What am I excited about?

All I have been thinking about the last few days is just how excited I am that God is giving me the opportunity to return to Senegal to serve Him. Here is a fun list I made:

Excited about......................Not so excited about
being with "my family".............missing my real family
dancing with the ladies.............bargaining for everything
worshipping with "the guys"........ironing my clothes (worms)
eating ceebu jenn..................bleaching fruits & veggies
drinking ataaya.....................sand everywhere
serving with Lisa....................sticking out like a sore thumb
being around content people.......constant marriage proposals
yummy fruit, especially mangoes..forever smelling like bugspray
being a doctor (in their eyes)......being fondled by women
simplicity of life.....................such spiritual darkness
sharing our Lord's salvation.........Islamic calls to prayer
special trips to get ice cream......taking anti-d meds like candy
sitting & chatting for hours........Islamic teaching nights
no humidity.........................missing diet coke & mexican
Lebou on-fire Christians...........topless, breastfeeding moms

I am most excited about what God is doing among the Lebou people. God's Word declares that all people and all nations will bow to Him one day, for HE IS GOD!

"Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble. Nations from around the world will come to you and say, 'Our ancestors were foolish, for they worshiped worthless idols. Can people make their own god? The gods they make are not real gods at all!' - 'So now I will show them my power and might,' says the Lord. 'At last they will know that I am the Lord.'" Jeremiah 16:19-21

"I have a plan for the whole earth, for my mighty power reaches throughout the world. The Lord almighty has spoken--who can change His plans? When His hand moves, who can stop Him?" Isaiah 14:26-27

Where will I live?

During my time in Senegal, I will be living in an apartment in Yoff. As the picture below shows, Yoff is very crowded and poor. It has a population of over 40,000 and is like a suburb of Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
In the area surrounding our apartment, most of the family names are Ndoye, as is my Senegalese name--Basse Ndoye. "My family" lives about five feet in front of our building and I spent most of my time with them last summer. Please pray for them--they are Talla, Awa, Fatim, Salamba, Fatou, Ngoony, Sin, and Babacar Ndoye. Pray that our Lord will draw them to Him and that they will experience His love...not only for them, but for all the Lebou. Thanks for your prayers!

Rooftop View of Yoff

Some more info

What: summer mission assignment through IMB
Where: Dakar, Senegal--the westernmost African country
When: May 30-July 31
Why: to share Christ's salvation
Who: me, Lisa, the journeymen, and the rest of the F4F team
What is F4F? Fishing for Fishermen (the Lebou are fishermen)
People Group: the Lebou
Language: Wolof
Religion: Islam and some animistic beliefs

The F4F team consists of many smaller teams - health, ESL, pathfinders, etc. College students make up the team along with journeymen, who are college grads. We will be working in different areas of Senegal doing our various ministries. I am on the health team, which will teach basic health and first aid in order to develop relationships with Lebou people so that we may share of Christ's love with them.

You know you've been in Africa too long when...

Stepping in the shade is equivalent to air conditioning.
You start rationing out your M&Ms to make them last longer.
You scoop the roach to the side of the plate and keep eating.
Roaches the size of your fist don't bother you any more.
You get tired of refusing marriage proposals from taxi drivers
and finally accept.
American food makes you sick.
The foam on the floor reminds you of a "real" mattress.
You save your Ramen for special occasions.
You only bother to swat the flies away from your eyes and mouth -
nothing else is really worth it.
The 5 second rule no longer applies because you eat on the floor.
You convince yourself that you only stepped in "mud."
You think you'd be more comfortable sleeping on the roof.
You recognize certain goats by their "voices."
You think nothing of discussing your stomach problems over dinner.
You shake your American friend's hands when you see them.
You bargain with God for water or electricity.

***this is a fun list the F4F 2003 team compiled at the end of the summer!

My family and I -- the Ndoyes