Those Who Cannot Repay

Today, in Dakar in Transition class, we had what I would consider our best class yet. We watch a documentary on youth unemployment in Senegal, and it sparked a lot of conversation and opened our eyes to differences in cultural values once more. Then we watched another video on street children - not the talibes, who are receiving religious education from the corranique schools - but children who have left their families for some reason or another. The boys said they once saw a woman throwing away her leftover food and they asked her for it. She said no, that she wouldn't give it to them, and threw it in the dustbin.

You should know that one of the five pillars of Islam is giving to the poor, which is why I was confused as to why she wouldn't share with them. Our prof explained that many people will only give to the talibes in exchange for prayers and a special blessing from them. They expect that the prayers will increase their favor, and that's why they give. While I don't think this is the attitude of all Muslims - that they give only to receive - it was troubling for me.

But when you give a feast,invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:13-14

I thought of this passage immediately, and the number of discussions I've had, sermons I've heard, and books I've read, about the difficulties of accepting this teaching. Do you give in order to receive something in return? It does say that we will be repaid later on, but not by those to whom we give. Because we have blessed those who have no means, only then are we ourselves blessed. It's along the same line as the doctrine of forgiveness - it's easy to forgive your friends, but will you forgive your enemies?

I left class still a bit confused and surprised by what our prof had said, and found it difficult to believe that those whose religion depends on submission to God are still so self-seeking. Hmmmm thoughts thoughts thoughts.

Mayug Yalla (Gift From God)

I was praying about financial provision because this is the first time in a long time I haven't had a job. Then today, my boss said that he was supposed to translate a book as a paid job but he doesn't have time to finish the second half, and the other half of the money will be given upon completion. He asked me if I wanted to do it for pay, and it was such a blessing. Not only do I get the cash, but I get to work on my French, and read and write about God's forgiveness for hours on end.

Alxamduyeesu!

Halfway There

This video is the result of mix tapes and family roadtrips, and also one of the first things that comes to mind when I'm halfway done with something.

Today is my 60th day in Dakar, which means I have just 59 remaining. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. Wolof ends this week, we have just three more Peoples and Cultures classes, Islam wraps up the beginning of April...friends are leaving mid March and the end of April. We're supposedly going on a rural visit next week, but we know nothing about it. We're trying to plan a spring break, potentially to a national park with mountains and hiking and whatnot, and every day it seems like we say "really, it's time to figure out our research projects" and of course we don't.

I think the second half is going to be even better than the first, because we spent so much of the first half finding ourselves and figuring things out. Now I think we are braver, more aware, and more focused on enjoying our time. Sadly, I think things will also go more quickly because we are no longer waiting for things to feel easy - for the most part, they already do. Right now, there are so many people I don't want to think about leaving, but also a bunch of people I'll be excited to see. Soooo I think the best thing to do is just enjoy it and have a lot of fun, and be all here for the rest of my time. Mangi fii rekk.

Do You...

get really excited about what God's about to do? Because I do! Especially when I have songs like "Hear Us From Heaven" and "The Lost Are Found" running through my brain, and I get verses like:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Isaiah 35:5-6

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:18-19

In case you don't feel like loading the videos, the main parts I think about, respectively are:

"Open the blind eyes

Unlock the deaf ears

Come to Your people

As we draw near.

Hear us from heaven

Touch our generation

We are Your people

Crying out in desperation"

I have the strongest memories of this song at Rock Valley Chapel, with my pastor's son on the drums, and I can see myself there in that second row worship with my church fam and it's beautiful.

"All of the universe

Is at Your feet:

The lost are found

The blind will see

The lame will walk

The dead will live

And You our God

Forever You will reign"

In typical Hillsong fashion, that part (chorus? bridge?) gets repeated a bazillion times, but I love it. I get goosebumps every time. I sang it to myself all the way to school today and did not tire of it. It's so simple, but it's a beautiful promise of what our Lord can and will do.

Alxamduyessu!

Xadi, Am Naa Laj

Today was our beloved Xadi's 21st birthday. Since we've all been legal here for nearly two months, and we have 9am class tomorrow, we went for a nontraditional celebration of this milestone: ice cream cake (creme brulee vanilla carmel). Addie, Val and Debbie went to their internship for the day, and came back to school to do homework; Angeline joined them after her own internship. It was my job to purchase the cake and bring it in. I walked really fast because I live 20 ish minutes away and I didn't want the cake to melt. I got to the BC and went to collect Angeline. I was going to lead Addie into a pleasantly decorated room by saying Debbie wanted to discuss a project idea with her, but Angeline beat me to it by saying "The Germans are coming" Um yeah...

Anyway, when we were all settled in our favorite classroom, I said, "Xadi, am naa laj" She said "Nam?" I said, "C'est ton anniversaire?" and pulled out the cake as everyone started awkwardly singing Joyeux Anniversaire. It was beautiful and a fun surprise. We all decided we need to pick random celebrity personas and celebrate their birthdays because birthdays are just so fun.

Ana Yamma?

Today I had a few hours free after lunch and I was invited to come over to my acquaintance Yamma’s house by another friend, Djibi. I went there and the door was open so I just came in and was greeted by a Djibi smile and “kay”. We went into a room and I saw all the attaya fixings. Other friends of theirs filtered in, but no Yamma. I didn’t see him the whole time, and it was his house! That’s Senegal for ya.

Djibi tried to tell me that ceebujeen and attaya were like McDonald’s and a coke; they’re really not the same at all, but it was funny for me. He also said that I should drive in Senegal, which is a horrific idea if you ask me, as there are no discernible traffic laws besides “social contract”…

We drank tea and talked about our different lives and experiences. He said Americans work too hard and don't take time to relax and enjoy each other, like the simple joy of spending an afternoon making attaya. He finds it a bit odd that even here I have 6 hours of class and an internship. It's just interesting to listen to other people's reactions to your life.

Prayer Walking

I love going for walks with the King. As long as I'm dressed appropriately, I can go in any kind of weather. I've noticed that He speaks to my heart differently during different times of day. During the morning, the Lord usually reveals some new aspect of His character to me; the afternoon is an insight of some kind, and evening is when He quiets my heart and prepares me for a beautiful time in His presence. When I get back from a walk at night, all I want to do is be on my face before Jesus.

Since being in Dakar, I hadn't walked alone yet at night, but other girls had said they felt safe and comfortable, so when I felt the Lord pulling on my heart strings, I went. I sung hymns quietly to myself, and when I came back, sure enough, I headed to my room (after greeting my fam of course) and spent time with tears in my eyes, dripping of the sweet sweet presence of Jesus.

In case you haven't gotten the message, Where I Find You by Kari Jobe is a stellar worship album that will draw you deeply into the presence of God. It is everything I love about contemporary Christian music. Here's one of my gut reaction favorites, because from the first moment I heard it, I cried and it rooted itself in my heart.

What Love is This

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

If you want to know more about where the song was written from, click here (Also there is an awesome video of Kari and others singing Hallelujah). I always think that the people who write about God the best have had the strongest experiences of Him. It's why I love the apostle Paul so much- when you read His writing, you just know He loved Jesus more than all the world had to offer him. When I hear songs like this, I think about the beautiful experience of Christ that had to have inspired them.

Alxamduyeesu!