Coming back to Two places.

In a month and a half, my first term will end. I will come home to see those who i haven't seen for a year or more, to hug and be hugged, to rest and be part of something familiar yet changed. Already, I am aching to see you at home, to enjoy sweet conversation, and to wear jeans whenever I want.

But after two months, I'll leave again, headed back to the place that I know I need to be for at least a little more time.

3 times, Joshua was told by God to be strong and courageous. He was walking after the footsteps of Moses. Big shoes to fill. Months and months ago, even as far as last year, i'd been praying about my supervisors approaching me to consider taking another position with this team. During this early spring, i went away to pray about what to do. And I read about Joshua. And what i realized was that yes, although i had been left a great example to follow by my supervisors, my eyes and ears, as was Joshua's, needs to be turned toward what God will say. Not to sit and stay where we were, but to add to it. But i can do nothing apart from Him.

So for now, i will be staying with this team a little longer. Staying to see the Fulakunda hear the sweet name of Jesus. But I ask for your intercession again in the coming month and a half before I come home, that my heart would stay here and focused and not on the fast food i get to eat when i come home.

love you all and see you soon.

Script

This may look like Arabic Script to you and this some kind of babble. But this has made all the difference in the life of one person. When John heard the Truth for the first time, he accepted it but as we’ve started the discipleship process, we have had to struggle through language barriers. Although he is Fulani, the people group I work with, he speaks the second dominating dialect of it in our town while I speak the other. We make it work and struggle through the vocab to make things clear. Recently, while I was in Dakar recovering from sickness, I met another young man who is a brother and speaks the same dialect as John. At the end of my time, he handed me a Pullo-Fuuta NT, which is the dialect of Pulaar he and John speak . While I was in Dakar, I also found the handbook written in Arabic. Although it is written in the Arabic script, when it is sounded out, it is actually sounding out Pulaar. Most of the children here go to some kind of Qua’ranic school when they are younger and at least learn how to read Arabic, even if they can’t understand what it is saying. This allows those who have had little schooling and can not read Roman lettering to instead, sound out the Arabic letters but hear Pulaar instead
.

“Read me the story about the Good Samaritan,” John said as we pulled out the New Testament in his dialect. Although he can understand the story when I tell it in the dialect I speak, his soul bears life through his eyes even more when he hears it in his own.

God has been generous and as our Dad, He’s given us more than we could’ve asked for. Woohooooooo!!!

Oaks....not Baobabs

In Senegal, there are deceivingly giant trees called baobabs seeded all across the land. While they are extravagant in their size, they are often times hollow inside as they grow older. Its visual magnitude which make it seem so strong is just a deception. This past month has been an extremely trying time. Up and down from being sick, I have been out of my city and away from my young brothers and sister for most of July. I've been anxious to get back, struggling with why I have to be in the capitol city when i could be there, encouraging, discipling, worshiping with them. But throughout the recooperation time i've realized a lot of things with the help of many who have been in contact with me while I was sick and recovering: Maybe I needed to be away for the believers so that they would learn more about relying on the Lord and not on me. That they would become "oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD" (Is. 61:3) and not hollow baobabs whose support is deceivingly weaker that perceived. I am nothing strong for them to rely on, so I pray that what they see is the power of the Word working through me, and not me as their source of strenght or any other. Please pray with me that their foundation would be in the Lord, not in any person. Their dependence on the living Jesus and not on that which will wither away like grass.

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement this past month. It was soaked in deeply.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthday!!!

ok......i know it's been a looooong time!!!! So just some photos to recap the last few months.

Thanksgiving was awesome....lots of feasting and catching up with people. 3 of us jmen went up to the capitol to celebrate with other friends and to go to a conference where we were able to meet up with some of our friends all over West Africa....I saw some sheep that were almost as big as baby cows as a Musim holiday approached and this was commonly a form of their transportation.: Happy Thanksgiving!!! The feasting: Hanging out with friends from all over WA at a small conference:It was awesome....Off to Burkina Faso i went to see some friends from last year...Maman Ye and Debbiethe Bon Berger churchAlimaAnd yes it's true! my mom and some great ladies came from my church back at home and one of the other jman's dad came to work and visit and they got here on my birthday! woohooo!!! They were fantastic....And I was sad to see them go...But we'll deal with it...Thanks for coming. Yall were wonderful and I am so grateful for getting to see what doors He opened through yall. He is so good!Pray about coming....or for some of you....returning!!!

You wanna see the harvest???

I know this just looks like a big mound of twigs, but in reality..... It's a huge mound of peanuts that were planted and pulled up by hand when it was ready. more importantly, I just wanted yall to see just a couple of faces of those who have become part of the harvest as those we pray will be in the near future. Here in the picture above is Sara, a woman who came to accept Jesus just in the last year or so. She is in a village I go to frequently and thank God, understands most of the time when I speak. She is a wonderful lady and I just want to ask yall to lift her up. That she would be able to withstand those who don't want her to grow, and that she would see that what she believes runs deeper than she realizes and that she will run after it. I have started to realize how much i love this woman but sometimes, i still don't know how to best encourage her and love her. Please lift us up. Another person I would love for yall to lift up is Indii. She is a good friend in town but it is very difficult to start and keep her in spiritual convos as a lot of the time we have together is filled with many people and lots of noise. Please ask that my hesitation in the midst of noise would be pushed away and that she would see the quietness and peace of the Spirit in me that would make her ask questions. And please lift up...... Well, actually, i have no idea who this guy is but he wanted to be part of the picture takin too. So please lift up.....Joe. That he would be love to Christ by those in the big city around him and that he would find hope that is final and full.

I love yall and with you were here. Thanks so much for praying to the Lord of the harvest with me.

I can relate.....

A friend, whom I look up to and encouraged me so much through training, wrote this recently so just wanted to share it with yall. It made me laugh straight out loud!

The One

I stare at you from across the room.
I know you are watching.
I sit, still, wondering.
Will you be the One?

You've been watching me for sometime.
Debating how to make your move.
Part of me has forgotten you
But I question again, will you be the One?

You want to rest your hand on mine. You try.
But I do not want you.
You ignore my rejections, which come even violently.
And I have to wonder, will you be the One?

I wish you would just go away
I know what you want, but I cannot be that for you.
Nevertheless you stay, and I wonder
Will you be the mosquito that gives me malaria?

Thanks Jennifer. you're amazing. To all of you who can relate, here's to us!

thanks so much for all of your prayers during this past week when I had malaria. Your prayers, attention, and e-mails were such a blessing. Yall are great.

The blessing of community..... and more

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement as I went home to see my family in October. The visit was a short 9 days but it was an amazing time that God provided to see family and go through some of the grieving process. Although we miss dad, we are abundantly, overflowingly grateful for how His goodness and generosity still showed through the difficult moments we had, and continue to face at times. We are grateful for the healing He continues to provide. I took this picture with my dad before I left for Senegal last year on our last round of golf together.....=) Being back at home was an incredible time with many friends who took time out of their days to listen and love on me generously before I came back to Senegal. Aside from one crazy day, I did not really go away from my home town and i know I missed some of your wonderful faces because of that, but we'll just have to wait for another day.....I have missed yall and it was good to see a few faces. I appreciate so much the breath of fresh air He breathed into me by your loving attentiveness. Thank you, thank you thank you.

some highlights:
mmmmmm....facial AND ice cream.....it was magical getting beautiful beautiful flowers from a great friend... seeing another great friend and missing some.... and eating a DELICIOUS meal
While I was home, a friend in Austin reminded me about how deeply important and Biblical communion with other believers is. For those I have here in Senegal, I am so grateful. But I am also deeply moved by the community I found at home on this last visit. I was amazed to find so many who spent the short amount of time I saw them pouring into me, listening, encouraging, and praying for me. Thank you so so much for that. Yall are absolutely fantastic and I look forward to coming back and seeing yall again at some time. until then.....