Today was one of those days that you just have to laugh at what goes on around you. Although it wasn't enjoyable during this time, looking back later today I did have to laugh as I share the story.
Sunday as I hung out with a friend, I met one of his friends who is a mechanic. He told me anytime I had problems with my car I could take it to him and he would be happy to fix it. And I asked him if he could fix an air conditioner. My a/c is not cold anymore, and if I could get it fixed it'd probably be cheaper than my business office doing it in Dakar. So I planned to take it to him today. Well, after 3 hours of waiting, they finally came to me and told me that they needed to get some gas (I'm assuming this is freon) to charge it. He says he can fix it tomorrow. I'll take it to him again tomorrow afternoon and try this again.
During the time I did get to talk with a friend for awhile. We had a good talk catching up. It had been awhile since I had seen him. He's a national missionary living here in Ngaye. Since he's done a lot of traveling lately we had just missed each other lately. So it was nice to catch up on ministry stories, asking about family, and about some computer stories he had lately. I like listening to him talk-his Wolof is very clear. When I hear him speak I understand very well. Today was a good understanding day in Wolof, especially during this conversation.
Ok, back to more funny waiting. I decided that I was tired and wanted to try a new restaurant in a nearby town. I see this "restaurant-fast food" sign on the highway each time I pass through, and I wanted to see how the food was. Fast food here simply means hamburgers, fries, and sandwiches. It doesn't necessarily mean fast service. So I knew that going there, and I also knew that I arrived a little early. But what happened is not normal. When I arrived I greeted everyone and sat down to talk to everyone. During the conversation I did say that I had come for lunch and wanted to have a sandwich. 20 minutes later noone had brought me a menu or said anything about lunch coming. So I went to buy something and said that I'll eat when I get back. I returned, again asked for a sandwich, and again sat down and talked. While we all talked there were 3 of the workers busy cutting up potatoes for french fries. After another 30 minutes, I say that I'm going for a quick walk and will come back. I come back 2 minutes later, again go up to a lady, and say, "Ma'am, can you cook me a hamburger? I want to eat, I am hungry." "ok, it's coming," she promised. I never saw her for the next 40 minutes. Finally after waiting for a full hour and a half, I decide this is not worth it, and stand up to leave. I say goodbye to everyone. They didn't even ask or offer that lunch was coming-which is an oddity in this culture. I can't visit anyone here in town during the day without them asking me to stay for lunch or for supper. So I will never go back to this restaurant. I got back home, fixed a peanut butter sandwich, and took a nap. I was exhausted after all this waiting today.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
just friends
I think it has taken me until this month perhaps just to get comfortable with my role here as a missionary. Yes, that weighs heavy on me because it shows that I am not a fast learner. That'd be a good characteristic to have. Maybe I can find ways to improve on that. However, now that I've learned what my role can be here, I can own up to that more and define it with purpose. And that purpose is simply to be a friend to others here. There's other things that I can add to these relationships when the time comes. But my main objective with people is to be their friend.
So you may ask what I've been doing with my time? Well, I'm continually adapting to this culture, and I'm gaining friends by talking to new people each week. But my intent was to be sharing at some point with these contacts, and trying to schedule when appropriate times to share will be. Now, I'm just letting myself be more natual in the opportunities that are presented. I can't control opportunities, but one thing I can do is simply be a friend to others.
With that in mind, this month I've opened myself up to simply going out and visiting with friends that I am close to. Several of my neighbors call me over to visit or come and sit at my house themselves. I've enjoyed these visits so much. Within the visits I'm just being myself-joking with them, asking about their family, their day, their work or what they learn in school. And if the conversations drift to talking about God we will comfortably talk about that.
Now that I've said that, I do claim this as a victory despite it taking so long to get here. I do hope to stay comfortable in this role with those around me. And I hope that spiritually I will be strong enough to know when good times come available to stretch these friendships into sharing about my Father. Right now though, despite knowing that my friends are lost and have no knowledge of Jesus as their Savior, I wish to simply be a person that points to Jesus. I pray that one day they may come to know him. When that day comes, to God be the glory!!
So you may ask what I've been doing with my time? Well, I'm continually adapting to this culture, and I'm gaining friends by talking to new people each week. But my intent was to be sharing at some point with these contacts, and trying to schedule when appropriate times to share will be. Now, I'm just letting myself be more natual in the opportunities that are presented. I can't control opportunities, but one thing I can do is simply be a friend to others.
With that in mind, this month I've opened myself up to simply going out and visiting with friends that I am close to. Several of my neighbors call me over to visit or come and sit at my house themselves. I've enjoyed these visits so much. Within the visits I'm just being myself-joking with them, asking about their family, their day, their work or what they learn in school. And if the conversations drift to talking about God we will comfortably talk about that.
Now that I've said that, I do claim this as a victory despite it taking so long to get here. I do hope to stay comfortable in this role with those around me. And I hope that spiritually I will be strong enough to know when good times come available to stretch these friendships into sharing about my Father. Right now though, despite knowing that my friends are lost and have no knowledge of Jesus as their Savior, I wish to simply be a person that points to Jesus. I pray that one day they may come to know him. When that day comes, to God be the glory!!
quickie
I am uneasy thinking about this with 6 months still to go in my term, but I have ordered and received confirmation on tickets back home. In thinking about my 2 years going by as fast as it seems and that I still wish that I could do so much more than I have done here, it's tough to think about going home already. I have many friends here whom I love. The day I leave will be very tough to say goodbye. However, I will enjoy so much getting reaquainted with so many of my friends and church family from home.
Since I'm sure you're wondering, I'll tell you that I will arrive home Nov. 3. More info to come at a later time!
Since I'm sure you're wondering, I'll tell you that I will arrive home Nov. 3. More info to come at a later time!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
new team mate
Our Wolof team is welcoming a new worker to Dhara this week. Bertha V., a masters missionary from Houston, Texas, will begin her ministry in Dhara after spending the last 6 months learning Wolof in Dakar. Bertha is an extrodinary person to meet, and you quickly know from talking with her that she loves her family, loves Jesus, and wants to see you make yourself better. I wish her well as she transitions to Dhara to begin ministering to the Wolof in the area there.
This week I had the opportunity to ride to her apartment to help set things up. Elliott, Pat, and myself all went up together to see what final touches needed to be made before she arrived. We'll do some final preparations when we all go with Bertha later this week to make her home as comfortable as possible. She may still have a few things she'd like to do that she can ask her new friends and her land lord to do for her. Her house is really lovely.
I will say that I enjoyed the trip up to Dhara to see the house. With my construction interests and servant heart, I love the chance to do things like this. It was a good way to get away for a day and do something a little different, too.
Remember Bertha in your prayers as she begins making new friends and settling into her new home! :)
This week I had the opportunity to ride to her apartment to help set things up. Elliott, Pat, and myself all went up together to see what final touches needed to be made before she arrived. We'll do some final preparations when we all go with Bertha later this week to make her home as comfortable as possible. She may still have a few things she'd like to do that she can ask her new friends and her land lord to do for her. Her house is really lovely.
I will say that I enjoyed the trip up to Dhara to see the house. With my construction interests and servant heart, I love the chance to do things like this. It was a good way to get away for a day and do something a little different, too.
Remember Bertha in your prayers as she begins making new friends and settling into her new home! :)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter
Things around here lately have been basically the same. I am starting to meet new neighbors but overall the conversations remain the same. So I was glad for Easter week to come! I really needed a break in the schedule as I could tell I was getting in a rut.
So I planned to take a weekend break to Dakar. Come to find out our missionary family had planned to have a egg hunt, games, and lunch together. We met and did this. Everyone brought something to share-some brought cake, desserts, fixins for hamburgers, drinks, chips, and people brought eggs for hiding and for the egg toss.
The games were a blast. We played red rover, duck duck goose, tug of war, we had an egg toss, and also hid eggs for the kids.
I'll first tell about the egg hunt. The kids divided into 3 group levels. Toddlers below 3 found eggs hidden in the grass and small shrubs. The 4-7 year olds found eggs hidden a little better-in tire swings, inside shrubs and flowers, and some more obvious hiding places. And then a lot of the adult men got to hide for the teenagers. I was a part of this hiding team, and we had a blast challenging them. We must have hid 30 eggs 6 feet off the ground or higher. I'm sure they thought they'd be finding eggs in the grass when the came out. But nope, we challenged them! I think I hid ten eggs 15 feet or so in a tree. It took them awhile but they did find them all once they learned what we did. They climbed every tree after finding the first few.
Lunch was really good. The host dad cooked hamburgers for everyone. We had baked beans, potato salad, and a few desserts for our meal. And the afternoon the adults got together for tug of war, and we sat around talking as well.
Oh, yes, the egg toss. That was interesting to be a part of and watch! My egg ended up hitting a tree. Some of the others did really well. And these eggs, though they weren't hard boiled, seemed to be pretty tough eggs! many of them hit the ground several times before breaking. And others broke in people's hands as they caught them.
It really was a super time together. I'm so glad we were able to do this.
So I planned to take a weekend break to Dakar. Come to find out our missionary family had planned to have a egg hunt, games, and lunch together. We met and did this. Everyone brought something to share-some brought cake, desserts, fixins for hamburgers, drinks, chips, and people brought eggs for hiding and for the egg toss.
The games were a blast. We played red rover, duck duck goose, tug of war, we had an egg toss, and also hid eggs for the kids.
I'll first tell about the egg hunt. The kids divided into 3 group levels. Toddlers below 3 found eggs hidden in the grass and small shrubs. The 4-7 year olds found eggs hidden a little better-in tire swings, inside shrubs and flowers, and some more obvious hiding places. And then a lot of the adult men got to hide for the teenagers. I was a part of this hiding team, and we had a blast challenging them. We must have hid 30 eggs 6 feet off the ground or higher. I'm sure they thought they'd be finding eggs in the grass when the came out. But nope, we challenged them! I think I hid ten eggs 15 feet or so in a tree. It took them awhile but they did find them all once they learned what we did. They climbed every tree after finding the first few.
Lunch was really good. The host dad cooked hamburgers for everyone. We had baked beans, potato salad, and a few desserts for our meal. And the afternoon the adults got together for tug of war, and we sat around talking as well.
Oh, yes, the egg toss. That was interesting to be a part of and watch! My egg ended up hitting a tree. Some of the others did really well. And these eggs, though they weren't hard boiled, seemed to be pretty tough eggs! many of them hit the ground several times before breaking. And others broke in people's hands as they caught them.
It really was a super time together. I'm so glad we were able to do this.
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