Dear friends and family,

We stand in awe of God’s faithfulness to the work He started in Gambia and we recognize more and more that He doesn’t really need us, but we need Him! The work of the Kingdom is being established in Gambia through the Gambian people and by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to invest in their lives, there is continued planting of the seeds of the Gospel and we believe in God’s promises to do the rest according to His purpose and plan.

Sunday School Going Strong

The Sunday School program has been going on steady since January and we are seeing great growth! Out of the 40 to 50 children attending, eight children have given their hearts to the Lord and a few more are very close to making the decision to follow Him! Hope has been discipling them in a small group setting, teaching them God’s Word and the benefit of reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship in order to grow spiritually. We are so happy to see the discipleship tools and tracts finally being used in this capacity. Even though the Sunday School program has been available for years to all the children in Lamin village, we noticed there were not many students from the school attending.

Radiance Kids Club

The Radiance Kids Club was launched in mid-April as an after-school program, targeting the children from Emmanuel Mission Center to continue to influence and impact their lives with the truth of the Word of God. Hope has been working hard, teaching and counseling the children and we are excited to hear that some of the teachers have volunteered. Hope’s love and passion for the children is so evident and they have quickly become comfortable with her, opening up to her about life issues, and asking questions that she is able to advise and guide them from the Word of God.

The program includes Bible stories, memory verses, songs, interactive games, and of course snacks! Children love this club so much they didn’t want to go home once they were released. Having this kind of programs has been on our hearts for such a long time and we are so thankful for God’s provision of Hope, who has such a tender heart for the children.

Loving the Lonely, Loving Like Jesus

All of our kids are very special to us, but over the years we have developed a stronger connection with some of our students and have kept in touch with them after they graduated from EMC. Bintou captured our hearts when she was in nursery school with her big eyes, smile, and her longing for love. She was comfortable enough to walk into our office to draw us a picture, hug us, or ask “how is uncle Sol?” Bintou is in Grade 7 now and Hope has picked up on the fact she still longs for a mother figure. Through their friendship, Hope has started discipling her one on one and sharing Jesus with her. Please pray for Jesus to capture Bintou’s heart with His love.

Continuing to Minister to Former Students

Ally (not her real name) graduated from EMC three years ago and we have recently reconnected with her! Her mother passed when she was very young and because her father is a Christian, the mother’s relatives raised her to ensure she was brought up Muslim. Home life was hard for Ally—she was beaten up many times for bringing the Bible home from school, but that didn’t stop her. Ally continued reading the Bible and we spent many hours answering her questions.

Talking with her on the phone was like talking with a seasoned adult and it gives us great hope for her future. We are thrilled to be able to continue loving her and guiding her even from a distance. Her gratitude and appreciation to have us in her life and for giving her the opportunity to go to school is humbling and healing to our longing hearts. Ally is going to university now and dreams of becoming a diplomat. She has the potential as she is one of the brightest students to go through our school. She could be the president of Gambia some day!

As we watch these stories unfold, we realize how many we won’t be able to see, but we have great faith in the power of our mighty God to grow the seeds and make them fruitful for His Kingdom and purpose.

We are so grateful for your partnership and support in this work; we truly cannot do what we do without you! Just as we are encouraging the Gambians to work together, it takes this kind of collaboration to see the Great Commission fulfilled on earth. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We pray for God’s abundant blessings on you and your families; may He reward you with His Spiritual blessings.

Blessings and much love,

Sol and Manuela Bah