Allen Is Home!

Randy and Cali welcome me home, and Randy tries on my Tabaski boubou!

Goodbye to my host family.

Goodbye to my American friends in Dakar - "Be Africa" without me!!

Allen arrived in the US on Sunday. Here is his report about his trip home:

"Three months flies when you are having the time of your life. Saturday night, I packed my boubous, African masks, French textbooks, and put on my "American Eagle" attire for a long flight back to California from Dakar.

Though I tried to prepare myself for "leaving", my last days were emotionally and fully spent. My Senegalese host family and I became very close during my study. It wasn't long after I arrived that my host father, Muhamet, told me regularly how I made his home full and happy. Muhamet is a kind, gentle, and generous man who gives and gives before he thinks of himself. With his large, poor family (16 brothers and sisters) in the less-than-developed city of Kaolack, he weekly sends whatever money he has to them. It didn't surprise me that I often found him deep in thought with worry always on his face. He told me recently that he was able to forget his stress and feel happy when I came home from school during my stay each day. I honestly can't imagine how I impacted their lives nearly as much as they impacted mine, but it's really beautiful. They fell in love with my idea to bring rabbits as a food source and income to families in Senegal, and promised to continue to pray for my return with my project and hope. I plan to work with Rotary International over the coming months/year to create a solid plan to return to Senegal, instituting the project.

Though I left Senegal with a bit of a torn heart, it felt whole and warm to return to Tollhouse, my mountain view, and my family: Randy, Cali, and the farm. Now it's time to break in this Judge license; I fly to Portland this weekend to begin my new, longly anticipated path as a rabbit judge... I can hardly wait!"