Red Thread Thursday

This is my first installment in what I hope to be one of many "Red Thread Thursdays." Each Thursday, I will share a story about someone who entered my life unexpectedly and forever changed it. I will forewarn you... this one is a bit long one.

In 2006, I went to Senegal, Africa to meet my sister-in-law's family. One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting Goree Island.

Goree Island (Ile de Goree) is a small island just off the coast of Dakar, Senegal's capital city. The only way to access the island is via ferry. The island was the only area in Senegal that looked "different" and somewhat European. Goree Island was colonized by the Dutch in 1817 although it changed hands several times. Here is a view from the pier. You will notice the Dutch influence.

Goree Island is a big tourist attraction because of its history as a major slave-trading center. The Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) on the island has become a place of pilgrimage for many people to reflect upon the horrors of the slave-trade and remember the millions of souls who died because of it. My nieces had nightmares after visiting Goree Island. The tour guide didn't take their age into consideration. He talked about how babies were thrown out in the ocean and eaten by sharks and how young girls were raped. Being raped actually gave them some "chance" because if they became pregnant, they were released. Nice... huh???

Goree Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (My other FAVORITE UNESCO site - Antigua, Guatemala) and has been visited by dignitaries such as the Pope, President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and recently President George Bush. Despite this attention there are several scholars who dispute that it was ever a major slave-trading center, especially given that its size may not warrant the numbers of slaves (several millions) attributed to have passed through its "door of no return". These scholars tend to believe that the island and its 'House of Slaves' have been talked up by those interested in making a few dollars off gullible tourists. Regardless of the number, slaves did indeed pass through and the Museum provides everyone with a focal point to express their grief at this terrible event in history. Here is a picture of my brother and me in front of "the door" Funny side note... My brother believed that he would start tanning before we went to Senegal so not to stick out so much. My mother told him not to bother... he would still be a blond haired, blue eyed white guy.

The island is home to roughly 1,000 people, several museums, a Catholic church (one of the very few in this predominately Muslim country) and more. We were there long enough to quickly walk through the island and only visited the House of Slaves. Here is a picture of Church of Saint Charles. Don't worry, during slave times they made sure that the slaves converted to Christianity before boarding the ships. God forbid they might die en route and end up in hell. Here is a picture of everyone walking along the alleys. From left to right... The tour guide, our chauffeur, Diarra, Aida, Fatima, Sidy Mbacke and my brother, John The girls climbed in one of the boats and pretended to row away
As we departed the island I had the opportunity to take this picture of two beautiful school girls waiting to board the ferry If you get a chance, read more about Goree Island. It is fascinating. Here is a link for a virtual tour... http://webworld.unesco.org/goree/en/index.shtml

So here we are at the end but I must return to the beginning to share my "red thread." About 5 minutes into our ferry ride to Goree, I looked over and the man next to me was reading a book in English. This was very unusual because they are a French speaking country and no one else I encountered knew a word of English. I asked him if he spoke English and he was so eager to speak me. I was the first native English speaker he ever met although he studied English at the university. We exchanged email addresses and have been in contact ever since. Here is a picture of my dear friend, Edoaurd GUEYE. Edouard is wearing a suit that he borrowed from a friend to get his picture taken. In his pocket is a pen and in his hand an agenda that I mailed him for Christmas. He is from a place called Mont-Rolland although he lives on Goree Island. He goes to school at one of the universities there. It is very unfortunate but having a college degree does not help you in Senegal. Edouard continues to study although he has an accounting degree and has been looking for a permanent job for the past two years. After our elections, Edouard wrote to tell me how pleased he was that Obama won the election. He refers to him as "President of the World."

Edouard likes to go by the more American name, Edward. He has a beautiful soul that radiates through his emails. He prays for me daily as does his family. I met Edouard not by coincidence but by design. Our paths were destined to cross via the "Red Thread of Destiny." I love knowing that each night, he and I can look up into the sky and gaze at the same moon. I honor him today on his 27th birthday. Edouard... if you are reading... look up at the moon tonight. I am thinking about you.

If you get a chance, email him and wish him a Happy Birthday. He would feel so blessed to be showered with well wishes. His email is: gueyeedouard@yahoo.fr