What's next?

Well, I have been home for almost two weeks now. Obvously I didn't write the Sunday I got home. That's partly because I was exhausted and until now it's been because I didn't know what to write.

It was very sad leaving. But I know that I want to go back. I am even thinking of doing the Journeymen program there next year. We will see where God takes me.

I miss Mark and Mary Beth and Mary Catherine, and the rest of the team.

I miss my African family members.

I have to admit that it has been tough being back home. I feel like I have been thrown back into a whirlwind of struggles and responsibilities and burdens to bear. Life was much more simple in Africa.

Don't get me wrong...It isn't bad being back, just different.

I got a call the other day from Thierno Diene...the guy who gave me my name. It put a big grin on my face. And today I spoke to Mark and Mary Beth with skype. They are getting ready to come home.

I wanted to come up with something really good to say to finish out this series of blogs, something wise. I got nothing though---- just a reminder that Mark gave me today.

We can be sure that God will finish what he has started in the lives of the people we spent time with. And we can be sure that God will finish what he has started in our own lives. Ma Mbay is definetly on the road to salvation...I think he was on it before we got there. We were just another part of God's providence, walking with him down that path for a while. Who knows, perhaps I'll be able to meet him/them on that path again.

And I am sure that God's providence will continue to lead me on to whatever is next, and I am sure that I'm in his hands.

Atoumang

Time

I'll be home in one week. It is very difficult not to think about how little time I have left. There is still so much work to be done, but I realize this work will be done by those who come after me. I pray that God allows me to see wht he does here in Guero.

The time is so short, but what can I do? I am very sad, and I try to spend my time with great care.

I was very discouraged after a conversation with Ma Mbay...I felt like we hit a wall, a wall that I thought had been knocked down. I feel like he is a Christian from many of the things he has told me and from the way he lives his life, but everything is still so vague, and there are definetly still walls that haven't been knocked down. PLEASE keep praying.

As it turns out, I am not only out of time in Senegal, but my internet credit is about to run out. There is still much I have to say, but it will have to wait until I have more time to write--- Next Sunday evening, when I am settled in to my house in the US. Continue to keep the faith.

Atoumang

Nose to the Grind

Well, only about two weeks left and every day it is more and more real that I am about to leave.

two weeks is hardly anything, and I am scrambling to maximize my time.

The natural tendency is for my mind to wander back home to my friends and family. Truth be told, I am getting tired---I'm not tired of Africa or the people, or anything in specific. Each day is a struggle to keep the joy, and stay filled with the gospel. And if I don't stay filled up, then I don't display Christ quite as well.

The other day I began to feel a sense of urgency and panic because of the little time I have left. Somehow I feel that if I don't do something in the next two weeks to make the people here trust in Jesus, then they never will. I often forget that God is the one who changes people and that I am unable to do anything on my own. It is hard for me to trust that God is going to send someone after me to continue sharing Christ. Please pray that I will continue to trust God to take care of the work that will be left when we leave.

Babocar gave back the French Bible we gave him when he went back to Dakar. I don't think he opened it--- I was able to share the gospel with him, but he was not very resonsive. This was very discouraging because I really thought things would be a little different, and we had invested so much time with him.

SO, I gave Babocar's bible to Mbay Ndiaye, one of the Chief's sons. He was glad to have it.

The other day he gave Mark and I some neclaces that the made.

Ma Mbay gave me a sling shot too. It is pretty neat, but I am not a very good aim compared to the Africans.

I got sick again last week. This one was the worst of them all. Feeling bad is horrible, but it makes feeling good sooooo much better. Hopefully I am done with the sickness instead of "Down With the Sickness".

Please Keep praying. Thanks for your posts. See y'all in a few weeks.

Yalla Bachna

Ok this time I really dont have much time.

So much has happened here since the last report. Good things and sad things.

Good news:

My relationship with Ma Mbay and the chief's sons --Mbay Ndiaye, and Ibu--- have grown exponentially. It has moved from me sharing the gospel with "them" to "them" becoming more like family, and now it is more of a "we". I love them. I will be very sad to go home next month.

I have been able to share the complete gospel with Ma Mbay now. It gives me great joy to spend time with him and talk about God and Jesus. I would say that he has been a better friend than a great deal of my friends in the states. I do believe that God is calling him by name.

Mbay told us that he wants to start reading the bible with us. Mark and I took him and Ibu to Snake Island in Dakar with the Charleston team. There we were able to begin reading the book of John.

That trip to dakar was quite expensive. Between the two of us we spent $150 for food and travel. But I would do it over and over again if each time was another chance to give them a bit of Jesus.

Babocar is leaving in a couple days. We have given him a bible, but have not had the oppoortunity to share the gospel with him in it so our prayers are that God would send him someone to continue the work that might have been started.

Sad news:

Fatou, the sick girl that we have been praying for died the day before yesterday. I was very sad and cried a great deal, and I am holding back my tears now. It was hard to swallow because the night before I prayed with a great deal of peace for her healing, but that whatever would bring God more glory in the end is what our desire was. He aswered quite quickly. I trust that God is making a way for us to show more of his love through this loss.

Yalla Bachna means --- God is good.---- We know that God loves us and that we are in his hands.

Keep praying for our team. Pray that Christ would be our fuel. Pray for Fatou's family, for the chief's son and for Mambay and babocar.

Keep posting. I am praying for SOP and CCP, and all the SC summer missionaries.

Progress

This one is going to be very short i think because i have very little time.

This weekend coming is our first getaway weekend where we will be able to rest, and see the rest of the team. I am excited.

My friend mark hutto arrived yesterday, and i have been teaching him the ways of the african haha. I am glad that he is finally here. He has already challenged me without knowing it.

I almost passed out today in the clinic...I don't know how to describe this lady's hand but it was really bad....I could handle the sight, but it definetly didn't give me a good feeling. The thing is, many times they wait until the last minute to go see the doctor or go to the hospital, and their maladies have become so much worse than they would have been if they came right away.

Today I spoke with Babocar and he agreed to begin reading the gospel of John wih me. I am very excited for that. Please pray for our time together, as I only have about 16 days with him before he goes back to Dakar.

Maambay says thqt he accepts Jn. 14:6 ----read it--- so i think i will start asking some more questions and being a little bit more bold.

Guys, I cannot thank you enough for your messages. Knowing that I am on your hearts gives me joy, and the boosts I need to keep going.

Matthew and Tara, you have been so supportive. Thank you so much. What would i do without you?

Clay, and the rest of the boys in Thailand and at home...I am praying for you.

I would thank everyone individually, but i do not have th time right now. Keep praying and sending messages. THANKS

Shots

I have begun to accept the fact that there is going to be sand in every part of the house and that my feet are always going to be dirty. Everywhere you look thre is sand, no grass to be seen. It is hard to keep clean.

Yesterday I was miserably sick. I don't really know what caused it, but today I am better. I definetly begin to miss my mom when I don't feel good. In general though, I am beginning to miss every one. Please keep posting and sending messages. It is quite encouraging and is a huge boost to hear from everybody.


Things are beginning to settle into a routine now. We are beginning to take shifts now at the clinic because there isn't enought to do when we all go. The other day we went to some other villages that are more remote to give vaccines...I got to give several babies their shots, which was pretty cool.

I noticed that every baby cried and pulled away from the pain, and it was clear they did not understand why I had made them hurt. They didn't know it was for their own good. And I thought that this is how we -- or at least I am with God. He often disciplines us and does things to mold into the man or woman we were meant to be-- and it is often painful, and sometimes we don't even know that it is for our own good. We are left with the same question as the children...Why? ----None of the adults cry though because they understand why they are getting the shots.

Please pray for us here, and for the people we are ministering to. Please pray for a girl named Fatou... she is very sick.

Guero

I am now living in a village called guero, where I will stay for the rest of my time here. It is a small country village, which means there is not much here. I had to walk a few miles to get to this computer, still typing on a french keyboard. Please excuse bad grammar and misspelled words.

We have been in this village for a few days now and we have met a lot of people, whose names are difficult to pronounce and remember. They are all very nice and there is a surprising number of people who can speak some english. my language is coming along well.

I met a guy named Mambaay here who may very well be on the verge of becoming a christian. I have also been able to spark some interest in a guy named Babocar who lives next to the clinic where I am working. prayin 'ci turu yeesu' -- in the name of jesus --- always sparks questions.
Please pray for them.

The conditions are very poor here. people are sick, and cuts are very easily infected. I've seen a number of things that you would never see in the US.

There have been both beautiful sights and heartbreaking sights here.---- but one thing is for sure...Africa feels like home.

Thank you for all yur prayers. Keep praying for me, babocar, and mambaay, and the rest of the team. Pray that I will stay filled up with the gospel and that I will rely on God' strength. You should think abut calling me too 011221772442845 !

Matthew, thanks for keeping me on the program. I will keep you and Tara in my prayers.

Atoumang