Journal Pages...
July 4, 1992 - Fourth of July
Happy Birthday America! It is the fourth of July. We are going to the airport tonight with Jean. Then we are going to play some cards. I'm looking forward to it. This afternoon I am going visiting at the house of a Tuareg man named Abdulayhe. I met him yesterday. He invited me for tea. I also need to get my new outfit from the market. We got a not bad price (500 cfa per meter and 2000 cfa for the sewing).
Another problem that I have right now is with the believers. The want to meet here every Sunday. Bob Abbott says that it is better if they take ownership in this group. He thought that an important step in this would be to have the meeting at one of their houses. I agree with that. The problem is how to explain that to the group when they have their heart set on meeting at our place. I really need to spend some time in prayer about this. God give us wisdom!
We had a good lesson in Tamajaq today. We started working a little bit on Sheffinagh (ancient Tamajaq script). That will be important to learn. I wish that this computer had a Sheffinagh font. That would sure be something.
Later... Tonight was quite eventful. We locked ourselves out. I had to go get a hacksaw from Tim and cut the padlocks off. They cut off real easy. It doesn't give me a lot of confidence in these locks.
We played games with Jean tonight. It was a lot of fun. She can really cut loose and have a good time. We played Bidding Books, Hearts and Sudden Death. We also ate Andes mints and peanut M&Ms. For supper we went to the airport. That was real good. A half a chicken is 500 cfa, potato salad is 200 cfa, baignes are 25 cfa. So that is not bad.
I had a good time visiting today. We visited Casey's cousin Mohammed and his wife Fatimo. I also went to a nearby group of huts and had a language session. They seem to accept me pretty well. Of course they want handouts, but I told them they would have to do patience. I gave them a booklet on the life of Christ in Sheffinagh. I'm supposed to sell them but one gift can't hurt. I could start a language route in that area [a circuit of people you visit on a regular basis in order to practice the language].