Prayer Update

I realized that I've been sending out specific prayer requests individually as I thought of them, and that I could use this blog to hit everyone up at the same time, so here it goes:

First off, Partners International has a daily prayer page for all of its partners throughout the

10-40 zone, found here. It was also my job to create a prayer list specifically for the West African office for the month of March, so if you'd like that, either leave a comment with your email address, or email me at katefinman@gmail.com

Now that the "official" stuff is there, here are my individual prayer needs:

- Peaceful transfer of power. The second round of elections will be held on March 25th, and it is expected that the incumbent will lose.

- Traveling mercies. The five Beloit students are in the midst of solidifying spring break plans for this week Sunday through next Saturday (I'll be offline for that week, just so you know in advance). We also have a rural visit March 29th-31st. Pray for God to prepare the way before us, keeps us safe, make things efficient, give us patience, and that we wouldn't be charged excessively because of our toubab status.

- That I would be able to be still and rest in God's presence. I am learning so much here that sometimes it's difficult to shut out all the noise. Pray that I would be able to channel what I'm learning into a reflection of God's grace and faithfulness.

- That I would continue to keep Christ at the center of my interactions with others and not be shy in discussing my beliefs. I got several verses about light shining in darkness today (John 1:5, Ephesians 5:11), and I pray that Jesus might shine His light through me.

Also, let me know if any of you have things I could pray for. If all goes according to plan, we'll be on a bus for at least 12 hours Sunday and Saturday, plus more time on the road in between, so I'll have a lot of time on my hands. InterVarsity people, I'd love for you to tell me how I could best pray for our chapter right now, as well as anything personal. Leave it as a comment, email me, facebook, anything. Don't be shy! I love praying, and that really is a lot of time to kill.

Thanks for all who have been praying; my experience has been absolutely incredible!

The Great Mediator

Please be patient with this post. There are a lot of pieces that seem only mildly related, but they really do all go together.

Over a year and a half ago, my friend Megan said something along these lines: Because Satan came from God, he doesn't have any original ideas. He cannot create, he can only twist and deceive what already exists. That's why, if you look hard enough, you can find the threads of truth in any belief system.

Today in Islam class, I re-approached the discussion on original sin in a different way. (Shane, your explanation of the argument against it helped a lot in knowing what to say!) My Senegalese friend had told me that death and evil didn't begin until Cain killed Abel. I inquired further with our prof. He said that the first sin was Eve's (he emphasized Eve, and removed all responsibility from Adam which is a whole other topic) and that created the possibility of sin. But evil truly began when Cain killed Abel; Eve had simply initiated the potential - it hadn't actually happened yet.

This led to further elaboration. Babaccar said that in Christianity, Jesus reconciles humanity with God. True. He said that in Islam, mediation happens directly between the individual and God. This is why you can't walk in front of a Muslim praying - you're getting between him and God.

If I have to repeat the explanation of Leviticus 16-17 and Hebrews 5-10, you don't know me very well (I think I've blogged about it at least three times. I love it so much!). Long story short: under the Law, it was necessary for one high priest to atone for the sins of all the people. But Jesus is our most high priest, and under the new law, His one sacrifice is enough forever.

Here's a fun diagram (Beth, thinking of you!)

Man is sinful and is separated from God by this sin. We cannot enter into His holiness because we are filthy. That is, unless we have a way. The Way, actually. Christ came to reconcile us with God and to lead us where we cannot go on our own. He serves as the mediator, and the bridge in this relationship.

I was pounding my head (not literally, but I wanted to) in class, trying to figure out how a Muslim could find himself capable of self-reconciliation to God, when we began discussing confreries (brotherhoods) in Sufi Islam. Even though mediation allegedly happens between God and the individual, talibes (students) submit themselves to a cheikh (marabout, saint, teacher) in order to...GAIN ACCESS TO PARADISE! Our teacher even drew it out on the board with the talibe and God, with the marabout in the middle. Eureka!

Do you see it? They realize that they on their own cannot get to Paradise, so they need someone to fill the gap.

And now we're back to where we started: all beliefs are just perversions of the one Truth. It is clear that we cannot on our own have access to God. These Muslims believe that a doctrine of works submitted to a cheikh will save them. Christians know that Jesus Christ is the only way, truth and life, the true source of salvation.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" John 14:6

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

What I'm trying to say is:

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus 1 Timothy 2:5

Lost in Translation

Via my internship, I got a paid translation job that I mentioned awhile ago. It's a book about forgiveness that I'm translating from English to French. I really like the book, and appreciate its consistent reliance on the Bible to support its points.

This has also been the greatest challenge in getting things done efficiently, as I have to then find all of the Bible verses in French. Easier said than done. Often times, the verses are numbered differently, thus making the citations incorrect. Sometimes the phrasing is so different that I'm afraid what the author is trying to express isn't the same anymore; I have to add on a few surrounding verses in order to clarify things. From a translator's view, things can be pretty frustrating.

So instead I decided to look at it as someone trying to grow in Christ and understand God's word more fully. I have to read each verse carefully in both English and French in order to communicate clearly to the reader. This is a truly wonderful experience when I approach it with this attitude.

One of my favorite passages from today's work:

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Leviticus 26:3-13 (Look at this, all you who hate on Leviticus!)

Defining Normal

I have always been amazed at the way we adapt to new situations and circumstances, the way we create for ourselves a new normal.

Today was a rare day, where for me, nothing particularly exciting happened. I woke up, bought bread at the boutique, made tea, went to my internship, talked with my neighbor, ate lunch, napped, listened to music, skyped some people, planned spring break, ran, read and ate dinner. It was all just so normal.

Until you think about the fact that I did most of these activities in French/Wolof, or that I ran along the beach, and that I greeted many people between these things.

Funny how our "normal" changes.

Winner Mon

We rarely sing in English at church, but today we did, and it was a clear demonstration of reggae influence on Senegalese culture. Everyone got really excited when a man from the worship team took the mic and started singing.

Winner mon winner mon winner mon winner mon winner mon

Then we all joined in:
Winner mon winner mon winner mon
Jesus is the winner mon, the winner mon, the winner mon
Jesus is the winner mon, the winner mon all the time.

This was so much fun! I can't describe the joy that filled that room. I was definitely dancing with the Senegalese woman next to me - sharing joy in the Lord! Ah it was so fun. We sang it in French too, but it wasn't a direct translation lol.

Jesus Christ est le vainqueur, est le vainqueur, est le vainqueur
Jesus Christ est le vainqueur, est toujours le vainquer.

We only did it in French once or twice because the English one is clearly more fun :)

We also sang more in Wolof today, and what was even better was the fact that I understood most of the words! Pretty sure worship is the best way to learn a language. Listening/reading the Bible in French has helped a lot, and French worship music as well of course.

One more thing about today was this, translated from French :

"If you have a song in your heart, don't hesitate to share it. If you have a word from God, don't hesitate. This isn't my worship service, this isn't your own service, this is the church of Jesus Christ coming together as one to worship Him"

There's so much freedom during the service - I love it. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to start Mangi Yekkati Sa Tur!

Anyway, today's sermon was about unity, from Ephesians 4, but tied in with the "verse of the year" for this church, which is Colossians 1:28. Everyone takes notes here. In the US I was one of few. Now I sit sandwiched between note takers. It's good because sometimes we miss things and then we have someone to look on with. The hardest part for me is catching the names of the books, because they're pronounced so differently in French. Premiere epitre de Pierre, Osee, Jacques, Esaie. But it's getting easier. It was really neat to be talking about church unity here, in a communal context. Just because people live collectively doesn't mean there's unity, it still has to be founded on the peace and grace of Christ.

Because you know, Jesus is the winner mon, the winner mon all the time!

Amul Solo

Not important, but interesting. Maybe not even interesting, but they all happened.

I thought I loved Sundays in the US, but Senegalese Sundays are even better! Everyone sleeps in, so my walk to church is so peaceful. I can buy warm fresh bread and eat it on the way, as it's a ways from my house. After church, I have time for a pre - lunch nap. Yeah, awesome I know. Then lunch, and attaya/movie time with my sister. Then I went out with a friend and literally just laid around, made attaya, and listened to music until dinner time. We had delicious laax (yogurt, sugar, and millet) and then I just played with my little punks til now.

I've discovered I like it better when, instead of being impressed with my Wolof, people are unphased by it. It's a way of saying, hey you're no longer a novelty toubab speaking Wolof, you're just another person living in Dakar. I think it's awesome.

I love the hot weather, but I don't understand how women like my mother can wear a giant dress with a pagne underneath. So. much. fabric! Teach me your ways! I could barely handle leggings and a scarf...I'll adjust?

Although I've previously said I was ehhh about papaya, I retract that statement. I had much better papaya today and loved it. In French papaya is papaye. In Wolof, it's papaya. Go figure.

My youngest host brother is smart! I underestimated this one. 6 or 7 weeks ago, I showed him how to write my name and not since then. Today, he wrote it perfectly for me! I'm impressed.

Yesterday, there were some visitors at our house. I greeted one of the girls, around 8or 9 years old in Wolof because I could, but she said, "Je ne comprends pas le Wolof mais I speak English" Weird. That never happens to me.

Daylight Savings Time

Why does it exist?

Anyway, Senegal doesn't participate in this tradition because no one's ever all that concerned about what time it is. Or sleeping. We eat dinner as late as 10pm and then go out at 11 to buy fruit down the street. No big deal.

But the fact that it exists in the US and not here is pretty cool, because it means I'm now one hour closer to all of you in time. If you're in the midwest, that means we're only 5 hours apart. For my friends not in the US, I don't think this has any affect on us. If I had Amish friends they wouldn't be reading this, but it wouldn't affect us either because they also don't participate.

Also, it's way easier for me to figure out what time it is elsewhere with this 24 hour time business. Everyone should use it. Example: 4pm minus 6 hours is...um...wait let me think about that. But 16h minus 6 hours is obviously 10am. See how easy that was? Also, when you say you'll see someone tomorrow at 20h, there's no confusion as to whether you mean 8am or pm. 24 hour time is what's up.