Happy New Year from the Deckers in Dakar!

December 3: Nativity set

December 1: beginning to look like Christmas...

November 26: Thanksgiving in Dakar

We are thankful for so many blessings! This year our team Thanksgiving group was much smaller than the previous years, because we are missing several families who have left or are on home assignment! But we enjoyed a lovely meal, complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and our overseas traditional chocolate cream!

Holiday Traditions in Dakar: Turkey Bowl

One of our fun holiday traditions here is Turkey Bowl. The day before American Thanksgiving, school ends at noon, and the afternoon is spent in an American Flag Football tournament. The junior class serves great food, and people hang out to eat and watch football. This year Jacob didn't play, but enjoyed eating and watching games with his friends, while Dave refereed some of the kids games as well as playing in the mens game. I think this picture was after his touchdown!

November 22: holiday preparations

On the way home from a retreat weekend, we watched preparations for the holiday Tabaski which is at the end of this week. Huge lots filled with rams for sale... and once you purchase your ram, how do you get him home?

November 19: for sale in your neighborhood...

Small lots are filling quickly with rams to be sold for the Tabaski holiday coming up at the end of this month! This one is just outside our office window.

December 25: Merry Christmas!

We had a great day, a turkey dinner at Bruce and Julie's, followed by dessert and carols at Mark and Leigh's!

Blessed Christmas to you all!

December 24: Christmas Eve

We are blessed here in Senegal to be able to celebrate Christ's birth with friends here who have become like extended family. We miss our families and friends from the States though, especially on these special days. Tonight was a cozy time at home with Dave, Joey, Jacob and me. We watched It's A Wonderful Life (which they say they've watched every year, and I don't think so!!) and ate a special dinner of "raclette"-- melted cheese with meat and potatoes,with chocolate fondue for dessert...

January 2: Nativity scenes

We need to put away our Christmas decorations. I love our African nativity scenes, and love getting them set up, but it's sad to put them away afterwards.