“How jealously we guarded the secret of simple pleasures, health-giving remedy for the daily tensions of life.”
i’ve found that the days here are hit or miss. the past two days? hit. i attribute some of it to the fact that i feel more confortable stumbling around in french and that if i needed something i could find it somewhere. more importantly (and the aforementioned is included in this) i know that God is answering the prayers of others and myself. i have experienced peace and have sought the simple pleasures that make life worth living. that quote from one of the novels for my class really encouraged me in this.
baby goats
warm and enticing colors
danish butter cookies
drawings of monsters in my daily notes from home
mangoes
adorable babies tied to their mothers backs
coca cola
Private Diary of Prayer given to me by Mrs. Holm
warm and enticing colors
danish butter cookies
drawings of monsters in my daily notes from home
mangoes
adorable babies tied to their mothers backs
coca cola
Private Diary of Prayer given to me by Mrs. Holm
the best decision i made was bringing my IPOD as it has seen me both through the best and the worst of days.
and if i remember correctly, i have now been offered thrice a life here in senegal by way of marriage to a senegalese man. unfortunately for them, these men have found themselves rejected, to continue on in their quest for a belle amercaine.
i have also in a way, let my body free. free just to be- dry or sweaty, thick or thin, caked with dirt, clean, fresh, or as is quite often- smelly. there is no need to hold it in, to vainly seek for tame hair; or to hope that my clothes remain soft and smooth. it is easier to let it be and exist in freedom and without perfection.
yesterday we were able to partake in something really special. we got to watch the Mbaye family construct the drums we will be using for class. something that even no senegalese may see save the musicians that make them, and not even all can make them. and for some strange reason, this little girl was attached to me, we danced and played and she touched my face and hair and necklace as she sat in my lap. i also had my first go at the HLM fabric market…overwhelming.
I love the photos, the little girl looks so sweet. I am glad that things are evening out a bit for you. And thank goodness for your IPOD. I love you!! And we continue to pray.
Tahnimeister:
Today’s WotDfD:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)
I am very happy for the positive change in happiness in your recent post. I knew that you would adjust and start to feel much better. BTW, you are both an incredible photographer and a gifted writer. You continue to inspire your old man!
The truth is that we humans most often forget the secrets of simple pleasures. We somehow think that complexity drives success and value! The happiest people I know live the simplest of lives. Thank you for the great insight in this post.
As always, Dad remains very proud of you and your courage. I love you and look forward to speaking with you on your new cell phone soon.
Oh, btw, Dad may need back surgery, can I ask you to pray for me? I can hardly move most days. Thanks. We are praying for you!
I love you very much,
Dad
I am so happy to hear this Tahni Joy. and I just have to say 2 things:
1) you are an AMAZING photographer, seriously, I question so much if you just googled those pictures to put on your blog or not.
2) that little girl is PRECIOUS! if you see her again, please take more pictures =)
Dear Tahni,
What an incredible journey! I wrote you a post which talked about my encounters with towns sans elecricity in Africa (which was most of them where I went…) and my bout of sickness which was really scary (imagine feeling like you ate a full set of steak knives) but my computer chose the moment of “submit” to crash.
Way back when, people were able to see things made which they would then use. Nowadays, we can only imagine all these things as they are manufactured halfway around the world. And there you were! How amazing. And your language is clearly coming along… the light bulb is now switched on (well except for occasional blackouts but you’re an old hand at that).
As always, we are praying for your health, your happiness and your discovery as God leads you gently through both good and bad days. Drink it all in with the appropriate dose of malaria pills, and you will be all the richer for it. So will the people there whose lives you touch, even in a small way or in ways you don’t even realize.
Miss you!
Lots of love and blessings above all,
Brooke 🙂
Thani–I too have recently started using Diary of Private Prayer & have found it be a wonderful addition to my life. I pray that Lord uses it to encourage & teach you daily in Senegal. Love your e-mails & blog posts. Continuing to pray for you….beverly
Ah,your posting reminded me of something I thought of but forgot to write. Which is, it’s so easy to stumble around in French, in a foreign country. Chances are you know much more than you think you do, and it’s just the fact that you’re immersed in it that makes it overwhelming.
But, just because everyone else is conversing fluently doesn’t mean that you have to as well. Even on a mission, one can be quiet and introspective. As long as you’re friendly and polite, people will respond in kind. Practice your “bonjour”, “merci”, and “un cafe s’il vous plait” (or your beverage of choice) and you’ll be just fine!
This sounds so superficial in comparison to what you’re going through, but I spent a week in Paris a couple of years ago, having only taken a few years of French in junior high. And I’m pretty quiet and introspective as well. In just a couple of days, a lot of my old French was coming back. Not necessarily enough to speak, but enough to understand. And with my looks (I’m Chinese), it was fairly obvious that I was a visitor — as I’m sure it is with you! And people were very, um, accommodating and understanding.
It does sound like things are much better already. I hope that they continue to improve.
And, you do take wonderful photographs. You’re obviously able to see the beauty in your surroundings, which means you at least acknowledge that the beauty exists. Another step towards learning to hope!
Kathy (Louanne’s friend)