Getting things done

The further exploits of a Jola Dog

The further exploits of a Jola Dog

Etude Biblique

This year it has been difficult to get Etude Biblique going again. Initially it was only Ishamel, Erin and I. Then Harriette's daughter, Dgeleck, joined the group. Last night there were nine of us. That is a major breakthrough.

Wednesdays, I have opened the house up for people to come and hang out. Sometimes we play games, or watch a movie. The last two weeks Les Vieux (Marcel's son) brought his play station over. This drew in neighborhood boys. Yesterday during the Bible study the neighborhood boys showed up to see if the play station was still active. I invited them all to stay for the Bible study. Three Muslim boys declined, but Leboire, remained. He walked straight in, took his seat and listened intently and participated. Then Florence showed up and she sat with the two young girls, helping them find Bible verses. Dgeleck did the five minute teaching for the first time. It was really great! I am thankful for all that God is doing, to make this house a refuge for kids.

Please pray that God inspires me with what they need to hear and I have the language to share it. Also that we would build more friendships.

From the Roof views

Behind the house

Clearing the Land

Ever since the house was finished here in Oussouye, people have been encouraging me to have all the brush cut down. Village life is often a challenge because of lack of privacy and I found the brush to be a bit of privacy. After a long conversation with Pete about cutting down the brush to make the land usable and making the privacy bushes actually look nice and not like a forest, it was all systems go. But the job seemed immense to me.

The Jola people, are by their very nature, helpful and communal. Jerome was telling me yesterday that it was more so in the old days. If someone was pushing a wheel barrow down the street you would get up and go help them. He said now things have changed, people are too busy to help. I went to the youth group leader on Sunday and asked if they could come and work, cutting down the brush. It's a difficult time because the students have either finished school and left town or have exams. He said they would talk about it later, together and decide what they could do. Later I was told they would come Tuesday. Of course, Tuesday morning it rained. After the rain stopped around 9 a.m. Serge and Alan showed up with machetes and they and Pete got to work. They almost cleared the first section before the other boys showed up. It started to rain again and gloves were wet, soaking their hands through. They forged forward. In the end about eight young men where there to work. They had a rhythm to the work, stopping every few hours for awhile then getting back to work. In one day, but only about six actual hours of work, they had cut down all the large sections of brush. I was completely amazed! The wood is still on the ground, but it has at least been cut down.

I have neighbors. Since the brush has been cut down, I am greeted more often by people walking by. They are stopping to chat. The neighbor behind came to charge her phone, Wad came to ask for something he saw in the yard. More people came to ask for wood. By cutting down the barrier, people have been more friendly and open.

There is still lot's and lot's of work to be done, but it's a start.

Weekend In Ziguinchor

Erin and I had a fantastic trip to Ziguinchor this weekend. Friday we went shopping for Erin's new moped . Picked up a package from the South Spark Kinship with all kinds of goodies inside. Thank you South Spark. I love my spa facial mask and can't wait to scrub my face with it. Then on Friday evening we took Offie and Olga to Offie's favorite restaurant. It's THE place in town to eat bush meat. Friday night they had monkey and deer meat. You buy the meat by the kilo which I didn't realize before. So you say "I would like to eat 2 kilos of bish tonight." And they bring you a plate of 2 kilo's of deer meat. They hand you a fork and off you go eating a giant plate of meat. It's kind of like the Senegalese version of a steak house. We ate and laughed for several hours and then walked back to the WEC guest house, chatting more along the way. It was a great day.

Saturday Erin and I had lunch at a nice hotel on the river and took a walking tour through the arts market and the central market. Then back to Offie's for a bit and home again home again.

Sunday I preached at Offie's church and we had a good time visiting with the church members who I had not really spent much time with since last year.

It was a great weekend.

Good Times

Ishmael's birthday was Saturday. He had never celebrated his birthday before this year. It was really fun. Some of his friends came for the gathering and Dgeleck from the Wednesday night kinship was there. We played games and listened to music. The electricity and water shut off right before the party started so we had good old fashioned fun without new fangled technology. Games and the radio, and of course food!

Emmanuela

Many of you may remember Emmanuella. She is the daughter of Geraurd and Marie Claire in Kahinda. She was born two months premature and God saved her life. She has grown so much since last year when she was a petite bebe. Please continue to pray for her health. She seems to be sick quite a lot. Pray that Emmanuela would grab onto life.

Let's Color Jesus

I love my neighborhood with all the fantastic kids in it. Kids love to color and ever since last year when some gracious friends sent me crayons and coloring books the kids come to my house to color. Their coloring skills are greatly improving but I had to ask myself where this is really going to get them in life. There are not of professional colorers here in Oussouye.

Recently I found a great website that has Coloring pages for Sunday Schools on the web. Old and New Testament stories. I thought perfect, I will help my young professional colorer's to get on their road to a better life with Jesus. So today was the first day of the Jesus coloring pages and it went over big time.

"Look look It's Jesus!" (ok but they said it in Jola and I only understood Jesus.) But I could tell they were extremely happy. And we do have some really good colorer's.

Rain Rain Come Again another Day

I love the rain. Most of the foreigners in these parts go back to Europe during the rainy season, but as for me, I love the rain. I love the freshness of the air, and the breeze it brings. The things I really don't like about the rainy season are the bugs and the mud. This year I have brought with me some sturdy rain boots and I have my forever ready YOTOX! Last year, being the severe klutz that I have I had some tumbles in the mud walking too and fro. Perhaps this year I will just stop walking too and fro and just chose one or the other, Too or Fro. That may solve the problem.

Yesterday was our first big rain storm with lot's of thunder and lightning. Today we have had thunder and rain on and off again all day.

And so another season of rains begin.

Garden

Last year I have to admit I was overwhelmed with just moving into a house in the bush, let alone planting a garden too. Thankfully God sent Erin to the training center. I do not have a green thump at all. In fact I have a black thumb, and most things die in my hands. I don't understand why after watering plants reject life as we know it, but friends can usually bring my near dead plants back to life. Erin's garden is wonderful with lot's of vegetables. This garden will keep us full of food to eat for a long time to come. It's also very organic. All natural love and attention and Adjou poops on the garden everyday.

Please pray for our garden that it would continue to grow.

It's always beautiful

Twilight in Oussouye never gets old. I love my life.

Passing the Training Program

The goal of nine months in Oussouye is to be able to peel each of the fruits here in one long continuous strand of fruit peel. It's super difficult and takes a lot of fruit eating.