and we continue on

It was 7:50 pm on Sunday night. The Muslim call to prayer was ringing in the background. My roomie and I were waiting for the fruit man to finish.

How much my life has changed.

It was 8 pm on Monday night. I was returning to my apartment when I saw a bat fly overhead.

How much my life has changed.

It is November, 19. I am still wearing skirts and short sleeves. (Yeah, those three cool days are proving to be an anomaly, but at least the humidity levels have dropped.)

How much my life has changed.

“Retreating and Returning”
They say after you have been somewhere for 6 weeks, you don’t notice many new things anymore. I have been here longer than that of course, but I am surprised that I don’t notice new things anymore. Sometimes I have to take a step back or have another newcomer point something out before it registers.

I have gotten used to the poverty in Dakar. I see it every day. I don’t want to say I have become blind to it, but it doesn’t stand out anymore. (sad I know) This past weekend, I was able to get out of Dakar for the annual women’s retreat. We went to Saly which is a resort town in Senegal. I must admit, we were spoiled. There was a pool, a beach, corn flakes, and chicken that did not taste like rubber! And of course, the company was fantastic. Anyways, I was talking with a lady who came to help with the retreat, and I asked her what stood out the most about Senegal. She talked about the poverty. When we drove back into Dakar, it’s like the poverty and dirtiness of the city hit me all over again. The sand, the shacks, the cars spewing out black exhaust, etc stood out like new again. Maybe it’s a good sign. I don’t know. I hate to think that I will become so comfortable with the status quo that I will no longer feel anything for the Senegalese.

Upcoming Events:
Friday: Movie night outdoors at DA
Saturday: Softball game
Tuesday: Turkey bowl (football games at DA)
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Outreach to a village

Stay tuned for the details!

Is it that time again?

Greetings. I do apologize for the length between posts these days. I just haven't found anything exciting to write about. I mean, I was walking by the office this afternoon thinking that 3+ months ago, I would have never thought lizards crawling on the walls would be "normal." How time and experience change things.

You may be wondering about softball. Well we are 2-0. I got my first hit the other game. Yay, yay! I am getting to know the kids better through the game so that is nice. I guess it's worth the embarrasement of never catching fly balls...;)

I am just finishing 2 Corinthians and I thought it was an interesting read during the election campaign. (Yes, I did wake up at 4 am to come find out the winner.) What surprised me the most here was all the focus on the candidates' words. Don't get me wrong. Words are great and powerful. However, I think we fall into a dangerous trap when we evaluate anyone based on their words. The addage "Do as I say, not as I do" kept coming back. I found myself wanting to ask people about the candidates' actions. What have their actions shown. That is what reveals something about a person. Sometimes we as believers can focus so much on our speech that we miss our actions and character. What do people see when they look at you? Have you stopped to think about that lately?

P.S. I didn't change for DST so I am now 6 hours ahead of CDT.