I have lived here in Kolda a little over six weeks now and I was thinking of all the things that I have learned. I have found a lot of new friends that are teaching me a things, but as you can tell by the title, I still have a lot that I need to learn. Everything that I’m learning can fit into two categories; language or culture. I was told when I first arrived that my only job here in Kolda for now is to learn the culture and the language.
When thinking about culture, the first thing that comes to mind is this whole thing about which hand to use. I can think of many times where someone hands me something and I reach out with my left hand to grab it and I realize what I’m doing and switch hands. When that happens, I always get that little half smile; don’t know what it means but at least they aren’t yelling at me!! There are also many things about the culture that I don’t understand but that I have to remember out of respect. My favorite was the other day - after sitting a while I was stretching and I left my hands to rest on top of my head. My friend calls out my name, puts his hands on his head and says “Moit yannie” (translation: not good). In this culture there are somethings that I know I won’t be able to understand completely but I just have to remember what I can and can’t do.
As I knew before I got here my biggest struggle is the language. I knew it would be hard, but I had no idea that it would be this hard! A lot of people speak some English. I love it when a random African sees me and they say the one thing they know in English, “Good Morning”, and its 3:00 in the afternoon!!! A small percentage of people speak enough English that I’m able to understand it, so right now when I communicate it consists of a lot of facial expressions and movements of the hands. My biggest prayer request right now is my language. Every night when I go to bed I’m exhausted, not from the sun, not from walking or playing soccer, but from my brain working so hard trying to communicate. I wish y’all could see my language classes. My teacher, Lamin, knows very little English and I know very little Pulaar. It’s a 2 hour class and I have to take a break after class just so I can continue with the day. To tell the truth I don’t know how we still like each other after class. Both of us get pretty frustrated when we still don’t get each other after trying to explain something for 14th time. Most of the time it doesn’t click until I’m able to talk to one my friends that speak English later that day or week. The Sheriff and Patrick have both been super big helps and I would probably still be a 2 year old without them. I keep telling myself that I just need to be patient and over time it will get easier and easier. I can’t wait for the day that I will be able to communicate with these people. Oh, I pray that day will come soon!!!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Erik Pieniazek
BP 352
Kolda, Senegal
Here is my address. I know that a lot of ya’ll have been asking for it, so I thought that I would finally give it to you. I will get the mail if you send it to this address. Let me also give ya’ll some guidelines if you want to send something. It takes over a month for it to arrive. My team members have never had problems, but the African mail carriers are well known for opening mail and taking something if they want it. If I get a box in the mail, I will have to pay customs on it. Don’t let that stop you, but if you’re able to fit things in one of those padded envelopes then I don’t have to pay customs and envelopes don’t get opened and checked and all that good stuff. One thing that you can send me is pictures. Africans love pictures and I really didn’t bring as much as I would have liked. It doesn’t matter what the picture are of; pictures of your dog, pictures of us together, baby pictures, or just a pictures of the great state of Texas, the locals will still love them and it will be a great way to practice my language and build relationships. I, as of now, don’t need anything that won’t fit into an envelope. Please contact me if you want to send anything bigger than an envelope because there might be an easier way of me getting it to me. Teams come from the US throughout the year. Don’t hesitate if you do want to send something, have anyone questions. We all know that everybody loves mail! I would love to hear more about what’s going on in your life and how I can be praying for you.
BP 352
Kolda, Senegal
Here is my address. I know that a lot of ya’ll have been asking for it, so I thought that I would finally give it to you. I will get the mail if you send it to this address. Let me also give ya’ll some guidelines if you want to send something. It takes over a month for it to arrive. My team members have never had problems, but the African mail carriers are well known for opening mail and taking something if they want it. If I get a box in the mail, I will have to pay customs on it. Don’t let that stop you, but if you’re able to fit things in one of those padded envelopes then I don’t have to pay customs and envelopes don’t get opened and checked and all that good stuff. One thing that you can send me is pictures. Africans love pictures and I really didn’t bring as much as I would have liked. It doesn’t matter what the picture are of; pictures of your dog, pictures of us together, baby pictures, or just a pictures of the great state of Texas, the locals will still love them and it will be a great way to practice my language and build relationships. I, as of now, don’t need anything that won’t fit into an envelope. Please contact me if you want to send anything bigger than an envelope because there might be an easier way of me getting it to me. Teams come from the US throughout the year. Don’t hesitate if you do want to send something, have anyone questions. We all know that everybody loves mail! I would love to hear more about what’s going on in your life and how I can be praying for you.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
WOW! You Guys Are GOOD!
I wanted to share this with y’all as soon as I could. I hope that this story will make you as happy as it is making me. Remember the story about my friend who thought it was funny that I believe that God is one and three. (If you didn’t, then read the story below; it’s a good one) Well, early this week I had dinner with the same family again. My one friend, that speaks some English, and I were sitting outside and talking when the call to prayer went off. He asked me if I was going to pray, and I responded that I pray to Jesus Christ and I don’t need to go anywhere to pray. He then brought up the point again and asked “How can God be three, God is One?” There was a pause and then he asked, “How can God be man? God is God!” I then reminded him about Adam and Eve and how Adam was created in His image. There was another pause and then he asked about Mary, “How can God have a mother?” I responded that Mary is not God’s mother, Mary gave birth to Jesus, but Mary was a virgin. There was another pause, this one a little longer, and little more uncomfortable between us. He then asked if I believed if God is just up there (he was pointing up, because every time I said God, I pointed to the sky.) I said “No, God is everywhere. It says in the Bible that God is in all and through all.” There was another pause and he then asked me about my bible, and if he could read it. I responded saying that I have many bibles and that I would love to give him one but right now the only bibles I have are Pulaar and English (he speaks Wolof and doesn’t speak Pulaar). I asked him, “Do you want one in English, French, or Wolof?” He told me French, and I told him that will get one, and I would give it to him next time we see each other. There was another long pause, then he went to answer that call to prayer. Well, the next time I saw him was yesterday as I saw him pass by my house when he was walking home. I gave him the Bible and showed him the four gospels and told him they explain how Jesus is God. I then told him that John was my favorite of the four gospels and I like how it explains Jesus. He then told me that he will read John and then started to walk home. Please pray for Bob (don’t laugh, that’s actually the first three letters of his name). My friend Bob now has the Truth in his hands and it is between him and God to see if he is ready to accept that God is three.
When my friend Bob went off to pray I was just sitting there by myself, in shock over the conversation that just happened and that he had just asked me for God’s word. I was in shock trying to remember what just happened and then I remembered my blog and that shortly after reading about him, many of you stopped to pray. I could picture in my mind so many of you reading and praying. I knew that this conversation happened because of those prayers that came from each one of you reading this blog. I could do nothing but laugh and say, “God is Three!!! And God is Good!!!”
When my friend Bob went off to pray I was just sitting there by myself, in shock over the conversation that just happened and that he had just asked me for God’s word. I was in shock trying to remember what just happened and then I remembered my blog and that shortly after reading about him, many of you stopped to pray. I could picture in my mind so many of you reading and praying. I knew that this conversation happened because of those prayers that came from each one of you reading this blog. I could do nothing but laugh and say, “God is Three!!! And God is Good!!!”
Friday, January 25, 2008
WHY IS EVERYONE LAUGHING AT ME?
I’ve been living here in the city of Kolda for almost 3 weeks now, and things are going great. I would be lie’n if I said that I’ve loved every minute of it, but I am glad that I’m here. One thing that I was warned about by a lot of people was culture shock. I remember talking about it many times at orientation. I may have experienced bits and pieces of Culture Shock, but I still have not experienced it in the degree that I have been told about by many friends and colleagues. As I look back over my past years I can see that God has been preparing me for this my whole life! I remember many challenges and tests that God put me through that gave me the experience and knowledge to be here in West Africa. One of the things that God has prepared me for greatly is being laughed at! I’ve learned that being able to laugh at yourself is needed to survive while learning a culture and language. I thought I would share some of those stories where people were laughing at me and all I could do was laugh at myself too.
Everyone always laughed when I said the Pulaar word for bicycle. I would point to a bicycle and say the word and everyone would laugh. This week it happened three different days. I asked my new friend “Why is that funny?” and he explained that I wasn’t saying the word “bicycle” - I was saying “condom”! What else can I do but laugh at myself!! I can see a long relation with this new friend I’ve made. He speaks some English because he spent some time in Gambia, but he says many times to me “Don’t speak English to me, speak Pulaar.” His family’s compound is less than 100 ft from my house and I have been spending a lot of time with them. The Sheriff (my nickname for him) has been teaching me a lot of the language and his whole family is great and excited that I want to learn their language and that I’m here to study and research the Fulakunda.
You should have seen them laughing at me when I found Top Ramon. Well, if I would have seen my face I would have probably been laughing at me too. Man I love that stuff!
Another story that I will be laughing at for a long time is what happened to me on Friday. I had a perty long week and was doing a lot of different things. I walked to another compound where I made have made friends and started hanging out with them. It was great practicing the little Pulaar that I know, and just hangin with them. Then I started to feel kind of sick. If it wasn’t for my great non communication skills of putting the eyes in the back of my head and being covered in sweat they would not have known to take me inside, put a fan on me, and get me some water. I laid down and fell right to sleep. I was just a little dehydrated, ok.. maybe a lot dehydrated!!! I do know that this is something that this family and I will be laughing about for a long time. I pray that the relation with the family will begin to grow and once I learn the language I will be able to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
The people across the street from me sure did have a laugh when they watched me trying to start my motorcycle for like 5 minutes. Yeah, that’s right I got a Motorcycle! I will use an even bigger and cooler one once I start making research trips. Anyways, it was like five minutes of me trying to start the thing and finally someone comes over and he gets on it like he was going to start it. He couldn’t start it either. Within the next 5 minutes there were about 10 guys all trying to start the thing. The people at the shop had to install a whole new piston. But it’s all good now!!!
There is one thing that has happened to me at least three times that the locals sure do get a kick out of. I am learning from it, but I will never laugh along with them. I will share a story about a dude my age that speaks English that I met playing soccer. He introduced me to his family and made the statement: “God is One.” I replied, “Yes, God is 1 and 3.” He asked me and I explained to him that I believe in a God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He and his family sure did think that was funny and asked me “How can God be three?” The conversation didn’t go any farther than that and we started talking about other things.
I’m having a great time here in Kolda. I’m reminded of a quote that a fellow Journeyman told me back at orientation. He said, “Erik, the Africans are going to love you.” Well, they sure are laughing a lot! (That’s a good thing, right?) Pray that I will continue to learn from experiences and that both the locals and I will be able to laugh together. Please continue to pray for my language learning as I am now starting classes that will be 5 days a week. Also pray that God will continue to give me opportunities to share my faith with the Fulakunda and eventually be able to share to the stories of Jesus Christ with them.
Everyone always laughed when I said the Pulaar word for bicycle. I would point to a bicycle and say the word and everyone would laugh. This week it happened three different days. I asked my new friend “Why is that funny?” and he explained that I wasn’t saying the word “bicycle” - I was saying “condom”! What else can I do but laugh at myself!! I can see a long relation with this new friend I’ve made. He speaks some English because he spent some time in Gambia, but he says many times to me “Don’t speak English to me, speak Pulaar.” His family’s compound is less than 100 ft from my house and I have been spending a lot of time with them. The Sheriff (my nickname for him) has been teaching me a lot of the language and his whole family is great and excited that I want to learn their language and that I’m here to study and research the Fulakunda.
You should have seen them laughing at me when I found Top Ramon. Well, if I would have seen my face I would have probably been laughing at me too. Man I love that stuff!
Another story that I will be laughing at for a long time is what happened to me on Friday. I had a perty long week and was doing a lot of different things. I walked to another compound where I made have made friends and started hanging out with them. It was great practicing the little Pulaar that I know, and just hangin with them. Then I started to feel kind of sick. If it wasn’t for my great non communication skills of putting the eyes in the back of my head and being covered in sweat they would not have known to take me inside, put a fan on me, and get me some water. I laid down and fell right to sleep. I was just a little dehydrated, ok.. maybe a lot dehydrated!!! I do know that this is something that this family and I will be laughing about for a long time. I pray that the relation with the family will begin to grow and once I learn the language I will be able to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
The people across the street from me sure did have a laugh when they watched me trying to start my motorcycle for like 5 minutes. Yeah, that’s right I got a Motorcycle! I will use an even bigger and cooler one once I start making research trips. Anyways, it was like five minutes of me trying to start the thing and finally someone comes over and he gets on it like he was going to start it. He couldn’t start it either. Within the next 5 minutes there were about 10 guys all trying to start the thing. The people at the shop had to install a whole new piston. But it’s all good now!!!
There is one thing that has happened to me at least three times that the locals sure do get a kick out of. I am learning from it, but I will never laugh along with them. I will share a story about a dude my age that speaks English that I met playing soccer. He introduced me to his family and made the statement: “God is One.” I replied, “Yes, God is 1 and 3.” He asked me and I explained to him that I believe in a God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He and his family sure did think that was funny and asked me “How can God be three?” The conversation didn’t go any farther than that and we started talking about other things.
I’m having a great time here in Kolda. I’m reminded of a quote that a fellow Journeyman told me back at orientation. He said, “Erik, the Africans are going to love you.” Well, they sure are laughing a lot! (That’s a good thing, right?) Pray that I will continue to learn from experiences and that both the locals and I will be able to laugh together. Please continue to pray for my language learning as I am now starting classes that will be 5 days a week. Also pray that God will continue to give me opportunities to share my faith with the Fulakunda and eventually be able to share to the stories of Jesus Christ with them.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
There Goes the Neighborhood!!!!!
This is my place in Kolda. It kinda sticks out in my neighborhood. It’s one of the only places that’s painted and it’s got that fence that’s painted real perty. It fits me, cause when I walk around….I stick out!!!! My orientation here in Kolda is going great. I couldn’t have planed it better myself. The Fulakunda team…Awesome!!! The Fulakunda People…Awesome!!! The city of Kolda….Awesome!!!! I’m learning a lot, some things are for the first time and some things I have to relearn, African style. Next week I get see if I know how to drive in Africa! I’m actually surprising myself on how much I know about cooking. I’m not that bad, or I’m not that bad of a critic !
Things have been going very smoothly. The people here in Kolda are very hospitable, and most people want to help and are very nice to me. As of now, I know less than 50 words in Pulaar. The people seem very happy when I say, “mi faalaa junngede Pulaar” (“I want to learn Pulaar”). Next week will still be a week of orientation for me and I should be starting language classes later this week or early next week! Let me give y’all a little more info on my job: for the next 6 months or so my job is to learn Pulaar! My only job is to live, and right now since I have the vocabulary of a 1 year old, that’s a challenging job. But I love it! I met someone in the market on Thursday. I was trying out the three lines in Pulaar that I knew and just trying to meet people and he knew a little English. He offered his help so Friday I spent about an hour with him. I plan to go back on Monday and many more times. Please pray for this new relationship that I’m starting, lets call him … Patrick. Please pray that I will build a strong relationship with Patrick and that we can continue share and learn from each other.
As I look ahead, I sure do have a lot of work in front of me! After I learn Pulaar, I’ll need to learn French. Next I’ll be researching the whole region and trying to find out more about the Fulakunda and how they can find out about Jesus. I’ll be sure to give y’all more information on that but like I said right now all I’m doing is just trying to learn the language. Actually one of my first jobs will be to map out the city of Kolda; that will be fun!!! This language is really hard, but I’m not stressed out. The Lord has given me the peace that I need. I was reading Genesis and the story of Joseph really helped me! Remember how he was sold into slavery, but he was righteous and people saw that he got all those promotions. Things got better for him then it happened all over again when he was sent to prison!!! Well, I was reminded of that right now that I have to be like Joseph. I might not be in prison, but I’m in a whole new environment with a whole new start!!! All I have to do is be righteous. All I need to do is keep my eyes on the Lord and the Good Lord will fulfill his promises!!!!! I know that this new adventure is going to take time and a WHOLE lot of energy, but I’m ready. Pray that I can remember to take it one day at a time and that I can keep my eyes on the Lord!
Friday, January 4, 2008
I'M IN AFRICA!!!
I’m presently in a guest house owned by the IMB in Dakar, Senegal, and I’m lov’in it! I was kind of dreading the flights that I had to be on, but all three of them were very pleasant. I saw a bunch of snow in Chicago, walked about a mile in the London airport to get to my gate, met my friend from orientation, Roy, who is working with the Wolof in Northern Senegal, and while waiting in the line to go through customs in Dakar, got to talk to two other Christians who were also coming to do the Lord’s work in Senegal. My traveling went perfect but Roy’s bags did not come in. We’re hoping that they will be in the next flight that comes in on Saturday.
Thank you for your prayers concerning my travels. I’ve have been just hangin’ out here in Dakar the past few days. The local missionaries have taken turns showing Roy and I around the city and helping us get some assignments done. The first thing that we did was to go back to America - well, the American Embassy, which was still very African. We got all our paper work set for a Senegalese ID card. I got a Visa so I can go in and out of Gambia, and I got a phone so I can look cool. My unlocked cell phone that I had in the states works here!!!! All I did was buy a card that was 4,000 CFA (a little over 8 bucks). Praise God for the little things too!!!! The first thing that we really did was get our cash advance from the business facilitator so we can pay for all our stuff. I’ve been meeting a lot of my colleagues that are working here in West Africa and they all are fun people that I hope I get to know better.
Saturday morning I will take about a one hour flight to meet up with the Fulakunda Team!!! They will pick me up and take me to Kolda. I’m really excited that I will finally get to meet my new family and some Fulakunda people! They have told me that they have a nice house set up for me and several things planned for my orientation. Pray that over the next couple of weeks I can soak up and remember every piece of helpful information as I learn about Kolda, the Fulakunda, my job, my team members, and everything that goes with it.
As I’m typing right now I can hear the call of prayer for the Muslims to all come to the mosque and pray. The whole time I’ve been here I have heard, seen, or sensed things all around me. The only word that I can use to describe it is … dark. I wish that y’all could be here and just see this. Your heart would break just as mine has for these lost people. Today is Friday and some of you know that Friday is the day of assembly in the Muslim world. Today I have seen, heard, and felt this presence even stronger than the other days. I’ve only been here 3 days and can’t imagine what this will be like later on down the road. Please join me every Friday as I will pray especially for the Christian workers among the Muslim. Pray for strength, encouragement, courage, and truth to be heard!
I started my journey on the first day of 2008. I know this will be a good year and I can’t wait to see what God has in store! Oh yeah, did I tell you…. I’M IN AFRICA!!!
Thank you for your prayers concerning my travels. I’ve have been just hangin’ out here in Dakar the past few days. The local missionaries have taken turns showing Roy and I around the city and helping us get some assignments done. The first thing that we did was to go back to America - well, the American Embassy, which was still very African. We got all our paper work set for a Senegalese ID card. I got a Visa so I can go in and out of Gambia, and I got a phone so I can look cool. My unlocked cell phone that I had in the states works here!!!! All I did was buy a card that was 4,000 CFA (a little over 8 bucks). Praise God for the little things too!!!! The first thing that we really did was get our cash advance from the business facilitator so we can pay for all our stuff. I’ve been meeting a lot of my colleagues that are working here in West Africa and they all are fun people that I hope I get to know better.
Saturday morning I will take about a one hour flight to meet up with the Fulakunda Team!!! They will pick me up and take me to Kolda. I’m really excited that I will finally get to meet my new family and some Fulakunda people! They have told me that they have a nice house set up for me and several things planned for my orientation. Pray that over the next couple of weeks I can soak up and remember every piece of helpful information as I learn about Kolda, the Fulakunda, my job, my team members, and everything that goes with it.
As I’m typing right now I can hear the call of prayer for the Muslims to all come to the mosque and pray. The whole time I’ve been here I have heard, seen, or sensed things all around me. The only word that I can use to describe it is … dark. I wish that y’all could be here and just see this. Your heart would break just as mine has for these lost people. Today is Friday and some of you know that Friday is the day of assembly in the Muslim world. Today I have seen, heard, and felt this presence even stronger than the other days. I’ve only been here 3 days and can’t imagine what this will be like later on down the road. Please join me every Friday as I will pray especially for the Christian workers among the Muslim. Pray for strength, encouragement, courage, and truth to be heard!
I started my journey on the first day of 2008. I know this will be a good year and I can’t wait to see what God has in store! Oh yeah, did I tell you…. I’M IN AFRICA!!!
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