Along with the holiday season, it is the season for weddings and baptisms here in Senegal! I had the opportunity to go to one of each, as well as spend time with my host family and experience their holiday traditions. On December 21, I went to the wedding of Pascal and Mamie. Pascal is the secretary of the Lutheran Church in Senegal, and I work with him in Fatick. Both of their father’s are Lutheran pastors, so the wedding was a big church event and people from all over Senegal came. One of my favorite wedding traditions here is that there is a specific fabric picked out for the wedding, and many people attending the wedding buy that fabric and make an outfit with it! The other YAGMs and I all made outfits with that fabric, as pictured. And of course, as any wedding has, great food. These wedding festivities go on for several days, and so food is provided for everyone staying around for those days – it seemed as though there were hundreds of people at this wedding – that’s a lot of food! As for the wedding itself, in the morning there was a service/ceremony where the two got married, then there was time to visit the bride and groom, eat lunch, and listen to music. The night ended with dancing and time to spend with friends.
A few weeks after, my host uncle’s baby was baptized, and my family and I went to the village to celebrate the baptism. Many of the festivities were similar to the wedding, with food and dancing and gifts. One thing special about the baptism is that the baby’s mother dressed up in a beautiful dress and walked around in a parade of sorts to greet everyone and take pictures.
I got to spend a lot of time with my family during the holidays, while I was off work. A few days before Christmas, me and my host siblings decorated the house for Christmas! I drew a Christmas tree, and they colored it and made many other little decorations to hang on the wall. My home church, Faith Lutheran Church in Flower Mound, also sent me a string of paper stockings with notes from the congregation. Of course, this became part of the decorations as well! On Christmas Eve, we had a special meal that we only have on special occasions, like birthdays and holidays. Then after dinner, we went to church for the Christmas Eve service. The service went until midnight, so it was Christmas by the time we left! Then, on Christmas Day, we cooked a big meal and shared food with people around the neighborhood. I cannot believe that this newsletter marks the halfway point through this year, but Fatickis really starting to feel like home to me! I’m so thankful for my friends and family here, especially during the holidays. And now, I’m looking forward to 2020 and the second half of my YAGM year!
My host siblings and friends decorating for Christmas 
The finished product!
With all the time I was home from work, and just free time in general, I have been reading so many great books! I have never been a big reader, but recently I’ve been devouring about a book per week or less. So I’ll leave you with this list of books I’ve read in the past couple of months, as well as some thoughts. Also, please send me your book recommendations!
God’s Bits of Wood (Ousmane Sembène) – this one made me even more aware of the effects of colonialism on Senegal and West Africa.
Pastrix (Nadia Bolz-Weber) – this one helped me understand more about who Jesus is to me and how grace works.
Wild (Cheryl Strayed) – this one was just fun, a great story and a great adventure. I relate to the writer in how she feels when she is alone, and her sense of purpose on her journey .
So Long A Letter (Mariama Bâ) – this one gave me an understanding of the role of women in society in Senegal and West Africa.
Dear Church (Lenny Duncan) – this one made me angry, in a good way.
The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) – this brought another perspective on slavery in colonial America. It follows the story of a young woman who was a slave and her journey to find freedom.
White Fragility (Robin DiAngelo) – this book took me a but longer to get through, but only because I took very extensive notes! If you are looking to dig deeper into systematic racism and what we can do as white people, you should read this book. The content in White Fragility is what us white people should have been learning since birth, rather than learning white superiority (subconsciously) due to socialization in a racist society.
Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi) – another book set in the time of colonialism, focusing on the effects both West Africa (Ghana) and America. Historical Fiction is my thing!
All The Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) – just started reading this one!
Sarah in Senegal 