To Share some recent photos

Hi All,
I just wanted to post a few new photos. The first ones are of Leila. I bought a baby mosquito net thinking I could use it on the table to keep the flies off the bread, but she found it and made herself comfortable.

So, with all of these 'Africa Moments' I have posted, you may wonder what I do like about Africa! Oddly enough, the things I like most are the things I hate the most as well. A perfect example: I hate the fact that the city cuts off the power and water 3-4 times a day; but I love the fact that my kids are learning not to take advantage of water and electricity. We are fortunate to have a generator, but our water pump has been broken for over a week, so even though we are in this house, we are bathing like villagers! Here's Leila's version of a bucket bath!

Keagan and his friend Francesco (his dad and I work together) found a baby chameleon at the school. Isn't this so cute? Unfortunately, Leila was carrying him around and put his stick down and forgot where so he wandered off. Never found him.

Keagan and Kaijah having a good time with the fish after the visit to the fish market.

Kaijah and Daddy dancing to Aunt Michelle's Party Mix CD selection 17!

Leila ventured into the world of braids as well. The girls and the dos!

Keagan very proud of his new Nike shoes!

Sorry you missed this one Aaron! Nigerien night at the Chekaraou house. There were six colleagues from Niger and one from Chad in Dakar for a World Vision training. We finished on Monday and the flight out was Friday so we had them over for tuwon massara (corn meal pate) and pounded yam with peanut sauce. The housekeeper had never made either of those things before but she did a great job!

Leila - we be jammin!

Channels of Hope Training in Saly, Senegal. This was a role play to explain how the white blood cells protect the body and the effect of HIV on the blood cells.

In Swaziland at the Southern Africa Regional Meeting. This was a role play where I was demonstrating how to work in communities specifically with children; the second shot is the cultural evening where I was the MC.

Uncle Yacouba's 21st birthday and the after dinner song and dance show. Omar had a date afterward; he didn't dress up for his brother! And the guy you don't know is Samir, a young Nigerien who lives in Dakar and goes to school here. Yacouba will start at the same private school as Samir next week; we can't afford to send him to the American / Senegalese school and he can't get in the school the kids go to because they don't have an ESL program.

The kids getting ready to go to the beach. I dropped the little ones and the uncles at the beach today so DJ could do homework and I could do work/work. It was such a hectic week. We had so many things broken at the house and Keagan was really sick so I am really behind. I leave for Niger on Monday so I have a lot to accomplish in the next two days. If I wasn't the Children's Pastor, I'd probably even skip church tomorrow! Bad example though if you're a pastor! :)

Love and blessings to all...

Danielle and crew.

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