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26 Feb 2009:
Thank you all for your prayers over the past month and please continue to hold us in your prayers as there is much that we need prayer for, and we believe our gracious Father in heaven answers prayer! Here is an update on some of the things we would appreciate prayer for in the coming weeks.
Give Thanks For
We have just been greatly blessed with a holiday down to a beach-side lodge resort called Boboi for a few days. We were all awe struck by the beauty of God’s creation there. Also the support we have had from home in the form of edifying letters and chocolate has kept us going in darker moments. The Cornhill team have come and gone, please give thanks for their commitment whilst they were out here and their great witness and example to the Gambians and us. They also led two seminars for us whilst they were here, one on the cross and the other on the Holy Spirit. Please continue to give thanks for Mariatu and how she is constantly smiling and serving us with inexhaustible joy.
Locals
M has been round once for supper and a Bible study, but it is hard to find a regular time for Jonny and him to meet to read God’s word, so please pray that they can find time to delve into the Bible together. M (a different person) has read the Bible with Jonny Green so please pray that their friendship can continue to build so that Christ’s love can shine through and touch his heart. Please also pray that the Spirit can start or continue to stir up A and P’s hearts as they continue to be exposed to our witness. It is becoming more and more evident that we need to work harder at building relationship with the locals, so please pray that we can have renewed energy to leave the comfort of our compound to sacrificially invest in our locals.
Schools etc
Bakau – Harry and Tom are trying to find a time to run a CU but are facing a few problems with what time to do it. Also please pray that the Christian children will have the confidence to attend the meetings when they begin.
Greater Banjul – Give thanks that Flora and Humphrey have been able to talk to the gate keeper about Jesus, and that they have been able to continue teaching CRE even though not many people want to do it. Pray for plans for a CU to come to fruition.
Agape – Some of the teachers have been trying to take advantage of the fact that Abba and Chitty are willing to teach anything, which has left them feeling a bit disheartened about the usefulness of their teaching there. Please pray for patience and servant-heartedness, and that they will feel appreciated. The long trips to and from school have also added to their apprehension as the journeys are getting pretty tiresome and repetitive, so please pray for strength and God’s watchful eye over them at those times.
Glory Baptist Junior Senior – Andy and Jemima have set up two separate CU meetings for grade 7 and grade 8 children. However some of the children are taking advantage of the remedial English classes in order to escape from English language. Please also pray for the IRK (Islamic Religious Knowledge) teacher who is currently reading “The Case for Christ”.
Glory Baptist Junior – Jonnie Green and Katherine are still teaching huge classes of children English and are feeling the strain of the marking and feel as if the children undermine them due to the fact that they don’t beat the kids.
Agape Devotions and Glory Baptist Primary CU on Friday are going well, but please pray for control over the kids and continued enthusiasm and commitment in preparing and delivering the meetings.
For Emily, pray on for her work at Omega Training Institute, particularly as regards befriending the girls there, and for Jonny, pray for a Bible study group he’s leading at a Uni campus on Tuesdays, going through Acts. Pray also for his times reading Colossians together one-to-one with F, a member of that group.
Omega Church
Sunday school is going well but one challenge is that often we don’t know how long to prepare for as the sermons always vary in length. Pray too for help in remembering names… Katherine, Emily and Tom all sang in the choir last Sunday; please pray that they can build friendships with the other choir members which will stretch beyond this trip.
So far we have all managed to avoid any major illnesses and injuries, the worst has been sunburn! Please pray for this continued protection from God and that we can do all we can to avoid any unnecessary risks to our health.
Once again thank you all for you prayers, we are all hugely grateful.
Love in Christ,
Smilers
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