I can’t believe so much has happened since the last newsletter in August!

 Tying up loose ends……

The Child Safety Meetings went well! It was good to see team-mates; the girls got to visit a class at Dakar Academy, a Christian school in Dakar, while we were in our meetings on the school grounds. We did some shopping, and had a chance to visit Dakar churches. Corey and Katie had some important appointments related to their prospective adoption.

My car air conditioning repair didn’t make it back to Kaffrine. We will try again next week when we go to Mbour (more about that trip later!)

I think you heard about the viscous tear in my left eye which cost a week away from Kaffrine, but also afforded a much appreciated rest with wonderful friends, shopping opportunities and a chance to see friends I hadn’t seen before. It turned into a lovely interlude, however, it did cost me around $300 (1095 dh) just for the doctor, medicines and transport to and from Dakar! I did have funds to cover these costs, but am still quite sensitive to the shortfall in my long-run funding.

Corey and Katie are settled into their own home, and just this week completed an adoption home study by a social worker. For more information concerning this exciting new adventure, go to Corey & Katie’s updates here.

I can count the still unpacked boxes on the fingers of one hand and can see a system of routine beginning to settle in with school and life. The girls ride bikes to and from school. They enjoy this bit of independence and the exercise is good for them. Most days, we complete school by 1:00 p.m.. Occasionally some of the girls take some leftover work home to complete in the afternoon. We just finished Week Six of school! Katie keeps in touch with their progress by doing spelling, reading aloud their enrichment books, and listening to Wheaton do her reading assignments. This leaves me the afternoons to work on grading, planning for the next day and other activities currently including unpacking those last few boxes, sewing to make some badly needed new clothes, dealing with hardware and software issues with computers and printers and just plain resting and relaxing.

 New strands of interest….

We are all excited about the upcoming Ladies’ Retreat November 8-10. Good friends, Joe and Cara, live in Mbour so we will be going there Tuesday, Nov. 5. Corey and Katie have some appointments on Wednesday for their adoption application. We are trying to schedule a meeting at a local restaurant with a home school family near Mbour (who are studying the same history module) to share projects done in the last few weeks, have lunch and swim in the restaurant’s pool. It will be a great time to share, spend time with friends we don’t get to see often, and have a lovely afternoon at one of our new favorite places! While Katie, Cara and I go to the Ladies’ Retreat, Corey, Joe and our girls will be occupied caring for Joe and Cara’s 2 three-year-olds and year-old baby – one each for our girls to play with! I will also take my ailing car air conditioning back to the repair shop to see if the third time will fix it for real.

I am feeling more settled and, while still adjusting to the heat, know that the cooler season is coming. I am learning how to manage the house to keep it as cool as I can and how to arrange my activities so I work with the temperatures, not struggle against them. The afternoon nap is becoming a welcome renewal through the hottest hours of the day. I stay up a bit later (if we have electricity, or if

my electronic devices are charged up!) but still get the sleep I need, just in different slices.

I enjoy living alone, having the time for many things I haven’t been able to do formerly. I am really enjoying my Bible study and meditation times; drawing energy from old truths I am reminded of as well as new ones revealed. I have time to search for information to enrich what the girls are learning, sorting out worthwhile items. I am enjoying being able to spread out projects on the weekends, not having to worry about whether it still covers the dining table at meal times – it’s just me and I can clear a spot! I am also learning how to care for a dog! I think Major is learning how to play with me, too. She no longer runs out the gate, but willingly comes to be connected to her leash when there is a caller at the gate. (She also likes the treats she gets when she does!) And we have played with her throwing toy enough to tear it to pieces! Good thing we are going to Mbour soon where I can get a new one! =)

Two things are of concern for me, and I ask your prayers particularly for these. The Smiths left a large whole house fan mounted and ready to run on the roof of their house but didn’t have time to get a motor to run it. Corey has worked with great energy to procure a motor, but it does not have enough power to turn the fan fast enough to pull the hot air out of the house at night to cool it. Somehow, in this setting, getting an adequate motor is problematic. We have done everything we humanly can to get this fan to work. Will you join me in praying for whatever is needed to have this fan work to cool the house down so it will remain cooler during the day?

The second concern has to do with computers and technology. When we arrived we had my laptop, my old tower computer from last term, and the girls had Katie’s old laptop. Molly and Emma have math every day on a computer program. All three girls have typing, research and other activities on the computer. We had each girl assigned to certain computer at certain times to get it all done. Only a few weeks into school, the girl’s computer failed. My tower computer has also started to hang up and freeze during their lessons. My laptop is now 5 years old and I can see it also slowing down with the additional use. My relatively new printer/scanner/copier I have heavily depended upon to print worksheets has malfunctioned and will no longer scan or copy. In addition, it is unable to complete the alignment of a new print cartridge because it can’t scan and continually sends me warning messages on the computer. I am sure that God is still completely sovereign and has a great plan for these issues, but we still have to deal with the present situation of lack of a computer and printer problems. Please join me in praying for His intervention and solution to these inconvenient issues.

Even in the midst of heat and sweat, computer and printer issues, I can see God’s presence and movement in our lives. The girls are thriving in their school work. I can see growth and maturity in all of them where there was concern even at the beginning of the school year. They are more able to deal with disappointments and adjust to the present situation; learning to share more graciously (especially computer time!) and are eagerly delving into their projects with excitement and enjoyment.

Katie and Corey are using their time without the girls to grow new relationships with town people. Corey is recruiting readers to help proof the new Wolofal text he will be producing; Katie is working with the ladies of the small local church to grow a Women’s Ministry as well as teaching Sunday School. While I have limited but friendly contact with my Senegalese neighbors, I can see Corey and Katie’s interactions expanding. If I can help facilitate this, my ministry of support is a success!

Funding Findings

Please continue to pray for my funding to be complete. To be in compliance with SIM’s budgetary guidelines I still need that elusive 14% or $375 (1375Dh) more per month. Please keep this issue before the Father. For further information or to donate click here.

To see  a few pictures of what we have been up to, click here.

Prayers

• Praise that my eye issue was not serious.
• Praise and prayer for my continued health.
• Pray for the repairs that are needed for the fan and to my car.
• Pray for computers and printer to work correctly!
• Pray for new workers to come join the Kaffrine team.
• Please continue to pray for Steve Smith and family, our teammate suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome who is in the USA this year.
• Pray for continued additions to my support to bring it up to 100%.