Crazy Awesome Day

There were a lot of lovely things about today. Yesterday, I picked up my new clothes from the tailor. Today, I wore the dress and Debbie said she really liked it, because it's very me - the Senegal me, where a lot of boldness seems to have come out. I got to see Josh and Adilene before they went back to Thies. I wrote one of my papers.

In the afternoon, I went to the zoo with Djibi. I wouldn't have know there even was a zoo - located in Hann. This was perhaps one of the strangest things I've done here. First of all, it cost less than a dollar. Secondly, there weren't that many animals. There were a lot of pigeons. And monkeys of course. I got really close to a lot of the animals, which was neat. I held a bunny and shook hands with a gorilla. Djibi touched the snake but I did not.

The best was yet to come. We took a taxi and that sat on the rocks by the ocean as the sun went down. Then as the stars were coming out, we went over, and picked out fish for dinner. We sat at a table just feet from the ocean and enjoyed it. The fish was so good - covered in spicy onion sauce and vegetables. Then we walked home. It was pretty far, but I enjoyed it. I really don't want to forget today!

I liked seeing a lot of the plants. They had their own separate area of the park.

I totally could have touched that lion. But that's not smart.

This is the dress I had made. And a feisty lioness.

C'est Loins, Ca

I talked to my mom about my trip to Kedougou/Dindefalla.

Me: Mamy, I'm going to Kedougou and Dindefalla for spring break. I'm leaving Sunday around 16:30 and will be back sometime Saturday night.

Mamy: Ahhh that's far. That's so far! That's not here! That's far. That's almost Guinea. That's not here. It's far. Are you taking a plane? It's so far.

Me: Yes, it's far. I think the bus is around 12 hours.

Mamy: That's so far! What bus are you taking?

Me: *shows ticket*

Mamy: That's far. That's not here.

*enter older sister Amy*

Mamy: Amy, Kate's going to Kedougou. Sunday. It's so far!

Amy: Ahh, it's beautiful there.

Mamy: But it's far.

Amy (to me): It's beautiful there. Go ahead.

A Life in Contrasts

We just got done finalizing the details of our spring break trip, and I couldn't help but reflect on the differences from last year.

Spring Break 2011: I was asked to pray about going down south over BBM to help with some conferences. GOV generously purchased a flight from Chicago to Memphis, and I got to see some really amazing people for the first time in months. I was sent packing ideas over email, and brought pretty dress clothes, makeup, my blackberry. We ate at restaurants and had Starbucks two times a day. Road travel was done in a nice car with plenty of stops. We stayed in hotels and someone's home.

Spring Break 2012: We jumped on the idea of going to a park, staying in villages and going hiking. We're taking a 12- hour bus to a location everyone tells us, "It's hot there". I'm packing just my backpack with an outfit or two, and we've made a pact against hair washing. We divided up who was bringing toothpaste and other essentials. We don't know if we'll be able to charge our phones. Travel will be 4 wheel drive, sweaty buses, or taxis. We're staying in encampments and don't know what to expect.

But Psalm 139:3 is still true.

You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways

And I am equally excited! Everyone says it's beautiful there, so I'll be glad to see for myself.

Dinanu tukki! Nu dem!

Worship From Experience

My friend who is now a Kari Jobe fan said that the reason her music is so good is because it comes from her own heart and experience, and then touches our own. I definitely believe that those who experience God the most fully are the ones who write about Him the best. Jane, Abigail, Debbie, Beth and a few others already know I'm going to say just look at the apostle Paul. You don't write like that about the Lord if you don't know Him.

Kari Jobe on the 700 club "I just love His presence"

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/SUK59_KariJobe_031512_WS&cpid=fb7C

Amen

Where I Belong

The previous post ties into this one. I once again created a genius playlist off a song stuck in my head (Hillsong's Love Like Fire from the album A Beautiful Exchange) and was caught off guard by another song altogether, Where We Belong, from This Is Our God (if you skipped that album, I really do recommend it)

The idea of coming to Christ and partaking in His offer of living water and everlasting life, and an abundant one at that, reminds me that it truly is where I belong. We are meant to continually draw from His wealth, and praise Him for the fact that we have it.

There is No Height or Depth
Neither life nor death
that can take me from
All that I Find
Here now in Your glory Lord

No Other powers or love
The Things of Now or to Come
There's nothing on earth
In this life
that could ever separate us lord

Your love is never ending
To your hands we Surrender
Where all our sins are washed away

Your grace beyond reason
has paid for our freedom
we're made alive in You

We run to Your throne
where we belong
Every heart will sing
That Jesus is Lord
Casting all else aside
for the Joy of our Christ
Let your glory fall
Our hearts filled with your fire

The River is Here

Today has not been my best day. I've been hiding it well; however it's been a bit of a struggle from the get go. My morning devotional routine was disrupted and replaced with several awkward family encounters one after another. After class, I felt kind of sick, and incredibly tired, and things just felt weird. I realized that if I felt like this in the US I would seek out Maggie or Betsy or Liztowne, I would play guitar, I would go to Nikki's or Starbucks. I would take a walk around the river, to Turtle Creek, I would go to my secret place. But alas, none of those things are available to me here.

I felt God telling me that this was His way of teaching me that He is enough to satisfy me. Although the above things are blessings from Him, and I can experience Christ through them, Him alone should be enough. I was comforted with one of my favorite verses:

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. Revelation 21:6

The theme of water, fountains, rain has been really strong in the my life the past 8 or 9 months, and the idea of being refreshed by the abundance of Christ has served as a tremendous source of freedom and peace.

It also reminded me of a beautiful memory from the Mission last summer, when we had Saturday night worship. I strongly remember sweet little Mikayla dancing and singing her heart out with Kels at the front as we all sang "The river of God sends my feet a dancing, The river of God fills my heart with cheer, The river of God fills our mouths with laughter, And we rejoice for the river is here"

Silly Thought Gone Serious

For those of you who liked the bucket shower post awhile back, read this. If you didn't, skip it.

It's been over two months since I've used toilet paper. Even though it's usually available at ACI/Baobab Center, my family doesn't use it, and I've just gotten used to it. One day while I was in the bathroom, I was thinking about why developed countries are the ones that use the most toilet paper. I mean, the sink is right there. You're going to wash your hands in two seconds anyway, so what does it matter? (I did make an exception for runners and camping, and any other situation where the sink thing is inapplicable).

Then I took this further. Let's say in the US, we drastically reduced our demand for toilet paper. What happens? Environmentally, this is a positive. Less paper used, less energy used, less waste. Cool. But then I wondered what kind of effects it would have on the economy. Obviously, the people who cut down the trees, the paper makers, the factory workers - they would find themselves in a much more competitive job market, as there would be a much smaller need for their skills. So there's job loss, unless the same workers can then be invested into a different technology or service using similar or related skills. Then, there's the fact that Americans would no longer be purchasing toilet paper, so where would that money go? Although it's not a huge percent of the average family's budget, you have to wonder about larger institutions, like businesses, schools, restaurants, and other public spaces. It adds up. Would we be using the money to stimulate the economy in another way?

I have no answers here. It just goes to show that even the little changes in daily life can make you think about things.