Only a WEEK!

I can't believe I've only been here a week. I feel like I've done enough to be here for about a month. At first I was getting a little bored and worried about not knowing what I was going to do. That didn't last long!

Wednesday was my first day at the deaf school and it's different to say the least. School here would make social workers have a heart attack. There is no problem smacking a child upside the head or hanking their arm. It takes everything in me not to jump at some of these people. You can't go in and tell them what to do, it's all about modeling and relationships. The thing I've been learning for the past 3 years. Funny how God works. The sign language that they use is American Sign Language, so I can understand them. The thing that messed me up to day was when I didn't recognize a sign and asked him to figure spell it and realized that he figure spelled in French. I had to laugh at myself for a bit.

Mostly what I will be doing is working with the younger kids. The 5 year olds through 2nd grade are the ones who don't know French, English, Wolif or Sign Langauge. So teaching them signs is like teaching them how to talk. Starting from the basics. They eat it up though, it's wonderful to watch. The director, Famara, speaks good English and has basically invited me to do whatever I want. I think he is ready to hand a class over to me.

The kids take a break at 10:30. There were some people worried that it would get a little crazy during this time. Since they are deaf, they can not hear themselves yell or how loud they get, and they all together tend to get really loud. I like to be there during break because that's when I can really get to know some of the kids. The high school age kids are very good at signing. One girl, Amy is wonderful. I'd say that she is even better than me. She is deaf and training to become a teacher in the school.

The deaf school and the Talibee center are in the same building, so today and went and worked with the Talibee. These boys would break your heart if you saw them. They are children under a Muslim leader who are sent out to beg on the streets. At the center they can come, bathe, brush their teeth, get food and milk, hear the gospel, and have a place of shelter. The man that runs it is so genuine about his faith. He gets it! He was telling me about the need in Africa is so HUGE but "our" faith is bigger.

Here I do whatever I can to help. I've learned it's just a presence that makes a difference sometimes. I'm no nurse that's for sure but the Pastor has recruited me in to help him with bandaging some of the kids wounds. These kids get hardly any attention, to look them in the eye and say "Dans le nom de Jesus, I did this in the name of Jesus." You can see something register on their face. It is the most humbling and honoring position to be in. Here are these boys who are practically slaves of great Muslim leaders and I have a chance to clean and bandage the wounds on their feet. I had to cough back tears at times. I don't know if they will ever become a Christian but, if I get the chance to bless and pray for them, then that is my job right now. The wounds that some of these kids have probably will never heal correctly but anything helps.

As I was walking back from the Talibee center I saw a Talibee in the corner of my eye. Normally they just come to you and ask for money. I saw him coming near me and something about his character wasn't typical. I looked over to him and he showed me his hand. He REMEMBERED me! He was one of the boys on Wednesday that had a bad cut on his hand. I didn't have anything with me to clean it up except for a water bottle. I cleaned it off with water and the bottom of my skirt. PRAY for these children!!

On a lighter note my trip to Thies went well. It's only about 45 miles in but depending on traffic and since the roads are so bad it takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. It's also much hotter there because it's so far away from the ocean. We went to a outside of the city to see a literacy class for women. It really neat to see and the people really want to learn. They were very interested in this "tau bab" (sounds like two bob which means foreigner or white person). I got the question are you married pointing to Rudy. HA, "umm.... non.... ah .... l'oncle." Which apparently now makes my "uncle" Rudy have more say so in my life than my dad. He'd be the one to arrange my marriage and to collect the dept my husband would have to pay... Hence the "ahhhs" after I said l'oncle."