Thank you for you prayers. This is a difficult time for us, as it is Ramadan (the month of fasting) for Muslims. They do not eat or drink all day long. They don’t even swallow their own spit. It makes everyone grumpier and more impatient. The hard part for us is that it is a time of much spiritual warfare. We often get opportunities to share about why we are not required to fast at a certain time to earn God’s favor. We share that we get to fast sometimes mainly to draw closer to God. So, as you can imagine, the enemy does not want us sharing this Good News. Many of our personnel (our family included) have had multiple illnesses, family emergencies in the States, broken bones, etc. Would you please pause to pray for our health and well-being especially for the next few weeks? Also, please lift up those who are truly seeking God – that they would know the Truth, and that God would send them dreams and visions which are a powerful confirmation in this culture.
But, God’s Spirit is moving:
We would like to take a few minutes to give you updates on some volunteer teams who worked here in Dakar. First was the Vacation Bible School which took place the week we headed out for vacation. We helped with the preparation and registration. An interesting thing happened in that we were working with the French-speaking Baptist church, and we asked the man who is in charge of the neighborhood if we could invite all of the children in the neighborhood to the VBS. He was reluctant because the VBS was to be held in the church. He said that it would be better to hold the “camp” at a nearby school! This opened many doors in the community for the church. There were at least 75 children who participated in VBS and very few were members of the church. Many parents attended the closing ceremony where the children sang praise songs and acted out Bible stories. Each family was given a “goody bag” with school supplies, candy, and Bible stories on cassettes. All were very happy to receive these gifts. Please pray that they will receive God’s greatest Gift – His Son!
In September, the basketball camp was also a huge success. A team of 4 men and 1 woman came from Florida to help with it. There was a morning camp and an afternoon camp. There were at least 36 students involved in each of the camps. After each basketball practice, the team visited in the participants’ homes. This means that at least 72 home visits were made during the week! Please pray that the local church will be able to follow up on the contacts made in these homes.
Another way we have seen God’s Spirit moving is in the life of our favorite taxi driver, Ibrahima. Many of you have prayed a long time for this man, his wife Fatou, and their 5 children. Well, the other day, he came by and was very distraught about his work situation. He only rents the taxi that he drives and is having lots of problems with the owner. He has been able to observe the lives of many missionaries, and many have shared the Gospel, Bible stories, their testimonies, etc. with him. So, of course, when he told Crystal his problems, she asked him if she could pray for him in Jesus’ name. He agreed, and God’s Spirit moved!! After we had prayed, Ibrahima sat with his head in his hands for so long that Crystal thought maybe he had fallen asleep. But, no, it was the Presence of the Lord dealing with him. So, we still don’t have the answer to his taxi problem, but he is moving closer to a real relationship with God. PLEASE PRAY fervently that he will accept Christ as The Way, The Truth, and The Life. We know everything else will fall into place after that.
Finally, please pray for a missionary family here, Greg and Angela Queen and their daughter, Meredith. They have had several miscarriages and lost a little baby in the past. She is pregnant again, and an ultrasound today showed that this baby has water on the brain. There is a possibility that it can still drain over the next 15 days. Please intercede with us for this precious baby and the family during this time.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prayers. You are helping to sustain us through challenging times. We appreciate each one of you.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Back In Dakar
Whew! What a great time our family had as we took a month to vacation in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. We were so blessed to see so many of you, but our time passed so quickly! Thank you for the many ways you blessed us while we were there. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we jump back into our life and ministry here in Dakar. (Don’t worry. We did sleep for about three days after we returned.)
This will be a short newsletter because we mainly want to ask you to pray for a volunteer team who is here right now. They have come to lead a basketball camp for young boys in the neighborhood around the French-speaking Baptist church. There are five people in the group from Callahan Baptist Church in Florida. They are: Mike, Larry, Chuck, and another Mike and his wife Kathy. People from the church will be helping as well.
Please pray for the following:
* Pray that the volunteers and church members will have good visits as they go into the homes of the camp participants each day.
*Pray that the hearts of the basketball players will be stirred by the love that the believers show.
*Pray that people will be open to hearing the Truth of God’s Word and the testimony of the believers.
*Pray for stamina for the volunteers as it is hot and humid right now – at least they are from Florida. They will have a morning group and an afternoon group.
Thank you so much for lifting up these requests this week. We promise to update you soon about the Vacation Bible School last month and this camp.
This will be a short newsletter because we mainly want to ask you to pray for a volunteer team who is here right now. They have come to lead a basketball camp for young boys in the neighborhood around the French-speaking Baptist church. There are five people in the group from Callahan Baptist Church in Florida. They are: Mike, Larry, Chuck, and another Mike and his wife Kathy. People from the church will be helping as well.
Please pray for the following:
* Pray that the volunteers and church members will have good visits as they go into the homes of the camp participants each day.
*Pray that the hearts of the basketball players will be stirred by the love that the believers show.
*Pray that people will be open to hearing the Truth of God’s Word and the testimony of the believers.
*Pray for stamina for the volunteers as it is hot and humid right now – at least they are from Florida. They will have a morning group and an afternoon group.
Thank you so much for lifting up these requests this week. We promise to update you soon about the Vacation Bible School last month and this camp.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
“I Will Go to Spain or I Will Die…”
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!!
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!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
