From Lindstrom to Linguere

I don’t know how blogging got away from me, but here I am! Amidst scorpions, camel spiders, and 100-degree weather. Don’t worry, I’ve only encountered 2 of those 3 things so far, but I have already lost sleep worrying about the day I do encounter a camel spider. All joking aside, I am very glad to have made it safely to Linguere and have been here for about 2 weeks now. There has been a lot of adjusting thus far.

All in all, I have been gone from home for a month and a half now, which feels very surreal. This journey began (in full swing), on August 14th, when I departed from Lindstrom to Chicago. For just over a week, I remained in Chicago for our YAGM orientation. We were housed at a University of Chicago dorm and held our daily sessions at the Lutheran and School of Theology at Chicago. It was a time to intentionally reflect on some of the big themes we will encounter this year. Through morning devotions, discussions, sessions, small group sessions, and evening worship we were able to reflect on topics like race, power & privilege, gender, interfaith dialogue, and more.

Here's the Young Adults in Global Mission 2018-2019 crew! Sorry I don't have the space to name all you lovely humans.

There was a lot of anticipation throughout Chicago orientation. We all had different experiences to wonder about, especially considering we were all being sent to about a dozen different countries. It was wonderful getting to share that time with an amazing 75+ other YAGMs. We asked each other to be challenged and vulnerable, comforted one another about our anxieties, and managed to have a lot of fun as well, despite it being a week of high emotions. I’d like to say a quick thank you to anyone who had a hand in Chicago Orientation: from fellow YAGMs, Global Mission staff, session leaders, etc. You all made it a great week to start this year.

From Chicago, I traveled to Dakar, Senegal with the other 5 members of my country cohort. Though it was a full 24 hours of travelling, it could not have gone more smoothly, and for that we were all grateful. Pastor Kristin, our country coordinator, awaited us at the airport and brought us to our lodging in Hann Mariste (a neighborhood of Dakar).

In-country orientation was absolutely packed with information and was a good transition from Chicago to our site placements. After having the morning to sleep in, we began with a walk around the neighborhood. There was so much to take in, from buildings which look different from home, palm rather than pine trees, a fair number of dirt roads (even in an urban place), and of course the heat. Sweat rags have become my new best friend. : )

That first morning also consisted of – something very important in Senegal – lots and lots of greetings! Senegalese people understand the importance of recognizing a person and respecting them by taking the time to greet them. Though we had not yet learned the greetings in any of the local languages – Wolof, Serer, or Pular – we were able to meet people in French. Pastor Kristin was also graciously willing to help us translate a lot of the time she was with us.

One of the first things we experienced was the Senegalese value of teranga. Teranga means hospitality, and the Senegalese are exceptional at it! I am never really worried that I will not be taken care of here. While we sat to wait for Pastor Kristin to run a quick errand on our walk around Hann Mariste, our Senegalese guide and friend stacked some cinder blocks on each other in the shade to make some seats for us. Gestures like this are like second nature to the Senegalese, and I marvel in the beauty of this value every day I am here. Here in Linguere, I experience it in the meals my temporary host family prepares for me daily, and the fact that a host family is willing to take me (a stranger) in for a year. That is such a bold, and impressive gesture of hospitality. Teranga is especially clear at the dinner table (which, more often than not, is actually on a mat on the floor). The host always prepares more than enough food for the people sitting at the table so that even if unexpected guests drop by, no one will leave the bowl hungry. Now that I mention the bowl, that is another big difference in the way Senegalese meals are served. There are not individual plates and utensils for each person, but the group gathers around a large bowl to share the meal together. Everyone stays in their own area of the bowl to respect others and make sure they get enough. The goodies in the center of the bowl (meat, veggies, etc.), are shared by all and distributed by the host. Thus far, I have heard a lot of people say “Lekkal!” which is a command meaning “Eat!” So everyone makes sure I am not going hungry.

Our first traditional Senegalese meal! Yassa (a sauce of caramelized onions) and ceeb (pronounced "cheb," which is rice) are both commonly found in Senegalese dishes.

Orientation in Dakar also included teaching some basic life skills needed here in Senegal. One of which was how to make purchases at buutiks (corner stores with everything from eggs, onions, laundry soap, and phone credit). At a minimum, this means knowing how to politely greet the jaaykat (Wolof for salesperson), request what you would like in French or Wolof, and handle the money.

We also learned how to do laundry Senegalese-style during orientation. There is a set of very specific instructions for how laundry is done here, and I have not yet received too many critiques for how I am doing – though I hear that’s common from previous Senegal YAGMs. So far, I have actually found that doing laundry by hand allows for a couple hours of sitting in the shade in peace, which has been lovely. We will see if I tire of it more as the year goes on.

Albert and Mado taught us how to do laundry in true Senegalese fashion. I believe I was asking a question here, something I have gotten quite good at already.

Of course, another large portion of orientation in Dakar was language classes. We took classes for about 2 weeks (a couple hours per day) at the Baobab Center, where they also gave us a cultural orientation the first day we attended. Our teachers, and the entire staff there, were wonderful! They were so glad to help us practice greetings in Wolof or Serer, and were always smiling. Some days learning Wolof was great. Other days it was really stressful. So far, I’ve struggled feeling like I don’t know enough Wolof, and I think that is something I will continue to struggle with throughout the year. It’s really tough to be learning this as I go, but knowing that the more I know, the more I’ll be able to form relationships with people. I have been reminded of the meaning even nonverbal communication can hold here, but I also am excited for the day when I can really hold conversations with people in Wolof, because I’ll be able to get to know them so much better. For now, I will continue to appreciate the patience and understanding people try to have with me as I keep learning.

Before we left orientation, we also went through the process of having a Senegalese outfit made for each of us. Step 1 in this process is purchasing fabric, which we did while visiting a large fabric market in Dakar. Once this was done, and we had an idea about the design we had in mind for our outfit, we met with Pastor Kristin’s tailor (or, nowkat, in Wolof). The men had boubous made, and the women had dresses made. So far, I have worn my Senegalese dress to church, and people have loved seeing me in Senegalese clothing. Their excitement to see me partaking in this part of their culture has given me a sense of belonging, which I really appreciate. Kristin’s tailor really did a beautiful job in making all of our outfits, especially because he did so in only a week!

During our second week of orientation, we spent a few days at a Evangelical Lutheran Church of Senegal young adult camp a few hours away from Dakar. This was a lovely escape from the city, especially as camp was right on the ocean. It also allowed for us to meet some young adults in the church, and really immerse ourselves in Senegalese culture. We got to eat meals around the bowl, partake in Bible studies, and listen to sessions about the young adults’ roles in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Senegal (ELS). Though it was rather exhausting (this was our first time being surrounded constantly by people who speak mostly Serer or French), it was amazing to get to hear about what these people consider important topics for their church and their country, and to get to hang out with them.

Otherwise, orientation held a lot of intentional conversations and getting to know one another in our cohort. We discussed what it means to be American young adults here in Senegal, how to support one another throughout this year, and so much more. We also got to have fun being competitive while playing Spot-It, and making dinners with each other (if you know me, you’ll know I was so happy to get to be in a kitchen). I appreciate the ways we, as a cohort, have already challenged and upheld one another.

And now, here I am. Orientation seemed like it was over as quickly as it had begun, marking one month away from home. Linguere is so different from orientation, and there have been both joys and challenges in the two weeks I have had here. For now, I will consider this long update on how orientations enough for you all. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and stay updated on how my year is going. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to send me an email. I can’t promise a fast response (sometimes it’s tough to get to Wi-Fi), but I will respond. I hope all is well with all of you. Whether you are in Lindstrom, Linguere, or somewhere in-between, peace to you!