I just need to vent

Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about the environment and this world. With the oil still gushing into the Gulf, this has been on my mind. I am 3,000 miles from this tragedy that is unfolding in the area I call home and it is crushing my heart. I feel so helpless as I watch birds wallow in the tar, dolphins wash up dead on the shore, and fishermen out of work. I morn when I see the beautiful Gulf coast blackened by our human greed and materialism. I begin to feel guilty every time I crank up my moto, knowing that the gasoline I put in it began as oil drilled somewhere.

I think of the creation story. After God created the heavens and everything on the Earth, He looked at it and saw it was good (see Genesis 1:31.) Then, in the second part of the creation story, the part about Adam and Eve, God put man in charge of the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (NIV) Before the fall, the job of taking care of the Garden was given to man! After the fall, Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden and sent into the world. God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” (Genesis 3:17b-18, NIV) It is because of sin that the Earth is not in the perfect state that it was created. Sin entered the world and the Earth has to suffer the consequences, as well. Now, I’m not trying to be like the televangelists, stating that this disaster is because of the things that go on along the coast and in New Orleans. That area of the country is no less sinful than the rest of the world. If that were true, then what about New York or Los Angeles? What about London or Paris? Sin is sin and God does not state that any sin is worse than another. What I am saying is that the Earth is not what it was originally created to be because sin entered the world.

God originally put Adam and Eve in charge of taking care of the Garden. I believe that command stands true for us today. Psalm 104 talks about the glory of creation. The Psalmist is praising God for His beautiful creation. He states in verse 24, “How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (NIV) Taking care of this Earth is a form of worship before God. Yes, I fully believe that God created things in this world for us to use. He created meat for us to eat, fuels for us to power our lives, and materials for us to build our homes. But we should not exhaust the supply that God has entrusted us with. Neither should we be careless in our use of these gifts. I truly believe that this oil spill is a portrayal of human carelessness and greed. Proper safety regulations were not followed. Also, the clean-up plans for BP made a provision for walruses! (http://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/Docs_06152010/BP.Oil.Spill.Response.Plan.pdf - page 249) That makes me wonder how much research and care went into these plans. (Check out this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061505288.html ). Now, eleven men are dead, hundreds of animals have lost their lives, and thousands more are in danger.

As Christians, we should be praying daily for this. We need to pray for the clean-up effort. We need to be educated on what is going on and pray that things will change. This is not a time for pointing fingers or name-calling. This is a time to be concerned about stricter safety regulations on these oil rigs. We need to be concerned about where we drill. We need to make sure that we have the proper technology before drilling that deep again. We need to invest in cleaner forms of energy. We need to make sure that this never happens again. I firmly believe that 20 years from now, we will still be dealing with the repercussions of this disaster.

Bug troubles

I am currently sitting in my living room with a bucket nearby ... just in case. ;) I've had an amoeba for the past two weeks and I am finishing up my treatment for it today. Now, I try my hardest not to be whiny when I'm sick, but I really want to right now. I feel like something my cat caught, played with for a few hours, and then laid, half-dead, at the side of my bed. The medecine is worse than the actual amoeba itself! It leaves a metallic taste in your mouth all day and gives you some pretty bad nausea. But I know that by tomorrow it'll be all over and I'll feel much better. Thankfully, today has been cloudy and cooler, so it's not that bad. Sorry, I just needed to whine a little bit!

With that being said, my summer has so far been a good one, amoeba and all! My new house is in a high traffic area, so people are always stopping by. It's good, but as an introvert, I have to really make an effort. Three sweet young ladies just left, as a matter of fact! Sadly, I wasn't up to dancing to Rihanna's "Rude Boy" with them! There's quite a bit of potential with these young ladies. I'm praying about ways I can witness to them - ways I can share the Gospel of Christ with them. Please pray for me as I not only get to know them, but as I share my faith with them. I also pray that my life would be a reflection of Christ to them. I pray that they see that I am different, that there is something different about the way I love. I truly believe that how you live your life is your greatest testimony. Please pray that I will be able to love these young ladies with a Christ-like love.

Recent happenings

Kim asked me this morning if I had written on my blog recently, and it dawned on me that it has been over a month since I've done so! That inspired me to catch all of you up on recent happenings. I have been busy organizing school books and cleaning all day, so I thought I would take a break and cool off!

I have since moved houses! I am very excited to be in this new one. It is much bigger and there is no upstairs apartment (hence, no splitting the water bill with anyone!) I am forever indebted to my supervisors for working all this out for me. I know nothing about setting up a house in Africa - what needs to be done or how to get said things accomplished. Now I just need my soon-to-be roommate, Mallory, to arrive!

That is another exciting happening! As many of you know, I only have about 4 months left here in Senegal. Many of you prayed for someone to replace me and God has provided! Mallory is another Journeygirl currently serving here in Senegal, but with another family. Through some changes and reshuffling, she has been assigned to teach my kiddos when I leave! Please pray for her as she prepares for this change. She should be moving chez moi in a few weeks.

Like I mentioned above, I ONLY HAVE 4 MONTHS LEFT!!! I cannot believe it! It is a very bittersweet feeling. I am very excited to be going home (if you didn't notice!), but at the same time, I am sad to leave my friends here. I know I'll be back in Senegal one day - possible short-term mission trips, but I'm pretty sure long-term is not in the future. I am very blessed to have been here for this season. I'll discuss in another blog post how God has broken and changed me since I've been here. Now I am anticipating what God has in store for the future!

Anyways, other recent happenings - we have finished this school year. But I'm not planning on a lazy summer! Yesterday, I went out with Liz and a group of students to a beach area nearby for a day retreat. Liz and I taught these young ladies about purity and what God says about it in the Bible. This is a topic that not many people in this culture talk about. Many parents don't even discuss it with their children! I was very excited (and nervous) to have this opportunity. Now I just pray that these young ladies take the teachings to heart and truly apply them in their lives. As for the rest of the summer, I'll be doing some things with Liz to help prepare for the FOUR Hands-On ladies we have coming in August! Yes, four wonderful young ladies are giving five months of their lives to come serve God with us here! We are VERY excited! But there is a lot of preparation work to do. Pray that everything will come together and please pray for these four beautiful young women!

The one major thing going one right now is rainy season! It's not quite here yet, but it's on its way! People all over are getting ready for the potential floods. My new house is in an area that flooded pretty badly last year. I'm almost 100% that the water will not enter my house, but I know that the road outside my house will be completely full. Yesterday I was watching some lightning in the distance from my roof (sadly, the rain that was with said lightning completely bypassed us,) and I just started praying for all my new neighbors. My heart was broken when I started thinking of what will possibly happen to their houses when the floods come. No, my house most likely will not flood, but theirs will almost definitely do so. Please begin praying for the rains and for all these people. The rains are needed for the crops, but the flooding is an unfortunate side-effect.

That's about it for now! I'll have to begin posting more of my thoughts and insights now that school is out!

What is love?

I had a GLORIOUS time in Dakar this past weekend. I ate waaaaay too much, stayed up too late, and spent too much money (of course!). Despite all this, my favorite moments were the ones I got to spend with Liz, Mallory, and Tricia (the two other AWESOME Journeygirls in Senegal and our AMAZING Hands-On volunteer.) We were in the same guesthouse so we giggled way to much. Anyways, one of our topics of discussion was the attention we get from African men here. Mallory wrote a hilarious blog on this (which I shared with y'all), as did Liz. So I thought I would put my two-cents in.

Men here are very straight-forward with their feelings. I have had many proposals of marriage and many confessions of so-called "love." To give you a taste of what one of these is like, here is an example conversation I had a few weeks ago with a Senegalese man at a gas station while I'm trying to fill up my moto. Also, this conversation actually took place in English!

Dude: "Why, you are American!"
Me, nervously: "Yes."
Dude: "Your hairs are very beautiful."
Me, now wishing I had gone to another station: "Err, thanks."
Dude: "Are you married?"
Me: "No."
Dude: "We should get married. I have always wanted a white wife. You are very beautiful and I love you very much."
Me, now sufficiently creeped out: "No, I don't think we should get married. I leave that decision up to God."
Dude: "Yes, we should get married. I will build you a house by the seaside. It will be very big and beautiful."
Me: "But my family is in America and I will miss them very much. I don't think we should get married."
Dude: "Oh, that is not a problem! I will let you fly to America whenever you want!"
Me, highly doubtful: "But are you already married? I don't want to be a second or third wife."
Dude: "No, I am womanless."
Me, now wishing I hadn't made the statement above: "Well, you should find yourself a Senegalese wife. I am not Senegalese."

**I should now mention that at this point my moto is now full of gas, the attendant has been paid, and I am ready to leave. There is one problem - "Dude" is standing directly in front of my moto and is not budging.

Dude: "Are you going to leave me womanless? I love you! I want to marry you! Don't leave me womanless! I think we are of the same generation and we would make a very good marriage."
Me, now insulted because this guy is clearly older than me: "No, I really can't marry you because my father will not allow it. You see, he is a very mean and strict man. He requires that any man who wishes to marry me buy him three cars that very day. He always says no to every man who asks to marry me."

**Yes, I realize I told a lie. But I saw it as my only means of escape. My dad is actually a very kind and loving man and I have never even remotely had a guy ask my father if he could marry me!

Dude, with a dejected look on his face: "Oh, in that case, I guess we can't get married."
Me, happy: "No, we can't. I'm late for something and need to go. Bye."

I zip away on my moto, glad to have gotten away. Now, I need to add that not once in this whole conversation did "Dude" ask for my name nor did I get his name.

I don't know if it is because of the American shows or movies that they watch. I don't know if it is because of the American music they listen to. I don't know if it's because they don't realize they are using the word "love" in a context that has strong emotions attached with it. I don't know if they actually think we are going to reciprocate the emotion and we are actually going to get married. Who knows why they are so quick to say, "I love you." But they do. They do a lot! I can't even count how many men here have told me this. And it's not just me! The other American women here (married and unmarried) get the same thing.

At first this attention scared me. I came from never getting any attention from guys in the States to full-on confessions of love! I have now learned how to handle these proposals. My answers usually range from, "God has promised me someone in the United States," to "My father requires a huge and expensive dowry." These usually make them forget all about their "love" and leave me alone.

Now, stories like this just make me giggle.

Welcome to my life ...

Ok people. My friend Mallory just wrote the most AMAZING blog post and I thought I would share it because it is so applicable to the life of an American woman in Senegal! Please read and enjoy!

http://thathemayincrease.blogspot.com/

Fellowship

Acts 2:46-47 -- "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

I read this Scripture a few days ago and I was reminded of it today. I had an amazing day today. We went to this REALLY nice pool for one of my kid's 7th birthday and several other missionary families were there. It was such a sweet time of fellowship and fun! I was sitting out of the pool, enjoying my Sudoku, when I just took some time to look around me. I was overwhelmed with this feeling of joy and peace. It has been a few months since I've had Christian fellowship like that with a large group of people. I don't get it once a week when I go to church. Yes, I have AWESOME team mates that I fellowship with at least twice a week, but there is just something special about many Christians coming together just to enjoy each other's company. No, we didn't meet in the "temple courts." Yes, we broke birthday cake instead of bread. But we ate together with glad and sincere hearts and we praised God with our fellowship.

Tricia and I were talking on the hour long ride home about things we miss in the States. Yes, the typical things popped up - wearing makeup daily, straight hair, cute clothes, being clean. One thing I didn't mention was what I experienced today - regular Christian fellowship. I miss Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and just getting together with friends for no reason at all but to be together. It saddens me that we as a mission aren't able to get together more often. Funds are low and many of our meetings have been cut. Not only were these meetings, but they were also times of fellowship and refreshment for us. We live in dry places - both physically and spiritually. We live in places where burn-out can happen so quickly. We live in places where discouragement can really take hold and bring you down. We need these special and dear times to refresh and reinvigorate us. God did not create us to live alone! He created us for beautiful, joyful fellowship together!

Plus, a pool never hurts! ;)

John Lennon

This morning, I was listening to John Lennon's song "Imagine." (My hippie side is rather fond of his music.) The words are quite utopian, yes, but what a dream! "Imagine there's no countries ... nothing to kill or die for; and no religion too ... Imagine all the people living life in peace." Yes, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one! That got me thinking about why so many people have this deep desire inside. Why do we desire peace and unity, but are so unable to attain it?

That is how God intended the world to be! He designed us to be in perfect relationship with Him and each other. We were designed to live on a perfect Earth in constant community with each other and God. But, because we chose to sin against God; because we chose to go our own way, we are unable to attain that perfection. We suffer through hurt, war, poverty, famine, disasters because of the sin that has entered the world. Yet, the desire for peace is still there.

I live in a place where poverty is everywhere. Just today a lady with a sick baby came to my door asking for a little bit of money to pay for a moto to take her to the hospital. I gave her the equivalent of $1 (a little more than the price of the moto ride) and she was so grateful. It breaks my heart to see people suffering. I mean, I have physical pain inside when I see small children playing with trash and cripples begging in the street. I can't stand it! It breaks my heart that I can't help every single one ... I would if I could! It is that God-given, deep desire for peace and harmony in the world that drives these feelings.

So, "imagine no possessions ... no need for greed or hunger ... imagine all the people, sharing all the world."

Poulet yassa and music

I had a great time tonight with some really fun girls! Liz and Tricia invited over three of their friends for yassa (an INCREDIBLE chicken, onion, and rice dish). Of course, they ended up having to cook most of it because we "toubabs" struggle with the awesome Senegalese dishes. While we were cooking, one of the girls pulls out her MP3 player and busts out some Beyonce!! Yeah for western music in the middle of Senegal! "To the left, to the left. Everything you own in the box to the left."

I love music. I love singing. I love dancing to music. I can remember as a little girl dancing around the house singing. I can even remember driving my family crazy because I liked to sing in the car, as well. I just can't help it! I love to sing! Most importantly, I love to sing to God. At night, as I'm getting ready for bed, I love to sing old hymns. You know, the good ones that many churches don't seem to play any more. Have you ever stopped and thought about the words to some of these songs? They are powerful! One that I sing quite often is "Trust and Obey."

Trust and obey,
For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

Sometimes it can be hard to be "happy in Jesus." Especially in Africa. Especially in hot, sandy, sweaty, no electricity, no water Africa. I've had many days where I have not been "happy in Jesus." Days where I just grumble and gripe. Days where I disgust myself with my selfishness. That's when I bring this song to mind. I am trusting and obeying Jesus by being here. There is no other way for me right now. I should try my hardest to be happy in Jesus because I am trusting and obeying Him.

Anyways, I thought I would share a few pics from some recent fun times! Enjoy!

Now, Liz, save some for the rest of us!


Cutting up food for the feast!


Me and Tricia and our enormous sunglasses that overpower the picture ...


Cooking a la Senegalese ...

Laughter

Has the Bible ever made you laugh? I love it when that happens. It reminds me that God has a sense of humor. This morning, I was reading through the different accounts of Jesus' resurrection and I love Luke's account. The women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and several others) have just discovered the empty tomb and have run back to tell the disciples. But what do the disciples do? They don't believe because their words "seem like nonsense!" I just started to giggle! I can just imagine these women running up to the disciples, frantic and scared, but the men only shake their heads and mutter, "Crazy women. They don't know what they are talking about."

One man though, Peter, is different. He decides he wants to check this out. He runs to the tomb and discovers that the "crazy" women are telling the truth! I can just imagine the ladies retorting, "Told ya so!" That made me laugh too.

I love to laugh. I love people who make me laugh. I did a lot of laughing today. I had a fun Easter with the Forsythes, Liz, Tricia, and several other friends here in Fatick. We laughed when I failed big time at trying to cut an onion without a cutting board - Senegalese style. We laughed when the kids rushed frantically around the yard scouting out eggs. We laughed when Marie Noelle told jokes. We laughed at Liz and Tricia's music video. I believe this is one of the best ways to celebrate our risen Savior - in fellowship with others; in community with people we care about. I truly care about each one of these people. I might not be the best at showing it, but I do. And I loved every minute of today.

Writing ...

I used to enjoy writing. As a young girl, I would always write my thoughts down. I had quite a vivid imagination, too. I was always writing stories with characters that did things that I wished I could do and possessed qualities that I wished I possessed. When I was about 10, I had the brilliant idea to write a series of books about a young ice skater. She won all the championships and always had the cutest boy in class as her boyfriend. I think this was right around the 1994 winter olympics, so I was going through my periodic gee-I-wish-I-was-an-ice-skater phase. Every little girl goes through phases like that - pony phases, dancer phases, ice skater phases ... I could go on forever.

I don't think girls ever outgrow going through phases ...

I geuss this new-found desire to write has come from the fact that I have been reading Donald Miller lately. I finished his "Million Miles in a Thousand Years" in about three days. In it, he talks about your story and how you have to be pro-active in creating your story. That got me thinking ... what about my story? My whole life has been a pretty cool story - it has had it's boring moments, but it's still pretty cool. I mean, when I was only a year old, my family and I moved to Nome, Alaska. And then when I was ten, we were living in France and then on to West Africa. The life of an MK is quite a unique story. I realized that I have a pretty interesting story, but no real documentation of it. I have memories of the big things, but what about the little things? What about the late night conversations in the dorm with my best girl friends? What about the heartbreak in high school when I realized a certain boy did not return my interest? What about the moments when God really spoke to me? What about the deep valleys when God felt so far away?

So, I have decided to restart my blog, but with a different angle ... I'm going to tell my story. Every day is a story. One story I have been thinking about today is my life before coming to Senegal. I taught high school French and I loved it. I love being in the classroom. I don't think I could be anything other than a teacher. I'm such a school supply nerd, too. I think that's a qualification for teachers - "Must love new crayons, pencils, pens, and erasers."

I spent three years in a great high school with great teachers and with great kids. I have many days where I really miss all that; days where I wonder if coming here was truly God's plan. Today was one. But today was different - I suddenly realized I missed all that because I missed how comfortable and safe I was before. I had a safe job in a comfortable community with a cute, comfortable apartment. Those three years I spent there, I was afraid to leave. I knew God wanted me to go on the mission field, but I was so comfortable. I did some seminary studies, I taught Sunday School, I chaperoned youth trips - I did anything that I thought would make up for the fact that I was not going ...

We all know how the story ended - I'm here. I'm not sure if returning to the mission field is something I can do long-term (definitely not single!) I know I will always be involved in missions somehow. It's in my blood. The main thing God has taught me through this experience is that I am not always going to be comfortable. I have to be willing, sometimes, to pull myself out of that comfortable little spot I have wrapped myself up in and take some risks. (People who know me really well know I am not a risk taker!) Coming to Africa was a huge risk for me and I am glad I did it.

I only have about seven months left here and I have been thinking about what I'm going to do when I return. I going back at the end of October and I'm wondering whether it would be worth it to apply to teach anywhere for the 2010-2011 school year. I'm not sure if anyone would hire me in the middle of the year. I'm also considering grad school - LSU has a really amazing French graduate studies program. The problem with that is they only accept new students in the fall, so I would have to wait till 2011. I know God has it all taken care of, I just have to remind myself of that everyday!

So I'm going to continue to write, hopefully everyday. We'll see.

I'm a horrible blogger...

So, I have come to the realization that I'm not much of a blogger! I last wrote something in March and it is now August! I've got to be much better about this. A lot has happened since I last posted. Although, many of you do keep up with me on Facebook ... I am much better at updating that than this blog. One main issue is my internet. It's off half the time because the power goes off for the majority of the day. And if the power is off, so is the internet.

To catch you up with that has been going on - My summer vacation from school is almost over. I have this last week and then the kids start back with "Miss Holly!" I've been decorating and arranging the classroom, reading and studying curriculum, and making out plans. It's really exciting to start the year new and fresh. I'm making changes from the lessons I learned this past year. I know the kids (and their parents!) are excited to start back as well. Please pray for all of us as we start out this new year.

Since I haven't had school, I have had more time to get out and visit people. I have really been able to get to know two young ladies a little younger than me. I have spent several afternoons with them - teaching them to play spoons, them teaching me their favorite card games, watching Senegalese soap operas (quite amusing, BTW!!), and eating yummy Senegalese food. This week, I am planning on going to visit them again and I would like to be able to share a little with them. I'm going to work on my testimony in French and see how that goes.

Also, this week, Liz (the other Journeygirl here in Fatick) will be starting an English club with some young people in her neighborhood. Pray for her as she teaches these young ladies and as she builds relationships with them. Also, pray for me as I visit with the two aformentioned ladies - pray that I would have the courage to share and the words to say.

One thing that I have really improved on since my last blog are my moto skills! I can now easily get around town and do my market shopping. It also helps because a 20 minute walk to town in 100* heat is no fun! Now it is a cool, breezy 5 minute moto ride! I've learned how to dodge all the traffic obstacles (goats, sheep, crazy moto drivers, small children yelling "Toubab!") Who would have ever thought I'd be driving a moto?! I love it though.

Here are a few pics of some of my latest adventures:

This was at our last Operation Christmas Child distribution. The box was almost as big as she was!

One of my friends with her nephew who lives in a nearby village. Kim and I went out there to give the village chief a Bible in Sereer.

My cat, Rose, has become quite the school mascot! She loves being with the kids during the school day.

Liz and I at the wildlife reserve near Fatick. I loved the giraffes!

Ways to pray for me and the Sereer-Sine team:

1. Pray for people around us with medical needs. We get people coming to us with everything from burns to broken arms.

2. Pray for the rains. Rainy season is upon us, but everyone says we are not getting as much as we should. People need these rains for their crops.

3. Pray for the English clubs Liz is starting. Pray for the young people that will be coming. Pray for Liz as she builds relationships with these young people.

4. Pray for my friends "A" and "B". These are the young ladies I like to visit. Pray that I would have the courage to share with them.

5. Pray for the new school year.

6. Pray for the whole team as we move forward in our ministry. We have several open doors, it's just we need God's guidance as to how to procede through them. Pray for wisdom as we proceed in ministry to the Sereer-Sine people.

Horse carts and trampolines

Now that I am here in Fatick for a while (I just got back from three days in Dakar), I have decided that Saturday is my shopping day. The ladies in the market only sell vegetables in the mornings, so Saturday is the only day I can get out since I teach school during the week. Today, I was actually able to get a horse cart to town ... both ways! I do prefer riding on a horse cart to walking because it's really starting to get hot. It's almost impossible to get out from 1:00 to about 5:00 because it's soooo hot!

A donkey cart (similar to the horse carts)

The horse carts are great, but it's a bumpy ride! (They only cost about 25 cents, so I really don't mind the sore bottom!) My main reason for riding horse carts is to meet people. Right now, because my Wolof language skills are so limited, I can only do the basics. But the more I listen, the better I get. I'm able to understand a lot more than I can speak. I can pick out individual words and get a basic meaning in sentences. My responses are usually head nods or hand motions. It's hard for me not to rely on my French skills. If I have to communicate something, I'll do it in French. But for the sake of learning Wolof, I try to communicate as much as possible in Wolof.

The kids love it when you take their picture and then show it to them on the camera!

School is in full-swing! The kids are getting used to the new routine and I'm learning the homeschooling ropes. (It's nice only having four students!) At their house, they have a trampoline, swings, and all kinds of other fun games. They have also become the local hangout for all the kids. It's not unusual to see 40 kids inside and outside their gate! I was able to take some really cute pictures yesterday.

Sweet!

Be praying for the Sereer-Sine team. We are having a small group of volunteers come at the end of this week, so we are busy preparing for them. They will be helping with our Operation Christmas Child distributions and with some research and prayer walking in the Sereer-Sine area. Pray for their safe travel and for the kids who will be receiving the boxes (we'll be giving a gospel presentation also). Pray that God will use us for His glory!

Relaxing on a hot Friday afternoon!

Still waters?

Life in a dry, desert area can be interesting. You suddenly realize the importance of water. Right now, as I sit here typing this, I have no water. I turn on my faucet and nothing comes out. I sit here thinking, "Today was really hot and I'm pretty smelly ... how am I going to get un-smelly?!" Then I think of my favorite Psalm - one that everyone should know: Psalm 23.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."

After being away from "green pastures" and "quiet waters" for two months, I really have a new appreciation for them. One day, in Dakar, we were at the Marine House to watch the movie "Fireproof." (They set it up like a movie theater! I got to eat a hot dog and Kit Kat bar!) Well, they had grass there! GRASS!! I took off my flip-flops and walked barefoot in the grass. It was AMAZING!!

Life is like that. Sometimes we have been out in the desert for too long. We need to take off our shoes and run barefoot in the cool, green grass. We need to stick our feet in the refreshing, clear water. Living in the actual desert, I have to remind myself not to be in the "desert" for too long. I have to let God lead me into those "green pastures" and "quiet waters." I cannot rely on my own strength out here. I have to rely on HIM!!! Otherwise, little things like no water or the electricity going off every day will really start to get to me. I have to look at the glass as 1/2 full, not 1/2 empty. I praise God for the lady who lived in my house before who filled up about ten 10 liter jugs full of tap water for times when the water is out. I praise God that the electricity only stays off for about an hour at a time, sometimes 30 minutes. I praise God for technology that allows me to video-call my parents and "attend" my grandmother's 74th birthday party. I praise God for a cat who kills my bugs at night so they don't crawl on me!

In all, I have had a good dose of culture being here. I had a guy from telephone company wander into my house unannounced (scared me to death!). I've eaten from a common bowl (I did get a spoon though). I've met many people and look forward to building relationships with them. I'm continuing my Wolof learning and making lots of people laugh in the process. God is good though. I am very blessed and know that God will continue to bless me.

Long time, no post!

Wow, I've become that bad blogger who never posts already! I must remedy that!

Since my last post, I have returned home to Fatick and have really gotten to settle in. I have been teaching for two weeks already and I am really starting to learn the "homeschooling ropes." It's quite different from a high school classroom full of teenagers! I'm really enjoying it too. The classroom is in my house, so I can work on stuff for school while baking my breakfast for the next day or late at night!

I am really starting to feel at home. I have learned how to find my way around Fatick and even went to the market Saturday morning all by myself! I was quite proud. I am meeting people around town and am looking forward to building relationships with some of the local women. There is a beauty salon that I'm planning to visit later on this week and really get to know some more women. Pray for me as I seek out friends and someone I can practice my Wolof with.

The Definition of Language Learning

The definition of language learning from the dictionary of Holly: 1) contorting your mouth in foreign shapes in the hopes of producing sounds that you have never heard in your life; 2) making a fool of yourself as you completely and absolutely butcher a language; 3) smiling through it all as the locals laugh at you as you try to make these weird sounds; 4) enjoying making them laugh because you know they enjoy hearing you speak their language.

Despite the trials of language learning, I love knowing how happy I make the people by speaking their language. Their faces just light up when they hear this white girl speak Wolof. It's really quite fun.

My week here in Dakar has been quite an adventure. I climbed a mountain (literally), looked out upon Dakar (I'll post pictures once I have steady internet access), have ridden in many taxis, have learned how to bargain for taxis, and I am ready to brave the Saturday market. Dakar is a busy, bustling city with many fun and interesting people. I have eaten so much good food and I am ready to try some more local dishes.

I walk about a mile from where I'm staying here in Dakar to my language classes around 2:30 in the afternoon. At that time, men all over Dakar and Senegal are praying towards Mecca. As I walk to class, I pass many people on their prayer mats, praying to the east. As I walk, I pray for the people that I pass. Please pray with me for these men and women. Pray that God would open their eyes and change their lives.

2 weeks in Senegal

I have decided to sum up my time here so far in as few words as possible - but it might take a while!

Crazy Dakar taxi drivers, fruit sellers directing traffic (and really not doing a good job - I mean, they're fruit sellers), nearly running over people walking and moto drivers, nearly running me over, dirt in the Chacos all the time, wind so strong it'll knock you over, Harmattan dust haze, lizards pooping on my kitchen counter, loosing electricity three days in a row, mosquito nets, trying to light my gas oven, successfully lighting my gas oven and baking my first banana bread, "Dema jang Wolof.", "No, I can't marry you. You'll have to talk to my father in America and he'll say no." "Yes, I know you have a house and a good job as a mechanic, but I still can't marry you.", riding on horse carts to the market, looking at fish in the market, cleaning fish after the market, turning down another marriage proposal in the fish market, walking 2 miles to pay my electric bill, listening to my washing machine dance around for two hours, wishing they would put the goat next door out of it's misery, ... oh the list goes on and on.

In all, I have really been enjoying being here. I survived culture shock and now feel at home. I'm heading to Dakar for two weeks to begin my Wolof language learning. I can't wait to be able to really communicate with the people. Please pray for Liz and I as we begin.

Home sweet home

Now that I'm settled in and finally have some down time, I'm able to write and catch you up on everything! Liz and I arrived in our village Thursday. It really is such a nice little village; we even have paved roads! Actually, the road all the way from Dakar to here was paved! The big difference is the amount and type of traffic on the roads. When I cross the street, I don't look both ways to dodge a bus or car, but a horse-cart or donkey-cart. And if I decide that it is too hot for me to walk to the market, I can just hop on one of these carts and pay next to nothing for the ride!

It is very dry and dusty here. When I got into my house, a layer of dust about 1/2 inch thick was on everything! We finally got it all lifted, only, to my dismay, to find another layer on everything this morning. Housecleaning is a full-time job here! Here is a picture of the outside of my house:

And no, there really is no grass. If you find grass, you have found a treasure! The sand is everywhere, and of course, walking without getting sand all over you is impossible. I don't have a dryer, so I let the hot, African sun do it's job. It is really dry, so everything dries really quickly.

Life here can be tough, but the people are so friendly. They love to greet you and have you greet them. I have learned how to say "I'm learning Wolof" in Wolof, so now, when I go to buy my bread and the sweet young lady who barely speaks any French tries to speak Wolof, I can tell her that! She can get quite a laugh out of me butchering her language!

I've learned to be happy with what I have. Yes, my washing machine is a bigger spaz than I am (and a better dancer, I might add), but at least I have a washing machine that works. No, I don't have a shower curtain or the capabilities to put one up, but at least I have running water and a shower that works. Yes, dust gets EVERYWHERE, but that is easily cleaned up. I have enjoyed getting to know people so far and I am really enjoying the hospitality of the village. The Sereer are very loving and welcoming people. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me here!

Hello from Dakar!

After a long, but smooth flight from New Orleans - Atlanta - then on to Dakar, I am sitting in the living room of the guest house here. I honestly did not sleep from the 5 am monday morning Louisiana time until 9 pm Tuesday evening Dakar time (Senegal is five hours ahead of central standard time). I slept the whole night through last night, until about 6 am. I feel pretty rested, but the jet-lag is catching up with me. I'll be good as new after a few days. Liz made it here safely too. Oh, and I almost forgot, we all arrived with every piece of our luggage! I do believe that is quite an accomplishment!

We did some shopping at a really nice grocery store named "Casino." They have a few American products (or at least the French version of them) and lots of French products. I can pretty much get everything that I need there. So when I say I'm going to the "Casino," I'm not going to play poker ...

Now that Liz is here, we're going to do quite a bit of shopping today. We are stocking up on the things we can't find in our village. We'll be leaving Dakar on Thursday, possibly Friday, to head to our home! The city is so different from the village, and to be honest, I think I might prefer the slow-paced village life ... Dakar is a busy place!

I'll post pictures soon! Also, please be praying about our language learning situations. We have lots of possibilities, it's just deciding which one would be best that's tough. Pray for God's guidance and discernment.

Airports ...

As I sit here, my last day in the US for at least two years, I look out the window at a foggy New Orleans. I got up early this morning, made sure that I had everything packed (and of course, I still forgot somethings!), kissed my kitty babies goodbye (and my mom of course!), and loaded up my car with my three suitcases. My dad and I, after some re-shuffling of items, managed to get both my suitcases right at 50 lbs! I just saved myself $150!!!! Yay for my awesome packing skills! I even still managed to fit all six of my Bath and Body Works hand soaps!

Pray that all my flights go smoothly and that all my stuff makes it safely to Dakar. Also, Liz and the girlies I'll be working with are flying today as well, so please pray for them also. And, in the wise words of Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." So, we'll see what Delta airlines and Dakar has in it's box of chocolates for me when I arrive!

Getting ready to head home!

As my time here

in Virginia draws to a close, I really cannot believe I have been here for almost eight weeks! I am pretty ready to head back to Louisiana for some good southern cooking before I head to Senegal. Mainly, I'm ready for some of my Mom's chicken and dumplins, my Dad's jambalaya, my grandfather's turkey and ham, and my grandmother's dressin'! I really missed spending Thanksgiving with them, but I am very excited about Christmas.

We had a good Thanksgiving here. The cafeteria fixed us a really good meal (with stuffing instead of the southern style cornbread dressing I'm used to) and then that evening some of us West Africa people went to Cracker Barrel. I got breakfast food instead of their special Thanksgiving stuff, though. It was a special day of games and fun.

Then, that Friday, all 250+ of us piled into charter buses and went to Washington D.C. for an evangelization trip. It was a fun time of sightseeing and telling others the Good News. I had a really exciting moment. We were taking the subway to the National Mall area, when we met up with another group (we all split up into groups of about 5). One of the guys began talking with a woman and I heard him say, rather loudly, "She speaks French." I made my way over there, introduced myself in French, and began talking with this lady from Cameroon. She has been in DC for about 8 years and was so excited to get to speak French with someone. I asked her if I could pray for her and her face just lit up! She told me that she was also a believer and was so excited that someone was not ashamed to be a bold witness. She told me her testimony and I shared a little of mine with her. She told me that I was a great encouragement to her and I told her that I would pray for her. So please pray for Alice* (name changed). Pray that she would live out her faith boldly and that she would find encouraging, believing friends.

In all, I am excited to get to spend three weeks at home. I am going to stuff myself with red velvet cake, fudge, Martha Washington balls, and home-cooked southern dressin'. I cannot wait! Enjoy my DC pictures!