Happy New Year to you all!  Christmas greetings across the world!

Car saga – Our November trip to Mbour, while eminently satisfying in regards to the Ladies’ Retreat and time with good friends for the men and children, was disastrous for my car.  The air conditioning will require another $500 (1825 Dh) to fix.  On the way back home, my engine developed cooling issues.  It stayed with the mechanic about a month before the issues were dealt with.  It now is with me and works, but still no AC.

Ladies’ Retreat – The ladies’ retreat was wonderfully restful, renewing and refreshing.  We had a good speaker who brought fresh application of the Commandments to living in 2013.  I got to see friends I haven’t seen since before we went to the States, and made some new friends, too.  We stayed in a lovely resort area and were sufficiently pampered to make our leaving reluctant. 

Printers and computers – Since the last time I wrote the printer has been working as it should.  We have been printing out Christmas crafts and other surprises with no problem.  Both Molly and Emma are working on ‘publishing’ a creative story complete with illustrations!  Lots of rough draft printing fun! 

Cooler weather – The weather is finally cooling off.  The high today was only 97°F/36°C with correspondingly cooler temperatures inside.  This means the fact that the fan on the roof is not working at all is less strategic for the time being.  We are all more comfortable in the day-time and snuggling under covers at night (lows are in the low 60’s F/ around 16°C).  However, with the cooler weather, it is also dryer which means more dust and respiration difficulties for me.

Christmas – as I write, I am surrounded by our own beautiful Christmas art work: wall-sized nativity scenes with Mary, Joseph and Jesus on one wall, shepherds on another and Wise Men on yet a third.  We are still anticipating Christmas, but I know it will have passed before you get this. 

When I contemplate all that Christmas means and the momentous earth-changing events it began, I marvel at how God could have revealed that plan to Satan in advance and how hard Satan worked to thwart its effectiveness.  And yet Christ did come; he did escape Herod’s blood bath of the Bethlehem babies; he did preach and heal and perform miracles in the midst of a hostile culture.  And just when Satan thought he had triumphed by Jesus death, God surprised him by winning and exalting Jesus to the highest place – and taking us with him! 

So we continue to celebrate his coming.  We marvel at how God did it with Satan knowing about the plan all along.  We rejoice that we also can triumph over Satan through Jesus.  Our Christmas joy translates into that peace which is beyond understanding and empowers us to do far more than we can even think or imagine!

My prayer for you is that this Christmas will renew and refresh your joy and wonder at the lengths God has gone for you.  His love is beyond comprehension – look back and see his marvelous works in your life and trust him expectantly for fabulous adventures ahead!

Be sure to check out pictures of our Christmas celebrations!

Prayers

R   Thanksgiving for good trips out to see friends; refresh at the Ladies Retreat; and restock groceries!

R   Praise for cooler weather; petition for my health to stay excellent as the dust gives me breathing problems.

R   Wisdom regarding the roof fan and AC in the car.

R   Continued prayers for my support to rise to 100%.

R   Thanks and praise for Christ and Christmas!

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%.

Summer is officially here!  And that means that we are pulling out our suitcases, packing up winter clothes and sorting through stuff to decide what to store, what to take and what to ‘gift’ to others!  One month until our departure!

 

Endings…

My eye has settled down and healed with no side effects.  I developed tendonitis in my left elbow and a round of doctor visits and physical therapy are helping it to settle down.

Corey’s surgery went well and he is progressing nicely with his physical therapy to restore full movement in his right arm.  Please pray he will continue to make progress and reach that complete healing and restoration point soon.

Last meetings for committees I have been a part of at the Barn were held and the last one, reporting to the governing board of the church is next week.  My talk at the Community Bible Study group went well in spite of the slide show not working.  Several women spoke about their appreciation for my remarks, so thank you for your prayers!

The AWANA Bible Quiz went very well and all were pleased to see how much the clubbers had learned – even the clubbers.  There was also a pinewood car race at the end of the year and all three of our girls’ cars placed within the top ten fastest cars!  Way to go, Emma, Molly and Wheaton’ with a little help from Dad!

School and AWANA are over and the girls are reveling in getting to sleep late, play dates with friends with pools and frequent trips to the library to bring back mounds of books to devour in the lazy days!

 

…and Departure
July 3-8         Corey’s dad and wife will make their final visit to say goodbye.Our departure plans are racing into reality!  Our schedule looks like this:

July 8             Katie’s dad will come to pick up the three girls and take them to Maine.

July 8-13       Corey, Katie and I will stay at a friend’s house while we finish packing, moving boxes and furniture to storage or return to owners, and do final cleaning to leave the manse in tip-top condition.

July 14           Corey will speak at one more church with a fellowship lunch on our way to Maine.

July 14-26    Final visit with Katie’s family at their summer home in Maine.

July 26-31    Return to Connecticut friend’s home for our last Sunday at The Barn and a few days rest.

August 1      Drive to New York airport to fly to Senegal.

 

Beginnings!

Once in Senegal we plan to spend a few days in Dakar meeting familiar and new team-mates, and doing some necessary shopping.  We will then travel to Thies to meet more new team-mates and to fellowship with other friends for a few days and finally return to Kaffrine.  We will all stay in the Smith’s house until Corey and Katie can unpack and make all necessary arrangements to set up and move into their ‘new’ home.  I will remain in the Smith’s home and set up to live and home school there.  This arrangement will help Corey and Katie fit in their new but smaller home and help guard and maintain the Smith’s house while they are on Home Assignment for a year.

 

Transition traumas….

Some days I am so excited about the upcoming school year – the material we will cover is so interesting!  I am looking forward to having a third, fifth and sixth grader and all the things I will be able to do with older students.  I also am looking forward to having a clear definition between what is home and what is school.  And it will be fun to have my ‘own’ place to fix up and arrange.

Some days I want to run and hide.  I will miss my new dear friends and the lovely church family I have grown to love.  I will have to do without so many conveniences of the USA, and it will be hot – without an air conditioner!  I will be living alone – in a house in Senegal!  I will have two dogs in my yard (a good thing for security!) that I will need to take care of (I have NEVER had a dog before – scary!)  There will be no one else besides Corey, Katie and the girls I can go and visit with in town since I don’t speak Wolof.

Then when I begin to shake and quake, I remember THIS is what God has called ME to do at this time.  I remember that what I do and how I do it are not about me or my comfort level but about God and the glory he will get because of my little acts of obedience.  Then the peace of knowing that He will be with me in the swelter and the aloneness wash over me and I can be content.

 

Funding Findings

Please continue to pray for my funding to be complete.  There have been quite a few additions so my most recent calculations show that I need only 14% or $375 (1375Dh) more per month.  In conversations with the SIM USA office I have three options.  1. Stay in the United States until I reach 100% and go whenever that happens and Katie will start school.  2. Go now on a reduced budget.  Planning to live separately from Katie and Corey with increased expenses, this doesn’t seem a wise choice.  3. Go now and stay until the money runs out and then come home, leaving Katie to finish the second school year.  My first choice is for the support to come in and go at 100%!  Please prayerfully lift this need to the Father.  For further information or to donate click here.

 

Prayers

• Praise for the many opportunities to connect with friends and family in the USA.
• Praise that Corey’s surgery went well and he is improving daily; pray for continued progress.
• Praise and prayer for my continued health.
• Pray for our travels in the USA and in Senegal.
• Pray for a smooth transition to new housing for us all.
• 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 will be in the USA this next year.
• Pray for continued additions to my support to bring it up to 100%.