the month of the flies

The month October is known as the month of the flies here in the desert, and I can certainly attest to that. There are flies everywhere – the hum of their buzzing wings is a consistent background noise growing stronger with each day that furthers October. I told my English students that the flies will often fly right into my eyes. They said it’s because these flies have never seen blue eyes like mine and so they fly right in to check it out. I laughed – they’re gonna have to come up with a better excuse then that for me to like flies. Apart from the flies, there aren’t too many other bugs here except for these little white lizard looking bugs - which aren’t even worth freaking out over, because there’s nothing we can do about them anyway. I have only seen one cockroach (it was on me!!!) – probably because I refuse to go into the squatty potty at night after the stories I’ve heard of creatures that lurk in the dark. I have however, seen mice! I think they fly. I saw one go into the kitchen at the English center on one of my first days here and flipped just a little. Now the cook, Laharag, and the driver, Sidahmed, love to yell mouse in Hassanyia or ‘el cook a roch ah’ and throw things or sneak up behind me so I think it’s a bug or a mouse. For those of you waiting for a bug story – I’ve got one for ya. I called home last Wednesday right about the time Crave was about to start so I could say hi to everyone. Apparently I was standing on a very large and in charge ant hill and discovered this when ants started biting my toes, feet and legs. I screamed and my host mother and the neighbor ladies came running with flashlights and started brushing them off and moved me off the ant hill. They then shook out my malifa and long skirt and ant after ant after ant fell out – it was painful, to say the least. And this one is too good not to tell – Jess and I went to have tea with Najla, one of my students, and there was a chicken running around outside of her house/tent. I was sitting with my back to one of the openings in the tent and saw the chicken run by...and then Najla’s brothers run by. I continue to watch them as they throw the chicken up in the air and ‘accidently’ not catch it! The chicken spazzed and came flying, gobbling and running (or whatever it is that chickens do) into the opening of the tent where I was sitting – it came flying towards my face – I yelled and it froze in its tracks and turned around and went out. After telling the story a few times to my friends here, it has now escalated into ‘Sarah got attacked by a chicken’ at Najla’s. I could do without these encounters, but I suppose this is how memories are made. :)

For the last two or three mornings, I have woken up to little Selma – my 4 year old host sister who is in serious need of a no sugar diet – by my side, waiting for me to open my eyes. Every morning I wake up and read my Bible, Selma must have observed this because she giggled and handed me my Bible and came to lay on the cushion with me. I will then read out loud whatever scripture I am reading and tell her that her Abba is very fond of her. She understands nothing, but smiles at me all the same. God is present here and His rain is coming.
I teach two English classes Saturday through Wednesday (the weekend here is Thursday and Friday, and we are 6 hours ahead of WI time), one class is in the morning from 10 – 11:15 and one class is in the evening from 4:30 – 6. I have 4 students in the morning and 5 in the afternoon. My morning class is advanced and my evening class is in the first level of learning English. The evening class is challenging to teach – it seems to be the hottest part of the day here, I have to talk very s-l-o-w-l-y, and there is often miscommunication happening because of our language barrier. Prayers please! They are precious girls and I love teaching them – & hopefully, as the semester continues, their English will improve and increase and the pace and clarity of my voice will improve and increase as well. I would hope to just love them well. My students are taking it upon themselves to do henna on my hands and feet, teach me how to make tea…Saharawi style, and how to correctly wear a malifa (the head to toe covering women wear here). We’ve already had great conversations and are getting to know one another quickly. In fact, two of my students and I have made plans to discuss the common ground between the Qu’ran and the Bible. And another student, Sidahmed asked me to go through the book of Proverbs with him after I wrote a note to him and quoted a verse in it. Some other students ask how many times I pray a day, because they usually only pray 5 times a day in the Islam religion.
Doors are being opened all over the place! If you have any suggestions on Proverbs for me to read with Sidahmed or any thoughts or advice at all on the above mentioned situations, please send me a message on Facebook or e-mail me at sprewitt@newhopeconnect.org. My CUW e-mail is not accessible over here. I think the server is too much for it to load on the small connection here. Better to have a small connection, then none at all! I wasn’t expecting to be able to access the internet this much, so it is such a blessing to have that capability and to see all the encouragement and love you guys have been sending my way. I really appreciate it – from the bottom of my heart, or the heart of my bottom (as my friend likes to say)…THANK YOU! If I haven’t responded yet, I will ‘enshallah’ (God willing) soon. Your encouragement is a large part of what gets me through these hot desert days. Much love to all my dear brothers and sisters back home. Miss you guys!

Love wins,

Sarah

Prayer Requests:
-for all those who are sick here – October seems to be the month of sickness due in large part to the flies that are everywhere, landing on everything and everyone
-for our host families – it’s hard for us to know how to relate to them since our cultures are so different – to know what’s acceptable and what’s not, to know what’s offensive and what’s not and for the language barrier to broken down little by little
-for our students – to prayerfully come to know the full extent of what God has for them
- for the refugees throughout Africa – to feel, know, and believe they are loved and that their Heavenly Father is very fond of them
-for our team – to stay walking in the ways of our mighty God and that we would build one another up in encouragement
- for me – the changes that are happening in me through the Holy Spirit and by being here in the camps, for God to grow my heart to be more like His and to love Him and these people well