However, to cut a long story short, I've been able to buy (all the way from China) a rather interesting hat that covers the burned part of my face. I have to confess that it makes me look rather like an extra territorial, or a character from a Star Wars movie, but at least it allows me to spend a little while outdoors when the weather is sunny.
In the end, I've decided to go to Senegal for just two weeks this year, instead of for the whole month that was originally planned. I'll fly down to Dakar on 29th July, work for ten days on the final preparations for the camp, be there to welcome the outreach teams in the second week of August, be part of the "Gather and Go" orientation camp, and then return to Spain in mid-August. The difficulty of protecting my face from the sun while out planting trees, and the fact that my strange and ostentatious headgear would make it challenging for me to have meaningful conversations with African villagers made me decide that it probably wasn't practical for me to stay in Senegal for the planting and outreach weeks of the project. It's disappointing, but it seemed like the wisest decision under the circumstances.
I'm nonetheless thankful that I can fly down to West Africa in just twelve days' time, and be there at least for part of the "Planting Together" adventure. This year we have outreach teams coming from Spain, England and Hong Kong, as well as from Mali and Senegal. There are slightly fewer foreigners this year, and so the percentage of Africans will be even higher than it was last year. Thank you for standing with us in prayer, as the countdown begins and all these young people - African, European, South American and Asian - prepare to serve God and to serve the African continent together.
