Spring is finally arriving in Connecticut! Yes, I really did say ‘finally’ since I have enjoyed the winter and snow so much! I didn’t think I would ever be tired of the snow, but with those gusty warm breezes and crocuses in the ground the excitement about trees budding, grass appearing and discovering what is planted in the gardens around the house is contagious!
We have had several opportunities for sharing about Senegal in local churches. Here we are sharing with some children’s classes during a week long missions emphasis in a nearby church. Katie and I both had opportunity to share in different settings as well.
Tripping Around America
Last week was Spring Break at school. Corey, Katie and the girls headed south to Virginia for some fun with extended family. I headed north to Canada to connect with old friends I haven’t seen for years as well as meet some new ones! Team mates from Senegal, Geoff and Esther in Burlington, just across the border and I had a short but very special evening catching up on one another’s lives. I then went on to Oakville to spend the week with good friends Nirmala and Densil from Abu Dhabi. We had lots of time to talk and remember and just have some relaxed time with the family.
On the way back I stopped to meet some new friends at Browncroft, one of the most active supporters of the Wolof in upper New York state. I stayed with a lovely gal, Lynn, who arranged several opportunities for me to meet with folks who have heard about me, and I about them for many years. It was a great blessing to get to connect with these lovely people who lift us up in prayer on a regular basis.
Because life doesn’t have enough excitement, I woke up on Friday morning with a red and swollen eye, apparently from a bug bite the night before when we cooked out. I made it back home safely, but the doctor put me on antibiotics on Monday. My eye is still quite swollen and red making reading and general seeing uncomfortable. I am sure I will recover, but there are several times in the next week when I will be presenting in front of people, and my appearance isn’t the best, to say the least! Please pray the swelling and inflammation will disappear quickly!
Wednesday morning, 24 April, Corey and Katie flew out to Seattle, Washington for a six day Wolof Connection conference. They will be both attending and presenting. The girls and I are “home alone” and hope to have some fun times without the parents!
Barn Doings
My involvement in the Barn continues. AWANA is planning an in-house Bible Quiz late in May and I have been asked to help with planning the questions and preparing the clubbers for it. Many of these clubbers have never been involved in AWANA before so have not experienced Bible Quiz before. Pray that they will enjoy it and end up learning and reinforcing verses they have been learning all year long.
There has been a request to have the workshop on Forgiveness that I led in March repeated this Sunday evening in an expanded format. Please pray for this time to be fruitful for attendees. Pray also that my eye will not be a distraction for me or those attending.
The GLUE committee at church is taking more responsibility for its activities, and members taking more part. Please pray that these events will go well and be times of blessing, connection and refreshment for us all.
Other Opportunities
I have an invitation next Thursday, May 2 to share with the Community Bible Study group I have been attending this year about being a Home School Teacher in Senegal. Please pray that my presentation would center on God and not me!
We have several events coming up in May and June that will be our last scheduled times with churches.
Departure Plans
About returning to Senegal, the girls are thinking, “Yay, we get to go back home!” while we are thinking “Well, this is the last time I will go to this place, or the last time I will see these people.” While I am rejoicing in the opportunities, I am also detaching and withdrawing from this bountiful setting. We are so very conscious of the isolation we will be experiencing as the only westerners in our town since our team mates will not be there, at least for the first year we will be there.
And just because God wants to remind us that HE is in control, Corey announced on Monday he will need to have surgery that will delay our departure at least until the first of August. (Maybe some of these ‘lasts’ aren’t really the LAST after all!) Corey has been experiencing moderate discomfort in his right shoulder for some time. At the youth retreat in March, he hurt it badly enough to visit a doctor about it. Monday he was informed his rotator cuff needs surgery and the physical therapy following it will require staying in the States until August. We are in the midst of figuring out housing, scheduling and all the other details in these changes in our calendar. Please pray for guidance for all these details and arrangements!
Funding Findings
Please continue to pray for my funding to be complete. There has been little movement in funding since the last update. I still need that remaining 46% or $1208 (2155Dh) per month. SIM’s policy is to not allow a missionary to go on the field until they are 100% supported with gifts or promises. I need to have promises for the rest of my support to come in before I can return to Senegal. Please prayerfully lift this need to the Father. For further information or to donate click here.
To see pictures from the last couple of months click here.
Prayers
- Praise for the many opportunities to connect with friends and family in the USA.
- Praise that our trips to Virginia (Corey and family) and Canada (me) were refreshing and safe.
- Pray for Corey’s surgery next Friday, May 3 and all the arrangements that need to be made.
- Pray for the swift healing of my eye.
- Pray for GLUE transition and the activities and events planned.
- Pray for workers to come join the Kaffrine team.
- Please continue to pray for Steve Smith, our Kaffrine teammate suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
- Pray for continued additions to my support to bring it up to 100%.