Today Elliott and I went out for an adventure! 2 Saturdays each month we try to make time for a prayer drive to villages on the outskirts of Mekhe. Today was a day for that.
Our drive today took us into the wilderness! I've always enjoyed exploring new places, and seeing new places was fun today. I'm constantly amazed when exploring new places that a) the agricultural fields rarely change much, and b) there are some people living in villages that are really in the middle of nowhere.
Today we didn't stop and greet anyone. However, we did pray for each village we drove through. I am not sure if we would even be able to find the villages again, but God did speak to me today through this prayer drive. For me, I'm eager to get out and greet the people as I see a new village. I have to remember, though, that our strategy in doing these prayer drives is to first let God do the work before us in preparing these villages for our visits. So we first pray without contact. After prayer and encouraging churches to pray with us for these villages and the people, we will begin to contact the people. We'll introduce ourselves, probably beginning next month, and then over the next several months we will begin meeting with the men of the village and ask permission to share stories with them from God's Word.
I mentioned that God spoke to me today. What I felt convicted of was to have patience in reaching the people here. God is an infinite God. He knows these people, knows all about them. He knows where they live when we might not be able to find them again! And he knows their hearts. When I would like to jump out of the truck, introduce myself, and share a story from God's Word, I have to remember that I am a minister of God. God will work in his time. When God appoints it, the Wolof will come to know him. It won't happen before his Spirit endwells in their hearts and there's nothing I can do to expediate that. So I pray that in God's time-whether it be myself, Elliott, or missionaries that come behind us-these people in these villages will come to receive Christ as their Savior. Thank you for praying with me.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
2 busy days
I am getting back into my routine of visiting with friends and neighbors. I do love the volunteer groups that come, and I'm enjoying challenging myself to learn even more Wolof by listening. Some days I do pick up a lot of the words I hear, and other days I feel like I'm not hearing as well as I should be. I think being tired has a little to do with that, but if I am able to pace myself I know that I'm going to grow so quickly in my Wolof these next few weeks.
If the next few weeks are anything like the last 2 days, I'll be a fluent speaker by the time my term is up! There is so much to share about what I have done lately. So I'll try to be brief but detailed, and detailed but fun. So here goes!
Yesterday started out with a trip to the post office. After that I visited with a shop keeper for an hour. We teased each other like always. I was able to challenge him to a wrestling match at the end of March! We'll see if he remembers but I'll look forward to wrestling him-win or lose.
Then I visited with my welder friend for a few hours. During this visit we were alone enough so that I could talk to him a little more about my beliefs. We talked about Adam and Eve, their fall from sin and being kicked out of Eden. We talked about Cain and Abel and the sin Cain did. And we talked about Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. I purposely wanted to get to that point, and then I'll backtrack a little to talk about how God promises to bless Abraham by making him the father of nations. So the things I said today I hope to share with several people during the next 2-3 weeks. I need to continue to work on it so that it comes out clearly, but despite the pauses from him working and from me stumbling on words it went pretty good. We had good discussion from it.
There I was also able to talk to some of the guys about having multiple wives. I shared with them first that God made Adam one wife, Eve. God knows that Man needs Woman, and one woman was good. And then I teased them. In their culture it is a sign of wealth to have multiple wives. But I told them, if I work the same job you're working, and I have one wife, you have 4, and I have 5 kids but you have 20, it may look like I have less money, but I would have more money in my pocket. So if you have one wife, people may think you don't have money, but you do. The mindset of the people here is amazing. They have absolutely no common sense. They think by having 4 wives they will be rich, and it's not the case.
During the afternoon I went to a village I am close to and visited. Together my friend and I went to 2 other smaller villages to visit his family and friends. We had a good time catching up, though I was a little quiet. And greeting so many people I didn't have the opportunity to say much else. But it was good to get back into the village and touch base. I was able to talk briefly about my family's trip, about our other guests we have had, and that my work was starting again. That was basically my conversation to 30 or so different people.
Today a good friend invited me to his village to spend the day. I remembered that he wanted me to come for a celebration, but I didn't realize it was an Ngente (baby naming ceremony). I didn't get to participate in the festivities, but I did get to talk with my friend's family for the day, eat lunch, and even rest.
The highlight of the day was getting to talk to this one person for over an hour. As we walked out of the village area we saw where a room by itself is going to be built. So we gathered to watch the work for 2 hours. While sitting there this person talked to me about his faith. I talked to him about the prophets, he was aware of their names. I talked to him about Adam and Eve and their sin, he was aware. I talked to him about Jesus coming and only through faith in him can we go to heaven, and he was aware of that. He talked for most of the time, telling me about learning in school-learning how to pray, learning about the prophets. We compared what we do when we pray. He even mentioned that Jesus is coming back. I know Muslims believe this, but I have yet to hear one mention it here. The only difference is that he believes as a Muslim he has faith in Jesus. He doesn't. One difference in our prayers, in his words, is that I pray to Jesus while he prays to Muhammad for God to hear our prayers. I enjoyed very much talking to him. Wow, his Wolof was clear! I wish I could talk 1/4 as good as he was, and even communicate to him that I was understanding most every word he spoke. But I did walk away saddened that I could not change his heart. I know that I will see him again, and do pray for words to speak that may spur him to think more of putting his faith in Jesus.
I did enjoy the conversations I had with the men of this village. I was exhausted by the end of the day, though. Now I am looking forward to reading and turning in before another big day tomorrow.
If the next few weeks are anything like the last 2 days, I'll be a fluent speaker by the time my term is up! There is so much to share about what I have done lately. So I'll try to be brief but detailed, and detailed but fun. So here goes!
Yesterday started out with a trip to the post office. After that I visited with a shop keeper for an hour. We teased each other like always. I was able to challenge him to a wrestling match at the end of March! We'll see if he remembers but I'll look forward to wrestling him-win or lose.
Then I visited with my welder friend for a few hours. During this visit we were alone enough so that I could talk to him a little more about my beliefs. We talked about Adam and Eve, their fall from sin and being kicked out of Eden. We talked about Cain and Abel and the sin Cain did. And we talked about Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. I purposely wanted to get to that point, and then I'll backtrack a little to talk about how God promises to bless Abraham by making him the father of nations. So the things I said today I hope to share with several people during the next 2-3 weeks. I need to continue to work on it so that it comes out clearly, but despite the pauses from him working and from me stumbling on words it went pretty good. We had good discussion from it.
There I was also able to talk to some of the guys about having multiple wives. I shared with them first that God made Adam one wife, Eve. God knows that Man needs Woman, and one woman was good. And then I teased them. In their culture it is a sign of wealth to have multiple wives. But I told them, if I work the same job you're working, and I have one wife, you have 4, and I have 5 kids but you have 20, it may look like I have less money, but I would have more money in my pocket. So if you have one wife, people may think you don't have money, but you do. The mindset of the people here is amazing. They have absolutely no common sense. They think by having 4 wives they will be rich, and it's not the case.
During the afternoon I went to a village I am close to and visited. Together my friend and I went to 2 other smaller villages to visit his family and friends. We had a good time catching up, though I was a little quiet. And greeting so many people I didn't have the opportunity to say much else. But it was good to get back into the village and touch base. I was able to talk briefly about my family's trip, about our other guests we have had, and that my work was starting again. That was basically my conversation to 30 or so different people.
Today a good friend invited me to his village to spend the day. I remembered that he wanted me to come for a celebration, but I didn't realize it was an Ngente (baby naming ceremony). I didn't get to participate in the festivities, but I did get to talk with my friend's family for the day, eat lunch, and even rest.
The highlight of the day was getting to talk to this one person for over an hour. As we walked out of the village area we saw where a room by itself is going to be built. So we gathered to watch the work for 2 hours. While sitting there this person talked to me about his faith. I talked to him about the prophets, he was aware of their names. I talked to him about Adam and Eve and their sin, he was aware. I talked to him about Jesus coming and only through faith in him can we go to heaven, and he was aware of that. He talked for most of the time, telling me about learning in school-learning how to pray, learning about the prophets. We compared what we do when we pray. He even mentioned that Jesus is coming back. I know Muslims believe this, but I have yet to hear one mention it here. The only difference is that he believes as a Muslim he has faith in Jesus. He doesn't. One difference in our prayers, in his words, is that I pray to Jesus while he prays to Muhammad for God to hear our prayers. I enjoyed very much talking to him. Wow, his Wolof was clear! I wish I could talk 1/4 as good as he was, and even communicate to him that I was understanding most every word he spoke. But I did walk away saddened that I could not change his heart. I know that I will see him again, and do pray for words to speak that may spur him to think more of putting his faith in Jesus.
I did enjoy the conversations I had with the men of this village. I was exhausted by the end of the day, though. Now I am looking forward to reading and turning in before another big day tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
gone are the kittens
I apparently don't have much luck keeping kittens around. It's not a problem for me since I have no place to keep a cat. I'm also allergic to them, so I can't keep them inside. But I do like animals and like to see them taken care of.
I just realized this week that I had a mom cat who was nursing 4 kittens in my garage. I knew she had the litter somewhere, as I saw her walking back and forth quite often. When I found them, I was careful not to disturb them. But then today they had been moved. There's no telling where they are now. Hopefully they are safe.
Pets in general are looked at differently here. Dogs especially are seen as 'dirty'-almost what Americans would consider a rat. Pets are not taken care of. People have farm animals for eggs, milk, and food. But people do not keep pets simply to keep pets. Cats and dogs are usually wild here, so it is hard to approach them.
So, wherever the cat and kittens are, they are not here. Hopefully they are safe and they grow up to find food.
Another note to add....those that have been a little disappointed in my lack of posts lately will enjoy this week. I have a busy rest of the week coming up, and hopefully I'll get to post interesting stories each day. stay tuned!
I just realized this week that I had a mom cat who was nursing 4 kittens in my garage. I knew she had the litter somewhere, as I saw her walking back and forth quite often. When I found them, I was careful not to disturb them. But then today they had been moved. There's no telling where they are now. Hopefully they are safe.
Pets in general are looked at differently here. Dogs especially are seen as 'dirty'-almost what Americans would consider a rat. Pets are not taken care of. People have farm animals for eggs, milk, and food. But people do not keep pets simply to keep pets. Cats and dogs are usually wild here, so it is hard to approach them.
So, wherever the cat and kittens are, they are not here. Hopefully they are safe and they grow up to find food.
Another note to add....those that have been a little disappointed in my lack of posts lately will enjoy this week. I have a busy rest of the week coming up, and hopefully I'll get to post interesting stories each day. stay tuned!
group from Arkansas
My team hosted a group recently from Arkansas. These were 2 Spanish-speaking pastors (who also speak English) that were coming for a vision trip to Senegal. After seeing the work that we are involved in, they will report back to their respective churches about the experience, and prayerfully consider future trips. And we pray with them that God will open doors for them to be involved in ministry here in Senegal.
I'd like to tell a little about their trip here and what we did together. Because of the magal to Touba we were not able to show them all that we are involved in. Our villages were vacant last week with everyone in Touba. But we did talk about possibilities of ministry. We shared with them ideas of how effective ministry can begin. Specifically we talked about starting a computer business, and used this platform as an example. Rather than setting up computers for people to come and learn about the technology, then 5 years later begin to share the gospel with those that are still involved, we can do both simultaneously. We can begin with the idea that if you want to learn about computers, you will also learn about Jesus. If it turns off people who no longer are interested in learning about computers, that's ok. But our focus is on sharing Christ-not teaching computers. And that needs to be the focus from the beginning.
We had a chance to learn about their families and their ministry through the time we spent together with these 2 pastors. They also were able to learn what brought us here to Senegal and how we first were interested in missions. I really enjoyed playing basketball with them. We played both days they were here. We also went for a walk in the market area, and they visited a family that lives here, saw my house, ate some very good rice and beef for lunch, and did some shopping.
I was very impressed with their willingness to share with others that they met. When we went shopping, for example, one prayed with the seller of goods. I was deeply touched by his desire to introduce God to this man and wanting to pray for him. That convicted me that I should pray with my friends more than I do. Certainly I pray for them, but I haven't taken the opportunity to pray with them recently.
This was a very good group of men. I hope that they are able to come back soon, and at the very least that our paths cross again. Thanks for lifting them in prayer as well.
I'd like to tell a little about their trip here and what we did together. Because of the magal to Touba we were not able to show them all that we are involved in. Our villages were vacant last week with everyone in Touba. But we did talk about possibilities of ministry. We shared with them ideas of how effective ministry can begin. Specifically we talked about starting a computer business, and used this platform as an example. Rather than setting up computers for people to come and learn about the technology, then 5 years later begin to share the gospel with those that are still involved, we can do both simultaneously. We can begin with the idea that if you want to learn about computers, you will also learn about Jesus. If it turns off people who no longer are interested in learning about computers, that's ok. But our focus is on sharing Christ-not teaching computers. And that needs to be the focus from the beginning.
We had a chance to learn about their families and their ministry through the time we spent together with these 2 pastors. They also were able to learn what brought us here to Senegal and how we first were interested in missions. I really enjoyed playing basketball with them. We played both days they were here. We also went for a walk in the market area, and they visited a family that lives here, saw my house, ate some very good rice and beef for lunch, and did some shopping.
I was very impressed with their willingness to share with others that they met. When we went shopping, for example, one prayed with the seller of goods. I was deeply touched by his desire to introduce God to this man and wanting to pray for him. That convicted me that I should pray with my friends more than I do. Certainly I pray for them, but I haven't taken the opportunity to pray with them recently.
This was a very good group of men. I hope that they are able to come back soon, and at the very least that our paths cross again. Thanks for lifting them in prayer as well.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
culture learning! magal to Touba
This week Ngay was busy! We have a road that goes through the 3 largest towns in Senegal, and 4 of the 5 largest. So it’s not uncommon to see traffic on this road. However, this week we saw traffic especially heavy. The reason being was the annual magal to Touba. This is a time that many Muslims get to go and pay homage to their leader. And with no further ado, here is Professor Roy to explain more about these pilgrimages.
Thank you, thank you! Yes, what an amazing history this has become. I am amazed at the amount of people that you see traveling the road to Touba each year. And my curiosity gets the best of me in these situations. So I wanted to, as best I can, talk about the what, why, and how of this celebration. I’m borrowing a few things from wikipedia, and thank the writers for collecting these facts.
First, let’s review what we know about the Islamic faith. Muslims are followers of Muhammad, who believe in God, Allah, as the one true God. They do not believe in the Trinity, therefore do not believe in salvation through faith in Jesus. They believe one can only get to heaven by doing good works and earning favor with God. And they do these good works called the 5 pillars.
-God is supreme. God alone is worthy of worship; and Muhammad is his messenger.
-5 daily ritual prayers. Often you see Muslims praying 5 times daily. To do this, they have a series of bows they perform as they recite verses from the Koran and face east toward Mecca.
-giving of alms. Muslims often will give to the poor and less fortunate.
-fasting during the month of Rhamadan.
-the hajj or annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The hajj is what we’ll focus most of our attention on during this lesson. In Mecca, pilgrims will arrive at the mosque, circle the Kaaba (a cube-like structure in the center) 7 times counter clockwise, kiss the black stone (believed to be the last remaining part of the mosque originally built by Abraham), drink water from the Zamzan well (this was discovered by Hagar when she went searching for water for her son, Ishmael), and run between the hills nearby (where Hagar performed her search). After this they will throw stones to signify stoning the devil, and then sacrifice a lamb symbolic of the sacrifice that Abraham made with Issac (whom they think was Ishmael).
But those of you that study geography know that Mecca is not in Africa, and certainly not in Senegal. So how on earth can the hajj be in a city 2 hours from where I live? Great question! To answer that, we have to go a little deeper.
Senegal has 4 brotherhoods of Muslim believers. Each one is unique in it's strict beliefs, but they all adhere to the 5 pillars of the Islamic faith. The brotherhoods are:
-the Xaadir, founded in Baghdad
-the Tijaniyyah, founded in Morocco (Tijan for short)
-the Layene, which are centered in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city (pronounced like ‘lion’)
-and the Mourides, whom are the richest and have the most Senegalese followers.
The Mourides are the ones who call Touba their home. They have a very nice mosque there, and have their hajj this weekend, the 15th. I’m not sure why of all dates they celebrate this time of the year. That will be homework for me for later!
The Mouride brotherhood allows the pilgrimage to Touba to take the place of the pilgrimage to Mecca for those that cannot afford such a trip. As close as the city is to Mekhe, nearly everyone in the city takes the trip to give alms to the leader of the mosque, pray, and offer a sacrifice.
I am very amazed at the architectural structure of the large mosques in the world. Mosques have a varying number of minarets. These are those tall tower-like objects within the mosques that you seen around. I am sure that all large mosques have at least one. I see some smaller mosques without any. Originally these were designed to be able to look over all the city. The call to prayer urging followers to come to the mosque to pray was first uttered atop this structure; today the call to prayer is uttered on speakers. It is usually the tallest structure in the city. The tallest known minaret is in Casablanca, at over 210 meters! That’s a 70 story building’s height! The grand mosque in Mecca has 9 minarets. The grand mosque in Touba has 5. The minaret also provides natural air flow. As the domes are heated inside the mosque, the hot air rises and is released through the openings of the minaret.
Often times you’ll find the wealth of the city is poured into beautifying these mosques. When you get a chance, have a look at some of the pictures of mosques from around the world.
I found this interesting: In Mecca they have the huge mosque there, the Masjid al-Haram. Inside that mosque is a large square called a Kaaba. This Kaaba, it is said, was first built by angels, then Adam, and finally it was built anew by Abraham and his son (by Hagar) Ishmael. Legend has it that Hagar and Ishmael searched for water in this area and found the spring that still has abundant water in the area. Muslims see this site as very holy. When Muslims pray, they face this Kaaba. The 4 corners of the Kaaba are pretty close to the 4 cardinal directions on a compass. Inside contains Arabic script of the Koran.
Hopefully you found this information interesting. There’s certainly more to know, and perhaps this whets your appetite. Questions, comments, please write!
Thank you, thank you! Yes, what an amazing history this has become. I am amazed at the amount of people that you see traveling the road to Touba each year. And my curiosity gets the best of me in these situations. So I wanted to, as best I can, talk about the what, why, and how of this celebration. I’m borrowing a few things from wikipedia, and thank the writers for collecting these facts.
First, let’s review what we know about the Islamic faith. Muslims are followers of Muhammad, who believe in God, Allah, as the one true God. They do not believe in the Trinity, therefore do not believe in salvation through faith in Jesus. They believe one can only get to heaven by doing good works and earning favor with God. And they do these good works called the 5 pillars.
-God is supreme. God alone is worthy of worship; and Muhammad is his messenger.
-5 daily ritual prayers. Often you see Muslims praying 5 times daily. To do this, they have a series of bows they perform as they recite verses from the Koran and face east toward Mecca.
-giving of alms. Muslims often will give to the poor and less fortunate.
-fasting during the month of Rhamadan.
-the hajj or annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The hajj is what we’ll focus most of our attention on during this lesson. In Mecca, pilgrims will arrive at the mosque, circle the Kaaba (a cube-like structure in the center) 7 times counter clockwise, kiss the black stone (believed to be the last remaining part of the mosque originally built by Abraham), drink water from the Zamzan well (this was discovered by Hagar when she went searching for water for her son, Ishmael), and run between the hills nearby (where Hagar performed her search). After this they will throw stones to signify stoning the devil, and then sacrifice a lamb symbolic of the sacrifice that Abraham made with Issac (whom they think was Ishmael).
But those of you that study geography know that Mecca is not in Africa, and certainly not in Senegal. So how on earth can the hajj be in a city 2 hours from where I live? Great question! To answer that, we have to go a little deeper.
Senegal has 4 brotherhoods of Muslim believers. Each one is unique in it's strict beliefs, but they all adhere to the 5 pillars of the Islamic faith. The brotherhoods are:
-the Xaadir, founded in Baghdad
-the Tijaniyyah, founded in Morocco (Tijan for short)
-the Layene, which are centered in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city (pronounced like ‘lion’)
-and the Mourides, whom are the richest and have the most Senegalese followers.
The Mourides are the ones who call Touba their home. They have a very nice mosque there, and have their hajj this weekend, the 15th. I’m not sure why of all dates they celebrate this time of the year. That will be homework for me for later!
The Mouride brotherhood allows the pilgrimage to Touba to take the place of the pilgrimage to Mecca for those that cannot afford such a trip. As close as the city is to Mekhe, nearly everyone in the city takes the trip to give alms to the leader of the mosque, pray, and offer a sacrifice.
I am very amazed at the architectural structure of the large mosques in the world. Mosques have a varying number of minarets. These are those tall tower-like objects within the mosques that you seen around. I am sure that all large mosques have at least one. I see some smaller mosques without any. Originally these were designed to be able to look over all the city. The call to prayer urging followers to come to the mosque to pray was first uttered atop this structure; today the call to prayer is uttered on speakers. It is usually the tallest structure in the city. The tallest known minaret is in Casablanca, at over 210 meters! That’s a 70 story building’s height! The grand mosque in Mecca has 9 minarets. The grand mosque in Touba has 5. The minaret also provides natural air flow. As the domes are heated inside the mosque, the hot air rises and is released through the openings of the minaret.
Often times you’ll find the wealth of the city is poured into beautifying these mosques. When you get a chance, have a look at some of the pictures of mosques from around the world.
I found this interesting: In Mecca they have the huge mosque there, the Masjid al-Haram. Inside that mosque is a large square called a Kaaba. This Kaaba, it is said, was first built by angels, then Adam, and finally it was built anew by Abraham and his son (by Hagar) Ishmael. Legend has it that Hagar and Ishmael searched for water in this area and found the spring that still has abundant water in the area. Muslims see this site as very holy. When Muslims pray, they face this Kaaba. The 4 corners of the Kaaba are pretty close to the 4 cardinal directions on a compass. Inside contains Arabic script of the Koran.
Hopefully you found this information interesting. There’s certainly more to know, and perhaps this whets your appetite. Questions, comments, please write!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
sports fun
As many know, I am a big sports fan. Even though I am here in Africa, I have had opportunities to enjoy watching some big games.
Last week for the superbowl, Elliott and I had our very own super bowl party. Using his computer we streamed the superbowl from a site and were able to watch the game and the commercials! It was really neat. I told Elliott later that's probably the most attention that I have ever paid to a super bowl. Usually I was at parties where I couldn't hear all the commentators were saying, or with youth at parties and was in other rooms more than I was watching the game. The game was clear on the TV and you couldn't have asked for a more competitive game.
The only problem was our feed was blocked with less than 2 minutes to go. So we missed the go ahead score by Arizona. We got the feed back in time to see a replay, then lost the feed completely as Pittsburgh was driving in the last minute. Oh well. We saw 58 minutes of a great game nearly uninterrupted, and we had a good time with our own superbowl party in Senegal!
Then tonight Elliott hooked up his computer again to watch his Lakers play Cleveland. You should have seen his eyes as he thought about doing it. I saw them glimmer as we were eating supper. He cleaned off a table tray without saying what he was going to do. But the rest of us knew what he was up to, and we all joined together to watch the game and relax tonight. Sports are something that both Elliott and I share a passion for, and it is wonderful to relax and keep up with our favorite things from back home like this. I just wanted to share a special memory.
Last week for the superbowl, Elliott and I had our very own super bowl party. Using his computer we streamed the superbowl from a site and were able to watch the game and the commercials! It was really neat. I told Elliott later that's probably the most attention that I have ever paid to a super bowl. Usually I was at parties where I couldn't hear all the commentators were saying, or with youth at parties and was in other rooms more than I was watching the game. The game was clear on the TV and you couldn't have asked for a more competitive game.
The only problem was our feed was blocked with less than 2 minutes to go. So we missed the go ahead score by Arizona. We got the feed back in time to see a replay, then lost the feed completely as Pittsburgh was driving in the last minute. Oh well. We saw 58 minutes of a great game nearly uninterrupted, and we had a good time with our own superbowl party in Senegal!
Then tonight Elliott hooked up his computer again to watch his Lakers play Cleveland. You should have seen his eyes as he thought about doing it. I saw them glimmer as we were eating supper. He cleaned off a table tray without saying what he was going to do. But the rest of us knew what he was up to, and we all joined together to watch the game and relax tonight. Sports are something that both Elliott and I share a passion for, and it is wonderful to relax and keep up with our favorite things from back home like this. I just wanted to share a special memory.
volunteer group
What an amazing but busy week this has been for me. I hope that I will remember this week more for what we have done rather than the running around and lack of sleep that I have gotten. It has truly been worth it to see this team come in and get some hands on experience in the culture and sharing the gospel with those that they meet.
Let's tell briefly about the team. It's a team of Texans, so picture 2 cowboys and a sweet hearted young woman working together here in Mekhe. We have done prayer walking each morning and village visiting during the afternoons. During the prayer walks we also will get to meet others in the neighborhood and we take the opportunity to ask if we can pray for them and their family. Usually they say they respect our religion and bless us. Occasionally we'll hear a need the family has and we'll pray for God to provide.
This team has had incredible energy. I have enjoyed seeing them relate to others in the villages we visit, and their energy and enthusiasm has greatly benefited them in getting to spend time with others. They visited one village while I was away, and we all went to another village to talk and visit.
Then all day yesterday we visited a village not too far from Mekhe. I was very overwhelmed by the hospitalitity of the people, even though I was expecting it. They set up a table of honor for us to come and sit by. All the people of the village came dressed in some of their best clothes and listened as the team of volunteers said where they were from, a little about their family and their work, and that they were glad to be there.
After the time of sharing we got down and boogied! Some of the ladies of the village danced as 3 people played pots for drums. I'll look to find a video on youtube that can perhaps demonstate the dances. Everyone had a blast with this. Even an elderly woman got out and danced.
We then went to the school in the village and greeted the headmaster and a teacher who was there. They told the team of the school and what a typical day was like. And then we ate lunch, talked with the kids and some adults, spent the afternoon with the village chief and his wife and sister, drank hot tea, ate peanuts, and ended the day. I thought overall it was a wonderful day in the village.
During this time one of the team members shared the creation story with the village chief. This village chief does speak English, but he is a Muslim. And the intent with this friendship of village to volunteer group is to introduce the gospel to each one in the village. Please pray that God would be working through these volunteers to reach the people there. And pray that God will provide for this volunteer group resources and others who are interested in coming.
Let's tell briefly about the team. It's a team of Texans, so picture 2 cowboys and a sweet hearted young woman working together here in Mekhe. We have done prayer walking each morning and village visiting during the afternoons. During the prayer walks we also will get to meet others in the neighborhood and we take the opportunity to ask if we can pray for them and their family. Usually they say they respect our religion and bless us. Occasionally we'll hear a need the family has and we'll pray for God to provide.
This team has had incredible energy. I have enjoyed seeing them relate to others in the villages we visit, and their energy and enthusiasm has greatly benefited them in getting to spend time with others. They visited one village while I was away, and we all went to another village to talk and visit.
Then all day yesterday we visited a village not too far from Mekhe. I was very overwhelmed by the hospitalitity of the people, even though I was expecting it. They set up a table of honor for us to come and sit by. All the people of the village came dressed in some of their best clothes and listened as the team of volunteers said where they were from, a little about their family and their work, and that they were glad to be there.
After the time of sharing we got down and boogied! Some of the ladies of the village danced as 3 people played pots for drums. I'll look to find a video on youtube that can perhaps demonstate the dances. Everyone had a blast with this. Even an elderly woman got out and danced.
We then went to the school in the village and greeted the headmaster and a teacher who was there. They told the team of the school and what a typical day was like. And then we ate lunch, talked with the kids and some adults, spent the afternoon with the village chief and his wife and sister, drank hot tea, ate peanuts, and ended the day. I thought overall it was a wonderful day in the village.
During this time one of the team members shared the creation story with the village chief. This village chief does speak English, but he is a Muslim. And the intent with this friendship of village to volunteer group is to introduce the gospel to each one in the village. Please pray that God would be working through these volunteers to reach the people there. And pray that God will provide for this volunteer group resources and others who are interested in coming.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
another visit
My good friend, Dan came over to visit this week. I was really excited by him coming. Together we visited a few of my close friends in town. He met my welder, my construction worker, my homeowner, and a good friend in town who owns a boutique. We also went by to see a hotel in town, to buy some things and see the market, and we visited a village close by. So we were busy bees for the 2 days he was here. Wow, I didn’t realize that I was visiting that many people during my days.
By the way, that village that we visited, one man asked that the next time I come back he would like to hear a story about God. I was delighted to hear that, and promised him to tell a story next time I come. So God is opening up some doors in these villages and with these people! Go God!
Dan and I did get to talk about things going on in our lives, too. I liked having him around. It made me wish that I had a roommate living here and working with me in ministry. Dan is married with 2 kids and lives in Dakar. He works with our business in the financial office.
By the way, that village that we visited, one man asked that the next time I come back he would like to hear a story about God. I was delighted to hear that, and promised him to tell a story next time I come. So God is opening up some doors in these villages and with these people! Go God!
Dan and I did get to talk about things going on in our lives, too. I liked having him around. It made me wish that I had a roommate living here and working with me in ministry. Dan is married with 2 kids and lives in Dakar. He works with our business in the financial office.
Parents' visit
Hooray for loving parents! It was so nice for them to come and to visit. We had a great time catching up, playing cards, watching movies, and spending time together. And each day during the day we went out visiting my friends and neighbors. Mom and George got to experience a lot of the culture here in West Africa. I think they were mostly surprised by the development here. George, like me, could have sat in the hardware stores or with the welders all day long watching them work. And I think Mom was impressed with my cooking, too!
We had the chance, too, to see some sights around Senegal. We went to an English speaking international church of Dakar for 2 services. We saw a game park of animals in Theis, a bird park in St. Louis, and a ritzy tourist beach at Saly. They got to do some souvenir shopping as well. So all in all, we had a very good time together. I was so glad they were able to come and experience a little of what my daily life is like.
We had the chance, too, to see some sights around Senegal. We went to an English speaking international church of Dakar for 2 services. We saw a game park of animals in Theis, a bird park in St. Louis, and a ritzy tourist beach at Saly. They got to do some souvenir shopping as well. So all in all, we had a very good time together. I was so glad they were able to come and experience a little of what my daily life is like.
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