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

Diohine

Diohine is the name of the village where a group of over 100 people from the Dakar Academy community will be spending the weekend. We are going with the purpose of sharing God's love with the people we meet. This will be done in a variety of ways as we all have our own strengths.

Brick team: There is a brick building team that will create bricks to be later used in building the church building.

Drama team: The drama team will go out to various villages during the day and present the gospel through skits and puppet songs.

Mural team: This team will be painting a mural on an existing church. The mural depicts Jesus in a village setting with children around him.

Medical team: The medical team will go out to villages and do first aid for people. People will come with boils, wounded limbs, fevers, etc and the medical team will do what they can to help. They bring along bandages and medication and malaria test kits.

Painting team: The painting team will be painting a school - inside and out.

Bench team: The bench team will build benches that will replace old ones and eventually go in the new church.

Camp team: This team is responsible for preparing food and pumping and filtering water - a necessity!!

VBS team: This team will go out and play games with children in villages and teach them stories and songs about God's love for them.

Foundation: This is a unique team because they are not quite yet sure what they will be doing. Diohine is a village with an ever expanding population of Christians. There are three cell groups that meet in little shelters - 200 people meet in an 8 by 15 area! Our hope is to build a church for them. Unfortunately, we have not yet gotten the building permit. We are going out in faith. We know that God has a plan for this weekend. So we will create the bricks (what the foundation team will be helping with) trusting that they will be one day used to build a church.

Permission is something that you can pray about. We will go forth no matter what. Pray that the people who have not yet given permission will see what we are doing and will be touched by it.

Pray that no one gets hurt and that we have safe travels.

Pray that we will have good attitudes. We will be living in tents, sleeping on the ground, drinking not that cold water by the third day, taking too cold showers, wearing the same clothes multiple times, and getting eaten by mosquitoes for the next three days. But we do it because we think God is more important than our comfort. Pray that we remember that. When we are tired, when we have sweat dripping down our backs, when things don't go the way we expect... we need to remember who is in control. And if we have bad attitudes, it will be seen. The eyes of the 6,000 people of the village will be watching us.

We leave early Friday morning and start work as soon as we can. We work all day Friday and Saturday and in the evenings we go and have a campaign. This means we sing songs in the local languages, do skits, and the preacher preaches. In addition to the main campaign are satellite campaigns where they show the Jesus film. For the campaigns, pray for the tech guys as they run lights and projectors and sound. On Sunday, we go to church, pack up, and head home. That evening there is a service where we will share with those who stayed behind and prayed for us about how God worked.

As you think of Africa, or of me, this weekend, remember us and take a quick moment to pray for us. Diohine was not where we were originally going to go for this outreach. We were going to go somewhere else, but then that fell through when the missionary who was going to be our contact person had to have major heart surgery and thus stay in the States longer than expected. Then we were going to another village, but the contact for that village also had family health issues. And now, we don't have permission to build the building. With so much opposition we have to wonder why Satan is trying so hard to stop us?! We believe this is where God wants us to spend this weekend, serving him.

“Look at the nations and watch—
    and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
    that you would not believe,
    even if you were told."

Habakkuk 1:5

Star Trek?

               A few weeks ago I realized that I was a part of something. It is happening so gradually we don’t really realize it. During work I don’t always have work to do so I will read my Bible, play with my budget, look at facebook, and read blogs. I enjoy the blogs. There are two or three kinds of blogs that I like. One is about decorating one’s home. Now, I have no sense of style or what colors go together, but they are fun to read nonetheless and I know that most of what they do looks good. The other kind I like to read are about the Christian life, with devo’s and the popular “this is what Christian marriage/dating is like/should be” posts. And finally, I also like to read the blogs of my friends so that I can (be a creeper?) and keep up to date on their lives.

What I realized the other day is that I am part of the next generation of missionaries. It is really fun to read the blogs of all these friends from high school, plus a few from college. And not only are they the next generation of missionaries, but many are second (or third!) generation missionaries! I would like to highlight a few here.

From high school:

• ·        Ted and Karen: I went to school with Ted, and Karen grew up as an MK in South America, both are at least 2^nd generation missionaries. Ted and Karen are actually my co-workers. They are in their third year of teaching here at DA and their students love them. They are also both involved in coaching and they lend humor and friendship to our community. Their blog always offer a unique perspective about life here and are often thought provoking.
• ·        Ethan and Valerie: Ethan is another person I went to school with and is also at least a second generation missionary. Ethan and Valerie live north of Dakar and arrived in September. So far they have been doing intensive language training and are now starting to get more into their church planting work. I have only briefly seen Ethan since they got here, but I enjoy reading their blog and seeing how they are serving God and how I can pray for them.
• ·        Sabrina: Sabrina is serving in India for the next few years and is a second generation missionary. She has a burning passion to make God known which can be clearly seen through her blog posts.
• ·        Sadie: Sadie is in Germany, serving as an RA at a missionary school. This is something she has dreamed of doing since she was in the dorm here at DA. She is a second generation missionary and her love for the girls in the dorm and desire to glorify God shines clearly through her blog posts.
• ·        Jacob and Kacey: Jacob and Kacey are a young couple working in the Congo area. They were on a short missions trip to Guinea when they heard God call them. Their heart for God and excitement for their work is clearly evident in their blog posts.
• ·        Dana: (honestly, I feel weird using a pseudonym here because this is my older sister) Dana is not currently on the field but I wanted to mention her. Dana was here at DA for 5 and a half years before she felt the need to head back to the States, for a time at least. She has gotten settled in her new life, teaching at another Christian school, but she makes it clear on her blog posts that she knows God wants her overseas somewhere eventually again.
• ·        Dale: Dale is a actually a non-blog person – that I am aware of – but he is a another one of the new generation, and is a 3^rd generation missionary. He currently serves in Mali, but was recently in Guinea. Dale, a third generation missionary, is currently serving in Mali but has been following God around West Africa wherever God leads him. He doesn’t have a blog that I know of, but I see posts of his work on facebook from time to time.

Then there are a few friends from college who are both first generation missionaries:

• ·        Jody: Jody just finished a year in Cambodia working with women in unfortunate circumstances. Her blog posts were always interesting and touching.
• ·        Jade: Jade is working as an elementary teacher at an MK school in Honduras. She initially went for only one year, but now she has extended it at least another year. I enjoy reading her blog and seeing her pictures, learning about life in Central America.

As the writer of Hebrews in chapter 11 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about [Damion and Marie, or Magnus and Mable, or two of Mable’s sisters].” I also have friends working overseas, but I don’t know in what capacity. And then there are those of this next generation who are first generation missionaries.

               I look at the high schoolers we have right now and wonder what they’ll be doing in the next 5-8 years. The previous generation will be retiring in the next 10-15 years, will anyone be here to take their place? So far, yes. Some of these people – including myself – I had no idea would become missionaries. But God knew.

               We are the children in Philippians 2, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become pure and blameless children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” No, we are not pure, faultless, or blameless – but we are becoming so. As Paul says in Philippians 3 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on”. I don’t want to be part of the crooked and depraved generation, do you? I want to be set apart from them.

               Thank you, previous generation of missionaries, for the example you have set for us. May we follow the way you showed us – from wherever we are: in a foreign country or in our passport country – which for many of us in the real foreign country.

P.S. If you have a blog and don’t think you were mentioned here, let me know so I can start reading it and praying for you.

*Not real names, and I apologize if you are reading this and realize I am talking about you and don’t like the names I have given you! But since I am writing about you without your permission, I wanted to protect your identity. 

Neighborly November

November Edition

Hello random people that read my blog (and the non random people as well!), 

How are you? I hope this letter finds you well. It is almost November and I don’t have a clever intro.

-Mali: Things have been peaceful lately, praise God. Back in January the French brought in a lot of troops and things kind of settled down. But now they are gradually (or at least talking about it) taking their troops out. Please pray that as the troops leave that the Islamists will not make trouble once again. Pray that the new president, IBK, will have wisdom in knowing how to handle the situation.

-My parents: My parents are back! We have set up a time for us to skype every week, so that is nice.  What’s more I will get to see them at Christmas!! My first Christmas with them in 6 years! I am pretty excited and sometimes when I think about it I do a hop, skip, and a jump… When they arrived my dad hurt his back from carrying luggage. Please pray for health for him so that he can be as active as he normally is without feeling pain. In addition, he will be going back to Kayes sometime to pick up and move our stuff to Bamako – something that will be difficult for him with his back as it is (it is already difficult, my sisters and I did a lot of heavy lifting when we were doing the initial packing in 2012). My mom has been learning the ropes of an ESL ministry that exists in Bamako. Please pray that she will learn quickly and be able to teach classes soon. Pray also that she realizes that this is where God was preparing her to be.

-Missionaries: Well, I asked you to pray about this month, and soon after we received news. The people who threatened to shut down the ministry finally came. The Brazilians were out of town and got a phone call when they came. I mentioned previously that they were unable to leave the country – this is because their passports were taken away. We recently received news that the passports are supposed to be returned on November 19. Please pray that this happens! This has been a very stressful time for them and getting their passports would mean they can go to Brazil for a while and rest.

- Water situation: For almost a month the city of Dakar was experiencing a water shortage. The reason is due to damage, in two places, to the pipe that supplies water to the city from the Senegal River that defines the northern border of the country. This pipe supplies 40% of the city’s  water needs. There were Senegalese who would stand in line for hours to get just a bucketful of water. This damage is akin to if something happened to the LA aqueduct – if the got contaminated or somehow a large portion of the water was diverted away – LA would have a difficult time. For a few weeks things went back to normal but now the water has officially been cut off, from Tuesday to this Thursday/Friday/Saturday depending on who you listen to. The water is being cut off so water company can install a new piece that just arrived from France which is supposed to completely fix things.

I think that is all for now. We think that the weather has turned – the last few days have been rather cool. Go into November making a choice to be grateful for the little things. 

Ruthanne

Something Different

               People often question whether people working in support positions are “real” missionaries. Although I know that I am, sometimes I wonder. My parents are church planters. They learn the language, interact with the people, rely on their support, do Bible studies with the people, etc. I don’t really have to do any of that. There are many teachers who don’t learn the language. For many, the interaction we get with the people is the taxi drivers, Orange credit sellers, store people, and school workers (guards, custodians). Working at DA, we don’t have to raise support, we can rely on our stipend. Teachers don’t have to do Bible studies or any teaching to the people… “Isn’t that what the “real” missionaries are for?” (This could be a whole other blog post, but it does relate to this topic.)

Another thing I don’t have to worry about is housing. It is provided for me. And what’s more, it is very nice! I feel spoiled and sometimes I wonder if I’m  really serving while being here. I have a “plush” lifestyle and I am a place that I love. It is no trouble for me to live here in Dakar. Many people complain that it is not easy to live here and I’m like, “Are you kidding me??” For me, it would be difficult to live in the States.

And so, with all these thoughts going through my head I started wondering what could I do to serve God? To reach the people? I don’t know how quickly outreach came to mind, but it eventually did.

At first I balked, thinking, “No way!” But it kept coming up. So the question was, “Why not go on outreach?” It is a time when God uses us to help bring the Good News to the people. It is a good opportunity for students to see what their parents might be doing. It gives the students a taste of being a missionary. And it is a powerful thing, as Uncle Evan reminds us, to see that many teenagers volunteer to give up their weekend to go to the bush and work.

In high school I only went on outreach twice. I planned to go my freshman year but then circumstances made it so that I couldn’t. Even though I think that was a good thing in the end – I wasn’t ready – I kind of became bitter about outreach. I would scoff at it for the next year or so whenever it was mentioned. Eventually, for some reason or other I decided to go on outreach. But I don’t think I was really doing it for the right reasons, I was doing it because “every good Christian/person at DA goes on outreach.” So I went and I had a good time. So the next time here was another outreach I signed up right away. Then, I signed up a 3^rd time. But I didn’t go a third time. One of my good friends decided not to go and that struck me. I was like, “What? You can not go on outreach? Especially once you’ve already been on one?” So, a few days before that 3^rd outreach I went to Uncle Evan and backed out. One small part of my mind was thinking I would hang out with my friend, but the other part was wondering what my motivation for going on outreach was – especially if I didn’t want to go partly because a friend wasn’t going!

After that, the enxt time there was an outreach, I didn’t sign up. My friend did and when I asked her about it she said, “Of course I ‘m going. I love outreach. It was just that one time that I wasn’t going.” But I didn’t go, not on that one or any that followed while I was in high school. Do I regret it? No. I think my friend not going made me wonder what my true motivation was. After that, I was never sure why I wanted to go: to serve God, or to be with friends and to be a “good Christian.”

Fast forward five years and we are at the present day. I want to go on outreach because of that question that has been on my mind: “How can I serve God and the Senegalese people?” One of the reasons I hesitate is because I don’t want to spend three days in the hot sun wearing skirts and using squatty potties. But then I think, “Really? You are going to not go on outreach because it will be uncomfortable? Isn’t this what you are searching for? What is more important to you: serving God or your comfort?” I remind myself of Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Will those three days compare to what can be read about in Hebrews 11:32-37?

Am I willing to serve God for a measly 3 days so that his kingdom can be advanced?  

Quiche

Quiche

A few weeks ago, some invited me over dinner. Even if I want to, I am always hestitant when someone asks me over for dinner because I am a picky eater (though I am slowly getting better) and I don’t want to offend the person by not eating their food. So I said yes. Before I went I prayed to God, thinking of all these food I don’t like (particularly, maffe (peanut sacuce) and taco casserole were at the top of my list) asking him for those things not to be served. I went to supper and they brought out the main dish – quiche – and I pasted what I hoped was a pleasant smile, or at the very least, look on my face. Quiche! How could I not think of this? Oh the irony! God does have a sense of humor! I ate it, and it wasn’t awful.  

For new staff orientation a few weeks ago, several of us “old”/experienced staff were asked to bring in a snack for the newcomers to eat when they went on break. On her day, one of my co-workers brought in Crustell Quiche. Evertime I walked by it my mouth would water (say it my way in your head ;) ) for some reason. I told the maker of it and she said to go ahead and try some. So I took half a square out, took a bite, and WOW! So good! It just melted in my mouth! I was especially surprised because it had (very obvious) spinach in it – a vegetable I really don’t like but would like to increase my intake of it (to once a week or so versus never – because it has folate in it, something I lack in my diet). A few days later I was happily given the recipe. I look forward to eating it every so often as part of my breakfast-for-supper cycle.

When I was in Ecuador, they served quiche pretty regularly. I did not want to eat it! They also served other stuff I didn’t want to eat, and my attitude became such a problem that I was put on probation. Soon after this, I was doing my devos and read Luke 10:8, “Eat what is set before you.” Well, I was convicted. When I shared this verse with the others I was with they all laughed because they knew my struggles. For the rest of the time, if I didn’t want to eat something, I would bring this verse to mind, and force myself to eat it and to have a better attitude.** Apparently when I came back from that trip I was so proud that I had eaten quiche – that is what my parents told me, but I don’t remember being proud, I was probably actually upset or something.

All my life I have struggled with the question of, “How do I know when God is talking to me or telling me to do something?” That time in Ecuador was the first time I knew that God was speaking to me – it was very clear. But before that and since then, it has not been so clear. At the end of high school I thought, “Okay, now I’m going to have to listen to God about a career choice and where to go for college… how do I do that?” In the end, for a number of reasons, accounting was an obvious choice and Bluffton was a decision I had to make one day during the summer before my first year. Did God tell me to go to Bluffton? I don’t know. After that, I was like, “Okay… just of sailed through that one, I guess I didn’t really have to listen for anything.”

Four years go by and I’m graduating from college. Again, I’m thinking, “Now is when I really have to listen to God – what job will I take? … uh God? How do I hear you?” That one was easy too. I flew to Senegal my little sister’s graduation, my mom told me of a possible opening, I had an interview, sent in the application, and 5 ½ weeks after graduating from college I had a job! “Wow! That was easy… wait, how am I going to know when to leave DA?” That last question is my current “okay now I’m going to have to listen to God”. For my older sister it was “easy” (I know it really wasn’t, Danielle!) – for her it was, “No more siblings? Okay, see you! Also, I have some loans.” For me, siblings are not a factor, if I budget right and live frugally for the next 6 or 7 years – loans are not a factor. At the moment, the only reasons I can foresee leaving are being fired, or getting married and my husband saying “Okay, let’s go.”  I am comfortable here, I love it. I love the people, the weather, the ease of shopping, seeing friends (adult and classmates) from high school, the Christ-centered atmosphere, and more. I can envision myself being here at least four years, so why am I worrying about this now? I don’t know.

A friend told me recently that listening to God  is like the “be faithful with little, and he’ll trust you with more” concept. The more you act on things you think God might be telling you, you’ll get better at hearing him.

This year I am learning to listen to God. There are a few things I think he wants me to do this year. I am afraid to tell you what they are in case I chicken out but I also think I need accountability. So I will tell you one thing. For the last few weeks, or maybe even months, I think that God has been telling me to go on outreach. To some of you this may not be a big deal, but for me it is. Why? Well, that another blog post – or I’ll tell you if you ask me.

I am tuning myself to God’s leading.

I’m here, God, listening…

**To my mother’s (and my) dismay, these good eating habits only lasted until I got home… and then they quickly stopped. 

Sanguine September

September Edition

Hello Friends,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you well. Ah, August. What an interesting month. It started with the arrival of the new staff and “old”/experienced staff and sorting through school supplies, “middled” with the start of school, and ended busily.

-Mali: Thank you for your prayers concerning the elections. They went well and we now have a new president. Pray that the new leader, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, will be able to help restore peace to Mali. Pray that he has good relationships with the other members of the Malian government and that he will use wisdom. Pray also that he will think of not only those in power when making decisions, but also – primarily – of the people. In addition, last weekend Bamako, the capital city, experienced some heavy rains and as a result has a lot of flooding and several people have lost their lives. In a time of instability, the Malians must be feeling the old adage: “When it rains, it pours,” what with famine, a coup, and now terrible flooding – all in just a 2 or so year time period. Pray that the life of the Malians will soon get back to normal. Pray that the problems they are facing will encourage them to seek the one true God.

-My parents: In a little over a week they will be flying back to Mali. Between now and then they will be packing, shopping, visiting churches, and visiting friends and family one last time. Pray for safe travels and for their packing – that it will not be overweight or too many bags, and that it will all arrive when they do. When they arrive in Mali they will be searching for a place to live, so please pray that they will be able to find a place quickly so they can get settled in quickly and move forward in their ministry. Please continue to pray for my mom as she seeks the Lord’s guidance in where and how she can serve him. There are many ministries in Bamako for her to get involved in, she just needs to learn which one God wants her in.

-Missionaries: For several months last year I asked you to pray for the release of two Brazilians who had been taken to prison on unlawful terms. While they have now been out for almost 5 months now, there are still legal issues that need to be resolved. They are not allowed to leave the country and they are feeling stressed about their situation – they need rest. In addition, some officials came to their organization a few months ago and threatened to shut the place down but they have not returned. They are once again in a time of waiting.  Please pray that they will have peace about their situation, peace that God will take care of them and peace despite their stresses. Pray that the people who are putting in this time of waiting legally will make some decisions and finally free them. Pray also that those who threatened to shut down their operation will come to realize the good work that it does and that it is teaching young boys who would otherwise be on the streets or starving how to live a better, life preserving way.

-Me: This may seem silly, but I know that God hears all prayers. My camera is missing and I haven’t seen it since June. And while I don’t take a lot of pictures, it is nice to have the option to do so. I also don’t know what pictures are on it – they may be ones I want. I have searched all over my apartment which wasn’t that difficult because painters were in it over the summer and at the end of the summer I had to put it back together. Please pray that I find it. Also, this weekend and the next few are our school’s annual handball tournament and for some crazy reason – I signed up to play. I am kind of nervous. Please pray that I will play to God’s glory. In fact, that is something that you could pray about for everyone involved – that we have good attitudes, that we don’t experience any really bad injuries, and that we have fun.

I think that is all for now. I now have 3 weeks of being the cashier in the normal setting and it has been nice – although I generally have a lot more free time than I expected, I can’t wait till container season, haha! Have a great day.

Ruthanne

Micah 6:8

Petit Poteaux

               Petit poteaux – or “tippy toe” as some elementary kids call it – is a game we play a lot here at Dakar Academy. I wrote this last night in a notebook after having just finished playing and had the notion to write. I don’t know why I am posting it on my blog, but I thought it was appropriate.

               The words “petit poteaux” are French for “small goal.”It has a special court which has walls about 4ft high – which the guys (and some girls) can just fly over! The actual game is very similar to soccer. I don’t really know what the technical differences are since most of the time I have only played for fun. On any given night you will see students and staff members alike playing the game.

               So why am I talking about this? When I got back last night I started thinking about the role it has played in my life. We have not always had the court. It was built in 2003 soon after ICA became part of DA. For those of you who are unaware, ICA was a sister school in the Ivory Coast until they had to be evacuated due to civil war. When the court was first built, I was not excited. This ugly mass of concrete was another example of the ICA invasion. ICA had to evacuate in September 2002 and in doing so they brought 90 students to DA. That was a difficult year. I was not happy. I did not like the ICA people: they were too sporty, I thought they were snobs, and they just changed everything. Then my family went on furlough and I kind of became fine with everything. For the next two years after furlough I carried a resentment of the ICA-ers. Finally, my junior year, I had these AMAZING dorm parents – who were originally from ICA. But God had done a work in me and I told them about my resentment and asked their forgiveness. With their help I was able to do the same with other ICA people who were just as gracious to me as my dorm parents were.

               Once again, you are asking where I am going with this. The petit poteaux court was once a visual reminder of my resentment toward a group of people who did not deserve my treatment of them. But now it is a reminder of my thankfulness to God for bringing those people here. They are wonderful people who are here to further God’s Kingdom – wherever he places them. I am sure that first year was difficult for them, too, but many of them stayed. Those people have now been my friends, classmates, dorm sisters, mentors, teachers, dorm parents, and more I am sure. They brought music, petit poteaux, outreach campaigns, and God’s love. Sometimes, Satan gets hold me and I get frustrated when I hear them talk about ICA: “Remember how it was green” “Remember how many soccer fields we had” “Remember the cafeteria” “Remember we had grass on the field?”etc. But then I tell myself that if the same had happened to me, I would still be remembering DA (but not the grass on the field part, haha!). They loved ICA just as I love DA.

               So now petit poteaux has wonderful memories associated with it. My dorm first started playing it once a week in 9^th grade and continued until I graduated, and even till now. Those first two years of high school were not easy and I had 4 things I looked forward to: tutoring, mentoring, handbells, and petit poteaux. My junior year has exceptionally good memories associated with petit poteaux – two stand out. Frequently throughout the year we have sports tournaments, including a petit poteaux one. I was sitting in study hall one day when a senior came up to me and asked if I would play on his team. He was asking because he needed another player on his team but I was shocked and touched that he would ask me: shy, insecure, behind the scenes, non sporty, socially awkward/inept me. I was looking for something in my diary today and found out that I said no and he put my name on the list anyway. So I showed up. I ended up having a really good time and my team actually won the tournament! The other memory makes me smile and laugh when I think about it. If you know anything about me, you know I don’t like hugs - J - except for special occasions: when I haven’t seen you for at least two weeks, if I won’t see you for at least two weeks, if you’re a guy I feel comfortable around (I know, I didn’t need to put that in there, but I am not nothing if not blatantly honest!), and (this is a new rule) if I feel like it. So one night I was playing petit poteaux with my dorm sisters, dorm parents, and four “brothers,” just having a blast when all of a sudden one of my dorm sisters yells “OREO!!!!” In my head I’m thinking, “What??” Suddenly everyone is running toward me, my brothers tackle me to the ground and everyone else piles on top in a giant hug. (Big smile on my face as I write this :D) This is a memory I cherish. That they would plan “Operation Oreo” so that they could give me a hug, wow.

               So in the last two weeks I have played petit poteaux about 5 times, each lasting 1 ½ to 2 hours. At the end of each night, one of the other players (our librarian) says “Already?” Which is exactly what I am thinking: “Why (stop) so soon?” Each time has been so much fun. I hope I continue playing during the school year for several reasons. 1) It is fun! 2) It is better exercise than walking around the track for half an hour. 3) I get to be around people which, I know: shocker, I enjoy. 4) It is an easy way to socialize (I dislike small talk – like the kind after church – I prefer “big talk,” aka meaningful, deep talks). Related to 3, 5) it is not as lonely as walking around the track alone listening to music even I can get tired of. And many more reasons I am sure. I am thankful to the dorm parents who kindly let me join in their dorm’s weekly game last year. And I am thankful to the person who invited me to play the game two weeks ago when I was to shy to ask to join in.

               What is my conclusion? Even though I have several bruises, have never scored a goal, I smell at the end of a game, and sometimes my mediocre defensive skills fail and the other team scores, I love petit poteaux. Thank you, ICA, for this gift.

P.S. I would post a picture but my camera is missing. Word says this is approximately 1,200 words, so this is worth a little more than a picture.

P.P.S. If there were any ICA people who I did not ask forgiveness of 6 years ago, I do so now. Y’all are wonderful people and I am grateful to have you in my life.