These were the words of a man Crystal met while we were out with the Arkansas volunteers. His name is Pape (Pop) Konate (Koh-NAH-teh), and he was planning to leave soon in a pirogue (a small canoe-like boat) to go from Dakar all the way up to Spain to try to find a better life. Crystal knew that many people do not survive that trip, so she began to share in her limited Wolof how she is sure that she would go to live with God in Paradise when she dies. He said he was not sure what would happen if he were to die, but he was interested in knowing more about God. We were able to get some materials to him in Wolof and French the next day. Please pray that Pape will seek and find a true relationship with God. Pray that there will be people in his path who can help him understand what he reads and hears.
Pape was only one of the many people with whom we shared the Good News while our volunteers were here. They were a great group of university students. During the first week they went out to schools here in Dakar and passed out a book that explains who Jesus is and how He is the only one who fulfills all of the prophecies. We only gave books to people we spent some time with in conversation. Astou was a lady with whom Crystal visited and who was very interested in reading the book. Pray for Crystal to make time to go back and visit with her again before school is out.
That same week we also went out to a smaller town named Kaolak (Cow-lack) and handed out books at a school with 4000 students! This area has been very closed to the Gospel, but they were excited about the books. In fact, the director of the school wanted to have 60 copies for the teachers to read and discuss in their weekly meetings! Please pray for their eyes and hearts to be open to the Truth. Also, pray for our team members, David and Linda Jackson, who are living in Kaolak.
The second week, the group ministered in a small village where they held a medical clinic, played and did activities with the children, and washed the women’s feet and gave them pedicures. Talk about having servant hearts!! Chad translated for the volunteers and worked with the children. Please pray for this village to be open to hearing the stories from the Bible. Pray for Elliott and Pat Nichols who are our team members living near this village.
The third week, the volunteers prayer-walked in the area around one of the Baptist churches close to Dakar. It was a great encouragement to the church members who had just lost their pastor’s wife and another church member in a car accident in April. Please pray for our local churches to reach the people around them. Evangelical churches are few here and their members face persecution and many trials.
The group also worked with a Baptist church which ministers to talibe (TAL-ee-bay) boys. These are boys who have been given to a religious leader to learn the Koran, but usually are just sent out to beg in the streets. They are often dirty, malnourished, and looking for someone to love them. The team did a great job as they fed, cleaned, gave out clothes to, and played with these boys. It is amazing to think that God knows about each one of these boys and that He loves them and has a plan for them. Please pray that they can learn the truth about God.
Needless to say, we have had a very full three weeks. We are tired, but, oh, so blessed. Please pray for our strength to be renewed before the next volunteer team comes at the end of June. They will be doing 2 basketball camps for a week. We will have one more team that will come in August. These teams keep us busy, but we love seeing God at work! And don’t worry, there is still plenty of room and a great need for any of you who would like to come and help with the work here!
We love you and thank you for praying for us!!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Ummm… What did you say?!?!?
Well, pray-ers, we want to thank you for responding to our request in trying to discover how many of you are out there. We were overwhelmed to calculate that we have at least 650 people praying for our family, our work, and the lost people around us!! We are expecting God to do great things as He hears our prayers.
As most of you know, Chad and Crystal are mainly studying language right now. The language spoken in Dakar from their colonization period is French, and the dominant local language is Wolof. Chad is studying French, and Crystal is studying Wolof. We want desperately to be able to communicate the Gospel in these other languages. Our studies have been going very well. However, learning new languages is not always easy. Even when you know the right words, people still might not understand you.
Like today, Crystal went to answer a knock at our gate. It was one of the children asking to use the swing for the park (that’s right THE swing – and we had brought it with us!). Crystal was trying to tell him in Wolof that everyone was resting, so he needed to come back later. He got this confused look on his face and said, “The swing is sleeping?!?” Crystal tried again to explain, but he just shook his head and said he would come back tomorrow.
Seriously though, this is a big request that we have. Pray that we will be able to speak and understand French and Wolof.
Next, we are excited that our first volunteer team comes in TOMORROW! They are college students from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. We have several requests related to their visit. First, pray for all of the travel involved and everyone’s health.
They will be helping to distribute a book in the some of the schools in Dakar and some other towns. The book is to help Muslims understand who Jesus is. Please pray that many will accept and read and understand this book. Pray that they will want to know more about Jesus and that they will follow Him!!
Also, the group will be going to a village to do a medical/dental clinic. Pray that people will listen to the Bible stories that can heal their hearts while their bodies and teeth are being cared for.
Their final ministry will be with talibe boys in Dakar. These are the boys who have been given to religious leaders to learn the Koran. However, they end up being malnourished, often ill, dirty, and begging in the streets. Pray that they will see and understand God’s love. Pray that they will decide to follow Jesus rather than their religious leader.
One of the great things for us is that our family gets to be involved! All of us will go out for four days of travel and ministry, and Chad will continue on with the group for an additional week. We are thrilled!
Well, this has been an extra long newsletter, but we wanted to let you know how to be praying.
As most of you know, Chad and Crystal are mainly studying language right now. The language spoken in Dakar from their colonization period is French, and the dominant local language is Wolof. Chad is studying French, and Crystal is studying Wolof. We want desperately to be able to communicate the Gospel in these other languages. Our studies have been going very well. However, learning new languages is not always easy. Even when you know the right words, people still might not understand you.
Like today, Crystal went to answer a knock at our gate. It was one of the children asking to use the swing for the park (that’s right THE swing – and we had brought it with us!). Crystal was trying to tell him in Wolof that everyone was resting, so he needed to come back later. He got this confused look on his face and said, “The swing is sleeping?!?” Crystal tried again to explain, but he just shook his head and said he would come back tomorrow.
Seriously though, this is a big request that we have. Pray that we will be able to speak and understand French and Wolof.
Next, we are excited that our first volunteer team comes in TOMORROW! They are college students from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. We have several requests related to their visit. First, pray for all of the travel involved and everyone’s health.
They will be helping to distribute a book in the some of the schools in Dakar and some other towns. The book is to help Muslims understand who Jesus is. Please pray that many will accept and read and understand this book. Pray that they will want to know more about Jesus and that they will follow Him!!
Also, the group will be going to a village to do a medical/dental clinic. Pray that people will listen to the Bible stories that can heal their hearts while their bodies and teeth are being cared for.
Their final ministry will be with talibe boys in Dakar. These are the boys who have been given to religious leaders to learn the Koran. However, they end up being malnourished, often ill, dirty, and begging in the streets. Pray that they will see and understand God’s love. Pray that they will decide to follow Jesus rather than their religious leader.
One of the great things for us is that our family gets to be involved! All of us will go out for four days of travel and ministry, and Chad will continue on with the group for an additional week. We are thrilled!
Well, this has been an extra long newsletter, but we wanted to let you know how to be praying.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Baby Dedication
Thank you so much for praying for the dedication ceremony for Caleb this past Saturday. God’s presence was very evident throughout the day as all of the details came together with the help of several Senegalese friends. They are such a blessing to us.
We had a very good crowd of people. We served breakfast about 11:00 (actually, we should call it brunch), which consisted of an oatmeal-like dish with raisins called ‘laax’ (lock) with either ‘sow’ (so), a yogurt sauce, or neteri (net-uh-ree), a peanut butter sauce. Senegalese eat tons of it. Crystal thinks it is delicious, but Chad and Chase aren’t quite sold on it yet. After all of the guests had eaten, Crystal went around inviting all of the neighbors to bring their bowls, and we sent laax back with them for their households.
A terrific lunch of ‘ceebu yapp’ (cheboo-yap) came about 2:30 and consisted of rice, vegetables, and beef. Everyone ate lots and lots. We drank local juices, called bissap (bee-sap) and bouy (boo-ee), as well as cokes and Fanta.
During all of this, we had drummers playing to let all of the neighbors know that a special event is taking place. For the ceremony, we began with a time of singing - Christian songs in Wolof, French, and English. Pastor Seikou (say-koo) then shared a wonderful message. He explained that this is not a baptism service, that Caleb will be baptized when he chooses to follow Christ for himself, and then he explained how God has a plan for each baby who is born. He shared the Gospel and how Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies that had been given. Finally, he prayed for us and Caleb, the children who were gathered with us, the children in our neighborhood, the children in the city, and the children in the whole country. It was beautiful!! Our hearts were touched as he prayed for Senegalese children to have enough food. You know, that is something that we take for granted in the United States. We know, however, that they have an even greater need – that is to know Christ.
Over half of the people who attended are not believers. Our time Saturday was a great opportunity to witness to these. Isatou (for whom you have been praying for awhile) was there, and after the prayer time, she leaned over to Crystal and said, “It is so important to depend on God to help with your children. Please pray that I will be able to have children and have wisdom to rear them.” Crystal promised that she certainly would – and for much more! Also, our neighbors were able to see that we are people of God and that we want to be friends with them. Please continue to pray with us that the seeds that were planted will take root and grow. We thank you for being involved in this work with us. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do next!!
>see pictures at www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com
We had a very good crowd of people. We served breakfast about 11:00 (actually, we should call it brunch), which consisted of an oatmeal-like dish with raisins called ‘laax’ (lock) with either ‘sow’ (so), a yogurt sauce, or neteri (net-uh-ree), a peanut butter sauce. Senegalese eat tons of it. Crystal thinks it is delicious, but Chad and Chase aren’t quite sold on it yet. After all of the guests had eaten, Crystal went around inviting all of the neighbors to bring their bowls, and we sent laax back with them for their households.
A terrific lunch of ‘ceebu yapp’ (cheboo-yap) came about 2:30 and consisted of rice, vegetables, and beef. Everyone ate lots and lots. We drank local juices, called bissap (bee-sap) and bouy (boo-ee), as well as cokes and Fanta.
During all of this, we had drummers playing to let all of the neighbors know that a special event is taking place. For the ceremony, we began with a time of singing - Christian songs in Wolof, French, and English. Pastor Seikou (say-koo) then shared a wonderful message. He explained that this is not a baptism service, that Caleb will be baptized when he chooses to follow Christ for himself, and then he explained how God has a plan for each baby who is born. He shared the Gospel and how Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies that had been given. Finally, he prayed for us and Caleb, the children who were gathered with us, the children in our neighborhood, the children in the city, and the children in the whole country. It was beautiful!! Our hearts were touched as he prayed for Senegalese children to have enough food. You know, that is something that we take for granted in the United States. We know, however, that they have an even greater need – that is to know Christ.
Over half of the people who attended are not believers. Our time Saturday was a great opportunity to witness to these. Isatou (for whom you have been praying for awhile) was there, and after the prayer time, she leaned over to Crystal and said, “It is so important to depend on God to help with your children. Please pray that I will be able to have children and have wisdom to rear them.” Crystal promised that she certainly would – and for much more! Also, our neighbors were able to see that we are people of God and that we want to be friends with them. Please continue to pray with us that the seeds that were planted will take root and grow. We thank you for being involved in this work with us. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do next!!
>see pictures at www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com
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