“those three words are said too much, but not enough.” i wonder what love can possibly mean in this culture. a culture in which my immersion has brought a new guy every single day who either thinks i’m beautiful, wants my number, or tells me he loves me. a culture where boredom breeds polygamy sanctioned…
Category Archives: the rest.
“let every beat of my heart beat for you.” friday was an important day of sorts, for it marked the first day of the rainy season with a brief yet torrential downpour. it was also the beginning of my career as a percussionist. whether or not it will be long-lived we have yet to discover,…
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Dad
Tahnstanbul:
WotDfD:
“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.” — Psalm 20:4 (NKJV)
First of all I want to say how glad I am that you know that your life has purpose and meaning. Because of that, each and every day you make a difference.
Sounds like you are adjusting nicely and learning so many new things. The dancing and drumming sounds fun.
Remember that we are praying for you today and everyday. In uncharacteristic form, I will end with my shortest post ever!
I love you very much, Dad
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Louanne
Hey Tahni! I have been teaching VBS this week and just now had a chance to check in on you.
-Cool about the drums.
-Entertaining that you went to see a salsa band in Africa!
-I hope that Kamby would find a husband too. What a different viewpoint that 27 would be too old.
– I am happy that your French is getting better and will keeping praying for your interaction with the family.And last of all I am praising God that He is helping you see His grace in a different light and that you are learning to just ‘be’.
Posted in the rest.
i know i have already written once today but i have something else to say.i feel as if i am holding myself back from doing things and i cant figure out why. as i mentioned earlier, i know some of it has to do with the fact that it is something like going to sit…
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Dad
Tahnstantinople:
Woo hoo, WotDfD Part Deux:
“Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! — Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)
Ahhh, such a wonderfully sensitive woman (sweet too!). I think you are over-analyzing your “holding back”. There is not some activities competition going on in Senegal and if there is, who needs the extra pressure? Wanting to spend your spare time in the ways that makes you feel the most comfortable is, well, comforting!
It might surprise you to know that when I travel on business I usually stay away from other co-workers and very often eat alone. And guess what, I like it! Perhaps I have a “been there, done that” mentality given my age, but you know what? – I like my solitude. As you know, at this very moment in time I feel my life is richly blessed so it is easy for me to be still and know that He is God.
So my encouragement to you today is that you do the things that bring you joy and know that He is God and He will light your ways.
BTW, you are one of my life’s principal blessings! I thank God for you today and every day.
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Ryan Hancock
hey tahni. it’s ryan from mbour. i think what has allowed me to miss the homesickness is not allowing myself to use the computer very much. i try to only come once a week, but i usually end up visiting twice. but i guess you have much more of a need and access to a computer. feel free to call anytime, really. oh, and i won’t be visiting dakar this saturday. but i will be visiting there to see my senegalese dad’s family the 28th of june. will you still be there? hopefully we can work something out.ReplyCancel
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KathyP
You’re going to be there for a while. Don’t feel that you need to do everything now. I think once you grow to be more comfortable with life there, you may be able to live without the internet every so often. But even if you don’t — it’s not “the internet” but rather a connection with your friends and family. If friends and family are important to you, and give you the support you need to make it through this mission trip, then so be it. The world is full of a diverse group of individuals.ReplyCancel
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hollymark
Hey Tahni, I definitely know that exact feeling from when I went to Spain. One of the things I prayed (and still pray) was for God to help me be present in my life, not in the past or future tense. Somehow that helps me personally to not crave computer time as much, because sometimes for me, using the computer is an escape of sorts. An escape from the moment and opportunities that I really do have, in hopes of fantasy opportunities through virtual communities or relationships. I’m not saying any of that is true w/ you but that was my big struggle in Spain. Looking back I’m so glad for the time I spent blogging each night and getting encouraging emails from people when I felt so alone over there. I also wish I’d stepped out more like going to dancing classes and talking with people even when I felt highly uncomfortable or even introverted and wanting to just crawl in my own hole. But it sounds like you are doing awesome with that. Way to do those drumming and dance classes!! You go girl, live it up!!
-HollyReplyCancel
Posted in the rest.
i’m all confused right now because i am typing with an english keyboard after having used a french keyboard all this time, i didnt realize that i had already memorized the french keyboard. it was amazing to me to discover yesterday the effect that the beginning of my day had on the entire day. i…
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Dad
Tahnirini:
Today’s WotDfD:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)
Today’s verse is for you to read every single time you get stressed. I think it encapsulates your circumstances with the perfect solution. I loved the story about your language interaction with the kids. A little fighting fire with fire!
And now you are outed on the boyfriend front and all went well. This means you can tape hundreds more pictures of Joseph throughout the house and even Pepe will not mind! How is Pepe these days?
Now about this isolation thing; you are not isolating yourself, but rather, you are insulating yourself. The surest way to corruption is through the continued access to things that corrupt. You do not party, so you need not feel compelled to do so. You are on an individual mission there (at the direction of God Almighty Himself) and you will derive “having a good time” from different things than perhaps all of your peers. It is clear, based upon your post, that you are influencing the thoughts of others through your actions and attitude. Keep up that good work (do not grow weary in doing good)!
Lastly, I want you to know that you are wise beyond your years in truly understanding love, relationships and marriage. Never let the attitudes of a majority change your thinking. I have been the consummate expert at throw away love relationships and I finally get it! How wonderful for you to understand the right and appropriate truth at such a young age. Whenever you get discouraged about people’s attitudes about love and marriage I want you to remember the these 4 loving and proper relationships:
Louanne & Mike – 13 years
Aunt Paula & Uncle Roger – 29 years
Brooke’s parents Ray and Lyn – 47 years
And the queen and king of love:
Brooke’s Aunt Yvette and Uncle Herman will celebrate (Lord willing) 70 years on June 26, 2008! They have spent a lifetime of love by staying IN LOVE!
Marriage was always meant to be beautiful, sacred and lifelong – never lose sight of your proper and true perspective!
My hope is to love Brooke alone for the rest of the days of my life. As your grandpa used to say, “So soon we get old, so late we get smart!”
I love you very much,
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Louanne
Tahni- I’ll start by saying I LOVE YOU!!!
It is heartbreaking to see people think that love is not real or lasting, but you have the right perspective. You were too small when it happened to remember the things that were said, but getting married at 19 seemed to make people think I was crazy. Hee hee.
But really if God is the focus of your life and the person you are going to marry and you view that person with respect and the love that Christ has shown for us, you can’t fail. Honestly. I love Mike more all the time and life just gets better and better. Adding Nadia to our world has changed our love in a deeper way. I wouldn’t have thought I would have room in my heart to love 2 people so much, but I do.
As for the isolation, I don’t have words of advice from myself. We are opposites in that way. I want to be in the middle of everything!! And what happens? I have to find a way to isolate myself and have quiet time and peace and alone-ness.
But as I have said before, don’t let fear be the thing that holds you back. Personality is one thing, fear is a whole other thing. I don’t want you to be older and look back and think, “Gosh I really should have stepped out, but I was afraid.”
And if everyone is going to bars, then I wouldn’t go either. I would much rather be in my room reading of having a quiet conversation or listening to music. So don’t worry about that.
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KathyP
Tahni, I know this isn’t about your dad, but — your dad is amazing! Reading his postings to you, I can see how Louanne became such a wonderful person, and how you are as well, and will be even more so with their guidance, and as you learn more about yourself and life.
Don’t feel that you need to go to bars just because that’s what the others are doing. Enjoy the life that you enjoy. If you don’t take the time out for yourself, it will leave you emotionally tired for the rest of the day.
I also just read, you should banish the word “stress” and “stressful” from your vocabulary, and it’s supposed to make you feel better. You can say “challenging” or “emotional,” but focus on more positive terms.
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Straz
Hey girl,
Love does grow!! I have only been married for 6 months and our love for each other has grown a lot. Marriage is beautiful and a blessing. It isn’t always easy because both people are sinful but it is really a blessing. Continue to trust in what you have learned from the scriptures. The Lord will be faithful and near to you through this time.
JennReplyCancel
Posted in the rest.
“How jealously we guarded the secret of simple pleasures, health-giving remedy for the daily tensions of life.”i’ve found that the days here are hit or miss. the past two days? hit. i attribute some of it to the fact that i feel more confortable stumbling around in french and that if i needed something i…
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Dad
Tahnimeister:
Today’s WotDfD:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)
I am very happy for the positive change in happiness in your recent post. I knew that you would adjust and start to feel much better. BTW, you are both an incredible photographer and a gifted writer. You continue to inspire your old man!
The truth is that we humans most often forget the secrets of simple pleasures. We somehow think that complexity drives success and value! The happiest people I know live the simplest of lives. Thank you for the great insight in this post.
As always, Dad remains very proud of you and your courage. I love you and look forward to speaking with you on your new cell phone soon.
Oh, btw, Dad may need back surgery, can I ask you to pray for me? I can hardly move most days. Thanks. We are praying for you!
I love you very much,
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Lindsey
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Brooke
Dear Tahni,
What an incredible journey! I wrote you a post which talked about my encounters with towns sans elecricity in Africa (which was most of them where I went…) and my bout of sickness which was really scary (imagine feeling like you ate a full set of steak knives) but my computer chose the moment of “submit” to crash.
Way back when, people were able to see things made which they would then use. Nowadays, we can only imagine all these things as they are manufactured halfway around the world. And there you were! How amazing. And your language is clearly coming along… the light bulb is now switched on (well except for occasional blackouts but you’re an old hand at that).
As always, we are praying for your health, your happiness and your discovery as God leads you gently through both good and bad days. Drink it all in with the appropriate dose of malaria pills, and you will be all the richer for it. So will the people there whose lives you touch, even in a small way or in ways you don’t even realize.
Miss you!
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KathyP
Ah,your posting reminded me of something I thought of but forgot to write. Which is, it’s so easy to stumble around in French, in a foreign country. Chances are you know much more than you think you do, and it’s just the fact that you’re immersed in it that makes it overwhelming.
But, just because everyone else is conversing fluently doesn’t mean that you have to as well. Even on a mission, one can be quiet and introspective. As long as you’re friendly and polite, people will respond in kind. Practice your “bonjour”, “merci”, and “un cafe s’il vous plait” (or your beverage of choice) and you’ll be just fine!
This sounds so superficial in comparison to what you’re going through, but I spent a week in Paris a couple of years ago, having only taken a few years of French in junior high. And I’m pretty quiet and introspective as well. In just a couple of days, a lot of my old French was coming back. Not necessarily enough to speak, but enough to understand. And with my looks (I’m Chinese), it was fairly obvious that I was a visitor — as I’m sure it is with you! And people were very, um, accommodating and understanding.
It does sound like things are much better already. I hope that they continue to improve.
And, you do take wonderful photographs. You’re obviously able to see the beauty in your surroundings, which means you at least acknowledge that the beauty exists. Another step towards learning to hope!
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Hello Tahni!! I am missing you. Your blogs are so full of hope and heartache. And you know what? that’s cool because it lets me know what you are going through and how to better pray for you. And it’s where you are right now.
I do like seeing your view of your surroundings. As you describe things I try to envision what I would do in those situations. I am ready to drum with you if you bring one home.
Is Pepe still looking in on you?
Much love, Louanne
Tahnwanda:
WotDfD…
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” — 1 John 4:8 (NKJV)
You are a very gifted writer who can articulate the things around you in such a way as to allow everyone and anyone to understand. I continue to be impressed and I am very proud of you. I think that you are wise well beyond your years and I am so confident that you will not make any of the mistakes that your dad has made in life. Allow me to thank you for the many good choices you have made.
It is very interesting to read about the cultural standards that exist in Senegal. What saddens me the most is the fact that there is a Muslim standard that is very non-Christian, yet those standards are acceptable (from a tolerance perspective), and Christianity is considered intolerant and biased. Polygamy is and never will be acceptable to God! And I will repeat, though I am a personal dismal failure in the past, marriage is sacred and meant to be monogamous until the end of one’s life. Never, ever adjust your standards to those of an increasingly secular humanistic world!
Tahni, you are making a personal difference in Senegal! Much of that impact will not be known until after you leave and some of it you may never know until you rejoice in glory with our Lord.
Brooke and I love you so much and we are praying for you each and every day. Keep up the good work and the good fight. We look forward to your return.
I Love You,
Dad