We graduated the women from the baking program today! It was seriously so much fun, it was like a big drunken party except everybody was completely sober. I guess Africans just know how to party! So we went into the day with a whole order of operations for the graduation ceremony, but then we got there and they had made up their own schedule so we just went with it. The chiefs of the village were there and I think pretty much everyone in the village came out, all dressed to the nines. They took it so seriously. The women sang, the chiefs welcomed everyone, our group sang (impromptu and not very well, I might add), and then we called the women up one by one to receive their chef coats and hats and certificates. Then they all threw their hats in the air, like any good graduation! Oh, and we presented them with a sign we made for their bakery. And then we had bread and other food and danced and sang with the professional drum band they brought in for the occasion and took a million group photos. It was such a blast! We all showed up wearing our own chef coats and hats and they kind of laughed at us to start out, but once they put them on they never took them off, even through all the dancing. It was so fun to see them so proud of their bread and their bakery and their graduation ceremony!
We'll be with them tomorrow at church and most of next week, but less than usual. Just doing some classes and letting them run the operation for the most part. One day we won't go out at all. But they can pretty much handle things on their own now, so they should be alright!
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