Do you enjoy a roller coaster?  I really do NOT like the ones in amusement parks, but the real life one of living with Jesus – I LOVE!  These last two months have been filled with many roller coaster opportunities of service and support to Corey and Katie as they have been busy with ministry and renewal activities.  It has been SO filled that the best way to give you a glimpse is to give you a peek into my ‘diary’ for this time:

Dear diary,

Late January – Well, I can hardly believe it, but there is a working motor installed on the fan on the roof.  NOT the motor I worked so hard to get, but a completely different one!  It is doing a great job of pulling the cool night air into the school room and my bedroom.  I ALMOST look forward to the hot season to see how effective the combination of the krinting on the roof and the fan will be.

Friday Jan 30 – Corey left for the Men’s annual retreat this weekend and then ITES meetings ( he is on the board of the Institut Théologique Evangélique du Sénégal); Molly went with him to spend an orientation week at boarding school with Emma.  A whole week with just Wheaton at school!  How fun.  She decided to research the Ferris Wheel for her big project.  She will write a report and we will build a model together.  I am so excited, this should be lots of fun!  We also started a new book of experiments with Magnetism.   We took advantage of Molly being gone to start work on a piñata for her birthday.  Wheaton plans to make a huge strawberry to stuff with candy.

Tuesday Feb 9 – Molly and Corey returned!  AND they brought Silas (a former intern back in Senegal for a vacation).  They also brought the repaired washing machine!  I didn’t really expect it to work but was convinced by the three loads I did the next day.  This is truly a miracle, based on my hopeless expectations.  What a special demonstration of God’s care.  Molly had a good week at boarding school, but is missing the community of a dorm of girls.

Friday Feb 13 – We had a lovely if short visit with Silas, he left early this morning.  Molly had some fun experimenting with bubbles, learning about adhesion and cohesion.

Sunday Feb 16 – Corey and Katie left for the annual SIM Senegal Council leaving Molly and Wheaton with me for a whole week.  What fun!  We watched some movies, had fun grandma time and made good school progress.  I finished sewing Molly’s birthday top and started on her pants.  Molly started her new Analysis book.  It looks to be as fun as the bubbles book!  Wheaton and I stole some secret time to work on the piñata and sweet Molly didn’t try to peek!

Sunday Feb 22 – Corey and Katie returned!  They were so excited about the good meetings they had with SIM team-mates strategizing for the future of SIM Senegal.  They also were able to enjoy a birthday/anniversary get away at a resort – the gift of lovely friends!  With parents back, Wheaton was able to spend some afternoons alone with me finishing the piñata for Molly.  It is beautiful!  Sparkly red with paint and glitter and a green felt top to cover the wires to hang it.

Thursday Feb 26 – Molly’s birthday party was a lovely quiet family affair.  She loved the piñata.  We did a good job on it since everyone got a turn before the piñata finally broke!

Tuesday March 3 – Corey and Katie went to Kaolack for the day to see some visiting supporters from New York state.  What a time they had!  A flat tire, a minor collision with a guy on a scooter (no one hurt, thankfully) and a long, long wait at the hospital for friends they took with them to see the doctor.  The doctor never showed up and they finally put the friends on a bus back to Kaffrine.  Then they had a good relaxing visit with their supporters and were back in time for supper I had ready.  I am so glad I’m here for days like this!

Thursday March 5 – Off to Saly for a small vacation!  Emma’s school has a long weekend midterm break the same weekend good friends from the states are here for a visit.  There will be five families together for the weekend.  We have rented villas in a vacation compound and are so very excited to have some fun and get to see Emma!

Tuesday March 10 – We returned to Kaffrine today.  We had such a great time with those lovely missionary families!  Beach, pool and individual villas created the perfect environment for relaxed fun together.  Eight preschoolers put limits on some parents’ night time freedom, but that was solved by divide and conquer: Men gathered at one villa with small sleeping ones and women at the other.  The eight older kids (8-13 years old) gathered at our villa and watched movies (I rested in my own room as available adult).  Out to a restaurant a couple of times and group barbeque at our villa several nights.  It was so good to see these young families all passionate about serving God fellowshipping and encouraging one another.

Tuesday March 17 – Corey left again for his ITES board meeting and then he will attend the Wolof Consultation, a three-day gathering of church and mission leaders from all over Senegal who work with the Wolof.  He presented the progress he has made on the transliteration of Genesis into Wolofal (Wolof using Arabic script) and took pre-orders for copies of it.  He was also able to introduce the e-book he created of the Wolof New testament and Psalms and to show people how to download it onto their smart phones or computers.

Sunday March 22 – Corey and Katie dropped Wheaton off here on their way to church.  She is too sick to go to church so she is staying here with me and watching movies.  I am so glad to be here for this very thing!

Well, diary, it is almost April and the Spiritual Life Conference for all the SIM team is right around the corner – next week!  I don’t know when there has been so much traffic between Kaffrine and the coastal region.  I have so much to be thankful for!  The fan that runs every night, the washing machine that cleans my clothes and the many opportunities in these last weeks to be a present support to Corey and Katie through this busy time all bring home the many blessings I enjoy.

While I know God has his plans in place for me when the end of June comes around, it is hard to not speculate what will be the next Grand Adventure.  My SIM ‘coach’ in the home office and I have narrowed the options down to two possibilities but we still don’t know which will be best.

I desire to continue serving with SIM after I finish my work here and leave Senegal in June.  I am unsure about whether I will have enough financial support though, since my sending church has come to the end of their commitment and will not be able to support me any longer.  While I do have a connection with one church in the USA, I don’t know how many donors will continue to support me financially when I move to my next assignment.

I am praying and talking with SIM and hoping to have a clear idea of my next step very soon.  At the same time, I need to intentionally focus on the daily present task that is still before me: guiding Molly and Wheaton through this last third of the school year.  Please pray that the Lord will guide me clearly in the next couple of weeks.  Pray too, for His provision.  I will communicate with you as soon as I know more.  Thank you for your prayers and support!

Pictures can be found  HERE

 

Prayer points:

*        Thankfulness for the many opportunities to be of service these last months, fans and washing machines that work, and continued cooler weather

*        School to finish well

*        Resolution for the next Adventure so details and plans can be made

*        Support, both prayer and financial, to be maintained for my continued service