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!

Schools Ministry...

Our 3rd day in The Gambia was a visit to Presentation Girls Vocational School.  Run by the Catholic Church, this school offers basic education for girls who have missed out on formal education due to various factors (financial, family attitudes, health) and also gives additional training in a vocation (Basic Computer, Office skills, Home Economics).  

Joining Mariama (YFC Volunteer, who visits this class once a week teaching Religious Education), we arrived about 1 hour early.  Recognizing that the girls playing volleyball lacked basic volleyball skills, Nathan stopped the game for a lesson on how to hit the ball.  Noticing one young girls sitting on the sideline, then Nathan and I engaged her in conversation.  Jabu missed out on going to school in her younger years due to lack of finances for school fees, we prayed that God would provide the necessary funds to complete school at Presentation as she focuses on the area of Home Economics.  As PE class time was ending a deaf man approached Nathan wanting financial assistance.  Trusting for God to restore his hearing Nathan prayed for him as well.  In the classroom, Nathan did a teaching on "Attitude", and the best attitude is one of "Love" using 1 Corinthians 13.  With about 15 minutes left, and the opportunity for questions was presented, one girl asked for advice on relationships.  Nathan felt that God wanted me to answer the question.  I encouraged them regarding setting boundaries in their relationships with boys... if boys truly love them, they will respect the boundaries set by them.  The class then presented us a gift of appreciation, and we walked away thankful for the opportunity to play, pray and present God's principles regarding relationships.

Ministry with Gambia YFC...

Gambia YFC is currently focusing on 2 areas - Community Fellowships (weekly clubs) and Leadership Development.  

Community Fellowships are started by YFC Young Leaders in their own community.  The first fellowship we attended was with Augustine at his home.  Augustine was inspired to start something in his neighborhood after attending the YFC World General Assembly last September.  The time of fellowship was very sweet and innocent with 7 of his family and neighbors.  Nathan started with the group inviting God to join the circle (see picture of fists joined by grasping thumbs) and have His way.  After a couple of games to strengthen the friendships already present, Nathan shared a message of encouragement from God's Word.  The evening ended in a most unexpected way, as the opportunity for prayer was offered.  One young man wanted prayer for healing in his stomach.  After praying for him Nathan said "Is there anyone else I can pray for?" and a girl named Anna (who had arrived late) replied "I would like to know more about Jesus."  Right then and there, Nathan explained the Good News of Jesus Christ, and prayed with her to receive Him as her Savior.  We rejoiced with the angels as we walked away and thanked God for allowing us the privilege of harvesting the fruit that was already ripe!  Pray for Anna, that she will be strengthened in her faith as Augustine and his friends encourage her decision.

Unexpected challenges!

Greeted at the Dakar Senegal airport by Paul Gomez (my Gambian 'son'), we learned of an unexpected challenge to our travel across the border into The Gambia.  Unkown to any of our Gambian friends, Sunday March 22 was designated for National Elections in Senegal.  How does this affect us...?  It meant that NO public transport was operating (except for the few taxis at the airport, the city was closed for elections), and that there was no bus or taxis driving to The Gambia because the citizens of Senegal were required to stay in Senegal.  After 2 hours of deliberation with the taxi drivers that wanted to charge $200 for a ride to the border, God provided one very sweet driver who offered to drive us to 3 different places in Dakar to see for ourselves regarding the reality, and he only charged us for transport to one place.  After driving past 2 completely dark bus depot's (not even a mouse was stirring), we came to a taxi park with hundreds of cars and vans (the time is now 3am), all dark and deserted except for a very small fire with 5 people surrounding it.  As soon as we drove up, 3 of them started to cheer.  They were also wanting to go to the border, but needed to wait for the car to fill up... we were the answer to their prayers!  The fare to the border...? $50!!  

Enduring 6 hours of a very cramped, bumpy, carbon monoxide filled ride... we arrived at The Gambia border.  Checking out of Senegal was easy... it should have been so easy getting into The Gambia... never had any problems in the past... as Nathan says "never count it done until the 'fat lady sings'!"  Unkown to us, South African's are required to pass a police clearance before approval for a Visa into The Gambia.  The time is now 9am on a Sunday morning, the border patrol has no credit for his phone... Paul's phone battery is dead, my battery has one bar of charge.  I give Paul $$ to buy credit and put his SIM card into my phone, and we all pray that the charge will last for us to reach someone in authority that can allow Nathan clearance into The Gambia.  After 2 hours of various phone calls, the proper person was reached, and gave permission for me to have a 24 hour Visa, and Nathan a 24 hour pass into the country.  But the Border Patrol was required to keep Nathan's Visa and meet us on Monday at Immigration headquarters.  With God's favor, we were allowed to then continue.  By 3pm, 24 hours after arriving at the Cape Town airport, we had finally arrived at the YFC office, greeted by Sylvester and some food, we crashed under a mosquito net until morning!

Monday presented more unexpected challenges.  Meeting at Immigration Headquarters, the border patrol was there as promised with Nathan's passport.  But a new law had been implemented just in the last month because of a missionary that was posting letters and information on the internet displaying The Gambia and it's president in a very negative light.  This missionary is still in jail here.  The new law requires the inviting agency to meet missionaries at the border and to 'accept responsibility' for the actions of the missionary.  Well, in our case, Sylvester was with us at Immigration, so that challenge taken care of.  But... the poor border patrol had not stamped Nathan's passport with the border stamp... he only brought it with him, which would not have been a problem except that he had stamped my passport the previous day.  We could not be traveling together and have different border stamps.  The solution... the border patrol had to travel back to his border and stamp Nathan's passport, and then return to headquarters (2 ferry rides and 1 hour by car).  But Immigration agreed that once this was done, the passport could be given to Sylvester later in the day, and we could leave.  God is good to have put Nathan's passport back into our hands the next day.  "The fat lady has sung!"

More pictures and adventure later... the internet has been extremely challenging... 

Living the adventure of service to our King!

Julianna & Nathan

:)

EXCITING NEWS!!!

Well, exciting for me anyway!

Nathan and I are taking a trip to The Gambia and we leave on Friday!  I was able to purchase tickets from Cape Town to Dakar for a very reasonable rate (using my income tax refund!).  The purpose for our trip will be 3-fold. 

1) Assisting Gambia YFC in teachings at the schools ad speaking God's Words of encouragement at the community fellowships

2) For me to show off my favorite African country and friends to Nathan (and show off him to them!)

3) To retrieve my keyboard and ministry books

We leave Cape Town on March 21, and return on April 9th.

Due to the timing of our trip, I will not be sending out 'snail mail' newsletter for March.  Look forward to the one coming in April with our trip experiences.

Please pray for:

- Good health and safe travel (will and at 1:30am on the 22nd, then take a 9 hr taxi ride to Banjul (return trip visa-versa)

- Topics for training to be relevant to the culture and needed development areas

- Holy Spirit inspired words of encouragement

- Patience for Nathan as he will be completely out of his comfort zone!

- Opportunity to connect with and have fellowship with my Muslim friends who need to have and encounter with the Lord!

- Boldness to speak God's truth in all situations.

Living the adventure of service to the King... 

(read the next two blogs for our "March News" )