Well, Mike and I have certainly been very driven lately. I know this is not a satisfactory excuse for our pitiful shortage of blogs, but perhaps you can better comprehend and empathize with a story.
It was Friday night and as class sponsors, we were asked to drive a handful of sophomores to a class party clear across town. It had been an active, frenzied week for us so I’ll be the first to admit that we weren’t exactly stoked to spend our first free night in weeks stuck in Dakar’s never-failing Friday night gridlock towing a crammed cluster of raucous teens in our wake.
Besides the unquestionable assurance of traffic, we were also appointed the task of driving what we jokingly refer to as, “The Ambulance”. This particular vehicle happens to be one of the school’s finest: a rickety, battered beast of a clunker furnished luxuriously with two thinly padded benches lining the sides of the back compartment and a back door jimmy-rigged with a latch that has to be shut from the inside but opened from the outside, which always promises to be highly entertaining.
After a tumultuous, jarring ride through crowded paved streets and pitted dirt roads, we arrived at our destination. Because of the traffic congestion, it inevitably took twice as long as it should have, but with a sigh, we dropped off our rambunctious, enthusiastic crew with the promise to come back in a couple of hours for the return trip.
We settled back in our tattered seats and rejoined the traffic, quiet apart from the squawking gear shifts and rattling doors. We decided to treat ourselves to dinner while we were out and fought traffic all the way to “The Blue Note”, a classier, albeit pricier restaurant in Dakar that is known for its jazz music and succulent dishes. We pulled up in this shabby, dilapidated monstrosity of ours, sporting nothing better than our casual school wear and strolled into the dimly lit, deserted interior of the restaurant. It was nearing 8:00 PM so I was surprised that we were the only customers; I know that the French generally prefer to eat later than Americans so I thought that 8:00 PM would have been the prime time for them. However, no band was to be seen, only two waitresses stood chitchatting in the corner, and one lone tech guy wandered about on the stage, testing out mics and instruments for a sound check. So apparently we were still early.
This is where Mike’s part of the night went sour. Mike usually likes to order what he KNOWS that likes; he doesn’t typically order outside of his limited array of favored dishes. However, on this particular night, he was feeling exceptionally adventurous and decided to go out on a limb by ordering the dish ‘Carpaccio‘ even though he didn’t know what it was. I suppose when you live in a different culture in which you only marginally understand the language, you have to appreciate the learning experiences for the added thrill they bring to your life.
Anyway, when our food arrived, our waitress placed a plate in front of Mike overspread with a thin layer of pink, cold mush smothered in olive oil and a few other spices and garnished with about 4 croutons. Because of the dim lights, Mike couldn’t quite make out what the unidentified pink slab was, but he dutifully piled it on his meager amount of croutons and kept insisting, “It’s just some kind of tomato sauce -- it just tastes different. Tomatoes, tomatoes...” until he had himself convinced. I had one bite out of curiosity, determined that it was not tomatoes and let Mike have at it.
When we got home later that evening, we googled ‘Carpaccio’. Much to my amusement and Mike’s horror, the pink mush turned out to be RAW MEAT! Mike says that he would like to convey his love to all of you -- just in case anything happens in the near future. =)
This experience seems to summarize our lives over the past several weeks -- the hectic pace, a handful of surprises (sometimes unpleasant and yet other times humorous). Our semester continues to go well, although incredibly busy.
One highlight of the semester was being able to visit with Ben Cornelius, a member of UEFC in Klamath Falls. He was out here for an international school’s conference and we were able to have lunch with him one day and dinner the next. He was adventurous in his meal selection as well and did not shy away from local delicacies, even when a bug crawled out from under his salad! It was a special treat for us to have Ben here, and be able to show him around our beloved Dakar.
In other news, as of two weeks ago, my dad’s energy level has started to increase and has remained up! This upswing has been VERY encouraging to us, especially since it's lasted this long. Thank you, Jesus! It broke my heart to see how exhausted my dad often was, and how the constant lapse in energy seemed to squelch that usual twinkle in his eye and the hint of laughter brimming in his voice. If any of you know my dad, you know what I mean - he is one of the most jovial, spirited and vivacious people I know. =)
And to top it off, Alina's doing well, too! (Alina is my sister Tiece’s 10-week premature baby girl - it was really touch and go there for a while.) She is the heart and joy of our family right now; I live day to day waiting to see any new videos posted on facebook of this new little vibrant life that has so drastically affected our little family. In fact, the other day I was enraptured by a video clip of pint-sized Alina spitting up milk! Ha ha. I never thought I'd be one of those people who croons about a video of a baby spitting up milk, but my, how things can change! I'm sure it has everything to do with the fact that I have a personal connection this time around to the little tyke on screen. But anyway, she is now home safe and sound. Please continue praying for her, however, as she is still so small (Mike says he wants to put her in his pocket - and he almost could!). At one point, not too long ago, my brother-in-law, Ted, could fit his wedding ring around Alina’s wrist. So we continue to lift up this tiny little bundle of joy to the Lord for his provision and safe-keeping.
We are continually thankful for those of you who support us, even during lapses of communication. We offer you this blessing from Senegal: May your cars run smoothy, your meat be cooked and your family members remain healthy!
