Ramadan

Being out of village for IST did wonders to my hut. It looked as if the bugs and rodents of Medina Dar Salam had thrown a frat party. There were homes constructed all around the interior perimeter of my hut, mostly ant hills and termite mounds with plenty of spider webs thrown in there (the man-eating ones of course). My back yard/sand was pure weeds that I had to wade through to get to my douche before I got to clearing everything out. Home sweet home.

But really it is good to be back. I had missed my family here without really knowing it. Everyone was so excited to see me back, which was really encouraging! Having a family as big as mine here and truly liking every single individual is an incredible blessing. I have special bonds with many of my family members and every day those strengthen and new unique bonds form.

I gave them bubbles which was a huge hit!



The last week has been a perfect mixture of work, bonding, culture immersion and down time. I've done baby arm-measurements, helped with a mosquito net distribution, worked on a questionnaire for my village and worked in the fields with my family. Working in the rice fields has been surprisingly rewarding. Barefoot, in the mud, with only the women, chatting and clearing weeds.

Ramadan has provided a cultural insight nothing else could quite compare to. It was undetermined which date Ramadan would actually begin (the 12th or 13th), because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar calender. Seeing the moon signified the beginning of Ramadan. When everyone saw it they got giddy and kept pointing towards it. You can see the tiny silver of moon here:

That night my entire family went to mosque together (the women are only allowed to go during Ramadan). The men all prayed inside and the women and children in the courtyard. There I was, my head draped in a scarf out of respect, amidst a 100% Muslim group following their lead in prayer. It was an overwhelming feeling to have such an insiders view. It gave me chills to realize that I am truly living life in Senegal and being accepted into the community.

Fasting lasted about 3 days for me. I was waking up at 4am to have breakfast with my family and then didn't eat until breaking fast at 7:30 pm. It wasn't that bad not eating, but it's impossible to be active, which is crucial to my mental stability here. Fast-breaking with my family is not much, but it was especially enjoyable when I was fasting. The first day everyone broke fast together with bread and tea, laughing and excited to eat.

On day 4 of fasting, God knew I needed a break. Spence and I went to church at the home of a Catholic family near my village and there was a baptism with a party afterward. My day was the complete opposite of fasting. We cooked, danced, ate duck and drank palm wine. It was just like coffee and doughnuts except better, and now I have church buddies!

Love you all and hope things are well! Updates make me happy :o)