January 16: invasion

My guard-dog informed me that we had intruders in our airspace... when I went to check it out, I found these characters glaring down on us!

October 17: rain!

After three weeks without a drop of rain, we got a downpour last night. Dave and I were almost finished with our nice dinner at a restaurant near our house when the deluge began. We waited about 1/2 hour to see if it would let up, but finally decided we needed to leave. The drive home was a challenge, with flooded roads and a low car. In several places I thought the car would float away! This pic is after the worst parts, but still gives an idea of how much water came down! (It doesn't look as deep as it was in reality but this gives you at least a sense of it!)

on the way to school...

We've had a lot of rainy days recently, and the roads aren't made with drainage in mind since most of the year is so very dry!

August 29: Goree Island

We went out to Goree in the late afternoon with a young lady who has spent two months as a short-term missionary in Kaffrine. It was fun to hear about her experiences in different village and many ministry opportunities she's had during her time here! And, despite the intense heat and the sad history of the island, we all enjoyed some of the beautiful sights at Goree.

August 9: at home in Dakar

a little list for this Sunday afternoon

Things that make me happy to be back in Dakar:
--seeing Dave again (he came straight back to Dakar and missed the Minnesota/Wisconsin part of our trip!)
--finding a "welcome home aunt mary" message on my Dakar cell phone
--my cat
--my own quirky kitchen with all my important stuff life my coffee grinder, my garlic press, "my own" space (it was fun to be a guest but it's really fun to be in my own kitchen again!)
-- the anticipation of seeing special friends at DA and in the community!

Things that make me sad to be back in Dakar:
-- my dish drainer is a lot more rusted out than I remember!
-- i'm not as acclimated to the heat and humidity after a month in central air-conditioning and cool Minnesota/Wisconsin!
--the anticipation of not seeing Danny, Leah and Alexis for a very long time...
-- the anticipation of not seeing Joey again for a very long time...
-- knowing that our family in the States will miss us, and the little kids will keep growing up without us being around!

P.S. One more thing that makes me happy is knowing that I will have pictures to edit and post in the days ahead, hope that makes you who read this blog happy too!

June 16-18 road trip to Kaffrine

(cow and goat crossing!)


















(salt harvesting)


Here's the facebook link to my photos from this trip.

June 17: in the village

During our visit to Kaffrine, Corey took us out to the village where he's working. We enjoyed meeting some of his friends, and seeing some of the realities of village life.

April 24: Goree Island

Dave took the auditors out to Goree Island today after the audit was finished. They've worked hard for five days, and need to see at least some of the historic sites here. He took some amazing pictures (as usual!) Here's the link to see the rest of them!

April 23: last Saturday's outing!

Last Saturday, Dave, Jacob and I went with a friend to Cap Manuel, to explore, hike, and take pictures. Those outings get us out of the sandy, dusty concrete reality of everyday life! If you'd like to see more pictures of this fun place, here's the link to my photoset on flick'r!

April 2-5 SLC

Four days and three nights, time away from the daily routine! We had our annual Spiritual Life Conference with our SIM-Senegal team, and it was a wonderful time of refreshing!

Worship, singing, sessions in God's Word, discussions of diversity and unity, considering team issues... as well as time in the swimming pool, playing and walking in the forest and on the beach, fellowship over meals... we were thankful and blessed by our time together!

We love being able to spend time with these families, especially the ones living out of Dakar that we don't get to see on a regular basis!

If you'd like to see more pictures, here are the links to my photos on flickr.

SLC (people, animals, pool, dinner....)

and SLC Wildlife-- (I had so much fun taking pictures of monkeys and other animals that I needed to make a separate set of them alone!)

March 26: in the desert

Our family had a very cool overnight in the desert with some friends... amazing sand dunes, camels, sunset views... it was a unique experience for all of us!

If you'd like to see more photos of this amazing adventure, here's the link! (to my photoset on flickr.)

And here are links to Dave's facebook albums.
Dave's desert camp album #1

Daves desert camp album #2

Enjoy!

March 21: refreshing beach day

Dave and I spent a few hours relaxing at the beach today. (Jacob was off at another beach with his friends.) We relaxed and were refreshed by the beauty of the waves, rocks, sunshine and cool breeze!

March 4: in the park

While watching 3K and 5K runs in Hann Park yesterday we were struck by the variety of scenes around us. Runners finishing their races with excellence, birds displaying their unique beauty, and women carrying firewood-- all part of God's wonderful creation. We thank HIM as we enjoy the blessings of these scenes!

December 21: funny road sight!

On our way to an afternoon at the beach, we saw this funny sight out the car window! Many sheep are being transported in various ways these days as Muslims prepare for their holiday. But this is the first one I've ever seen on a motorbike!

October 4: normal Dakar scene

Construction in progress. Big houses or apartments, built using rudimentary equipment. Satellite dishes galore. The horse near his cart, having some down-time. Sand. Concrete. Trash strewn everywhere.

another Saturday in Dakar

• We've had many rainy days recently. Dave took these pictures from his office windows during one of them. Dakar is dry most of the year, so the streets are not really constructed with drainage in mind-- which causes significant problems during heavy downpours.
• The school year at Dakar Academy has started well, and it's been an honor to spend time with several students who are seeking encouragement, support or problem-solving-help over the past days.
• Our electricity has continued to be off about eight hours each day, and my computer is not yet working reliably... yikes! Praying that we will allow the Lord to be light in our lives even in the darkness... that His light will shine in us and through us to those to whom He has brought us!
  

first pic from our conference!

Just getting home from a conference, and will blog soon... but had to share this fun picture I took the first day! This was right outside our huts! NOT in a zoo!!

June 18: water truck

What happens when there is no water in the city for the fifth day in a row?

The water truck comes to your neighborhood!

Dave took these great pictures from his office window... sadly the truck didn't come close enough to our house for me to see it!

Click on the picture to view it in a larger size!

random afternoon in the neighborhood

While talking to a friend on the phone this afternoon, I suddenly could not hear her above the sounds of loud drumming. I hung up on her, and ran up to the roof with Jacob and his friend to see what was happening-- and found the beginning of a celebration at the new apartment building across the street from our house!

Update: this got louder and more festive, with more people gathering until at least 11 p.m. Our house was LOUD!

fishing village

Dave and I visited a fishing village late Saturday afternoon. We got there too late to see most of the boats coming in, but thought you'd enjoy these glimpses of a very different world! See more on our flick'r set here.