Update on very sick young lady from the November 09 Trip

Below is a note from Matt Paschall, missionary to Senegal, regarding a young lady that was brought to the clinic during the November trip to Ndiadiane, Senegal.  As background she was brought to the clinic on a cart.  She was severely swollen and had skin issues.  Her parents said that she had been brought to two different hospitals and two different witch doctors in the past few months and nothing had helped.  Robin’s assessment was that she would not survive in her current condition.  The team decided to pay for her transportation and diagnosis at the Bartimae Clinic in Thies, Senegal.  With that as background below is an update from Matt . . .

“You probably remember that severely swollen young lady, Senabou Diouf, who was brought to the clinic by the local LifeFlight Chariot.  Your team ended up flipping the bill to get her checked into Bartimae Clinic and covering the expenses.  Well, the amazing thing is that she made a full recovery.   They ran some tests, cleaned her wounds and I’m not sure what kind of antibiotics or drug treatment they put her on, but her family was very touched by this “random” act of kindness.  Well it turns out to not be that random.

Her father is actually related to the chief in the next village who came to us over a year ago wondering if we come and visit his village of Ndofane.   In March of 2009, when the ladies were here in Ndiadiane, Saliou, Kwashie and I followed up with a formal meeting with the leadership of the village. Then in May (just a few months later), the Caravan spent a full day singing and giving testimonies.  Then six months from the Caravan, this sick gal shows up at our doorstep.  The team had no idea where this person came from, but basically your response and her recovery has flown wide open the door to the village.   Saliou, Adama and Kwashie believe that God is going to plant a daughter church there soon.”

The Senegal Team is Home

Thank you for your prayers!  We arrived home safely yesterday morning.  At the end of an intense week we are simply in awe of God’s love and goodness.  We saw very tangible progress on several fronts: our medical staff reported a drastic drop in malaria cases due to mosquito net usage, the millet grinder is up and running, two new wells are dug and ready to cap which will ensure clean drinking water,  the village women and some of the women on our team further developed meaningful relationships while working together, and construction of the infrastructure is nearly complete for the garden project, which will allow men to farm in the village year-round and sell produce in the market instead of moving to cities to work.  We could see hope in their eyes!

This progress on physical and social fronts is exciting, and it’s essential to meet these needs for any kind of long-term change to take place.  Most importantly, though, spiritual needs are being met, and more and more of the villagers have ETERNAL hope!  The village church is present and growing.  From everything we saw, the village pastor is loved and respected by the villagers, even though he moved there only recently.  Christianity is still a minority in the village, but it’s spreading quickly – the spirit of fear and spiritual bondage to a witch doctor are breaking before our eyes.  Praise the Lord!

One of our team’s main responses to this trip was humility – God’s doing so much in this village, and while we show up once in a while and try to contribute what we can, it’s clearly NOT our power that’s accomplishing these significant changes.  Each of us counts ourselves blessed to come along for the ride, and see God’s work up close.  Your prayers are absolutely making a difference.

We wrapped up our time in Senegal with some relaxing team-time to discuss and start processing what we’d seen.  We’re humbled by how much God blesses us and teaches us during these trips.  Each of us has a lot to process and sort out, but it’s clear that God’s working on our lives and that we come away changed.

Finally, if you would like to hear more stories and see more photos, we’d sincerely love to share them with you!  Also, please reply to this email if you would like to talk about how you can get involved.
Thanks again for your prayers, support, and encouragement,
The November 2009 Senegal Team

Three Days in Ndiadiane

The team has returned to the Auberge Hotel after spending 3 days in Ndiadiane.  The medical team saw over 350 patients, the ag/irrigation team participated in 3 training sessions and visited a working drip irrigation system, and the women’s ministry team cooked with, talked with, prayed with, made fence with, picked peanuts with, and ground millet with the women of the village.

The medical team again worked seamlessly with the Senegalese nurses. It was a pleasure to watch as the teams learned from each other.  We had worked with many of the nurses and pharmacists on previous trips and friendships are developing among the medical teams.

The ag/irrigation training sessions were run by a local pastor/farmer that has greatly increased crop yield on his land.  These seminars included training on crop rotation, irrigation, specially-adapted seed varieties, application of natural fertilizers, and Bible stories that related to the topic being discussed.

Everyone spent time talking with villagers and deepening relationships.  Matt Paschall challenged each team member to share their faith story with at least one villager.  By the end of the three days most had shared it multiple times.

One of the most interesting observations is the fact that we met many young men (15 to 25 years old) in the village.  In past trips we saw very few (if any) men this age in the village. When we asked them what was different this time they said that the garden project will give them opportunities for work in the village so they will not need to travel to a big city to make money.  The garden project is a project where, together with our partner church in the city of Thies, an irrigation well, drip irrigation system, solar-powered pump, and water tower will provide the infrastructure for about 10 families to grow vegetables and fruits year-round.

The time our women spent with village women continued to build on the relationships from previous trips.  Even without an interpreter (and maybe because there wasn’t one) performing daily tasks together deepened our understanding of each other and significant connections were made.

Lastly we spend significant time with the newly-appointed village pastor, Mbaye Nbour, getting to know him and his wife.  He has a clear vision to share the Gospel with the villagers.  His home in the village is almost complete, and he holds two church services each week with about 60 people attending.

Thank you all for the prayers and support!

Check out our recent pictures…

Roog a Faha (Serer for “God is Good”)

Mike on behalf of the Nov 09 Travel Team

Second Day in Senegal (first day in Ndiadiane)

Greetings again from Senegal!

We enjoyed a delightful day in the village today.  We were humbled by how God has worked, through us as human vessels.  We participated in a ceremony to celebrate and dedicate several recent projects (the community garden with drip irrigation, the millet grinder, new wells, and a fence-making machine).  We also had the privilege of spending a few joyous hours with the villagers…  But we’ll let each team member fill you in on some details of what stuck out most to them.  One of the most exciting parts for me was to see tangible progress on the agriculture projects that were merely IDEAS a year ago!  I keep thinking what a privilege it is to just be along for the ride of what God’s doing here!

-Andy

Enjoy everyone’s stories below, and check out today’s pictures!

An incredible day of celebration.  Friends getting back together.  Celebrations of the goodness of God, hope for today in the eyes of villagers, and a village Pastor with a vision to see hope for eternity in Ndiadiane.  Amazing! – Mike

Define the term: Joy, and think of the happiest moment you have experienced recently. Then magnify that by a 1,000! Today in the village of Ndiadiane I witnessed pure and genuine joy expressed by the villagers. They were lifted up and smiling continuously and welcomed us with open arms! – Katie

Today I witnessed a culmination of many cultures, religions and people brought together in celebration all originating from a vision of Christians wanting to adopt a village in order to show the love of God to people in need of hope. The lovely people of the village of Ndiadiane, who we showed love in our deeds, show us love in return and I cannot express the joy wonder and acceptance we experienced. Only God could have brought us all together like that. It is amazing what can happen we we ask God to use us and he does. – Carol.

So I show up on my first trip to Ndiadiane for this great celebration and was quickly humbled by the hard work of so many since the first team from EHBC came to Senegal in January of 2008. God has worked through the villagers, the local Senegalese pastors, the resident missionaries and the various teams from EHBC to transform Ndiadiane. The graciousness and joy of the people was inspiring and exciting. I am extremely grateful to be a part of it.  -Sam

So here is how today went. We woke up early and had breakfast.  Then off to Ndiadiane.  It seemed like forever to get there but when we finally did they were there waiting for us.  The women there gave us such a warm welcome dancing around us.  I believe it is the warmest welcome I have ever received!  The sweat never stops, we get very little sleep, and my shoes are filled with sand…. I never want to leave.  Just ship over my husband and children and I will be all set.  Thank you to my husband Dan for telling me about this trip.  I can’t wait until it is your turn! – KIM

What impacted me the most during the village celebration today was seeing the excitement and passion of the women in N’Diadiane.  They expressed their incredible thanks and gratitude for all that is happening and what God is doing.  Very much looking forward to what is in store in the days ahead.  - Andy Carlsen

Today has been overwhelming for me to say the very least. I went to bed last night feeling like it was Christmas eve, but today was so far beyond that!  A year ago, I sat cooking with the “ladies” and asked them how we could help them…what did they want? Without a pause, they said a millet grinder. In my mind I remember  thinking , “what else do you want?” Because I couldn’t imagine how we could pull off a grinder way out here, not to mention the cost. I was right, we couldn’t pull it off…but God can! And He did! To be there today with those same “ladies” hugging, kissing, and dancing, dancing, dancing celebrating the arrival of their millet grinder and the end of generations of back breaking work for them was a joy beyond joys! Later in the day I asked them if they thought they might still use their old mortar and pestle (for millet grinding). Their response was no,no,no!….followed by more dancing! So, I asked “what will you do with all the extra time in your days now?” They said “we want to learn to read.” Are you cryin’yet??? I could go on and on, but Mike just told me I need to get off now…….love to all.  -Alison

Roog a faaxa’ is Seereer for ‘God is good,’ and what I witnessed today in the village was the goodness of an amazing God.  What a privilege to be here to witness some of the fruit and new life that He has born in this land. To experience the joy, hospitality, and generosity of the Senegalese is truly humbling and life-changing.  -Brenda Conley

Today was a great day of celebration.  We were able to tour the new irrigation system and the 3 acres of land ready for planting.  The millet grinder is up and running, and the drinking water well should soon be in place – hopefully reducing the need for de-worming the kids. And  when I inquired today about the illnesses we should be prepared for in clinc tomorrow, we were told much less malaria due to the mosquito nets recently purchaced and used by the villagers!  God is good.  On to another day of fun. -Robin.

First Day in Senegal – Nov 09

Greetings from Senegal!  We arrived safe and sound in Dakar before sunrise this morning.  Prayers were answered before we even left Syracuse – we’re excited to participate in the rest of this trip!

After landing, we traveled from Dakar to the slightly smaller city called Thies, where we’ll be staying when we’re not in the village.  We attended Matt Paschall’s church in Thies this morning, and were blessed to worship with local believers: even though most of the service was in French, it was abundantly clear that we worship the same God!

We then looked around Thies a little bit, visited the Christian hospital here, and enjoyed a generous and friendly dinner with Matt Paschall’s family at his house.  We ended the evening with worship and prayer, and an update on the village projects from Pastor Saliou.  We’re looking forward to visiting the village tomorrow, and should have a lot of exciting news and photos to share then!

We posted a few pictures to Shutterfly (See the Nov 2009 album) – many more to come soon!  Check back regularly! http://ehbcsenegal.shutterfly.com/

Thanks again for your prayers and support,

Andy Newhouse for the Nov ‘09 EHBC Senegal Team

Tabada Coma* – A New Friend by Rebecca Rufo

*Name has been changed

When I went to Senegal in May, we met a translator, Tabada Coma, who could speak French and Serer.

She soon became part of our team. Even though we could not communicate through words, I really feel like I made a new friend and find myself thinking of her often. This girl has total and complete faith that cannot be touched!

(Brenda Conley and Robin Maurer had the honor of talking with Tabada about her life story. They relayed the story to me best they could remember…)

Please let me share the story of Tabada Coma with you.

Tabada was raised in a strict Muslim household. She lived with her grandmother who pretty much raised her and helped her raise her 9-year-old daughter. Through a pair of Europeans, she was introduced to the Christian faith and the Bible. She went to church with them and loved to go just because of the singing at first, but it didn’t take too long that she was going for more than the music. Her uncle began to suspect something with her being gone consistently, and had her followed. At first when confronted, she denied where she was (at church) but then things came to a head when he told her he had followed her and knew what she was doing. He beat her severely, and threatened to murder her as Christ was murdered. Tabada ran away, but after awhile decided she was going to deny her faith so her family would accept her back, but before she could do that, she had a vision of Christ. He told her that verse- if you have anything against your brother or neighbor, go and confess it to them. She took that as she had to tell them that they could do whatever they wanted, but she could not “deny her Christ”. Right before she returned, her grandmother had a vision as well and told the family to accept her back. It was right before she came back, her grandmother died. Tabada came back, her uncle allowed her in the house in honor of his dead mother. They give Tabada her room but they eventually let her back and treated her better and allow her to worship her Jesus after she confronted them again about Him. When asked if and how I could pray for her, she asked for prayer for her family (build bonds of love) and for a Godly husband. She is studying so that she could give healthcare at villages as a mission from God.

Witness to God’s Healing Power by Jenn Carlsen

In March of 2009 I traveled with a women’s team from EHBC to Senegal to minister to the women in the church in Thies that we are partnering with as well as to the women in the village of N’diadiane. While visiting with the women in the village I met a woman by the name of Guiniane Diouf. Her husband, Deche Sarr, is the head of the compound in the village that is known as Sossob. This area of the village has been greatly touched by what God is doing in their village through the church in Thies as well as Eastern Hills. They have welcomed us with open arms into their homes and into their hearts as friends.

When I met Guiniane she was unable to speak and suffered paralysis on the right side of her body as a result of a stroke six years prior to this visit. What struck me was that as her husband was bringing some of us to meet his wife he told us that she was not feeling well. This mother of eight children was no longer able to care for her family and sat in her dark, hot thatched hut day in and day out for six years!

Matt Paschall, along with a couple of the Senegalese pastors and translators and I spent time in the hut with Deche and Guiniane and explained the healing power of Christ to them, telling them of several stories in the Bible when Jesus healed those who believed. We asked their permission to pray with them and to share their story with others who attended my church.. They were grateful for our concern and prayers. We asked them to step out in faith and pray only to Jesus Christ and not rely on the traditions of visiting a witch doctor to provide healing.

In May I had the opportunity to return to N’diadiane with another team from EHBC. As I entered Guiniane’s thatched hut she spoke Serere greetings to me, smiling broadly and embracing me in a hug. She was speaking again, after six years! What a wonderful answer to our prayers! Each day that we spent in the village I visited Guiniane, praying with her, singing songs of praise to our God and massaging her right arm and leg which are slowly regaining warmth and movement! What an AWESOME GOD we serve!

Guiniane and Deche both have given God the glory as He has demonstrated His goodness and power to them. The compound of Sossob is the area of the village that has welcomed the pastor and his wife and family to live and they are eager to learn more about a God who loves them enough to send strangers from all the way across the ocean to love them. Please continue to pray for Guiniane, Deche and their family and friends in the village as they continue to seek God.

Team for November 2009 Trip

The Oct 31 to Nov 6/7/8 trip to Senegal is quickly approaching!  Some people have said they are interested and others said they are still praying about it.
By September 1 we need to have the team members identified so tickets can be purchased and preparation meetings can begin.  The preparation meetings will begin mid-September and will be held weekly until the trip.  They will be held at the Rufo home in Jamesville.  We will be talking about finances, what to expect in Senegal, learn Sereer greetings, and personal/team preparation.
If you have not traveled with the team in the past and have not done so already please complete the travel team questionnaire.  If you need a copy of the questionnaire please let me know as soon as possible. 
God has put together amazing teams each time and it is exciting to know that He will do it again. 
If you have any questions about the trip or your possible travel with the team please do not hesitate to let us know.

Paschall Prayer Letter August 1

Talking Turkey about Transformation

So I bought a couple of live turkeys.  I spotted a couple of free range birds in our neighborhood and talked to the owner, then after negotiating a fair price, I tossed them into our trunk. I wasn’t just thinking solely about Thanksgiving, but a potential business as there are other American missionaries throughout Senegal who will be searching like us for a whole turkey, plucked and ready to for dinner.  We’ve got a large freezer, but we weren’t too interested in building a turkey shed in our backyard, so I asked a friend, Mande Diop, if he would be interested in a business venture.  He had already had some feeders and nesting cages, so we cleaned out his garage, bought some chicken wire and made room for several young turkeys.  Mixing business with mission is more of a recent trend for Western missionaries, but here in Africa, it’s normal.

While Mande’s family is responsible for taking care of the turkeys, we are going to handle the marketing aspect and Niki’s even agreed to freeze the birds during the holiday season.  If everything goes well with our little turkey business, we can ramp up for next year and perhaps hire some other farmers to raise turkeys in the village to create a supply chain for Mande to increase sales.

Please pray for this pilot project, as it is giving me a good chance to use my language and implement some micro-business principles with someone I trust.  We are hoping to learn much together and it is giving me the opportunity also to minister to Mande’s family.  Ever since the birth of their only child, Leah, his wife Fatou (seated in front) has been sick.  For over 10 years she has been suffering from symptoms affecting her nervous system that resemble multiple sclerosis and needs assistance to walk.  This past week Mande had to take her to the Bartimee Medical Center because she was not doing well.  After several tests, it was determined that she had malaria and typhoid, which fortunately are treatable, but there is still no diagnosis of her condition and the doctors are running tests again.

Business as Usual

Although my first priority is learning language, to minister effectively in Senegal, there are many other areas of ministry that I need to learn – including business as mission models that work in West Africa.  Generating income streams in a desert place is a huge challenge.  While many of the rural areas are experiencing spiritual growth, the fields are emptying out as young men and women flock to the urban areas in search of work. Before her retirement, Mary Anne Lattin and I visited an agro-business farming project that is generating a lot of income for a rural community in Mbellane.  Pastor Abel Sen has been given several acres to develop cash crops.  We made a short video to describe more about how this business is strengthening the local church and keeping communities intact. Click here to see the Garden Project Video.

In Senegal, there is also a big need for information technology and computers especially for those living in the city.  This summer I was contacted by Todd Marshall, who serves with ServanTek about the needs in Senegal.  His ministry was given a significant gift of money that will be used to provide a computer lab for the John Huffman School, SAUL Leadership Institute, ITES Seminary and the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste de Thies.  Todd is working with several contacts at Syracuse University to buy and refurbish 100 Pentium IV computers at a base cost for each computer of $75.  In addition, he was also able to acquire several desks and dressers for Dakar Academy and perhaps other private schools.  He is presently gathering equipment and hopes to ship a big container out this fall.  Pray for necessary funds to come in for shipping and customs.

Even though IT is not my specialty, it is great to see God bring people with the skills and resources to impact a new generation of leaders in Senegal.  While we serve in Senegal, we want to be channels of God’s blessing.  If you or your church would like to consider sponsoring one or more computers for Africa, or with the packing process, you can contact Todd at todd@bibliotekar.net or myselfmpaschall@worldventure.net for more details.  Todd hopes to send the 40 foot container by the end of September.

Another plate that has been spinning in the background is an engineer named Carl Grindle who my mother introduced to me in San Marcos.  He is 84 years old, an active member of the Lion’s Club and a successful businessman.  Although, not the church-going type, Carl finds joy in helping provide medical equipment for hospitals and charities around the world.  I met him a few years ago before we left for language school in France.  After walking through his large warehouse, packed floor-to-ceiling, with medical equipment, I told him that I would contact him when I settled in Senegal.

So while Nicole and her dad were being treated for malaria in April, Dr. Ted Sugimoto from Barthimee Medical Center approached me to see if I knew anyone who could help them get 60 hospital beds and some other medical equipment.  They are in the process of upgrading from clinic to hospital status with the government and need a minimum of 100 beds -currently, they only have 40 beds.  I introduced Dr. Ted to Mr. Grindle and after several conversations, he accepted the Bartimae Hospital as his next medical ministry project.

Once the connection was made, I have been able to step out of the process and see God do amazing things.  As it turns out, the container of medical and dental equipment will most likely be shipped in September, so this has been an interesting opportunity that has “just fallen together”.   For those living in Southern California or with an interest in medical missions container, please let me know if you would like to contribute in any way.

Rainy season has started.  Humidity is up, the heat index is off the charts and the bugs are swarming in biblical proportions.  Weather here in Africa, like many other things, is extreme.  So when it rains it really comes down hard.  Since many of the houses don’t have running water, it was amazing in the middle of the deluge to see the kids, like little Moussa, bathing in the run off from tin roofs.  It really makes you appreciate plumbers and the city water department when you see rivers of mud and standing puddles for weeks.  While the water is great for farmers and crops, it also means peak malaria season.  For a few months now, we’ve been hoping to do something for the 36 talibe orphan boys who live behind us.  They all sleep on the hard floor in a large brick room filled with mosquitos.   Then God sent us a surprise team of visitors from Delaware.  In July, Pastor Adama invited a group of 10 ladies from a ministry called Compassion Corps to spend an afternoon with our boys.  We shared with them our idea of providing mosquito nets and sleeping mats for the children and they graciously agreed.

So my son, Jacob, and I worked together with the marabout to install wires and hooks for hanging the nets.  Last week, the ladies stopped by and donated the mosquito nets, floor mats as well as some toys, bandages and malaria medicine.  The leader was very appreciative of this gift because of all the sickness that comes with rainy season.  Even his soft-spoken wife, Mami, shared with the women about how much it means to have help with caring for the boys.

Jan, the leader of the group shared that it was the depths of God’s love which compelled them to show compassion.  Then the marabout said to me privately, “I know this is not just about money. There are many wealthy people in this neighborhood, but you are the only ones who help us”. This was our fourth time we have done something with the talibe boys, so it is really giving us a platform to share the love of Christ with our neighbors.

from Nicole: Please continue to pray for our neighbors, especially Mami, one of the wives of the marabout.  The day after my sister left we found out that Mami had given birth to her baby (she was full-term) but the infant had not survived.  I went over to the house with a friend even though I had no idea what I would say, in Senegal the important thing is that you come- not especially what you do for them. My words were not plentiful but we shared tears together.  Her pain was so evident on her face I couldn’t help but cry with her.  I asked her specifically what I could do and she said the only thing she wanted was her baby and to get well.  It struck me that those are the same feelings any mom has when losing a child- poverty doesn’t change the heart issues. Mami really needs to know the love of Jesus along with her husband and the Talibe boys she takes care of. Later that day I returned with some culture things normally given at a death of a child- sugar, soap, palm oil, the makings of a meal- meat, potatoes, onions, carrots and seasonings along with some medical things as Mami lost a lot of blood throughout the process.  I offered to drive her to a follow up appointment at a small clinic on Tuesday.  There are a lot of barriers between me and Mami- she is a wife of a Marabout, I am the wife of a pastor, she is Wolof, I am American, our languages are different (she doesn’t even speak French- just Wolof) and the list goes on but the truth is Jesus loves her and she doesn’t know it and probably has never heard it.  Once again I choose to love even though it hurts to be in the presence of such pain and hopelessness. Please pray as we live out God’s love in this dark place.

In July, we got to spend four weeks with Nicole’s sister Christie.  We hadn’t seen her in a year and we had a wonderful time, celebrating her 30th birthday Adelaide’s 3 year birthday.  We stayed at the mission beach house for a week and visited the local wild animal reserve together.  It was such an amazing visit that we thought we’d do a special fun video for the kids and animal lovers out there.  Click here for the Safari video

May 2009 Trip Email Updates

Saturday May 9, 2009

Arrived in Dakar without a hitch!  There was a slight delay in Syracuse because our plane, prior to us boarding, hit a varmit on the runway.  After a maintence inspection we were off. It was smooth sailing from there. We arrived in Dakar at 5am, quickly found Matt Paschal, loaded up the luggage and headed off for the 90 minute ride to Thies.

We began preparation for the clinic and met with the Thies church Pastors.  Pastors Saliou and Kwashie both are very excited that the new Pastor for the church in Ndiadiane will be installed tomorrow morning during the church service in Thies.  We are planning a three day village clinic starting on Monday along with three days of kids programs.

We also discussed progess in the village over the past 17 months. Everyone is very excited about where things are going. We also spent time in prayer for the coming days in the village that God would be glorified in all we do.

The Senegal away team

Sunday May 10, 2009

Greetings from Senegal!

This morning and afternoon was spent at church in Thies and meeting with church leaders to plan the next three days in the village.  The church leadership expressed excitement as they watch God work among the people in Ndiadiane.

Unfortunately the new village pastor’s grandmother passed away so he could not make the church service.  We are looking forward to meeting him tomorrow in Ndiadiane.

In the evening we organized medicines for the village medical clinic, supplies for the kids club, and got our gear ready for camping in the village for the next 3 days.  After 2 days of meetings and organizing; we are ready to begin the village ministry!

We will be out of touch for the next three days as we will not have internet service.  We look forward to sharing pictures and stories from the Village on Wednesday.

In His mighty power

The Senegal Away Team

Tuesday May 13, 2009

This is Matt writing tonight.  I came home early tonight because it was my daughter Clarisa’s 10 year birthday, also my cell phone was dead and Mike and I both had run out of cash, but I’m happy to report that the team is really doing well in the village.

The first day is always crazy – there is so much work involved in order to set up camp and a medical clinic in a village.  Some men in the village came out with their hoes and rakes to clear off a place for us to pitch our 3 big tents and 2 dome tents under a huge African tree behind the rural school building.  Our vehicles are really packed to the gills.  We unloaded 50lbs of rice, 20lbs of beef, 80 Liters of water, 3 large foldable tables, all of the personal duffle bags, medical supplies and game equipment.

It’s hard to understand how many people we have working together until you see everyone (30+) sit down for a mid-day meal.  Along with Mike Rufo and the six women from Eastern Hills, there are at least 20 other Senegalese Christian brothers and sisters who join us every day including 4 pastors, 4 translators, 4 nurses, 4 kid’s ministry leaders, 2 cooks, a driver and a village elder.  Despite our late start yesterday, the medical team was able to treat over 70 patients in 2 hours and afterwards Jenn, Rebecah (sp?) and Brenda worked with over 40 children at the kid’s club that first night.

We ate a late dinner around 9:30pm and sat around swapping stories with our Senegalese team members about how we met our spouses and marriage ceremonies in Senegal, because one of our translators was just married 2 months ago.  The translators are all doing a wonderful job with the team.  It has also been a joy to get to know the new pastor Mbaye Ndour and his wife Celestine.  They have not completely relocated yet but are waiting until the school year is over to move their three kids (10 yr old son, 9 and 3 yr old daughters).  This village is about 2 hours drive from where their parents and family currently lives.

Today, the second day in the village went a lot smoother.  Michele, Robin and Kateri started seeing patients this morning before the Senegalese nurses arrived and by 5:30pm tonight they estimate that over 200 more people were treated in the clinic.  Each family member signs their name on a registry and they call them in order.  Please pray that there is enough time to see everyone who signs up tomorrow.

Early this morning, Matt Paschall went out to the regional capital of Fatick with 3 of the pastors to talk with the head director of WorldVision to get some wisdom on building quality wells and finding the right solutions for long-term healthy water supply.  He is going to talk with the head of the Water Authority in the regional government to do a formal survey of the land and assist us with some pre-field assessment in the coming weeks.  So this was time well-worth spent.

In the afternoon, Francois, the village leader showed us the land given by the government and rural community for the church to use and develop.  It was great to walk the perimeter of this property and envision how God may use this to build a profitable agri-business with irrigated fields and fresh vegetables ready for harvest.  There were actually several pools of standing water with cat tails and green bushes all around – something you don’t see in this sandy, desert terrain.  We were told that this land was prime for growing crops because it was located in a dry lake bed that fills up each rainy season, but has rich soil.  We prayed with the new pastor and thanked God for giving this land to the church to use for his glory.

The team has one more complete day out in the bush tomorrow and will have plenty of stories to share, but thank you for keeping us in your hearts and minds.  We are tired, but feel energized each day.  Your intercession on our behalf is making a difference.

Wednesday May 14, 2009

We have just returned from 3 days in Ndiadiane.  The joint EHBC/Senegal Medical team saw over 200 patients on Wednesday for a total of over 475 patients in the 3 days.  The joint team was very effective even though 3 languages were used  (English, French, Serer) and the villagers had many medical needs.  It was exciting to see the medical people consulting each other for the most effective treatment of various ailments, working together to provide the best treatment possible.  Michele, Robin, and Kateri, with help from Jenn, Brenda, and Rebecca did an awesome job serving the  people.

Our hearts were broken today as we saw the desperation of the villagers to receive medical care, including a young girl who was very sick with malaria.  The villagers knew that this was the last day for medical clinic until next November.  Yesterday we prayed for another young girl who has been deaf and mute for the past three years after an illness that she had.

Mike met with Francois (the lay minister in the village), Pastor Mbaye Ndour (the new village pastor who will be moving into N’diadiane at the end of June), Pastor Saliou and Matt with the translators to discuss the plans for the partnership for the remainder of this year.  They discussed irrigation, plans for the church’s land, plans for a home for the new pastor and microfinance for a millet grinder to support the village church.

Jenn followed up with some of the women that we met in March.  Her friend Mary Faye was integral in maintaining order amidst the chaos.  She welcomed us into her home and visited with us.  Guiniane Diuof, another friend of Jenn’s was so happy to see her.  She has been paralyzed on her right side for six years and unable to speak.  In March Jenn, Matt and some of the pastors and translators prayed with her and since that time she has been able to speak!  We will continue to pray for further healing in her life.  Many women asked to send greetings to the other women who visited them in March.  The village women had great memories of the March womens trip and remembered each of the EHBC women that were part of the trip.

Many pictures are on the photo website, http:ehbc.shutterfly.com

In His mighty power

The Senegal Travel Team

Friday May 16, 2009

Hi Everyone

We apologize for the delay in our final update.  Our trip ended in a whirlwind.  After 3 days in the village, we were a bit tired and some were having a little tummy trouble.  The next morning was busy with packing up our things and preparing for our Talibe boy clinic.  We were definitely relying on God for strength and energy to get through this day.  The clinic was held in a new building their marabout had built.  It was a small concrete structure with a roof but no windows and unfortunately was very infested with mosquitos.  (All of our medical supplies, bags, etc were covered in mosquitos whenever we went to retrieve something.)  We treated about 50 people, including all 38 talibe boys and a few adults and daughters of the marabout.  Seeing these boys is always the toughest part of visiting Senegal.  Their eyes always show a lack of hope or joy.  Their health was surprisingly good, except for badly decaying teeth, fungal skin infections and intestinal worms.  We only treated one mild case of malaria, but I’m sure that will change once the rainy season comes.  The Paschall’s hope is to provide a quarterly medical clinic for the boys.  After finishing the clinic, we finished packing up our supplies, cleaned up, and enjoyed fellowship with the Paschall’s and Pastor Saliou.  It was then time to head to the airport for our red eye flight.  We arrived safely back in Syracuse Friday morning.  Thank you so much to our Senegal home team.  We couldn’t do any of this without your support!  We frequently realized how dependent we were on God throughout this trip, and we’re thankful that He answered our prayers.  He is doing a mighty work in Senegal.

The Senegal Travel Team – May 09