Wednesday, 1/10/07 email from Sam

Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 5:56 PM

This email was written but we could not send from the hotel in Ziguinchor

Pastor,

We are in Ziguinchor and using the wi fi at Le Flamboyant. The team is out to the market, then we will be going to the restaurant across the street.

Cindy has such a compassionate heart. She is doing a good job mothering the students ... she sets them down if necessary but is their champion as well.

Stopped at the school to take pictures of the classes. I gave Jean Pierre a pair of Bonnie's reading glasses. When Dave took his picture, he took them out and put them on!

We have not gotten done every thing that I wanted but we would always like to do more.

Opa Bas really wants us to come teach. Sansambaa really wants us to come do a medical clinic but give Bobo enough notice so that she can get friends to come hear the gospel. Block, the chief and his counselors (all but one are Mandinka) want the J film in Mandinka ... Fran said she will be ready probably in a month or so. I told them to see her because she spoke Mandinka ... we were trying to learn Manjaku and because we are old we cannot learn all the languages spoken in the village. Their solution was to learn Mandinka because every one speaks their language. I think that could be called "ethno-centric".

We have learned a lot about their culture. Ancestors play a VERY LARGE part of their traditional religion and one where the catholic church has been synchronistic.

My cough is still with me but getting better. Dave said that not only did they have to deal with my snoring but also with my coughing which has been a problem for the last two nights.

The one student, Ryan, who got sick on Monday night is doing better. He was eating a slim jim at the info gathering time. He did not eat the mafaa for lunch (rice with peanut sauce +++ served in a common bowl). Jean's cousin prepared it for us.

Not sure how the finances are going. Dave is handling that but feels that we have yet to go over budget in any of the areas. We will have to see.

I plan on seeing you at the 8 am service on Sunday before going down to FBC, Goodman.

Bro. Sam