We’re Not In Kansas Anymore
The daily journal of R.S. Hunter’s mission trip
Senegal, West Africa - March 2011
Monday March 14th
Kerry and I left the house at 3:50am and soon arrived at Greg’s. He was patiently waiting by his
minivan, admiring the stars. Cathy soon arrived and after kisses and hugs, we were loaded up along
with our luggage and started the drive to Sky Harbor. My intention was to sleep along the way but
the air of excitement kept me awake. We arrived at Sky Harbor at exactly 5:35am.
Who knew the line up at the check in counter would be so long? It was! There were a couple of
people in front of us who spent the night at the airport hotel, insuring that they would not miss
their 6:00am departure-it was now 6:05am. They missed their flight. Their panic, confusion and
anger, was obvious.
At exactly 7:10am we were wheels off the ground, heading towards JFK. A quick 4 hours later we
touched down in New York. After finding our gate, we decided to spend the 3 hour layover eating
lunch and anticipating the task ahead of us. At 6:24pm our old worn out looking 757 left the ground,
leaving everything that was American behind us.
With 3 movies being shown, it was my luck that I had seen all of them. I decided to try and sleep. It
was a restless night. After a quick 6 ½ hour flight we landed on the continent; we were in West Africa.
We arrived in Dakar, Senegal. It was early Tuesday morning, Senegal time
Greg in front seat of Alice’s car moments after arriving in Dakar
Tuesday March 15th
Being early in the morning and exhausted from a restless flight, I was glad to see Alice waiting to
pick us up. She helped us negotiate our way through the hoards of people with luggage carts, all
trying to offer us assistance (for a price). One young man stayed beside Greg as we approached
the car; he even tried to grab a bag from Greg’s hand. Greg resisted while finding his seat. Greg
later told us that he actually thought this man was with Alice. Alice never saw him before.
We drove a short distance to Steve and Laura’s house for a hearty breakfast. We weren’t very
hungry due to all of the food we ate on the plane. Within minutes of arriving at Steve’s the lights
went out. No electricity, anywhere. Because it was still dark outside and the window shades were
drawn it was pitch black. I couldn’t see inches in front of me. Is this why they call it Darkest Africa?
I was a little nervous, that is until Alice showed up with candles in hand explaining that this happens
all the time. We were soon going to learn how true those words would be. The food was plentiful
and here I was planning on losing some weight during this trip. Eating by candle light reminded me
of what life must have been like in the days of John Adams.
After eating we loaded back up and headed to Thies, a 45 mile drive that would take over 2 hours
due to heavy traffic and primitive roads. Even though I wanted to sleep during the drive, there were
so many exciting things to see along the way; my eyes stayed open (wide).
Eventually we arrived at the John Huffman Christian School (C.A.F.E.). This is the school that Greg,
Cathy and I would call home for awhile. We were assigned our rooms and given a little time to
shower, stow our gear and prepare for the remainder of the day. We would hit Senegal running and
wouldn’t stop until we were homeward bound.
Alice picked us up a few hours later and gave us a local tour of the sights and sounds of Thies. We
saw where the new school was being built. The school is known as I.T.E.S., which means Institut de
Theologie Evangelique du Senegal (Evangelical Theological Institute of Senegal). This would be our
work site for the next 4 days. The plan was to lay tiles in the kitchen and both men’s and ladies
bathrooms. There was so much prep work that needed to be done first. I wasn’t sure if our goals
would be obtainable.
We ate lunch at Alice’s place. There were two seating areas with chairs gathered around a low,
small table. One area was for the men and the other for the ladies. Once seated a large round dish
was presented filled with rice, chicken, peppers and other veggies. With spoon in hand we ate in a
communal fashion, eating from the same dish. It was pretty good food and great conversation. If you
found a chicken bone, it is the custom to place it on the floor beneath the table. The accumulation of
bones are swept up after everyone is finished eating. My limited French started coming back to me.
For dessert we were offered two cakes, one was chocolate and the other was pomme (apple). I
passed on both. I really wanted to stick to some sort of diet plan.
Soon we were dropped off back at the C.A.F.E. Greg, Cathy and I took a walk, checking out the local
area. We weren’t alone. On the road we passed donkeys, cattle, and pigs (dogs and cats too). We
made it back to our place by 8pm; it was dinner time. Why do they want to fatten us up? So much for
the diet.
We were served eggs surrounded by veal with potatoes, carrots, string beans, tomato and squash.
This was when I first introduced my list to Greg and Cathy. My list would protect me and as long as I
didn’t eat anything that was on this list, I would be okay. The first item on the list was eggs. I didn’t
eat mine.
A Bao Bob Tree (pronounced Bow Bob)
Wednesday March 16th
I started my day (5:00am) with a little bible study time. Greg was already up doing a study of his
own so I joined him and together we contemplated His word. (Isaiah 40:15, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 29:5)
Personal thoughts-A message to Islam
Before breakfast Greg, Cathy and I went for a power walk, with hopes of catching the sunrise. We
saw a mosque with a pile of trash burning at its base. As we aimed our cameras to catch the
moment, a man came out of nowhere, telling us not to take any pictures of the mosque. We all got a
few shots anyways, before heading on our way. More cows and pigs were busy making a meal of
whatever they could scratch up along the side of the road. Very cool!
After breakfast Greg and I were dropped off at I.T.E.S. (the Christian school being built) for our first
day on the job. Cathy was going to join Alice for a Beth Moore bible study. None of the rooms we
were going to work on were ready for tile. They had to be cleared out first. Greg and I spent the first
part of the first day clearing out the kitchen (hauling cement blocks and lumber), with some local
assistance (we formed a human chain which made a short task of it). We had to chip away at the
cement that had dripped onto the floor during the pouring of the ceiling. This was when we
discovered a hollow spot on the floor. It didn’t sound good.
A mason came to investigate the hollow sound and before we knew it, he started pounding the floor
with his sledge hammer. The hollow spot was now an ever growing hole. His hammering didn’t stop
until the opening within the concrete floor was 10’ long by 4’ wide. It was discovered that the slab
was only 2 inches thick without rebar. A quick fix was implemented (rebar was placed in the hole
and cement soon filled in the void. Greg and I looked at each other, knowing that an additional 2
inches of concrete would be the minimum needed to strengthen the floor. Greg and I decided that t
he kitchen was not going to be ready for us for at least a couple of days so we headed off to the
men's bathroom. After cleaning the floor, we arranged to have scaffolding installed so we could s
tart applying the scratch coat onto the ceiling. By 5:00pm we were done for the day. Greg and I had
enough sand in our shoes to fill a beach.
When Alice picked us up we headed over to her house. I had a call to make. I called Kerry (on Skype)
and together everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. Then we sang it in French. Kerry got a real kick o
ut of it. Kerry called it a birthday to remember. This was the first (and last) birthday I ever missed…
We now headed to a nearby market where Greg and I purchased some dresses (for our ladies). We
also visited a friend of Alice who sells jewelry and picked out some necklaces to go with he dresses.
Greg also picked out some earrings for his daughters.
Back to the hotel by 7:30pm for dinner. As soon as we got back, the lights went out. We ate by c
andle light. We talked until 9:30pm then I hit the showers before turning in for the night. Showering
in the dark was interesting (candles and water don’t play well together).
Greg working on kitchen floor
Me getting more cement (Senegal style)
Thursday March 17th
Today started with my studying Matthew 6:1 (Giving to the needy) Personal thoughts-Try to be more
humble
Greg and I took a long walk before breakfast (Cathy passed). Along the way we met a man named
Mohammad. As his wife was sweeping the sand from the front porch of their home, he called to us
asking our names. We chatted for a few minutes with him. He was curious about these two American
men walking in his neighborhood. I didn’t feel the love with Mohammad; not sure why. So far
everyone we met was loving and open except for those who were concerned about our taking their
picture.
After breakfast it was back to the I.T.E.S. construction site for day two of manual labor. No need to
worry about going to the gym. We are all getting plenty of exercise. Before we started in on our t
asks, we were invited to go visit a local village by a man named Johan (from Germany). Johan spoke
very little English so it was up to my weak French to establish communication. We understood each
other, somewhat!
Johan knew of a girl from the village Dias Palam (pronounced Jay-us Pal-am). She was a Christian
from a village of Muslims and had prayed about getting help for her nephew Ousman. Ousman has e
xtreme handicaps, leaving him to live his life as an outcast. His twisted body and strained voice
greeted us as we approached. He was very excited to see us. Johan was building a house (single
room dwelling) for Ousman, an answer to the aunt’s prayer. Ousman was no longer being considered
an outcast by his fellow villagers. He was now the reason for all of the attention being brought to his
village. He was, in fact, a star. Johan, on the other hand was treated like a Super Star. Everyone in the
village came to greet us, openly. Johan was building a bridge between the Islam world and
Christianity. Greg, Cathy and I were blown away by what Johan was doing. Yes, he was (and is) a
Super Star. This was one of our first life-changing experiences---the first of many. Priase God!
Now we were back at the construction site, it was time for Greg and I to get started where we left off.
Johan was surprised at the hole in the kitchen floor being repaired. He had thought that the floor
slab was 3 – 4 inches with rebar. Surprise surprise surprise.
As Greg and I started applying the scratch coat of cement onto the bathroom ceiling the competition
side of Greg came to the surface. Who could do the work the fastest? We weren’t sure if they
wanted a textured ceiling or not; that’s what they got. No one showed us how to do the application,
so we did it on our own. We were proud of our work (even though Greg had to deal with the fact that
I worked faster). It was now getting late, time for us to leave. We will have to finish this room
tomorrow.
A dinner was planned back at the C.A.F.E. school for us along with students, teachers and other
missionaries. It was the same style of meal as at Alice’s. One plate per table shared in a communal
fashion. It was delicious (except for the egg part–remember my list). There were 15 of us in total.
Greg’s table was busy conversing about the student’s goals and Greg’s insight. My table focused
more on missions within Africa. Greg, Cathy and I were very pleased with the evening. We glowed.
This was the first meal we had since arriving where the lights were actually on.
Back to bed for a well deserved rest. Tomorrow will be day 3 on the site. Surprisingly, my muscles
don’t ache (yet). Sleeping with mosquito netting was now the norm-I can hear them buzzing outside
of my protected zone. I still spray myself with bug spray, just in case one finds a hole in the netting.
Getting bitten by mosquito’s is up in the top 5 portion of my list.
Ousman outside his family's house with Johan in Dios Palam
Necklaces bought as gifts
Friday March 18th
It is very interesting to sit here, each morning, doing bible study and contemplations while the
Muslim call-to-prayer is being blasted at us by various loud speakers in the neighborhood. To me
it makes the word of God more powerful, with the enemy knocking outside our door…they can’t come
in. Today's study was Isaiah 60:1-3 Personal thoughts Glory, Light and Darkness. Are the missions
bringing the light (God) to this otherwise dark place (Senegal)? Answer - - - Obviously YES, and we
are here witnessing it.
First thing this morning Greg and Cathy went for a long walk. I stayed behind to watch the pre-school
kids out front doing school exercises (dancing and wrestling). Now for our typical breakfast. Cathy
and Greg enjoy the scrambled eggs with bread and Nutella. My list only allows me to eat the bread
with preserves and Nutella. I also loved the juice (which wasn’t on my list). All I drank during my time
in Senegal was juice or bottled water, lots and lots of bottled water.
It was now time to return to the construction site. Greg and I continued working in the men’s
bathroom. Just as we were about to finish a young man jumped up onto the scaffolding and asked if
he could show us how to apply the cement, their way. We watched as he splashed water on the wall
and with a flick of his hand 3 or 4 globs of cement landed on the block, sticking where they landed.
He then used the trowel to smooth it out. Maybe they didn’t want the textured look after all. Greg
and I agreed that our finished work looked better. It was interesting that they waited until we finished
the room before showing us their technique. Their way was a faster way of doing the work. Now that
the room was finished with the scratch coat, our plan was to come back in the morning and start
applying tile. Our day was done. Our goal was to finish applying tile on at least one wall in this
bathroom before we leave. Goals are not always obtainable.
After showering I was lying down resting when Greg and Cathy knocked. They wanted to know if I
want to go with them for a walk. I passed. I just wanted to relax. As they headed out I lay back on my
bed. That was when the little voice in my head said, “Dude, you’re in Africa!” With that I jumped up
and got dressed and ran out the door to join my friends.
As we worked our way along another sandy streets, we snapped shots of kids playing soccer, animals
wandering the streets and anything else that caught our eye. We stumbled upon a magnificent house,
not yet complete (most buildings in Senegal are far from completion). The detail work was beautiful.
The overall size was intimidating. Greg walked right up to a couple of people sitting in a opening
where a window should be and asked if this was a private home. We were welcomed in and told that
this house belonged to a spiritual leader, a man who lived in Paris but traveled to Senegal once a
month to teach his followers. Greg inquired about how many followers he had, thinking that maybe a
few hundred would be the reply. We were told millions…true or not, probably not, but still impressive.
Greg exchanged contact info and we were promised to be notified if the home owner came to Senegal
before we left. We never did hear from him.
Alice joined us for dinner at the C.A.F.E. This was our time to debrief on what we had experienced to
date. After Alice left Greg, Cathy and I stayed up another hour or so talking. Oh yeah, lights went out.
Another candle light dinner.
School kids wrestling
Muslim spiritual leader’s house
Saturday March 19th
Today I started with readings of Luke 21: 10, 11 (Nation against nation) Personal thoughts Interesting
times we live in.
Greg and I went for an early walk---still dark outside. We must have covered 5 miles, quick step, good
workout. As we walked we could hear the call to prayer all around us. This was the battle field and
we were in the middle of it. Speaking of battle field, this was the day that the protestors were hitting
the streets in Dakar. CNN was going to be there to cover the events. I sure hope this doesn’t turn out
to be another Libya. The President of Senegal is in his eighties, doesn’t have all of his marbles and is
the root of corruption within the system there. It was interesting that since the protests started, the
electricity stayed on for 95% of the time. So now we know that the outages were not due to old
equipment but instead they were due to greed.
After eating breakfast we headed to the I.T.E.S. site for our last day there. As we cleared out the
scaffolding, so we could start the tile work, I pricked my middle finger with a nail, right in the joint.
Didn’t hurt but it did bleed a lot. After cleaning my wound and wrapping it with toilet tissue it was
back to work for me. Wish I had my antibiotic ointment with me. That nail was nasty looking (thank
God my tetanus shots were up to date). Once the room was cleared out Greg and I planned our plan
of attack. I brought in boxes of tile as the cement was mixed by Greg. We had a plan. I would work
along the floor and Greg would work up. Together we would fan out along the wall until the wall was
complete. Things never go as planned.
First, we couldn’t understand why they wanted to place the tile now when there was so much other
work that needed to be done. One would think that you would apply the finish coat of plaster on the
ceilings and upper portions of the walls and then apply paint before installing tile. The walls are far
from smooth and even. We got one tile up and as we worked the second tile, snap! We got exactly
one and a half tiles up before we decided to have them show us how they apply tile. We didn’t want
to spend a day doing all this work only to have someone show up just as we finished to show us an
easier way.
The most skilled person there came to show us his method. He too couldn’t do it. It wasn’t as simple
as it seemed. We all agreed that a professional would have to be brought in to do the tile work.
Installing tile in Senegal is nothing like doing tile work at home. For Greg and I it was off to plan B,
start clearing out the ladies bathroom, install the scaffolding and continue applying a rough coat of
cement onto the block walls. This time we worked fast and had most of the walls done by the end of
the day. We applied our new skill of flinging the mud and wetting the walls. Speaking of wetting the
walls, Greg thought of a quicker way to do that. Instead of using your hands to reach in the bucket a
nd splashing up onto the blocks, Greg decided to avoid putting his hands into the foul, stagnant, bug
invested water. Instead, he simply hoisted the bucket up towards his target, delivering a very
effective wave of water onto the block, soaking everything in its path. His first two shots were dead
on but there was a problem with his third. You see, I was standing to his left only a couple of feet
away. His third swing of the bucket missed the wall completely but instead found a new target…me!
I was drenched from head to waist. I never saw Greg laugh so hard.
Johan joined us up on the scaffolding. He chiseled off running cement from the walls as Greg and I
followed with the scratch coat. We were faster and everyone there stopped by to watch these two
two-bobs (their name for white guys) flinging mud (cement). It was fun (except for the bucket of
yellowish water).
A truck arrived to deliver bags of cement. The order was for 7 tons and 10 tons were delivered. Big
confusion as to how the order got messed up-who was going to pay-where was the money going to
come from. We soon left the site, for the last time. Sincere and meaningful goodbyes were shared by
all and contact information was exchanged. We didn’t have a piece of paper to write on so I picked
up a piece of wood to use as a note pad (my note-block). It worked well. One of the workers offered
Greg a hand full of peanuts. I remembered the story Alice told us of her husband’s passing. His
cancer was attributed to a mold found on peanuts so needless to say, peanuts were at the top of my
no-no list. As Greg was about to reach for the peanuts being offered to him I leaned over and
whispered to him, “If you accept those nuts, I’m going to have to take you down!” Greg then
remembered why he shouldn’t eat peanuts and politely refused his new friends generous offer. For
days we would laugh about the peanut story.
After showering we drove out to see some street vendors selling baskets. Greg and Cathy each
purchased some items. I didn’t see any must-have things so I just followed along and enjoyed the
experience. We then headed back to Alice’s for a pizza dinner. We talked about missionary work
being done and all took turns sharing stories. This was a good time to send Kerry an e-mail, just to l
et her know how much I was thinking of her. We were back to our beds by 10:00pm. It was a long day.
The first phase of our trip was complete. We were now heading into phase two. There was still so
much more to see, and do.
Greg and me calling it a day
Saying good bye to new friends
Sunday March 20th
I started today off with Psalm 41:1-13 to help me get through the day …Personal thoughts, Healing
I had no idea that the strange dreams I would have on Saturday night would have such an impact on
my Sunday, and the days that followed. I had a dream about a large log and on the log was an
opening, about the size of a closed fist. As I moved the log, thousands upon thousands of tiny
scorpions came spewing out running in every direction. I was shocked but before I could react, they
were all gone. Now coming out of that hole in the log was a black scorpion (about 6 – 8 inches in
length). I picked up a stick and killed it instantly. That was easy I thought. Then out of that hole in the
log came the biggest scorpion I had ever seen. It was huge. It’s color was pure white, almost
transparent. It evaded my stick and kept darting in and out of that hole. It was no use; it was too fast
for me. I never did catch that mammoth scorpion. I could sense it was very angry; angry at me.
When I woke up from that strange dream, into a room of complete darkness (yes the power was off
again), I felt exhausted. I sat up and reached for my candle. A dizziness came over me. I tried to stand
up but the spinning sensation was too powerful. I thought that maybe I was still tired and feeling
groggy from a restless sleep so I headed for the shower, thinking it might help make me feel better-
wrong! After showering I made my way to my bed and lay back down as quickly as I could. When my
head was down the dizziness seemed to fade, but not completely. I was trying to figure out why I was
feeling so weird. I knew it wasn’t malaria because the symptoms usually take 10 days to hit you. It
wasn’t diarrhea (for obvious reasons). Was it food poisoning? I didn’t think so either. Maybe it was
my sinuses (I wished I had a netty pot). I knew I didn’t eat anything from my list of banned foods.
What could it be? I rested my head upon my straw pillow for another hour. I eventually got up and
greeted Greg and Cathy who were sitting at the table ready for another breakfast. I sat down beside
Greg and told him how I was feeling. The last thing I wanted to do was miss Greg’s sermon. Cathy
checked my temp with her forearm and told me I felt cold and clammy. My color was pale. We talked
about the meds we all had and we mutually agreed that my taking the Cipro I had with me was a
good plan of action. Antibiotics can’t hurt.
After taking my meds I went back to bed and fell asleep until Alice arrived a couple of hours later. I
told her that I was too dizzy to go to church and I just wanted to stay in bed. She insisted that I go to
her place and flop on her couch instead of staying alone at the C.A.F.E. She said she could keep a
better eye on me at her place. I agreed. While the group went to church I fell into a semi deep sleep.
After a few hours I woke up and sipped the Sprite they left me. I also munched on some soda crackers.
Soda crackers never tasted so good. By time they got back from church I was sitting up reading my
Bible. I had stumbled upon Psalm 41 and kept reading that chapter over and over again. By the grace
of God I started feeling better-not great but better. If yesterday I was at 100%, this morning I was at a
near zero. By time they got back from lunch at 2:30pm I was sitting up feeling 50% recovered. Cathy
surfed the internet and did some laundry while Greg fell asleep in an arm chair. I nodded on and off
for the remainder of the day. I was starting to feel better by the hour.
At 5:30pm we headed over to the Denny’s house for dinner and fellowship. I was feeling a strong 75%
and compared to how I felt in the morning, I was feeling pretty good. We all sang songs of worship
and shared stories. We were back to our rooms by 9:00pm. Tomorrow would be a busy day so it was
another Cipro for me as I headed to bed. Hopefully I would wake up at 100%. I don’t like being sick
and I hate being dizzy.
When you’re not feeling well, any kind of bed works – even one made with straw
Monday March 21st
I woke up feeling 50% and that was okay compared to the way I felt a day earlier. I studied
Psalms 102:1-2 and Psalms 117. (Initial appeal for God to hear) Personal thoughts-I think God heard
my prayer
Today was going to be a busy day. When Alice arrived to pick us up she told us about a friend of
hers who was recently sick with the same symptoms as mine, dizziness. She was diagnosed with
a virus and treated accordingly. She was back to normal after 3 days. Tomorrow was my day 3. That
information made me feel better. Throughout the day I was feeling better by the hour. I drank lots
of fluids and ate only gentle foods (plain bread). After breakfast we headed to the church to sit
down with the director and other decision makers to discuss our mutual goals. After talking back
and forth for over 2 ½ hours we were all in agreement. There were lots of opportunities. New Life
was going to partnership with them to help get things done. We all smiled genuine smiles as we
posed for a group photo.
After lunch at Alice’s we headed to Ngollar. This is the village where Etienne was raised (he is the
young man that we are sponsoring to go to school). In Ngollar we were greeted by dozens of kids
all wanting their picture taken. We enjoyed the time with them (except for the one girl who liked
to bite-she has anger management issues). As I sat there with kids on my lap, I was amazed at how
interesting my white hands were to them. They studied every crease, every joint, every imperfection,
while speaking to each other in a tongue that I didn't understand. My wedding ring tattoo astounded
them the most.
We met all of Etienne’s relatives and took tons of pictures. Word spread quickly in the village about
the two-bobs and crowds gathered to follow us. Gifts were handed out by Alice and by just being
there you could feel the presence of God pushing the darkness of Islam aside, like the parting of a
great sea. His light flowed and we were all basking in it (Christian and Muslim alike).
As we arrived at Etienne’s wife's grandmother’s hut, a neighbor named Diaxeer came to greet us,
singing Halleluiah and dancing to her own rhythm. Diaxeer is the only Christian that we know of
living in Ngollar. It was an impressive sight. What a joy. We started taking group pictures
immediately. When Etienne's grandmother in-law saw her picture, she didn’t like the way she
looked. She sent her son into the hut to get her pretty blouse, the one that matched her skirt. After
she changed she wanted her picture taken again. We obliged. Yes, she looked much better the
second time around. She was happy too. Diaxeer continued dancing and singing; Alice joined in as
did the grandmother in-law.
I never saw Greg look so nervous as when Etienne's father-in-law took Greg's camera and started
trying to figure it out (pushing this and turning that, using the lens as a handle). I quickly moved into
camera-catcher mode. I stood on one side as Greg stood on the other; both of us waiting for the
moment when the camera would be dropped. Greg's biggest concern was keeping his lens from
touching the sandy ground. Greg showed amazing patience and consideration and was willing to do
so, at any cost (his lens).
We arrived back at the C.A.F.E. by 7:15pm for our last meal. We were checking out first thing in the
morning. We will leave Thies at 7:00am tomorrow and head for Dakar, with cool stops planned along
the way. By bedtime I was back up to 80% and holding.
Ngollar Village - Bridging the gap (with a camera)
Ngollar Village - Kids are the same all around the World
Ngollar Village - Me with Diaxeer
Tuesday March 22nd
I started the day with Psalm 72:4 (crush oppression and save the needy) Personal thoughts – can see
it happening in Senegal – defending the afflicted and saving the children.
Alice picked us up at 7:00am so we could get an early start. We packed up the car and headed down
the road towards Dakar. We ate breakfast along the way. First stop would be the Reserve de Bandia
where we would safari with hopes of seeing active animals wandering around. We saw tons from
Rhino’s to monkeys and everything in between. It was a great morning.
We then headed to the beach house on the Atlantic coast. It was a very nice compound. Greg and
Cathy went boogie boarding while I stayed back to guard the shade. The sun was very hot today.
After walking up and down the beach looking for shells and swimming it was time for us to hit the
road once again. But before we left the area, we went to have lunch at the Africa 6 restaurant with
an American couple living in the area. After lunch it was nonstop all the way into Dakar. The traffic
was heavy-Alice’s skills behind the wheel was impressive. Once we arrived in Dakar we visited Jane
and her library. She was having trouble with her VCR; she needed it for a bible study she was hosting
that night. Greg and I played around with it but it was Cathy who discovered a multi pinned cable
was missing. Jane went home and found the cable-presto, the VCR worked. That’s right…we came…
we saw…we conquered!
We went shopping for outfits for Greg and me. Greg found a nice outfit but for me there was nothing
I would consider purchasing for myself. I am not into shinny fabric. I am more of a muted color kind
of guy. It was an interesting experience…once you touch a shirt or other object, every vendor and
their brother would approach you with arms full of merchandise for you to consider. “Brother brother,
come to my shop,” they would beg. It was a challenge to get around while they were swarming you
from every direction (I mean we were totally surrounded-engulfed). After shopping and dinner at a
local restaurant we decided to check into our lodgings for the night. Cathy and Alice would stay with
Jane while Greg and I stayed at Dan and Esters house (they are a Christian couple staying at the
beach house for a little vacation). Nice home and compared to where we were staying, we felt like
we were experiencing first class accommodations. I actually slept with a real pillow on a real bed.
No hot water though-cold showers. As far as my virus goes, I am at 95% and holding.
Safari - Cathy shooting Monkeys
Safari - Greg and Cathy wanted me to pose "next to" the Rhino
Safari - Giraffe (1 of many)
Wednesday March 23rd (Last Day)
I started my day with a study of Psalm 100:1-5 (a psalm for giving thanks) Personal thoughts - We
are thankful for the Senegal Experience.
We had yet another full day planned with nonstop activity. I guess we can catch up on our sleep
during the flight home. Yesterday when we ate dinner, we also picked up some pastries for breakfast
on Wednesday. Greg and I enjoyed our breakfast while waiting for Alice and Cathy to come and pick
us up. First stop would be a tour of the Dakar Academy. It was a very nice looking facility. Large
grounds and very well organized. After the academy, we headed over to the Street Children’s ministry
to deliver the supplies we brought with us from Tucson (Granola bars, Gummy Bear vitamins,
Neosporin, Bandages and boxer shorts. They were well received. We spent some time playing with
the kids (soccer, lego’s, etc).
These kids are abandoned by their parents because of their economic situation. They turn their sons
over to the care of a Marabout. These Marabout's promise to take care of the child’s needs (clothing,
food, spiritual education, etc). That is when the abuse starts (physical and mental). Now, I am sure
there are some Marabout’s who do take care of the little ones but from what I hear, their numbers
are few. Most Marabout’s send the kids out onto the street to beg for money. If they come home
without meeting their quota, they are denied food (or maybe even beaten). This Street Children’s
facility is a place where they can come for a few hours a day, get a good meal, wash their clothes
and most importantly, learn social skills. They are also taught to brush their teeth and to just be kids
(play games, etc). We were all touched by our visit with the Street Children of Dakar. Watching them
dance to traditional music was very rewarding.
We reached the harbor by 11:00am to catch the ferry to Goree Island, the last African stop for tens of
thousands of slaves. From here they were shipped off to various places including America. The thing
that touched me the most was the size of the holding rooms (8’ x 8’). With 150 slaves crammed into
these rooms, they had to rotate in order to give each other a few moments by the one window so
they could catch a little fresh air. The street vendors were there in force to take advantage of the
tourist crowd. I found a shirt I liked and bought it. Greg bought a tapestry and Cathy purchased a nice
painting and a musical instrument made with two small gourds on a string.
When the vendors kept swamping Cathy, we came up with a code word (Avocado). This word was for
Cathy to use if she felt she was being over whelmed by aggressive street vendors (and she was).
Once she used the word, I would step in and firmly tell them to stop (in French). They listened.
Avocado was used three times today. We laughed about it later. After lunch we headed back to the
main land (Dakar) and went to a wood carving shopping area. Greg purchased 2 chairs and a lion and
I purchased 3 monkeys and a banana. Later on we stopped by another shop, owned by a friend of
Alice's and I purchased a large beach bag for Kerry.
We were winding down now and ready to slow down for the day. We headed over to Dan’s home
where we enjoyed a nice spaghetti dinner with his family. What a blessing…we were hungry.
Although I was a firm 95%, I only ate one small serving, just to insure I would be fine for the long
voyage home tomorrow. We were back at our place by 7:00pm with plans of turning in early. Greg
and I repackaged his chairs before hitting the pillow for the night. We have an early start tomorrow
(4:30am)…Heading Home…
Street Children Ministry
Cathy in Goree Island Cell
Thursday March 24th
Going Home - Alice picked us up early (4:30am) and dropped us off at the airport. Looking around as
we weaved in and out of the streets of Dakar, I realized that this was to be the last I would see of
Senegal (for now anyways). We checked our bags without any problems and headed directly to our
gate. It was now time to wait (and reflect).
Since we didn’t have a chance to eat before leaving for the airport, I was glad to see Cathy offering
pastries to Greg and myself. I went first reaching into the bag and pulling out my favorite (flaky pastry
filled with chocolate). As I bit into it, Greg was making his selection. I was going for my 3rd bite when
Greg said to me, “Hey Richard, did you check out the bag?” I looked at him and said, “What.” He
asked me if the bag was on my famous list. I didn’t understand…that is until he handed me the bag
for a closer look. As I swallowed my 3rd bite I took the bag from Greg to study it. Immediately I knew
what he was talking about…The bag was full of ants. He laughed at the thought of my eating bugs
(living insects). So did I. What else could I do? I guess God thought I needed a little more protein in
my diet.
Why is it that I was the only one with a list and I was the only one who got sick? Was my virus
caused by the nail in my finger or maybe from the bucket of skunky water Greg baptized me with
while soaking down the block walls. Or was it just a bug. And now, here I am at the airport, eating
bugs. God’s will be done…
Reflecting back on the whole journey there were so many “amazing” moments, too many to list here.
Our hearts were touched each and every day. To see a warrior like Alice in battle every day was
inspirational. I was speaking more and more French, the language I was surrounded with as a child
and even though it wasn’t perfect, barriers were torn down as we successfully communicated with
the local population. Complete French phrases were popping into my head. I would say something in
French to someone and while they were replying (in French) I was constantly awed by the fact that I
actually understood what they were saying.
What an amazing voyage. Now that we are leaving Senegal and heading back to our real lives, I
ponder one simple hope (wish). I pray that all of you would understand what is really important…
Share your good fortune! Share in abundance. Remember, if someone needs your shirt, why not offer
them your coat as well? After all, doesn’t it all belong to God?
Today we focus on what we know – We have a long day of flights ahead of us, Dakar – JFK, JFK – Salt
Lake City, Salt Lake City – Tucson. Home 24 hours after we left. Jet Lag will come… Later we will
process our emotions!
These are some of the things that will occupy our thoughts as we try to digest all that we have seen,
tasted and lived during our stay in Senegal. For me, I can assure you I will never forget. Mon coeur a
été touché par Sénégal (my heart has been touched by Senegal).
Moments after Cathy fed me live bugs (ants)
Flight DL216 Boarding On Time
Friends For Life
Regardless of our differences
No comments:
Post a Comment