UPDATE 1/27/2007:

Here is a picture of the team.  Please pray for us, some of the team are having health problems.  Also pray for me, I will be speaking in church on Sunday.  Thank You All. 

 

UPDATE 1/26/2007:

Here are some photos from northern Senegal.  Photo of Rick eating traditional Senegalese meal no utensils of course.  Rick talking to the locals.  Dr Sou in his very meager medical clinic, and of course my favorite the African kids.

 

 

UPDATE 1/24/2007:

Hey just wanted to let you know that we will be heading up north to St. Louis for two days.  Please pray for safe travel on our journey and for all the people we are going to meet.  The whole team is very excited for this journey.  We will be visiting the medical clinic of a Christian doctor and visit a community center started by a Christian couple.  St Louis is the area some of the missionaries here want to move to next year. 

Today we heard an amazing testimony from a Senegalese woman that came out of Islam.  Here name is N'deye Diouf.  Please pray for her.  She has a woman's prison ministry and is basically a social worker even though there is no such job here.  She has the vision to start a halfway house which also does not exist here but is much needed.  

The few Christians we have met her are truly anointed with the Holy Spirit.  It is such a wonderful thing to see and experience.  The Lord is working in so many ways I can't possibly write them all down.  I hope we can share all these experiences with you when we get back. 

Just a quick update. This morning we visited the Dakar Academy and the three CMA dorms.  Dorm one is High School girls, Dorm Two is high school boys ran by the Timberlake missionaries, dorm three is middle school age boys ran by the Ellenberger missionaries.  It was a wonderful visit, we were able to lay hands on and pray with all the dorm parents and the administrators of the Dakar Academy. 

This evening Rick and I ate dinner with all the high school boys, approximately 12 boys.  It was fun to visit with them.  These boys parents are spread all over Africa.  One of the boys I met on a previous trip to Gabon his name is Eric Bills, his parents are now in the Congo. 

After dinner Rick and I went to the Ellenberger's for Arabic Tea.  We had an Arabic Tea party on the roof of the dorm house.  The tradition is the first cup is very bitter and very strong.  That is why I am still up typing so late.  Really I have made it to bed before midnight this whole trip. The rest of the cups get weaker as you go on.  Anyway, the first cup is about bitterness of life and some peoples words.  The second cup is for Friends.  The third cup was for Love.  We talked about each cups meaning.  It reminded me of a bunch of guys sitting around a Wyoming campfire sharing their hearts. 

During the tea time, Nareth spoke about how the Cambodian field is so very similar to this Senegal field.  He gave us a history about what happened in Cambodia and what can happen here and what he feels is going to happen here.  The Lord just had Nareth pour out of his heart, it was so amazing.  We need to find Senegalies in other countries to return to their home and share the gospel.  That is what has happened with the Doctor we will visit in Saint Louis on Thursday.  You know how the Lord works, when we flew out of Atlanta there was a Senegal man returning home to Senegal for two months who lives and works in Chicago I believe, he gave a business card to our group and said to contact him.  The Lord provided another contact in Senegal.

Tomorrow we are off to Language and culture study.  Well obviously we will have plenty to share when we get back. 

Love ya all church family.

- Here is a photo from Guinea today.  Please continue to pray for peace there.  One of the Missionary's wife is staying with us, so we are watching this situation very closely.

EVENING UPDATE 1/21/2007:

Hey just wanted to update you on our Senegal Team, we have had so much fun already.  We are going to laugh like crazy this week.

We have a District Superintendent from the Cambodian District Nareth May, He has to be one of the funniest guys I have ever met.

Donna Baptiste - Team Leader and evangelist, she travels around and "gives people a spiritual kick in the pants".

Floyd, Yeathus, Terrance, and Phillip, and Donna are  from the CMA African American Association.  They are all a blast and man can some of them sing.  I'm sure Floyd will be singing in heaven.

Scott from Ohio, Edie Tubbs from Alabama who knows Pastor Ron. 

These are just a few of the members but what a mix.  We are all going to grow together. Please pray for this team to rock Africa.

Hey, we finally made it to to the Dakar Guest House.  Wow internet, and an English keyboard.  We will be attending church at the Dakar Academy this evening.  The Congo team is still with us and will fly out tonight to the Congo. 

Please pray for Guinea, if you haven't heard the news in Guinea is really bad.  The country went out on strike.  Trying to oust the president.  The president has said he will have the military kill the opposition.  Not good.  The Blackwells (Missionaries) are here and safe.   Ken might go back in and leave Karen here.  Please pray for safety for missionaries and for a resolution to this situation.  Africa is a crazy place.  The whole Guinea team has been sent to other countries, like Adrian Overbeeke, he is now going to Burkina Faso.  The other missionaries out of the main cities have been in contact by cell phone and feel safe so far. 

The first part of the trip is over, what a powerful conference.  Everybody is charged up and ready to go.  What awesome things are going on in Africa but there is still so so much to do. 

I asked three of the waiters at the conference if they would like a bible, they were concerned at first but then said yes.  One reminded me later in the day to bring the bible.  None were available there, we will try to get some back out there.  I asked Niang if we could pray for him this morning and he agreed.  Rick and I prayed for the Lord to work in his life, open his eyes and heart to Jesus, and to protect our friend, not a prayer of salvation but maybe down the road.  Thanks for all your praying for this situation. 

I just also wanted to note the high caliber of missionaries the CMA has on the Africa field.  We are truly blessed. We also heard a very powerful presentation of what CAMA services is doing in Africa also an amazing job.

 We love you all, Keep us in your prayers.