Salaamaleekum

Now, you reply, "Maleekum Salaa"...assuming I spelled that correctly. Not that it matters, since there is no organized spelling here.
I am safe in Africa. We are staying at a place called the Gambia Pastoral Institute near Banjul. It is a Catholic missionary place, I think. But we are safe, have electriciy most of the time, and running water.
I am learning a language called Mandinka, which is an oral language. There is also a group learning Woolof and Pulaar. Both of thoes are oral to. The only "written" forms of them are Peace Corps books. On October 6, we go to our training villages, whcih have no running water or electricity. THe point of a training village is to emerce us in the language and culture with help there. In the village there are 4 of us, plus a LCH (Language and Culture Helper). There, we can make the mistakes that would get us in trouble in our real villages.
We are busy every day, and since it is after 9pm here, and I still have to walk from the Peace Corps office back to GPI, I am not going to go into it. MAyve later when I am not exhausted and have more time (need to be back before they lock the gates at 10pm).