Day 10 (April 1)...

Today is payday... and lunch was FREE!!! How is that for provision! Our lunch at the Gambia Hotel School was delicious!! After lunch we met walked to the beach. Nathan put his feet in the Atlantic... not the first time, but the most northern point his feet have been. After walking all over creation, we arrived home at about 5pm, and I quickly showered before the "Sister's Fellowship"!

The "Sister's Fellowship" was started in April 2007 just after I arrived in The Gambia. I had a desire to meet with the teen girls to encourage them that sex was "worth the wait", using a program designed by Kenya YFC. We struggled to have regular attendance b the end of 2007. As I prayed over Christmas break, I really felt that the "Sister's Fellowship" was to continue, but I felt completely at a loss as to how to keep the girls interested. Recognizing that they love to dance and my dancing skills are next to nothing, I prayed for help. God led me to the girls of the 2008 SMILE Team from the UK... they were praying for some way to minister to girls... we were a perfect match.

I am happy to report that the girls are still meeting (9 months after I left). And they have grown spiritually as well as in numbers. When I left there was about 10 regular girls. Now there is up to 17 girls, and only 5 of them are from the original group! It was such a gift from the Lord to see how this ministry has continued and grown!

Day 9 (Tuesday March 31)...

The following are my morning thoughts...

I am sooo tired of "Top Ramen" (2 minute Noodles for the South Africans)... With the challenges to our trip, our finances did not work out the way I had budgeted. We greased some palms to take care of Nathan's Visa and travel from Dakar was at a premium because of the Senegal National Elections... so we are living on a shoestring. The YFC office was out of gas for the stove and I am not a good cook over the fire! Therefore, Nathan and I have been eating Tapala (local fresh baked bread) with peanut butter for breakfast & lunch, and Top Ramen for dinner. I have only had an electric kettle (for boiling water) to use for cooking food. Tomorrow is payday (Nathan and I are referring to it as 'Christmas') and we really can't wait to go out for dinner and eat real food! But for today the menu says "Top Ramen" again... Lord, I am tired of Top Ramen... wow... I sound like the Israelites complaining about God's provision of manna in the desert!!! FORGIVE ME!! Thank you for your provision!!

As the day progressed...

The Lord had mercy on my complaining heart, and because He is a good God, and gives good gifts! At morning devotions, Sylvester announced that we would be having American Missionaries visiting in the evening, and Tema was cooking Chicken Benecin for dinner for our guests!!!! YAHOO!! MY FAVORITE!! I couldn't wait for dinner, but God still wanted to provide more... At about 10am we visited my friend Donald Greywood at YWAM DTS (Discipleship Training School). It was here we met the American missionaries that were coming over later. Since we were asked to stay and listen to their teaching, we stayed at YWAM until lunch time... and were then invited to stay for lunch... guess what was for lunch? YEP!! BENECIN!!! While eating lunch, Nathan received a phone call from one of the NAPSA (National Patriotic Students Assoc) leaders inviting us to a free lunch on Wednesday at The Gambia Hotel School (where he is in training)!!!

Fish Benecin for lunch, Chicken Benecin for Dinner... and a fancy meal for lunch tomorrow!! God provided quail for the complaining Israelites and Benecin for the complaining American!

It may seem to you like we took a week off, since I haven't been able to update this for two weeks. Wow... you cannot understand how easy it is to take for granted high speed internet! Once again, I have experienced the challenges of trying to post blogs and pictures with very slow internet... and I again appreciate what we have in South Africa. Enough of that though. We are back in South Africa, but I still have many posts for our Gambia trip!

On our day off (Monday March 30) during Morning devotions, Nathan asked Brigit if we could visit her family compound when she came home from school. This was his first visit to a "real" Gambian home. Brigit's family has some land for growing rice and other crops, as well as raising pigs and ducks. Her mother is able to grow enough rice for the family to eat off for about 9 months of the year. She also trades the rice for other staples during the year. After praying with her family, we toured the rice fields, and found the neighborhood boys enjoying their swimming hole!! Another new experience for Nathan was to find 'loofah sponges' (not really sponges but a seed pod) hanging from vines in the trees. He cut one down and brought it back to South Africa for his mom. The one experience that he missed out on was tasting some of the "palm wine" that Brigit's uncle taps from the palm trees... maybe next trip!

DAY OFF!! Monday March 30 was a day of rest...!

Weekend of ministry...

Our first weekend in The Gambia was filled as we visited with Paul Gomez' Youth group (Catholic Charismatic Renewal Youth) and Pneuma Ministries.

Saturday we were privileged to listen to Paul's youth group practice for a choir competition.  They have an uncanny ability to harmonize without any instruments!!  Nathan shared a message of encour-agement and challenged them to be change agents as they influence both Christians and Muslims around them.  Paul called us Sunday and pleaded on behalf of his youth group for us to return and do another teaching the next night, but our schedule was already booked.

As guests at my Gambia church (Pneuma Ministries), Pastor Emmanuel asked Nathan to preach the Sunday message.  Having a passion for evangelism, Nathan imparted inspiration from Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine for your light has come.  The glory of the Lord is upon you."

As believers the glory of the Lord is upon us, and we are commanded to "Arise, and shine" for Him!  Pastor Emmanuel later confirmed that God has been preaching the same message but through other visiting guests using other scriptures to this congregation.  God wants these Gambian youth to spread His Word, not just wait for the missionaries and other visitors. 

A love for this country and people is growing in Nathan's heart...

We made the news!

 After all the dignitaries and TV crew arrived the Leadership Workshop for the executives of the higher level  education Student Unions finally began (2 hours after scheduled start time).  Once more we were reminded of the difference in our cultural values.  37 eager young leaders participated in activities modeling good/bad leadership.  Throughout the training Nathan encouraged them of the importance of their role as leaders and to continue to improve in their leadership skills.  They are vital to the future success of The Gambia. During the lunch break, we were approached and offered the opportunity to give the same training to the leadership of NAPSA (National Patriotic Students Association), and in a future blog will be more on the result of that invitation.  We can see God's hand of provision and divine guidance daily.  THANK YOU for your prayers!