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Memories
of Mission Discovery: SENGAL
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| A team of nine young adults, led by David Harsh
and Cara Newhouse, ventured to Senegal over this past Christmas
break (2005-2006). Each has unique impressions and stories
to tell. If you would be interested in having a program brought
to your church or group – the following persons are
ready to come and inspire you about the amazing work and
Christian actions of the United Methodist Church in Senegal!
Although Senegal is a 95% Muslim country, the United Methodist
church is alive and well. Since the initiative began in 1999,
this church has grown to 700 members, in a place where many
missions have come and gone without success. |
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Team Members: |
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Cara Beth Newhouse, Evanston, IL (847-942-1018), cara.newhouse@garrett.edu
David Harsh, Sturgeon Bay, WI (920-743-8601), dvharsh@aol.com
Grace Baldridge, Evanston, IL (847 971 9267), grace.baldridge@garrett.edu
Courtney Swanson, Dayton, IA (515 353 4345), courtney.swanson@simpson.edu
Matt Weiler, Edwardsburg, MI (260 348 1981), john_weiler@garrett.edu
Mary Micikas, Boulder, CO (281 387 9580), mary.micikas@colorado.edu
Jennifer Snyder, Normal, IL (630-778-7620), jnsnyde@ilstu.edu
Katie Troughton, Cedar Falls, IA (319-321-1695), ktrough@uni.edu
Kevin Wilson, Neshkoro, WI (920-293-4488), dexavier1@yahoo.com |
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Impressions: |
Stepping out of the doorway of South African Airlines flight
203 into the damp night air of Dakar, I knew that this experience
would be like no other. Something would be different about this
trip, not only because I had never visited the ancient continent
of Africa before, but because I felt that as we went through
each doorway- of each house, vehicle, or airplane- we moved closer
to our brothers and sisters in Senegal. Each doorway was significant.
Karen and Sebastien (missionaries) opened their doors to us.
Djon, our driver, opened the door for us at each destination,
showing us the love and respect that lived inside him. As these
doors were opened up for us physically, so too did we pass from
one reality of Christian witness into another.
~ Grace Baldridge |
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I look up to my newly discovered brothers and sisters because
they are full of the love of Christ that we often take for
granted in the United States. They constantly sing praising
Christ and thanking God in all that they do, just because
God is God! I learned that when I pray, it needs to be to
God first, not asking for favors or to mend broken wounds.
When I have dinner, it needs to be with my family, because
they are the most important. Whatever I do, it is by the
grace of God, with brothers and sisters on every part of
the soil on this earth. ~ Jen Snyder
I was surprised at the
large number of youth and young adults who were members of
the United Methodist Church in Senegal. Other places I have
traveled to have not had anywhere near the young people in
the church nor the programming for young people. The best
part of the experience that our group was not limited just
to the 9 Americans, but included the Senegalese youth as
well! Almost everything we did involved ALL of us! ~ Mary
Micikas |
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| Every moment during our mission experience in Senegal was
memorable, exciting, and unique. And this is no dull church,
but a vibrant, active, and vivid church. Every time we met
with our young adult hosts was another opportunity to worship
together. We sang praise songs, danced, prayed, and enjoyed
the community of Christ's body from around the world. And
on Sunday, as if the celebration during worship wasn't enough,
those remaining in the sanctuary after service broke out
into song and dance which lasted almost the entirety of another
hour! Their lives are so focused on the gift of Christ that
spending time in church is not a chore but a celebration
that no one wanted to end. It was a reminder to me of what
it means to worship, why we are Christians, and what it means
to be a family. ~Cara Newhouse |
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As part of the church’s outreach, we ‘challenged’ the
inmates of the youth prison to a football (soccer) match.
We traveled there in a hired van with "Touba" painted
across the front and photos of Muslim leaders pasted on the
interior. "Touba" is basically the Senegalese Mecca
- the city of Muslim pilgrimage. Despite “standing
room only” there was room for a drum! Along the way
we sang songs of worship and even danced in the back of the
bus! As I sat in awe of the crowd and the music, struggling
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| whether this was all actually happening I could not believe
my eyes as more people from the streets of Dakar jumped onto
the rear bumper
of the van and road along! There we were, 9 American United Methodist's,
in a van full of Senegalese singing and dancing in worship to
our Lord Jesus Christ in a bus that hailed a Muslim holy city
as its ultimate destination! They are a people who I will not
forget and who have dramatically changed my own pursuit of God.
If anyone ever asks how I know that Jesus Christ is real and
alive I will tell them I know because I went to Senegal and met
him there. ~ Matt Weiler |
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| I met Philip during our football match between the Mission
Discovery Youth and the Youth in Prison. I frequently found myself
playing opposite him during the game. Afterward, we all went
into the prison courtyard where we played the drums, sang, and
danced -- followed by speeches people from the Church, our mission
team, and even the prisoners. Philip was one who stood up to
speak. I could see how much he was liked and adored by his fellow
prison mates, but what really caught my attention was the fact
that he quoted a passage out of Matthew, and told us how grateful
he was to the Church for "doing unto the least of these." Nine
months prior, Philip had traveled to Senegal from Ghana to meet
up with a white friend of his. One night they were robbed while
Philip was praying. The white man was killed, but because they
saw Philip praying, they didn't harm him. When Philip went to
the police to report the murder, he was charged with the murder
and has been in prison ever since. He told me how frustrating
it is to be in jail for a crime he didn't commit, how frustrating
it was to not speak the same language, but how grateful he was
to God, Who had kept him alive, and Who had given him the opportunity
to witness to the other prisoners. It is so important that he
is being sustained by the United Methodist Church from pastor
visits and the gift of a Bible. And I know that he is witnessing
to the prisoners (and commissioners too) because I saw him do
it. ~ Kevin Wilson |
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