Christmas in Fatick, 2011

The Christmas weekend began on Friday when my friends from Dakar arrived.  I made some chocolate no-bake cookies while the girls got settled.  It was Friday so that meant "pizza night" at the F's house.  I took my cookies and some drinks as our contribution to the meal.  After eating the delicious pizza we played Five Crowns while watching "Elf."  Saturday morning we made a trip to the market so I could get a few items I needed for our Christmas Eve dinner.  I went to see my friends in the market since I hadn't seen them in a few days.  While conversing with a man about our names, I mentioned that I didn't have a Senegalese family name.  My friend, Tening, gave me her name.  So now I'm Saly Sarr.  Now I know I truly have a friendship with Tening since she gave me her name.  After resting a bit in the afternoon and eating Lindy's monkey bread, we began our food preparations for the dinner.  I fixed a salad and brownies while Becky fixed her bowl of gluten-free lasagna.  The Fs arrived around 6:30 and we enjoyed a delicious meal of lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and desserts.  After the meal we gathered around the computer and watched the movie "The Perfect Gift."  It reminded us what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.  I would like to say that we all got a good night's rest but that would not be the truth.  It seems that the local mosque chanted over the loudspeaker until around 4:00 AM which made sleeping a little difficult.  This tends to be the practice on the eve of every Christian holiday so I guess I have that to look forward to at Easter.  The lack of sleep didn't dampen our Christmas spirit, though.  We fixed a breakfast of pancakes and then we all began our preparations for the dishes we were preparing for Christmas dinner.  The kitchen was a hub of much activity and juggling cooking times since we only had two eyes on the stove that work and my oven is rather small.  We managed to get everything cooked and over to the F's house for Christmas dinner at 1:30 PM.  After the meal we exchanged our presents and spent a little time relaxing.  I took some of my chocolate no-bake cookies to my neighbor's family.  Later, we all visited with my language teacher's family.  I gave Martine her Christmas gift and some brownies to the family.  Since all of us girls wanted to Skype with our families back home, we came back to my house for a while.  I talked with my kids while they opened the presents that I had sent to them.  Around 7:30 PM we went back to the F's house for leftovers and to watched "The Santa Claus" movie.  Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.  My friends had to leave this morning (Monday) to return to Dakar.  My first Christmas in Fatick has really been a special time thanks to all my special friends.

Things Don't Always Go As Planned

Thursday afternoon we left to go to Dakar.  All went according to plan:  get Nate to the youth group party, get settled into the guest house, and get us some supper.  Friday morning started out according to schedule. We headed to our headquarters, then to the place where I would get my health certificate for my residence permit.  We also made the stop at Sonatel so I could get me a new phone to replace the one that was stolen. It's a much nicer phone and I was able to keep my same phone number.  From that point on, things began to fall apart.  Traffic was bad (as usual) and there were detours due to construction that made it more difficult to get from "Point A to Point B."  We managed to get a little shopping done and eat lunch before we had to get M to her doctor appointment.   As we figured, she was going to need some blood tests done on Saturday morning.  No problem, we needed to go downtown anyway so we could accomplish everything early in the morning when there is less traffic.  Complication #2:  M needs to stay at least one or two more days to complete the tests that the doctor ordered (we were planning on returning to Fatick on Saturday afternoon).  We got our downtown shopping done and left before the traffic picked up.  Complication #3:  the guesthouse where we were staying was not available another night.  That meant we had to find another place to stay.  That was accomplished but it was more expensive.  Thus, we decided that I would hire a driver to take Nate and me back to Fatick with all my many bags of groceries, etc.  We were picked up at 3:00 and didn't have too much trouble getting out of Dakar.  Complication #4:  it took us an hour to get from one side of Rafisque to the other (and that was even after our driver took off down side roads avoiding the traffic).  We managed to get back to Fatick by 7:00 pm.  Complication #5:  when the driver started turning down my road to go to my house we discovered there was a celebration going on and there were people blocking the road.  So we turned around and went to my teammates' house and I unloaded all my stuff.  After the driver left we decided to go to the other end of my road to see if it was clear in front of my house.  Complication #6:  since the car is in Dakar with Kimberley and M, that meant I had to ride on the motorcycle with Travis to get to my house.  He put my bag in front of him and I held my purse and computer on my shoulders and held onto him for dear life as he drove me to my house.  To say that I was a little terrified is putting it mildly!  He managed to get me there in one piece, though, so I can sleep in my own bed tonight.  It turns out that the celebration was probably for a wedding.  I figured that it would be going on half the night.  After all the complications, I was delighted to find the celebration ended shortly after I got into my house.  Now I will be able to go to bed at a decent hour.  Sometime tomorrow I'll still have to get all my sacks of groceries to my house but hopefully it won't involve me riding on the motorcycle again!

Taamxarit

     Taamxarit (pronounced tom-ha-reet) is the first day of the M*sl*m new year.  The night before Taamxarit, is a special time for the children.  They will go from house to house, beating drums and dancing, expecting to receive a treat from you.  This all begins around 9:00 pm and lasts way into the night so don't plan on going to bed early.  I was prepared for my visitors with a large bag of suckers (50 count).  They would crowd around my door as I opened it to give them their treat.  They were very polite, thanking me as each one received their treat.  I think a few made return visits so I tried to communicate as best I could that they could only get one treat.
     As a result of the late night, today was a holiday from work and school.  Some of the children who live on my street came to see me this morning while my language teacher was here.  She helped me talk to them for a few minutes.  They returned for a visit this afternoon.  Since I had a small bag of suckers left, I decided to give each of them one.  BIG MISTAKE!  It wasn't long before I had more visitors.  I gave out all the suckers plus the last little bit of hard candy that I had.  I let them know that all the candy was gone so they left.  However, a few of the girls returned wanting to come in for a visit and teach me how to dance.  They are very cute and make me wish I could talk to them.  I've really got to learn Wolof!

Vermicel

     One day when the team from Illinois was here, we had vermicel for lunch.  I decided right then that this was my favorite Senegalse meal.  The decision was made that my language teacher and I would head to the market this week and she would teach me how to make it.
     So yesterday morning we made our trip to the market to purchase all the ingredients for vermicel.  I love going to the market and have made friends with some of the ladies who are sellers.  Our routine is to shop for a few items and then stop by Tening's stall and sit down for a visit.  I sit on the stool next to Isootay, who sells fish.  I love sitting there greeting the women who come to buy items to take home to fix their meal for the day.  It gives me a chance to practice my language as well as practice the ministry of presence.  Sometimes I even get to help sell some items or I will make change.  Yesterday I got to help shell peas.  I felt quite at home sitting there shelling peas.  One lady even stopped to buy some of the peas that I had shelled!  I drew a lot of smiles from the ladies.
     This morning was set aside as the time to cook vermicel so we would have it for lunch.  It's not that difficult to make so I should be able to cook it for myself when I no longer have my teacher.  Vermicel is short, very thin noodles (thinner than angel hair and steamed rather than cooked in water) that is topped with a sauce made of onions, garlic, pepper, and small pieces of beef.  I have to admit that I overate at lunch because it was so good.  There are leftovers so I can enjoy it for at least two more meals.

Goree Island

     I have visited many places through the years that have been memorable.  My recent visit to Goree Island will rank as one of the most memorable.  This island, off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, was the last stop for slaves before leaving for other lands.  The inhumanity of slavery became very real as our guide described what life was like for the slaves before they boarded a ship for unknown lands and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.  The rooms were small with little slits for windows.  Families were torn apart.  There were sections for the men, women, children, and young girls.  Babies were taken away from their mothers at nine to ten months of age.  There was a door that led from the building to a ledge at the water's edge.  It was called "the door of no return."  Once the slave passed through that door, they would walk a plank to a ship that would carry them to another world.  Some of the slaves would jump into the shark infested waters to die rather than board the ship.  Many of them would die on the ship before reaching their new lands.

Men's Quarters

"Door of No Return"

     Such cruelty to humans has existed throughout history.  I know that it will continue to be this way as long as we live in a fallen world.  This place will help me to remember that everyone has value in God's sight and I must treat them with respect.

                                                                   
                                                               

Ladies' Retreat

It felt like I left Africa on Friday.  We drove to the Savana Hotel in Saly on Friday for our Senegal Missionary Women's Retreat.  The grounds were beautiful with palm trees and beautiful plants.  Our rooms were air conditioned!  We were on the beach so the temperature was not as hot as in Fatick.  There was a huge swimming pool which was better than the beach (too much seaweed).  I felt like I was in another world for those 2 1/2 days.  We had four worship sessions during the retreat.  The singing was so uplifting and worshipful.  Our speaker talked about God's promises:  they are personal, pertinent, powerful, and permanent.  I really needed to hear that and be reminded to claim God's promises daily.  We also had the choice of two workshops to attend.  My first had to do with exercising at home without any special equipement.  It was led by a former personal trainer.  She taught us how to do exercises to work all the major areas and muscles in our bodies.  (I could tell the next day that I hadn't been using some of those muscles in a while!)  My other workshop had to do with contentment.  Life in Fatick is quite different than my life back home.  There are some things that I don't have as well as I miss my family.  This was a good reminder to me to be content with what I have and where God has placed me.  I came away from the retreat recharged and refreshed, ready to tackle all that God has in store for me this week.

Tabaski

Yesterday was Tabaski, a M*sl*m holiday.  This is the day that they kill a sheep in memory of God providing the ram for Abraham when he went to sacrifice his son (only they think it was Ishmael instead of Isaac).  After killing the sheep, they then cook it.  They keep a third for themselves to eat, share a third with friends, and then share a third with the poor.  During this day they dress up and visit.  I was included in visiting a family that lives down the street from me.  Not long after we arrived the food was set out for eating.  They made a special platter for us to sit around.  We were given a piece of bread and proceded to pull off some of the meat, pick up some of the vegetables and sauce with the bread, and eat.  You do all this using just your right hand (no utensils).  This was my first time to eat sheep meat and I actually liked it.  After eating we sat around in chairs and visited with the family.  I could understand a few things that were said even with my limited language.  The university student that invited us could speak English so I was able to talk to her some.  They served us soh, a sweet milk drink, while we relaxed.  After a while Momy prepared ataya (very strong tea with lots of sugar).  
Another aspect of Tabaski is that the children dress up in their finest and go around asking for candy or small coins (similar to our Halloween without the costumes).  I purchased a bag of candy going back to my house so I would be ready for visitors.  I left my outside gate open so the children would come in.  Once they discovered I had candy, then more children came.  One boy kept coming asking for more candy indicating that he was giving them to children across the street.  After he made several visits, I became a little suspicious.  One of the boys indicated "no" with his hands so I sent him on his way.  He came back with one of his arms tucked inside of his shirt as a disguise (but it didn't work).  Then he came back without his top shirt just wearing a white t-shirt.  That didn't work either.  You have to give him credit for persistence, though!  Since it was getting dark I decided to just turn off the light and close the door.  Maybe next year I'll have a better understanding of the language and can communicate with the children as they come to my door.

Cooking

Not only is M a good language teacher, she is also a good cook.  I decided that it would be good to put the two together.  Last week during language time, we went to the market to purchase the items I needed to make yassa (an onion sauce that you eat over rice) with chicken.  Since I was having visitors that Thursday evening, we made a lot.  There was so much left that we had it for lunch on Friday, I ate it for my Sunday dinner and my Monday lunch.  This week I decided that we would make mafeh (a beef/peanut sauce eaten over rice).  So, back to the market we go.  I love going to market and have made friends with a few of the ladies.  They help me practice my language and let me even help them sell some of their items.  I purchased my items, including going to the butcher for the beef, and we hopped on a horse cart to return home.  M came back late yesterday afternoon and showed me how to make mafeh.  This time we didn't cook as much so I won't have to eat it for 4 days.  It was really good and not as time-consuming to make as the yassa was.  This morning I turned the tables and showed M how to make a meatloaf.  (I was going to do it Wednesday night but couldn't figure out how to light the gas oven!)  I had canned English peas and a cheesey pasta dish to go along with my meatloaf.   We enjoyed our lunch together and now she has gone home for an afternoon nap.  I might take a nap myself except for all the pounding on my roof where men are building an apartment.  At least I can sit and rest my brain from language study.

Houdini

Do you remember the two kittens that were found and brought to me?  Well, one of them died within a few days.  The other one seemed to be doing pretty good so I moved him from the small (concrete) courtyard to the backyard where he would have plenty of space to explore.  One slight problem with that was a hole in the wall between my yard and my neighbor's yard.  The kids and I did our best to stack rocks in the hole so he couldn't escape.  It seems we weren't very successful.  I went out in the afternoon to feed him and he was missing.  After looking around the yard, I climbed up so I could see over the wall.  There he was, walking around the ladies who were doing their washing.  They were kind enough to give him to me (even though they really don't like kittens).  I stacked more rocks in the hole and then fed the little guy.  The next day, however, he escaped again to my neighbor's yard and had to be returned.  Thus, I decided to name the kitten "Houdini" after the great escape artist.  It seems that I chose a perfect name for him.  Monday evening I went out to feed him and he wasn't there.  I couldn't see him over the fence either.  I guess Houdini has made his final escape, never to return.  The kids searched around for him yesterday but he was never found.  I still have plenty of cat food just in case Houdini decides to return.

New Things

This week was full of new things.  First of all, I taught the kids Monday through Thursday since K had to remain in Dakar.  It was fun getting to teach again and I'm looking forward to the time I'll be able to do more teaching.  Second, I had my first visitors to my home.  My two journeyman friends who live in Dakar came down on Thursday for a short visit.  The visit started out with a Senegalese meal that my language teacher helped me to prepare.  I enjoyed getting to show them around my little town via horse cart.   We did a little shopping while in the market area and practiced our Wolof.  Friday evening was pizza/game night at home of my teammates.  The girls left to return to Dakar around 11:00 Saturday morning.  I didn't have too much time to be lonely because I left at 2:00 to go to the beach to celebrate M's 11th birthday.  I got to experience the Atlantic Ocean from the other side.  It's only about an hour away so I think I may be going there often!  Today had been a very hot day so the cool breeze from the ocean felt really good.  I'll be going to my first Senegal Missionary Ladies' Retreat in less than two weeks so there are many more new experiences ahead.  Life is good!

Weekend

      I went to Dakar for the weekend with lots of activities planned.  It started off with the fall festival at Dakar Academy on Friday.  There were games and activities for all the kids and plenty of good food to eat.  The two journeygirls who came to Senegal with me came for the event so we had a good chance to visit.  I think they are planning on coming to Fatick this weekend to visit me!  Can't wait to have company!
      Our plans got changed somewhat this weekend.  The M's daughter got hit in the face with a softball which required a trip to the emergency room.  She had to have stitches and had two fractures in her nose area so that meant a 48-hour hospital stay.  Between going to the hospital and getting food, I did get a little shopping done.  I'm now the proud owner of a dressy Senegalese outfit.  It consists of a wrap skirt, top, and a head wrap.  Now I'm prepared if I have to go to any special occasions and dress up.

     We went to church on Sunday morning at Dakar Academy.  My world got a little rocked when N told me I would have to drive us to church since his dad was not feeling well.  It was not driving the stick shift that had me worried.  To get to the school you have to drive a round-about.   Usually it is full of traffic so you have to work your way into it.  God was looking out for us!  There was no traffic in the round-about going or coming so I had no trouble getting us to and from church.  It was great to get to worship with a large group.
     After church we loaded the car, headed out to get something to eat, stop by the hospital, and then head back to Fatick.  K is staying with her daughter while she recovers.  Fortunately, she was released from the hospital today and is back at the guesthouse with her mom for recovery.  I will be teaching the other children this week while K is still in Dakar.  Things went pretty smoothly this morning and I enjoyed getting to teach.  I will be having my language study in the afternoons since I'll be teaching in the mornings.

In the Market

This morning I decided that M and I should do my language study in the market.  We started by catching a ride on a horse cart at the end of my road.  Our first stop was to go to the post office so I could buy some stamps for my postcards and check the mail.  With that mission accomplished, we headed to the market.  I love walking around and looking at everything and greeting the people.  When we passed a lady that I had talked with on another occasion, I decided to buy some tomatoes and cucumbers.  From there we passed some ladies cleaning fish.  They offered to have me help them clean the fish.  I thanked them but declined.  From there we went to a stall operated by M's cousin.  She offered us a seat so we sat for a spell.  I was able to talk to her a little bit and greet many people who came to make purchases.  At one point I even became a seller!  The lady sitting next to me who was selling fish had to leave for a few minutes and she put me in charge.  I actually sold a few fish for her!  (Thankfully, I didn't have to touch them!)  After a while we decided it was time to leave.  I purchased some peanuts on the way out before catching another ride on a horse cart to my house.  I actually boiled a few of the peanuts as soon as I got home and they are pretty good.

Visiting

Language study is progressing which means I need to do some practicing.  One way to practice is to visit my neighbors with my language teacher.  I'm able to do the greetings, introductions, and tell a little bit about my family.  They have some trouble saying my name so some time in the future I will get a Senegalese name that will be much easier for them to pronounce.  Yesterday, I was introduced to a grandfather and sat down to visit.  He asked about my husband.  When I told him that my husband was dead, he offered himself to me.  I thanked him but turned him down.  I've been told that this may happen quite often while I'm here.  Don't worry; I have no intentions of coming home with a husband!  After the proposal, the visit went pretty well.  I mostly sat there and listened to the others talk to see if I could figure out any words they were saying.  One young girl handed me a baby boy that was very happy.  I would coo at him and he would laugh and smile.  When the visit concluded, the women called me their friend and said they would visit me sometime.  I've got a long way to go before I can converse with anyone but progress is being made.

Chicken

K found out that one of our sellers in the market had some fresh chicken.  So Friday afternoon M and I headed to the market to see if I could purchase chicken using my very limited language skills.  When we got to the stand I was able to greet the man and tell him that I wanted two gee-narl (chickens).  Now don't think it's like buying chicken in a US grocery store.  It's a whole chicken so it has to be cut up.  Not a problem; I know how to cut up a chicken.  However, it's not really clean and still has some of its guts inside.  Thankfully, M stayed with me and she cleaned and cut up the chickens for me while I watched and learned.  I put the parts in freezer bags and put them in my freezer for cooking at a later date.  I guess I should have gone to the "chicken killing" lesson we had at FPO!  Life is full of new experiences here in Fatick.

Impressions

I have completed a week in my new country of Senegal  Let me share with you some impressions:

• No air conditioning, just fans.  That's fine as long as the electricity is on.  
• Trying to figure out what to cook.  So far, I've boiled potatoes, drained them, and added butter; peeled raw carrots; fried me hamburger patties; and eaten sandwiches with turkey meat I bought in Dakar.  I'm looking forward to my next visit to a supermarket when we go to Mbour.  Now I have a better idea of what to buy.

• Friendly people.  Now that I'm learning the language, they are happy to greet me.  I've got a loooong way to go, though.  
• No car.  That means I walk or ride a horse cart.  Life is definitely slower here in Fatick.
• Sadness.  Several times a day I hear the chanting over the loudspeakers from the mosques.  So many people - very few know Jesus.  Even more motivation to learn the language.  Just hope my brain cooperates!  Also, there is much poverty.  Makes me realize just how blessed I am.

As I'm settling into my new life here, the reality of two years is a little hard to grasp.  It still feels like just being on a mission trip.  I hope and pray that these two years will not only make a difference in my life but will also make a difference in the lives of the people here in Fatick (in a positive way).

Arrived!

I arrived in Senegal on Wednesday morning with all my luggage!  K picked me up and we hit the road.  I went to our office, Dakar Academy, our guest house, and out to eat twice.  I managed to stay awake all day but it sure was hard.  Our night at the guest house was hot (no air conditioning) but I did get a good night's rest.  Thursday was more running around: office, Embassy, and shopping.  Finally we headed for Fatick around 4:30.  Since it is over 3 hours to Fatick it was dark by the time we arrived.  T had cooked our supper, a Senegalese meal, and it was delicious.  Then he took me to my house.  My neighbor helped us unload the car and T showed me around the house.  It's really big!  After he left I started unpacking so I would feel like I was at home.  After a while of that I decided to try out the internet.  The electricity went off so I had to shut it down.  I decided to just go to bed.  Before I got in bed, though, the electricity came back on.  Halleluia!  It would have been a hot night without the electricity.  There is no air conditioning in my home but I have plenty of fans so it's not too bad.  Friday morning I got up and went to the market to buy a few vegetables, eggs, and bread.  T took me and his helper in the car.  However, in the future I will either be walking or catching a horse cart to do my shopping.  Life is definitely going to be interesting!

Packing

Two years.  That's how long I'm going to be gone.  I filled the living room with all the stuff I planned to take with me.  My three suitcases were on the floor ready to be filled.  It didn't take me long to realize that everything was not going to fit.  So I remove a little here and a little there.  Still not fitting.  Fortunately, my M called and she told me some things that I would be able to get over there so I removed a few more items.  The bags are completely packed except for my makeup bag that I will use tomorrow before I head to the airport at 4:30 am.  What I should have done is planned on one of the kids visiting me this Christmas so they could bring me a suitcase full of stuff.  Then my suitcases wouldn't be so heavy!  Oh well, at least they have carts (for free) in Africa.  The big question remains:  Can I pick it up to put it on the cart?  We'll find out the answer to that question on Wednesday morning when I arrive in Senegal.

The End/The Middle/The Beginning

Wednesday, Sept. 21, was the conclusion of training.  The comfort of being in a community of like-minded friends had to come to an end.  Those 8 1/2 weeks of training were great.  I learned so much and feel better prepared to leave for Africa.  Now I'm in the middle of getting ready to leave for Africa.  I have to figure out what I need to take and then finish up shopping.  How much deoderant will I need to take to last for two years?  I will start packing my suitcases this week.  Hopefully everything will fit in my three suitcases. On Oct. 4 I begin my journey to my new life in Africa.  At least I won't be traveling alone.  The two other girls going to Africa will meet me in Atlanta and we'll travel the rest of the way together.  We will arrive in Senegal on Oct. 5 and begin our new two-year adventure.

Washington, D.C.

Yesterday we made a trip to Washington, D.C.  That may sound like a fun adventure.  It was an adventure but the purpose was not for sight-seeing but to put into practice some of what we have learned at training.  I was in a group with two families (including 8 children).  The buses dropped us off at Union Station.  We then took the Metro to the Florida Street Market.  That was much easier said than done when you are going up and down escalators with four preschoolers and two strollers.  We did manage to engage in conversation with a few internationals and ate at a South African restaurant.  All in all it was a good day but we were quite exhausted by the time we returned to Richmond.

Counting Down

I can't believe that I only have 17 days left of training.  This past week was a little stressful in that we had safety training.  The stress was not in what we were learning, it was the role-plays.  My fear in getting selected to role-play was more a fear that I would freeze or embarrass myself.  I was never selected (thank goodness) but I did gain some great information on how to be safe no matter where I am.
I was able to take in a little college football this weekend.  First of all, I went to see a high school friend in Alexandria and watched the game (War Eagle) with him and his wife.  When I got back to the ILC, I found a bunch of folks watching games in the auditorium.  They hooked up the computer to a projector so we could watch games on the "big screen."  It was really nice to just relax and hang out watching games after going through saftety training week.
One month from today I will be on my way to Africa!

Hurricane Irene

I believe week five of orientation will be the most memorable.  Not only did we have the earthquake on Tuesday but we had Hurricane Irene blow through on Saturday.  It wasn't too bad for us but it did keep us inside most of the day.  Because the ILC has its own generators, we never lost power except for a few minutes.  I spent the day playing games with some of my quad mates, reading a book, and working a jigsaw puzzle.  Sunday morning we woke up to beautiful sunshine.  The only evidence of the storm were all the limbs and leaves on the ground.  God's might and power were displayed through nature this week while we felt His gentle protective hand upon us.

Earthquake

Today was a first for me.  At 1:51 pm while we were in class, there came a roaring sound and then everything started shaking.  It was an earthquake!  It felt like it lasted about 30 seconds.  Some ran out of the building while the rest of us scrambled under the tables.  After the shaking stopped we all left the building.  Needless to say, class was over at that point.  Fortunately we didn't have another class at 2:00 so we could all just go chill and recover.  I've always wondered what it felt like to experience an earthquake; now I know.  There was no damage but we all were a little shaken (no pun intended) from the experience.  To top off this excitement, we could experience the effects of Hurricane Irene this weekend.  Never a dull moment here at the ILC.

Clinic Day

"Clinic Day" is the official name but the real name is "Shot Day."  This past Friday was a real bummer.  I had to have four shots plus the tb test.  My appointment time was 2:40.  However, it took longer to give the shots so I didn't actually get my shots until 3:30.  That gave me plenty of time to think about all those shots and get nervous.  When they called me into the room for my shots, I sat on a stool and got my tb shot first.  Then one nurse stood on one side and another nurse on the other.  They both administered a shot at the same time in each arm.  When they finished with those two shots they repeated the process with two more shots.  I'm very thankful that I'm able to get shots that will ward off diseases when I'm on the field but it doesn't mean I have to like getting them.  Sore arms for two days is no fun either.  At least when we have the last clinic day I will only have to get two shots.

Hospitality

Do you practice hospitality?  I discovered that in many places in Africa, you should not expect to be invited to someone's home, you should just show up.  They will welcome you into their home and serve you something to eat.  It might take a while (if they have to kill the chicken and cook it) but you are expected to stay and visit.  There is a saying:  "Americans have watches, we have time."  Just as you are expected to just drop in for a visit without an invitation, you should be prepared for visitors to just drop in on you.  I will need to always be prepared to have something to serve to my friends who visit.  For many Americans this might not be a comfortable practice.  This shouldn't be too hard for me since I raised three children.  I never knew when they might bring home a friend or one of their friends might just show up.  I actually miss those days.  As I make new friends in West Africa, I pray that I will enjoy many opportunities to practice hospitality.  Don't be so busy that you fail to practice hospitality.  You just might find that it can be a real blessing not only to your guests but also to yourself.

Pruning

Yesterday we heard a speaker talk about John 15 on the vine-dresser and the vineyard.  It was one of those life-changing sessions.  The picture of the vine-dresser pruning is actually not of cutting off and throwing away.  The Greek action word is "Airos" which means lifting up.  What happens in the vineyard is that the vine falls off the trellis.  While on the ground it will become covered in dirt and get mold and thus not produce any fruit.  What the vine-dresser does is come along and lift the vine up, clean it off, and attach it back to the trellis.  That is actually what God is doing for us.  He picks us up from those things that keep us from bearing fruit, cleans us up, and attaches us back to Him so that we will be able to bear much fruit.  I want with all my heart to bear much fruit for Him.  When God prunes, He is removing those things that will keep us from bearing much fruit.  So I'm asking Him to remove anything in my life that will hinder fruit-bearing.  What about you?  Are there some things in your life that need pruning away?  Do you want to be a vine that bears much fruit?

Special Meals

Orientation is not only sitting in classes soaking up all kinds of information that will help us on the field but it is learning about cultures.  Yesterday we had a meal from eastern Europe.  It was borscht (spelling?) and rye bread.  In case you are not familiar with what that is, it was chopped up cabbage soup.  Now, I'm not one to eat cooked cabbage but that wasn't too bad.  At least we had a spoon to eat with.  Today was a middle east meal.  It was meatballs/tomatoes with some kind of flat bread and chopped up onions and other stuff.  It actually was good but we didn't have utensils and had to use our hand (right to be proper).  We will have one more of those special meals before we leave.  I sure hope it will be as good as these first two.

Week Two

Have you ever felt like you have had information overload?  That's what I feel like this week.  It has been great and I've learned so much but it has almost been more than I could absorb.  The week started out with Dr. Elliff talking about prayer.  One of my favorite quotes from him was:  "The purpose of prayer is to get what God wants---not what we want."  Among all the other classes for the week, we studied doctrine with Dr. Lawless.  One of the things that spoke most to me came from Luke 22:31-62 where he showed us the steps for falling into sin using the life of Peter:  1) Begins by unrecognized overconfidence; 2) Result of physical fatigue and prayerlessness; 3) Results in trying to solve problems your own way; 4) The result of distance between you and Jesus; and 5) Results in missed opportunities for evangelism.  This information would be good for all of us to consider because we all are guilty of falling into sin.  As you can see, this was heavy stuff this week. Plus, I'm trying to memorize Bible verses, learn the Creation to Christ presentation, and read assignments.  No wonder I feel like I've got information overload.  Tomorrow is free so maybe I can just chill and give my brain a rest.

Prayer

Today we had a session on developing a passion for prayer.  This is something that I will definitely need when I head to Africa but it is something all of us need to develop.  Let me share a few things that really spoke to me:

• God will respond to our prayers in a way consistent with His character.
• You show your concept of God by what you ask for.
• The plans of God are revealed to the man of God by the Spirit of God through the Word of God.
• Truth is what God's Word says regardless of what the world says.
• Every need you have is a call to worship.  It's a message to you so you will know He has the answer.
• Only take counsel from people who take counsel from God.
• We are foolish when we give counsel unless we have had counsel from God.
• God will conform you to His will wherever He can find you--better it be in your quiet time than in public.

I hope these thought will speak to you as they spoke to me.  May we all develop a greater passion for prayer.

One Down!

Our first week of classes is over and tomorrow is a free day.  Sleeping late sounds good and maybe a trip to Walmart or a mall for my Saturday agenda.  It has been an incredible week of making many new friends and gaining some vital information.  Today was probably the highlight.  For two hours we had our own personal spiritual retreat.  I thought this would be a very difficult thing to do but once I got started it was such a blessing.  You should try it sometime!  Start off just being quiet.  Then spend some time in gratitude, praise, and worship.  Read and meditate on some Scripture and see what God is saying to you.  I challenge you to do this on your own and see if you aren't blessed by the experience.  Today ended with our 1-mile run.  They want us to stay physically fit while we are here so they are encouraging exercise.  Our run today was to give us a baseline time.  We will do this again at the end and see if we can improve our time.  I confess that I basically walked the whole time but I completed it in 16 minutes and 43 seconds.  My goal was to walk it under 20 minutes so I'm a little proud of myself for accomplishing my goal.

Made it!

I arrived in Richmond on Monday around 3:00 and found my assigned quad.  It turns out that the three families sharing the quad with me were all at Phoenix so I feel like we are old friends already.  There are 9 children so it will be quite lively around our house.  Yesterday and today have been spent finding our way around and taking care of paperwork.  There are three books that I'm assigned to read.  This morning I finished one of them because it was short and easy to read.  The other two will take a little longer to finish. Walmart is close by so I have already made a Walmart run to get some things I forgot or found out that I needed.  We will start classes tomorrow so I'm enjoying the down time while I can.

Getting Started

Let me begin my blog by explaining its title.  The word “old” does not necessarily refer to age (though I have attained the senior discount status).  The “old” Sherrill has been living on a farm since 1979, married to a farmer and raising three children.  I learned to do many things during those years: pick vegetables to can and freeze, eat boiled peanuts, haul peanut trailers.  In 2006 the “old” Sherrill’s husband was killed in a truck wreck.  The past five years have been a process of learning how to live without my best friend and soul mate.  The time has now come to live again.  In just a few days I will begin a new adventure that will last for the next two years.  The first two months will be spent in training in Richmond, Virginia.  In early October I’ll be leaving to spend the remainder of my two years in Senegal, West Africa.  I will attempt to chronicle my adventures in this blog.  I don’t claim to be a great writer but I will do my best to keep all who are interested up to date with everything I experience over the next two years.