Our trip to Saint-Louis began early Friday morning, once we found the bus and the driver. Then, after pushing the bus around the soccer field awhile, we managed to get it started and climbed aboard. Photos cannot express the unique interior we found inside or our fondness of it, but we gave it our best shot!

Two hours later we arrived at our first stop in Thies to visit the Senegalese Interior Mission. There we picked up sandwiches for the trip to Saint-Louis and listened to Pastor José Oliveria speak about missions and the presence of NGO's in Senegal and the specific programs they are overseeing in Thies.

Sandwiches in hand, we moved along to see a medical clinic that was partially funded by the Mennonites in France. A major facility in Thies, this clinic is drawing close to completion of a third floor with full hospital status and capability! Okay, not everyone in the photo was excited about the part that is still under construction...

For many of us it was a first time in the desert and merited stopping to see just how hot it felt outside the bus. A long road and 3 hours later we came to our destination. Saint-Louis is about the size of South Bend, Indiana and was the capital of Senegal during the country's French colonial period (established in 1659). It lies close to the northern coastal border of Mauritania. The Saint-Louis island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and exhibits the influence of quaint colonial architecture. At our waterfront hotel we took in some much needed relaxation and intimate fellowship time. It was a great place to reflect as the sun passed gently away.