Senegal apology for Christ 'slur'

 

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has apologized to the Christian minority for comparing a controversial statue to Jesus Christ.

Archbishop of Dakar Theodore Adrien Sarr said the comments had "humiliated" Catholics, leading to angry protests by hundreds of Christian youths in Dakar.

Mr Wade made the comments after imams condemned the statue as "idolatrous".

The $27m North Korean-built "African Renaissance" statue has also been criticised as a waste of money.

Senegal has a long history of tolerance between majority Muslims and the influential Christian community, who make up some 6% of the population.
“ We were shaken and humiliated by the comparison which the head of state made between the monument to African renaissance and the representations found in our churches ”
Theodore Adrien Sarr Archbishop of Dakar

But the BBC's Tidiane Sy in Dakar says there have been recent warnings that this could be at risk.

Three respected groups have called on the government to be cautious about how it handles religious issues.

President Wade sent his influential son, Karim, who is also a cabinet minister, to deliver a personal apology to Archbishop Sarr after the stone-throwing Christian youths clashed with security forces outside Dakar cathedral on Wednesday.

The archbishop had said: "We were shaken and humiliated by the comparison which the head of state made between the monument to African renaissance and the representations found in our churches."

President Wade had sought to deflect the criticism of his statue on religious grounds by comparing it to the statues of Jesus Christ found in churches.

He hopes that the statue will attract more tourists to the country but many Senegalese feel the money could be better spent.

The statue, intended to symbolize the fight against racism, was Mr Wade's idea and he says he will personally take 35% of the revenue it generates, with the rest going to the state.

When completed early in 2010, it will be bigger than the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8435805.stm

Published: 2009/12/31 10:20:28 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Liberia: Belle Yella Opens to the World

28 December 2009
The people of Belle Yellah, in Gbarpolu County, received perhaps the greatest Christmas gift of their lifetime when President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led an array of Government officials and the Ambassadors of the United States and China to fulfill a promise that she would spend the 2009 Christmas with the people of this northwestern forest town.

What made the Belle Yellah visit even more historic is the fact that, for the first time in the history of Liberia, a town once famous for its political prisons, where past governments locked up opponents and hardened criminals, was poised to be linked to the rest of the country by a motor road being constructed by the Government of Liberia.

The Liberian President had assured the County's most famous son, Paramount Chief Old Man Jallah Lone, now 106 years old, and other prominent people of Gbarpolu that, come what may, she would spent the Christmas in their town, not by way of a helicopter, but by road. "If the road doesn't reach Belle Yellah in time for the Christmas, we will walk, wherever the road stops, to get to Belle Yellah," the President repeated recently in a holiday message and in subsequent interviews.

The President's comments to walk to Belle Yellah may not have been taken literally by many. They were wrong, because the President actually walked for more than an hour and a half to reach the town, when it became clear that the Ministry of Public Works construction crew would not be able to connect Belle Yellah by road on Christmas Day.

With Government officials and her diplomatic guests following, the President walked through the dense Belle forest, crossing creeks, connected sometimes only by makeshift bridges that challenged even those who use them regularly.

"How far is Belle Yellah from here?" was the question most frequently asked by the officials, determined to spend Christmas in the town. Depending on who the question was addressed to, the responses were different. "It's just 30 minutes; you're not too far." One villager was very precise. "It will take 23 minutes," he said, confidently. In reality, the stretch was longer than everyone anticipated. Those who could walk faster took an hour, others a little longer. But in the end it didn't matter; the goal was to get to Belle Yellah, a town charged with euphoria and anticipation.

At about 4:15 p.m., the crowd, ecstatic, erupted in cheers and songs. It appeared that the President and her entourage had made the stretch. But that was not the case. A motorbike had made it through, the first in the history of the town. Most of the inhabitants, especially the younger generation, had never seen a motorbike, let alone a vehicle. A young man rubbed the dust off the motorbike with his finger and licked it, in appreciation for the historic event he was witnessing.

Meanwhile, the crowd continued to surge, anticipating the arrival of the President and her delegation, which arrived, finally, at about 6:15 p.m. to the delight of the town's residents who sang, danced, and chanted slogans in welcoming the President to "prisoner's creek," so-called because it was used by male prisoners as a place to shower.

Women spread their lappas on the ground as the President and her entourage walked to the recently constructed meeting place for an official program. County officials, led by Superintendant Gertrude Larmine and the Legislative Caucus, were present, and lavished praises on the President for fulfilling her promise to spend the Christmas with them.

They were particularly grateful to the President for undertaking the construction of the 25-mile stretch of road linking Bopolu to Belle Yellah. "You have fulfilled the vision of our forefathers," District No.3 Representative, Dixon Yarseah, said. He regretted that the area was marginalized by past governments, but was now hopeful that, with the construction of a motor road linking Belle Yellah to the rest of the country, the area would now attract more development.

The President thanked the citizens for the warm welcome, and reiterated that her visit was in fulfillment of a promise to the people of Belle Yellah that she would spend the Christmas with them. She apologized for the delay in reaching the town, but assured them they would spend Christmas night together.

The Liberian President also thanked all those who had made the trip, taking time from their families to spend Christmas in Belle Yellah. She was particularly full of praises for the Minister of Public Works and his engineering crew for their hard work. "We intend to turn Belle Yellah into a place of hope from a place of horror," the President told journalists later in an interview.

The decision by the President to spend the night in Belle Yellah took many residents by surprise since accommodation, especially for a President, poses some challenges, which the President acknowledged. "We will all stay up, tell stories, and dance as it is done when a stranger comes to your town and there are no sleeping places," the President suggested.

It was worth the wait because, as the night progressed, and with the President keeping her word and staying awake, enjoying the traditional music and dance, came word that the road crew was about to enter the town. The news spread like wildfire, and like an army of ants, residents, with their flashlights, began to move towards the construction site to witness, firsthand, the history that was unfolding before their very eyes.

Yes, it was, indeed, true, because not only was the sound of the heavy-duty equipment becoming increasingly louder, but lights from the caterpillars and the Presidential fleet of vehicles began beaming through the forests, becoming visible.

"This is not true, I cannot believe this," exclaimed an older woman as she struggled to join others who had begun to make their way to prisoner's creek, which stood as the only remaining hurdle to the entry of the first motor vehicle ever to enter Belle Yellah.

At 3:15 a.m., the first vehicle, a caterpillar, followed by a fleet of vehicles, roared into Belle Yellah as its residents chanted. It was reported that a woman, no doubt overwhelmed by the event, fainted. This could not be independently confirmed.

As the convoy approached, a middle-aged man, lying in the middle of the road, in disbelief, screamed: "I want the caterpillar to walk over me."

"Who way-say, Ellen way-say; Who way-say, Ellen way-say," chanted the residents, of all age groups, as they hugged one another and welcomed the convoy into Belle Yellah - the first entry of a motor vehicle, a dream - which the President described as a fulfillment of a promise to the people of Gbarpolu to end the isolation of the town and bring development to the area.

Copyright © 2009 Liberia Government. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
AllAfrica - All the Time

What Christmas was all about (in case you have forgotten already)

Liberian head's Christmas in jail

 

Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says she is going to spend Christmas Day at an old maximum security prison in the jungle.

Bella Yalla prison is in the remote north of Liberia, where political prisoners were kept and often tortured.

During her visit the prison will be renamed and transformed into a museum.

The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh says her visit is intended to mark the end of the use of torture in Liberia, which is recovering from years of civil war.

Our reporter says during the conflict the government used to fly political prisoners to Bella Yalla prison in the Belle Forest.

He says some of those detained were political colleagues of Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8428923.stm

Published: 2009/12/23 17:11:44 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Merry Christmas

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”- Luke 2:11-14 NIV

I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

But, I also would like to remind you that while we enjoy this season, there are so many people who are really hurting these days.

You don't need to look very far. Right in our neighborhoods there are people who are really hurting. Then if you look in your state, the urban areas, and the small towns, sins ugly head rears everywhere. And then we have world wide issues, persecution,hunger,war...this list could go on....

Yesterday as I was in Walmart, I couldn't help to think about the abundance we are surrounded with. One of the things that always turns my stomach, especially after returning from a developing country, is the rows and aisles of 'stuff'.

I saw people who had carts full of 'stuff' that will be given as a 'gift' and only to be forgotten in days, if not hours of receiving.

What did you get for Christmas last year? 

There's only one gift that will last forever. That happened over two thousand years ago. And it came in a manger, in the form of a savior, Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that all people would acknowledge the real meaning of Christmas. That is what motivates our work. Yes we care about the social issues, but ultimately it is that each person would acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and savior that motivates us.

That's what Christmas is all about for me.

Merry Christmas!

One Person at a time....

Help That Makes a Difference: Change our Worldview

You want to read a good book regarding these topics? When Helping Hurts is a book you NEED to read if you are doing mission or development work.
Another one that is very helpful is Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore.

The goal is not to turn Kampala into Chicago. The goal is for both Kampala and Chicago to look more like the New Jerusalem.

Brian Fikkert, co-author of When Helping Hurts

What's the biggest change needed in how charities and federal agencies deliver aid to developing nations? Brian Fikkert, co-author of When Helping Hurts, David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, and Dale Hanson Bourke, author of The Skeptic's Guide to Global Poverty, suggest the best way to help.

"We were happy in our village before you folks told us we were poor. We didn't have many things, but happiness doesn't come just from having more material things. What makes you think we want to become just like you?"

The audience, a group of American donors and development leaders, looked bewildered as Emily, a community development worker from Liberia, took her seat. Finally, one of the U.S. donors spoke up. "Yes, of course we share your goals, Emily. That's why we keep on bringing you more capital and technology." Emily listened helplessly, realizing that her message had fallen on deaf ears—again.

Americans are the richest people ever to walk the face of the earth, and we coexist with 2.6 billion people living on less than $2 per day. The situation is simply immoral. We must do more, but we must do it differently.

For the past 60 years, the majority of American assistance has flowed out of a materialistic worldview, which assumes that wealth is produced by material things, namely capital and technology. In this view, America is "developed." We have arrived, and they have not. The assumption is that if we provide them with more capital and technology, they will be able to be just like the U.S.—a country where families and communities are disintegrating, where addictions are on the rise, where mental and emotional illnesses are exploding, and where rampant consumerism is bankrupting all of us.

The need for more capital and better technology persists. People really do need improved access to clean water, better health care, decent education, and a living wage. But they, and we, need something far more profound. Whether we realize it or not, we all are longing for an intimate relationship with God, for a sense of dignity, for community and belonging, and for the ability to use our gifts and abilities to develop creation. The goal is not to turn Kampala into Chicago. The goal is for both Kampala and Chicago to look more like the New Jerusalem.

The practical implications for providing aid are enormous: Spend more resources on supporting people-empowering processes and less on bricks and mortar; help people to steward the gifts and resources they already have; include the materially poor as full participants in selecting, designing, implementing, and evaluating any intervention; build the capacity of indigenous churches and Christian organizations to work in highly relational, gospel-focused ways; promote the use of spiritual tools—prayer, meditation, fellowship, and Bible study—in addition to material tools in all poverty-alleviation efforts; and embrace that both they and we are fundamentally broken and in need of the healing that only Jesus Christ can bring. We are all developing nations.

ChristianityToday

Related Elsewhere:

Brian Fikkert is co-author of When Helping Hurts, is director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. David Beckmann and Dale Hanson Bourke also suggested the best way to help.

Previous Village Green sections have discussed technology and abortion.

africa and business

It's interesting when I talk about Africa to ill-informed, media induced and what I would call 'poverty p*rned' ( you know... images of starving children to open your pocketbooks) individuals.

Recently, I was talking with an interested party in buying our business and she asked me what I was going to do next. I never know how to answer this question because I'm not sure people can put their minds around it.
But, I told her that I was considering moving to Africa and that in the next few years we would be doing some ground work for that.
Her reply was interesting. She said something like " Isn't really impoverished over there...I mean how would you live?"
Hmmm....where does this preconceived notion come from?


And to be honest, the church and missions has added to this delusion. Of course there is poverty, corruption and lack of moral leadership. But, as I look around here in my US setting, I see the same.
We just have different forms of it.

But my view of Africa is changing. I see Africa as a continent with unlimited potential. I see Africa as a leader in world evangelization.
I see Africa as a continent that is far from its potential right now, but as the world recognizes this, things will change. China already has been investing in Africa. I have seen whole city streets in Senegal taken over by Chinese merchants in just a few years. I have seen the Chinese building roads in the DRC . But the US keeps talking about aid....and more aid....

Here's a good block of text from a TIME magazine article; ( my thoughts in italics)

Perhaps the most compelling evidence that Africa is now a business destination is China's new love for it. While the old superpowers still agonize over Africa's poverty, the new one is captivated by its riches. Trade between Africa and China has grown an average of 30% in the past decade, topping $106 billion last year. Chinese engineers are at work across the continent, mining copper in Zambia and cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo and tapping oil in Angola. Nor is this merely exploitative. ( this is debatable )China bought its access by agreeing to create a new infrastructure for Africa, building roads, railways, hospitals and schools across the continent. The current crisis is not expected to affect China's march in Africa: on the contrary, with the West's plans in Africa on hold at best, Beijing views it as an opportunity to extend China's lead. "We will continue to have a vigorous aid program here, and Chinese companies will continue to invest as much as possible," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in South Africa in January. "It is a win-win solution." Dambisa Moyo, who wrote Dead Aid, says those who need convincing about Africa should ask themselves if they are convinced about China, "because if you back China, you're backing Africa." Ecobank CEO Ekpe says part of the explanation for China's zeal for Africa is a new way of looking at Africans. "[The Chinese] are not setting out to do good," he says. "They are setting out to do business. It's actually much less demeaning." ( How would you feel if people constantly come into your neighborhood and your house taking photos and looking at them as inferior human beings?)

And that gets to what, for Africans, is the emotional heart of the matter — and why joining the business world means so much. Though it rarely occurs to Westerners who've been instructed that Africa needs their help, charity is humiliating. Not emergency charity, of course: when disaster strikes, emergency aid is always welcome, whether in New Orleans or Papua New Guinea. But long-term charity, living life as a beggar, is degrading. Andrew Rugasira, 40, runs Good African Coffee, a Ugandan company he set up in 2004 to supply British supermarkets under the motto "Trade, not aid." He is emblematic of a new generation of African antiaid, antistate entrepreneurs. For Rugasira, aid not only "undermines the creativity to lift yourself out of poverty" but also "undermines the integrity and dignity of the people. It says, These are people who cannot figure out how to develop." Aid even manages to silence those it is meant to help. "African governments become accountable to Western donors," says Rugasira, "and Africa finds itself represented not by Africans but by Bono and Bob Geldof. I mean, how would America react if Amy Winehouse dropped in to advise them on the credit crisis?" (Oh man...that's a daggar!)

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884769,00.html#ixzz0ZlSJ0oT7

So its time to reshape our ideas about Africa.

Let's think about a hand up...not a hand out.
Let's look at the potential of Africans. You'd be surprised.

Hello...Hello...Hello...my time at Echo Conference

I just returned from the 16th annual Echo conference held in Fort Myers, Florida. Overall it was a great experience and opportunity. I met and interacted with people that came from all over the world that had the same focus, to meet the needs of the majority world and fight hunger.

I am still processing all the info I took in. I was amazed that in every session, there was something that could apply to our approach in ministry. I was in my element.


I grew up on a farm in south central Wisconsin. There I have found memories of doing field work, feeding cattle, and most of all enjoying God's creation. I still wish it would have worked out for my dad to remain in the farming business for longer than it did. I am sure that my dad was always a farmer at heart. :)

Years later, I became an avid gardener, loving to get my hands back in the dirt. I began to learn more about plants and started thousands of plants from seed in my basement. I remember working with my dad and trading 'secrets' about gardening. I always dreamed of being 'part of a farm again'. Then came my business and life changed. I had 'no time' for it.

Now, in processing, I just returned from something that stirred up a deep love. Agriculture and plants. I believe it has come full circle. I heard about amazing farming techniques in the tropics. I heard about a missionary that has helped begin the transformation of Niger. Their approach of Farmer's Managed Agroforesty Farming System is truly making a difference. Niger is one of the poorest countries of the world. Food security here is vital.

I heard about weaving Ag development with participation of the community. What a novel idea! It's time to listen to the community in which we work and build off what they know. In my little experience on the field, I am convinced I will always know very little and the community knows a lot.

This is where development starts- Listening...Learning...Sharing

Exploration

Do you like exploring?
I do. I love visiting new places. I love looking under rocks. I like the old Forest Gump saying..."Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what your going to get"

That's where I am in life right now. After thirteen years of owning and running a small business, the season's are changing.
Is it a mid life thing at 48 years of age? Maybe. Is it in obedience to God? Yes.
You see eleven years ago I sat on a plane for the first time with my old pastor going to Romania on a cross cultural trip to visit a missionary we support as a church. This was the first time I was ever on a plane and I was flying all the way to Budapest, Hungary.
Little did I know, that on that trip, I would be introduced to Africa. The leader of that trip asked me during our time in Romania if I had any interest in going to Africa next February. I told him , I would talk to my wife and consider it in prayer.
Almost nine years later, I find myself selling my business and going full time into 'ministry' with an emphasis on community development and business as mission in West Africa.
The year 2010 looks to be full of challenges,changes and excitement for me.
I can't wait to see what is under the next rock!

Wow...this post needs more exposure.

Recently I have been in contact with some people who are doing development work in Liberia.
Here's a blog post you gotta read...


Some of you, intrepid souls that you are, have expressed an interest in experiencing life in Liberia, or Africa in general, but haven’t had the means or opportunity to do so. Some of you have said it would be good to have your family experience the reality of living in a developing country, in part to add perspective to life in North America.

After churning it over a bit in our minds, we think we may have come up with a way to create a Liberian experience in a non African context. We call it Livin’ Liberian. It is actually nothing more than applying the living conditions of most Liberians to a set of instructions for you to follow. For some of you, just reading about it may be all the “experience” you want to absorb. For others, you may want to try it with some modifications. But for those radical ones out there, you may want to do the whole thing.

The full version of Livin’ Liberian should take place in the hottest, most humid time of the year. It should last for a week to get a richer sense of it (although longer would be even better). However, even a day or two will work toward an understanding. Of course, there can really never be a full understanding, because we have the option of stopping-- of buying the food we want, of going to the bank, of driving a car, of having running water. Nevertheless, in place of the real thing, this could be meaningful.

You ready? Here we go. Remember, this is the full version. You may modify....

read the rest here

tree trimmer?

Liberia

Evangelical polarization between social action and evangelism—some historical perspective (Ralph Winter)

I am researching and studying about the ' great reversal', when I came across this excellent article by Ralph Winter: Understanding the Polarization Between Fundamentalist and Modernist Mission. In this article, Winter gives some historical perspective on the tension between social action and evangelism-only thinking among evangelicals. His most interesting insight may be that Evangelical emphasis on evangelism over social action may have been more the result of massive conversions among uneducated working-class—who were powerless to change society—than any theological reason. [All emphasis added.]

Here are some highlights of the article.

We often hear about the “Great Reversal.” The phrase refers to the early 20th century reduction of 19th century broad evangelism (including good deeds in this world) to narrow personal evangelism. In this regard we have talked about the tension between social action and evangelism. [Several more excerpts below.]

Professor David Moberg, author of The Great Reversal, was talking about the emergence of the polarization between fundamentalism and modernism. I want to address the source of that polarization. Let’s go back a few years before Moberg’s book, The Great Reversal. In 1947, Carl F. H. Henry, who was a professor at Fuller and later Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, wrote a book entitled The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism. For a small book, it has had an earthshaking impact, not necessarily positive, in the entire Evangelical world. As a result, the entire Fuller Theological Seminary was branded as New (or “Neo”) Evangelicalism. This was, you might say, the postmodernism of its day—emergent theology. There was a great deal of unpredictability about Fuller. Henry’s book essentially was the opening shot across the bow of where Evangelicals had been…

…in the 1900s we had a very different kind of Evangelical Christianity, which we had forgotten about by 1958. Evangelicals earlier had indeed talked about the Kingdom and worked toward its extension on earth in this life.…all that had happened in an earlier, forgotten era.

By Timothy Smith’s day most American Evangelicals were settled in the conviction that there were just two kinds of Christianity, one valid and one invalid. The valid kind talked about Heaven (and later on the prosperity gospel for individuals)—an entirely personal-salvation gospel. We talked about taking that gospel around the world, getting everybody in the world saved. That was the philosophy and the gospel of a strong movement emerging in the 1920s. It was not the only kind of Christianity, but the mass of working-class Evangelicals considered it to be the most valid brand. The invalid kind of Christianity was modernist, mainly for university, well-fixed people whose pastors went to seminaries, not Bible Institutes.

[Winter goes on to describe wide-ranging historical and social developments with several fascinating examples.]

On Micro-Enterprise:

…micro-enterprise is rarely a good idea. I have no doubt that Muhammad Yunus who wrote the book Banker to the Poor is a goodhearted person. But you know what he’s mainly done? He’s mainly proven that banks can make money off of the desperately poor. As I was reading in Time magazine, after Yunus got the Nobel prize, a whole new banking industry exploded into existence all over the world. His investment in Bangladesh of $1 billion practically overnight became $350 billion lent by hundreds of banks all over the world. They said, “Great, here’s another way to make money!” Were they really thinking about helping poor people do things that globalization would not soon replace? Rarely. They are mainly getting people into debt.

Conclusions

…There is still a very good reason to convert people around the world (the honesty of transformed people is still essential), but by and large we Christians have the hope and the world has the work. It is not the church but the world who is fighting the major problems. Our missions are not doing what they did in the 19th century.

…The tragedy is that it has taken Evangelicals so long to come back into the picture of fighting the real problems of this world that many of the options are no longer ours. We are in the minority in the universities. George Marsden, one of the most famous Evangelical historians of Christianity in the USA, says that in 1870 Evangelicals were very highly respected in the halls of Washington and among educated people in general, but that by 1920 Evangelicals were the laughingstock of America. (Marsden 2006:x) I’m not saying education is the solution. It’s just that in Moody’s day, only 2% of the people went to university, and they were from wealthy and influential families. That level was not an option for most of the Moody converts, and the polarization reflected to a great extent the kind of theology that corresponded to the capacities of the two different class levels.

I have not changed my mind at all about the primacy of evangelism and church planting. But I see that we are, to too great an extent, producing a self-collapsing Christianity, insofar as our converts are told that the only important thing to do is to win more converts. It’s like getting the people into the armed forces, and they ask what they are supposed to do. “Oh, well, you are supposed to recruit.” Then they recruit more and more people, and set them also to recruiting still other people. Some day someone says, “Aren’t we supposed to be fighting a war?” “Oh yeah, there’s a war.” We sing songs all the time as if by repeating the same words a hundred times we can make them come true. Christ is so great for us, His cross is so important. All these things are true, but if that’s all we sing, if we don’t turn in the other direction to do God’s will in this world, singing is not enough. One of the pastors at my church said Christians argue all the time how to do church. They don’t talk about how to be church in the world. And that to me is a result of the impoverishment for many years of a lower-class standing and no opportunity to make major changes…

…Evangelicals fritter away more money per year than Bill Gates gives away. Evangelicals often don’t think clearly about what they could do with the resources they have. They have been buying boats and second houses and adding on to their homes. Yet, in the real world it’s the sixth grade kids that are thinking about slavery in Africa. It seems like everyone is thinking about demolishing world problems—except the church. It is as if one could go to church for another 100 years the way things are going and never hear about poverty in Africa, never hear that 45 million people every day in Africa are withdrawn from the workplace because of malaria alone, either because they are sick or are caring for someone who is sick. If we did hear, we might not hear how Evangelicals can deal with it. When we are losing 45 million people in Africa out of the workforce every day, even if Africa had no other problems, it would be a poor continent. We don’t ever hear about that. [Editorial insert (Ben): On the other hand, all people seem to hear about Africa—if they hear anything—is the poverty, war, and crisis.] We may not even pray for malaria scientists. You are supposed to go out of your church door, stay legal, be generous and thoughtful. Don’t mess with society.

A second step would be for the pastor to say, “Ask God if you are serving the Kingdom as effectively as you could. You have no right to do anything, make a living or whatever, if you are not sure what you are doing is the most urgent thing you are able to do for the Kingdom of God—and still make a living. Get rid of the job, get a lower-paying job, do the thing that will advance the kingdom more than any anything else.” This would be about individuals changing or confirming jobs.

A third step would be for pastors to tell their people, “Don’t go out the door, stick around and I want all the attorneys to get together and talk about how they can help the International Justice Mission.” Or, he gathers them to start a new organization to fight some other insidious evil in this world. This is not what you hear in church. Rather, at best, we are thinking of ways to extend the church to the last unreached people group. Church Mission, which is absolutely basic and absolutely valid, is to extend the faith, and transform people into reliable people of integrity. Kingdom Mission is when the church stops thinking about itself and its members and pursues God’s will in this world, not just pursues more members. In his book Church Shift, Sunday Adelaja, the pastor of the largest church in Europe, says that when members do things like help in the nursery and direct traffic on Sunday, that’s not mission. It’s church housekeeping. The church exists to extend the glory of God and His will in society whether or not it makes advances in church membership. Many people are leaving the church today because what secular people are doing is more exciting, more relevant, more concrete, and may seem to be more Biblically valid. But, I still believe that those people need to keep in mind that everything they do out in the world will flounder if they don’t have the church’s redeemed souls right at the heart of it.

Understanding the Polarization Between Fundamentalist and Modernist Mission (International Journal of Frontier Missions 26.1 Spring 2009)

This paper was originally presented at the 2008 meeting of the International Society for Frontier Missiology in Denver, Colorado Sept. 27-28.

Cooperatives Brew Success with Hibiscus Cultivation

interesting story on using a simple crop in Senegal... anyone that has been in Senegal can attest that Bissap juice is the best! Now, if farmers can produce this crop organically and find local and international markets...I saw in Whole Foods that about 4 oz of this goes for 7.99!

Cooperatives Brew Success with Hibiscus Cultivation

On a bright morning in a dusty corner of Senegal, Viviane Badiane and the growers of the Nioro cooperative sorted their freshly harvested hibiscus flowers with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Greatly exceeding the expectations of their neighbors, the women had been guaranteed a good price for their hibiscus while having become one of the few local producers to earn organic certification. This positivity was mirrored by Abdoulaye Aidara, the head a grower's cooperative in a nearby community: after years of work these farmers were now seeing good returns for themselves and their families. The successes of these two cooperatives have not come without hardships. Agriculture in Senegal's dry tropical savanna relies on weak soils and sporadic seasonal rains. Most local farmers need heavy doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to coax common crops like millet and peanuts from the land, damaging the already poor soils. Hibiscus cultivation offers an alternative to dependence on such inputs being a hardy crop that requires little water, but it comes with its downsides as well, such as a lack of prestige. "When we began to cultivate bissap [hibiscus] people laughed at us," explained Ms. Badiane. "We were ashamed of what we were growing." Hibiscus is generally seen as a secondary crop and as such is not believed to earn farmers any real revenue. Viviane Badiane of Nioro with freshly harvested hibiscus flowers. Rather than to accept this notion the Nioro and Latmingue cooperatives joined with ASNAPP and its local partner AES (the Senegalese First Lady's Education and Health Association) to experiment with hibiscus cultivation and its potential as a cash crop. For hibiscus to emerge from its secondary status a package of agricultural techniques and quality control methods were encouraged through ASNAPP's rural extension program. These steps not only greatly increased yields - the Nioro growers increased their harvest by 75% from 2005 to 2006 - but also steered the cooperatives towards organic agriculture. The approach was explained by Ms. Badiane: "all crops are good, but bissap is adapted to local conditions and better suited to our reality. We don't have money for chemical fertilizers, but bissap grows well with organic fertilizer, so we made a lot of compost and produced a large crop." As ASNAPP's partners have recognized the benefits of increased yields and improved quality they have readily devoted more land and resources to hibiscus cultivation. Women of the Latmingue cooperative By adopting new production and processing techniques encouraged by ASNAPP, the cooperatives produced high quality and high value organic hibiscus while lowering production costs. The average price for a kilo of conventional Senegalese hibiscus earns 500 West African Francs (roughly $1) while organic hibiscus earns nearly twice that amount: 900 Francs. "Organic farming is a true partner in raising the quality of production and our standard of living," Mr. Aidara explained. "Our successes with organic farming have passed on practical understanding of low input and low impact agriculture to our members and our neighbors as well. People see that it's not only good for production, it's good for the soil and water and therefore the community." the Women of the Latmingue cooperative Like most of their neighbors, the members of the Nioro and Latmingue cooperatives primarily rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. There is therefore a need to harness the potential of native plant products to fuel economic development in rural areas. While providing the basis for sustainable production, the hibiscus grown by ASNAPP's partner cooperatives promises to lead growers away from poverty and towards healthier communities. The Nioro growers envision that successful hibiscus cultivation and sales will enable them to target pressing development priorities: "We plan to use the premium from our bissap to improve the education and health of our children." declared Ami Ba of Nioro to the applause of her cooperative. "We have worked hard to make a better life for our youth and we are thankful that bissap makes this possible." While hibiscus cultivation has raised the hopes of these cooperatives, marketing measures are needed to transform the plant into a cash crop. In addition to helping farmers improve yields and quality control standards, ASNAPP opens the door to new and sustainable relationships with hibiscus buyers by creating market linkages to respond to the demand for high quality organic goods. In this way, the co-ops are not only guaranteed that their entire crop will be purchased, removing much of the risk inherent to agriculture, but moreover they are guaranteed a fair price for their crop. Perhaps the most fruitful market relationship forged since the beginning of ASNAPP's hibiscus program has been with Adina for Life Inc., a beverage and lifestyles company based in San Francisco. Each year, Adina buys nearly all of the light pink hibiscus produced by ASNAPP's partners, rewarding sustainable and organic farming by consistently placing a high value on the crop. Viviane Badiane of Nioro with freshly harvested hibiscus flowers The success of the cooperatives has come thanks to the adoption of organic production practices as well as the relationship with buyers who support fair and ethical trade. Because these practices have developed to the point where they meet international standards, ASNAPP has recently begun to facilitate organic and Fair Trade certification for their partners. Thanks to these efforts, which are the culmination of several years of rural extension and training, the 2006 hibiscus crop for 71 partner cooperatives was certified organic for the first time and their 2007crop has successfully passed inspections. The next step is to obtain Fair Trade certification to bestow official recognition upon the efforts of the farmers, of ASNAPP, and of buyers such as Adina. Together they have insured that the cooperatives earn a just price, and that their labor and diligence is treated with dignity and esteem. Abdoulaye Aidora of Latmingue (left) with ASNAPP country director, Babou Diouf More than just contributing to economic and ecological development, hibiscus production has forged a new sense of community among farmers. "Once we started cultivating bissap we formed an organization that allowed us to grow and sell our produce as a team," said Abdoulaye Aidara of his Latmingue cooperative. The collective use of materials is highly important in this setting, where farmers have very limited resources. "People are not productive on their own. The co-op allows us to optimize our production and at the same time address issues of health and environmental sanity. We are a community organization. One of our activities is to clean our community for ourselves and for our neighbors, whether or not they are members. It also lifts up our more marginalized members and helps get them on the path out of poverty by evenly distributing our collective earnings." Viviane Badiane and her all woman Nioro cooperative shared this sentiment: "Before we grew bissap as a co-op we didn't know each other! Now we rely on each other for everything. The fields brought us together." Ms. Badiane and Mr. Aidara have witnessed a slow and positive transformation in their communities, one they can attribute to the successful cultivation and sale of hibiscus. Once a crop that inspired the ridicule of their neighbors and little promise of earnings, their hibiscus is now an object of respect, due mainly to the fact that ASNAPP has encouraged their partners to treat it differently. Babou Diouf, the country manager of ASNAPP's Senegal program, describes this shift in perception: "Once the growers began to grow organic bissap, raise its quality, and sell it for a good price, their neighbors began to see both the true value of the crop and of going organic. The bissap brought in more than money to the community: it made people proud." This new perception of hibiscus and its promise to spur rural development was reinforced after poor rains recently led to the failure of staple millet and peanut crops across Senegal. While these crops require consistent annual rainfall to flourish, hibiscus fared relatively well due to its adaptability to drought, making it less susceptible to the risks of non-irrigated agriculture. Indeed, these circumstances have proved hibiscus to be much more than a secondary crop. "Bissap saved us this year," asserted Mr. Aidara of Latmingue, whose relief was echoed by other ASNAPP partners who have come to rely on the crop for their livelihoods. Now that the co-ops have seen the potential by all Senegalese of hibiscus cultivation and sustainable marketing partnerships, there is more hope for the future. Inspired by the success of the 2007 crop, the farmers envision many changes in their communities. "We would like to build a new health center and fill it with medicine for ourselves and our children," said the women of the Nioro cooperative. "We'd also like to dig a well so we can cultivate bissap and other crops year round." Indeed, crop diversification is a goal of the cooperatives, as is food security and sustainability. "Today things are improving and we are seeing to it that these improvements last!" said Mr. Aidara. ASNAPP shares the goals of its partners and will continue to strive to make them a reality.

Non-U.S. Christians Identify Problems in American Missions | Christianpost.com

Non-U.S. Christians Identify Problems in American Missions | Christianpost.com

Christian leaders from around the world recently met in Dallas to share how the American church is viewed by believers in the Global South.

Many of the more than a hundred pastors gathered noted that though the support of the U.S. church is still needed, American Christians should understand and help foster local leadership instead of imposing its own model of church overseas.

The Rev. Reuben Ezemadu of Nigeria, continental director of the Movement of African National Initiatives, said that it seemed that U.S. Christians in the past 15 to 20 years were trying to force its own church structures on the Global South, but that that hasn’t worked.

The African leader asked Americans to recognize the maturity and intelligence of other cultures, and called on American Christians to play a supporting role and allow Africans to take leadership roles.

Similarly, David Ruiz of Guatemala, associate director of the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission, said Latin American Christians have felt ignored or overlooked by Western Christians.

He said Hispanic Christians want to see more humility from their Western counterparts and hope that the West will recognize Latin America’s potential to reshape Christianity worldwide.

The diverse group of pastors from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America were taking part in the North American Pastors’ Consultation on “The Changing Role of the American Church in World Evangelization” on Sept. 22-23.

Church leaders discussed the need for the American Church to have humility and to learn to work together in authentic partnership with other churches around the world.

During the consultation, Dr. Patrick Fung of OMF International, who represented the Asian perspective, recalled the story of missions in China in the years following 1949 when all foreign missionaries were expelled.

Despite no missionary presence, Fung highlighted, the church grew and thrived. Now, the Chinese Church globally is the largest church in the world, he said.

Following each presentation, the pastors held roundtable discussions and concluded that the role of Western Christians in the “glocal” (simultaneously global and local) world is changing dramatically. They said partnership will be key to establishing stronger, mutually supportive links.

Similar meetings will be held around the world to lead up to the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, which is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 16-25, 2010. The event, sponsored by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance, expects 4,000 participants from around the world.

The original Lausanne Congress, convened by Billy Graham, was held in 1974 and brought Christians from around the globe to focus on world evangelization. A second congress followed in 1989.

Organizers hope the 2010 Congress will help equip the Church for the next decade for world evangelization.

Shared via AddThis

IDE - International Development Enterprises

IDE - International Development Enterprises

Shared via AddThis

mission resource international

Mission Resource 2009 Video from Mission Resource on Vimeo.

Africa agreement hard to stomach

G8 food initiative undermined by failure on water and sanitation

David Parry/PA

As G8 and African leaders launched a key initiative to tackle the food crisis, End Water Poverty warned that the failure to deliver a promised plan on water and sanitation will derail the battle against malnutrition, and fail to prevent 4,000 children dying of diarrhoea each day.

A staggering 50% of child deaths from malnutrition are caused by repeated bouts of diarrhoea, due to unsafe water and sanitation.

Khumbuzile Zuma, a South African spokesperson for End Water Poverty said “Fighting hunger without providing clean water is like building a house without foundations. For the people of Africa the G8 have undoubtedly failed.

The G8 have abandoned the poor at the very time they are needed most. They had long promised that this summit would see firm action to end the water and sanitation crisis, but they have chosen not to deliver on a commitment that could have transformed the lives of millions.”

Oliver Cumming from WaterAid said “Given that 30% of all child deaths are caused by poor water and sanitation, it is seriously short-sighted of the G8 to ignore this critical issue. The cost of this neglect will ultimately be paid for by the poor, whose health, education and nutrition will all be hurt by the G8’s gross poverty of ambition.”

Paul Cook from Tearfund said “Since the last G8 summit, 1.4 million children have died needlessly of diarrhoea. How many more lives will be lost before the G8 finally decide that enough is enough?”

The intention to launch a G8-Africa Water Partnership was also announced today in a statement between African and G8 leaders. Originally promised to be a centrepiece of the Summit, it contained no specific actions and no extra finance.

A G8 progress report outlining actions on water since the launch of the G8 Evian Water Plan in 2003 shows that the bulk of reported funding increases have gone to Iraq and other regions of political and economic interest rather those of greatest need.

Globally 884 million people have no access to clean water, and 2.5 billion have no access to safe sanitation.

In addition to its impact on nutrition and child mortality, 443 million school days have been lost to poor water and sanitation, while GDP in Africa has been reduced by 5%.

Notes to editors

Oliver Cumming and Khumbuzile Zuma are both at the G8 Summit and available for interview.

For all media requests contact Chloe Irvine +44 75 1494 1577 OR +44 777 1654 544 OR Steve Cockburn +44 79 2008 0855 (all based in L’Aquila).

Khumbuzile Zuma is a water and sanitation worker and campaigner from South Africa. She has worked on various projects with universities and civil society organizations in South Africa, the Netherlands and Tanzania. She is a board member of the End Water Poverty campaign, which is campaign supported by over 150 NGOs in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

The AfriPump

INCREASE WORLD FOOD PRODUCTION

NCREASE WORLD FOOD PRODUCTION
with Low-cost irrigation technology for small farmers

The green revolution has tripled world grain production using fertilizers and irrigation but has now come to limits like availability of water, salinity, unsustainable mechanization, energy consumption, etc. 1 Billion people still experience hunger and the world population is growing, so new approaches and technologies are needed.

Barriers for small farmers
Some 75% of the farmers in developing countries have less than 5 Hectares of land and a yearly income of US$ 300 to US$ 800. A single disastrous crop failure can turn them into landless laborers or send them into the urban ghetto. They have no access to technology like tractors or harvesters. Irrigation pumps to pump from rivers or shallow wells cost US$ 300 or more. Motorized pump options for wells deeper than 8 m. costs US$ 800 or more. Small farmers normally cannot afford these technologies, and subsidies on wells and irrigation schemes often have not worked, or only reached bigger farmers. In general technology designers do not see small farmers as customers.

Low cost irrigation from shallow wells
However , the potential of small farmers to increase production by irrigation is enormous and using the right varieties and technologies, food production worldwide could be tripled, but as Paul Polak of IDE states:
"The most important barrier is lack of affordable irrigation technology".
Modern irrigation technology has been developed for the middle and high income farmers that have enough land. However there are promising developments for farmers with a few acres. For instance in Bangladesh a hand sludged well and a "Treadle pump", (pedal powered) cost US$ 20. With low cost of labor and rising cost of fuel, irrigating with this Treadle pump is much cheaper than with a motor pump. The organization IDE informs that more than one million farmers already irrigate rice or dry season vegetables with Treadle pumps and so earn an additional income of US$ 100 annum year, adding a total of US$ 100 million to the national income of Bangladesh.

Low cost irrigation from deep wells
The Treadle pump works in areas with water levels less than 8 meters below ground level but for deeper wells, a different pump technology is needed. For wells down to 70 m. the Rope pump is now considered a good option. Similar to the Treadle pump the Rope pump has low production costs and is easy to install and maintain. Because its high pumping capacity (40 l/min. for a 10 m. well) the use of the hand Rope pump for small scale irrigation is increasing. For larger scale irrigation, Rope pump models "powered by" wind, horse, pedals or motors have capacities of 60 to 180 liters per minute. From wells of 10 to 40 meters deep, 2 to 0.5 Ha. can be irrigated with furrow irrigation. If the newer low-pressure drip irrigation technology is used irrigated areas could be doubled.

MORE systems

This is an interesting approach to reaching small farmers in Africa.

Lead International

LEAD International is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by employing entrepreneurial business principles in a revolutionary way. LEAD provides technical training, proven principles of reliable relationship development, long-term hand in hand mentorship, and various forms of capitalization. Our goal is to create holistic community development that impacts public health, spiritual development, leadership creation, and empowers people to be the sustainable answer to their own need. LEAD helps various forms of leadership from national and local governmental groups, to local churches and community groups of all faiths, to make decisions that help people at the grass roots level. Our work is a work of faith, collaboration, and mutual accountability.

Go to Lead's Website to learn more about breaking the cycle of poverty with empowering nationals.

Women are not the Problem-they are the solution along with men

Saima Muhammad, shown with her daughter Javaria (seated), lives near Lahore, Pakistan. She was routinely beaten by her husband until she started a successful embroidery business.


The Best Way to Fight Poverty and Extremism is to Educate and Empower Women and Girls

• The Best Way to Fight Poverty and Extremism Is to Educate and Empower WomeThn and Girls
  

Half the Sky lays out an agenda for the world's women and three major abuses: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rape; maternal mortality, which needlessly claims one woman a minute. We know there are many worthy causes competing for attention in the world. We focus on this one because this kind of oppression feels transcendent – and so does the opportunity. Outsiders can truly make a difference.

So let us be clear up front: We hope to recruit you to join an incipient movement to emancipate women and fight global poverty by unlocking women's power as economic catalysts. It is a process that transforms bubbly teenage girls from brothel slaves into successful businesswomen. You can help accelerate change if you'll just open your heart and join in.

Learn more about this movement and get the book here

Go To the article in the NY Times -Saving the World's Women here

Blue Fish TV-Business as Mission

Stanford Social Innovation Review : Articles : Just Say “No” (August 5, 2009)

Stanford Social Innovation Review : Articles : Just Say “No” (August 5, 2009)

Posted using ShareThis

Rain In Senegal

While in Senegal in late June, I anticipated see the first rain in Senegal for the season and my first time seeing rain ever in Senegal.
While returning from a village in the bush, we were four Americans and four Africans in a seven seater taxi. As the clouds began to swell on our return, I was very excited to see the first rain drops hit the windshield of our seven seater. However, the next five hours were full of adventure. What should have taken 45 minutes to return to the village, it took five hours to get back.
You see, when it rains there...it rains! Oh my, it came down so fast and furious that while driving on what is essentially a horse path through sandy soil, it became a little nerve racking. The water tends to run all to the low spots. Unfortunately, most low spots are what happens to be the makeshift road.
We were going through two feet of water in a matter of minutes.

I could feel the water hit the floorboards of the seven seater as the driver navigated in which now had become a James Bond type of vehicle....part boat...part seven seater!
The other problem was it was getting dark, and anyone knows that when you are in the bush at night...it is dark. The driver was sweating profusely as he done a wonderful job of navigating these unbelievable disappearing roads. But, the problem was that the seven seater didn't like all this rain. We eventually got stalled in a village. Hmmm...none of us knew what village however. So one of the Africans got out and talked to a few villagers to find out where we were. When we found out, the other trick was to call for help. Thank the Lord for cell phones. We got in touch with someone to come and 'rescue' us. However, the other problem was, "how do you find this village in the dark and rain" You see there are no road signs. Its just a path.
Then our ride got stuck in the mud.
After hours of being stuck in the seven seater, our wait was filled with laughter and story telling. What could have been a long wait, turned into a cross cultural experience my whole family will never forget.
We will never forget our first rain in Senegal!

Grandma

 

Ever since my first visit into the village in 2002, this woman has been so dear to our hearts. She is the glue of the compound. She continues to nurse children. No, I'm not kidding. She is the enforcer too. She has the respect of all the children. 

I'm not sure how old she is and maybe shes not sure either,but with her physical limitations she continues to work hard every day.

She has taught me some language and she is always somebody I look for first on returning, thinking  that one day she won't be there. 

People like this need to hear and see the gospel...clearly...contextually...

Business as Mission (BAM) in the Unreached World

Today there are BAM networks and consultations in Central
Asia, Turkey, several countries in the Middle East, Southern Af-
rica, East Africa, China, Latin America, United Kingdom, USA,
etc. Also several major mission agencies and churches around the
world have incorporated BAM into their mission and strategy.
The Lausanne movement recognizes BAM and so does the World Evangelical Alliance.

Three things correlate and stand out:
1. Most unreached peoples are found in the Muslim, Hindu
and Buddhist world. Most of them live in the so called 10/40-
Window.
2. Here you will also find a large percentage of the world’s
poorest of poor.
3. These areas – where you’ll find most unreached peoples and
many poor – also often have unemployment rates ranging from
30, 50 to 70 percent.
The mission is to take the whole Gospel to all peoples
and nations, preaching and demonstrating God’s Kingdom.
How then can the Kingdom of God be manifested among the
unreached, among the poor, among the jobless—in the 10/40
Window and beyond?
Traditional mission responses will not suffice. We need to be
church and do missions in a renewed way; recognizing the gifts
and callings of entrepreneurs and business peoand deploy them to do Business as Mission.

More Photos...more stories to follow

My wife and her best friend in the village

My daughter and her best friend in the village

My daughter Sadie in the new community garden

My wife with one of our best friends in Senegal- We love you Charles!

A neighboring Fulani village and their prize possessions

Get out of the rain!. It was so cool to see it rain!

Hydro Missions

Mission Statement: The goal of Hydromissions is to further the gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide by providing clean water through low-tech and/or technologically appropriate products and services.

First, we want to be very clear that our primary purpose is "to further the gospel of Jesus Christ." Hydromissions is a Christian, non-denominational organization.

Second, Hydromissions functions "worldwide". We are a global, humanitarian organization, and as such, we service all countries and people groups regardless of their religious affiliation. We work with a wide variety of NGO's, for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, religious groups and government agencies.

Third, we "provide clean water" as our focus of operations. Hydromissions is a great way to share the love of Christ while meeting a desperate physical need. The practical component of water ministry is often the passport for bringing the gospel into countries otherwise closed to traditional missionary activity. We are involved in all aspects of the water cycle, including water acquisition, drilling, filtration, treatment, irrigation, hygiene and sanitation.

Finally, through our profit company (Hydromissions International, LLC), we provide products and services that are "low-tech and/or technologically appropriate." Our products are unique because they are designed to be operated, reproduced, repaired and maintained by the local people in whatever country is served. In addition, our products are designed to be extremely portable, allowing others to expand their water ministries into new areas that would be difficult to reach by other methods. We emphasize non-electric, non-motorized equipment whenever possible, but we will utilize other methods if they are technologically and economically appropriate for the situation.

Hydromissions has always been, and will always be about the "little guy." We are committed to helping missionaries and churches establish or enhance their own water ministries as God leads. Together, we can make a difference!

Go to their website here

back in the US of A

Greetings-
We arrived back in the US a little over a week ago. We had in our opinion a very successful trip.
We can't thank those who prayed for us during this time enough. We felt covered in prayer many times as we faced a number of challenges.
We are still processing our time in Senegal. We were able to spend 7 days and 6 nights in the village and to tell the truth we could have stayed longer. It was some of the hardest good byes we have ever made. We strengthened existing relationships, made new ones and did a whole lot of listening.
When we arrived in the village, they had a HUGE party arranged. They had village chiefs and elders from surrounding villages sitting under a large tarp just set up for this event. And to go further the woman of the village had special outfits made and presented Dawn my wife with one. They also had a number of young girls in special outfits and presented my daughters with the same. Then they presented me with a special out fit. It was pretty cool.
They were all given a chance to speak and we celebrated the fact that this village now has running water for over a year now and the neighboring village as well. The chief was there from that village too. We were so humbled by this afternoon. We could really feel their heartfelt thanks.
The second my wife and children got out of the truck they were mobbed by children awaiting there appearance. It was so neat...it felt like we were home!
The party went on with a big meal...and dancing into the cool Senegal night..in fact it went on till midnight. We were fairly exhausted by this point.
The next day we able to witness eight people get baptized in a local church...what a great day. We met some new friends and of course a large meal followed.
On Sunday we took the horse cart to church and had a wonderful time.
The rest of the week we did life with the village. We witnessed the first rain of the year (also the first time i have ever seen it rain in Senegal) and got to plant some peanuts in the field the following day.
We met with the elders/lead men of the village and listened to their challenges in the village. Likewise with the woman. it was interesting to learn on how each group rated their biggest challenges. For example, the men listed latrines as a pretty big issue. This village has 18 compounds with only one compound having a latrine in it. The woman however didn't even list it. We were shocked!
We just listened and hope in the future to help them discover how to meet their needs on their own. That's our prayer.And then we have the spiritual needs...

Home for a while

On Tuesday we depart for Senegal for two weeks. Great anticipation rules in this house right now.
This will be our home in the village for a week. Years ago, I bought this tent. Bigger is better right?
We only used it a few times and especially now as a lightweight backpacker (my backpacking tent weighs 1.5 lbs.) this tent was put on the shelf for a long time.
We have decided to shake the dust off and bring it to Senegal. We can all fit in here. We will become f-a-m-i-l-y....
We will be in the village starting next Friday and returning the following Thursday.
We are excited to visit them during this time of the year. I have never been there while they prepare their fields and it could possibly rain. It will be the beginning of the rainy season. This also could mean warmer temps and more humidity. But being a northerner and going from winter into this climate in February and going into this climate in June should be easier to take....i hope!
We have many things we are taking with us, including an over flowing abundance of school supplies that Dawn received from her school. The feedback was overwhelming from the faculty and students. We hope to visit the local school that only a handful of kids attend from our village. We hope to tour the school.
We also will be having some 'town hall' meetings with the elders from the village to discuss life in the village. An approach that we want to implement is that we want them to discover how to solve some of their own problems. For example, there is no latrine in this village. I want to understand how this can be. Years ago they did have a 'hole' but that does not exist anymore. Dawn and I have been reading some material that we received from Equip and Hesperian. We hope they can start moving to a solution. In this context, this takes patience and prayers.
We hope to assist them in discovering their own issues and see what we can do in that process.
We hope to help them in the fields and get a better idea of agricultural practices used and how they do things.
I am bringing some irrigation from Chapin Living Waters Foundation and hope to introduce them this simple form of dry season gardening.

We hope to be posting on our trip...be sure to come back a few times or we will give a review of our trip after our return.

Bon Voyage!