Week 3

Greetings from Dakar, Senegal!

We can’t believe we are finishing up our 3^rd week here and we are so humbled by how God has been working.  This past week a group from International World Changers came from the States to do some mission work in Grand Yoff, another neighborhood in Dakar.  On Saturday we got to spend some time with them and some Senegalese believers and non-believers.  We played a game of basketball and soccer, did a relay, drank Attaya (a strong Senegalese minty tea that symbolizes friendship), and watched the Jesus film.  Then on Sunday we went to an English speaking church that is held in Dakar’s international school.  We got to meet and worship with many missionaries and local believers and were very encouraged by it all.  We cannot imagine how many stories of Gospel work, suffering, hardships, and joy are contained within the lives of that community of believers.  Psalm 13 was preached on and we all sang “It Is Well” and found encouragement for our souls.

On Monday, we began our week of evangelism and discipleship in Sacre Couer III.  God continues to open doors even if it feels like we are moving slowly at times.  The heat, the language, and the strongholds of the enemy are all continual reminders of our need to rely on the Lord’s strength and set our hope in things that are eternal.

These verses have been a refuge to us: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

We have continued to find opportunities to share the Gospel throughout the week.  We met a large group of young guys who get together in a park everyday and reasoned with them about Jesus, the Bible, and our need for salvation.  They were playing guitar so we joined in and showed them some English worship songs.  It can be difficult to share the Gospel with a Muslim, but praise be to God that He can soften a heart of stone.  “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29.  

On Tuesday we received a call from a Muslim man, M, who is an artist that the team in April met.  We shared with him for a long time and he ended up taking it as truth saying that he wanted to research some more.  We gave him a French Bible and pointed out some key passages.  He said that he would come to our Bible study, but did not actually show up.  Hopefully we will be able to share more with him about the Bible and Jesus Christ.

On Thursday evening we had our 3^rd Bible study here.  O, our translator, was our teacher this week and led us through different passages found in the Gospels.  When we asked O ahead of time what he was going to teach he said, “What Jesus said about himself.”  Then Luke asked him, “From where?”  He replied indignantly, “The Bible!”  There you have it, the Bible, in its entirety, is what we need to study and use to disciple all people.  This week there were not a few of us- the three new believers, one of their friends, several local believers, and 3 Muslims.  The 3 Muslims, who it is our main goal to reach, did not come until the very end.  Pray that God would give us another opportunity to further share the Gospel with them.  We have been working hard to invite unbelievers to the Bible study, but many of them are either busy or say they will come but do not show up.  We continue to see that is God who leads a Bible study, it is God who leads a discussion about the Gospel, and it is God who leads us in “triumphal procession to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.” (2 Cor. 2:14)  We cannot manufacture the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We must trust, lean, and rely.

Friday morning we met with S, the new believer from our first week here, and walked through some Bible passages on evangelism and discipleship.  A believer from Togo named Sara* accompanied us and we were able to encourage her in her faith as well.  S has been afraid to share his new faith with his family and Sara has already experienced persecution from hers.  Sara asked what she should do when her family asks her to stop talking about Jesus and to stop going to church, so Luke shared with her a passage from Acts 4.  When Peter and John were told to stop talking about Jesus, they said that they must obey God rather than man and that they cannot but speak of what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:19). We also shared some other passages about suffering and persecution with both of them. We cannot even imagine rejection from our families, but persecution is a very real thing here. All we could do is share truth and encouragement from God’s Word. Please pray that both S and Sara would not be afraid to share with their family and friends what they have “seen and heard.”

We visited some djembe makers! They taught us some new beatz.

We have been able to partner with R, the local M here, and meet several people.  On Friday night we were invited to a Senegalese wrestling match!  We had a good time and got to experience something that is very important to their culture.  One of our friends won his match and we got to celebrate with his family, friends, and neighborhood in the street!  We danced and played the drums with them.  Looking back on it, this was a true African celebration!  It was a lot of fun and we are going back tonight for their celebration festival.  We believe that as we continue to build relationships with the lost people here that God will continue to open doors for His truth to be shared, and He will be the one to open their hearts that they may see Jesus Christ as Lord.

Prayer Requests:

-S (new believer)- problems with his aunt, scared to tell family about his new faith

-Sara- a Togolese believer experiencing persecution

-God to continue to give fruitful relationships with people in SC3

-God would continue to bring people to our Bible study

-That the believers would continue the Bible Study when we leave

In Christ,

Assan ak Abdou
(Luke and Alex)

A man getting water from an open well in some farmland in the middle of the capital city

Abdou Jassey with one of his new friends

A green spikey fruit that was really sour and had the consistency of a pumpkin