not sold in her area.  Sure.  I could help her with this project.  How hard could it be?  True, I would have to go into town.  But only part way.  I knew the exact bookstore that carried this book.  She needed 14 copies for a class on marriage which she will be teaching in January.  

What should have been an easy favor to do for a friend turned into a living night-mirror.  I spent three hours trying to buy the books.  Finally gave up in despair.  Owner of the bookstore offered to bring them out to Shiloh in a couple of hours.  Sounded like a good idea.  Gladly paid for her taxi fare.  Little realizing the major drama and trauma I was getting myself into.  It took three hours and many phone calls to connect the lady selling the books with the friend buying the books.  But finally, after we had long given up hope, it all turned out well.  After 8 p.m. When we were all so exhausted we could hardly stand upright.  

Wednesday

Back into Yaounde to (you guessed it) finish all the Christmas shopping.  Should be back around noon, I announced on my way out the door.  Funny, ha ha!!!  I should know better than to make rash predictions.  At three p.m. there was only one thing left on the list to buy.  And then the fun began.  We went from shop to shop, from one end of the city to the other, up and down, back and forth, before we finally found the last item.  By the time we fought our way through traffic and got back to Shiloh, it was after 6 p.m.  Hoping, longing, wishing that I won't have to think about going into town until sometime after the New Year.  I'm getting too old for all this rushing around!

Thursday

Which  brings us to today.  Spent a quiet day at home.  Christmas decorations are finally all up.  Shiloh looks stunning.  This afternoon a group of Seminary doctoral students came to Shiloh for a farewell party for one of their professors.  He has been with us for two weeks and returns to Switzerland tomorrow.  Many of these students have stayed at Shiloh for varying lengths of time as they work their way through their Master's program and now their Doctoral program.  It's been a joy and an honor to have a small part in helping these future church leaders from various African countries.  Their seminary is a short walk away from Shiloh.