January 18: campement pictures

This year, on our three-days vacation (January 2-5) at the Campement Ocean et Savane, I took mostly nature pictures. If you'd like to see the ones I didn't post on the blog, they are here.

January 17: campement sunrise #2 (jan. 5)

More pictures from our refreshing days at the campement are here!

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!

January 16: campement sunrise(january 4)

January 7: crabby

I'm not quite ready to edit and post the rest of my pictures but these are such fun!

Happy New Year from the Deckers in Dakar!

December 8: DeckerUpdate

Dear friends and family,

"What hope we hold this starlit night,
a King is born in Bethlehem.
Our journey long, we seek the light
that leads to the hallowed manger ground

Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
God incarnate here to dwell.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
Praise His name Emmanuel!" (from Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship by Chris Tomlin.)

This Advent season we are thankful to rejoice in the hallowed manger ground where Jesus came to dwell among men. Because of His life, and death on our behalf, we can appreciate the joy of Christmas now as well as the joy of eternal life with Him!

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.

October 30-November 1: Senior Outreach

Dave and Jacob took off Friday after school for a weekend of work, play, and reaching out to villagers in Senegal with most of the DA Senior Class and sponsors. It was a great experience for them, and Dave took some wonderful pictures. Click to see more of them on flickr or more yet (with captions!) on Dave's facebook album.