Saubona!

Good morning to all from our sanctuary here at Abamgamok!

Other than Nature’s neighbors, we have the lake to ourselves, always such a delight for the 2 of us.

It dipped below zero last night so the birds and squirrels are all puffed out and hunkering down to cover their feet.

It is such a blessing to be here.

We are always very busy, day in and day out,  hauling wood down over the hill on a drag, writing a newsletter, splitting kindling, chopping ice to keep the hole in the lake open to obtain our dish and bath water, creating a project proposal, keeping up with correspondence, always moving forward in the direction of getting others to join hands and work together in order for our family in Burkina Faso to have access to clean water.

Sometimes it feels a bit grueling, and then we are reminded of how fortunate we are to be living this life of sacred activism.

We get to step outside at any moment and experience the quiet of nature, for there are no power lines humming here. When we turn off our little Honda generator (Esu named it Hank) the only human noise that we hear is what we create ourselves.

We have a pair of resident foxes that enjoy our compost pile, they have become familiar with us and will hang around when we are in the vicinity. There are also a number of eagles, and they do fly-bys quite often, always giving us a big rush of joy.  After the sun goes down we are visited by 3 flying squirrels, what a special treat!! They have such large eyes (all the better to see you with my dear!), and their pelts are extra soft. They are so timid that even if we  move our heads they will skitter off the deck, but not for long.

We heard a loon a few weeks ago, had to hear it twice before we really believed it!! Knowing that it should have long since headed to the ocean for the winter, we were quite concerned as they need open water to get a running start into flight. Loons cannot walk on land, or ice, let alone get airborne without water! So we decided to investigate and skied across the lake and into the basin to see if we could locate it ( I knew that there is a beaver lodge there and thought there must be a bit of open water). Unfortunately, there was no sign of the loon, and we have not heard it since.

Before I close for the day, I would like to take a moment to speak about our beloved grandmother Eeyah.

Anyone reading our last newsletter knows of her passing, on Monday 24 jan.

Since we found out, I have run the gamut of emotion……feeling an overwhelming sadness that I was unable to be with her in her last days, something that I thought about constantly, having been informed a few weeks earlier that she had taken a fall and was not recovering. Our connection was quite unique and my love for her is soul deep.

In Afrika it is customary to give respect to the elders, so when I was staying in the town of Fada where she lived, in the section that is the remains of the old kingdom of the Gour’mache, I would go to visit with her…….our mutual joy of being together was palpable. She would always sit up on her bed (a flattened mattress on the floor) and pat the space beside her, beckoning me to sit.

The first time I visited her, years ago, she cooked millet dumplings over an open fire for me, apologizing for her age and not being able to do more!

When we were finally able to have a verbal conversation, with the help of 2 interpreters, she said how amazing it was for us to come together from around the world and love each other. She also said that she wished it would rain, and that every drop would be a white person like me. She even let me put my hands on her and told me that the energy she received would keep her well until we would meet again.

When my heart grows too heavy, I am reminded of the words from our good brother Peace Sarambe when he told us of her passing….he said, people in Africa do not cry for the old ones when they die…they realize that they have had a long life and are happy that they have moved on…good advice!

Here is a video link of an interview I conducted with Eeyah which is featured in our film BARKA! BURKINA… it is the only recorded interview she ever gave:

During the month of February, while BARKA raises $28,000 in 28 days to get us back to Burkina to implement a water, sanitation & hygiene project, Esu & I are making a commitment to blog more, tweet more, and be more in touch.  This is the first step.  Blessings to all and all

Peace and love,

Ina