Happy Easter to you! Easter was filled with neighbors coming to Corey and Katie’s to watch a movie of Jesus’ life on Friday and a baptismal service on Sunday with the local church. Friday, several people spoke up with questions about Jesus and wanting to see the film again. This is a new response for the many times the film has been shown, so please pray for the follow-up of these indications of interest. Sunday three young people in the church were baptized in the small concrete bath-tub sized ‘pool’ in Corey and Katie’s yard followed by a fellowship meal.
School is speeding toward the end of the year. Emma and Molly are in the midst of a project in our studies of Africa. Both are making their own ceremonial masks to celebrate a significant event in their lives. I can’t wait to see the finished products! Wheaton is working on a project of her own on the topic of American Pioneers (but it is a secret from Corey and Katie so I can’t tell!). The only thing I CAN say is that it requires afternoons at my house – just the two of us……
I can’t decide whether I have taken leave of my senses or made one of my best moves ever. Our house helper announced a month ago that the cat in their compound had produced a litter of kittens – under her bed! She said as soon as they were old enough, she would put them out because she didn’t want them. Before lunch was over, she had promised to give me one. She arrived yesterday afternoon, all black and white and tiny and cute. She’s not so cute when she cries all night. No name yet, but looking to see how she adjusts without her siblings and mother…and what kind of personality she has.
The hot season is upon us and is making a significant impact on our school day. The outside temperatures have soared to 113 F (45 C) on multiple days this week. We do close up the house while it is still cool and the house stays much cooler than outside, but it can still rise to a sultry 97 F (36 C) inside. Most days it is still above 90 F (32 C) in the house at 11:00 at night when I am trying to sleep. The heat affects us all. Just today we started the day with out-of-sorts spirits, bickering and scolding because of the heat and lack of rest when it doesn’t cool down at night. We took some time to stop and pray, and our spirits improved, but then for most of the day the power was out, so no fans. We resorted to drinking lots of water and using a spray bottle to soak one another periodically. God graciously answered our prayers and the day actually was pretty productive but we have many more ahead of us!
I am trying to learn how to handle the little irritating parts of living here: things like these months of heat; when the power goes off, or the water goes off, or they both go off at the same time; or how dusty and dirty everything gets and the variety of beasties that invade the house… I could go on. I do not want to just be complaining all the time, so decided to view these things as disguised blessings. What a flood of revelations I had about just about all of them! (I still struggle with the lizards and cockroaches, though!)
The heat will be with us for the next 5 to 6 months. So often I focus on the sweat running down my face and the lack of energy I feel in temperatures above the mid 80’s. When I purposed to seek out the benefits I was surprised at the many things I have found to appreciate about the heat:
Everything dries quickly – laundry can be folded and put away in about half an hour. The floor is dry by the time you finish mopping, spills dry in just a few minutes. And spraying each other cools us all down, only leaves us wet for a short time, and is fun! So much perspiration is making my dry skin softer and it doesn’t crack so often. And when I am so lethargic because of the heat, it is a great time to just sit and listen to God, and spend some time in prayer with him.
I am fascinated by how my thinking has shifted because of living with and without electricity; the marvel of it strikes me anew. I value safe drinking water more highly now that it can be difficult to obtain; I remember the millions who do not have electricity or running water at any time in their lives more often…including many around us here in Senegal.
All these things I saw as irritating can also be means for God to deliver moments of grace, opportunities for him to whisper his presence and strength to each one of us. I still don’t like being hot, but I’m learning to let God speak to me even in my discomfort.
I am rejoicing that my good friend Trish is getting married in June! This is a lovely blessing for her and Mark, and the answer to many prayers. They insist that I attend the wedding, and since it has been some time since I have been in Abu Dhabi, I will come! I will arrive in the wee hours of June 15 and stay until June 26. Yes, I will be busy with wedding activities, but I also will have time to see others! I plan to be in the worship services at ECC on June 20 and would love to see you there. Please write to make an appointment with me with your home group or just yourself!
Check out pictures of the last few weeks in school, the fabulous masks the girls are making and Easter News and Pictures!
Praise and Prayer
* Thanks for the Easter events; pray for follow-up to bear fruit of faith.
* Praise for a very cute little kitten; pray for a quick and smooth transition for us both.
* Thanks for many good weeks of school completed; pray for continued diligence for the remaining 8 weeks of school left.
* Praise for the upcoming marriage of Trish and Mark; pray for all the arrangements and travel to go well.