Celebration

Last Friday we celebrated with the six guys who have been with us for the last three months. Jim and Antoine were down from MIS to honor their five students. Alex and Amet came as friends of the program. Abdourakhmane was visiting the Phare for another reason, but joined us to hear about what Balla, his old teammate from the Jesus Film days, has been up to. We weren't a big crowd, but it was a great time together.



Each of the "responsables" got to say a few words. Each of the students talked about his experience during the three months. I gave a brief challenge to the guys. Balla handed out certificates. It was simple, but filled with lots of thanksgiving!

Alex took some photos and video. She had the same problem I have every time I take photos in that room. Black skin disappears in the bright backlighting of walls and windows. I forgot all about it until we looked at the photos. Sorry. We need a solution. A flash. Curtains drawn. Something.

If all goes as planned, we'll host another group of 6 starting some time in early March.

Wheaton Coming Soon

I can't believe it's been this long since I posted. I have been busy and the Phare has been relatively quiet, but still... Sorry, all.

The presidential campaign season seems to have entered many groups calculations. The conference center has not been empty, but we certainly have had fewer guests on the whole. Tomorrow we'll be full with a large church group coming for a night. And we've had the normal numbers of families and individuals passing through. But since Christmas, our numbers are down. Hopefully in March things will pick up.

In fact, the Wheaton football team will be in Senegal the first full week of March. We'll have all 32 of them here with us for their first day. Then they disperse to work with Beersheba and Dakar Academy and the Falls out in the banlieu and Guy P. outside Dakar. A group of 8 plus the Duttweilers will be here with us.

So, knowing help is on the way, we've started up a couple job sites:

The new main gate will be of the same style as the old: a tubing frame with re-bar posts. We've chosen that, rather than a solid gate so that our guards will be able to see someone arriving in a car after dark.

Of course, painting a gate isn't a week's worth of work! The main job the guys will be doing is building a wall in the north corner of the property. They'll be doing the right hand yellow line on this sketch.

Some from our crew will slip away each day to help Jane with the talibe work and others to assist Bruce (and maybe Stan) with English clubs. It should be a great week.

Thanks to all you who read this! We covet your prayers, as they say! The election campaign is hotly contested and the country desperately needs the shalom-peace that only our Lord gives. Pray for Senegal.

And pray for the Wheaton guys and their visit, please.