Dear friends and partners in the work of the Lord,

We greatly rejoice in what God has been doing in Gambia during the last few months and we want to share with you a couple of stories that we hope will bless your heart!

On January 23rd, a team of 11 volunteers from our home church in Camas arrived safely in Gambia. We were so excited to pick them up at the airport but also a little nervous as we had to make sure everything was in place to feed them and keep them safe for the two weeks that they would be in our care.

We had made arrangements to rent a van and Steve Rosier was supposed to drive it, but the day before the team arrived we found out that the van was in no condition to be driven as the owner was still working on changing the tires, the brakes and some other things he had promised to do. We were shocked and disappointed with the situation we were facing, until we met Saikou. He drives a tourist van, taking tourists sightseeing, shopping or anywhere they want to go. We hired him for two weeks to drive the team from the guest house to the school and then to our house so the team could eat dinner every day; he is by far one of the safest drivers in Gambia, and was always looking out for us. Needless to say, the team made a great impact on Saikou’s life. Saikou got to see how these western people left their lives and businesses and came to Gambia to volunteer and build schools in his country. The people that Saikou usually drives around come to Gambia to have fun and vacation. This was a different group of people! We invited Saikou in the house to eat dinner with us every night and he got to hear some of our testimonies of what God is doing in our lives. We showed him respect by being mindful of when he needed, as a Muslim to go and pray, and Saikou showed us honor and respect in return.

We were so blessed to hire a hard working crew of Gambians, and together, with our volunteers, they finished the three-classroom building in just 12 days. They even had time to start building a storage area and three bathrooms, something that we needed but had not been in the plan. We are still amazed and blessed to see how God provided for every need.

The team also took time to go on prayer walks and minister to people; while they were there, we had four leadership trainings for about 15 leaders from different churches in the community. They came hungry to gain more understanding of the Bible and were willing to share their lives with us. As we talked about forgiveness, they opened up and shared with us how some of them had to escape from the civil war in Sierra Leone, how they had been harmed by the rebels and how some family members had been killed. One lady told of family members being burned in their house, another of the whole family being beaten, another of her handicapped uncle being shot in cold blood because “he couldn’t keep up.” A man told of his family escaping to Gambia except for his mother and sister. The sister took their mother out of the city and their mother was murdered. His anger was toward his sister for putting their mother in harm’s way.

The most interesting act of forgiveness was the woman whose family, including her, had been beaten by the rebels. Years later, she was working as a nurse in a hospital in Gambia. She went into a room and there laid the man who had beaten her family. He was under anesthesia! She knew his life was in her hands, she began to tremble, thinking she could get revenge! In her conflicted state of mind she talked to the doctor and told him of the man’s atrocities. He reminded her she was there to heal the sick and as a Christian she must forgive the man. With God’s help she forgave him. When he woke up and recognized her, he began to tremble, but she gave him her forgiveness. What a powerful story of God’s love in action! I felt like we learned from them how to let go and forgive.

We since visited one of the churches represented in the group and we rejoiced in seeing a strong fellowship of believers that take the Great Commission to heart!

As we continue to share the truth of the Gospel with our students and our Muslim friends, I am reminded of Peter’s confession of Christ and Jesus’s words to Peter: “Blessed are you Simon, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Please continue to pray that our Father in heaven will reveal Himself to the Muslim people in Gambia and around the world. It is only His Holy Spirit that can do that. We are only tools, in His mighty hands!

Please Pray

• for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of the people
• for Muslims that will seek the truth
• for God to direct us to the right teachers