We made it back to Dakar and headed back to Denver through New York. Special thanks to United for getting us on an earlier direct flight!!

On the flight back both Bill and I got a little teary thinking about our new friends on the other side of the world and the man that wonderful village lost. Bill and I would both love to go back.

Our new friend with the Peace Corps, Ted Lawrence, is spending the next year in a village. He is trying to build a school and make a difference. After only eight months, he already speaks the language fluently and knows the customs and manners.

Just a few lessons I learned from Ted:

1. He warned me not to acknowledge a pregnancy in the village because that would curse the baby.

2. He explained how West Africans will tell you what you want to hear so phrase your questions accordingly.

3. He saved us from some scams in the city and negotiated a few purchases in the downtown market. We never laughed so hard.

Oumar's mother Aissaia Dia

4. Ted says he is more patient and accepting. He also says he has never felt more alone in a village where he is always surrounded by people. I hope some big company hires Ted when he returns next year. The lessons he learned living in a village for two years make him an asset to any business and he could probably write a great book!!