Lent was always so confusing to me. I knew that it was the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, but . . . what was it? All I knew was that people gave up a lot of stuff, maybe because their New Year’s resolutions weren’t going so well. I don’t know. But recently I’ve come to see it as a time of reflection and preparation for Easter. In a way, this whole YAGM year in Senegal feels like Lent, in that I am taking time to reflect and connect with the world around me.

Lent was always so confusing to me. I knew that it was the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, but . . . what was it? All I knew was that people gave up a lot of stuff, maybe because their New Year’s resolutions weren’t going so well. I don’t know. But recently I’ve come to see it as a time of reflection and preparation for Easter. In a way, this whole YAGM year of mine feels like Lent, in that I am taking time to reflect and connect with the world around me.

There are a couple of things that I would like to share about how I am participating in Lent. The first is part of the ELCA Young Adult’s #NoPlasticsForLent challenge! I am so so so guilty of using an unnecessary amount of plastic, and it’s crazy just how easy it is to not think about how much plastic we are using or where it ends up. Especially where it ends up, because we don’t see that part. Every single plastic toothbrush you’ve ever used is probably still floating around in a landfill or ocean somewhere.

My goal for this season is to not buy anything with plastic. It has already proven kind of difficult, because it is 105°F during the day and sometimes I just want a nice, cold, frozen bissap treat! But this is made and sold in little plastic bags/cups. I think about every time I went to the grocery store and used plastic bags when checking out. I never thought it was a huge deal and wouldn’t blame myself too hard for forgetting my reusable bags. But this is the time where I’m forming good habits and dismantling the old. I’ve started to check my backpack and purse for my little reusable bag every time I leave my house, and I use it for everything! (I have my own mom to thank for this, she always used reusable bags!) 

Here are some easy replacements you can do that I am also starting:

1. Plastic bags/zip lock baggies reusable tote bags/washable food storage bags
2. Plastic water bottles Reusable water bottles
3. Plastic shower loofa natural sea sponge
4. Plastic toothbrush and floss bamboo toothbrush 
5. Plastic straws reusable metal straws
6. Plastic cling wrap reusable food storage wrap made of beeswax 
7. Plastic bottled soap bar soap
8. Plastic doggie bags biodegradable doggie bags
9. Tampons/pads reusable cloth pads/period underwear/menstrual cup
10. Individually wrapped coffee/tea bags loose coffee beans and tea leaves

In reality, some of these things are more inconvenient to buy or use than the plastic alternative. Wouldn’t it be easier if we didn’t have to wash out our reusable food bags, and we could just throw them away and grab a clean one? Yes probably. But it’s the diligence that we take and habits that we form that will make the difference in ourselves and in the environment. Most of the time, “the easy way out” is what stunts change and allows injustice to flourish. Wouldn’t it have been easier for Jesus to give into temptation during his 40 days in the desert?

This leads me to the next action I am taking during Lent: reading a devotional for dismantling white supremacy. Dismantling white supremacy—now that’s something that takes intentional action and inward work for all white people. There are many misconceptions about the label of “white supremacy;” it is not just for those radical and violent single acts of racism. It is, in fact, a system that has gained power because of its invisibility through our conditioning and socialization. It’s the assumed superiority of people defined and perceived as white, whiteness as the ideal and standard for global humanity, and a system that benefits those defined and perceived as white (White Fragility, pg. 28-30). 

Colonialism is one way white supremacy is still alive today, and I see it in effect every day here in Senegal. I instantly stand out because of my skin color, but in a very different way that many people of color do in America and other white-dominated places. Because of the color of my skin and the privilege that comes with it, I have the essential opportunity educate myself about racism, and then do some inner work and reflection. Because it is not peoples of color obligation to educate me, and race/racism is certainly not only reserved for people of color. Black would not exist without white. And whiteness doesn’t exist without white supremacy. 

With all that said, I think it is important to move past the white guilt and into action. We can educate ourselves. We can have conversations about racism with other white people (this is super important, since we white people tend to avoid race-talk!). We can have conversations with people of color, when they are willing to share. And all of this for our own sense of liberation and justice, not to “save” people of color. 

The one thing that has helped me the most, is education. Read books and reflect. Take extensive notes. Talk about those books with your friends. There are so many resources out there, and I have no excuse for not starting this inner work of myself earlier. 

This Lenten devotion for dismantling white supremacy (https://www.transformnetwork.org/bookstore) first focuses on recognizing and dismantling fear. Fear of change; an unconscious fear that white supremacy relies on. It might be easier if we just ignored racism and didn’t have to read a bunch of books. But the devotional asks this: “What would it mean for you to step out on faith this Lent, even in spite of the fear?” 

I strongly believe that these subjects (and all subjects) of injustice belong in conversations we have within the church. After all, Jesus was and is the ultimate advocate for the oppressed and does not remain silent to injustice. As Jesus walks in solidarity with us during this Lenten season, Jesus is there as we walk in solidarity with others. 

My favorite reading of the devotional thus far has this line: “silence is not the tool of justice.”

This Lent, I don’t want to be silent. Fasting isn’t just for food—I’m fasting from silence, from ease, from fear.

I’m fasting from plastic. Fasting from harming creation. Fasting from injustice. 

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!

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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!

Hey ya’ll it’s been a while! Last month I did send out my newsletter, which I will put on my blog as well. So go read that before this if you didn’t get the chance!

At the end of my newsletter, I mentioned some fun things that I was looking forward to. One of them was related to my work – teaching music! Part of my supervisor’s job is to go to the different Lutheran parishes around Senegal and teach them the new songs of the church. We went to Nioro back in October, and a few weeks ago we went to Mbour! Mbour is located along the coast, about an hour south of Dakar. The first thing I noticed when I got there was that I wans’t sweating, and it was only 85 out. It was magical. I was even cold at some points – thank you Texas for getting me acclimated! But the next thing I noticed was of course the hospitality, or teranga, of the people there. On special events, or even meetings and seminars, there is always really good food, special snacks, and special drinks. I even helped the women prepare the meal of Thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal and my favorite dish here! I finally learned what makes the rice so good: boiling the fish and veggies in water, then removing the fish and veggies and cooking the rice in the same water. But mostly, we were there to teach. We taught out of the book of children’s songs, and there are so many songs that have the same melody as songs I already know, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Mary Had a Little Lamb. This church had a keyboard, so I got to break out my piano skills (just kidding, I only played the melody and chords). When we had free time, I taught some of the people there new chords on the guitar, piano basics, and strum patterns. In exchange, I learned new rhythms on drum and how to play the guitar the Senegalese way, but very simply. Whenever I travel to another city, most of the people do not speak Serer. But people in the church do, so I get to practice that as well!

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For those times I don’t use Serer, I’ve learned some basic Wolof words (Wolof is the most common spoken language in Senegal) and I’ve used my French. I’ve talked about speaking French on my blogs before, but let’s recap: I took French in high school and college, and I’m learning it here because my Serer tutor doesn’t speak English. I feel pretty confident with speaking French now, I can usually get the general idea of what people are saying if I don’t understand everything. Recently, 2 people on 2 separate occasions asked me if I was French after having a conversation with them, so I guess that’s a good sign! Also, thank you to Mme. Denton, my high school French teacher, for all of the little songs you taught me to remember conjugations! I still remember them!

Throughout my YAGM year, the YAGM Senegal cohort will have 3 retreats together. We just had our first one over Thanksgiving week in Saint Louis (located on the coast, really far north)! St. Louis also had pretty cool weather, which was a nice change while Fatick was still in the 100s. It is a big tourist town, which was strange since there are very few toubabs here in Fatick. We did get to participate in some tourist-y things, such as going to the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary. The land there was mostly mangroves that connect to the Senegal River, and all of the birds had started their migration to the south for the winter. The most amazing sight was the pelicans that owned their own island! They also had flamingos, herons, and something called a “snake bird” (it had a normal name but I like snake bird). We also got a tour of St. Louis and some free time to explore. St. Louis has a large fishing industry, where the fish gets shipped all over Senegal and even the world. On the island of St. Louis, everyone’s job is to fish. We saw the large stretch of beach where they dry the fish, as well as them loading hundreds of pounds of fish into large trucks of ice for transport. St. Louis is also full of history. It was a center for slave trade and where the first school and Catholic church of the western coast of Africa were established by the toubabs.

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When we were not out exploring, we were hanging out at the house we stayed in or cooking our meals. We had a lot of conversations about the two books we had been reading, Waking Up White and African Friends and Money Matters, we had worship, we sang songs, we talked in English, and we had Bible studies. Our Bible studies were based on the season of Advent and waiting. We talked about how we wait for God and how other people wait with us, especially the people we have met in Senegal. Right after this retreat, I started reading (and finished reading in 4 days) Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber. She also talks a lot about waiting, and ways that God showed up in her life unexpectedly. One thing that she wrote really stuck with me: “The movement in our relationship to God is always from God to us. Always. We can’t, through our piety or goodness, move closer to God. God is always coming near to us. Most especially in the Eucharist and in the stranger” (pg. 49). WOW! The reason this stuck out to me was because a pastor in Senegal recently told me the same thing and had this idea in a song that he wrote for the church. Since it’s popping up everywhere, it must mean something. I’ve never really made this connection before, but I definitely experience God through people. Whether we’re singing, talking, listening, helping, laughing – often in the most unexpected ways. This is a perfect example of how God comes to us and lives in our hearts, even if we have to wait to know what it means. I’m so thankful for the people of Senegal and my YAGM cohort for showing me God through our relationships, especially while cooking a Thanksgiving meal together!

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The time is flying by here in Fatick, and so much has happened in the past couple months! I am becoming more and more familiar with Fatick and the way of life here, but still I learn something new every day. I’m learning to take time to enjoy being with people and overcoming that feeling that I need to be in a rush or be somewhere, when I really don’t. Planning ahead and worrying about the future are less important in Senegal – relationships take precedence. For example, we had a seminar on QuickBooks last month in the accounting department. It was said to start at 8, but instead people started showing up around 8:30, then we ate breakfast and chatted, then eventually settled down to start the seminar. There was a schedule of events, but I think the best way to explain schedules here is that they are more of a to-do list than a strict order of events at certain times. Going off on tangents in meetings have always stressed me out a little bit, and this meeting was no exception. I always have to ask myself, “what am I in a hurry for?” and “why is it so important that we stay on schedule?” I didn’t have anywhere to be, but for some reason I felt in a rush. Moments like this are helping me slow down a little bit, and really take time to build relationships rather thanfocusing so much on work. The work always gets done, but the path getting there is not always straight. Plans and certainty are very Westernized concepts, and we are not so used to when things don’t go according to plan (I know I’m not). But what’s more important: the plan, or the people you are with?

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Another exciting thing at work was getting to travel to Nioro (about 2 hours south of Fatick) with my supervisor in the music and liturgy department, Nicolas. Part of his job includes traveling to the different Lutheran parishes and teaching the new music. We spent 3 days in Nioroteaching music and building fellowship with the pastor of the parish, Pastor Moïse, and his family. During the teaching sessions, I helped by being able to read the music and sing out loud since not many people read music and only learn the songs by hearing them. Even though I struggled through reading the songs in Serer, Wolof, and Puhlar (3 of the languages spoken in Senegal), my Senegalese friends were able to help me on that end. I even got to teach some songs myself, by singing and playing the chords on the guitar. The pastor’s son also wanted to learn more chords on the guitar, which I gladly helped with in exchange for him teaching me some rhythms on the drum. I have always thought of music as a “universal language.” No matter where I am or what languages are spoken, we can all connect through music. I believe that God has given us the gift of music for so many reasons, one of them being to connect with people across cultures. I may not know exactly what I’m saying when I sing in Serer, but we are still all singing together and that’s pretty neat.

Being a guest at the church and at Pastor Moïse’s house, I experienced teranga at it’s best. The word teranga is a Wolof word for the hospitality and selflessness that Senegalese people show to guests. Often, this is shown by sharing meals and attaya (tea). The host always makes sure you have enough to eat and drink and a place to sit, and Pastor Moïse and his family were such gracious hosts. I have also experienced teranga in my everyday life in Fatick, such as strangers offering me seats as I wait for the bus, picking up friends in the car on the way to the market/work, my supervisor giving me rides home from work, being invited over to eat meals at my neighbors’ houses, and even getting to stay in Nioro for free because the owner of the place we stayed was friends with Pastor Moiïe. Teranga means going to great lengths to make sure the guest is comfortable and always happy. 

When I’m not at work, I try to find things to do to fill my time. Usually, I will play games and hang out with my host siblings at home, and the past two weekends have been filled with some other fun activities. There was a Weekend des Jeunes (youth/young adult weekend) in Gandiaye, filled with singing, dancing, and great food. I also got to see some of the other YAGMs for the first time since we left for our site placements! At home, my host siblings taught me how to do the Serer dance, and I got to test out my skills during this weekend as well. Just this past weekend, my fellow YAGM Charlie, who lives in Foundiougne very close to me, came to visit and go to church in Fatick. We spent the morning in the market looking like lost toubabs, but received some much needed help from some of the women selling things when we were looking to buy fans. We hung out at the house, played Uno with the kids, had a jam session at night, went to church in the morning, then ate lunch at the house of one of the women who works with Charlie in Foundiougne, Janette. Janette’s husband is also a pastor, and he has written some hymns for the church and will actually bespending a year writing about the history of the Lutheran Church in Senegal/Africa. It was great getting to talk with them about Senegal and work and practicing our language skills. Once again, another great example of teranga and the hospitality that people show here, often in the way of sharing a meal!

In the next couple of months, I’m looking forward to so many things! I will be traveling a lot, such as (hopefully) to Mbour for more teaching music, going to St. Louis for our first YAGM retreat, and visiting Charlie in Foundiougne. It is also wedding season, and we get to go to the wedding of the secretary for the Lutheran Church of Senegal, Pascal. But mostly, I’m looking forward to all of the relationship building!

It’s been over a month since I’ve been in Fatick, and about 2 months in Senegal total! The time has gone by so quickly, and it feels like I just got here yesterday and still have so much to learn. Things at work are starting to pick up, but it’s slow to the start. In the accounting department, I have done some filing and organizing, and just attended a seminar on QuickBooks. Luckily for me the software is in English, but I still don’t know much about accounting. I’ll stick to the organizing! Now that the school year has begun, the choirs are starting up again. Very soon I will get to go work with some of the choirs around the area with my supervisor in the music department! I have also been observing some of the recording that is done in the recording studio here at the center. Once I get better at speaking Serer, I will be able to record a bible passage in Serer for the broadcast! I tried to read it last week, but it was a bit rocky. I have also started back up with Serer lessons here in Fatick with my tutor, Leopold. He doesn’t speak any English, so it’s basically like I’m learning Serer and re-learning French at the same time! 

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I feel very comfortable in my neighborhood, and I love walking around and even going on runs. I really actually don’t like straight running; I prefer running when there is a purpose. In ultimate frisbee, the purpose is to get to the frisbee and score a point. At camp when we play pandemic, the goal is to chase and strike fear into the hearts of the high schoolers. I have to give myself a purpose, or else I won’t do it. Running here, my purpose is to simply move. At work, I do a lot of sitting all day long – in contrast to what my work was back home at camp. Now I needed something to get me moving, and there just happens to be a beautiful red road that goes on for a couple of miles right behind my house! First of all, running with a view like this is much easier than running at home (sorry Flower Mound, Tx). And secondly, it really allows me to turn my brain off for a second, because I’m simply too tired to think that much. I’ve mentioned before that it is hard for me to be in the moment; I’m constantly thinking about what I’m going to do next. This is especially true in Senegal, where I’m not used to the culture being very laid back and relationship-focused. Running helps me focus on the now, since I’m basically too tired to think about anything else (I’m not a runner y’all). 

I have also been searching for my purpose here on my YAGM year. My dad would say, “What’s your goal? Your purpose?” for anything I do. And now I find myself asking the same question! I have no idea what my purpose is, and I may not know for a while, and I’ve accepted that it’s okay to not know. God has shown me many things in my life, and a lot of them I didn’t learn from until much later. If I’m here and focusing on the present, then I can truly enjoy this experience. I’m now reading the book African Friends and Money Matters by David E. Maranz. I am assigned to read and teach the chapter regarding the use of resources and friendship, and it states that Africans tend to not plan for the long term, but instead use the available resources for things that are happening now. This is because they would rather have an enjoyable experience now, rather than worry about what happens next (this does not apply to ALL Africans, some do indeed plan for the future). This may seem crazy to Americans, and especially me because I’m always thinking about the future. But Africans insist this is the best way – because of the interdependent society. We Americans live in an individualistic world and are constantly thinking “what can I do next that will benefit me” and “I have to save now so I can have things for the future.” But in Africa, the “banking” system is borrowing resources from friends and relatives, and one day you can return the favor to them. It makes sense the more I about it and when I see how people here are very dependent on one another. I think I can learn a thing or two about asking for help.

Lastly, going on these runs has allowed me to become comfortable with the community and talk to people along the way. I pass a lot of people on the road I run on, usually kids that scream “TOUBAB!” But I always make sure to greet people I pass, and sometimes stop and have a conversation in French or Serer. Not only does this help me practice greeting and talking in a different language, but it helps me slow down for a second. At first, I would be slightly annoyed when people wanted to keep on the conversation because it was messing up my running. But now, especially when I’m really tired of running and need a break, I love these opportunities to talk to people along the way. I even see some of the same people now, who always say hello. It’s hard to imagine me running back home and stopping to say hello to every person I pass, and perhaps that’s why it’s easier for me to run here. Anyways, that’s all that’s going on for now! Thoughts and prayers for peace of mind and the whole running thing (we’ll see if I actually stick with it). Also, I finished reading Waking Up White and I cannot stress this enough: READ THIS BOOK!

Bonjour friends and family and welcome to my first blog post on my first blog ever! I am writing to you from Dakar, Senegal, where we are staying at a guest house while we have orientation for a few weeks. Here I have answered some questions that y’all have asked me about my year-long journey, and feel free to continue to ask questions that I can answer on my blog!

Question: Where is Senegal?

Answer: On the north-west coast of Africa. The capital city, Dakar, is actually the western most point of Africa. Senegal is not very big, roughly about the size of Colorado, and Senegal’s time zone is only about 5 hours ahead of Texas. 

Q: What will you be doing in Senegal for a year?

A: According to the church, I am a missionary, but what I am doing is more along the lines of volunteer work. I will be living with and walking alongside the community in accompaniment, so I can learn what it’s like to live in Senegal. I am working in the Église Luthérienne du Sénégal (Lutheran Church of Senegal) in Fatick, Senegal. I will be working in the Christian Resources Office (Music & Liturgy), the Finance & Accounting Department, and the Women’s Advancement & Vocational Formation Center as needed (twice/year). This placement has been chosen for me by my amazing country coordinator in Senegal, Pastor Kristin Engstrom and the site director in Fatick. They were working to figure out where all of us in Senegal would fit best in each city and site placement this past summer, and I am so excited to start!

Q: Where will you be living?

A: I will be living with a host family in Fatick, but I am not sure who the family is quite yet. Fatick is located along the Sine-Saloum River delta in central Senegal.

Q: What language do they speak in Senegal?

A: The colonial language is French, and most people speak French (at least they do in Dakar). The other two common local languages that we will be learning are Wolof and Serer. I will be learning Serer starting this week, and will continue to practice my French! I’ve gotten to use quite a bit of my French since I’ve been here, and it’s slowly coming back to me!

Q: Will you have access to Wi-Fi to communicate with friends and family back home?

A: Short answer is, occasionally yes! Right now we are in orientation in Dakar, and I have much more access to Wi-Fi than I probably will in Fatick. I will definitely be able to communicate with friends and family back home who wish to, but I also want to spend as much time as I can with the community and technology can often interfere with community building, so I will be using it sparingly. That’s why I have this blog! 

Q: What’s the weather/climate like there?

A: Although Senegal is a costal country, the majority of the country is desert. There are about three months of rainy season (August-October) and then it’s hot, dry, and sunny! The temperature ranges year-round from 65-95 degrees, which is great for me since I love the Texas heat! It’s slightly warmer in Fatick than it is in Dakar, since it is farther from the coast. 

Q: Is it safe?

A: Senegal is overall a very safe country. Things happen, just as they do in the USA, but the community is very supportive and the ELCA has experience with all types of global security situations. The YAGM program has been around for 20 years, and there’s a reason that it’s still around! 

Q: What does “accompaniment” mean?

A: This mostly a question I have been asking myself over the past few months and will continue to ask myself this year. We talked about what accompaniment means during orientation, so here are some of the ways it was described to us:

• A photographic negative of colonial Christianity
• Partnership, as opposed to imposing
• The ELCA only goes to countries that ask for volunteers, rather than coming in unannounced and unwanted
• Everything that we will be doing here, besides just our volunteer work, is a product of relationships that will be made
• This is not MY mission, but it’s God’s mission that we are all a part of 
• Walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. In this walk, gifts, resources, and experiences are shared with mutual advice and admonition to deepen and expand our work within God’s mission.
• God’s mission is RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS

What does this mean to me? It means that I hope to be putting into practice what I have heard so many times and in so many different ways in my life – to love God and love people, and that it’s all about relationships (shout out to Pastor Rusty!). It’s not my mission, and it’s not about me “helping out” the communities here. It’s about learning and forming relationships by living alongside the people of Senegal. 

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

http://support.elca.org/goto/sarah_weaver

http://support.elca.org/goto/sarah_weaver

I am so excited to have accepted the opportunity to serve as a Young Adult in Global Mission volunteer in Senegal starting in August. I will be one of more than 70 young adults serving on behalf of the ELCA in 11 different country programs around the world!

As part of accepting this call, I am asked to raise at least $5,000. Please help me reach my goal by supporting my fundraising efforts with a donation today. Through your donation, you join me on this journey as I grow in my own faith and walk in partnership with our global companions. I am thrilled to think about the ways in which this year will form and transform me.

Thank you for joining me and for your support – every gift truly matters! 

About Young Adults in Global Mission

The ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program provides young adults, ages 21-29, the opportunity to grow in their faith and work in partnership with our global companions. Young adults in the program serve in churches, schools and social service ministries. Currently the program is engaged in work in Argentina/Uruguay, Australia, Cambodia, Central Europe, Jerusalem/West Bank, Madagascar, Mexico, Rwanda, Senegal, Southern Africa and the United Kingdom.

The total cost for one young adult in the program is $15,000. Each young adult is tasked with raising a minimum of $5,000 to help support their year of service. The ELCA commits to raising the additional $10,000 per volunteer through generous congregations and donors. If more than $5,000 in gifts is received, the additional funds will be help to support other young adult volunteers and ensure that there is a sustainable source of revenue for future the Young Adults in Global Mission program.

I absolutely cannot wait to work and live in accompaniment with the people in Senegal, and I will be sure to keep y’all updated throughout the year!