Bonjour tous le monde!

Today is Independence Day for Senegal when this amazing country received its freedom from the French! We are eating watermelon at the grand table to celebrate! Tres bon a Senegal!! Awa and Fatu Lo have prepared delicious meals for us that top any 5 star hotel. They work in a small kitchen without the every day conveniences we take for granted. The grace and beauty they bring to the preparation and presentation are outstanding. Radical hospitality bar none!

Yesterday was a long, full day of traveling and visiting rural Dakar or Senegal. For me, the most poignant interaction occurred at the Children's Feeding Center in a small village of Mbassi. Picture a wide open space of dry, sandy, land where homes consist of round, stick huts with thatched roofs, stick fences and garbage. Trees dot the land occasionally displaying green leaves. Goats run free along with pigs, birds, a few dogs, and donkeys. In Mbassi, we arrived to an open air shelter without walls. There was a cement floor where 4 rows of bright-eyed children sat on small wooden benches sat with spoon in hand for our arrival. Several babies were nursing as they watched the arrival unfolding.

The children welcomed us warmly with songs and Alleluias!  We sang Peace, Salaam, Shalom in Wolof, English and Arabic (thank you Pat and Sandy!), taught them about brushing their teeth, and prayed. Note: This Feeding Center is able to distribute a high protein meal only once a week (it use to be 3 times, but due to lack of funds, children eat usually once a week). Picture an assortment of metal and plastic bowls set on the pavement in the middle of the structure. All had lids on them. The children waited patiently to eat. How were they to figure out who got what bowl?

The program is set up so that the pastor's wife, who arrived on donkey and cart, prepared a meal of high protein spaghetti in the village. Each family in the program gives her a dish for their children. What looked to me to be an arrangement of random bowls was really a thoughtful process to achieve an orderly way of feeding these beautiful, hungry children.  They shared bowls, some eating with spoons others with their hands. Every last morsel was consumed.

We were delighted to participate in high energy dancing by children and women (and men!) alike as one young mother drummed a beat on the bottom of a metal bowl! Even the youngest child knew to dance and stop on the final beat! Wow! Then, in an attempt to be orderly, we handed out toothbrushes, tooth  paste and hand made paper crosses that Bonnie's first grade students created at St. Francis School. The number of children multiplied as word spread that something was being distributed. It got a bit crazy, but everyone received a gift and smiles were abundant. All were welcome!

By now it was 7:15 pm, the sun was beginning to set with a blaze of orange casting shadows upon the Baobob trees projecting an image that Alfred Hitchcock might have used in his many scary movies. I felt a certain sadness as we drove through the villages on our way back to the main road. Everyone waved to us from village to village and we waved our good byes to them. Many of us shared a mix of emotions (again!) from this experience and expressed our awe at the beauty that exists in such poverty. I cannot help but to be moved to a deeper level of gratitude and grace to witness first hand the history of Africa and the relentless spirits of the people who are working to build the Methodist Church (from scratch!) throughout Senegal. This BOLD witness is an every day choice by Pastor Joe, Christine, Mama Keena, Paulette, Pastor John Pierre and many, many more. As Sarah commented, "The people of Africa are fearless!". Holy God, that we can be so.

The blessings received and the blessings given can only be from a God who is loving, merciful and patient. Growing in body and wisdom like Jesus takes on more meaning than ever before! Jesus is here in Senegal. I am so excited to share Senegal with you. Thank you for your prayers. You are in mine daily. God bless you and passe un bon jour! Miss Catherine