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This is the time of year when I (along with most of my neighbors and friends probably, too) wished we lived somewhere else. It’s hot season, and it came with a vengeance this year. It’s the time of year when you can’t really think since the main thought in your head is, “It’s hot.” And […]

Thanks for your prayers for our literacy class!  It was an intense 6 weeks, but for the first ever literacy class in My Language, it went pretty well if I do say so myself.  🙂  We had 10 students, guys and girls, ranging in age from teenagers to our oldest student who is in her […]

Life here is many things, but “dull” is not usually one of them. Sometimes I hear interesting things, which would be funny if they were coming from the lips of kids who didn’t know what they were talking about. Sadly, though, they’ve all come from adults, and show the real thoughts and fears of their […]

I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the US it seems like spring doesn’t come soon enough, and when it comes it’s always a good thing. But here, well, it’s a different story. You see, it’s February 16th and spring has already sprung. Sadly, spring came about a week ago. I remember going […]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! After lots of travel and a fair bit of uncertainty, I was glad to make it home from Senegal to My Country (no, not home to the US) for Christmas to celebrate with “family” and friends here.  What a joy!  I trust that you were also able to take […]

Happy December!  Are you enjoying this advent season, getting ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior?   Here in Senegal, as I work with colleagues in discourse analysis, we have been getting ready to celebrate.  It’s been fun to be around for the putting up for Christmas trees, decorations, drinking of hot chocolate (and […]

Where in the world is Susie?  Itʼs a question I often get asked.  And at the moment Iʼm in Senegal!  The picture above is from where we had some leadership meetings the week before Thanksgiving.  Then the first half of this last week I spent a few miles down the beach with some friends, sleeping […]

Sometimes expressions are funny across languages.  Yesterday I learned a new one here in My Language: “Ka ba ŋũɛ̃ ʼpee nĩĩgire.”  Literally, it means, “Donʼt say it a second time.”  And itʼs used to confirm that you are totally in agreement with what the other person just said, or that he said what you were […]

à ʼbɛɛ sa ʼpii Yesu tũrũ, yuwe yi ʼoo lɔɔlɔ yo,ã ʼbɛɛ sa ʼpii yi tũrũ, yuwe yi ʼoo lɔɔlɔ. Let’s follow Jesus, He’s the One who is the Savior, oh!Let’s follow Jesus, He’s the One who is the Savior. Imagine a group of My People, gathered under a big tree in one of their […]

How many of you enjoy sitting down and reading a dictionary?  Dictionaries aren’t usually considered especially exciting reading material.  But while I was traveling recently, the guys I often work with had worked a bit without me, and one of the things they had done was go through a list of potential new words for […]