Leaving Dakar

We are boarding the plane for the long ride home. We hope that you have enjoyed your trip to Dakar with us!

This photo is of the "Departure" waiting room entrance; it is new and clean. This is such a contrast to the "Arrival" area of the airport. The "Arrival" area looks like it is from an era 60 years ago and that there has been no maintenance or cleaning done since. There is a screening process before entering the area; not all persons are searched or questioned. Not all baggage is searched.

When we left the terminal by bus, we crossed the airport runway to get to our plane. Notice that there is no weather protection for the passengers. But who needs it in a country where it does not rain for 9 months out of the year. Then, when it does rain, the rain stops everything; no one can travel anywhere. I doubt there are many flights out of Dakar when it is raining.

(Plans are for a trip to Tanzania this summer. Come back to join us! There will probably not be much, if any, posted until summer.)

Friends

With all of the interesting sights, with all of the unusual sounds and smells, with all of the interesting food, with all of the heat and sweat, with all of the inconveniences----still the most memorable things about Dakar are the people that we met and came to know and came to care about! If you had talked to Ron and I during the first couple of weeks of the trip, the first things mentioned above are what we would have talked about. But after that, the people were the uppermost in our minds! We continue to get emails from Africa once or twice a week, and those emails always brighten our day!
Here are some final photos of a few of our new friends. The photos are in no particular order---just random, as are the memories that flash through our minds every day..........

Jethro---what a cute smile!

George, Norbert, and Douglas---such leaders!

What big eyes!

Diana and Prisca

Don't you love the hair!

Elizabeth, their baby girl, and Ebenezer

Elizabeth and Ebenezer often wear matching clothes.

Douglas and David

Posing after church services!

Elizabeth and Georgina

David--- such a help to us

Jan, Ron, Sharron, and Jane with our guide Tidiane

This team of four seemed to work together so well. Each person had their good talents that the others were able to lean on for support when needed. We sometimes laughed, sometimes cried as we all tried to accomplish the goals set before the trip began .

Emile and Ron

Sharron and Charles

Matar and Jane

Jan and Moussa

Faith and Arnold

Oumar

After developing friends and memories in just a few short weeks, our time has come to an end here in Dakar. No longer is Senegal just a spot on the map. We can now "see" with understanding as we view some of the world events regarding other religions, poverty and different ways of doing things. We can better understand how and why God loves these people too.

Assorted Photos

The following are just miscellaneous photos that are "left overs" that I thought worthy of including in the blog.
The photo below shows inside a shop that sells fabric. There are some really pretty African designs on some of the fabric.


Next are two pictures of the goat that we saw-- and heard--every day. He is tied to one of the poles. It must have a boring life! These pictures were taken from the church roof.






Next is a group of young people who were hired to chant, sing, and beat on drums to advertise a new product. They were very loud as they walked up and down the streets!

If you have open windows, lots of flies, and no flyswatter, you must be creative! Ron made this flyswatter out of a stick from a thorn bush. He punched the holes in the cardboard with the huge thorns from the bush. The flyswatter works and comes in very handy, especially during our meals!

This rooster acts like he owns the place. We wake up every morning to the sound of roosters!

Goats are everywhere, and most roam freely.

The following man was insistent on having his photo taken!

This business is just around the corner from our apartment. It is a place to buy barbecued goat.
We do not plan to buy meat from here!

Would you like to hang out your laundry on the balcony of this apartment?

It was surprising how much we enjoy this tiny flowerbed beside the apartment building by the church. I guess it reminds us of home, because flowerbeds are almost nonexistent in Dakar! The flowers are periwinkles.

This is a bird that we saw one morning from our bedroom window.


The next photos show the taxi driver that picks us up each morning. He is a Muslim who enjoys foreigners. He is always honest in requesting his fares.



Next is a photo of the same taxi driver plus another one who drives when we needed two taxis (when we have more than 4 people). The man in white is also a Muslim who is friendly to foreigners, but watch out for your money when he asks you for a fare - it will not be fair.

Eating Out on Our Last Day

As planned by the program we traveled under, part of the activities of the last day included eating at a nice restaurant and reviewing what was successful and what was not on our trip. Jane and Sharron found out from one of their readers about a good restaurant that is very close to the church building. The only problem was that we did not know about it until the end of our last week in Dakar! We went there to eat on our last day, Monday, in Dakar. From the street, it did not look like a nice place to eat, but it was!

First is the street entrance outside of the restaurant.

Going inside

Sharron and Jane

Some 0f the food

The waitress/cashier spoke no English. The menu was in French. As you might assume, we got something other than what we thought we had ordered; it was very well prepared and presented well. It was the best meal we had purchased in six weeks.

As you leave the restaurant, the door opens to a pretty walk-path to the street.

Committee Meeting

A group of six men serve as "the committee" at the local church. They are the church leaders, and they spend countless hours in planning, praying, and serving. They were very interested in our project and they met with us several times. These photos were taken on our last Sunday evening in Dakar. They came to our apartment unannounced to say goodbye and to give us gifts. They are all very special and Godly men.

They gave each of us a T-shirt to help us remember Senegal. The strange thing is that we had looked at these same T-shirts in the market and really liked them. We chose not to buy them as we thought the vendor was charging way too much for them just because we were Americans.

Norbert's Dinner for Us

On our last Sunday in Dakar, George and Diana invited us to lunch. Norbert, who is temporarily living with them, was the cook. He is a great cook, and he had prepared some delicious food.
Here is a picture of Norbert, Sharron holding Jethro, Jan, Ron, Jane, and Diana holding Prisca.

All of us had cameras that day! Here are Jane, Jethro holding his Texas cowboy bear, and Sharron.

George has on his new Texas Rangers baseball cap.

Sharron and Jethro

When we had eaten all we could, this much was left over!

Norbert tried to tell us how to make the food. He is showing us some of the spices he used.

Norbert likes his new cap, too!

We really have enjoyed getting to know Norbert. He cannot speak much English, but we can usually understand what he is trying to say. He has completed Arnold's Preachers' Training School (2 years), and he is still waiting on enough funding to go to live in the village that has asked him to come and to preach. Norbert is so talented and so full of energy and enthusiasm!

He is a great worship leader. He is always carrying around and playing with the little children.

Norbert needs only $300 per month to live in the village, and he has $200 committed so far. His wife is in Gambia with her family, but she will join him when he goes to the village. There is such a great need in Senegal for money to pay preachers, and it takes such little money for each one! Please contact us if you know of anyone who would be interested in helping such a worthy effort.