It’s a bit surreal to me that after all the years of planning and preparation, we are actually on African soil. We’ve been told to be sure and document our first impressions, as they are sometimes hard to recall later on. But I think I would need to keep up a running blog if I were to accurately describe everything – so many things are different!
But before I say anything about Senegal I should mention the week leading up to our departure – that week and the week before were anything but routine! Bill had had some minor surgery in the middle of the month, and his initial recovery went well. But just as we were leaving for our week in Maine with my family, he began to experience some complications from that surgery, some fever and swelling. We headed to Maine as planned, but Bill was never able to fully participate in any of the activities there, as he got sicker and sicker. Finally, in the middle of the week, he went into the ER in Waterville, and was admitted. He ended up having surgery on Thursday evening. All went well, he was released the next day, and miraculously we were able, not only to travel back to Franklin on Saturday, but also got the green light to fly to Senegal as planned the following Wednesday! Since we’ve been here, Bill continues to recover. The doctor said it could be weeks before he is fully back to normal. We thank God for the surgeon in Maine, and that we were able to travel together last week, instead of me and the kids one day, and Bill a week later. (That would NOT have been fun!)
The week in Maine was absolutely wonderful though, aside from Bill’s medical issues. Being in Maine is always a highlight of our year, and this year was especially sweet. We celebrated my parents’ 50th anniversary, with family and some close friends, at a lovely Inn near Augusta. My sister Janice, the Imovie queen, made a wonderful movie about Mom and Dad, with pictures and movies of them growing up, meeting each other, and getting married. It was a great evening. Later in the week, I was surprised by another of Janice’s masterpieces, a movie to say goodbye to the Martin family – full of pictures and movies of me growing up, with interviews of dear friends from childhood and college. It was so much fun for me to see! It also helped us all to have meaningful goodbyes, since the next day we all went our separate ways, knowing we wouldn’t see each other for 3 years. I will miss my dear family.
There’s too much to say! I’ll write more later, about the flight, and our first few days here. Anna’s clamouring for the computer. No TV here, so she wanders about the house a lot. I guess I’ll give her a turn.
