IBG-FORBIDEC 2010 Clip

So, here is that clip to show you the students here for the IBG (FORBIDEC 2010) Bible training. This is the American/French guy teaching a couple days ago, responding to a question about church discipline and restoration.

All of these folks are staying here at the Phare, so things are quite cozy. Well, not completely full. I heard that a family from Guinea Bissau may be coming in, too. That should round things out!

Big Storm

Around lunch time today a big storm rolled in with lots of rain and even more wind. Watch, North America, this one will probably show up as a hurricane in a few days!

The IBG decentralized Bible training started this week. We've got around 60 students here taking four courses. IBG stands for the Geneva Bible Institute. The Swiss professor teaching one of the courses brought an American missionary from France to teach another. Jose Oliveira, our UWM colleague, is teaching a third. And Pastor Pierre Celestin from the Southern Baptist church is teaching the fourth. It's a priveledge to host this one, but, in fact, we are co-sponsors, too. We help with logistics and provide a bit of the funding.

I'll try to get a clip of one of the classes tomorrow. I meant to today, but the storm put a crimp in my timing.

The wind was strong enough to damage two of our trees and flatten the little moringa starts. We'll prop the moringas up tomorrow and they should be fine. And we freed the phone line of the large branch lying on it. But I'm afraid the old shade tree down in the corner won't ever be the same!











Finally, Gene Toombs asked for an update on our speed bump / water barrier. Here is some film. But the short answer is, "So far, so good."

Digging for Treasure

OK. So it was a lame joke.

I walked outside just now to see how the work was going. The guys are digging not far from my office door, so Jean can construct another chamber in the sewage system. I immediately asked if they had found any gold or silver or other buried treasure. Three minutes later Herve walked up and started off with the same question. Great minds think alike. Or at least they come up with the same lame jokes.

On Monday the IBG/FORBIDEC intensives start. For two weeks 50 or 60 students will take four intensive courses from the Geneva Bible Institute . The Swiss send down a couple of professors. Jose will also come in from Thies to teach. And a local pastor, Pierre Celestin, will cover the fourth course. We've been hosting these courses at the Phare and helping with logistics for more than a decade and are pleased that unexpected finances are making it possible once again.

Hopefully at the same time we'll have Omar and his electrician on site installing inverter / battery back-up power systems for most of the rest of the campus. With all the power cuts that Dakar experiences, this will allow our guests to sleep in peace with fans still turning in this hot season! Pray for my meeting with him this afternoon as we arrange the work.