Living here in West Africa you don’t experience the Christmas Season the same way you would in America; in fact it's a lot different. There is a small population of Catholics here in Kolda and also in Senegal, and you could also say there is an even smaller population of “Westerners” so Christmas is something they are aware of. Actually from what I hear most about the Muslim people here, they have a celebration as well. They have it one the 24th and from what I’ve found out from the few people that I’ve asked they just use it as an excuse to party and have no idea that it’s a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
I wanted to share one of my favorite Africa nChristmas stories so far. It was Saturday morning and I was doing probably what a lot of Americans were doing at that time - I was Christmas shopping!!! If you haven’t seen an African market, it’s just filled with people, and many people walk around just selling the things that they have in their hand, kinda like the vendors when you go to a football game. Anyways, I was talking to someone in the market and I look over my shoulder and I see a dude walking with two inflatable Santa Clause. It just seemed so out of place, it was the first Christmas thing that I saw since I’ve come to Senegal. I take a second look at the Santa and then I laugh to myself, but then it hits me….I WANT ONE OF THOSE!!!! So I start walking in his direction trying to catch up with the dude. So after about a block and a half I got his attention and bought one. He even gave me one that wasn’t blown up so I could stick it in my bag and wait till I got home.
I paid a little more than 2 dollars for it and I wouldn’t even see myself wanting to have one if I was in America, but here in Africa it gave me a great smile and gave me a little Christmas sprit.
***I don’t have one at this time but I will try to get a picture of the Santa up here in the next couple of days.***
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
MY BEST FRIEND!
Some of you back in South Texas or even one dude in South America might think from this title that I am about to talk about you in this blog. Even though I do think of many of ya'll as my really good friend, this blog is about an African. I call him The Sheriff, and I met him about my second week here. He has helped me greatly in my language and I would call him my closest friend here in Senegal. Yes, my closest friend here in Senegal is a 30 year old, single, metal worker. He is a very heavy smoker and can speak 6 or 7 languages, but he can’t read in any of them. Most importantly, he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Over time Sheriff and I have gained a huge respect for each other. The friendship is a true friendship. Sheriff has shown an interest in knowing what I believe, and I have presented the Gospel to him. We have had many talks about the differences of what we believe. Through the time that we share, you can tell that he has a curiosity of the things that I have told him but you can also see that as of now he has no intention of changing his beliefs, changing his lifestyle, and proclaiming nothing other than the faith that he was born in to.
Please pray for Sheriff. Sheriff has been given an opportunity to hear and talk about the gospel. He is now in a position that only he can change. Please pray that he will seek the truth and not seek the acceptance of his family members or his neighbors (including his white friends that live around the corner). Pray that he will seek something bigger than what he’s found on this earth. And also pray for me as our relationship continues to grow and we continue to learn, and understand more about each other.
Over time Sheriff and I have gained a huge respect for each other. The friendship is a true friendship. Sheriff has shown an interest in knowing what I believe, and I have presented the Gospel to him. We have had many talks about the differences of what we believe. Through the time that we share, you can tell that he has a curiosity of the things that I have told him but you can also see that as of now he has no intention of changing his beliefs, changing his lifestyle, and proclaiming nothing other than the faith that he was born in to.
Please pray for Sheriff. Sheriff has been given an opportunity to hear and talk about the gospel. He is now in a position that only he can change. Please pray that he will seek the truth and not seek the acceptance of his family members or his neighbors (including his white friends that live around the corner). Pray that he will seek something bigger than what he’s found on this earth. And also pray for me as our relationship continues to grow and we continue to learn, and understand more about each other.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thanksgiving!!!!
I thought I would share about my Thanksgiving experience. Thanksgiving might just be an American holiday, but I'm sure glad that I got to celebrate it. And my stomach is really happy too!!!!! For Thanksgiving, me and the other two journeymen down in Kolda, Michelle and Kimberly, took a 12 hour drive up to Dakar, the capital city of Senegal and we were able to celebrate with some of the other missionaries here in Senegal. We got there a little early and now we're in a conference for some of us "newbies" on the feild. The first picture is one of me and a couple that has been really good friends of mine. Since they live in Dakar we don't get to hangout too much but as you can see we're happy and our plates are empty!!!!
Just like Thanksgiving back in America, after we stuff our faces with food we hang out and spend time with the people that we love. Here is a picture of us playing some cards and we even got some football playing in the background .
Although I miss my family and I would have loved to spend Thanksgiving with them, I can still feel your prayers and I know that I'm loved. And to tell you the truth the one thing that I'm most thankful for is my family and friends that pray for me. I may not be in America but I know that I'm still in the hearts and prayers of many of you. Thank You!
Just like Thanksgiving back in America, after we stuff our faces with food we hang out and spend time with the people that we love. Here is a picture of us playing some cards and we even got some football playing in the background .
Although I miss my family and I would have loved to spend Thanksgiving with them, I can still feel your prayers and I know that I'm loved. And to tell you the truth the one thing that I'm most thankful for is my family and friends that pray for me. I may not be in America but I know that I'm still in the hearts and prayers of many of you. Thank You!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
A CHANGE IS COMING!
As I look back at the time I’ve spent here in Africa, there are times that I can’t believe how quickly time has passed and there are times that it feels like it’s been way over a year. As you know most of my time so far has been spent learning the language and culture. If you remember, it was back in July when I took my first major test to see how far along I was. I was just a few points off from being right on schedule. I made some changes and got right back to trying to learn this language.
My confidence in the language of Pulaar gets stronger everyday, but sometimes I still find myself messing up on words or hearing a word that I don’t know. As the title explained, my time devoted to learning this language is coming to an end. Towards the end of December or early January I will take the level 2 test to see if I have met the requirement to start my research work among the Fulakunda.
Please pray for me as I continue learning this language. During the next few weeks I will be trying to fill in many of the gaps that I have in preparation for the final test. Pray that the time with both of my language teachers will continue to be fruitful and that I will find many more opportunities to share my faith. I’m ready for the change and ready to use my new language that I have been working on since I arrived in January. Another exciting opportunity is that my dad is coming to Kolda in January. That means that he will possibly be around as I begin my new work. I am definitely looking forward to a change!
My confidence in the language of Pulaar gets stronger everyday, but sometimes I still find myself messing up on words or hearing a word that I don’t know. As the title explained, my time devoted to learning this language is coming to an end. Towards the end of December or early January I will take the level 2 test to see if I have met the requirement to start my research work among the Fulakunda.
Please pray for me as I continue learning this language. During the next few weeks I will be trying to fill in many of the gaps that I have in preparation for the final test. Pray that the time with both of my language teachers will continue to be fruitful and that I will find many more opportunities to share my faith. I’m ready for the change and ready to use my new language that I have been working on since I arrived in January. Another exciting opportunity is that my dad is coming to Kolda in January. That means that he will possibly be around as I begin my new work. I am definitely looking forward to a change!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
THE POWER OF ONE!
Here in Kolda, God has been and is doing a lot of work! It’s a very exciting time and you can really see that God is moving in the hearts of the people. I want to tell you about some specifics but you will have to allow the holy spirit to translate for you. If you read my blogs very often, then you know that I don’t shy away from truth. Out of respect and for safety, there are a few words that I will/can not say.
Over the past two weeks, the first person in Kolda has been dunked. This means that new groups will be formed and more people will hear the news. This new “ONE” totally changes the landscape of Kolda. Change brings opposition, so prayer warriors, start praying!! Pray for physical and mental and spiritual strength for this one. I’ve been thinking a lot about Matthew 13. The seed has been planted among the thorns. Pray that Kolda will be able to rise up over the thorns and produce the crop that it has been designed to make.
Over the past two weeks, the first person in Kolda has been dunked. This means that new groups will be formed and more people will hear the news. This new “ONE” totally changes the landscape of Kolda. Change brings opposition, so prayer warriors, start praying!! Pray for physical and mental and spiritual strength for this one. I’ve been thinking a lot about Matthew 13. The seed has been planted among the thorns. Pray that Kolda will be able to rise up over the thorns and produce the crop that it has been designed to make.
Monday, October 27, 2008
22 Days!
Over the past 22 days I’ve been without a computer. I made a few trips to the cyber café and used their computers to do a few things, but for the most part I’ve been doing everything without one. As I said in my last blog, I’ve had to find a new way to do many things, and for those of you who look at my blog regularly you know that it has been that long time since my last post. So for this post I thought I would just share with you some of the things that I’ve done over the past 22 days.
New notebooks that I purchased and started using – 3
Hours spent watching African French Television – about 6 (which includes 2 soccer games)
Stories from the Bible that I can now tell in Pulaar – 3
Times I shared one of the stories – 10…ish
Trips to the Hospital – 1
Minutes spent unconscious – I was told about 5
Number of times it has rained – 3
Trips to the new “white man” store – 5
Time spent talking to God - too much to count (priceless!)
Don’t worry I know that I need to explain some of those in more detail.
The new white man store, I love it! It even has ground beef, and it makes me really happy.
The rainy season is almost over. That also makes me happy because all the crickets and frogs are almost gone now!!
About the unconscious thing…I had an infection on my little toe. It had a bubble coming off the top of it that was the size of a marble, which was right next to a broken toe that I stubbed in the middle of the night. It hurt a lot so I went to the doctor to get it checked out. They told me the medicine I needed to get and sent me to another room to get it cut off. They broke the thing open and then cut off the extra skin from the bubble. They wrapped it up and then said that they were done. But that's when I guess everything caught up to me, the sleepless night, forgetting to eat breakfast, and the pain. I fell right off the table and hit the floor hard. That was Oct. 15th and I’m still nursing the bump on my head (from the fall) and the hole that was left in my toe because of the carving, but everything else is fine. I'm back to 100% other than the fact that I’m going to wait probably another week or two till I can play some soccer again.
Now that I got email, feel free to send me a note sometime. I have a computer I can have a respond within a week!
New notebooks that I purchased and started using – 3
Hours spent watching African French Television – about 6 (which includes 2 soccer games)
Stories from the Bible that I can now tell in Pulaar – 3
Times I shared one of the stories – 10…ish
Trips to the Hospital – 1
Minutes spent unconscious – I was told about 5
Number of times it has rained – 3
Trips to the new “white man” store – 5
Time spent talking to God - too much to count (priceless!)
Don’t worry I know that I need to explain some of those in more detail.
The new white man store, I love it! It even has ground beef, and it makes me really happy.
The rainy season is almost over. That also makes me happy because all the crickets and frogs are almost gone now!!
About the unconscious thing…I had an infection on my little toe. It had a bubble coming off the top of it that was the size of a marble, which was right next to a broken toe that I stubbed in the middle of the night. It hurt a lot so I went to the doctor to get it checked out. They told me the medicine I needed to get and sent me to another room to get it cut off. They broke the thing open and then cut off the extra skin from the bubble. They wrapped it up and then said that they were done. But that's when I guess everything caught up to me, the sleepless night, forgetting to eat breakfast, and the pain. I fell right off the table and hit the floor hard. That was Oct. 15th and I’m still nursing the bump on my head (from the fall) and the hole that was left in my toe because of the carving, but everything else is fine. I'm back to 100% other than the fact that I’m going to wait probably another week or two till I can play some soccer again.
Now that I got email, feel free to send me a note sometime. I have a computer I can have a respond within a week!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
ANSWERED PRAYER
I think you all know what it's like to pray for something. Sometimes the answer is "yes," sometimes it's "no". About a month ago I prayed that God would help me do a better job of organizing my day so that I could more efficiently and effectively learn this language to share with the people of Kolda. So how does He answser? He answered with a big fat "YES" by taking away my technological brain (you might call it a computer). I asked to be better organized..He he takes away the tool that I use to organize myself. I have had to covert my calendar, my journal, and many other things over to paper. Do I have more time? I'm not sure, but I will be spending more time communicating with the locals here.
Since one of my partners here in Kolda is taking a trip to the USA, she will take my computer to be repaired. That's a relief but for the next weeks I will be without my "brain". I will have to rely on visiting cyber cafes to communicate with some of you and that adds to my "to do" list. Pray that I will adjust to my new organizational tool and I will be able to take advantage of the time. Who knows. Maybe some new opportunities will come from this. I will not be praying for patience. I can only imagine how He'd teach it to me!
Since one of my partners here in Kolda is taking a trip to the USA, she will take my computer to be repaired. That's a relief but for the next weeks I will be without my "brain". I will have to rely on visiting cyber cafes to communicate with some of you and that adds to my "to do" list. Pray that I will adjust to my new organizational tool and I will be able to take advantage of the time. Who knows. Maybe some new opportunities will come from this. I will not be praying for patience. I can only imagine how He'd teach it to me!
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