{"id":3428,"date":"2015-01-20T12:23:44","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T12:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/?p=3428"},"modified":"2015-01-20T15:09:31","modified_gmt":"2015-01-20T15:09:31","slug":"and-then-the-phone-rings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/2015\/01\/20\/and-then-the-phone-rings\/","title":{"rendered":"And Then The Phone Rings…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week after going into Dakar and figuring out what we had on our plates. \u00a0We came back and I set to work. \u00a0I looked at our calendar and decided what days we would go into Dakar. \u00a0Then looking at those days and the people we wanted to connect with, I created a schedule of who we would see when. I made a list of all the emails that needed to get done and the meals that I had planed for the week. \u00a0Then there was that moment as I looked at the calendar with all that I had planned with confidence that it seemed like we should be able to accomplish our ministry goals this week. \u00a0It all seemed doable while still allowing me the important time that I need to be with my children and family. \u00a0It was a joyous moment.<\/p>\n

And then the phone rings…<\/p>\n

Cecil was calling to tell me that a close member of their family had died out in the village. \u00a0The phone call was cut off as she ran out of phone credit (very common here). \u00a0A sinking feeling filled me as I looked at my carefully planned week and knew that I would have to throw it all out the window. \u00a0After a few moments of composing myself, I threw on appropriate clothes for visiting someone and went over to talk to her face to face. \u00a0I sat and sympathized with her in her loss and felt her pain as she too was now feeling the stress of losing her whole week to the preparations that lay ahead. \u00a0I then asked what my responsibilities were as her (adopted) daughter. \u00a0 Meal preparations were my main responsibilities. \u00a0Which meant that I would be spending most of the beginning of my week out at their village, including spending the night on Tuesday before the funeral which would take place on Wednesday. \u00a0Tuesday which was supposed to be my day in Dakar would have to be pushed back to Thursday. \u00a0Monday which was supposed to be my day to do emails would now be spent out at the village. \u00a0I would be gone all day Monday cooking, Tuesday night and all day Wednesday as well, Thursday I would be in Dakar and Friday I would have to try to not be completely exhausted as I want to have time and energy to spend with my kids.<\/p>\n

As I made new calculations and I looked at my week, I now felt like it was more than I could manage. \u00a0 \u00a0So quickly – just like that – it changed. \u00a0I was reminded of one of the things that makes life stressful here. \u00a0Here we function as part of a larger family and when something effects the family it effects us all. \u00a0I remembered why I need God to get me through each day. \u00a0I can plan all day here and yet I have to be prepared to throw it away at a moments notice. \u00a0For a planner such as myself this is never easy. \u00a0Yet living in that constant state of dependency on God is always good place to be.<\/p>\n

Our ease back into life is over, we are now in the full throws of it again. \u00a0Monday was a long day out cooking lunch at the village. \u00a0I was reminded of the challenge it is as my language skills in that context are very limited and I am still an outsider in so many ways. \u00a0Let’t just say it is very humbling. \u00a0Tonight I head out again. \u00a0I am dreading a night of little sleep in the village as I am sure we will be working late into the night and that I will be sleeping on a bed with who knows who. \u00a0Yet I know that it will be worth it, because I know that being there means the world to my host mom and being part of relationships is where ministry begins. \u00a0 So … Ready or not…let the adventure begin.<\/p>\n

\"Here<\/a>
Here is a picture of Ethan Celebrating his Birthday at His School<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
I am so thankful for the boys school and how it has helped them adapt to life here!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week after going into Dakar and figuring out what we had on our plates. \u00a0We came back and I set to work. \u00a0I looked at our calendar and decided what days we would go into Dakar. \u00a0Then looking at those days and the people we wanted to connect with, I created a schedule of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":830,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2545],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-updates-and-news","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/830"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/joel-mcmartin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}