Well, another week has gone by at school.

This week was a bit more challenging for

me. I've been dealing with a small health issue that has been remedied, but was
trying to deal with! I'll spare you all the details- it's a little personal! Here's the latest
news from me:

1. I will be getting one more student from Nigeria on Monday and possibly another
new student from Saudi Arabia next week. These students have parents who work at
the embassy. I found out that about half of my students have parents who work at
the embassy (this is in comparison to the students who are missionary children.)
Many of the embassy students are not christians. What an opportunity I have:) Let
me explain this a bit more. We are required to teach Bible here at school. The
curriculum I am using basically goes through the whole Bible in chronological order-
skipping some parts of coarse. The students are given a bible verse to memorize
each week. They are given a grade for this. Parents who come to register their kids
are told of this when they enroll their children (it is made especially clear to Muslims.)
Many Muslim parents still want to enroll their children here because the only other
English speaking school is much more liberal- (the story that has told to me to
better understand this is them handing out condoms to high school students.) If you
know anything about the Islamic faith, there are very conservative, moral people.
Therefore, they would rather have their children here are Dakar Academy- even if it
means that they will be taught Christianity. How cool is that????!!!!

2. Things are getting a bit better with my 2 non-proficient English speakers. They
seem to be adjusting better and getting to know my routines and what's required of
them. I think they went all summer without hearing English and now it's transition
time for them. I'm interested to see how much English my new student knows.

3. Today is the first day of Ramadan. This is the Muslim holy month of fasting from
sun up to sun down. I have enclosed some info. that I found about it on the internet. I
have been told that the Senegalese people are extremely irritable during this time (I
can see why- no eating- or drinking- anything all day long! Some of the more rigorous
even refrain from swallowing their own spit!) I have also been told that we need to
watch drinking- and eating in public at this time- it can be very offensive. We have
a couple of Muslim workers at the school- they serve as guards, maids, and
maintenance staff. I also know some of my students are from Muslim families. I am
wondering how much this will affect them. It seems that children are exempt from the
practice until they reach puberty, but some parents allow them to participate in some
parts of it. Here's the info:

Why do more than a billion people around the world abstain from eating, drinking,
smoking, and sex from dawn to sunset for a one-month period each year? They are
Muslims who are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Fasting is one of the Five
Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship.
Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as
an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and
mistakes [contrast Biblical atonement]. Called Ramadan (or Ramazan), Muslims fast
during this month from the moment when it first starts to get light until sunset.
Muslims fast as an act of faith and worship towards Allah, seeking to suppress their
desires and increase their spiritual piety. Fasting together as a worldwide community—
Ummah—affirms the brotherhood and equality of man before Allah.
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The month of Ramadan is the ninth
month and begins with a combination of the sighting of the new moon and astronomical
calculations. The exact time of Ramadan sometimes varies from place to place as some
rely heavily on the moon sightings, while others depend on science. An Imam (Muslim
holy man) will declare the exact time of Ramadan just prior to its commencement. The
fasting period ends upon the sighting of the next new moon, which occurs after 29 or 30
days.

Muslims have to change their whole physical and emotional selves during this 30 long
days of fasting. A typical day of fasting begins with getting up early, around 4:30 a.m.
and sharing a meal called Sahur together before the fast begins at dawn, about 5:10 a.m.
As dawn breaks, the first of five daily prayers, Fajr, is offered.
As the day proceeds, fasting Muslims are constantly bombarded with messages from their
stomachs that it is time for breakfast, snack, lunch, and so on. And each time, Muslims
remind themselves that they are fasting for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah and seeking
his mercy. They offer the second and third prayers during early and late afternoon,
respectively.

Throughout the day, Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy,
both financially and emotionally. Some believe that a reward earned during this month is
multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of
charity and generosity.
To a Muslim, fasting not only means abstaining from food, but also refraining from all
vice and evils committed consciously or unconsciously. It is believed that if one
volunteers to refrain from lawful foods and sex, they will be in a better position to avoid
unlawful things and acts during the rest of the year.

The fast is broken at sunset. The prophet Muhammed recommended breaking the fast
with dates. Muslims are urged to invite others to break the fast with them. These
gatherings are called Iftar parties.

Just after breaking the fast, and before dinner, Muslims offer the fourth of the five daily
prayers, which is called the Maghrib prayer. After dinner, Muslims go to their houses of
worship, called Mosques, to offer the Isha prayer, which is the last of the five daily
prayers. The day ends with a special voluntary prayer, the Taraweeh, offered by the
congregation reciting the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam.

The last ten days of Ramadan are considered highly blessed, especially the 27th night
which is also called the “Night of Power,” or the “Night of Destiny.” It is believed that on
this night the prophet Muhammed received the first revelation of the Qur’an. For many
Muslims, this period is marked by a heightened spiritual intensity and they may spend
these nights praying and reciting the Qur’an.

After 30 days of fasting, the end of the month of Ramadan is observed with a day of
celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, Muslims gather in one place to offer a prayer
of thanks. It is traditional to wear new clothes, visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts,
eat delicious dishes prepared for this occasion, and wait patiently for the next year.

4. On a personal note, I feel like God has been revealing some things to me. I am
realizing my dependency for people here. And I am okay with it! I have been so
independent in the US. Here I depend on people so much more. People here realize
their need for each other so much more than we do in the US. I appreciate
that....Another thing God revealed to me: Today I was reading about Jeremiah and
Moses. I was reading about when God first called them to lead His people. When He
told both of them their calling they both responded with the excuse of, "I can't speak
well." Then God responded by revealing who He was. He was (and is) the great I AM-
the One who gave them both their mouth and tongue! I can so relate to them. I feel
called to be here in Senegal, but I CAN'T SPEAK WELL!!! When I focus on who God is,
rather than who I am, I am able to rest and know that He will accompish His purposed
through me- whether or not I can speak well now (on a side- note:I am still practicing
Wolof and French- please pray for me for this. It's been hard to find time to do this.)

Well, that's all for now. Thank you soooooo much for all your prayers and emails. You
all have no clue how many times you have made my day!
Please continue to pray for:
1. my health and well being
2. protection from the evil one
3. my daily walk and prayer time with the Lord- I've been so busy since I got here. My
time with Him has been short and limited. I know how VITAL this is. I feel like I have
gotten back on track this week. Pray that the Lord continually reminds me of my
NEED for this!!!!
4. I would like to make some more friends that are not solely involved with DA (Dakar
Academy.) I feel like I am making some good friends that work at the school (which I
am EVER so thankful for), but I do not want to get stuck, and comfortable, in the U.S.
bubble that exists around and in the school. I want to be involved in things, and
people outside the school, too.

I love you all and miss you all,