Second Week

May 23^rd, 2011

Today was a Monday just like in the United States, except here they call it “lundi.” I woke up late and slept through working out and running. Then, we went to campus, and had some conversations in the morning. To keep a long story short, it was a long morning. Then I had a conversation with Cheikh, who is a Muslim. This conversation lasted almost two hours and ranged in topics from absolute truth all the way to metaphysics. It was especially draining because over half of the conversation was in French. It took me about two hours to wind down from the mental taxation that was taken from me. When we got back to the compound, I was frustrated and drained, so I prayed a while and then read Hosea one and two, which always seems to rejuvenate me with the Gospel. Then, a spaghetti dinner (nice change) made by our beautiful female project counterparts and encouraging prayer and conversation with some brothers lifted me back up a bit more.

Then, in the blink of an eye, I was reminded of how much of a wretch I really am. After dinner, I had, much like my father often does, a craving for a little something sweet, so Kevin and I walked to the bakery. I then proceeded to talk to, on our way back, six Talibe boys while holding an éclair and a coke. How much more pitiful could I possibly be? Especially, in light of what I wrote yesterday, I am a hypocritical worm.

But I am not a worm—not anymore at least. I have been washed in the blood of the lamb, and it is for this reason that I will one day stand before God spotless, just like His Son. I know that it makes no sense, but this is the beauty of the Gospel. Why does God love a wormlike me? Because He loves a worm like me. It blows my mind more and more everyday. “And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God’.” -Hosea 2:23

May 24^th, 2011

Today was good. Kevin and I spent time with our god friend Paba, and we also got to meet many new friends. We are lunch with Paba at a little on-campus restaurant, and we all ate out of a communal bowl. It was good food and an interesting experience. At about two thirty, we were rushed off campus because we caught wind that there would be a strike in the afternoon about the school food. Their strikes in Senegal are called “greves,” and they normally consist of thousands of students throwing rocks and hundreds of policemen shooting tear gas. I was disappointed, however, with how calm campus was when we made our exit. I was hoping for someone running around like a maniac screaming, “C’est la greve! C’est la greve!”

Tonight, we had a bonfire on the beach. It was a great time of fellowship, consisting of good hymns, good stories, and good people. We were accompanied by an African Rastafar, named Muhammad, who is good at making djembes but not so good at playing them. His djembe is the nicest one I’ve ever played, but when he started to teach me how to play, I could not summon up the right Wolof words to explain that I should be teaching him.

Now, I’m sitting at a table, about to take a shower and go to bed. It’s amazing how hot you can feel in a place before you take a shower, and then afterward, you feel refreshed and cool. It’s just like the Gospel: after God opens your eyes to His Gospel, you feel about and see the world in a whole new light—a light of grace, a light of peace, the light of Christ.

May 25^th and 26^th, 2011

The past two days have been very good. I have gotten to share God’s Gospel with six different people. On Wednesday, Kevin, Hillary, Brinkley, and I are lunch with two new friends. They are both Muslims, and one of them claims to know the hundredth name of Allah, which I thought the Koran said that no one could know. It is so crazy how people here have such a different idea of divine justice. They see no problem with God simply pardoning our sin with no one paying the debt.

Last night, it was “man night,” so we went to a supermarket (it had carts!!!) and ended up making crab alfredo with ice cream for dessert. It was actually really good, and I was the genius behind much of its creation (take that all my female haters out there). We sat around the table and shared each of our life stories. It’s amazing how fast you can bond with brothers imply by talking about how God has worked in you life.

Today, I was very nervous because I was supposed to meet with my friend who knows the hundredth name of Allah. I knew that there was no way I could reason with him about that, so I decided that I would just pray a lot and do what I could: show him the Gospel in scripture and trust God with it all. I was very nervous all day, and then when it came time to meet him, another strike began, which means that we, once again, had to leave campus. Even though I was very nervous, I was very disappointed that I did not get to meet him. He needs the Gospel terribly, and maybe if I can plant the seed, God can do the rest.

Now, I’ve just returned from the market where I bought eggs, butter, some type of meat, bread, a mango, and two apples. This will be my nightly diet from here on out because I am not sure that I can handle the weighty Senegalese cuisine more than once a day.

Tomorrow, Kevin and I get to go to Paba’s house for dinner after working with the Talibe boys all day. I really hope that I will get to share my testimony with the boys, and I am just as excited about going to Paba’s house. He is one of mine and Kevin’s best Senegalese friends and he has shown us so much kindness and hospitality. I can’t wait to talk about Jesus with him once again, and I pray that maybe God will speak through us and reach into his heart. God can do anything, and he likes to work miracles in unlikely places. Please, please, please pray that this is one of those places.

P.S. I apologize if there are any typos or grammar errors. I have limited Internet time, so I did not proof read any of these posts.