May Edition
Hello Friends,
How are you? I hope this letter finds you well. It is now
May. I don’t have any clever opening remarks this month, so I am just going to
jump right in.
-Praise: One really great thing that happened during April
was Elementary Camp. This is not actually camp – they stopped sleeping over a
few years ago. It goes on from 3:30 in the afternoon to around 8 or 9 that
night, and consists of games, crafts, story reading, supper, a movie, and
chapel. This is a big outreach opportunity because the elementary students are
the highest unsaved portion of our student body. The older students were given
the opportunity to pray during the whole afternoon that it was going on – they
signed up to pray for 15 minute segments, some time slots have up to 3 people
praying! Later in the afternoon the gospel was presented and the kids were
given the opportunity to accept Christ into their heart. One of the students
that chose to do this is not from a Christian family, but her father wanted his
children to make their own choices, not to just do whatever the family does.
This is amazing! Please pray for
this little girl and for her family. Pray
that the girl will be nurtured in her new faith and that her family will also
come to know Christ through this situation.
-Another praise: I forgot to mention this! My sister got a job! She will be teaching again in the fall at a Christian school somewhere around Baltimore - I don't really know where.
-Another praise: I forgot to mention this! My sister got a job! She will be teaching again in the fall at a Christian school somewhere around Baltimore - I don't really know where.
-Sickness: Lately I have mentioned a few people who need
healing for their bodies. The director had his surgery and it went well,
however the recovery time is such that he will not be able to return until
after the school year is over. This is unfortunate, but we want him to be fully
ready to come back and not push himself. Please continue to pray for his recovery. The dorm mom
that had the growth on her neck is back and doing well. She has to have the
bandage changed, but the nurse who is helping her with that says that the wound
is looking better. Pray that she
continues to heal and that whatever caused this will not cause it to happen
again. Today, during PE one of the 8th graders fell and hit her
head. An ambulance came to take her to be checked out thoroughly. Please pray that there are no serious
repercussions to the fall, and that she will be able to return soon. Pray also that she and her family will
trust in God during this situation.
-Alumni: There is an alumna from Dakar Academy who recently
wrote asking for prayer. I don’t know a lot of details because not many were
given, but I thought I would pass on her request. She said that her husband is
in jail with the possibility of a prison sentence, and that is all that was
told. Please pray for her to have
peace in this situation. Pray also
that if her husband is not at fault, that he will be able to go free. And pray that God will more fully known
through this situation.
-Seniors: It’s that time of year again! May will be the
seniors’ last full month of (high) school. At DA, the month of May is filled
with the spring musical, AP exams (many take more than one!), a evening
showcasing the artistic and musical abilities of the high schoolers, JSB (a
banquet given to the seniors by the juniors to honor them), sports, and (for
seniors) seniorities and senior “sneak.” Pray
that they will not be so caught up in the busy-ness that they forget to
strengthen relationships. Pray that
the staff and parents have been able to give them a good foundation in Christ
for going out into the real world, and that this month will draw them closer to
God than ever.
-Missionaries: Please continue to lift up Jose daSilva and
Zeneide in prayer. A few days after I sent out my last prayer letter, Jose and
Zeneide walked out of prison!! They were not free of charges, but they no
longer had to be in the prison. They took the next few weeks to be refresh
after their approximately 5 month ordeal. Today (the 30th) was
supposed to be the hearing to finally decide the case. I don’t know if it
actually happened or not, so pray.
If it did not happen, pray that it
will not be delayed long. And if it did happen, pray that Jose and Zeneide and family and friends trust in God no
matter the outcome. Our varsity soccer guys had an amazing opportunity to visit
the prison where they had been kept. They gave them jerseys, played a game of
soccer, and were able to present the gospel. Please pray that God will water the seeds that were planted, both in the
hearts of the prisoners and prison workers, and in the hearts of some of the
boys on the soccer team.
-Recruiting: A little while ago I mentioned that we are in
the process of finding staff to fulfill our needs for next year. There is a
page on the website: http://dakar-academy.org/staff/employment_opportunities/employment_opportunities.htm.
Our most urgent need is for a 1st grade teacher. If you know anyone
interested in working overseas, tell them about DA – I may be biased, but it is
a great school! There are several people who have applied for the positions,
but sometimes discernment is difficult. Please pray that my bosses and I will have wisdom in knowing who is the
right person for a position. Pray
that God will lead qualified people to our doors. Praise God that we have 3 positions filled!
Well, that is all for now. It is unfortunately warm right
now, but it is definitely no October(if you have lived in Dakar, you know what
that means)! Have a great day.
Ruthanne
Proverbs 19:23
