Starting again .. from Senegal

It has been a long time since I have made a blog post. It is fun to look back on my 2013 Senegal post, and read my heart in those moments. I wrote back in 2013 that I started this blog to document my journey, and that is something I did not do (I am not someone who journals; I always wished I was).  This blog (if I keep it up this time) won't be fancy, it won't have a great layout or look like the professionals, it will just be my raw words and thoughts. I am not starting this for others to read it, but for me to be able to look back and see all God has done. However, if you happen to read it, welcome along on this journey!

Senegal is beautiful

I am on day 6 of my 2 months in Senegal. I have been to Senegal 10 times, before this, and I did not anticipate how I would be feeling these past 6 days. There has been a lot more anxiety than I expected, more feelings of being overwhelmed, and definitely more exhaustion than I expected (I am chalking this one up to jet lag). When we come on our short term trips, we have a buffer. All of our meals, transportation, and schedule is planned for us. We have people with us all of the time, and translators that accompany us around Senegal. That is always such a blessing and a privilege. Not having all of those things is a much more humbling experience and has caused me to go WAY out of my comfort zone. It feels like going back to being a dependent child, where you need help with most things, including the first time you go to the grocery store. I am generally a very independent person, and don't like to rely on others for things, so this has been tough. I have had wonderful people helping me, and making sure I am taken care of, so it is mostly personal struggles as I adapt, show myself grace, and learn. One piece of advice I have for anyone going on the field, or moving somewhere new for any period of time is ... Have a baseline in the language! I know a little french and even less Wolof, but I have realized while being here that it is so much harder when people are speaking to you, or there are conversations happening around you. 

This trip, so far, has been a lesson in humility and grace. I am learning to show myself grace. I am learning to allow myself to be "needy". I am learning to do whatever I can to listen and to learn. If you are reading this, would you be praying for me? Pray that my mind and my heart are at ease. Pray that I am able to get rest and start sleeping well (this has been hard to come by). Pray that I will continue to learn and navigate life in Senegal for the next 7 1/2 weeks. Pray for the ministry here and the people here, for God to bless them and provide for them; they are faithful in their ministry and work.

Thank you for following along! Thank you for supporting me and loving me. This is an experience that I know I will look back on and see all that God did in and through me, and I will be better because of it.

Yalla Baax Na

Emily

View on my walk to church

J'ai laissé mon coeur au Sénégal

 Reflecting on my trip to Senegal and wanted to share a blog I posted a few days after we got back:
 

The title of this entry definitely speaks for itself.  "J'ai laissé mon coeur au Sénégal" or " I left my heart in Senegal".  I am completely overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions as I sit here and process the amazing time we had in Senegal.  The country is incredible, and the people we encountered are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. 

Seeing God work over there was beyong anything I could have ever anticipated.  It is so easy, when going on a missions trip, to have the expectation that as a team we are going to 'help' or 'save' these people.  I was definitely convicted, and reminded, that we can't and won't save them.  We are called to love them because He first loved us.  We are called to be HIS hands and feet, and to be a vessel for HIS work.  The Lord quickly humbled me and I took a step back and watched Him work.  It was a beautiful thing.   I am sitting here, with my heart overflowing, trying to put in to words what was experienced there, and all of the things The Lord opened my eyes to. 

We were able to serve the Talibe boys for a day. Letting them take a shower, feeding them, giving them their vaccines, and even cleaning out and bandaging up any wounds they had. It was a day for them to escape the chaos of their every day lives and just be little boys. This day was extra special.  Even if just for a moment, we had the wonderful opportunity to look them in the eyes, smile at them, and let them know that they are loved and they are beautiful. 

Doing wound care

After Talibe day we drove from Dakar to Thies to stay the night before heading in to Baback.  Our time in Baback was something we all had been looking forward to for months, and it surely did not disappoint.  We were welcomed with open arms and huge smiles.  They immediately treated us like family, and were so thankful and excited that we were there with them.  On Sunday morning we were able to worship with our brothers and sisters.   Throughout our time in Baback, we were able to visit families, give gifts of love, and spend time building relationships and discussing the struggles and joys of our lives as brothers and sisters in Christ.

We were also able to help MIS with a kids club.  Hundreds of children gathered in the school yard, sang songs, danced, played games, and even heard the Gospel in their language, through the wordless book.  Darla did an incredible job sharing the Gospel with those kids.

some of the kids at kids club

Our time with the young women in the village

One of the most rewarding and encouraging moments of the trip was the time a few of us young women were able to spend with the young women in the village.  These girls are a light in their village.  They are the next generation of the church in Baback, and it was incredible being able to see their hearts for Christ and their hearts for their village.  They are regular young girls who struggle with the same things we struggle with here.  It was encouraging to see how devoted they were to being an example of Christ's love in their village.  They spend their Sundays in the church reading their Bibles and fellowshiping with one another.   Our time with them was so sweet and genuine.  They continued to come back daily, sometimes multiple times a day, just to spend time with us.  I think I can speak for all of us, that the amount of love we have for these girls is indescribable.   It is so awesome to think that one day we will be able to rejoice together in Heaven, all speaking one language.

Sometimes we forget how big God is.  I was constantly reminded that the God we were serving in Senegal is the same God we need to be serving here in the United States.  I pray that we continue to worship and love him in our every day, busy lives, the way we did in Senegal.  God has only just begun the work he is going to do over there, and I am so excited to see what else he is going to do. I am already looking forward to next year and the opportunity to continue to build on these relationships and see how much He has done in a year.  Join with me in prayer for the village of Baback, as well as, then entire country of Senegal.  There may be an opportunity for us to partner with a different village, so pray for MIS as they continue to plant seeds and spread the good news!

Thank you so much for all of your prayer and support during the time leading up to the trip, as well as while we were away.  I am blessed beyond measure to have been able to experience the things I did in Senegal, and he continues to bless me and open my eyes to the plans he has for the future.  And his plans are far more than I could ever imagine. God is SO good!

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plants to give you a hope and a future.' " Jeremiah 29:11

with my namesake Thiab Thiaw

Sunset over Baback

Precious moments

True Beauty

Finding Joy

"People who make a difference in the world get excited for one smile.

They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one

wound. They aren't determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they're

satisfied with small changes. Over time, those changes add up. Sometimes they

even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world."

I saw this quote and immediately asked myself, 'Is that how I am living?'.  We are called to love and serve and teach one another.  We are called to be His hands and feet and make disciples of all nations. 

This is something that has been really heavy on my heart the last few months.  When asking myself,  "what do I want to do with the rest of my life?" or "what is my purpose on this earth?" I was never really sure of the answer.  I was always frustrated and discouraged that I felt 'stuck' in my situation and did not really see progression or hope in my future.  I finally realized it was because I was looking in all the wrong places.  I was looking for my joy, purpose, and contentment in worldly things.  I was so focused on having the perfect career, starting a family, and building a life for myself.  The Lord took ahold of my heart and opened my eyes to my own blindness.  It is not in these worldly things that I am going to find joy. It is not in myself that I am going to find 'success' and a purpose.  Since I let go of control and have allowed Him to work it has been incredible.  I am constantly in awe of his faithfulness and his perfect timing.  He is doing HUGE things, and I am so excited to see what he has planned. 

I now know I want to strive to live my life serving others.  I want to get excited for one smile. I want to be able to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one wound.  I am fully aware that not at all by my own merit will I be able to do any of these things.  I want to live my life being His hands and His feet.  I want to submit myself to His plan and let Him work.  And I definitely cannot wait to see what He is going to do.

I am starting this blog because I want to document this journey.  In my times of doubt and worry I want to be able to come back here and remember how powerful His love and mercy is.  I want to remember how it feels to be so confident that His plans are far greater than my own.  I hope that through this journey and this blog that I am able to allow him to transform me.

Thanks for supporting and encouraging me through it all

Emily