The beginning of Market, "deep breath" start walking in to find some veggies! And then, start bartering.

Life here in Senegal is overwhelming with countless every day activities we can’t accomplish. Thus celebrating little victories becomes a necessity to stay positive.  For example going to market and buying something as simple as a head of lettuce feels like quite the accomplishment.  To say the least, it is not quite like going to your local grocery store   Here is a little journey through our week, enjoy the pictures of our little victories!

Buying fruit at the local fruit stand and slowly building a relationship with the owner

The local bakery where we buy our bread every other day. One baguette is about 35 cents.

Bought a 8 X 12 piece of lumber, had it cut, and carried it over a quarter mile on my head (This one is not every week)

Bought some cock roach killer at the pharmacy, you can get all kinds of things there

At the boutique, a little bit of everything

Riding in a taxi, successfully told the driver where we wanted to go and settled on a good price AND arrived at our destination

Successfully took this form of a bus which is called a, "Car Rapid"

Arielle and the boys on a refreshing outing we took to a nice mall yesterday for Mothers day

Arielle asks Ezra, “What did God create on the first day of creation?” a little pause and he replied enthusiastically, “LIGHT.”  Arielle says, “Wow, you were listening yesterday!!!”  How awesome it is to see Arielle making big foot prints on his little heart!  This past week Arielle started a learning time with Ezra centered on teaching him about God.  Every day of the week she prays with Ezra, reads a story about God, teaches him a song, works on a color, tries to teach him a shape and number, colors a picture, does a little craft to help reinforce what is being learned that

Arielle trying out the "native" way to wear a baby

week, and once she figures out how to download books from the internet in English will read a fun book of the week.  This is only a tiny window into the influence that Arielle is having on our boys!  I praise God for my wife who is a mother influencing my boys to know and love God.  I recognize the magnitude of influence my mom had on my life and it had barring on where I am today. So mothers, what kind of influence are you having on your little ones?  To all you

Ezra filling in a circle for his learning time : )

mama’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

Arielle and Silas riding in a Taxi

Ezra riding in what he calls, "Taxi cars"

Arielle and Silas on mothers day

Silas

Ezra enjoying our time next to the beach

Ezra loved playing outside

Arielle and our "nanny" Suzanne

Arielle eating a yummy wrap with beef and other goodies called a "shawarma"

Arielle and Ezra singing during learning time

The beautiful and refreshing ocean! God is good!

Ezra showing his car

Imagine with me for a minute:  Walking up the dusty stairs to our apartment, I begin unlocking the door and I hear a little voice calling out “Daddy, Daddy is home, let’s go see.”  My two year old son Ezra comes running around the corner and says, “Daddy come, come, come see,” and we run off to where he was playing with his toys and he shows me what he has been playing with and doing.  On the way, I walk past our nanny, Suzanne, and stop to ask how my son did, how long did he sleep, was he a good boy, what did he have for a snack, but no words come to mind.  I don’t speak French yet and the hardest part about it is; I can’t even ask how my boys did while I was gone.  Even if I were able to ask her, I most likely would not be able to understand her response because I don’t usually understand the responses to my questions in French anyway.   Suzanne is doing great with the

The boys

kids from what we can see and from what Arielle tells me.  It is on many different levels similar to this that I feel disconnected and in a sense left out not being able to speak French.  Where does this leave me? In the arms of God crying out to him to comfort my heart and remind me of truth and He does!  It is a continual reminder of my need for God and my need to learn French.

Silas

We took a fun family trip to the ice cream shop

It was yummy!

Ezra enjoying learning time with Arielle

Ezra and Silas having a good time

Enjoying some yummy chicken

Language session: left to right, Sintia, Arielle, Del, Amanda, and Angie

New country

New city

New language(s!)

New Apartment

New roads

New people (That’s what Ezra calls Africans)

New water

New food

African dish of food, we all ate out of the same big bowl

New sounds (Call to Prayer, goats, car horns, children, cheering after sporting events…)

New smells (some not so good: meat in the market or sewage in the streets)

New foam mattresses

New toddler bed for Ezra

New mosquito nets

New skirts or dresses

New babysitter

New friends

New coworkers

New way to wash dishes

Our dish washing station, dirty water, bleach water, and drying rack

New way to buy food (Market)

New transportation (taxis and several different kinds of buses)

New time of day to eat our main meal—Lunch

New currency ($1=490 Francs)

New way to pay for cell phones

New stove (well it’s not new, but it has it’s own propane tank like a BBQ.  It stands alone and we have to use matches to light it every time we cook.)

Water filter for drinking water

New power system

New neighbors

New Bartering (for food in the market, for taxis, street vendors)

New water or power shortages

New ants and cockroaches

New way to ask people to eat with you

New way to take out the trash (Whenever the Garbage truck decides to come they honk and you bring out the trash can)

New way to eat fruit (Soak in bleach water for 15-20 minutes, peel, or cook it)

Ezra playing in his bath tub. We warm up water on the stove for their baths

New plastic tub baths for the kiddos

New smaller rolls of toilet paper

New powdered milk

New fresh daily baguettes J

New greetings

New culture(s)

New… the list could go on.  I hope this gives you an idea of all that we are adjusting too.  What is not new?  Us. God. His Word.  I am so thankful that our God remains the

American toilet paper on the right and African toilet paper on the left

same.  He is always teaching us new lessons, but He does not change!  I so badly wish to portray what life is like here, but that would take a novel.  Remember that “new” does not mean bad, just different.

We have down days when we don’t understand French or the culture, don’t like smells (even our bathroom sometimes), Ezra is cranky, Silas is teething, and we are so tired we fall asleep reading God’s Word or listening to French or trying to find a recipe that we can cook the next day.  We also have up days where it seems all is going well: we understand a lot in class, Del

Extra twin foam mattresses in our guest bedroom; Ezra likes to play on them

and I communicate well to each other, we have patience with kids, Arielle understands French and we spend much needed time in the Word without falling asleep.

Our kitchen

Ezra playing with his bed and mosquito net in the background

Typical day of learning French

6 month long French course shortened to only 3 months!  Yup, sounds like we are in for a thriller roller coaster ride.  Originally, our French course was scheduled to take 4-6 months. However the person running the course is going to leave in three months, hence only 3 months.  Consequently our class of four will meet Monday through Saturday for 4 hours a day.  We have started off with a bang, six days down, and many to go.

The French doors in our living room. They let in such wonderful light in the morning.

Comprehension based learning.  Our little class meets with Sinthia, our French language helper.  She teaches us between 50-75 new words a day.  She will pick up a banana show it to us and say “banana” in French.  She will continue adding words until there are about 15-20 new words on the table.  As each new word is added she tests us by asking each one of us to point to the words on the table when she says them.  Each day more language is added and with each new session the language we know becomes more complex.

Ezra drinking "bisap" a juice/punch like drink and mafe (An African meal with peanut sauce)

Fried brains!  At the end of each day our brains are fried, or to be more specific, my (Del) brain is fried.  After one week of class we can comprehend over three hundred French words!  Then on top of this, we still have to survive and take care of kids.

Praise:  We found a young lady to take care of our kids while at class.  Monday through Wednesday was really hard for Ezra, but the rest of the week went quite well.  We are praising God that He provided someone to watch our kids and it brings our hearts joy to see Ezra slowly adjusting to having an African watch him.

Ezra taking a bath in WARM water!

Prayer:  We continue to have days of feeling overwhelmed by our new surroundings.  Each day and in a new way God makes us keenly aware of our need to fully depend on God.

Del and Ezra arriving back from the bakery with some fresh bread.

The road to the bakery

The main road by our apartment

Bed time story with dad

The view from our screened in balcony

Silas

Ezra helping me (Del) grind WHOLE coffee beans. Which is a real treat around here.

Pizza and the full propane tank : )

Welcome to a small snapshot of our life in Senegal. Homemade pizza for lunch!  Yum!  Yes you heard right, pizza for lunch.  Here in Senegal the big meal of the day is at lunch.  The week leading up to “Friday night pizza” or here, lunch, we acquired all the ingredients and today was, “game day.”  We mixed it all together, rolled out the dough with our hands, lathered on the sauce, sprinkled on the cheese (that took half an hour to grate), and put on some pepperonis we brought from the states (Thanks Lily).  With anticipation we wedged it in the oven looking forward to a delicious meal in 20 minutes.  After fifteen minutes we peered into the oven to see a deflating pizza and a thermostat that read, 200 degrees instead of 400.  Hmmmm!  A quick assessment and no propane: off to a boutique (little shop) it is to save our wilting pizza.  Ezra and I (Del) ventured down our sandy road, asked a by stander with a few French words, pointing, and hand motions where we could get propane.  He pointed across

Ezra happy to eat the long awaited pizza

the street.  Holding Ezra in one arm and the propane tank in the other, we dodged the traffic to the middle section of the road and then moved in and out of the traffic coming from the other way.  Whew, made it across the road!  Hesitantly, we walk into the “hardware store” to hear the clerk tell me something in French, which would have been helpful to a French speaker; I gathered enough to realize they had no propane when he pointed to a boutique a few stores over   We walk up to the boutique and “viola” we found a place with propane!  After three people cut in front of me because I was not standing awkwardly close enough to the person in front of me, the owner realized I must not be standing there for fun, holding a propane tank and a 2 year old boy.    Giving the correct amount of change is very important here in Senegal and I attempted to comprehend the total with my limited French.  He kindly left my coins on the counter, took the bill, and

The boutique or store with the propane

handed me the correct amount of change back.  Finally with a full propane tank in one arm, Ezra in the other, we headed back across the street, through the sand, back to our apartment, and finished cooking the pizza!  Over three hours after starting on the pizza, we sat down to eat a scrumptious lunch.

It can be discouraging at times that accomplishing life seems to take a little longer here in Africa.  Thankfully, it is God that defines accomplishment and not culture.  Pray that God would remind us of this truth when life happens here in Senegal.

The finished product, it was delicious

Silas is 5 months old

Silas sharing his smiles

Ezra missing his buddy Tyler this week

Tyler and Ezra standing on wash buckets

Ezra and Tyler playing on a motorcycle

You know you are a true friend when Ezra shares his blanket with you : )

The last meal with our friends before they left

Our first day in Senegal

We have finally arrived in Senegal!  We were picked up at the airport by some fellow missionaries and then brought to our new apartment. It was still dark when we rolled up next to our new home.  When walking through the door we were greeted by our friends Joel and Andi; they came from out of town to live with us for a week to help us adjust to life in Dakar!  The living room was filled with the aroma of delicious cinnamon rolls!  What a blessing and way to arrive to a foreign country!  We are incredibly grateful for them being

Senegal style; one bowl. It was delicious!

willing to take time to help us adjust to life in Senegal.  They have given us many tips.  For example, washing dishes and sanitizing them with bleach, taking the bus, taking a taxi, where the bakery is located, where the market is at, and many more little details.  Thanks for those who have been praying!  Continue praying that God would give us the ability to adjust to a TOTALLY new life… and that we would learn and settle despite these colds that we can’t seem to shake.  Thanks.

Taking a taxi with Joel and Andi

Car Rapid "taxi"

New sights on the main road

Arielle and Andi walking back from the bakery

Saturday market out in front of our apartment

Our new living room

Ezra bouncing in a bounce house! We took a little trip so the kids could have fun.

Ezra and Tyler had fun playing!

Silas Sleeping!

Arielle, Silas, Del, Ezra, Craig, Mary, and Clara

The reality of leaving the states has really started to sink in as Maryland is our final stop before arriving in Senegal!  We flew from Florida to Maryland on Tuesday to spend some time with our good friends Craig and Mary and visit a supporting church.  Lord willing the next time you hear from us, we will be in Senegal.

-Pray for our little family in our upcoming transition to Senegal, that we would be trusting God.

-Pray for God to provide a godly lady we

Here we go!

can trust to watch our kids during the French Language program that will start around mid-April.

Del and Arielle enjoying one last date in the states for a long time

Our little happy Silas : )

Ezra swinging at the park

Arielle and I had a fun date at Starbucks the other day : )

Ezra ready to blow the candles out on his motorcycle cake

2 years ago today, we welcomed Ezra into this world.  Life through the eyes of a two year old brings joy, laughter, and lets be honest, some hard times too.  His dark brown inquisitive eyes help us see life from a fresh perspective.  During his birthday party he found great joy in blowing out the two candles on his birthday cake.  Today, on Ezra’s birthday, we praise God for his life and the blessings that he brings to our little family.

Ezra, Levi (Ava's cousin), and Ava (Ezra's cousin)

It was a pizza party : )

Ezra eating pizza

Ezra's motorcycle cake : )

Ezra opening gifts

Racing motorcycles

Lily making homemade ice cream : ) YUM!

Arielle, Del, Ezra, Silas, and Dan at NTM headquarters

Yesterday we took an outing to the NTM USA headquarters for New Tribes Mission in Sanford Florida.  While visiting with a leader from NTM West Africa, we walked over to a playground.  After a while Ezra’s face started turning red from playing in the sun.  Across the park was a water fountain area for kids to play in.  He turned to me (Del), and pointed at the water park saying “water.”  In excitement we marched over to the water.  Ezra and I ran in where about 50 water geyser like fountains were shooting up from the ground at random.  I set Ezra

Ezra

down to walk through the minefield of shooting water and he looked up at me with terror in his eyes and said “up please!”  I could tell he was thinking “I will go, but not with out you. If you don’t set me down, we will have fun.”  Then, in daddy’s arms–with excitement on his face–we proceeded to play in water for about half an hour.  He clung on the entire time, but with joy on his face.  A few times, I tried to set him down, but he clung even tighter.

As we are on the threshold of leaving for Senegal, with uncertainty in our eyes, God picks us up, comforts us, and carries us. God is the one who will go with us, hold us in his arms like a Daddy, and bring us joy that we can only find in him.

Our happy camper, Silas

Ezra and his cousin Ava having fun together