Busy Bees....

So all the ladies are currently sitting at Joanna's house without Paul or Bob or Joanna. They are going over to the Women's Training Center to pick some things up for camp. Then they are heading to camp to set up for camp. We are here sitting, cutting, prepping arts and crafts supplies for tomorrow. Cutting fabric for those tie pillows, working on hemp bracelets.
We are having a great time here, but it isn't a vacation. We all have things to do. Joanna can't do anything for us because she needs to get all of these things done for camp tomorrow. So the women are making dinner later, I'm incharge of sorting laundry and putting them on the closeline, etc. Which of course everyone had to take a picture of....haha.
We had some chicken yassa for lunch. WONDERFUL. Joanna had made it for us back in the states. But Joanna's househelper made it because we were at the Women's Training Center all morning. I bought a really nice outfit that they had made there.
I'm excited for camp and what God has instore for us to come. "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city".

God Bless!
P.S. I went to the bread box this morning by myself and got bread! Yay!

Jamm Rekk (Peace only)

So all is good here. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while...we've been so busy, but its a good busy! The first day I was saying we were going to the fabric market, where we all got outfits. I love mine soo much! But a lot of 'tu bobs' aka white people, attracts attention. So we were constantly followed by people, with them asking us to buy this and buy that. Don't get me wrong, these people aren't pushy aggressive, but this is how they make a living. Just think Cowtown with people following you everywhere. But the best part for a lot of us was the "Joanna and Feuline bartering show". Joanna and Feuline are really good at bartering down prices. Since we were tu bobs, they start the price really high in hopes we'd buy.
Later the next day we started the five hour van drive, van COMPLETELY full to capacity of suitcases and people. I was up in the front row between Joanna and Barbara. We had a blast laughing and singing, which made the five hour drive feel less. Let me tell you that this van is a stickshift van. Joanna does an amazing job driving around these towns. If you think US city traffic is bad, you should drive through here. Beeping the horn is a common thing to do to anyone.
We just got back from an AMAZING experience. We had the opportunity to bring 45 school boxes full of items to a French-Islamic school. How God opened this door between our Christian group and this group, still blows are mind on what God has in store for us.
I apologize for not blogging a lot. I'm on the computer now...duh. But many others are showering and getting things ready for the camp. Arts and Crafts prep work is taking a lot of our time. Bob and Dad are doing a lot of house things for Joanna, like putting up fans, fixing screens, lightbulbs, etc.

Hopefully I'll post later...but until then. God Bless.
P.S. One month until I'm at Messiah!!!!! =D

Posting from Dakar!

So right now, Brea and I are sitting in the "lobby" of our hotel. We're here, safe, in Senegal. There was no problems getting on or off of the plane. We thought we might have problems with 'porters' who try and take your bags and put them in a taxi for you and you have to pay them...but thank goodness we didn't deal with any! It is about 7:45 here and 70 degrees. It is wonderful compared to the weather in the US at the moment. We are going to go out and get breakfast from the bakery around the street soon and then head to the fabric market.

Did I mention that Barbara is the only one who has gotten any decent sleep from the plane ride and here?

Update later...hopefully!
God Bless!

Its Really Here!!!!

So tomorrow is the day we have all been planning for a year. I'm basically done packing. I have a list of about three items that I need to pack in the morning. I have been on malaria pills for two days now. Aka. Doxycycline Cyclate = Horse pills. I'd take pills over shots any day!!! I've been going through my room cause I'm always so afraid that I'm gonna forget something vital. So we're meeting at church tomorrow at 10am. Which means I'll be up at the crack of dawn cause I'm so hyper. Here on out...its all skirts and flipflops :) A lot of people ask, but here's tomorrow's plan. We leave by 10:30am. We have a three hour van drive down to Dulles Internation Airport in Washington, D.C. We check in early cause its an international flight. Our non-stop (woo!) flight is at 5:40pm. We arrive in Dakar, Senegal at 5:00am, their time. Which means it is 1:00am where all you are. (Except Katie, you'll still be in Friday. Haha, love you roomie!) Okay here's the rest of our trip because many have asked what we are doing. And it is great to pray for us for specific events. 

Fri/Sat- Flight

Saturday- Dakar: Arrive, rest, fabric shopping (yay!)

Sunday- Dakar, then heading to Saint Louis

Monday & Tuesday- Meeting with people, prepping for camp

Wednesday-Saturday- CAMP!! (Thursday is Brea's birthday!!)

Sunday- Church in Saint Louis, beach, packing for Dakar

Monday (my birthday!!) - back to Dakar, shopping, dinner

Mon/Tues- Flight 

Tuesday- Home in the US at 6am! (your time)

Don't forget that the group will be speaking at all three services (8:30, 9:50, 11:00am) on Sunday, August 22.

Thank you for all your prayers and help!! I will keep everyone posted.

God Bless!!

Surreal...

Honestly, this whole week is surreal. Can someone pinch me? (not really!) Just looking back. A year ago we were talking about this trip...and now it is only two days away. I really think that I'm gonna be in for a cultural shock...but I'm excited. I love learning about different cultures. So I have been hugged many many times this week. I have been told not to get married, not get AIDS, to come back alive, basically everything you'd expect when you say you're going to Africa. I love my music loving friends because they actually know what a djembe is! DJEMBE = Amy's birthday present. I'm very excited.

This past week has been an emotional week...I've had every emotion there is about this trip. I honestly don't know what to expect. I've reread all of the papers that Joanna has given us. I am two or three things away from being completely packed. Which isn't until Friday morning.

Okay...so everyone knows, this is whats happening Friday. We are meeting at TUMC at 10am. Then we're heading out to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. by a 15 passenger van. It's a three hour drive. Then we have a 6pm flight. We get into Dakar, Senegal, the capital, about 5am. We'll be in Dakar for a day or two before heading up to St. Louis, which is where Joanna lives, the camp will be held, and a five hour van drive.

My theme song for this whole mission trip is Chris Tomlin's "God of the City". One of the best songs he's done...especially cause praise band does it amazingly, if I don't say so myself.

There is no one like our God.

 For greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.

One Week! Gah! Exciting!

So the title is what it says....the mission trip is one week away. Wow! It just felt like it was 6 months ago, when we were all planning things out, just waiting for this time to come. Now it is here! That is one of the biggest blood rushes a person could get. This past Wednesday, we all gathered at the Beske's house with the daunting task to pack everything we had...and it was a lot. It filled up a lot of the living room! So with the 50 lb maximum limit, our challenge was on. We had a great time doing it. Who knew that taking all the little plastic and cardboard off of many things would save us room! We packed all seven suitcases to 49.5 to 49.7lbs. We need to take advantage of the space we have. We do have some of small things in our personal bags, but that is the least that we all can do.
Tomorrow we get commissioned for this mission trip. The second one that Trinity is supporting this year. It is really kicking in that next Sunday we will be with Joanna in Dakar, Senegal. Eeeh! This is so exciting! I feel so blessed to be going on this trip. On the trip we will be having two birthdays!! Brea's is July 29th and mine is August 2nd! (any rumors of my arranged marriage and wedding is completely untrue!) 
I'm working on packing my own suitcase at the moment. I never realized how well skirts and shirts pack. If you roll them up into tight rolls, they only take up 1/4 of my suitcase. How I wish my room could be as organized as my suitcase. Between college shopping and Senegal packing, my room is completely messy, yet I still know where most things are. And just normal life makes my room very interesting to maneuver.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7

These two verses are showing my attitude is about the preparation for this trip and the trip itself. Below, I've attached a picture of the group going over.

God Bless!

[From left to right. Top Row: Kelly Slobodjian, Debbie Clift, Bob Beske, Paul Melson. Bottom Row: Barbara Beske, Brea Slobodjian, Amy Melson]