Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

I have been blogging since June of 2008, and I have finally reached 100 posts. I cannot believe how much has happened in three years. Time has a way of surprising a person for the better and the worse; but with faith in Christ and the ability to preserve with love and understanding, life never crushes a person. As this week comes to a close, I am blessed to be able to say that I continue to find great adventure here in Senegal as I pass my time with some incredible people and delve into a culture rich in treasures to behold. I said goodbye to my dear friend, Cheikh, who returned to France last night. He was kind enough to assuage many of the bumps often encountered during a cultural transition. I pray many blessings over his life as he works for his family and his country. When I think of my greatest accomplishment this week, I would have to underline the fact that I took public transportation by myself! I even hung halfway out the door of a filled-to-capacity Tata while it rolled a...

Where to begin? I have adopted a pleasant rhythm of sleeping and waking, observing Senegalese family life, reading my Bible and learning Wolof. Each day presents the opportunity to seize a new venture, whether that be cooking Senegalese food, meeting with the mayor of one of Dakar’s communes, spending the morning at the largest fish market in West Africa and helping to sell porridge to hungry fishmongers, or learning the art of making and pouring Senegalese tea. After a little more than two weeks, I have assimilated into life at Lôen (meaning the place where the Lô family resides) where the activity never ceases. Now let me share a few details of my adventures from the land of teranga , which in Wolof means hospitality. Last Saturday, three of my host brothers and one of my host mothers, and I went to visit the villages from whence my host mother and late father came. About two hours from Dakar, I detected a great change in landscape, a certain relief from the fatigue of the mess ...

After only a week, I think I could write 25 pages or more of my thoughts and impressions of this country. Rich in culture and natural variations, Senegal is an incredible country to discover. I look forward to the journey. Since arriving one week ago, I have taken my time in acclimating myself to the new challenges and delights I will encounter along the way. In a few paragraphs, I will attempt to describe Senegalese society and infrastructural organization. To think, my journey has only begun! A Lo family reunion in Taiba Ndaiye Family is a strong pillar of Senegalese society. Complicated and profound, the Senegalese family comports itself in a manner that elevates the importance of interpersonal connection and devalues individualism. The family with whom I am staying, the Lô family, lives in a suburb of Dakar called Pikine. Warmth of hospitality and weather conditions coincides, and I have experienced nothing but kindness and an overwhelmingly thoughtful welcome to Senegal. I ...

August passed with complete rapidity! I am about to begin the next chapter of my journey: Senegal, the main destination of this voyage I have undertaken. The past month has been an opportunity to transition from my life in the States to my life as a globetrotter, discovering new places with keen interest and curiosity. I am so looking forward to the unknowns of my time in Senegal and Africa in general. Before commencing this next leg, I wanted to write a little about my dear friends in Nantes, Angers, Niort and Paris, France, that welcomed me into their homes on various occasions throughout this past month. In Nantes, my friends, Charles and Mady, and I walked around the city center, played a lot of board games in protest of the rainy weather, and socialized with their friends and Mady’s parents. Angers brought me back to the Gouriou-Son family who hosted me while I studied abroad in 2008. It was so good to see them again and spend a day at their home where I have a lot of fond me...