April 2010

  Let’s start with a great report from Pastor Daouda and Esther. Many of you will remember that in the fall of 2008 this young couple lost a baby, well they entered 2010 with a bouncing baby boy. He was born during the last week of December and we were able to be at the service as they presented him back to God in dedication. This was an extra special time for us as they honoured Paul by naming the baby after him.

We were also able to see the results of Pastor Daouda’s hard work in setting up an irrigation system and planting a garden. He grew some things for his family to eat and he also sold some of his peppers at the local market to help support his family. He even had his own irrigation system set up coming from the well. It was very impressive. When we returned for another visit in April we were shocked to see there was no longer a garden. Animals had eaten through his fence and then totally eaten his garden. It was very sad to see so much hard work destroyed. We need to get a proper wall around the church property there.

In February Paul had an unexpected trip back to Newfoundland. Unfortunately it was because of a death in the family, but he was able to spend some time with his aunt before she passed away. Thank-you all for your prayers and support during that difficult time.

 

Dakar Academy

Shortly after Paul’s return to Senegal we participated in another Dakar Academy village outreach. This was Erin’s first outreach and Allan’s last. Erin helped with the cooking and also with sterilizing the dental equipment for the American dentist who came to minister to the Senegalese people.

Paul & I again helped with the kids ministry program which presented the Gospel in several villages through music, skits, the Evangeball and the Evangecube.

Allan helped by praying with patients at the dental clinic and was part of the medical/first aid team. One of the patients they saw was a lady with a huge sore on her leg. She told them she had it for a long time, but had been using a “home remedy” and it never healed. First they had to remove the poultice she had on it, then they were able to clean it properly, use antibiotic ointment, bandage it and give her more ointment so she could continue re-bandaging it until it heals.

There was also a team of students and staff that put a roof on one church and dug and poured the foundation for another. On Sunday morning our group split to worship with Senegalese believers in two churches. For the past few years missionaries have been saying they feel like Senegal is on the cusp of something big happening with the Evangelical church. After the Sunday morning service, one of the DA staff members who doesn’t get out to visit village churches very often, said it was a great encouragement to him to be able to worship together with the Senegalese believers who were so enthusiastic. The worship and commitment he saw during that weekend showed him that while the church may still be small in Senegal, it is strong.

Participating in Outreach is just one of the many enjoyments of working at Dakar Academy. You get to impact so many lives on a daily basis. While the majority of the students are children of missionaries, DA is a mission field as well. As space permits, DA accepts children of business people, embassy workers and humanitarian organizations. This year there are children of a couple of Embassy families from a Middle Eastern country. A few months ago, one of the mothers told our staff that her children have never felt so loved and accepted. John 13:35 lived out by DA staff and students.

Dakar Academy still has some positions available for the 2010/11 school year. If you are interested in teaching in a Christian environment, where work and ministry overlap, where prayer is not only permitted, but encouraged, where teachers are asked to integrate the Bible into their curriculum, where there are small class sizes with multicultural classes and great extracurricular programs, then you need to check out DA. As an added bonus, Dakar is surrounded by beaches and you don’t have to check the long range forecast before you plan your weekend. Drop us an email and we can let you know more details, or you can check out the DA website www.dakar-academy.org

HEADING HOME

We are now literally on “The Home Stretch”. We have about two months to go, before we land on “The Rock” again. Paul and I have both had emergency trips back, but the kids haven’t been in Newfoundland for four years. There are mixed emotions as we sort and pack. Allan will graduate high school in June and will be saying some final good-byes. This is not like other high schools where many students go on to university together or they see each other when they come back to their families for holidays and breaks. When these kids say good-bye they don’t know if they will ever see each other again. This graduating class will spread out in Canada, the U.S., Europe, New Zealand and Asia. Allan will spend the summer in Newfoundland before heading to Toronto to begin the Intercultural studies track of the Religious Studies degree at Tyndale University College & Seminary.

While Paul was home in February, he was able to start the groundwork for Sheila’s future as well. She wants to go into the Vera Perlin Society’s Career Education and Exploration program. It is a pre-employment skills program run out of the College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s. They were supposed to do a face to face interview which of course was a problem with Sheila being in Africa. Paul was able to arrange a video interview over the web which was done in March. Sheila has been accepted into the program and will start her classes in September. While Sheila is very excited about moving on with her life, she is also preparing for the goodbyes and changes. So many times over the last couple of months she has said, “This is the last time I will…”

Erin is really having a rough time dealing with the move. She has not lived in St. John’s since she was 3 years old and while she is anxious to see family and friends, it does not feel like going “home” for her. Erin will be in Grade 10 next year, but the school is yet to be finalized.

Please pray for the kids as they go through this major transition.

We land back in Canada on June 14th. We will spend a few days in Toronto doing some ground work for Allan at Tyndale and then head to Newfoundland on June 18th. As of yet all we can tell you is we will be living in the St. John’s area. If anyone has or knows of a 3 or 4 bedroom place available for a year please let us know.

We will be visiting churches while we are home. If you would like to have us do a presentation at your Church, Sunday School or Youth Group, send us an email or contact Rosanne Bradbury at the PAON Head office.

Well at least for most of you, what we didn’t fit in the report we can tell you in person in a few months. We look forward to seeing some of you again and meeting others in person for the first time.

 

December 2009

Merry Christmas from Dakar!

How many kings step down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

And how many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that is torn all apart

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Culture Shock…adapting to all the changes that come with living in a new country is always a challenge. The weather is different, the food is different, the language is different, the people are different, and on and on it goes. Some people thrive on the changes, while some people struggle with them. I once read a quote that was attributed to Newfoundland politician John Crosbie. He said “You’ll know all the Newfoundlanders in Heaven…they’re the ones who want to go home.” While I do think there is no place like our beautiful province, I didn’t ask for a return ticket when I booked my trip to Heaven, one way is fine! The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

This is the time we celebrate Jesus willingness to leave his home on high to come and live on earth. The verse at the top of the page is from the song “How Many Kings”, by Downhere. As you enter the month of December and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, take a moment to reflect what we are really celebrating, Jesus coming to live on earth, the King stepping down from his throne, the greatest becoming the least. Now that had to be Culture Shock!

They answer their own question later in the song. “Only one did that for me…All for me, all for you” Remember that’s why we celebrate!

Merry Christmas from The Bradburys!

Paul & Paula

Sheila, Allan & Erin

 

 

 

 

 

 

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November 29, 2009

Just  a quick note to let you know God has answered our prayers and our little friend is back home (see newsletter, below)!

 Continue to pray as there are still some issues to deal with. We will follow up soon with details.

Thanks again for praying…A lot of our American friends here are celebrating thanksgiving today…this is one that we will remember.

 

 

 

 

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November 26, 2009

We are in year five of our incredible journey now. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

It seems the reports get harder and harder to write, because there is so much to tell you and we have to pick just a few things. God is doing incredible things here and we are so privileged to be a part of it.

First let me update you on what is happening with our family. Sheila is continuing to help out wherever she can with various ministries. Recently she began helping a primary teacher in her classroom at Dakar Academy three mornings a week and she is also continuing to help sort medications that are used in village ministry.

We celebrated Erin’s 14 birthday last week. She is the secretary for her Grade 9 class, is on the chapel/youth group worship team and plays intermediate volleyball. However her first love is just hanging out with her friends!

Allan is playing on the varsity softball team, is the secretary of the High School Student Senate, is a member of the worship team and the National Honour Society and he was one of the main characters in the school’s fall play. Never a dull moment! He is trying to fit school work around all those other things.

For Paul, working at DA is not just babysitting Missionary kids, and it is not just giving them a basic education. The students are missionaries in their own right and they want to be God’s hand extended to the people of Senegal. They really want Dakar Academy to be a light shining in the darkness. We are parent sponsors for Allan’s class at school, which means we help with fundraisers and activities. A few weeks ago we, along with other sponsors, had the privilege of taking this year’s senior class to minister in a couple of villages about two hours outside of Dakar. We were working with Brazilian missionaries who have land that will serve as a mission post with a medical clinic and eventually a training centre for ex-street children. The students were split into three groups, with some doing manual labour at the compound, some doing medical/first aid and some doing children’s ministry in villages. They also learned Wolof songs to sing in the evening evangelism, which included a showing of the Jesus film. These young people are just amazing to work with. To see how much they want to show God’s love to the people of Senegal is so inspiring and to be able to minister along side one of our own kids like this is truly a blessing.

Dakar Academy is looking for a new Director to start with the 2010-11 school year. If you or someone you know has experience in school administration and is interested in serving God in West Africa, check out the DA website for more information.

http://www.dakar-academy.org/staff/director_position_announcement.htm

We should also know about teaching positions available for next year soon. If you or someone you know is interested in teaching in a Christian school, drop us a line and we will give you more information.

There have been reports of problems with the government closing churches in Senegal. While the government has said that buildings will be closed, in reality they cannot close the church. The church of Jesus Christ is the believers, not the walls and roof, and no matter what man or Satan tries to do, we know God is in control! The Bible says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7). That is the attitude of the Assemblies of God national church and they are pressing on. Last month a new church was officially opened in Dakar. It had been operating for several months on Sunday nights as a small group, meeting in a classroom of the School for the Deaf. This group is now considered it’s own congregation by the national church. Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:18 “…upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” The True, Living Church is growing in Senegal and no one is going to stop it!

As some of you know we are currently raising funds for a new Centre for our Street Boys Ministry. I was asked a couple of weeks ago if I really thought it was a good idea to do this now, with the government questioning the churches. In actuality, this has given us a stronger sense of urgency. What if we were told to leave Senegal? What if we don’t have much time to work with these guys? Reality is we need to reach as many as we can, as quickly as we can and we need to get them ready to be the leaders of tomorrow, within the community, in the workplace and spiritually. The goal is that the national church will grow and be strong enough that they don’t need us anymore. As missionaries we want to work ourselves out of a job. If we can give these street boys a strong Biblical foundation, they can lead this country in the future and if we have to leave Senegal, maybe someday we can work along side them as missionaries in another country that needs to hear the Gospel. These boys and young men have that much potential; they just don’t know it yet. God has given us the privilege of helping them understand and reach that potential.

SOOO…do I think a new Centre is a good idea right now? Not only is it a good idea, it is necessary if we are going to take this ministry and these young men to the next level as we feel God directing us to do…and the sooner the better! I am sure if some of you could spend time with these guys, it wouldn’t take much convincing.

I should have a new report next week on the exciting things that are happening with our Street Boys Ministry.

 

For the safety of the boy involved we are not using his name…

The young boy that was found on the side of the road near death last spring was forcefully taken from the Centre where he has been staying last week. No adult actually saw what happened, but one of the other boys said a man came and asked specifically for this boy. He said the boy did not want to go with the man and fought to get away, but he was not able to escape and get back inside the gate. Please pray for his safety.

Thank you all for your support and your prayers.

 

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August 2009

Wow the summer has disappeared. I haven’t written a report to finish off the school year and now we have started a new one.

The month of May was very busy for us helping with Allan’s Junior/Senior Banquet and then the kids preparing for exams. We are very proud of Allan and Erin. Erin made the school’s Honour Roll and Allan finished on the Excel Honour Roll.

June was a very emotional month for Sheila. Many of her classmates returned to Dakar to celebrate the marriage of two students who graduated with them in 2007. It was a beautiful wedding on the beach. A few days later Sheila had to say good-bye to her best friend Peace who finished her schooling at DA and moved back to the U.S. This next year will be a difficult one for Sheila as most of her friends have left Senegal and she is just not relating the same with the current students who are several years younger than her. She is quite anxious to get back to Newfoundland. Please pray for her.

We are grateful for all the financial support we get for our ministry. All the news you hear about in these reports happens because of your giving and your prayers. To be more specific, one donation from someone in Newfoundland allowed us to purchase Bibles for a church that had begun door-to-door evangelism. They have already seen people come to church as a result of this outreach. We were also able to buy some more supplies for Pastor Daouda’s soccer program and help Samuel, Lucas and Robert continue their French studies.

I continued my work with the street boys over the summer and Paul was able to help out there a little too, although he was still doing some computer related work at DA.

As adults we enjoy the quiet of the summer, but it is difficult for our kids as many of their friends leave Dakar. They were a little bored, but we did manage to take a week for a family vacation with the Radfords. We travelled to the southern part of Senegal visiting a national park and then going to see a waterfall. We saw many of God’s wonderful creatures including hippos, several kinds of birds, several types of antelope and lots of Pumba’s relatives. We saw lion tracks, but being nocturnal, the cats themselves are hard to get a glimpse of. One of the highlights of our trip was being surrounded by about 200 baboons as they moved through the trees. That was pretty amazing, but we stayed close to the vehicles so we could hop in fast if we needed to  You can check out our Facebook profile for vacation pictures.
 

We also visited the town of Kedegou so Will Radford could check out possible locations for a future Christian school. Paul and Will met with the pastor there and he shared some of what is happening in this area of Senegal. He said he has village chiefs offering land in their villages to build churches and asking for pastors to come. Please pray that the leadership will develop fast enough to meet the needs of the growing church and the necessary funds will be available to build churches.

Over the summer Paul and I were involved in the planning of an Assemblies of God National youth conference. The conference took place from August 5-9 in the town of Fatick. Paul and Allan attended with Samuel, Lucas, Robert and three other street boys who have recently become Christians and about 500 other African young people. There were prayer times, worship, teaching sessions and nighttime Evangelism. The young people were also involved in several social action projects including a clothing distribution, street cleanup, a medical clinic and mosquito net distribution to homes with children. While in one of the villages giving out clothes and nets, Paul came across a small child with a badly burned hand. He discovered they had not gotten medical treatment because they didn’t have the money to pay for it. The cost for a visit to the local clinic is about 50 cents. Paul took Laurent and his mother, to the hospital in town for treatment. He then left enough money for the mother to take Laurent to the local clinic to have the bandages changed 10 times as the doctor recommended. The total cost including medications, was less than $30.00. Don’t ever think that if you only have a small amount to give to missions it won’t make a difference. No matter the amount, God can use it. To think how much that little boy would have suffered, possibly even died from infection, for the sake of $30.00. Please pray that what Paul did will be seen as an act of God’s love and that the village will be drawn to Him because of it.

In the closing service on Sunday morning both Pastor Raph, the President of the Assemblies of God, Senegal and Pastor Felix, the pastor responsible for Youth Ministry, said this conference was the highlight of their ministries so far. Thank you to the churches in Canada who financially supported this event. Your support is helping to ensure the future of the church in Senegal. There have been so many positive reports from the youth who attended and I am sure the long term impact will be tremendous.

The day after the conference ended, Paul was back at work at Dakar Academy. Another school year has begun. The dorm kids arrived last Tuesday and they were welcomed in the middle of the night by an awesome display of God’s power in the form of the biggest thunderstorm we have ever experienced. It was pretty amazing but as a result many houses had power surges that resulted in damage to electronic equipment. Trying to look at the bright side (pardon the pun), there are many missionaries living in places in Africa that don’t have electricity, so we probably shouldn’t complain. We also had some branches break off trees on campus. Although there was minor damage to a truck on the school parking lot when a large branch fell on it, with the storm happening during the night everyone was tucked safely in bed (although it was too loud to sleep) and no one was hurt. So again we really are thankful for God’s protection.
 

The first day of classes proved interesting. We had a power outage during the first period and the first hour also saw a teacher go home sick. Fortunately a teacher from Ontario, who came to check out the school as a possibility for the future, was able to jump in and sub. Then there was the grade 1 student who speaks no English and was so overwhelmed that she basically cried the whole day. She was more settled the second day, but it will be difficult for her for until she learns English. As you can see there is never a dull moment at Dakar Academy!

This is an emotional time of year at DA. Parents have to say to good bye to children as they move into the dorms. Some will not see each other again until Christmas break. Please pray for these families. Pray also for the dorm parents and staff who have to be surrogate parents.

We have several new staff members this year. Please pray that they will adjust quickly to life in Senegal. We also ask that you pray for a couple of staff members who have not arrived yet because they have not been able to raise the funding they need. We have people within the mission community who have stepped in to fill their spots until they arrive but obviously this is not the best situation. It is hard on the students when they have to switch teachers part way through the year. It is not easy for the subs either, they are usually involved in their own ministries outside of DA, but we all do what we can to meet the needs. I will be teaching the elementary PE classes until the new teacher gets here. I told the school I could only teach afternoon classes because I don’t want to take time away from the street boys ministry which is mostly in the mornings. Please pray for me as I try to juggle my time between these two ministries while still finding time for my own family and other work, like writing reports 

Please keep Erin and Allan in your prayers as well. Erin is now a high school student (grade 9 in the American system). This will be a year of change for her with much higher expectations and a heavier workload. Allan is in his last year of high school. Pray that he will be able to stay focussed and finish strong. He is planning to go to Tyndale College in Toronto next year.

Thanks again to everyone for your support and prayers. We couldn’t do this without you!
 

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April 27, 2009

In February the number of boys coming for breakfast at the Centre for street boys was the highest it has ever been. The boys were happy while they were there. It was a very positive atmosphere despite the fact that there was often nowhere for them to sit. The boys would sit on the floor, under the front tables, or stand at the door to try and watch the Christian DVDs we were showing.

 Then we had a visit from a religious leader. I mentioned in my last report that he wasn’t happy and at first it didn’t seem to impact our numbers, then the boys in his school and the ones around him stopped coming. The Senegalese pastor who works with us, said he ran into the leader on the street and was told the boys couldn’t come anymore because they were disrespecting his religion. When the pastor asked for an explanation, the leader said the boys were telling him what they were learning at the Centre was clear and what they were learning from him didn’t make sense to them. PTL!

For a few weeks our numbers were down. We dropped from about 90 each day to about 35. Then new boys started showing up…they didn’t carry cans for collecting what they begged for on the streets.  Most of them are teenagers who have been sent from villages to look for work in Dakar. They live/sleep wherever they can find a place. They find odd jobs to feed themselves or come to places like our Centre when they can.

Our numbers have climbed back to about 75 a day. We don’t know if the other boys will come back, but we do know they have been presented with the Gospel and now we are getting the opportunity to share the Gospel with a new group of boys. They have watched the Jesus film, JP has taught them some Christian songs and we are doing Bible stories at least once a week. The first time most of these boys saw the Jesus film was Easter week. JP left the room at one point while they were watching. Then he heard arguing. The film had ended and the guys were fighting about whether or not Jesus is alive NOW. The boys were actually in a physical confrontation that JP had to break up. He then called “B” into the room to translate while he explained the crucifixion and resurrection. When he finished, “S” asked if he could speak. He gave his testimony. JP said the boys were cheering and clapping as “S” described how much his life has changed since he became a Christian. JP said afterwards, boy after boy came to him saying they want to be Christians too. They said they want what “S” has.

Last week “R” shared some of his testimony with the boys and then Jean Paul prayed. When he finished his prayer, one of the guys jumped up and said, he’s not going to the mosque anymore, he’s coming to the Centre to pray.

On Monday we didn’t have a story or teaching session planned. The boys ate their breakfast and just stayed sitting at the tables. Then one of them said they were waiting for the lesson. JP got B and quickly did a Bible lesson. When he finished, one of the boys asked if he could pray. JP has been praying in French and having B translate into Wolof so the boys can learn how to pray. They are used to scripted prayers that get repeated over and over. Now they are learning that prayer is a personal communication that we can each have with God. The boy came and stood in front of the group and prayed. He prayed in Wolof and while I understood some of it, I later checked to make sure what he said was ok. I was assured it was a good prayer. I may have actually understood more myself if I hadn’t been standing behind the guy crying. J Those have been some powerful moments at the Centre over the past couple of weeks.

God keeps using our Centre to draw the boys to Himself. The nation of Senegal is only about 1% Evangelical Christians, but we have faith that soon the percentage will be higher as we reach the next generation for Christ.

In the last report I also introduced you to “A”. He is the young boy who was basically left on the street to die. After spending about 10 days in the hospital we took him to our partner centre. It was a tough time for all of us. We left him scared and crying, but we knew it was the best thing for him. We have had him back to the hospital for a check up and he is doing well physically. He is slowly adapting to his new home but he has experienced things that won’t disappear with a roof, a bed and a change of clothes. His full healing will either be a very long process, divine intervention or most likely a combination of both. We are monitoring his progress from a distance; we have pulled back because he really needs to form relationships with the boys and the leaders at this centre. Please continue to pray for Abe.

Next let me update you on “S”,” L” & “R”. They have been attending their church for more than six months so Jean Paul encouraged them to get involved in ministries. He let them decide for themselves what they thought suited them. “L” now plays the Jembe (drum) in Sunday services, “S”joined the church choir and “R” decided to serve by joining the cleaning team that takes care of the church. They are not just taking warming a pew; they are active, contributing members of the congregation.

They are also continuing with their French classes and progressing well. We are now deciding how much longer they will continue with the fulltime French and looking into what other training options are available.

In my last report I told you that a religious leader had gone to their room to visit. Unfortunately I didn’t have the full story at the time. The boys filled us in on more details later. “L” is the quietest of the three, and apparently we have at times misinterpreted that lack of outward exuberance, for a lack of commitment. Because he didn’t talk much the day the leader came to the Centre, JP & I thought he wasn’t home when the leader arrived at their room. Boy were we wrong…He was there and fully clothed in his armour! Here are a few parts of the encounter:

The religious leader asked about the book that was in the room. “L” picked it up, and said this is my Bible. I take it to church with me every Sunday.

The leader offered him money to give up Christianity and return home. “L” turned down the offer.

The leader asked “L” to walk back to the main road with him where he would get a taxi.. He told the leader, you got here without me, you can find your way back without me. He told him he would not even step outside the room with him.

“L” began to pray. When the leader asked him what he was doing, he told him he was praying. He asked who he was praying to. “L” told him he was praying to Jesus.

These young men are growing spiritually, continue to pray for them. Things are not easy for them, but they are standing firm.

Pray also for all the people who are working with the street children’s ministry. In the months of February and March, workers in the street kids ministry with our mission have had four deaths in their families, including a miscarriage and the suicide of a teenaged nephew. While God does get us through these difficulties, it is hard to stay focussed on the ministry during these times.

So you can see how the past few months have been somewhat of rollercoaster. Sometimes it is so much easier to see the negatives and get frustrated and discouraged. This was happening to me last week as I was reading Mark chapter 4. As I read The Parable of the Sower, I could only see the part saying that 75% of the seed would not grow to maturity. All I could think was that most of the boys who come through our doors will not follow Jesus. I knew I had to get past this, so I kept reading it for several days. On the third or fourth day, God showed me that it’s not just that 25% of the seeds take root and grow, but what results from that 25% is actual much greater. Those seeds will produce a crop that is 30, 60 and even 100 times as much as had been planted. We are seeing that begin now as “S”, “R” & “L” are influencing the other boys!

So I finally felt I could go on to read the rest of the chapter and God showed me many things that could apply directly to our ministry right now. I had been discouraged because so many of the street boys are now forbidden to come to our centre, but we know we have planted seeds. In The Parable of the Growing Seed, verse 27 says”…As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer’s help.” Even if the boys never come back to our centre again, God doesn’t need us to make the seeds grow.

Next I read The Parable of the Mustard Seed. Last month I was struggling with seeing a small boy literally thrown away by society. Verses 30-32 show how God can take the smallest seed and grow it into a great plant. With prayers, guidance and love, only time will tell the impact “A” can have for the Kingdom of God.

Despite some bumps along the way, God is continuing to work amongst the street boys of Senegal. Our numbers have climbed back up, so much so that we had boys sitting outside yesterday eating and colouring the sheet from the Bible story. We are anxious to get a new Centre and expand our program. Please continue to pray with us as we seek God’s direction and His will for the future of our program. Hopefully by our next report we will have an announcement about our future.     

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November 10, 2008

I trust you are all enjoying a wonderful fall season. I really miss all the colours of this season. Our rainy season has ended and all indications are that there has been a good crop this year. Thank you for your prayers. Our temperatures are starting to drop. We only turn our fan on the middle setting now with the temperatures dropping all the way to the mid 20s in the night times. I have to be careful what I say about missing the weather in Newfoundland. Last year I told someone I wanted to catch a snowflake on my tongue and a few weeks later I was in St. John’s shoveling snow so Mom and I could go to the hospital to see Dad after his heart surgery. I am pleased to report that 11 months later, Dad is doing great! (and for those who are wondering, yes I did catch a snowflake on my tongue).

Things have been very busy over the past couple of months. I have said many times that I need to write a report, but finding the time has been difficult. Now we have so much news, keeping it short is a challenge, so I have decided to write two reports. This report will be a general one covering many different things and in the next week or so I will write a report just on what is happening in our ministry with the street boys. That one will definitely be worth the wait!

In past reports we have talked about Pastor Daouda and his soccer program. In September, he brought a team of boys to Dakar, to play against the Dakar Academy intermediate team and a team sponsored by a Brazilian missionary. They played, shared a meal together and were presented with the gospel, with the help of the coloured, Wordless soccer ball. This soccer ministry is a great way to reach kids in Senegal.

We also have some sad news to pass along regarding Pastor Daouda. He and his wife Esther, were expecting their first child in October. Late one evening we received the much anticipated phone call, but the news was not what we expected. There were complications during the birth and the baby did not survive. Please remember Daouda and Esther in prayer.

Things are busy as usual at Dakar Academy. Last weekend there was a combined service here at the school with the DA church and the Bethel, Assemblies of God church. Both churches helped lead parts of the service with songs being sung in 4 different languages. Bethel is located in Dakar. They have outgrown their current church building and are adding on. The offering taken was given to Bethel to help with their building program.

Preparations are underway for DA’s Fall outreach weekend. On November 28, more than 100 staff and students will head out of Dakar to help with the construction of a church in the village of Koulouck. As in the past there will be evening evangelistic campaigns and during the days there will be a drama team, constructions crews, a children’s program which Paul and I will head up and a first aid team, which Allan will be joining. These teams work in several villages throughout the weekend, presenting the gospel to as many people as we can reach in a short time. We will be sleeping in tents and the only “facilities” we will have will be the ones we make when we arrive. These outreach weekends are very tiring, but very rewarding. Please pray for everyone involved. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in hearts before we come, preparing them to hear our message. Pray for safety as we travel and pray for good health and safety while we work.

 If there are any adventurous teachers out there, Dakar Academy is looking for a couple of teachers for January. There is an opening for a High School Chemistry/Physics teacher and there is also a Middle School English position available. If you are interested in either of these positions drop us a line or check out the DA website:

www.dakar-academy.org/staff/employment_opportunities/employment_opportunities.htm

There are also positions listed there for the 2009-2010 school year. We had new prayer cards printed recently. We sent them to several churches in NL, but we couldn’t get them out to every church. If you didn’t get one but you would like to have one, drop us an email with your mailing address and we will try to get one mailed to you. Whether you have a prayer card or not, please keep us in your prayers!
 

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September 5, 2008

Another full and exciting month!! Thank you all for your prayers for rain. There has been much more rain this year than in the past few years. This past week we have experienced several amazing thunderstorms. God gave us a show last week that went on for about an hour, with no real breaks…just one flash and rumble after another. Allan remarked that it was like a strobe light. Time after time we just went “WOW!” Unfortunately there is a down side to our storms. All those nasty hurricanes that are developing in the Atlantic start as thunderstorms here in West Africa. Last night some of the peals of thunder lasted 30-40 seconds and came with high winds and heavy rains. That was probably the worst storm we have had yet and it appears to have been named Josephine. Please switch your prayers concerning rain over to the people affected by the hurricanes. We will still take your other prayers.

Now for our News…

Paul and I finished up our French classes on August 1st. While we still have much learning ahead, we both feel better equipped to communicate with the French speaking people around us.

The following week we took a few days vacation and spent some time outside the city with Paul’s sister Alison who was here for a visit. We camped in the desert, we slid down the sand dunes, we rode camels, we experienced a Senegalese obstacle course set amongst the huge Baobab trees and we relaxed.

After this short break we returned for the start of the new school year at Dakar Academy. Everything is back in full swing with this year’s theme, “REFRESH”. We hope to see God bring a spiritual refreshing to the students and staff of DA and we then in turn hope to bring God’s refreshing to the spiritually thirsty people of Senegal. The chaplain wrote a theme song and recorded a short video. Check it out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3erQ2jT0DPQ&feature=related

 See if you can find Allan and Erin. The school has two major outreaches in the planning stages for this year. We will give you details of these in future reports as plans are finalized.

Paul will be working as a computer technician again this year and teaching computer classes to middle school and high school students. Erin is in Grade 8 this year and Allan is in Grade 11. Sheila is continuing her work with Judy Bowler and she will also be helping me at the Centre.

In August we were able to help Jean Paul arrange a visit from his sister. Jean Paul is from a remote village in Guinea which doesn’t have any phone service. He has from time to time, through friends who now live in Senegal, gotten word of how his family is doing, but he has not seen or spoken to his parents for about four years. His sister Maryama, is now attending a university in another part of Guinea and she was able to contact him last month. She had a break coming up so Jean Paul made arrangements for her to come to Dakar. He was so determined to ensure that Maryama was a Christian before she went home. To his surprise, she told him she began attending church when she left home and she is already a Christian. PTL! The trip has been a great experience for her. She saw large, multi-story buildings for the first time and she saw the ocean for the first time. Jean Paul has had a great visit and he has been told his parents are anxious to see him. Maryama returned to Guinea this week. Please pray for Jean Paul and his sister, saying good-bye was very difficult for both of them. He is hoping to go back home for a visit in December if he can save enough money.

The Centre has taken off since our Special Day at DA! The boys watched the remainder of the Jesus Film and after it was over Jean Paul explained the Gospel and then prayed with the boys. The following week he explained the Gospel again using the Wordless soccer ball. Many of you are familiar with the Wordless Book, well this is a soccer ball designed with the same colours as the book to show the various aspects of the Gospel. This is the ball we had them play soccer with when they were at DA. After this presentation Jean Paul prayed with the boys again, offering them an opportunity to become a Christian. These presentations are all translated to ensure the boys understand. The Bible tells us His word will not return void and we are seeing much interest in the Gospel, especially from the older guys. Many of these guys are 16-18 years old and they are searching for something to hold on to.

One 18 year old has stayed by himself several days and asked questions. I in turn, began to question him about his life. He is from a neighbouring country, but he has been in Dakar for five years. I asked him what he wants to do with his life. I asked if given the chance, would he stay here or go home. His country is much poorer than Senegal and he said he would stay here if he could find a job. I asked him what type of work he would like to do, I wanted him to be specific, but he really couldn’t. I don’t think he can even develop dreams for himself. I think he will take any job if it will mean he has a place to live and he can eat. He said he doesn’t think he will ever get a job in Senegal because he cannot read or write French or Wolof. Some of the other guys have been asking for some type of training program. The first training may be basic literacy in French (my limited French will be put to the test quickly). They will probably need this before they can learn a trade.

Through further conversation I have learned that some of the boys can read a little of their native dialect. I have found a few Bible Story booklets written in their language and several of the older boys are staying after they shower and eat to look at or read them. Some of them have listened to me day after day phonetically read Bible stories. They correct me when I make a mistake, or occasionally ask our worker who speaks their language to explain something, but they say they understand what I am reading (maybe I should do an advertisement for “Hooked on Phonics”). Actually, I’m sure the credit needs to go the Holy Spirit. I have prayed that even if I read it incorrectly they will hear it correctly. I was also told about some recordings on the internet, I downloaded them for the boys to listen to, but they prefer the books with the pictures, so I am looking into buying pictures that go with the recordings.

NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!!!!!

When I went to the Centre one day last week, two friends came along; one was a Senegalese lady who speaks another language spoken by the boys. (Yes, most of these uneducated street kids speak at least two languages.) While talking with her, the 18 year old said he has wanted to tell me and Jean Paul something, but he is frustrated because we can’t understand him. Not really knowing how to explain it, he told her he is one of us now; he wants to be a follower of Jesus.

The M*slim holy time of Ramadan began this week and most of the boys must fast during daylight hours, so only the small children will be able to eat at the Centre. The new believer asked if it is still ok for him to come to learn the Bible Stories. He said he is afraid he will forget what he has heard if he doesn’t come for a month. When we finished reading the first booklet, which included stories of Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah, he said he wanted to start again with the same book, to make sure he understands it and so he won’t forget it. So I am going through the same book for the second time. I have never seen anyone so hungry for the Word of God! Jean Paul also remarked about the difference in his attentiveness to the story we did with the full group of boys last week.

Please pray for the new believer and for us as we determine the best course of action to take. We need to find the right person to disciple him, preferably a man from his country who can speak his language. We really want to make sure he understands everything.

The Centre is an exciting place to be these days! Pray that the work the Holy Spirit has begun in the lives of the boys will result in many more becoming hungry for the Word. We may not be able to physically feed them during this month, but we can offer them something much better, the Bread of Life!

Please pray for M*slims around the world during Ramadan. This is a special time of prayer for them and many are earnestly seeking to get closer to God, they are just misguided. Only God truly knows their hearts and we have heard many stories of how God has revealed himself to M*slims during this time, often using dreams and visions. We have heard testimonies of Christians who have been approached by friends who have had dreams or visions and are looking for help in understanding what they have seen. Please be extra diligent in your prayers for M*slims during the month of September and also for God’s people working in M*slim countries.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement and financial support. Every prayer, note and dollar offered, makes you a huge part of the ministry of missionaries around the world.

Serving in Senegal

The Bradburys

Paul & Paula

Sheila, Allan & Erin
 

 August 11, 2008 (Update)

On Thursday evening we stood in the various places we knew the boys would be, and asked for God’s blessing on the activities. We wanted to ensure that our special day with the street boys was covered in prayer. Thank-you to all of you all over the world who joined us at that same time to pray!

 

The day was everything we had hoped for and more! Thank-you to all of you who prayed. Please keep praying that the seeds that were planted will grow!

July 24, 2008 

Prayer Warriors,

At 7:00 this evening (Senegal time) we will be conducting a Prayer Walk around the campus of the academy. We want to make sure tomorrow’s (Friday’s) program with the Street Boys is covered in prayer. We know you can’t all be here to walk with us, but will you pray with us, whereever you are?

We are also asking to you to pray tomorrow while the program is taking place. We will start about 3:00 pm Senegal time (12:30 in Newfoundland).

Thanks for your prayer support!

Paul and Paula Bradbury

pbradbury@paoc.org