trepidation

Trepidation

This is what I have. Is that the right word? Maybe it is anxiety.

I head to the States tomorrow and though this is not my first flight – I have been flying at least since I was 1 ½ -  I feel anxious every time I fly. I remember the many stories I’ve heard about airline crashes. Like the one in France a number of years ago where the back end of the plane exploded not a minute after the plane took off. Or the one that disappeared in the Indian ocean last year. Or the one where the two planes ran into each other on the run way (something about the wings). Or any number of stories I’ve heard. I know, this is not the thing to think about before one flies, but if you tell me not to think about a pink elephant, I’m gonna think about a pink elephant.

So every time I fly, even though I have flown many times, I still listen to the flight attendant giving the information about where the exits are, what kind of flotation device we have – is it the seat cushion itself or under the seat? When the plane taxis down a runway and takes off I pray the same way I pray when I’m driving (a car) – constantly. “Lord please keep us safe.” “Keep the captain and co-captain alert.” “May the mechanics have done their job correctly.” “I hope the baggage handlers didn’t leave anything behind.” When we’ve been up in the air for more than a minute I breathe a sigh of relief that we are not like the Air France flight. All during the flight I keep my seatbelt buckled and hope that my oxygen mask works. My obsessed-with-stuff mind worries about the items that are going to get lost and ruined if we crash or have to land in the ocean. It’s when I am off the plane and have my bag in hand that my biggest relief comes… and unless I’m in the Dakar airport, that is also the moment when I see loved ones again.

Today I am also filled with trepidation about my layover. 19 hours in Dubai. A city and country I’ve never been to. I don’t know anyone there. I don’t know any word in the local language except: shawarma, Alhamdulillah, fataya (?), hummus, algebra, assalam alaikum, insha’Allah shukran. 3 of these words are foods – 2 of which I don’t even like so that doesn’t help. (Side note: Check out this page I found that tells us what words we use in English come from Arabic - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Arabic_origin_(T-Z) – I did not know tuna was Arabic in origin). I am not particularly worried about the weather – apparently it’s going to be 104 degrees on Monday – that is what I grew up in so I can deal. I am also worried about being tired – 19 hours is a long time. I am also worried about my checked baggage. Is it being checked all the way through? I certainly hope so!

But I am excited about stuff too. I found this bus tour company that offers tours of major cities around the world. The Dubai package is really great – it has a lot of free stuff to check out and you can see much of the city. I am hoping to visit a flamingo lagoon, take the metro, visit one of the manmade island developments, and visit the Burj Khalifa.

Then I hop on a plane for the States. Once again we have the anxiety of taking off and the entire flight. Also, whenever I’m flying into the States, especially New York or DC, I get nervous and start praying for all the people on the plane. I pray that everyone just stays in their seats. I pray that God will keep us safe.

Then I go through the passport stamping line, then head for the baggage area where I will see my parents and possibly my sister. I only have one bag for them to lose, and I am going to the land of plenty. So if I lose my checked bag I can easily buy new stuff. What is irreplaceable is gifts and wedding gifts.

Then there is summer. Summer. Summer. Summer is where I am hoping to get a new prescription for my eyes. Summer is the time my family will be together for the first time in 3 years. Summer is when I am hoping to go kayaking with my dad… don’t know if I’ve told him that yet. Summer is when my brother gets married and we welcome another person to the Bowers clan – can 18 people be a clan? Summer is when I’ll buy new to me clothes. Summer is when I get to see two good friends – and others too, but there are two in particular I am hoping to see. Summer is when I get to talk to people about what I think the Lord wants me to do after I leave DA in a few years.

So yeah. Those are my thoughts about the next 60 hours and few months. Pray for me.

Psalm 56:3  

What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee. 

Cookies

Every year at Christmas time we get an opportunity to bless others. At Dakar Academy, this happens a few ways.

The first is through the National Workers Christmas Party. Every year a party is thrown for the national workers. The national workers are Senegalese (and possibly some from other African countries) men and women who help the school run. They are janitors, cooks, maintenance, guards, wood workers, mechanics, and gardeners. They and their spouses are invited to an evening where they receive gifts, listen to a band, dance, eat, and are presented with the gospel message. Some of the national workers know Jesus as their personal Savior, but the rest are Muslim.

The entire school gets to help out with this party in various ways. The elementary students are asked to bring milk powder, the middle school students are asked to bring sugar, and the high school students are asked to bring a can of coffee. 

Each of these items is then given in a gift bag to each national worker. The staff are requested to bring in 2 dozen cookies which then give divvied out onto plates which are also part of the gift. 

We also have an envelope available for the staff to give donations.  This money is used to buy more gifts, to help with costs of the party, and is given simply as money. One of the gifts we often buy is phone cards – a very valuable commodity around here! Parents also get involved a bit. Last year and this year we have had a parent who works at a hair factory, so for these two years he has given hair – hair to be used as extensions for the women for doing their hair.

I have never been to this party, but from what I understand it is always a big hit. And I pray every year that when they hear the gospel message, they will believe it as truth and accept Christ into their heart.

The next opportunity is to give office supplies. We do a lot of business with the post office and the police des etrangers. The police des etrangers is the aliens/foreigners office. They are the office we deal with about visa and residency issues. In order to avoid having to buy a costly Senegal VISA every 3 months we apply for residency. This is a long and complicated process that some people don’t see the end of before they leave – but maybe that will be another blog post. Anyways, a few years ago we gave these offices a box of pastries as a Christmas gift and a thank you for their help. The message we received back was thanks but they would rather have office supplies than pastries. So every year the business office puts together a box full of office supplies. This box includes pencils, red, black, and blue pens, scotch tape, glue, large and small paper clips, envelopes, rubber bands, white out, staples, and post-its.

These are items we take for granted because we can get them so easily – we have the money for it. But for them, they may not be able to good quality versions or enough for everyone in the office. So it is our hope and prayer that we may bless them through these simple items. 

Christmas Plans!! ??

Well, I was really looking ahead to the future and not procrastinating and I went and wrote a Christmas bucket list... but then ebola happened - well, it had been happening, but it started to affect things. Alumni planning to return for Christmas were told by their schools that they would have to be in incubation even though they were going to a country that is ebola free. To make a long story short, my parents and sister are coming to Dakar for Christmas and so none of things below that are in italics are going to happen. It is like the Bible verse, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps" (Prov 16:9). 

So… Christmas break is coming up and I decided to make a bucket list. My sister will be there and my parents have a car so all kinds of things can happen!

First, visit the Chutes de Gouina. My family has a tradition of camping here every new years since the year 2000. Now… when I say camping, I don’t mean tents and fancy stuff like that. I mean makeshifts tents out of mosquito nets, mats, and mattresses. I mean piling under and over layers upon layers of blankets because (shocker since this is in Mali!) it is cold!! It used to take 3 hours or so to get there, but now it takes less than two! The road was paved because of a potential hydroelectric dam being built there. Here you see a picture of the beautiful falls and one of our past campsites.

Second on my bucket list is going to Le Campement. This is a beautiful little resort on the outskirts of Bamako that my parents and I went to last year. They are two pools, one regular one, and another that is built in to boulders. It is beautiful! Voici a picture from last year:

Next up is hanging with my baby sister. I haven’t seen her in 2 and a half years so it will be a treat (though we have skyped and written letters {as in snail mail – we’re old fashioned that way J }). We probably won’t be staying up till all hours of the night braiding each other’s hair and talking about boys… but we may stay up and watch Doctor Who and get on each other’s nerves ;).

I can’t believe I am putting this… but I will probably be hanging out with my parents dog Lola “a bit”. This is the only dog I have ever really liked… except for one my parents dog-sat for for a month. My family used to accuse me of secretly liking my parents former dog (RIP Chester), but when you see me with Lola and compare my attitude to her versus my attitude the other dog…  well, those accusations were pointless. I will probably spend time teasing her by saying things like Wal-Mart and talk and stalk and others while my mother admonishes me but is really amused by her dog’s reactions. I’ll spend my nights being scooted off the bed while the dog takes up most of the room in the bed – kind of like my sister does…

Kayes… we are probably going to go and visit the city that was our home for our entire lives… see church friends, see our maid, see co-workers, go to Echo Beach, and more. This is where we’ll probably be spending Christmas… it is nice to know that even though my parents have moved, some things stay the same.

American goodies!! Since my sister will be coming from the States, I am counting on her bringing a whole suitcase full of stuff for my parents and me. This is not stuff like candy and food and impractical things like that. It will be more like contact solution, socks, cookbooks, contacts, and other sweet stuff. Maybe some fun stuff too if my parents have her bring out Christmas gifts for me. (PS – if anyone wants to send me something, I would not mind! :) )

Dressing alike. Many African churches – at least in West Africa (or is it just Mali?) – have a tradition of choosing a fabric and having a Christmas themed picture and Bible verse printed on it. This is at Christmas. At Easter they choose an Easter theme. For a political thing it will have a picture of a candidate. Etc. There are so many reasons to dress the same! So many in the church buy a length of fabric and have an outfit or piece of an outfit (like just a shirt for the boys sometimes) made out of it. Then on Christmas when you go to church everyone is wearing clothing out of the same material… or from Christmases past. You know what they say, “The church that dresses alike stays together”… or something along those lines.

Speaking of Christmas, our family and whatever other English speaking people out there will get to sing a song in English for the church on Christmas day. Every people group chooses a song from their language and gets to sing it in front of the church. When there are 15 languages, this does not lengthen the already lengthy service which includes three or four choirs singing two songs, and the mayor coming to visit, and an extra long sermon (or so it feels). I don’t have a picture for this, sorry! Some things are better left to the imagination!

I’ll also get the chance to practice my Bambara. Ever since I have been wise (22) I have wanted to learn Bambara and have wished that I had learned as a child. But each time I have gone to Mali in the last two and a half years I have picked up more and more words and phrases so that when we are visiting with people I can catch the drift of the conversation as I pick out a word here and there.

 So, who knows what is really going to happen. No matter what, my parents, sister, and I are going to be spending Christmas together. That was what was important to us when trying to figure out travel plans. 

Have a great day!

Mini prayer letter

Hi Friends, 

I know it has been a while. I hope things are going well for you. 

-Brazilian missionary: In June we got the news that Jose had the final hearing and was finally given the freedom we have all been praying for. There was nothing to keep them here any longer... except they didn't have their passports. And now, a month later, they still don't. I talked to Jose's wife yesterday and she said they are hoping to get them today. Please pray that the passports will be returned so that Jose and his family can go back to Brazil and get some much needed rest and time with extended family. 

-New staff: In the next few weeks the new staff are due to arrive. A few of them have purchased their tickets and we have people lined up to pick them up from the airport. But there are a few of them who don't have their tickets yet because they are not allowed to buy them until they have all of their support. Please pray that all of the support needed for these new staff will come in so that they can purchase their tickets and arrive in a few weeks. I can't help but think that this is Satan. This year was the first year that we went into the summer with all of our staff positions filled - was it too good to be true? Was Satan just lulling us into a false sense of security? Please pray that we will trust God about this situation and that God will prevail. We know he has a plan. Please pray for the other new staff as they prepare to come as well. They may have purchased their tickets but there is still much to do, packing, making purchases, raising support, saying good bye to family and friends, and more. 

-Returning staff: Much of our returning staff are in the States for the summer to visit their friends and family. They are also preparing to come back in the next two to three weeks. They are doing much the same as the new staff - packing, making purchases, saying good-bye - except that they know what awaits them on the other side, and so don't have as much apprehension. 

-Rain: As of yet, Dakar has not received any rain. On the first of the month, we had about seven minutes of spit, and then a few days ago we had some spit again, but spit does not make crops grow. Last year at this time there had already been three good rains, this year, none. Please pray that God will send rain. Rain is just really nice to have, but more importantly, as in any other country, rain is needed to make the crops grow so that farmers can make a living. 

-Me: I have had a good summer and it is now winding down. One of the things I have been doing is house sitting. This has involved three things: grass, a dog, and a pool. The dog is frustrating because I don't particularly like dogs and it has a tendency to jump on you and not listen to you. In addition, it is hard to keep it contained in a specific area (away from the grass so he doesn't tear it up) because he can broad jump a four foot fence. Also, he barks all through the night, making it difficult to get any sleep. The grass and the pool have been difficult because the pump system to the house wasn't working for a while and so there was no water. As a result, the grass is mostly dead and the pool is kind of dirty. But the pump is working again, so I am hoping that in the next few weeks I can revitalize the grass - water it, play it some classical music, talk to it - and get the pool cleaned so that it will be ready for the kids to swim in it when the family comes back. And speaking of support, my stipend from the school has gone down a bit. As a result, I am going to either have to do some creative budgeting, not go to any school events, or not put as much into my loans. I can also do a combination of all three. Will you pray about this with me? Pray that I will have the discernment to know where to cut back. Pray also that God will provide the funds I need to be able to continue to participate in things and to pay off my loans. I am grateful for all of you who are partnering with me in prayer. If you would also like to contribute financially to my ministry, please follow the link at the right. 

I hope you are all well and have had an enjoyable summer. 

Have a great day! 

Ruthanne

Amazing April

April Edition

Hello Friends,

How are you? I don’t know what else to say so I’m just going to jump right in.

-Brazilian friend: This is the man who was imprisoned in the fall of 2012 – he is still waiting release. A court date has been set for April 8 when he is supposed to appear before the judge and receive an answer. Naturally, we are all hoping he will be set free so that he can go to Brazil and have rest and debrief from all of this. Please pray that the trial (I don’t know if that’s the right word) will actually happen and will not get delayed once again. Pray for wisdom for the judge, that he will have a clear head about the situation and what would be the best course of action to take. And pray for us to trust God no matter what happens. While we want Jose and Zeneide to be released, we want God to be glorified more.

-Ebola virus: There is an outbreak of the ebola virus that has started down in Guinea. This is the first case of it in West Africa. Senegal and Mali have closed their borders to the country and other countries possibly have as well. The virus has been reported to have spread to neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia. The death toll has reached 78 so far and will spread if it is not contained and treated. Please pray for the people in these countries as this disease takes the lives of family members and friends. Pray for health organizations as they go into the infected areas and teach people how to avoid getting the sickness and as they strive to treat it. Pray that this will cause people to turn to God as they see that he is the only hope they have of eternal life.

-Danielle: My sister is seeking God about what is the next step in her life. She is working on creating a writing portfolio to submit to grad schools and she is filling out applications for places she could teach. Please pray that God will give her creativity and discernment and she writes and chooses from past writings what would be right for her portfolio. Pray that she will have closure at the school she is at and that she will be at peace. Pray for her job interviews, that she will give a good impression to her interviewer and they will see the passion she has for both teaching and the English language and how she can be an asset for their school.

-Benjamin: My brother will be graduating from college in just 2 and a half months. He is in the process of filling out job applications and reaching out to people he has met who could provide him with a job. Please pray for discernment in what jobs to apply for and where in the States he should be looking. He is hoping to stay in the mid-west so he can be close to his girlfriend so pray that opportunities will open up in the area. Pray that he will finish the school year strong and at peace about his future.

-Me: In January I was invited to run the children’s program at a conference during spring break. I accepted, thinking that there would be someone to help me. But then it turned out no one was able to help so now I am doing it on my own. I would not be nervous if all I was doing was hanging out with them for 3 hours (I hang out with 60 kids for 40 minutes a day, and that is a cinch!), but I also have to do a little Bible study with them. I am not a teacher, I am a tutor. And while it is only 5 kids, I am still nervous. Please pray that God will give me the ability to teach over the next four days. Pray that I will be a good example of Christ to them, in my actions, my words, and the Bible studies. Pray that I will be able to trust God about this and about other things going on in my life

I hope this letter finds you well and that spring temperatures are right around the corner for those of you in North America.

Ruthanne 

March

Hello Friends,

Well, it has been a while since I have written. First of all I want to say thank you for praying for the outreach to Diohine. It went amazingly, and you can read about it on my blog: ruthannebowers.blogspot.com. The new semester is well under way and spring break is only a little over two weeks away!

-Parents: My dad is travelling all around West Africa for his work of discipleship and training. In fact, his travels will bring him here, to Dakar, during my spring break so I am looking forward to spending some time with him at that time! Please pray for safe travels for him – both in terms of transportation and also that he will not be pick-pocketed. Pray also that God will give him wisdom in knowing how to teach the Bible. My mom in the meantime stays in Bamako teaching ESL four days a week, and teaching Bambara to two women a few days a week. Please pray for her ESL classes, that she will find ways to shine God’s light to her students and present the gospel when she has the opportunity. From this point until June my parents will be learning the ropes of keeping a guesthouse. Pray that they will learn quickly and will have enough time to practice everything that is entailed.

-Friends: There is a staff couple who recently had a baby and need your prayers. Soon after their daughter was born she was diagnosed with a cleft palate. Not to long after she developed an infection and was having trouble breathing due to the cleft palate. The three of them were med-evac'd to Germany to receive more specialized care than could be provided here. The infection has now cleared, but the story is far from over. Please read their story here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kyliepaige and keep them in your prayers. 

-Me: I am doing really well. I had a great time hanging out with my parents over Christmas break. Since school has started back up I have been really busy but I have enjoyed it all. God is teaching me so many things, and I am eager to learn. Please pray for me as I go about my work, that I will be able to effectively use my time so that I can honor God with my job. One of the things I am involved in is recruiting. Pray that I will have wisdom as I evaluate possible candidates. Pray we will be overflowing with people who want to serve here – if you are interested, or know someone who might be, please direct them to our website: www.dakar-academy.org. There is a link for our employment opportunities on the left hand side of the page.

Well, that is all for this month’s edition. I hope to be more on top of these in the months to come. I hope this finds you well and that your weather is warming up if you live in the States. Have a great day.

Ruthanne

From spiritually dry to overflowing

So yesterday we got back from outreach. Once we had unloaded all the vehicles, everyone went home, freshened up, ate supper, and then went to the evening service. The service was a time for the people who went on outreach to share with those who stayed back and prayed about what happened and how God moved. A video will be posted somewhere, but I thought I would put in what stuck out to me from what people said.

• The brick team set a record and and made 1,561 bricks with 50 bags of cement. Some of the teams were so efficient they were spitting out a new brick every 30 seconds - 15 seconds was the impressive fastest!

Some of the bricks

• Part of the medical teams ministry was foot washing as a symbol of the way Jesus washed his disciples feet. It gave such joy to both the person washing and the person receiving the washing. 
• The VBS team talked about how they wanted to do their presentation but they chose to wait until the people in the mosque were done praying before they started the generator and such. As it happened the VBS presentation started right when the men started walking out of the mosque and some of them came over to see what was going on. The team was able to hand out tracts and even a megavoice. A megavoice is a little solar powered MP3 player that has parts of the Bible (usually New Testament, I think) on it for people to listen to in their own language. 
• The mural team did 12 murals - more than they had ever done before. Normally the mural team does a picture depicting Jesus and the woman at the well on the wall of a church, but the churches in this town were of thatch. So instead the murals were done in a school. The teacher in a classroom got to pick what they wanted on their wall. The teachers were told, "Every time you look at the picture, think of God and remember that God loves you. Remember that this is an animal that God created. When you see the picture, think 'Jesus loves me'." 

An antelope

• Each night, besides the regular big campaign there are satellite campaigns. This year, the child evangelism (VBS) team went to a village and it was so responsive that the chief of the village requested that a satellite campaign come out to them so they could hear the gospel once more. 
• Some of the students commented on how inspiring it is to hear the Serer men praying. They pray so vibrantly, really believing God will pay attention. And if nothing happens, they just keep on praying. As one student put it, "They shout to God and bother him, bother him until he has to pay attention."
• The medical team was not always able to heal a person, sometimes all they could do was put saline solution in the eyes and pray. But the medical team is a way of reaching the people in a non-religious way - but the people know that you are doing it for religious reasons. After seeing the work that the medical team did, a prominent person said "We need to make sure this church gets a foundation." 
• The drama team got to pray for people more than they have in the past. During one of the presentations, the drama teacher and her husband, the driver, were approached to pray for someone's healing. And once it started, it didn't stop! There was little girl who was crippled before she could walk who was brought over for prayer. They prayed for her and nothing happened so they went on. But the driver kept feeling like they should go back and pray for her. So they went back and prayed. Then they went on to others, and then they went back to her. The driver kept thinking "This isn't too big for God." They kept praying and then at one point, the translator said, "In the name of Jesus, walk." And she did! A bit later, when the father saw what happened, he told the drama team that if his daughter wanted to become a Christian, he would allow it. He and his wife are both strong muslims, but seeing this touched his heart. The drama team learned later that this was a village that was very restrictive against Christians. 
• Satan and Jesus were boxing during the trip. There were several instances where something would go wrong, but exactly the right person would be around to fix it. For example, the drama team's spare tire fell off their vehicle as they were driving and the person in the next car was DA's maintenance guy. As one student put it, it was as though Satan went to God and said, "Hey, can I mess up the drama team's tire?" and God said, "Sure, as long as I can choose where and when it happens."
• God can use anyone. As the drama team were praying, one of the students thought, "We have a bunch of clowns praying for people in the desert." 

Some of the clowns

• The painting team was able to finish their entire project. Their project was to paint the inside and outside of a little chapel with two coats. They were able to do so with time to spare, so they then went to where the murals were happening and painted the wall around the mural to make it stand out a bit more. 

It says, "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life." 

Writing it on the wall again. 

Hard to tell, but the floor was pretty broken up!

We redid part of the floor because it was breaking up

Overall, the outreach was really great. There were things that didn't go as planned, but God doesn't work according to our plans. We were able to share the gospel and show Christ's love in many ways - and that is what was important. 

Please remember to keep the people of Diohine and the surrounding villages in your prayers. The pastors in the area now have to do follow up to disciple new believers and see how many confessions of faith were sincere. 

As for myself, I will definitely be going on another outreach. For me, the weekend wasn't life changing, but it was good to see the people, to be a part of bringing the Word to the world. 

Food prep - they did a great job keeping us fed!

We were given pigs to have as part of our suppers

The beautiful Senegalese landscape

This kid helped mix concrete for the repairing of the floor and steps