Glimpses of Dakar

We arrived in Dakar (dah-car), Senegal, today, and we really like it so far! It's surrounded by the ocean on three sides, so there's lots of pretty views and great breezes.

Today someone took us on a tour of the city and showed us important places like grocery stores, beaches and mission offices. Now we should be able to find our way around using taxis, and we're looking forward to doing some more exploring on our own.

Here are a few glimpses of what we saw today:

Mosque on the beach. We were told the population of Dakar is 97% or 98% Muslim, so there's lots of Islamic influence here.

Lebou fisherman. The Lebou (lay-boo), one of the ethnic groups here in Senegal, are well known for their fishing skills.

The little restaurant that provided dinner. It wouldn't beat Papa Johns in a taste test, but an 8-minute wait for two pizzas to go is not a bad deal (especially in Africa, where food service is often sloooowww).

As we visit Dakar over the next 10 days, please be in prayer for us ...

... that we'll develop good relationships with the people we meet. We will probably come here fairly frequently, since lots of missionaries live and work in this area.

... that we'll be an encouragment to those we spend time with, whether by providing a listening ear, a word of encouragment, a fresh perspective, or just someone to laugh and hang out with.

... that we'll have a good balance of work and play. The last few weeks have been pretty stressful and we're feeling the need for a "vacation," but at the same time there are some projects that must continue to be worked on. In my mind, traveling is supposed to be fun, not work, so it will be a challenge to find that balance between being a "tourist" and being on a "business trip."