The Copeland Ramblings/

10 days! Apartment Pics!!! Shots and Senegal Fact# 10

WOW! 10 days left. It feels so weird. Tomorrow is going to be really strange being in single digits! I definitely don’t feel ready!  I got our thank you notes out today! 71! I sent one to pretty much anyone who directly donated to us or to a fundraiser in the last 12 months. It feels great to have those out!

This morning we took the kids to the doctor for a check up and update their immunizations. They both got a clean bill of health. Canaan had to get 2 shots and Emmaus got 4! We had a lot of tears in the doctors office today! =( There was a new nurse and they were training her on shots… Which didn’t really go over well with them already being freaked out about getting the shots. Canaan is so precious. He bawled when he got his shots and he was so upset when Emmaus was getting his shots that he started crying all over again! He is such a sweetie.

Our friend in Senegal, Jenn DeAtley, stopped by our new place to take pictures for us! It was so wonderful getting a glimpse of our new home. It was also hard at the same time… seeing a few things that are not going to be so great! Haha.

Here are a few of them and check out the rest on our flickr page here.

We are on the 4th floor

The kitchen! Pretty tiny!

Our new neighborhood

Livng room!

bathroom/shower

Squatty potty!

These pictures are QUITE different from the first time we posted pictures of our new home in Africa. If you remember the pictures we put up of our house in Guinea! Check this post out. It was much dirtier. Bigger but dirty!! haha

Ok! Time for Senegal Fact #10!

I finally got a question! Thanks to Nick for asking what our ministry will be like in Senegal. Here is his question: Will you be doing the same type work that you were planning to do in Guinea, or is this going to be a whole different type of ministry in Senegal?

The work in Senegal is pretty much exactly the same as it is in Guinea. Although, the place that we will fit in in ministry will be different. In Senegal and Guinea we work in remote tribes, learning language and culture to eventually teach them about God and the good news in the language that they speak. And in order to do this there must be support missionaries doing work in the cities so that they can stay in the tribe. There are scores of jobs and roles on the support team.

The first year we are there we will be learning African French and Senegalese culture. This is a FULL time job! Both Norm and I will be doing classes and going to culture events where we can learn about the Senegalese culture. The goal during this time is to be able to speak french as fluently as possible and to get a good grasp on the local culture. The culture is so huge in understanding the people we will be with on a daily basis. We really learned this in Guinea. Their culture is completely different from ours and it shows in the way they lead their lives.

Once we have completed our language and culture acquisition time we will plug in to where ever we are needed and can be used best. We don’t yet know what excatly we will be doing for several reasons. Some of them are the fact that we don’t know what the most urgent need will be in a year, nor do the leadership in Senegal know us that well. Once they get to know us and our gifts better they will be able to see where we will best fit.

Some of the possible jobs are: computer tech, accountant, supply buyer, administrative duties, government rep. There are so many things that go on. It is possible that for the first little while we wont have a specific ministry or title. We may be filling in in different roles for a while, but eventually we will probably settle into a specific role that we will be doing for a long time.

In Guinea we were planning on running the Guest House in Conakry. We do not plan on running a guest house in Senegal, because there is already someone running the Dakar guest house. We are so excited to see what God does in the future. We are so excited to fill in and assume a job that will aid in the spreading of the Good News to those who have not heard before! What a privilege it is to serve our God!!

Please be praying for us in these last days here in the States. Its a crazy time for us and it really does take a huge emotional toll knowing what is coming up! Thanks so much for taking the time to see what we are up to! We could not do this without you all!

On this day..

• A Canadian Citizen in..... - 2009
• The last couple months - 2008
• The Biggest Yawn Ever! - 2006
• YaGoohoo!gle - 2005