Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

Wow! I can't believe I've been in Senegal for nearly a month now. It has truly been a fantastic experience. The fears and worries I had before I left quickly disappeared here. In short, my prayers (and all those who were praying for me) were answered! I've slept well, I haven't gotten sick, I've gotten to know the boys really well, and I've felt welcomed and part of the team here from the very start. Thanks God :)

I've enjoyed living in and experiencing a different culture. I've found the Senegalese to be very warm and welcoming, friendly and helpful. I love just walking down the street and observing how life is lived here. I've been so fortunate to work with some great people, and in particular I've been blessed to work with three other young guys: a Senegalese, a Swiss, and a French guy. We're all in our 20s and we've gotten to be good friends, even though it takes me twice as long to spit out a sentence. Mmmm, ok 3 times as long. I've also worked with Brasilians, Haitians, Germans, Scots, English, Mexicans, Hondurans...together we make a pretty formidable UN delegation. It's been cool to work with people from all over the globe who share the same faith.

The highlight of my trip here, though, has been the time spent with the boys. I've loved getting to know every single one of them and I've learned so much from them. I like lists so here goes:

1) I've gained a better appreciation for how much a little gift, sharing something, or a little encouragement can mean. The boys have given me gifts such as a bracelet, drawings, snacks, etc, and each time I'm thankful and it strikes me that these guys who have so little want to share with me or give me something.

2) I'm impressed by how much joy they have. At first this surprised me because I knew they all have difficult backgrounds. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. They come from places where they were scared, lonely, and didn't receive much love...and now they are in a safe place surrounded by a loving community. Above all, they have been introduced to Jesus and God is at work in their lives. Of course they are joyful! Now, they still carry scars on their hearts and I think the longer I stayed here the more I would see that. But the boys have been given a second chance, they have hope for a future, and they are happy for that!

3) I've learned that brothers like to fight. I only have a sister so I never fought with a sibling. Did I Taylor? Hmmm...well it's safe to say I never lost a fight with a sibling. But the fighting is a good thing! The guys here love to wrestle, to shadow box, chase each other. Not once has it been malicious though - most of the time they're giggling the whole time they fight. I think that fighting is perhaps the way that boys hug.

4) There's been so many times when I've enjoyed just sitting back and watching the boys have fun. I have so much fun just watching them have fun, whether they're wrestling, playing soccer, or just laughing at whatever. I never thought I could get such a good feeling by just sitting there watching somebody else do the fun stuff.

5) I've learned that I can't dance. Ok, I already knew that. But they've reinforced that. At night, one of the Senegalese TV stations plays music videos and I attempt to mimic the moves on the screen with the help of the boys. It inevitably ends with me failing miserably, moving like I'm in a straightjacket, and all of the boys rolling on the floor laughing.

Well I could add more, but 5 is a nice number and I'll stop there. Besides, I've got some dancing to do.