Christmas in Europe, and the New Year in Senegal

Greetings everyone,
It's been quite some time since my last update. To quickly sum up, I spent Christmas break in London, Paris and a small town in Switzerland called Fiesch. It was a really amazing time and makes me appreciate the family vacations where I don't have to pay for anything! (London is very expensive) But overall it was a really good time, and I could just go on and on about it but I'm limited by time so I must move progress.
I came down with some sort of illness that gave me a fever, nasty cough, and regular bloody noses, but thankfully I'm all better now.
I've now been in Senegal for two weeks and let me just say it's been an eye opening experience. We spent our first week working at the Talibe Center (the place for the boys who are studying the Qur'an, and have to beg on the streets everyday) and it was for us to get accustomed to how things are run and for the boys to get accustomed to us and vis-a-versa.
It truly is amazing to see how quickly these boys who have nothing except the clothes on their backs in many instances, welcome in a complete stranger to share in the one full meal they have in a day. It breaks your heart, and warms it.
During our first week, we were able to go on a tour of the Koranic schools (daras they are called, but I'm unsure of the spelling) run by various marabouts. It was a spiritually oppressive place. Not only are the sleeping quarters awful, there was darkness. It wasn't just a physical darkness, but something far more tangible. But in one of the daras, it was hard to stay very long at all.
This past week, we began a series of teachings on the life of Jesus beginning with his birth and moving forward through his ministry. It's amazing to see how these uneducated boys are able to recite the story back word for word, and that they do understand a great deal.
The boys are split up into the older and younger, and then two people from the team teach the two groups. Afterward the eat lunch, which is when we leave and go back to the WEC, the place that we are staying.
So much has happened over these past two weeks that are very hard to put into words, and so much more is going to happen.
Normally we have team time, which is either led by a student or one of the three staff we have. Yesterday, Friday, it was my turn, and I took the time to reflect on the past week, and what stood out us.
For me it was when I was sitting down after playing some football with the boys (they are really good), and then a boy, Usman is his name, came over to me and leaned against me. I put my arm around him and after that for the remainder of the day, he stuck to me like glue. All he wanted was an arm around him to give him a hug and make him feel safe.
It was on this that I reflected and it brought me to tears to think that these boys, some from the age of three, never know the love of a parent, and that all they want is to experience love.
My request of you is that you be praying that myself and those on the team would experience what it mean to have the heart of God.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email and I'll get back to you when I can.
Thanks for your prayers and support.