Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Breathe on Me
Yes that female voice is Kari Jobe.
My heart is going out to some of the people I most cherish in my life, and the people and values they most cherish. This song put itself back into my que today as I reflected and prayed. It's a Lamentations 2:19, get on your face before the Lord kind of song, one that speaks right to your emptiness and offers the hope of being filled.
And God is filling me, by telling me He is my eternel source. I got the verse Psaume 87:7 this morning:
Ceux qui chantent comme ceux qui dansent (s'ecrient): toutes mes sources sont en toi.
I'm not going to provide an English translation, because God gave me the verse in French intentionally. If you must know what it means, I'd prefer you put it in google translate rather than grab your Bible or go to Bible gateway. There are meanings in the French version that I have never seen before, despite being familiar with many translations of this verse.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Time for a few More Things
Not as many as last time, I hope. That was a bit obnoxious.
1) My younger sister has a private tutor who comes to the home twice a week and calls me Kate Chopin.
2) My older sister asked me why I didn't go to the big demonstration today. If it weren't such a sensitive subject, I would've sarcastically said I liked Wade. However, I instead went with the safer but still sassy answer of "Next time I'll go if you go"
3) Suur naa (I'm full) is only useful when employed correctly. Say "suur naa" before you are actually full, because someone will certainly tell you you didn't eat (not eat enough, but eat at all). Then eat until you are full, repeat phrase, and get up.
4) I had white rice with chocolate powder on top as a snack today, and was surprised to have enjoyed it.
5) I had an avocado craving, which was strange because I rarely eat them in the US, and I hadn't even seen one here or thought about it until today. But tonight at dinner, we had salad with meat, egg, vegetables, and avocado. That was pretty awesome.
6) You came to let the slave go free, You cause the sinner to sing praise- in You we are secure. WHAT JOY!
- from "What Joy" by Sarah Emerson. This was His Little Feet's status today. It perfectly captured what my heart was trying to say right at the moment I read it.
7) Hebrews 6:19 has been an important verse in my life the past two months or so.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil
8) I love when I'm at home at night and my face feels just a little bit warm, because it's a reminder to be thankful for all the sun where I am right now.
9) I am obsessed with being on the roof of our school, the Baobab Center. I mean, really truly obsessed. Photos may not explain it to you, but it certainly does for me.
Jamm ag jamm (peace to me and peace to you)
1) My younger sister has a private tutor who comes to the home twice a week and calls me Kate Chopin.
2) My older sister asked me why I didn't go to the big demonstration today. If it weren't such a sensitive subject, I would've sarcastically said I liked Wade. However, I instead went with the safer but still sassy answer of "Next time I'll go if you go"
3) Suur naa (I'm full) is only useful when employed correctly. Say "suur naa" before you are actually full, because someone will certainly tell you you didn't eat (not eat enough, but eat at all). Then eat until you are full, repeat phrase, and get up.
4) I had white rice with chocolate powder on top as a snack today, and was surprised to have enjoyed it.
5) I had an avocado craving, which was strange because I rarely eat them in the US, and I hadn't even seen one here or thought about it until today. But tonight at dinner, we had salad with meat, egg, vegetables, and avocado. That was pretty awesome.
6) You came to let the slave go free, You cause the sinner to sing praise- in You we are secure. WHAT JOY!
- from "What Joy" by Sarah Emerson. This was His Little Feet's status today. It perfectly captured what my heart was trying to say right at the moment I read it.
7) Hebrews 6:19 has been an important verse in my life the past two months or so.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil
8) I love when I'm at home at night and my face feels just a little bit warm, because it's a reminder to be thankful for all the sun where I am right now.
9) I am obsessed with being on the roof of our school, the Baobab Center. I mean, really truly obsessed. Photos may not explain it to you, but it certainly does for me.
Jamm ag jamm (peace to me and peace to you)
Monday, January 30, 2012
I Got a Desk Job in Senegal. What?
Title was prompted by Miss Val Hanson, and is kind of mostly true.
Will I have a desk? Yes
Will my job be at it? Sometimes
Is it volunteer? Absolutely
Now that we have the facts straight, I'll tell you more. I went to Partners International today to get things set up. They tested my French - by appearing to not speak English - and came up with a bunch of ideas (I passed the test!) It looks like I will be teaching English, translating some materials (not sure which way), taking part in prayer meetings, a possible bilingual Bible study (good thing I brought that English Bible. I almost just brought the French one), and of course whatever else may come along. They invited me to make the office my home away from home - to drink tea, to get online, whatever.
They also seemed pretty excited with both the length of time I'm in Senegal as well as the amount of time I feel I can give. The more I saw, the more excited I got. They have this five point "DNA", and one of them was a focus on prayer, which was naturally beautiful. I loved seeing what they're doing, not just in Dakar or even Senegal, but throughout West Africa. They were also glad I was familiar with the 10-40 zone, which is primarily where Partners works.
Which brings me to the other cool point about this whole dealio, which I was reminded of this afternoon as they showed me the country map. Before I ever really thought I'd go to Senegal, in early November 2010, a friend said I needed to get a facebook. One of the reasons he gave was so he could keep track of my future adventures in the 10-40 zone. (those links both go to different sites). I laughed and rolled my eyes and said um maybe some day without actually believing it was going to happen.
And then it did. I'm in Senegal, working with an organization that serves as a catalyst for indigenous church movements and the advancement of the gospel. I'm here, with an open, servant's heart, ready to be surprised by another level of joy in the Lord. I originally had planned on working with IFES, IVCF's international movement, but I haven't heard from my contact since November. What God means to happen, happens. Period.
Will I have a desk? Yes
Will my job be at it? Sometimes
Is it volunteer? Absolutely
Now that we have the facts straight, I'll tell you more. I went to Partners International today to get things set up. They tested my French - by appearing to not speak English - and came up with a bunch of ideas (I passed the test!) It looks like I will be teaching English, translating some materials (not sure which way), taking part in prayer meetings, a possible bilingual Bible study (good thing I brought that English Bible. I almost just brought the French one), and of course whatever else may come along. They invited me to make the office my home away from home - to drink tea, to get online, whatever.
They also seemed pretty excited with both the length of time I'm in Senegal as well as the amount of time I feel I can give. The more I saw, the more excited I got. They have this five point "DNA", and one of them was a focus on prayer, which was naturally beautiful. I loved seeing what they're doing, not just in Dakar or even Senegal, but throughout West Africa. They were also glad I was familiar with the 10-40 zone, which is primarily where Partners works.
Which brings me to the other cool point about this whole dealio, which I was reminded of this afternoon as they showed me the country map. Before I ever really thought I'd go to Senegal, in early November 2010, a friend said I needed to get a facebook. One of the reasons he gave was so he could keep track of my future adventures in the 10-40 zone. (those links both go to different sites). I laughed and rolled my eyes and said um maybe some day without actually believing it was going to happen.
And then it did. I'm in Senegal, working with an organization that serves as a catalyst for indigenous church movements and the advancement of the gospel. I'm here, with an open, servant's heart, ready to be surprised by another level of joy in the Lord. I originally had planned on working with IFES, IVCF's international movement, but I haven't heard from my contact since November. What God means to happen, happens. Period.
Some Pictures...
This is from day 2 in Senegal, before I moved in with my host family and started eating around the bowl all the time.
This is also from day 2, on a bus tour through downtown Dakar.
This is one of my favorite pictures so far, from Goree. Thanks to Jenny for use of your arm :)
Goree again, right as we arrived.
From the roof of the Baobab Center
This is from that informal street school I blogged about earlier
These are my older sister's children: Ibou (10), Assy (7), and Barabou (6)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
La Lumiere (The Light)
Last night, when the power was out, I was entranced by the candle in the dark living room. All I could think of was the Light of the world. The Light that was the light of men, that stepped into darkness so that we would see.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
Teranga
After you read this post, hopefully you will understand this statement:
Today I got to help around the house. It was wonderful!
Teranga expresses the Senegalese value of hospitality, which manifests itself quite differently from what we might expect in the US. In the United States, if you stay with someone, it is generally someone you know pretty well. When you arrive at their home, they would likely show you where the kitchen, living room, and bathroom are (perhaps laundry room if it’s a long stay), and tell you the internet password if there is one. If you offered to help with dinner, or at least clean up, they’d probably let you.
In Senegal, it is not so. It is not uncommon to welcome near strangers or distant family members into the home for indefinite periods of time. My host family didn’t even know how long I’d be staying! I also had to ask about the bathroom and password, because it’s simply not their way to just tell their guests these things. They want things to be simple for their guests. And don’t even think about picking up after meals, much less helping prepare them. That’s a big no-no; it is completely unacceptable.
It’s unacceptable, of course, only until you are welcomed in as a full-fledged member of the household. No, there isn’t a ceremony, and it probably varies on an individual basis. But for me, it started my second week here. I started buying bread and coffee for my mom and I in the morning. This is a tiny task, often assigned to children, but it was still exciting for me. Part way into the week, I also got to start buying the bread for dinner. Woot woot. This week, I’ve been given the task of setting out and cleaning up the mats before/after dinner (the maid does it for breakfast and lunch). Last night, I got to make attaya (though a candle-lit lesson probably won’t do me much good in the long run)
And then today. People hard-core sleep in on Sundays, and I didn’t go to church because it’s pretty far from my house and I didn’t know what was really going on yet. So after a late breakfast, I was asked to help my younger sister clean dishes. I also hung some towels up to dry.
I was excited because it means I’m less of a guest and more of a family member, which is one of the great things about doing a homestay – learning what it’s like to be part of a family somewhere else.
At this rate, I’ll be making ceeb u jeen in no time! (Fish rice, the national dish)
Today I got to help around the house. It was wonderful!
Teranga expresses the Senegalese value of hospitality, which manifests itself quite differently from what we might expect in the US. In the United States, if you stay with someone, it is generally someone you know pretty well. When you arrive at their home, they would likely show you where the kitchen, living room, and bathroom are (perhaps laundry room if it’s a long stay), and tell you the internet password if there is one. If you offered to help with dinner, or at least clean up, they’d probably let you.
In Senegal, it is not so. It is not uncommon to welcome near strangers or distant family members into the home for indefinite periods of time. My host family didn’t even know how long I’d be staying! I also had to ask about the bathroom and password, because it’s simply not their way to just tell their guests these things. They want things to be simple for their guests. And don’t even think about picking up after meals, much less helping prepare them. That’s a big no-no; it is completely unacceptable.
It’s unacceptable, of course, only until you are welcomed in as a full-fledged member of the household. No, there isn’t a ceremony, and it probably varies on an individual basis. But for me, it started my second week here. I started buying bread and coffee for my mom and I in the morning. This is a tiny task, often assigned to children, but it was still exciting for me. Part way into the week, I also got to start buying the bread for dinner. Woot woot. This week, I’ve been given the task of setting out and cleaning up the mats before/after dinner (the maid does it for breakfast and lunch). Last night, I got to make attaya (though a candle-lit lesson probably won’t do me much good in the long run)
And then today. People hard-core sleep in on Sundays, and I didn’t go to church because it’s pretty far from my house and I didn’t know what was really going on yet. So after a late breakfast, I was asked to help my younger sister clean dishes. I also hung some towels up to dry.
I was excited because it means I’m less of a guest and more of a family member, which is one of the great things about doing a homestay – learning what it’s like to be part of a family somewhere else.
At this rate, I’ll be making ceeb u jeen in no time! (Fish rice, the national dish)
What To Do When The Power Goes Out
With all of the happenings around Dakar, and Senegal as a whole, it surprised no one in my family when the power went out around 9 last night.
All of these things were actually done by my family last night, in no particular order:
-Candlelight dinner (more of a necessity than anything else)
-Jokes (the power went out right when my mom came home. I told her it was her fault and she laughed really hard)
-Mock one another's dance moves
-Discuss how old the president is (impressions not required, but strongly encouraged)
-Make attaya. In the dark.
-Julli (pray)
-Read the Senegalese version of People/US Weekly
-Listen to the radio for news
-Laugh quietly at Mamy snoring on the floor
-Stare up at the stars.
All of these things were actually done by my family last night, in no particular order:
-Candlelight dinner (more of a necessity than anything else)
-Jokes (the power went out right when my mom came home. I told her it was her fault and she laughed really hard)
-Mock one another's dance moves
-Discuss how old the president is (impressions not required, but strongly encouraged)
-Make attaya. In the dark.
-Julli (pray)
-Read the Senegalese version of People/US Weekly
-Listen to the radio for news
-Laugh quietly at Mamy snoring on the floor
-Stare up at the stars.
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