November 2009

We are sorry for our silence!  It is not because there is nothing to report, but almost rather because there is so MUCH to report!  Finding time to actually sit down and write a newsletter is getting more and more difficult, but next week we hope to do just that.

 

I am writing now with a quick request for prayer.  This weekend is the Senegal Missionary Women’s Retreat.  This retreat will bring together 140 missionary women from Senegal and other countries in West Africa for a time of teaching, encouragement and rest.  Sharon is the Retreat Coordinator this year and the planning has been going on since last year’s retreat! 

 

The women who attend this retreat come from dozens of missions and organizations and about as many home countries.  It is an important time, not just for the women who attend, but for the ministries that benefit from the encouragement and refreshing these ladies carry back home with them.

 

This year we are thrilled to have Sandra Gill as our retreat speaker.  Sandra is the National Director of Women’s Ministries for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (our sending mission) and brought with her a team of 9 other wonderful ladies who are helping with workshop teaching, gift bags and so much more!  This team will also be working alongside our PAOC Senegal field team for a week after the retreat, in children’s ministries and women’s ministries.  Dan Davies, the Director of MissionPrep Toronto has also joined this team of ladies to bring his expertise and teaching to the missionary community in Dakar.  He also considers West Africa home, having grown up as an MK in Burkina Faso.

 

Please begin to pray now for this retreat this weekend – November 20, 21 & 22.   The theme of the retreat is “Beyond Ourselves” with our theme verse of 2 Corinthians, 4:18:

 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Here are a few requests to direct your prayers:

1.      Pray first and foremost that the Lord will pour out his blessings on all the retreat participants, for His Glory.

2.      Pray for the retreat committee of 12 and the volunteer team from Canada – for all our final preparations and the stamina to carry them out.

3.      Pray for safety as we travel to the retreat venue which is about 90 km from Dakar.  Some of the women coming to the retreat will be taking several modes of transport to get there, on often treacherous roads.

4.      Pray for good favour with the hotel where the retreat is being held.

5.      Pray for the many ministries and organizations that will be represented at the retreat, for effectiveness in our efforts to reach this country for Christ.

 

Thank you so much for standing with us!

 

 

 

====

September 2009

2009 Senegal Christian Educators Conference

The 2009 Senegal Christian Educators Conference which was months in the planning and much anticipated by our teachers, is now over!  How does that happen so quickly??  We wanted to write a short report on the conference while the details are still fresh on our minds and hearts.  We are so grateful to the Lord for his presence and help in this successful conference.  About 70 Christian educators, school board members and pastors attended this 5 day conference held in Dakar.

We want to express appreciation  to the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) for their sponsorship of and participation in this conference.  Our friend Daniel Neuhaus ß from ACSI Francophonie in France came back for his third teachers conference in Senegal.  We are so thankful for his participation, both as an expert on Christian education and his understanding of the African setting in which we minister. 

Also this year we were joined by 3 new ACSI friends.  Anne-Marie Jayer (France) joined us from Mali where she works with YWAM/ACSI in Christian schooling. 

Mark & Virginia Kennedy from ACSI Eastern Canada also joined us.  The Kennedys have much experience working with Christian schools in Haiti and Canada and brought that experience to our conference.  Between them, they taught 14 workshops sessions!

The conference also benefitted greatly from the teaching of Dr. Glenn Loveless from Newfoundland.  Thank you to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland for their financial gift which enabled Glenn and his wife Gloria to join us for this conference.  Glenn’s expertise in Christian education and second-language acquisition were much appreciated by the conference delegates.

The main goals of this conference were:

1.      To encourage all Christian educators working in Senegal to strive for excellence professionally and spiritually in their schools.

2.      To provide training on teaching methods – theoretical, spiritual and practical.

3.      To equip teachers with resources for classroom use.

4.      To network all Christian teachers in Senegal, from different church and mission affiliations to better work together toward the same goals.

Each of the 5 conference days began with praise, prayer and a devotional led by one of our Senegalese pastors – Pastor Ngor Ngom (in photo with Daniel Neuhaus, top left).  Pastor Ngor encouraged the delegates in their ministries and in seeing their work as a calling.  Pastor Ngor also served as a translator for all of the workshops taught by Virginia Kennedy.

Plenary sessions were held each morning.  Daniel Neuhaus taught on the 4 mandates of God in the Christian school.  Mark Kennedy spoke of the Christian teacher as “living curriculum”.  Glenn Loveless presented the pedagogical implications of a Christian world view.  Pastor Kwesi Gunn of the Assemblies of God of Senegal reminded us of the vulnerability of children in today’s world and our responsibility before God to lead them in the right path.  Anne-Marie Jayer encouraged us with a presentation on what God is doing in Christian schooling in West Africa.  She issued a challenge for all of us to be dedicated to the work of Christian education in West Africa.

Three workshops sessions per day provided the delegates with teaching on everything from the practical aspects of classroom teaching to more analytical subjects at the base of Christian Education.  Some of the topics covered were:

-          Biblical foundations for Christian schools

-          How to filter secular school texts from a Christian world-view

-          Biblical discipline

-          Teaching children to read

-          Characteristics of an effective Christian school

-          Worship and children

-          Teaching English as a second language

-          Effective questioning

-          The Administration of a Christian School

-          Learning Styles

-          Opportunity for further education through Global University

-          Bible Curriculum developed for Assemblies of God of Senegal schools.

The venue for the conference was the SIL Centre in Dakar – a centre where translation and production of Christian materials in West African languages takes place.  This was a great location for the event, with conference rooms and accommodations for teachers from outside Dakar and our special guests.  Unfortunately, the weather before the conference and during the week was very wet!  The rains were intense and the road to the SIL Centre was quickly turned into a river of dirty flood water.  This provided a challenge in getting the participants to the conference each day, but in typical Senegalese character, the teachers took it all in stride and went through great effort in using public transport to attend. 

On the last day of the conference, during the last hour when certificate presentations were taking place, an incredible storm blew in, with gale-force winds and torrential rain which poured into the conference room through windows and ceiling.  The power went out but the presentations went ahead in semi-darkness with the noise of the storm almost drowning out the speakers!  At the end of the day, the parking lot was flooded under 40 cm of rainwater which even seeped into the lower offices at SIL.  “Ferrying” the participants from the Centre in the back of pick-up trucks took some time, but again good-humour prevailed and the conference ended well.

Thank you to all who prayed and gave for this conference.  The feedback from the speakers and participants has been positive.  Some highlights mentioned by those in attendance were:

-          Testimonies from many of the 10 participating schools giving glory to God for the impact of their school in their community.

-          The opportunity for Christian educators from many organizations to come together in the hope of forming an organization for Christian Teachers in Senegal.

-          The excellent meals prepared each day by 3 Senegalese ladies.

-          The informal sharing of ideas and goals.

-          The bags of teaching materials, books and other resources provided by ACSI and the PAOC/PAON for each teacher and school.

We are looking forward to planning further training opportunities for Christian teachers and administrators in the months ahead.  These will be in the form of smaller gatherings for specific areas of training.

If you would like to know how you can help with the continued training of our Christian teachers and the development of more Christian schools in this country, please contact us.  We are more than willing to provide you with a project you can be a part of!

In an upcoming newsletter we will give you updates on our family, child sponsorship program, new school development and more opportunities to share in our ministry.

====

August 2009

We are all healthy and getting ready for the school year to start for Jesse and Beth.  Thanks so much for all your prayer. Ministry is also gearing up as we get ready for the Teachers Conference in September and recruit new teachers for our expanding Christian school system.

====

July 2009

Principals Meeting April 17, 2009

Sounds boring doesn’t it?  Well if you could have been there I’m sure you would have been as pumped up about Christian schools as I was after hearing the amazing stories from our four Christian school principals!  All I asked each of them was simply this, “Give us a little summary of how things are going at your school.”  Here are the synopses of their stories:

Aziz’s school in Kaolack was the recipient of an Operation Christmas Child box distribution just before March break. (Unfortunately, with the shipping, customs negotiations and organization for distribution, the boxes usually arrive here in February and are distributed in March.)  The students and their families were so delighted with them that many called Aziz to thank him personally.  When the students returned from break, a number of the students wanted to know what the title of the booklet that came with the boxes meant.  Its title, “The greatest gift”, explaining about Christ’s gift, gave Aziz the perfect opportunity to share the good news of Jesus.  Aziz also reported how the children love the new Bible program and can’t wait till Bible class time when they can show their teacher how much they have learned!

Lamine, a Pastor and principal of a new school in the north, told us of favour granted and good opportunity to give positive testimony in the town where their school is located.  The local authorities, most of whom are Moslem, even call him Pastor and the local government representative asks for on the spot prayer at every meeting – and he too is Moslem!  The local school inspector is impressed with the level of professionalism at this new school and how the new curriculum is being better implemented than in any other school in the area.

Marguerite

Marguerite, principal of a school in Dakar, also reported how the Bible program is very popular among the students but how some of the Moslem parents were not happy with it. Respectfully but firmly she has explained how this is a Christian school so it is normal to have a Bible teaching program.  By holding firm on teaching the new Bible program, some great witnessing moments have arisen and Marguerite has been able to pray with some of the Moslem parents. The children love to sing choruses such as “Jesus is my friend” and sing them over and over at home too!

Famara, the principal of our school for the deaf has a special challenge.  Our deaf students must attain the same educational objectives as their hearing peers, despite having only sight and touch to learn it.  Life is hard for the deaf here in Senegal as many people taunt the students as they travel to and from school.  We have been trying to share the love of Christ with them even as we strive to give them a good education.  Still there has been some resistance among older students to the Bible program. Recently we showed the Jesus film with French signing by Famara.  When Jesus healed the deaf man the students were really touched.  They spoke afterward and said, “Since we see that Jesus loves deaf people, that he would touch them and heal them, we know we can trust what he says, and who he is.”  They are now open to the Bible teaching since it is associated with Jesus: the written and living Word.

At every school there is at least 20 minutes of prayer every morning before school starts. At least one school holds special meetings after school on the last Friday of the month, which is a day of fasting for them. They have a local pastor come in and teach, exhort them, then have a special time of prayer for the students, their families and the staff as well.  Our teachers and principals have a dedication to educational excellence, love the children in the schools, and are committed to being a testimony for Christ in the communities in which they serve.

At our principals meeting we dealt with lots of regular school business too but the load was lightened knowing that God is working in and through us!  Please pray for the process of recruitment as we are looking for more Christian teachers for our schools.  Also, please continue to pray for our current teachers and principals as you pray for our schools, that the witness of the Gospel will continue to shine out from them, dispelling the darkness in this country, one child, one family at a time!

===== 

May 2009

JWs & Jesus

Just when you think doing missions in this 95% Muslim country can’t get any more interesting – or challenging – you hear a knock on the door. It’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses complete with French language material in time for the upcoming Easter holiday.

After explaining about their Easter pamphlet, we exchange a few opening pleasantries – “Ah, you speak English?” “Yes, I am a Missionary with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada” – and we quickly arrive at an impasse. THE impasse.

Who is Jesus? Who does the Bible say He is? “Ah, well he was just a man, the son so he cannot be truly God.”

“Yes, He is the Son,” I counter, “but how could He create the world as Colossians says?”

“Well, he was only the intermediary.”

“No, the passage clearly states He was involved in creating and who can create except God? And what of your translation which incorrectly states in John 1, ‘The Word was a god,’ where it should say, ‘The Word was God’?”

“Oh, well, the New World Translation is one of the best known translations in the world. That must be accurate.”

“No,” I say. “You are mistaken. It is not recognised at all by serious Greek and Hebrew scholars.”

He shrugs his shoulders and we are still at the impasse. So it still ultimately comes down to: Who is Jesus?” This is the same question we face with Muslims, atheists (of whom there are a good number) and Roman Catholics in Senegal. “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked Simon Peter. The answer to this question makes all the difference in the world. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

I would like to be able to say that my Jehovah’s Witness visitors depart on good terms, but Jesus is a stumbling block for them and many others.

“Find out who Jesus is,” I counsel them as they make a quick getaway. “Qui est Jésus?” are my last words to them as they pass out of earshot.

Jesus. The Son of God, Son of Man, Saviour of the World, Redeemer, King of the Universe, Good Shepherd, Messiah, Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. Hope you had a joyous Easter celebration!

2009 so far, in brief:

• January – PAOC World Retreat in Indonesia
• February – Sharon’s trip to Canada to spend time with Megan & Emma and visit her family
• March – Transformation of National Schools Committee
• April – School Directors Review of 2009 school year and planning for 2010 school year.
• May – Jesse turned 12 & Megan turns 22!

God is at work in Senegal! Here is what is happening in our PAOC colleagues’ ministries here:

• 12 000 children attending weekly Good News Bible Clubs in the cities and villages!
• Village soccer program reaching 100 young boys with the Gospel!
• Evangelism campaigns in the interior have resulted in hundreds of conversions and many healings!
• 25 new converts from a Dakar church baptized!
• National youth conference in August will bring together 600 young people for a weekend of teaching, worship and fellowship!
• Many Muslims are seeking and finding that Jesus is the answer to their search for peace!

Please pray for our PAOC Teammates: Phil & Judy Bowler (BC), Paul & Paula Bradbury (NL), Gaetan & Jacinthe Gaucher (QC), Guy & Jane Penney (NL) and their families, as well as Lisa Kaye (NB) as we work together to further the Lord’s Kingdom in this country.

Prayer needs:

We have had lots of challenges, changes and moves going on so we need lots of prayer to stay  ahead of the stresses! Pray for Beth, Jesse, Emma and Megan as MKs have their own unique challenges.

Please pray for the ministry of the schools, that the teachers will deliver quality, caring education, helping Senegalese children for this life and the life to come.

Please pray for our newest school in Yeumbeul, that it would start well, and be a beacon of light in a community desperate for hope and life.

Pray for our National School Committee meetings (Yes, God can use committees!) as we set our ministry on a more firm footing.

Pray for Will as National Director of Christian Schools for the Assemblies of God as he visits schools, evaluates teachers in training, plans for the September Conference and works to establishing a Teacher training program.

Pray that our Ford Escape will be fixed very quickly and give us many years of trouble-free service!