Progress

For the last several weeks I have been waiting for several things to get done around the training center. I am so happy that in one week I have seen so much progress. My mosquito net was hung, some kids came and mowed the lawn at the training center with their machete's, the electrician came and helped me hang a new mirror for the house. I bought this very pretty radio from LLBean before travelling but the band was too small to pick up BBC or any eglish stations I was getting only one station on it. So I finally bought another radio and now I get dozens of channels.

Everyday kids visit me when I am home. They just come and hang out sit around, read books, draw pictures or help me with work. One boy was there last week and we built a huge antenna running from the roof to the kitchen for the new radio. Another girl was there yesterday helping me hang the mosquito net lower for better protection.

Last week I went to a village for follow up work for evangelism, while I was there I bought a new pot they use for water storage. In the village it provides cold water for everyone. For me it provides cold water for butter, cheese and cola. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy to have butter and cheese.

Thank you all for your prayers

Living Room Furniture

Our living Room furniture has arrived. Last night I spent a leisurely evening on the couch reading. Thank you for all of the finances you are giving for the training center as you give things continue to be established here.

Mlompe

This past weekend I went to Mlompe to preach. We left Oussouye in the middle of a huge thunder and lightening storm. We caught a ride in the back of a truck jammed with other people. I found out once we arrived that Sunday was to be the first day of six days of a feast for the male circumcision. THey have not had a circumcision ceremony there since 1962 due to money problems. It is very expensive to have these huge ceremonies. For this ceremony there were six cows, one for each day of the festival. Sunday morning by 7 am the craziness had started. Leopolds father arrived at 7:30 am. He is the head priest in the shrine. As he was staring at me and meeting me forthe first time there was a spritual battle going on around us. He father is deep deep deep into the traditional worship. Leopold's brother is the chief of Mlompe apparently because he can speak french ok.

Men had come from europe and dakar, all over senegal for this ceremony and the part was in full swing by noon. Men were running all over town dressed in skirts. Each man carried a weapon because many families had arrived from surrounding villages and there are always family fueds at these ceremonies. So knives and clubs were every where. As were guns and cannons. Part of the festivities is to set off guns and canons. So that was interesting. After church I invited leopold to go on a prayer walk with me which seemed a bit dangerous an interesting. As we walked and prayed we were approached by many strange and drunk men looking for love and also war.

I was able to encourage the church with a timely word and show boldness in the midst of adversity.

Pray for the church in Mlompe as they live in a great fear and have had relatively no growth since the church was started a year ago. Because the pastor lives in fear the church is trying to establish itself as some sort of covert opperation but this doesn't work. I was able tos pend a good deal of time with Leopold encouraging him.

Rain

Everyday it is raining here now. Mud, mud and more mud. Everything is green and lush. Those who are able are going to the fields everyday to cultivate the land. For the Jola this is the time of planting and the entire family, including young children plant rice and vegetables.

Cultural Blunders

I was at the market yesterday and saw this fantastic hand made bowl. They do a beautiful job with the pottery and then they fire it in a kiln. I thought oh that's just lovely I have to buy it. So I get it home and put it in my house. One for vegetables on the counter and another for lovely flowers outside.

Then my friend Marie Claire comes to visit and asks me why I have this thing in my kitchen. She said do you know what its for? I said for flowers......right?

Apparently its used for women to burn insense and oils in to woo their husbands into better sex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would be like one of the locals here walking into Fredrick's of Hollywood and buying crotchless panties for a dishtowel.

ooooooppppps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!