Thankful

Sunday morning I attended an English-speaking African church service with two of my colleagues, who also happen to be my friends. The church family is mostly Africans who come from English-speaking countries, and very few Senegalese. The pastor's sermon was based on Luke 17:11-19. Jesus heals ten men suffering with leprosy yet only one of the ten has the presence of mind to thank Jesus for the compassion he showed in healing a social outcast. The pastor reminded us to be thankful in all circumstances. He emphasized that even the uncomfortable situations we face stretch us and force us to become a better version of ourselves.

While thankfulness is a fairly basic concept, I have challenged myself in the last few days to remain thankful.

As I reflected on the weekend it was easy to be thankful for a home-cooked meal with friends on Friday night after a long and tiring school week. It was not difficult to be content with a Saturday morning sleep-in or appreciative for the friend who took me to a local hotel to relax at the poolside. It was fun to spend the day with a young teacher from the deaf school that my sponsor child attends. Later in the evening, the long wait at a local tailor shop did not diminish the excitement of looking through Senegalese fashion books to decide what traditional outfits I will have made once I've had a chance to visit the fabric market. As I reflected on thankfulness, I realized that I have even learned not to take the electricity for granted, and have been grateful for very minimal power cuts since earlier this week.

After Sunday morning service, with Pastor Baffi's sermon fresh on my mind, it wasn't surprising that I remained positive in the one-hour ride home, a commute which normally takes 5-7 minutes. I was happy to have the opportunity to get to know some new friends better, even if it was hot and sweaty in the "air-conditioned" truck. I'm starting to sense that tense driving situations can be bonding experiences. I was particularly thankful that I wasn't the one trying to maneuver through the traffic jam.

Sunday afternoon at the local beach, with clear blue skies and refreshing salt water, it was easy to find enjoyment in wave-jumping and sun-tanning. I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the regular vendors who sell delicious candied peanuts and mini fatayers (meat-filled dough pockets, similar to a pizza pocket but with different filling). I was aware of the fact that I am blessed to be living in a country where beach day can be everyday, almost year round.

After a full day of being conscious of my thankfulness, Sunday night my resolve began to falter as the school week inevitably approached. I remained grateful that my lessons did not require too much additional planning, but I did not have an appreciative attitude as I went to bed, knowing that Monday was only hours away.

Monday mornings, for me, are traditionally my most difficult time to be responsive, let alone thankful. This past Monday morning however, it was almost impossible to keep the grin off my face when I saw that my classroom air conditioner had been connected. The day itself had ups and downs, but all things considered, I remained positive and grateful for one more day of teaching and serving at DA.

Which brings me to today...

It's ironic that I chose to write about thankfulness and how simplistic a practice it is, because today proves that even with 27 years of experience, and in spite of my weekend of gratitude, I have learned very little about the discipline of thankfulness and contentment in all situations. I hope that in the next 27 years I will have come at least a little closer to mastering this "basic" concept.

The school day itself was busy, but good. Plans had been made for me to leave school 45 minutes early to go to the Canadian Embassy with two Canadian colleagues to begin the application process for my carte d'identite, an official residency status if you plan to live in the country for more than a year. The one Canadian teacher is here in Senegal with her husband and family and has a very nice air-conditioned vehicle and driver she shared with us. We made it to the embassy with no problem, and I was proud of our unobtrusive, conservative embassy building. I was tempted to take a picture of the detailed hand-rails featuring maple leafs, but didn't want to be mistaken for a trouble-maker.

After passing through "security", a process which did nothing to build my faith in my safety if I ever required the protection of the embassy, we were seated in a reception area. We were probably in the office for a total of 45 minutes, which is arguably short from what I've been told, but the visit was a complete waste of time. We were given a list of a dozen documents, identification, and fees necessary to begin the process. We then continued to the the foreign affairs office, across town. This is where I will eventually need to go once I have collected the billion and two things to continue (or begin) my application process. There was nothing more I could do today, but my Canadian friend needed to have her temporary residency card stamped. Her business didn't take too long, but she came out shaking her head. They had allowed her to look through the cartes d'identites that were ready for pick-up. The good news is that she found hers, the bad news is that it was ready in 2004 and no one had ever bothered to let her know. On top of that, the document expired in June 2009 so she now has to begin the process all over again.

My thankfulness has gradually spiraled into a lengthy complaint. To redeem myself, and to focus on the bright side, I am thankful...
I did not have to go through this process alone.
Traffic wasn't too bad considering it's still Ramadan and fasting drivers and pedestrians can be incredibly irritable.
I did not have to experience the frustration of being told my carte d'identite is six years old and just recently expired.
My friend will now be able to do the entire application process with me.
I got home at a reasonable time and made a delicious dinner (hamburger and french fries).
I don't have any additional planning for my day tomorrow so I can take the rest of the evening off.
There's chocolate ice cream waiting for me in the freezer.