Now……and Later
This is a backwards sort of newsletter since I wrote it before I left for Abu Dhabi, but because of summer schedules for the staff at ECC it won’t be published there until after I have left Abu Dhabi!  So what I wrote will be ‘old news’ by the time you read it.

We had our first rain of the year last week:
The wind started to blow and I was glad, it might cool things off a little.  It was 4:15 in the afternoon and still 93°F (34°C) inside.  The dog started barking – not in her usual way but frightened or unsettled.  I went toward the door to speak to her and saw the light fade to a dusky brown.  Wind and dark took over.  Before I reached the door it was pitch black all over.  My unsecured window flew open and spewed sand and silt up my hallway.  Before I could secure it (it was up high and I had to get a ladder) it blew open four times.  I climbed up and tied it shut, and still it was black outside.  I breathed a sigh of thanks that the electricity was still on; and then it winked out.  Not a spark of light penetrated the complete blackness.  Pulling out my cell phone to light my way, I went to get my emergency light.  My glasses were completely covered with dirt and I went to wash them before the water went out, too.  Thinking to cool myself I soaked a wash cloth with water to wipe my face and neck.  Imagine my amazement when the cloth came away filthy.  Twice more I rinsed the cloth and wiped my face and neck and arms before the cloth came back clean.  When I left the bathroom to check to see if the window was staying shut, I realized the light was slowly returning, and with it a new sound.  Mingled with the whistling wind were drops of water, just a few and then a lovely torrent of cooling rain washing all the dust from the air.  With the rain the light returned, and there was daylight again.  The rain didn’t last long, but it was enough.  The cool took control of the wind and whisked away the hot, dusty heat, leaving a lovely peaceful coolness from which to survey the results of this storm.  The neighborhood rose up and erupted in babbles of laughter and merriment, exchanging excitement and amazement at the extent of the darkness in this storm.  I rounded the corner of the hall and was amazed to see the heavy layer of dirt stretching ten feet from the door.  I swept it up and went outside to sweep the part of the yard that had blown onto my doorstep.  Returning inside I opened all the windows to let the refreshing, cooling breeze blow away the hot and sultry air trapped in the house; all that remained of the hot African day.  It was 4:45 pm and now only 84°F (28°C) inside.  We had had our First Rain of the year.
I later learned that this complete darkness was unusual even though this kind of wind/sandstorm is normal for this time of year.  I heard of reports of blowing storms on the same day all the way from the Midwest of the USA to Iran.  There were 4 deaths as a result of this storm in the villages around Kaffrine due to the wind carrying cooking fires, catching thatched roofs on fire and burning down huts.  This rain was also early for the season.  Fields are not ready and more rain at this time could be disastrous.

We have three more days of school, so by the time you read this we will be done with this school year!  Next year Emma will be a boarder at an English language Christian school about three hours away.  Corey and Katie decided to enroll her there for next year for a number of good reasons.  While we will miss her, she is excited about this new adventure, and we know it is the best thing for Emma.  I know there will be a whole different dynamic in our homeschooling next year with two instead of three students, and I look forward to the challenge of adapting to this change.

While we actually still have a little bit more school material to cover, we will end school in three days because I am leaving.  (We will finish any loose ends when I get back.)  On Thursday, June 12 I will travel to Dakar for a dental appointment to have impressions taken for the new permanent crown for my tooth that fell out last month.  I will then fly to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, arriving on Sunday in the very small hours of the morning.  Trish and Mark’s wedding will be the following Saturday, and I will leave Abu Dhabi on the evening of June 25.  My good friend Beth and I will take a short vacation together before I head back to Dakar and the final fitting for my permanent crown.  I hope to see some team-mates and do some grocery shopping, pick up our new school books for September (that short-term mission teams are bringing to Senegal for us) and be back home in Kaffrine by July 10.

Finally, I am surprised at how much I am learning from Oreo, this little bundle of black and white feline fur!  She is helping me to see how selfish I am and how I can spend my time more wisely paying attention to others.  She is showing me again the joy of just being, of delighting in the small things (she can spend an hour with a tissue!) and whole hearted involvement in whatever she does – she plays hard and sleeps completely relaxed: on floor, bed or chair.  She is steadfastly faithful, following me wherever I go even if it is just to step into the next room for a drink.  I see I need to model my devotion to God on the same plane, following Him with the same abandon and joy.
Please be sure to check out the pictures of Oreo and the girls.

In Christ,
Janie
Prayer Items

• Pray that the rainy season will be at the right time, in the right amount, so it will soak the ground and yield good crops for the farmers.
• Pray for Emma as she moves to her new school setting in September: settling into a new living arrangement; friendships with other students; adjusting to different school; being away from family; and pray for us that are left at home and missing her.
• Pray for travel safety for my flights.  I have long flights and long layovers both going and coming.
• Pray for good visits with folks in Abu Dhabi and smooth wedding for Trish and Mark.  (Yes, I do believe retroactive prayers are effective!)
• Pray that I will be able to find and purchase necessary supplies, including a motor for the exhaust fan for the house as I shop in Abu Dhabi.
• Pray for Wheaton, Molly and me as we restructure our school schedule and setting.  Also as I work through the new material and do my planning for next year in July and August heat and humidity.
• Praise God for Oreo and the joy and lessons I am gaining because of her!