Prayer is very important.\u00a0 When you move to a new place, getting to know people there can help you feel at home.\u00a0 And because of those two reasons, when I heard that last Saturday evening there was going to be an evening of prayer at my new church here for the “young people,” I decided to go.\u00a0 (Here, I haven’t heard their definition of “young people.”\u00a0 At my church in my other West African country it was supposed to be for anyone from about ages 18-70.\u00a0 How many of you qualify for\/like that definition of “young people?”)\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
They said that this prayer time was going to start at 5:00 and including the breaking of a fast, so that everyone should bring some snack food.\u00a0 I didn’t end up totally fasting, but decided I could still pray.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 I also decided that I’d try taking public transportation there, since I had taken it home from church but never to <\/em>church, so I needed to learn how\/where to catch the bus on the way there.\u00a0 It was a new adventure, but I got a bus.\u00a0 Between walking to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, and the bus making lots of stops, it took me about a little under an hour to get there instead of the 15 minutes it takes in a taxi, but at least it only cost 40 cents instead of $3.\u00a0 I had planned for 45 minutes, so I was a bit late.\u00a0 But it’s Africa, so there were others who were later than me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I had come with expectations that it would be similar to how it would run in my other country.\u00a0 There, such an evening would include prayer, worship, and teaching.\u00a0 Instead, there was prayer and worship, but no teaching.\u00a0 Interesting.\u00a0 And the songs – some I had known before, but of those, most I hadn’t sung for at least two years.\u00a0 It was wonderful to sing them again, but it took brainwork to remember some of the lyrics!\u00a0 (No, we didn’t have hymnals or lyrics on a powerpoint or anything, though they do often have lyrics on powerpoint at Sunday services here – it’s great!)\u00a0 The other songs, probably over half, I had never heard before, or at least never heard before in French.\u00a0 But through listening and lipreading I was able to pick up some of the words and try to sing along at least on the choruses.\u00a0 Now in the future those songs will become more comfortable and worshipful as I know better what I’m singing!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you paid close attention to what I wrote above, you’ll notice that I gave you the starting <\/em>time of the evening, but not the ending <\/em>time.\u00a0 That’s all we were given as well.\u00a0 My assumption was that we might eat our snacks to break the fast at 6:00, or maybe 6:30.\u00a0 But we didn’t.\u00a0 By 6:45 we were still praying and singing, but by that time I was looking at my watch more than looking to the Lord, so I decided it was time to go.\u00a0 Besides, I didn’t want to be out too long past dark, and my roommate and I had plans to go and introduce ourselves to our new neighbors that evening.\u00a0 So I slipped out and started home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This time, I took the little bus instead of the big bus.\u00a0 On my way to church someone had advised me to wait for the big bus since it would be faster, but it was slow enough that I was willing to take my chances on the little bus, which I hadn’t remembered taking quite so long when I had taken it home before.\u00a0 I hopped inside, paid the “little bus” cheaper fare of only 30 cents, and made it home so much faster – 15\/20 minutes in the bus, followed by a 15 minute walk.\u00a0 I think I’m a fan of the little buses!\u00a0 But it’s all a learning experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Yes, it’s all a learning experience.\u00a0 That’s one of the problems of moving into a new culture – everything is a learning experience, which is draining and can be exhausting.\u00a0 Oh, and there’s also the new language, the getting-to-know-your-way-around and the getting-to-know-your-neighbors, the new culture (I got a phone call this morning – was he trying to cancel Wolof lessons today or not?\u00a0 I didn’t know!), etc.\u00a0 Oh, and add to that the other projects you may have to do besides just “live.”\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 And, of course, the wanting to show Him to those around you, though you don’t exactly know what that looks like in this new “world.”\u00a0 It can (and has been!) exhausting, but God is good and now I am starting to see little pieces of progress, like this trip to church last Saturday evening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Thank you so much for your continued prayers for me and for what He is doing in and through me here.\u00a0 (There are days that I feel like there’s a lot more going on in me than through me, but I guess that’s a choice He gets to make.)\u00a0 I know that I couldn’t be here, doing what He’s called me to do in this in-between time, without so many of you standing beside me.\u00a0 So thank you!!<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Prayer is very important.\u00a0 When you move to a new place, getting to know people there can help you feel at home.\u00a0 And because of those two reasons, when I heard that last Saturday evening there was going to be an evening of prayer at my new church here for the “young people,” I decided 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