A Day In The Life

Hey all! Greetings from Tanda, Cote d’Ivoire! I (Tawnya) am excited to be writing my first ever blog. Bear with me, writing isn't my strong suit...but here we go!

We have been in Tanda, Ivory Coast for 3 months already. Wow…that’s crazy! What does life here look like for us? Let me tell you. 

JEFF

He is in his happy place. He is up early every morning and on the Solace Family Home property with the Ivorian workers. His relationship with them is so cool to watch. They don’t understand anything he says, but his smile and laugh is infectious. It keeps the worksite happy all day long. He has been working hard moving dirt, gravel, and sand from all over the property on a small tractor with a front bucket. While he is working he usually has at least two little passengers. The kids all love him and think the tractor is the coolest thing ever! 

AUBRY

Aubry is doing well too. She is a night owl like her Mimi, so she usually sleeps in late. She gets up and starts her homeschool work. We finished the 5th grade book we were working through so we are going to take a break until the kids here start school in a few weeks. Then it is time to hit 6th grade hard! 

She has made many friends. Again, with the language difference they can't communicate very well, but when you’re playing laughter is all that matters. She’s had a few incidents with a few of the boys hitting her and she learned the “don’t hit girls” rule for boys that we have in America doesn't apply here. She still has days when all she wants is to go home, but for the overall she is thriving here.

TAWNYA

My days start several hours later than Jeff’s...for now. I do not spend as much time on the property, so much of my day is spent in the home we are currently renting. I will ride my bike over  to take pictures and get some exercise. It’s a beautiful ride. I have spent a lot of time in my Bible, more than I ever seemed to back home. The peace and quiet is wonderful!

I’ve been into town to market a few times. There are a lot of people and the smells can be awful, but I’m slowly adjusting to how things are done here. It’s been much slower for me than for Jeff and Aubry. I’ve never been an outgoing person, so it’s a struggle to be in the middle of a lot of people staring at me and wondering why I am here. But I know that God is working on me every day and a time will come when I will be more comfortable in public. For now, I’m praying a lot in the time I spend at home. 

PRAISES

  • Jeff was invited to preach at a local church a few weeks ago. He did awesome!
  • The construction process is coming along very well and we are seeing progress daily
  • We are all adjusting to our new home well

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Save travels to and from Abidjan (major port city that is a 5 hour drive) in a few weeks
  • Continued progress in construction
  • Health for all of us as we have each battled illness in our time here

Thank you for your prayers!

-Tawnya Jackson, Missionary