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 : )

Our little family preparing to leave for Senegal

We are coming down the home stretch with excitement, nervousness, and feelings of being overwhelmed with all that has to be done. PLEASE pray for us as we finish final preparations, continue raising support, and visit with family before leaving the country.

Ezra likes climbing on the bins

We are moving out of the apartment we have been staying in for the last four months.  The plan is to live with family and enjoy some quality time with them for the next month before we leave for Senegal.  As we move out of our apartment we are trying to fit our life into seven bags.  We ask for you to pray with us during this time of transition for our little family.  Let us know how we can be in prayer for you too!  We know life is not easy and we all have ways God is teaching us to trust and grow in Him.

The view from our apartment

The family we stayed with over the week end: Toby, Stefanie, Abigail and Elijah.

Its hard to believe another week has gone by!  The hustle and bustle of life continues to increase with each week Del is home.  This past week, we were privileged to present our ministry with two families.  One of our meetings took us to the coast for the week end.  What a blessing to reconnect, be spoiled, rest a little, and enjoy good fellowship.  It was an excellent weekend besides Arielle and Ezra having colds.

Upcoming:

-Arielle’s due date is sneaking up on us.  Nov. 2:  Only 6 1/2 weeks away.  Wow!

-Del is teaching Ephesians at Auberry Community Church for the next 6 weeks!

-Del’s brother Bobby will get married in about a month.

*Pray for us as we continue to present our ministry that God would be preparing the way and provide new supporters.

Craig and I made it home safe and had a great trip together!

One hot muggy afternoon in Dakar, with sweat rolling down our foreheads, Craig and I sat with a fellow missionary and a local pastor.  This pastor shared from his heart, while the missionary translated, about what God was doing in his life, in his Church, and in Senegal.  His story began with a handful of believers that grew, matured, and in turn planted two churches.  One of these planted

We stayed here with the Rabe family while in Senegal. Thank you!

churches planted two other churches.  The pastor said their desire is to plant a third church by 2015.  When people ask how all this is accomplished he says, “We do everything by prayer.”  Once every month the church members pray 24 hours a day for seven days on behalf of their church and the up coming outreaches.  He said, “God is at work among the people of Senegal.”

Del, the pastor from the story I shared in this blog, and Craig

What joy and treasure there is in knowing Jesus and seeing God expand His church in Senegal and around the world.  However, upon returning from Senegal the American Dream threatens the truth of the gospel by saying “stuff” will bring you joy and not only Jesus.  “Stuff” will never bring joy, only Jesus can bring true joy.  The gospel reminds us to put off these temporary desires that consume the

Eating a meal African style, out of one dish : )

infinitely greater joy and treasure of knowing God.  I’ve heard it said, God never calls us to leave something good for something worse, he always calls us to something far superior.

Pray for us as a family, for those who will support what God is doing through us, and us as God’s church, that we would consider God’s call on our lives to totally abandon our dreams in order to unearth

Sharing my testimony with a church in Dakar. It was translated into two other languages

“…the infinite treasure of knowing and experiencing him.” (Quote from David Platt, “Radical”).

Eating dinner with a missionary family

Delicious and fresh mangos!

The man in the middle is who the story is about.

Greetings from Senegal!  My friend Craig and I arrived in Senegal a week ago.  There has been a whirlwind of activity every day since arriving.  Although many stories could be told, there is one in particular that I want to share with you.  On Saturday we woke up at 2 am and traveled 14 hours to visit a village where New Tribes Mission is working.  It is a unique situation as there are a handful of believers from

The group who went on the trip to the village

this people group who were already meeting before New Tribes arrived.  These few believers are now working with the missionaries to help see their people come to know God.  One man in particular was out past dark talking and sharing with us.  He proceeded to tell us that when we arrived home that night his parents would ask why he was out at night.  You may think this is no big deal, but for them this is

Del with a few kids in the village

huge!  These people are typically afraid of the dark because of the spirits that are out at night.  If you go out at night they believe bad things could happen to you.  They even send spirits to try and keep people from going out at night.  But he said, he is no longer afraid of the dark, or these spirits that could harm him.  The gospel has transformed his life and given him joy, freedom, and all because of a relationship with God!

My (Del) friend Craig with some kids from the village

Thank you for your prayers thus far and continue to pray for us this next week.  Pray that we would be sensitive to learn what God wants to teach us.

Stopped for breakfast on the way back to Dakar

Del

We covet your prayers!  In regards to Del’s two week Senegal visit at the end of August you can be praying in the following ways:

-Opportunities to connect with and begin relationships with African brothers and sisters in Christ

-A glimpse beyond the differences that sometimes overshadow the many similarities that exist

-Health

-Safety

-Humility

-Opportunities to let my passion for people shine through

-An excitement to be a part of what God is doing in West Africa

-Wisdom and direction for a friend who is praying and thinking about going to Senegal with Del.