Friend's Visit

     During my years at Mobile College (now the University of Mobile), I was blessed with friends.  Many of those friends are still a part of my life even though we are separated by many miles.  One of those dear friends actually took the time and expense to fly all the way across the ocean to spend a week with me in Senegal.  I had so much fun showing her around Dakar the weekend she arrived as well as letting her experience my life in Fatick.

     One of our friends from college happened to be in Senegal on a mission trip the week before Chris' arrival.  He and his team were returning to Dakar to spend the night the day of Chris' arrival.  We were able to get together with John and his team for dinner on that Saturday night.  This was the first time for Chris to see John since our days at Mobile College.  How amazing for God to orchestrate the timing of both Chris' and John's visits so we could have a chance to get totether in Senegal!

   
     Of course, I had to let Chris experience a ride on the horse cart while I showed her around my town.    Kim also treated her to a real Senegalese meal.  Even though we didn't sit on the floor to eat, at least she got to experience "eating around the bowl."

     I made her "earn" her room and board by doing art projects with the kids.  Since Kim and I are both "art challenged" and Chris majored in art at college, I figured we could take advantage of a wonderful opportunity.  Chris did several fun art projects with the kids each afternoon when we finished our lessons.

Decorated clip boards

Painting rocks

Ethan's rocks

Melody's rocks

Funny portraits

  Since Chris had to leave on Friday afternoon to head back to Dakar, we had our Friday pizza night on Thursday.  Since it was cooler on the roof, it turned out to be a roof-top pizza picnic.

       

     What a blessing it was to have Chris come to visit; not just for my sake but also for the kids that I teach.  They will remember the fun they had that week for a long time.   Sometimes, living overseas you feel like you have been forgotten by friends back home.   Chris' visit was a huge encouragement and morale boost.

Funeral

     Last week was a difficult time.  There is a family here with whom we are very close who had a family member commit suicide.  It was devastating to the family and those of us who are close to all of them.  Travis and Kim were quite involved with the family and helping with all the arrangements.  In this culture, when a person dies, family members from all over will come to see the family.  It is the family's responsibility to provide food for everyone, accomodate them, and sometimes even pay for their transport.  Due to the amount of family, Kim had around 20 or so people staying at her house.  With all that added work, I took care of the classroom every day.  I was able to go visit the mother the afternoon of the funeral.  There was not much I could say so I just hugged her and sat and held her hand for a while.  My tears let her know how sorry I was and that I was feeling her loss.

   
    There were still a good many family members around on the day following the funeral.  Amy and Kaitlin went to the home on that day to help with cleaning and preparing a large meal for all the family to eat that afternoon.  I came over after we finished school and was able to enjoy the fellowship with the family as well as eat a wonderful Senegalese meal.
     A group of Talibe boys came to the gate begging for food.  These boys are given to a marabou (M*sl*m leader) to be trained in the K*ran.  They get up early, before daylight, every morning for their teaching.  Then they are sent out to go around town and beg.  The money that they receive is brought back to their marabou.  However, they are allowed to eat any food that people may give to them.  When these boys showed up at the family's gate, they were given a bowl of rice that they quickly consumed.

     My heart breaks for these boys.  I can't imagine a mother and father giving their child to be raised by a marabou.  Some of these boys may be as young as four years old.  They may be poorly dressed, wear no shoes, and get little to eat.  Though that is important, I pray mostly that they will come to know the love of their true Father.

One Year in Senegal

     One year ago today I landed in Senegal.  I was excited to be coming to Africa for two years, especially since I had been to South Africa seven times and loved it there.  Well, let me tell you, Senegal is NOT South Africa!  It took a few weeks before the country began to grow on me and I could learn to appreciate its unique beauty.

Baobab Trees

Dirt Roads

Villages

Beach

I have discovered that the greatest beauty of Senegal is found in its people.

    This has also been a year of enjoying new experiences and seeing some unusual sights.

Sheep riding on top of a bus

Eating some delicious Senegalese food

Riding a horse cart

Shopping in the market

Holding a baby goat

Dust storms

Fish market

     As I think back over this past year sometimes it feels like I just got here and at other times it feels like I've been here forever.  I never realized how hard it was going to be to be separated from my family.  Fortunately, God has given me a new family here in Fatick.  I know that when June 2013 arrives it will be almost as hard to leave them as it was to leave my family in Alabama.  I have experienced some lonely times as well.  I have been surprised by special emails, packages, and cards which have all helped to lift my spirits.  However, I've been disappointed in some friends because I feel forgotten.  My Bible verse this week has spoken to me:  "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18).  This is a reminder to me not to put my hope in people but to put my hope in God because He will never fail.  He has called me to this place to serve and He has promised to be with me always.  Each day is an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life:  the two precious children that I teach, my neighbors, and people I meet in the market.  I just pray that when my time here is over I will be able to look back and know that I've accomplished the task God called me to do here in Senegal.

   

Flood Project

     There has been a lot more rain this year during rainy season than in the past few years.  That has caused much flooding in many neighborhoods around our town.  Water has flooded many people's yards and even some of their homes.  In order for them to leave their homes, they would place bricks in the water to create a path on which to walk.  If they weren't placed very securely, many times they would end up in the water.  Walking in the water might cause infections and sickness.

Brick Path

     Using some ministry money that was assigned to me, we ordered five truck loads of dirt to be dumped in a neighborhood nearby.  Then the people in the neighborhood helped to move the dirt to make a firm path on which to walk.   

Load of dirt

     Unfortunately, the ground was too soft to hold the weight of the truck and it got stuck.  The truck had to be unloaded before it could be pulled out.

Stuck!

    

 Some of the boys did the work of shoveling the dirt.  It was loaded into a wheelbarrow and buckets to be hauled to the area where the path was being built.  This job was handled by the women and children.  To fully appreciate the difficulty of this task, imagine doing this on a day when the temperature was in the 90's and the humidity was probably 85-90%.  I was not able to do the work of hauling but I did help to pack down the dirt on the path.  I still got so hot that I had to leave and find a place to get re-hydrated and cooled off.

     This is the path that was made.  It is high enough and firm enough to allow people to get in and out of their homes without having to walk on bricks or in the water.  Hopefully, there won't be any more heavy rains that would wash away this path.

Rainy Season

     The rains began to come a little early this year.  It has rained more this year than it has in the past several years.  The rains help the crops to grow and make everything turn green.  However, there are problems created with so much rain.  There is flooding everywhere.  This is happening not just in Senegal but all over West Africa.  Roads are flooded which make it impossible to drive through or else the roads are washed away which makes it impossible to drive.  Homes are flooded so much that many have had to leave their homes to stay elsewhere until the waters recede. 



     Some people have managed to pump the water from their homes only to have it return with the next rain.  .

 

Some people have even had walls of their homes collapse due to the rains.

 

         

     Last night we had a storm blow through Fatick.  When I say blow, I REALLY mean BLOW.  It started with the wind, then came the rain.  Fortunately the rain wasn't too heavy nor did it last too long.  What followed was an amazing display of lightning with loud claps of thunder.  I just sat on the foot of my bed gazing out the window marveling at God's awesome display of beauty.  The words to the hymn "My Lord Is Near Me All the Time" came to my mind:

In the lightning flash across the sky His mighty power I see,

And I know if He can reign on high, His light can shine on me.

 

Chorus:

I've seen it in the lightning, heard it in the thunder, and felt it in the rain;

My Lord is near me all the time, My Lord is near me all the time.

 

When the thunder shakes the mighty hills and trembles every tree,

Then I know a God so great and strong can surely harbor me.

 

Chorus

 

When refreshing showers cool the earth and sweep across the sea,

Then His rainbow shines within my heart, His nearness comforts me.

 

Chorus

 

     Fortunately, I have not had to deal with flooding but I have had to deal with leaks.  We have managed to fix a few of the problems that were causing some major leaking but I still have to put towels around to soak up the water from leaks around the back door and places in the classroom/living room.

     Another problem caused by the rain is an influx of roaches in my house.  I guess they are just seeking some dry ground.  We kill at least four or five every night before going to bed.  I guess I must have missed one the other night.  As I was sleeping in my bed, all tucked in under the mosquito net, I felt something on my forehead.  I swatted at it with the covers and continued to lay there.  Within a few seconds I detected an odor so I sat up to see what it was.  There on my pillow was a dead roach (I had just killed it)!  This occurred around 3:15 AM so he must have been in bed with me the whole night.  Needless to say, I was not able to go back to sleep for a while.  Finally, around 5:30 AM I managed to calm down enough to go back to sleep.  My lesson has been learned, though.  I have sprayed all around and under my bed and I will check the bed covers out before I get in bed.  I don't want any more bedfellows!