Senegal Visit - Oct. 2012

Well, it has been quite a while since I've done anything with this blog-- please be patient as I try to update it.  Some features have changed since I visited this site and I am having to relearn how to do this. 
I had the great opportunity (provided by my dear husband Howard) to visit a long-time friend (from college) in Senegal, West Africa recently.  I had a great visit with her and learned so much about these Sengelese people.  They are some of the friendliest people I have had the pleasure of meeting.  And the children were adorable.  I am going to try to download some pictures here to share with you this inspiring trip.  And I will try to explain or identify the photos for you.  Well, here goes!

This is my dear friend, Sherrill.  We were roommates in college.  She loves missions and has made many mission trips over the years.

 Sherrill and two Hands On workers, Kaitlin and Amy, in typical African dress, on the ferry to Goree Island, the famous slave trade island. (You will notice it was a very bright day! and hot)

Sherrill with one of our missionaries, Kim F., mother of 4,  who never seems to stop, is always on the go, and loves our Lord tremendously.

Kim's husband, Travis, and son, Ethan.  Loved talking with him and learning about some of the culture in Senegal.  Senegal is about 99% muslim.  They have a tremendous work ahead of them.

This is a shot of the western most part of Africa, in Dakar.  I had 2 meals in restaurants near that tip.  Delicious food.

 

This is my "little bit"-- a true artist in training.  Melody has a contagious "good nature" that when around her, you always feel better,no matter what is going on with you.  I love this gal!  And am looking forward to seeing her do great things.

These next pictures I took while riding in a taxi on my way from Dakar, where I flew into, to Fatick, where I stayed.  This was about a 3 hour drive, sharing the road with cars, small buses, motos(small motorcycles), horse carts, and walkers.  I now know where New York gets their cab drivers!

During the week I visited, the people were getting ready to celebrate a muslim holiday, Tabaski Day. Tabaski Day is when Abraham sacrificed Ischmael to God. (So they believe, but as Christians we know this is not true). Anyway, to celebrate Tabaski Day, they slaughter a sheep and then cook it and eat it.  So, on the 3 hour drive, I saw more sheep on the side of the road for sell than I have seen in my entire life.  I did get a sense of the long ago sheep herders during Jesus'  time, how the shepherds took care of their flocks.  These sheep really are docile and depend on their herders to know where to go.  I can imagine one getting lost, and not knowing how to get back to the flock without the guidance of the shepherd.  Just like we are lost with our Christ to lead us. 

 On the side of the road you will find these "merchants"with all manner of goods to sell.  They do not work out of buildings, but display their wares outside. 

Here is one of the horse carts sharing the road. These are a form of  a taxi.  I actually got to ride one.  I'm just glad there was no camer around when I was trying to heave myself up on the platform!

The above photo shows an ant hill---probably about 4feet high! I would hate to see the ants!

 

Here is one of the buses, so full of people that some hang on where they can! You would never see this in the U.S.  I even saw buses with racks on top that held not only bags and luggage, but furniture and even sheep! Yes, sheep! They have to get it home somehow.

We finally arrived in Fatick and Sherrill's "home".  This is the entrance to the house.  The second level in under construction to become an apartment. 

 

 This is the first room you enter -- a sort of living room.  They hold classes here for locals to learn English.  While I was there they had about 10 young adults come to the class. They are doing very well.  When I was introduced they tried out their new English words.  "How are you?" "I am fine".  "Nice to meet you." 

 This is the room I stayed in.  It was quite nice.  The material you see hanging down are mosquito nets.  Fortunately I didn't have to use it.  I did have a nice fan mounted to the near wall near the ceiling to help cool the hot nights.

Here is the classroom for the kids.  Ethan is hard at work at his desk, and Melody is hidden behind the teacher's desk, using the computer. 

 We had many delicious meals seated here in the dining area.  We often had "quests" hanging around the back door -- a neighbor was using the backyard to keep his SHEEP!  So we often had "eau de sheep" for an aroma....

A good size kitchen to make our meals-- we enjoyed a mexican meal one night, bbq chicken one night, several other delicious meals that I can't remember right now.  Oh well.....

Back in the classroom, Sherrill put me to work --since I majored in art in college, she thought it would be a good idea to do some art projects with the kids.  I packed a WHOLE SUITCASE with supplies for us to work with.  I can only imagine what the inspector at the airport must have thought when they checked out my bags!

 

 Of course, while I WORKED, Sherrill relaxed and read her book..... :)

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When I arrived in Dakar early on a Saturday morning, (7 a.m. their time, 3 a.m. my time), Sherrill and Kim met me at the airport and took me to the guesthouse.  The International Mission Board has a couple of houses available for use by our missionaries when they are away from home.  After getting a quick bite of breakfast, Sherrill, Amy, Kaitlin and I went to visit Goree Island, the slave trade island off the coast of Dakar.  It is now a visitor's site and museum place that you can visit and get an idea of what these slaves went through.  However, you also have to put up with the locals who have made it into a way of making money by having booths and selling things.  I have visited places where the sellers really want your business, but never have I been pestered like I was here. It starts off at the ferry dock where you wait for the ferry to arrive.  Someone will come sit beside you, introduce themselves, make conversation with you, and seem all friendly.  When you get on the ferry they again say hello, and talk a little to you.  Then, when you start to get off, they mention their "shop" and secure a promise from you that you will come buy their shop.  DON"T MAKE PROMISES!  They will come after you, looking for you, all over the island, and remind you that you promised to come to their shop! They will LEAD you to their shop.   Then they are merciless trying to sell you some of their wares.   I did buy a few things, but they don't take NO easily.  In fact, they rarely take NO for an answer.  You HAVE to be very firm in your NO. Otherwise, they are very friendly.
Following are a few pics.

We are on the ferry approaching Goree Island

 

As we arrive, these kids are in shallow water waiting for people to throw coins in for them to catch or dive for.

 

This is Mohammed, our guide.  He lives on the island, and speaks English quite well.  He was so nice and helpful.  I was so tired and hot (remember I have been up since 7 a.m. Friday morning, and it is now afternoon on Saturday) and he kept asking if I was okay, and he would find places for me to sit down and rest. The big cannon behind him, was used to sink a German ship during WWII.  The French then "cut" the ends of the barrels to render them useless, and turned the gun to face in toward the island and affixed it so it could never be used again.

This "palm tree" is really a cell tower -- love how they have disguised it.  Why can't we do something like this?

 

This is the Slave House where the slaves were brought and housed.  The upper level was for the "merchants" and the lower level had small rooms that housed hundreds of "slaves".  The men had to be a certain weight before they were sold.  Virgin girls could earn their freedom by mating with strong, healthy men, and thereby having potential strong healthy children who were then sold.

This long hallway led to the boats that picked up the slaves. This was the doorway to those boats.  The waters outside that door were infested with sharks because of bodies that didn't make it on the boat.  Either some jumped or some were thrown into the waters.

 

After touring around the island, the other girls wanted to see a few other things, but my feet were giving out, and Mohammed found a little outside cafe where Sherrill and I could take a break and have a Coke.  These two pelicans kept us company and entertained. They were 2 tables over from our table.

On the day I was leaving Senegal, we got into Dakar around lunch time and stopped here for a bite to eat.

Inside was very nice.

I had a delicious hamburger with fries.

After leaving the restaurant, we had to go pick up a key to the apartment where we were going to hang out while waiting for my flight.  As I got out of the car, this sheep skin was laying outside of someone's home.

 

Some of the nicer apartment buildings.

 

There is a nice highway in Dakar.

 

The apartment across from where we hung out.

 

Sunset on the day I left taken from the lighthouse.

On that Saturday night, remember, I have now been up for two whole days, but I am holding my own. Anyway, that Saturday night Sherrill and I met up with a former college-mate who had been visiting in a small area with a team from his church. Their church has adopted this village and they were helping to build some structures for them, while they also had Bible studies. Anyway, I had not seen John since 1975, when we graduated from college. And here we were, thousands of miles from home, meeting for the first time since college. Amazing or what? We had a great visit !!

John Bush and Sherrill Holloman

John and his team, with me and Sherrill

A shot of the restaurant

 

These next few pictures are of some of the dishes we had -- these are for my daughter who loves to take pictures of food!  Above is a dish of olives with garlic.  Since I don't like olives, I didn't try this.

This was my dish - a Lebanese chicken dish-- basically grilled chicken on a skewer, rice with something on top of it, and a soy-type sauce in the bowl.  Delicious!

The lady who sat next to me ordered this fish dish - (loved the head staring at me).  It must have been really good because the next time I looked over at her plate, all I saw was a fish skeleton with the head still on it!

Sherrill had this vegetarian pizza.  I was too full to try it.  But she said it was great!

While in Fatick, I went up on the roof of Sherrill's house to get a better view of the houses and layout of the land.  You will notice that the houses appear to be made of a type of brick--- these bricks usually hold up well, but since they are poorly made, when the rainy season comes you will find many houses with walls that have fallen in.  And as I mentioned before, most all houses have some type of fence around them.  This gives them a little privacy.  They usually keep these yards fairly clean, but just outside the walls, on the streets, you will find all kinds of trash, sand, animals (goats, mostly).  These goats seem to know not to wander off, even the little babies, which are really quite cute.

This house is right across the street from us.

Just to the left and across the street is this house.  I like that the fences give them a sense of privacy and security for the children to play.

Looking right, is this view.

Just to my right, next door.

Our backyard friends, Sheep - their ears lay down

Front yard, goats- their ears stand up.

A quiet resting place, the bench in front of Sherrill's house.

They try to find ANY shade they can, even if it's just a sliver of it!