Tag Archives: life here

Who knew?

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+ That 55° could feel oh-so-chilly. This week we’ve been having some crazy wind/dust storms, and the mornings have been quite cold. It doesn’t take long for our bodies to adjust to the warmth here, and with tile floors, concrete homes and no insulation, you can easily feel a drop in temperature. We’re enjoying the cool mornings while we can!

+ That hosting a Senegalese pastor and his wife for the weekend would be SO much fun. The guys sat outside and talked while the girls made an Italian meal (aka: spaghetti, salad and garlic bread) and talked in the kitchen. We went to church together on Sunday and Israel (the husband) preached.

+ That a video chat with a friend could be so encouraging.

+ That Senegalese presidential elections would sneak up on us! They’re in just a few weeks. Pray for peace throughout the country and for a good leader.

+ That one day Shawn would be translating Bible lessons.

+ That we could go three weeks (the amount of time that we’ve been back) without one power cut. NiCe.

+ That a bag of mini Snickers would be that scrumptious. Our selection of American candy is gone. What?! It’s gone?? Ok, I’m not really that surprised…

Yet another cultural event

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We went to a baby baptism/naming ceremony this week for our friends and their new son. As I’ve mentioned before, these events are a really big deal. The family spends a lot of money, the mother of the baby wears a fancy dress (she went to the hair salon twice in one day, so that she would have a different hair style with each dress), guests come and eat, dance, eat again, there’s an animal sacrifice, they dance some more, and of course, the baby is named and honored.

Post-sacrifice sheep skin drying in the sun.

Little girl boldly making her way over to shake my hand.

Music going door to door.

Women spend two days cooking and getting ready for the festivities. It's neat how they all pull together to help each other out.

These ladies are onion cutting machines! No cutting board, just a dull knife, the palm of their hand and a circle of women to chat with.

More music as people arrive, visit and dance. Men do make an appearance, but it seems to be more of a ladies event. That

There's a lot of sitting around.

The women

With a friend from the group, in our matchy-matchy dresses, stopping to take a picture.

This picture gives a pretty accurate depiction of how the evening went: lots of people talking (at once, in different languages), motion from people moving and dancing, instruments, LOUD CLAPPING, dust blowing through the air, people laughing and the evening flying by.

Praying that with each festivity, gathering, and cultural event, our relationships with those around us will deepen and Christ will be seen through our lives.

s&j

Must-have items

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Maybe you’ve been (lying awake at night) wondering what THIS missionary couple brings back to Africa with them after a trip to the USA.
Well, here you have it, in picture form, some of the things that made it into our suitcase, flew across the Atlantic and made it to our “home sweet village”:

American candy. We've already eaten the gummy worms, M&M's and Reese's Pieces.

 

Instant flavored oatmeal packets. It may seem a bit boring, but it sure is a nice way to have a quick breakfast in the mornings!

Who doesn't love BACON!?

Dips and dressings.

Some manly tools like these handy pliers.

Red curtains for our bedroom. Love!

Good gum that doesn't lose its flavor in 5 seconds.

Coffee related things! A travel mug, hazelnut creamer, a mug (from Jenn's Dad), and Starbucks coffee.

Necessary toiletries: contact solution, Crystal deodorant (the best of the best) and good smelling soap in bar form b/c the liquid version was too heavy and spill- risky.

Lighters for our gas oven. Better than those matches that break and you feel like you're going to blow up your hand every time you light the oven.

Lemon iced tea, cherry limeade and other fruity drink mixes.

A favorite for Saturday mornings: muffin mixes.

Flavorings for Shawn's soda siphon = making our own pop / soda whenever we want!

MmMm, "just add water" Pasta Sides are always a good and easy addition to any meal!

New picture frames featuring CURRENT pictures of family!

There you go. You no longer have to spend your time wondering what was in those suitcases!
Enjoy your Monday.
s&j

Deep thoughts and chai tea

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Vanilla chai tea and deep thoughts.

Enthnocentrism (big word, I know) is defined as an attitude that one’s own group is superior.

Do you think that we, living cross-culturally, ever struggle with being ethnocentric? All the time! It’s sad but true. It’s just one of the areas where our sin nature rears its ugly (and unwanted) head.

As humans we have this deep-rooted racism and it shows up in bold letters after a trip, albeit short, to our homeland. We come back comparing what we know to be “normal”, “sanitary”, “humorous”, “delicious”, and so forth, based on what our own culture tells us. In many ways it boils down to preference. Senegalese people may prefer and value certain things as a society that we, as Westerners, may or may not, and vice versa.

Shawn and I have conversations on this topic all the time, because it was a topic that was often highlighted throughout our training on tribal church planting. Let’s be honest, there are times when the people we live amongst do (from our frame of reference) some pretty stupid things! But we would feel the same no matter where we lived! You go into a local Walmart and you’re going to come face to face with ethnocentrism in one form or another.

The point is this: we’re all human, we all judge, we all struggle with attitudes of feeling superior or inferior. But we have the answer: the LOVE of Jesus Christ. We have his example, the way that he has modeled unconditional care for his children, and we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.
So even if you’re living amongst a people group that cut in line and make fun of people for using toilet paper, just remember that THEY ARE LOVED by the creator, and you have the power to love them too.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16

Something that has helped us when we come face to face with ethnocentrism is to focus on loving the individual, rather than a whole society of people.

By God’s grace, we can CHOOSE love. No matter where we are. No matter the difference in skin color, culture, daily habits, or even religion.

“A proper and healthy relationship with God is fundamentally important to having a good and effective relationship with the tribal people.” ~ Relationship to Target People, class notes, 2005

What are you thinking about today?

Amazed…

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+ That Christmas is in 26 days. [Bring on Elf and Christmas with the Kranks]

+ At how far villagers can walk. They will walk for miles [or, kilometers, in this case] to get to where they need to go.

+ At how many different languages the average African speaks. Knowing 5 or 6 different languages is not uncommon.

+  At how perfect our weather has been lately. All those months of sweating were worth it for these 80 degree days!

+ At how strong the women are here. Hauling lots of water everyday = big muscles.

+ At how many memories come rushing back at the sound of a favorite Christmas song.

+ At how much people value community. We love the “on est ensemble” (“we’re together”) mentality.

+ At how young some people are when they get married. Just this week I met a 16-year-old girl who is already married.

+ At how much 15 hours without power can impact or change the plans of your day.

+ At how delicious Shawn’s Philly cheesesteak sandwich is. [Tonight's dinner - - - > cannot wait]

+ At how far people can stretch a $1 (or a cfa, in this case) when necessary.

+ At the high level of respect people have for their elders.

+ At how much of a major role solidarity plays in this culture.

+ At what some people think life in America is like. Once someone asked us if it were true that every year Americans throw away ALL of their belongings (cars, tv’s, clothes) and buy everything new.

+ At how fast kids can pick up a language.

 

Yes. We’re always amazed at something,

s&j