Neighborhood kids and chebya

hey all..the last few days have been a whirlwind. we, as a team, went out into the bush to see some agriculture sites and landed in a city named st louis. obvisouly, i know nothing about ag..but some of the other engineers are looking for projects to partner with from the US. really neat. anywho--i posted pics on my facebook account from the last few days. ok back to saint louis--it was the former capital of senegal until the 1900s. it is a run down version of new orleans. pretty interesting history that i will not bore you with. onto the highlights---hmmm, let me see. we stayed in a rustic hotel--no AC and complimentary room bombing for bugs and mosquito nets. needless to say, i might have slept 4 hrs. a good experience, nonetheless.

the best part of the trip was yesterday. Pastor Malik and his wife Feliune--who are the only known people trying to minister to the most unreached people group in senegal--the Wolof. these 2 individuals blew me away. they set up a womens center a few years ago and the Lord has given them favor. within the center--is a school where women from 14+ can be trained in sewing, embroidere, cooking,ect so they have a valuable trade. most importantly, they share the gospel with them daily. the women know when they attend this school--they will hear about Jesus. they are meeting such a practical need to change the lives of so many women--as well as meeting a spirital need. imagine how this opportunity will change generations to come.

this brings me to the highlight of yesterday--KIDDOS! it is really hard to take pics of people as a whole here b/c they believe you are going to later cast a spell on them or take the pic to a Maribou who will. Maribou are prestigious men in the muslim faith who dabble in the occult. their shrouded veil images are ALL over here. you havent seen creepy until you have seen this. the most mind blowing aspect is--people give, yes give, their children to these men. one maribou may have 50-200 kids that he takes loving care of...NOT exactly. he makes them panhandle all day and if they do not come back with 500 CFA (~1 USD), they are mistreated. because giving alms is one of the 5 pillars of islam, money is frequently given to kids. ok so--feloiune and her husband contacted a maribou (which is rather unheard of) and with Gods favor--they provide a free meal and heathcare for the boys once a month. a nurse is on staff who checks them out, takes a pic for documentation, and basic meds that are donated from the US are given. well...news is traveling and now 3 maribou have allowed their boys to come. i was able to witness 53 boys being taken care. some of my pics are the young ones--who are still longing for attention. they were in my face, holding my hand, singing to me and so excited to just be kids for a day. the older boys--are so hardened. they have this certain glaze over their eyes...breaks my heart.

also in the pics---are the neighborhood kiddos that heard we had balloons. they LOVED them. we played for hours though i can not speak wolof. they sang song to me...i tried to sing along...they laughed. it was awesome. little girls just wanting to be held, doing my hair, and scratching my arms to see if there was black underneath. so sweet.

a great day...needless to say. today--i was able to be alone for the 1st time since arriving. it has been wonderful. we are going to the market again today and tommorow is church where...drumroll....i will be wearing my african outfit. a beautiful top and skirt. i cant wait!!! pics to come with that on. my host family says they can find a groom for me--esp with that outfit on. im sure my dad would love that.

everytime i sit down to write just a bit---i write a novel. sorry for that. love you all....

megs

Bonjour from Senegal

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

back in the groove of writing...

so here goes nothing. oh and i am not capitalizing or using proper english...b/c its my blog :) lets recap the last few days. i flew to london on thurs evening, BA stole my brand new nikon camera
( i think), and i spent 3 great days in england. had a great time with my friend nicola and reunited with an elementary school friend that is marrying a brit. i love how paths twist and turn in life--and if you are lucly enough--you get to re-meet some people. anywho--after 3 days in england, i met the LEGS team and we took the "chunnel" to paris then a flight to senegal. yes, that means i was in 3 countries in 1 day. i felt like i was on the amazing race...minus the glam. landing in senegal was surreal...looking out the window onto a flat, dry, dusty and unknown country sent a rush to my heart--with a tad of fear, if i am honest. after making it through customs, i always take deeper breaths and thank the Lord for his provision. all of our bags arrived and we were off to the missionary home. oh--key thing--we were greeted by missionaries that have been in west africa for 20 years--and they speak wolof and french. my french is improving by the hour--as i am trying to communicate. as far as wolof--well, im in trouble :)

today was our 1st day on the ground and it was incredible. we met with 2 handicap centers--to discuss our role, goals, and i offered up my services. they were excited to have me--so i will spend tom with a group of 15 physiotherapists (some of which were trained in europe). should be interesting. here is where i wish i could rattle off french and didnt need a translator. unfortunately, bonjour doesnt get too far.

my translator today was awesome--her name is Ndeye and she shared her testimony with me when we had an alone moment in the taxi. keep in mind that 95% of this country is muslim as i tell you this. she distinctly remembers thinking Jesus Christ was truth at 5 yrs old. how amazing...as she had not been taught about him in her muslim home. at 20, she prayed for the Lord to confirm that He was the hope for her future and eternity. She asked that He would confirm that mohammad was not the true savior. in that very moment, she felt a flood of peace. she knew Jesus was her Lord and saviour. this made my eyes well up with the tears. the cost of becoming a beliver for ndeye: her husband left her with 2 small boys. she was a single parent in a 3rd world country with few opportunities. the reward--her father saw her strength amongst the pain and accepted the Lord as his saviour. this is what life is about. the pain and refinement--so that the Lord is given glory. Her story makes me want to get up in the morning. I love that we serve a God who redeems and restores. He is indeed good.

another highlight of the day--i had a meeting with a group of PTs which was a tad unnerving. i walked into a room with 5 women and 2 men--and my lovely translator. they wanted to hear from me. about what i asked??? i hate feeling unprepared. its not as if i knew id meet them...but still, its like showing up to a test without studying. i took a deep breath and prayed that the Lord would bridge our cultural gaps. He did. He gave me peace, words, and we became friends. how you might ask?? fashion. these woman are decked out in the most beautiful african clothing, gold jewerly galore and head coverings that would make your jaw drop. after discussing business, i commented on their clothing and how i admire that they do rehab in this. they laughed...and walls fell down. its amazing how laughter does that. i commented on one woman's bracelets--and she quickly removed one and put in on my wrist. she insisted i keep it. i said all i know to say--merci beaucoup--thank you very much. so i sported a beautiful gold bracelet with my boring scrubs today. its always humbling how giving people are.

alright--your eyes must be tired from this novel. thank you for taking time to read my thoughts and life. please pray that the Lord would make use of me tom in the handicap center. pray that i would be salt and light in a muslim country.

bonsior,

megs

ps--i stood on the western most tip of the african continent today. thus--i was the closest i could ever be to you guys while in africa :)

Last one from across the pond...

well guys, this is my last post regarding this journey. im typing from a tiny guesthouse room in london. we had a day layover here (oh darn) and im exhausted from walking around all day. today we went on a boat ride down the thames river then toured westminster abbey. the highlight though--karen had this great idea--to stay and attend the daily service in westminster. it was incredible. to sit in westminster abbey...and worship. to hear the choir and know that i am surrounded by all different nationalities...it was moving. im adding that to my bucket list--and crossing it off :) after the service, my sweet friend nicola took us to a nice italian dinner and bought me a new outfit. why did i need a new outfit you might ask? well that is a good question...

BECAUSE THEY LOST MY BAG SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BANGLADESH, BANGKOK AND LONDON.

oh well, better now than at the beginning of the trip. and to be honest, im too tired to even care right now. im just thankful to be healthy and alive. if a lost bag is the worst thing that happens...oh well. we are hoping it will arrive on tommorows 6 am bangkok flight...but who knows. my fingers are crossed.

i have so much i want to say but so little energy to convey it. i might just have to recap the last few days...in a few days. know that i am doing well...and looking forward to coming home. i can not wait to see my mom tom and then have dinner with natalie in dallas...then to my sweet home. i fully expect to be all sorts of jet-lagged as i was most literally on the other side of the world yesterday. ive been in 3 countries within the last 24 hrs. im tired. i can not keep straight where i am, the date or time. its kinda funny.

all in all, im thankful to be heading home. leaving bangladesh was easy in the sense that i was ready to get out of the traditional clothes YET hard because the people were endearing and wonderful. truly a joy to be around. i was showered with gifts and compliments upon leaving. humbling. i hope to go back...and serve alongside them again. for now, im coming home and going to be 100 % there...appreciating being known by my sweet friends and the genuine fellowship i am blessed to have.

g'night from across the pond,

megs <><

the good stuff...

doesnt always come in a shiny package. thats for sure. for example--the safari park we went to. def not nice. if you drove by it in the states...you would most definitely thought it was closed. you would NEVER think of letting your kids go inside...i even thought twice about entering :) but hey, where else can you ride an elephant for 25 cents. safe-no. fun-heck yes. it was awesome. there were water buffalo and elephants wandering through the park...FREE. i kept looking for fences and restraining devices...none. such a different world. i watched the children who would never know a "zoo" nicer than this one. a man approached us...began to give us "tour" advice around the park then asked for taka (money) later on. you do not need a tour guide...you simply follow a path that takes you through and by each run down exhibit. i huffed under my breath knowing it was a scheme to get money from the rich americans. the Lord humbled me. over and over He is so faithful to do this. the man had been in a motorcycle accident and it is rather hard to work here without fingers. think about it: most jobs such as assembly, farming, ect require hand dexterity. the Lord reminded me that I am quick to judge and slow to mercy. He is right. even amongst such poverty...there is some part of me that "adapts or gets used to" seeing it. it doesnt make sense and seems just plain wrong...but i think i do it as a defense mechanism. its hard to see poverty on a daily basis. to know that i am coming home to so much--and this is all they will ever know. again, the Lord is faithful. i do not pretend to understand it...but i stand on that solid ground.

life is wrapping up around here. since the seminar, i have spent more time in the clinic assisting Tuheen, the PT, with patient care. there is so much i wish i could send here--books, supplies, ect. they ask me 10 x day--do you like it here? will you come back? i tell them the same thing--i love the people and if the Lord leads me back--i will gladly come (hopefully, He calls me in the winter). kidding.

tonight we are having a cook-out if you will...of goat....for the rehab and prosthetic workers who have assisted us with all the amputee patients. i can smell the poor goat cooking as i type. i think ill be a vegetarian for tonight :) nah, i have a motto--ill try it once and if i dont get sick--ill try it again :) the Lord has been so faithful to protect my stomach here...and i have really enjoyed the food.

2 night ago we were invited for dinner at Tuheens house--his wife made us feast. the food included: rice (never a meal without it), chicken, shrimp, vegetables with hidden chili peppers, and dal (lentils). if you read my previous post..you will notice a common thread in the foods cooked here. anyways, i wish you could have all seen my face when i mistaken a green chili for a green bean. oh...never again. i turned bright red and water began pouring out of my eyes. people...this was unlike anything i have ever experienced. my ears were burning...and ringing. unreal. they laughed hysterically....at the white girl with a weak tongue. i quickly removed anything green from my plate.

he has 2 little girls--cota--age 7 and lecka--age 2. just wait until you see pics of these beauties. they have stunning brown eyes. its so amazing how playing...is a universal language. nathan (a LEGS member) and i played for 2.5 hours with them...and then i realized we barely spoke english. just played. laughed. built lego houses. jumped. did summersaults. and laughed some more. priceless.

1.5 more days here. so much of me is ready to come home and share what i have seen. other parts of me wonder if i will ever see these sweet people again. i wonder if i have given enough. shared enough. done enough. i pray that i have encouraged them and that they do not remember me...per say....but the man i serve. this trip has been so much more about encouraging and serving fellow believers...than witnessing and sharing the gospel. then again, the gospel is shared with service. so yeah...i have really enjoyed serving alongside the natives as well as missionaries at both locations. the lessons learned will last a lifetime.

im looking forward to bouncing thoughts off each of you--and just sharing life again.

blessed,

megs<><

eating with...

only your right hand. yes, that is how to properly eat in bangladesh. you should avoid handing things to people with your left hand as well. of course, i botch this daily.

last night...i was given quite the task...to peel shrimp with only my right hand. we went to a 4 yr olds birthday party--the son of Prodip, the prosthetist who creates the limbs. the party was classic...small children running around the house with party hats on (which is a treat)...all hyped up on the possibility of eating cake and opening gifts. the kids sat at my feet on a rug...and listened as scripture was read and they were prayed over. they all "shhhhed" each other and attempted to pay attention. then the moment came...when they handed a knife, yes a knife...to the 4 yr old. it is tradition that the child cuts his own cake. can you say scary? all i could envision was blood and cut fingers :) it turned out to be fine--he cut a slice from his cake and sweetly fed each child a bite...with his right hand.

we were then fed our 2nd meal that night--we weren't sure if food was in the forecast (and what it would be) so we ate a bit at home. turns out...we were given quite a feast. the table was set...and all 6 white people ate first. i felt bad about this at first...then realized it is because bangladeshi people do not eat until late in the evening. they wait until later in the night to cook as it is scorching outside.

so...we took our places and ate by candle light. the parents of the child as well as close family friends stood near the table wanting to meet our every need. as soon as i finished one thing...or hinted that i like the taste...there was more on my plate. i learned quickly to say no more please. our feast included: rice (which is a staple item here--people eat 2, yes 2 plates of rice at every sitting), cooked pumpkin, shrimp, chicken, daal (lentils with spices) and veggies. the flavors were unreal and eating it all with your hands...rather, hand...was a blast. you could definitely tell that the experienced missionaries were more skilled...than i was. the wife of the home offered me a spoon...which i kindly declined. i may not be skilled...but i was having fun mashing up my food and doing what every kid wants to do--play with your food. i decided...i will cook foods like this when i am a mom...and make my kids only eat with their right hands...just for fun.

today...i have been under the weather. nothing major--coughing, sneezing and a headache. i am taking meds and drinking fluids hoping this will pass. i skipped church this morning (friday is the holy day) and slept in. i am about to go on a scheduled boat ride in the bay of bengal...and i can not wait to see the thatched roof, mud huts from up close. life here is so different.

i am starting to ask myself questions like...if i could eat anything right now what would it be? a filet mignon comes to mind. and jason's deli salad bar. all in good time. as for today, ill pump myself full of drugs and go learn more about this distant land.

blessed,

megs <><

answered.

we are answered when we call on Him. i am living in that truth today. i do not typically blog 2 days in a row but i am overwhelmed by Gods goodness. today i finished my final part of the seminar for rehab and gait training. it went well--better than i could have ever planned or prayed for. to see then listen to me, listen to the translator, then light up--is rewarding. they thanked me over and over afterwards. i love feeling used by the Lord.

another answer to prayer: i was able to treat and work with a muslim mullah--i think they are called. the equivalent to our pastor. anywho, i treated his shoulder and low back and was able to work hands on with him. the Lord bridges cultural gaps.

today i also realized the love i have for these people---i adore their willingness to open their homes to me. mud huts with thatch roofs. we sit on their beds as they dont have furniture...and share cha (tea) with snacks such as little bananas or cookies. they love to serve and wait on us. they are gracious and hospitable.

tom is our last day of work as friday is the holy day. this weekend we have planned a boat ride in the bay of bengal, game park--to see some poor, caged up animals, and many tea dates. should be wonderful.

i am also thankful for the rain--it is the beginning of monsoon season here and has been raining all day everyday. the temperature has dropped at least 10 degrees...which makes a HUGE difference.

all in all, God is good.

megs

a gift....

is such a great thing to receive. i can not get over the fact that i have been given the gift of salvation. i was raised in the truth and my life is a story of how the Lord has redeemed me. this comes to mind about 5 times a day as i hear the call to the mosque in the nearby village. i live on a compound with low fences. i can hear children play in the nearby rice patties...and i often watch them. they watch me very closely in return. the children stop to greet me formally here...and the girls always chuckle after saying nomiskar or hello in bingali. ive never seen such beautiful little kids. ok, i said that in kenya too...children are simply beautiful everywhere.

so like i was saying...i hear the call to the mosque daily and let me tell you...it stirs my soul. a call or song which is supposedly saying things like "ALAH IS THE ONE TRUE GOD AND MOHAMMAD IS HIS DISCIPLE". there are creepy songs also playing. all i can do is pray d hoping that the TRUTH will be shown to these people. as i walk the halls of the hospital...there are muslim and hindu women. i am learning to tell the difference between them. i was able to work with a hindu couple yesterday--she had knee osteoarthritis and he had neck pain. they both spoke some english so i educated them and shared stories. it was an awesome moment...they took to me quickly and are coming back to see me next week. the Lord has been so faithful to open doors so that i am allowed to work with men. we have male and female PT rooms here...and i am allowed to go in and out of both. this AM...i had 4 male patients. all were wonderful to work with. every time i go somewhere....it takes time to adjust to culture...and every time i leave....i am left with the thought that....there are wonderful people all over the world. they are gracious here and want to be seen by me. a man yesterday asked if he could come back today just to be seen by me. humbling.

i am adjusting well...getting over sweating all day and learning to appreciate even the hot days. today i was able to scrub in and watch a C-section....which is AMAZING!! i took some awesome pics for those who arent queasy at the sight of blood. watching the MD pull out this little bundle of life...made my eyes water. also made me want to go back to school...

8 days until my journey takes me to england for one last stop then dallas, texas. i have to be honest...i am looking forward to seeing my mom at the airport more than anything else. familiarity and comfort are 2 luxuries i havent had in 2 months. the Lord has taught me many things and grown my appreciation for my life. He has also burdened my heart with things i have seen here. we are RICH in america. RICH. we have so much to give and each of us is responsible to ask the Lord HOW WE SHOULD GIVE. He certainly has an answer. i pray that i would never forget the poverty i have seen. i pray that i am stirred to prayer and that my affections for the Lord and His truths are also stirred. i struggle with the fact that He is good...even in bangladesh. that He has provided His children here with all they need. i can not process that...knowing i live in abundance. i have NO idea what to do with what i have seen...and when you ask me how i feel about this trip...ill probably give you a blank stare as so much of my heart is trying to find resolution...which i know can simply NOT be found on this earth.

i do know: i serve a GREAT and MIGHTY God that is calling His children into the ministry. whether you are a PT, a teacher, a nurse, a minister or a basketball player...HE IS CALLING. missions are not overseas...they are in your home and next door. our LOVE alone will set us apart. be encouraged that touching just ONE life is enough.

ok ok...that was a moment of vulnerability. back to life here...i am about to give my rehab and gait training seminar here...with a translator. this should be interesting. the people are hungry for knowledge which again, is humbling. i have a gift in my education...that i am responsible to share. and...i love it.

so friends and family--i am off to seize the day. to share, teach, and love on people. you, too, have a day to make the most of. i love you guys...you have no idea how often you come to mind and how BLOWN AWAY i am by GODS GOODNESS.

blessed,

megs <><