Our family had the privilege this summer of travelling for three weeks. We spent the first in Cyprus at a resort for a conference. While the amenities were luxurious in many ways (A/C, pools, someone else cooking and cleaning everything etc.), there were also similarities to Senegal as far as heat, power outages now and again, no access to certain types of food and a major language barrier (worse here since we can at least communicate in French in Senegal).
Our following two weeks however were spent in Denmark and Sweden where English is spoken by almost everyone, the weather is cool, many of the foods we miss are plentifully available, craft coffee is a staple, green spaces and parks (AND DISC GOLF!!) are abundant, walking around, biking and public transportation are all super accessible (we stayed in capital cities) and everything is SO clean!
There were moments of longing for some of these things and moments of grieving our kids getting to explore nature or walk down a street with ease. Adam reveled in his cool weather runs to amazing places around Copenhagen and Stockholm. I relished having windows open to fresh, crisp air and the ability to cook in a cool kitchen with ingredients I miss. The trip actually brought on a lot of homesickness for me and longing for our family in Michigan as well which I wasn’t expecting.
Mixed with these emotions though, and overwhelming them, were feelings of deep gratitude. What a gift it is to live in Senegal and be growing in our understanding of the people and culture! And as an extension to that work, what a gift to then explore and experience three more cultures and countries! One day Mia figured out that at 6 years old she has already been to 10 countries! What a gift to be a part of an agency that prioritizes member care and allows time for conferences which strive to encourage, refresh and bring unity to it’s members. What a gift to have so many people and churches on our support team, invested in our family and the things God is doing in West Africa.
By the time we were wrapping up and heading home we felt that we had been thoroughly refreshed and, though a bit apprehensive about returning to the dust, heat and noise of Dakar, were ready to be home.
On that note, a cool story. We have often commented on the smell we encountered the first time we visited Senegal in 2020. As soon as we stepped off the plane it hit us. It wasn’t a bad smell, just a very distinct one. We’ve come to learn that it’s the smell of the dust in the air. As happens when you live anywhere, smells like this become a part of life and you don’t notice them anymore. When we got back home from this trip, however, we were again struck with that smell. The first time we experienced it, it was new, unfamiliar and strange. This time, however, it brought feelings of peace and comfort. We were home. This in itself is an answer to so many prayers. Senegal, especially as a location for ministry, is not an easy place to be, but it is where God has called us to be and it is home. We are so excited to be here and to see what He has in store in the months and years to come.
-Selina