Just another hum drum day...right?

Who can be bored here? Who?? Is it possible? I remember my mother-in-law telling me that she might have been annoyed with Senegal (she lived here 20 something years), she might have been tired of Senegal, but she was NEVER bored in Senegal. Almost three months into living here I'm beginning to see why.
Here's a short list:
SNAKES (Come on, Tad...it's interesting!!!!)
In the past three months they've killed 7+ cobras on the property (All DEAD by the time I saw them! Thank you, Lord!!!) There's gotta be a nest somewhere. They are all around the same size. They're not the brightest in the bunch either because they keep on getting caught as the slither blithely across a walkway or the basketball court. As a friend of mine said 'natural selection showing its colors. Ha!

DUSTY BUTTERFLIES
We awoke one morning to a dust storm sweeping over the ocean. It covered my white and black tile, my two-year-old boy and all the laundry Evette and Rosette hung out that day. After coughing and hacking brown dust for hours, in flutters a mass of white butterflies. They joyfully traipsed around the compound for two days...and then they left. All that was left was a quirky fallen wing here and there.

BIZZARE, SPOOKY AND VERY REAL STORIES
The "invisible" Marabou. A guy down at the beach told my husband that there is an invisible Marabou (religious leader) that lives in the ravine next to the Phare property. He told us that all of the city of Oakum would know about 'him'. When we asked various locals (Mbaye and Patrice and Tad) it caused a bit of a debate in whether or not 'the spirit' had moved from the ravine or to the other side of town. Ok, talks about spirits and invisible religious leaders and there hangouts are not much discussed, never mind DEBATED, in my small hometown in Arkansas, I can tell you that.
MANLY MEN LOVE BARBIES TOO
This one still brings a smile to my face. Picture it: Big, muscular construction worker walking alongside a busy street. One dirty, rusty shovel slung over one shoulder, on the other a pink, sparkly, Barbie Back Pack. Was he taking it home to his daughter...probably not. These people are practical. That thing was probable full of nails and lug nuts.
No, I must concur with my mom-in law. Hot, yes. Dusty, yes. Exhausting at times, yes. Boring....give me a break!

Jean the Builder

Many of you who have been here to help us with renovations and construction know the mason, Jean Gomis. He has worked with teams on every major job we've done since Don Bove brought out a group including Aaron Toombs back in '98 (I think.) He can do electrical installation and plumbing and rough masonry and just about anything well. He even has an artist's eye with tile work. When we have had a large project to do and a visiting team to help, he has guided even our less than skilled friends in laying brick and mixing cement.

Two weeks back he came to me, embarrassed to ask, but looking for help. He had shared his problem with others here at the Phare, but didn't want to ask me and only when others pushed him came to talk. It seems that in December he is finally going to formalize his marriage to his common-law wife. That is an expensive proposition for most young men here, beyond their means, usually. For that reason, most Senegalese guys don't get married until they are in their mid to late 30s.

Anyway, I've been wracking my brain looking for a way to help. I can't use project money, of course. And we don't have a sure-thing next project at the Phare that I could advance him money on. With the dollar falling, my own personal resources are limited, too. So, I was in the middle of telling him I just didn't see how I could really help him. Suddenly I thought of all of you out there who know Jean. So many have said, "Let us know what we can do to help." Well, here is a small thing that would really encourage a brother in Christ.

Send me an email if you could help.

A Moving Target or A Nebuchadnezzar of God?

As Sara can attest, these last weeks have been very busy at the Phare. Early this week two groups were meeting during the day, the Presbyterians down in the main room and a "Prayer College" seminar meeting upstairs. I have seen a number of key Senegalese leaders who are here for the latter. And then in the evening, the ITES courses are in full swing. Aaron and I were looking around at the various bits of this and that needing to be cleaned out or cleaned up late yesterday afternoon. Suddenly, we realized we were right outside the ITES library and the poor professor was trying to talk louder than we were to hold his students attention.

We moved. Quickly. And shame-facedly!

So, the Phare is busy and that is just wonderful. God is using this place as we dreamed even before we have all the renovations and expansions in place.

One place that hasn't been nearly as busy as we have seen before and expected to continue is the Talibé Shelter out front. About two weeks ago, maybe three now, the mayor of Ouakam chased 150 or so boys and some teachers and various poor families out of the abandoned building site where they have been living for a few years. It is a very large shell of what was to be a postal distribution center.

Some of the boys have now left the city and gone with their teacher to the edge of town. Most ended up in Cité Avion, on the other side of Ouakam. In fact, they have built some shanties near the Ouakam church where Jane and I help out.

But that means the Phare is too distant, a couple of miles away. It is no longer easy access for first-aid. Nor can a sick boy stumble over for care. It was a bit of a walk before. Now it is just out of the question.

So Jane and Antoinette have been praying and asking God what to do. And He seems to be taking things in hand. The church is right nearby. In fact, that is Antoinette's neighborhood. Balla, the leader of the congregation, got excited as he thought of being able to host the ladies work. There is a toilet and shower at the church, in the courtyard. There is a side entrance. There is even a space under the stairs that could become a storage cupboard for supplies.

Today, Jane and Antoinette went to see the Koranic teachers to see if they would allow the boys to come to the church for care and food. Imagine.

We'd appreciate your prayers for wisdom about all of this. God seems to be answering our prayer for more church involvement in the work. We just didn't expect Him to use the mayor to do it!

Buoyant utterances

When entering a new culture, finding your place is paramount to becoming a happy, minimally deranged sort of person. The sooner you find it, the better. Otherwise, everyday brings a new opportunity to feel disjointed from all that you know as 'normal'. As soon as things start to get comfortable, watch out, because inevitably that precious moment collapses and you find that you are indeed a stranger in a strange land. It’s little things that keep many afloat. Little looks, little tastes, little words.
This last week there was a group of what I’ll call "braniacs" who came to use the facilities for classes and meetings. I think they were braniacs because they were all highly educated, holders of such admirable degrees as MA’s and PhD’s. They offered Masters and Doctorate level classes in Theology for peoples in this part of the world who wanted to obtain a degree, but could not travel to Europe or the States. They were a pleasant bunch. Their countries ranged from East Africa (GO KENYA) to Zimbabwe to Burkina Faso to several different States in the US. We knew they were pleasant because, we could hear them laughing away every breakfast, lunch and dinner (on the verandah, of course). Power outages couldn’t even quench their light spirit. When all became dark suddenly, they joked about dinning by candlelight. Also, the moon was lovely that night. Anyway, one particular morning I got up enough courage to ask them if I could take a picture while they were eating. Graciously, they agreed...just so long as I allowed them to take a picture of me when I was eating. Ha.
A few days later, toward the end of their stay, I meandered outside of my house onto the compound to strike up a conversation with one lovely lady who had generously given me some spices for chai at my mere mention of liking the cup of sweet goodness. I wanted to know how she felt about the role of “The Phare” in her groups’ ministry to West Africa. She was eager to let me know all the great things “The Phare” yielded for her and her colleagues. She mentioned things such as close proximity to the airport, one place where they could all gather together, low cost, laid back and restful environment, plenty of space, etc. "Good, good." I said, "You know, we (Aaron and myself) recently arrived, and we're discovering the various needs “The Phare” fulfills. Hopefully we will soon be able to see what needs we can fill. We're still trying to figure out exactly where we fit". She then uttered the line of the week. The line that landed on me much like the apple that landed on Newton.
She smiled at me and looked around and said, "Ah, everyone fits in Africa". I absolutely LOVED that comment. Whether or not it resonates truth with everyone I'm sure is debatable, but at that moment, that's what I needed to hear.
In an idyllic sense, we can fit anywhere as a believer because we ARE strangers in a strange land. It’s sort of an oxymoron. So what’s one strange land to another? They are all strange. Can I write strange one more time? Strangely enough I can't stop. How strange....
Before this post runs away from me I just want to wrap it up by saying that I was blessed AGAIN by the people that made their way onto this campus this week. Thanks, Karine for the spices and for the phrase that I will carry neatly in my pocket "everyone fits in Africa". It's amazing what God uses to keep people afloat.