Dear friends and partners in the ministry, Merry Christmas from warm and sunny Gambia!
As I look out the window, it looks like it’s snowing white butterflies! I guess it’s the butterfly season; I haven’t noticed until recently how many white butterflies we have this time of the year! Maybe this is because there are more important things to notice around us. Poverty, oppression, spiritual darkness….are just a few of the things that capture our attention day in and day out.
10 Year Anniversary
Yet, in spite of the hopelessness we see all around, it is with great joy and grateful hearts that we celebrated our ten-year anniversary since the opening of Emmanuel Mission School in Lamin village. We began with only 90 students in nursery, 5 teachers and 3 support staff members. Even though we were scared and afraid about the uncertainty of the future, we took a step of faith and trusted God to guide us and provide for the vision that He put in our hearts—to educate children and to share the Gospel of hope and salvation that comes through Jesus Christ with the people in Gambia. God has provided above and beyond our imagination, and today we are able to employ 29 people and educate 340 students from nursery to 9th grade. What a miracle!
The celebration day was made special for the students with a special lunch, drinks and cookies and we rented an inflatable bouncy house. Since none of the children had ever seen a bouncy house, some of the little ones were scared and crying and did not enjoy the bouncy house as much, but most of the children had a lot of fun, even with the limited time we had to schedule for each class.
On the day of our celebration, we stood among the students and teachers and just watched them interact and carry out their tasks, organizing and working as a team to make things happen. What a joy to be able to have so many capable and trustworthy people to work with.
The students put on an amazing display of drama, songs and dances that glorified the name of Jesus throughout the day in front of the parents, elders of the village and officials from the Education Department. It made us very proud.
The part that brought tears to our eyes and touched our hearts the most was the tribal dancing at the end of the program. It was a visual display of how many different tribes (Jolla, Mandinka, Fula, Ollof, Manjago, Seerel) and countries (Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry) are attending the school. They danced to their own music in their traditional clothes. It really was a glimpse of what heaven will be like!
When we first felt called to minister in Gambia, God spoke to us that He would use us to reach the nations. At that time we didn’t understand how that could happen because we felt Gambia was where he called us. Now we see how He is using the school as a base where people from different nations are able to hear the truth of the Gospel and receive an education. Pray with us that hearts will be open. We serve a mighty God!
Meeting with Area Pastors and Leaders
We are continuing to meet with the group of pastors and leaders that we’ve been meeting with for the last two years. They are ministering in the surrounding areas and villages and we have the privilege to encourage and pray with them, provide Bibles and evangelism materials and strategize about reaching out to other villages with the Gospel.
Faala Village Project
The Faala Village project is coming along nicely according to the plans we made. We are in the process of digging the well and setting up for digging the foundation that needs to be ready before the construction team comes at the end of February. We are so grateful for the support and commitment our Grace Church family is providing! Many of the same people have been coming every time we have a project and we can’t even begin to express our gratitude for their sacrifice and partnership! May God reward you all for your generosity to His kingdom!
Preparing for Christmas
With Christmas approaching, we are busy teaching the kids Christmas songs and preparing a Christmas drama that will be played out in front of the whole school. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will bring understanding about who Jesus is and why He came, and a hunger to each child to search for the truth, to look deeper into the story of our Savior.
The Bible tells us that “In His name the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12:21) We pray that the nation of Gambia will put their hope in Him! We pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the Savior of the world to many more!
Merry Christmas to you and to all your family and loved ones!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Sol and Manuela Bah