The one where Marsa gets botox

So for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I didn't ACTUALLY get botox. I DID however seem to have been stung by something thats making my lips swell up with the same tenacity. From where we left off:

Yesterday consisted of me waking up to a slightly large and fairly numb upper lip. As we've been sleeping on pads on the floor I'm figuring that something that goes bump in the night decided that, much like the mosquitos, I looked like a good midnight snack. (Mmm tasty!) Either that or he was trying to make his affections known in an extremely unappreciated fashion. Either way I have a numb and swollen upper lip. I guess I'll add that to my battle scars list. We then helped clean and get ready for the day, had the daily breakfast of bread and instant coffee and then like clockwork, the power went out... for the whole day. This seems to be an increasingly common occurance that renders us pretty useless as our tasks consist of finding and designing things online and sending emails. Andi and I spent most of the day yesterday reading. The Lord is DEFINITELY teaching me how to be content with nothing more than the Word, prayer, and silence. I got to talk on the phone with my momma for a while which was so refreshing. Maybe too refreshing as we talked for 47 minutes... oops. (SUPER jealous I didn't get to talk to MY mom!) And I read my first weekly letter from Sarah Thompson which may or may not have made me tear up. I miss that girl constantly. I don't know if I've mentioned this recently but my friends absolutely rock. Having wifi has given me the ability to see how much everyone is flooding both mine and Andi's walls with scripture and encouragement. It means more to us than we could ever tell you. (Honestly, I think I'd be an absolute mess if it weren't for you wonderful people sending me encouragement all the time.)

We were joined yesterday by another Toubaar name Leah, who is a Yale cognitive sciences graduate. She's been in Senegal since October, which is crazy for me to think about and is fluent in both Wolof and French. AKA she's a stinkin' powerhouse. She's doing research on how parents decide what to do when their children are sick. It's been so nice to have new company. Especially new company that speaks English. Speaking of language barriers, Vero has been using us as a means to jokingly insult the other two girls that live with us. She'll teach us something to say in Wolof and then everyone bursts out laughing when we repeat it. This trip has been very humbling for us. (It actually kind of nice to know we've been adopted as friends. Its awesome to see such similarities in people across cultures. Sarcasm has its place here too!)

(Last night also, Sophee wanted us to try this interesting looking fruit seed thing. Always up for the adventure of trying new things, Marissa extended her hand and Sophee spooned two little slimey fuzzy yellow pods swimming in some sort of juice into her palm. She looked at me with a "Whelp, here we go!" kind of look and popped them in her mouth. Her expression was priceless. We all laughed so hard at watching her fight whether to eat it and pretend to enjoy it or run and spit it out. She kept it in her mouth for a surprisingly long time although she repeatedly asked Vero, "What do I do with it?!" Of course I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so Sophee spooned another little slime pod into my hand this time. That little thing was the most bizare tasty/feeling thing I've ever had the unfortunate luck to put in my mouth. It was all kinds of slippery and salty, spicy and sour all at once. I couldn't keep in there for much longer and promptly found the trash can. Needless to say, Marissa and I are quickly becoming their main source of entertainment.)

We spent last night outside so that we could finally use our mosquito nets in the way that they were intended. (NOT as a blanket!) It was SO MUCH LESS HOT. I'm hoping that it becomes a nightly thing. It's kind of like having a campout every night. Without the smores, unfortunately. I woke up this morning to realize that my entire upper lip and the middle of my lower lip were swollen. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to whatever it was that got to me. Thanks and gig them. Today we were pretty frantically trying to find a company that A) Will ship to Senegal B) Makes what we need C) Isn't expensive... We're working with a tight budget. It's been trying, to say the least.  I don't know about Andi but I'm pretty ready to get to Segou where, despite the fact that we won't have internet, we will actually get to teach and play with girls and develop relationships. Also there are trees and grass there and I cannot tell you how much I've missed that. (And clean water from the well they dug there. Helloooo clean mountain spring water! ..And yay for no dysentery!)

Anyways please be praying that the Lord would show us ways that we can expand His glory and serve the people around us well while we're here despite communication barriers and power outtage.

Love and are praying for all of you,
Marsa and Andi

PS: HAPPY STINKIN' BIRTHDAY to Miss Brittanie Polasek! Today she joins the rest of us into the elderly realms and out of her teenage years. Welcome to old age dear :) love you!