Safely home

Praise God for journey mercies. By His grace, we are safely home.

Final picture of the whole team, with us and the pastors and director of the Ecole Esperance Vivante in Yeumbeul - a poor suburb of Dakar, where these students made a significant impact. They will not soon be forgotten by the grateful students and teachers of this Christian school, nor by us! Sharon & Will Radford

On their way!

Hello parents, families and friends!

We know you are probably waiting to hear so we thought we would let you know the team is safely at the airport with all their baggage waiting for their flight which leaves in 2 hours. The flight is scheduled on time, so all should be well.

We cannot believe how quickly these 2 weeks went by - at least on our side of the Atlantic! :-) This is an awesome group of teens and we were so impressed by their servant hearts, good attitudes, willingness to work, flexibility, boldness and tender spirits. We know that their lives have been changed by their experiences here and we have no doubt that the Lord has incredible plans for all of them.

Can we ask one thing? Please listen to their stories. Pay attention when they tell you about people and places you haven't seen and cannot even picture. This will be vital to their ability to process all that they saw and heard and felt while they were here. And allow the Lord to continue to change and shape them. They are not the same young men and women who left Toronto 2 weeks ago. They have been changed and they are ready for whatever the Lord has next for them!

We are looking forward to seeing them all in a few weeks in Toronto when we come for a short home assignment. If any of you parents and families would like to see us then too, please just let us know! We would love to meet you. Our email address is _________________________

God bless you! Yalla bachna!

Will & Sharon Radford, Jesse & Beth

Last post

It is hard to believe that our time in Senegal is shortly coming to an end. It has been a time of growth and depth for each member of the team. Each of them has risen to the task of being a representative of Christ in this country. We are pleased and proud of each of them.

Today, we returned to the deaf school and presented the gospel to the children there. They were receptive and attentive.

In the afternoon, we went to Dakar Academy and led the chapel in this school which is home to a large number of Missionary kids who's parents are scattered throughout West Africa. What a privilege it was to be with these students. They sang praises to God with zeal and really challenged us to be bold in our praise of Jesus Christ.

In the evening, our students were dispersed among the different dorms of Dakar Academy and shared a meal with the students in the dorms.

Tonight, we are packing up and preparing for our day of debrief tomorrow before heading to the airport for the journey home. We will be spending most of the day at the Meridian hotel, enjoying a meal, swimming in the pool and beginning the important task of processing all that we have learned and experienced during our 2 weeks in Senegal. Please pray for this time. Debrief is a very important part of a short term missions trip and if done well can help us to properly take all that we have learned over these two weeks and solidify it for a lifetime.

Our flight home begins on Saturday March 13 at 1:50 AM. We will be flying from Dakar to Washington DC on South African Airways flight 207. It is scheduled to arrive in Washington at 6:00 AM.

We leave Washington for Toronto at 12:30pm on United Airlines flight 8049. It is scheduled to arrive in Toronto at 2:01pm.

As always, please check the airlines for any delays or changes to these times.

Please remember that your son or daughter must continue to take all of their Malarone for 7 days after their return from Dakar.

Wednesday, the 10th

Hello! It's the Radfords posting for the team again as they do not have computer access tonight. Today was the culmination of the work at the Yeumbeul school. It was a long, tiring day, but a very rewarding one too. I am sure Mr. Philip will give more details as soon as he can. But I am posting a picture of the amazing PCA team with one of the beautiful murals they created in the pre-school classroom at the school. They did an incredible job, as did the teams doing Bible stories and crafts with the kids. We have been blessed beyond measure!

Tuesday

Just a quick note to let you know that all is well. Today was another busy one with the trip through slow-moving traffic to the school in Yeumbeul which is called Ecole Esperance Viviante (Living Hope School) to continue work on the murals in 2 classrooms and the program of Bible story and crafts with the students. The PCA team is doing an awesome job on all aspects of this ministry time. Tomorrow the murals should be complete and we will finish with the 3 days of ministry at this school.

Thanks for continuing to pray for all of us. The team is healthy and happy We can hardly believe there are only 3 days left!

Will & Sharon Radford

Yembeul Day 1

Our day began earlier than normal as we were trying to avoid getting caught in traffic. We met in the common area at 6:30am for devotions and then breakfast. Breakfast this morning consisted of eggs and potatos. At 8am we boarded our bus for the trip to Yembeul.

I wish you could meet our bus driver. His name is Jerome. He is certainly the tallest and the happiest man I have met. He loves Jesus dearly and serves us cheerfully.

Again, I wish you could take a trip along the roads in Senegal. They are incredibly active and vibrant. In Senegal, horse carts share the roads with cars and busses. Interestingly, there are not many bicycles on the road. The women dress in bright colours and the men's long robes remind us of outfits from the Middle East. It is quite common to see men walking along the road fingering their Muslim prayer beads, reciting the 99 names of God in Islam.

The streets are lined with vendors selling their wares. Some are selling shoes, some are selling sunglasses, some are selling phone cards. Each vendor has one thing he or she sells. Retail stores, like what we are familiar with in Canada are nowhere to be seen. Instead, if you want oranges, you simply need to get stuck in traffic and the man selling oranges will come to your window and sell them to you directly.

There are children everywhere in Senegal. They zip in and out of traffic with ease. It is quite common to see a girl of 6 or 7 years with her infant sibling swaddled to her back. A number of young boys are supposed to be taught and cared for by a local Muslim leader called a Maribou. Unfortunately, the majority of these children end up on the street with a red tin can, collecting alms which will go back to the Maribou.

The public buses are something to behold. They are painted in rich colours of yellow and blue with Muslim slogans and blessings written on their sides. People board from the back of the bus where a ticket collector stands, usually hanging off the back. There are no designated stops. The bus simply slows down and people will jump off or on the moving bus as they need. Life is made all the mor interesting by the fact that on the city streets (not the highways) there are no lanes. Add to this the fact that most roads are not wide enough for traffic heading in one direction, let alone two directions, and you can understand why traffic is slow here.

We arrived at Yembeul by 9:30am and began setting up for the day. The students were divided into three groups. One third of the students were on the art team. They are painting two murals in classrooms at the school. The second group worked with the primary students. The last group worked with the older students. Everyone gave their best effort and the day was a real success.

Interestingly, students in Senegal have a long break in the middle of their school day. They start at 9am (I believe) and end at 1pm. Then they go home until 4pm. At 4pm they return for more school until 6pm.

Once the students left for their afternoon break, we stopped for lunch (sandwiches) and continued with the murals. The team painting the murals are doing a phenomenal job. We anticipate that these murals will likely be regarded among the great masterpieces of art!

Throughout our time in Senegal, we have been blessed with the presence and assistance of Pastor Ngor. He is gifted in languages and has helped to translate for us since we arrived. He has sacrificed so much time and energy to help us. We are very thankful for him and his presence.

By God's grace, we continue to enjoy good health and spirits. Please pray for our continued health and for the seeds of the gospel to find a home in good soil in the lives of these children.

Preparing for the week ahead

Hello,

We trust that you had a blessed Lord's day. All are well but definetly tired after an unexpectedly long day.

After church this morning, we had lunch. From lunch we were supposed to make a quick jaunt to Yembeul where we were going to prep some of the work that we will be doing in a school in this town. It should have taken 45 minutes to get to Yembeul but traffic being what it is slowed us down. In the end, it was more like a 3 - 4 hour trip!

We have finally returned from Yembeul. We did not complete all the work we wanted to but the sunsets very quickly here.

By God's grace, we continue to enjoy good health and spirits.

Tour and Market

Hello,

In the midst of the busyness of the first week of ministry, we never noticed that we had not taken a tour of the city of Dakar. Mr. Radford allowed that to happen today with a nice tour of this city. After lunch, we went to the market to pick up souvenirs for family and friends at home. The markets required us to bargain a good price. It took some getting used to for the students but soon they had the hang of it.

By God's grace, we continue to enjoy good health, strength and spirits.

Tomorrow will be a busier day as we attend church in the morning and then head to Yembeul to prepare for our three days of ministry there. Please pray that the day would be used well so that we are well prepared for all that God has prepared for us to do.

Thank you!

A day of preparation and rest

Today was set aside as a day of rest and preparation for the upcoming week. In the morning, students reviewed their lessons and activities for next week's ministry activities. After noon, we travelled to the beach where everyone had a truly refreshing day.

Tonight, the missionaries who work with the Radfords will be sharing about their ministry and their lives as missionaries. We pray that our students will develop a fuller sense of the call to missions and all the meaningful work that falls within that call.

Everyone is happy, healthy and being made holy!

Agnes and the children of Dalifort

Jonathan meeting the children of Dalifort

Preaching the gospel to the children of Dalifort

Merna amongst the children of Dalifort

Thomas teaching the story of Peter walking on water

Dorothy sharing her testimony with the children of Dalifort

At the school for the deaf

Teaching the students at the school for the deaf a craft (with the help of an interpreter!)

Some pictures of our adventures!

Hi parents & friends! We know the updates are great but we know from experience how wonderful it is to see pictures of your children when they are so far away! So, here are a few pictures from the last couple of days.

Learning about and tasting Senegalese tea, made by our translator and friend Pastor Ngor Ngom.

Below are some pictures of yesterday afternoon's rest and preparation time at our house. Several team members slept through a lot of commotion in our living room!





SOME students played some games instead of sleeping, and some preferred to destroy Jesse Radford's basketball hoop! Just joking Samuel! It isn't broken, it comes apart all the time! :-)

Some team members climbed the "big gun" on Goree Island today.

And here is a picture of the whole team, with our family and Pastor Ngor today at Goree Island. Keep praying for us and thank you for praying! Will & Sharon Radford

Goree Island

This morning, the team is heading out to Goree Island. Goree Island was one of the locations in Senegal where African slaves were shipped off to Europe and North America. It will be an opportuniy for students to learn about a darker period in Senegal and Africa's history.

In the afternoon, we will be leading activities at a local community center.

All the students are feeling well and are in good spirits. The four students who stayed behind yesterday are back to normal. They were either tired or had minor upset stomachs, which is normal. They had joined us for the evangelism yesterday afternoon. The students had a good night of rest and are being encouraged to drink plenty of liquids.

Dalifort Part Two

Our day began, as is now customary, with devotions and breakfast. For devotions students are study John 10 in depth. They are studying the chapter verse by verse, identifying its meaning, significance and application. We move out devotions and into breakfast which consists of fruit and cereal.

This morning was a little more low-key. We went to the office of the deaf school and finished some projects there. Because it was low-key, four students who were tired or sick stayed behind with Mrs. Paas to rest up.

The rest went to the office and put in a good effort. For lunch, we had Senegalese burgers. A Senegalese burger is similar to burgers at home except for the fact that they tear out the inside of the bun and stuff it with french fries!

In the afternoon, we returned to Dalifort, the community we visited yesterday. We had two evangelistic campaigns organized for today. One was for children at 3:30, the other was for adults at 6:00.

We arrived at 3:45 to find that the field where the campaign was to be held was already full of children eagerly waiting for our arrival. We began the campaign and were deeply moved by the response of the children. They were attentive to the gospel and responded with great earnest. The children's campaing was followed by a campaign for the adults. Again, there was a real hunger to hear the gospel and an earnest response to the invitation. Well over one hundred young children gave their lives to Jesus Christ today. We praise God for this and celebrate the work He is doing in this community.

The campaign highlighted the need for missionaries in this community. Just beyond the field where our students were preaching the gospel, the mosque was blaring the call to prayer. The Islamic religion is very strong in Senegal but Islam provides no hope for these people. It demands submission and offers no redemption. The gospel of Jesus Christ - his death for our sins, in our place and his resurrection from the grave is the only means by which these people can know peace with God.

Would you pray for the Senegalese people that the gospel would bear much fruit in their lives and in their nation?

Deaf School and Dalifort

Wow! What a day the team had. We were working in two places today. In the morning, we went to a deaf school run by Mrs. Radford's sister. The students were split into two groups. Half of them worked on crafts, led by James Tam, Katie Shau and the PCA team. The other half went to an adjacent field and played sports with the children. Trying to communicate with the deaf students certainly posed interesting challenges. Thankfully, the teachers at the deaf school were extremely gracious and patient with us. The entire experience was a rich blessing for all of us. We were moved by the genuine happiness expressed on the faces of these deaf students.

After spending the morning at the deaf school, we headed to Mr. and Mrs. Radford's house where Mrs. Radford had prepared a delicious and filling meal for the entire team. We spent the afternoon resting, playing games and preparing ourselves for the evening activities.

In the evening, we went to a neighbouring village called Dalifort. We split up into two groups and went through the village sharing the gospel with individuals and families. Josh Lau had a wonderful opportunity to preach the gospel to an entire family and had the privilege of seeing the whole family respond to the message by trusting Christ for salvation. Truly, the gospel is the power for salvation for all who believe!

Students continue to enjoy health and strength. We are encouraging them to get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of liquids. Other than some minor upset stomachs, all are well.

Tuesday, the 2nd

Just a quick note to ask you to pray for the team as they are involved in evangelism this evening in a neighbourhood near where we live. They are partnering with a local pastor and his congregation to do some door-to-door evangelism and a short "open-air" type meeting. Pray for receptive hearts and a clear presence of the Holy Spirit in this neighbourhood! Thanks for praying. Mrs. Radford

A hot day in the village

The day began with devotions. We gathered at 7:15am. Everyone was on time, with Bibles and pens. We meet in a common area where we also share meals. No one was late or sleeping in. This is a good sign.

After devotions, we at breakfast and then boarded a bus which took us out to a village. The bus drive was over two hours long and most of the students used the chance to take a nap.

We had a tour of the local school where we sang songs for each class. They, in turn sang songs for us. After the tour of the school, we returned to the home of a local pastor where his wife was preparing a very delicious meal for the team.

Senegalese meals are eaten communally. So, four or five students gathered around one very large dish and ate rice, beef and vegetables.

After eating our fill, we waited for the heat to pass. We made our way to the school and played a number of games with the children (probably in the area of 200 children were present).

Some played soccer, some played frisbee, some played with a parachute we had brought. After a while, all the games stopped and students had the opportunity, with the help of a translator to share the gospel with the children. Many children responded positively to the gospel message. We trust that the Lord will use the message of the gospel to transform their lives.

After this, students lined up and received a treat of candy before we boarded the bus to return home. Because of traffic, the trip home was almost twice as long as the trip to the village.

Students are healthy and well. We have been monitoring their water consumptions - especially today with the heat. By God's grace none of the students had any issues to deal with.

Please continue to pray for their health and pray that the preaching of the gospel would be powerful and effective in changing lives.

Keep praying!

Just a note from the Radfords - this team is amazing! They are jumping in with both feet and have already honoured so many people with their loving spirits. We can hardly wait to see what the week holds. PLEASE keep praying for them!

Church in Senegal

We began our day with devotions and breakfast. We boarded a bus which took us to church. The people were very warm and welcomed us with open arms. With no sound system or power point projection, the Senegalese people sang with great joy and volume. It was encouraging to be with them.

It is now 3:45pm. Everyone is well. We are going to be spending the evening at Dakar Academy where we will hear some testimonies of students from this Christian school.

Orientation

It is 4:30pm in Senegal. We have finished a meaningful time of orientation with Mr. and Mrs. Radford. In a couple of hours, we will leave the compound and go for dinner.

We are staying in the compound of the Wycliffe Bible Translators guest house. It is very clean and comfortable inside. Students are staying in apartments. All the girls share one apartment and the guys share another apartment. Each apartment has bedrooms with anywhere between 2 to 4 beds. Each apartment has a fridge where we can keep our drinks cool. Also, each apartment has a bathroom with toilet, sink and shower.

Everyone is healthy and happy.

More updates to come!

They have arrived!

Just a quick note to let parents, teachers, friends and other interested individuals know that the team arrived safely this morning. They are at their accommodations and are resting for a bit before we bring lunch and start orientation with them. PTL that the first part of this journey went well for them. We are looking forward to getting to know the team.

Will was immediately glad to see a sign of unity - though they have 2 apartments for the girls and 2 for the guys, they didn't want to be separated and so decided to squeeze into 1 apartment for the girls and 1 for the guys! This shows us that they are already enjoying being together and it is a good sign of things to come!

Stay tuned for updates. But rest assured, all is well!

Mr. & Mrs. R.

6:30 AM

See you in the morning at 6:30AM at Pillar "G"
Please check the weather and leave with plenty of time.
Bring your passports, your addressed luggage, customs card and everything else you need on your packing list.

Eating Sengalese style

Here's a picture of some of the members of the 2003 PCA Missions team eating communally, Senegalese style.

Inside a Ndiaga Ndiaye

Here's a shot inside a nidaga ndiaye. Those are the members of 2003 PCA Sr. Missions Team to Senegal with Mr. Radford.

Ndiaga Ndiaye

These are the vehicles which will transport us to and from the bush. They're called Ndiaga Ndiaye.

In the bush Part 2

Here's the house of the pastor which we will be working on. In 2003, a team of PCA students just like you helped to build it! Now we have the privilege of helping to maintain it! Truly, He who begins a good work will be faithful to complete it!

In the bush

As you will see from our schedule, we will have a number of days of ministry in the Senegalese bush. Having never been to Africa, let alone been to the African bush, I had no idea what to expect. Thankfully Will and Sharon Radford have fleshed out this portion of the trip some more for us.

Here's what they said...

In the bush, sunset will be around 7:15. The difference between here and Canada is that from sunset till it is really dark is only about 15 minutes.

We will take an air conditioned bus from Dakar to the village we will be based in. During the 4 days in the bush, we will use a more “rugged” form of transport called a “ndiaga ndiaye” which you will come to love! The air conditioned bus will return to take us back to Dakar.

We will be set up in tents on a property with a concrete wall around it where there is a church and pastor’s house.

For the main noon meal each day we will eat Senegalese meals, in Senegalese style.

The terrain where we will be working is very dry and dusty.

Overall schedule for “bush time”:

Sunday – leave from Dakar around 3 pm. Arrive at site around 5 pm. Introduce pastors we will work with, unpack bus, eat supper. After dark, around 7:30, we will have a devotional time with one of the pastors, a debrief time, then head to bed!

Monday – 8 am up and breakfast. We will take some students to do children’s ministry in a village while other students stay on the property and work on the pastor’s house. The work will not be terribly difficult – just scraping and painting. One of the pastors who speaks good English will go with the students to do children’s ministry, and will translate directly from English to Serere, the language in this area.

Noon – everyone back on site for lunch

Afternoon – rest time. it will be hot and we will need to rest.

5 pm – kids get out of the school near the site. They will probably come to investigate the “toubabs” (white people). We can do some soccer or some other stuff with them

6:30 – supper

After supper – go to set up and do evangelism in a village about 20 minutes or less away. This is a time to be flexible. Even if we are set up and ready to go at 8 pm…it is possible that people will not gather until around 9 pm.

10:30 or so – back to site and sleep!

Tuesday and Wednesday the same. Thursday we will play by ear depending on what needs to be done, etc. Then we will head back to Dakar, to a pizza supper, showers and bed!

Packing List

Everyone should have already received this. But in case you lose it...

Senegal Short Term Teams

Packing List

Each individual should pack the following:

• Bible!
• Passport!
• Hat & Sunglasses
• Sunscreen & lip balm with sunscreen (you WILL burn without it)
• Camera
• Insect Repellent
• Flashlight
• Personal medications, including allergy meds
• Comfortable closed shoes, sandals and/or flip flops
• Toiletry items - shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, moisturizer
• Extra glasses, if you cannot manage without them, in case yours break or if you wear contacts
• Reading material
• Earplugs if you are a light sleeper
• Beach towel
• Clothing items:

Girls - 3-4 below-the-knee cotton skirts, 6-7 t-shirts and/or tank tops (straps at least 1 inch wide), 1-2 nicer outfits for church, 2-3 pairs shorts, 2 pairs cotton pants or jeans, 1 hoodie or long-sleeved shirt, cool and warm weather PJs, swimsuit (1-piece or full tankini, no bikinis), socks & underthings!

Guys - 2-3 pairs shorts, 3-4 pairs lightweight pants or jeans, 6-7 t-shirts, 1-2 semi-casual shirts for church, cool and warm weather PJs, swim shorts, socks and underwear!

• 1 set single sheets. If you are willing to leave them with the missionaries when you leave, this would help us a lot.
• Required: 1 box cereal, 1 box instant oatmeal packets, 1 medium (plastic) jar peanut butter, 2 packs Kraft Dinner
• Suggested: Crystal Lite or Kool Ade packs, granola bars

Do Not bring the following:

• Expensive jewelry
• Expensive sunglasses
• Cell phones, computers

Each team should pack the following:

• 1 first aid kit including antibiotic cream, band-aids, elastic bandages, anti-itch gel or cream, Benadryl tablets, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, throat lozenges, cough drops, laxatives and diarrhea medication.
• Photocopies of all passports
• Master list of Emergency Contact in Canada info for each team member.

Be sure to include the following in your carry-on:

• A complete change of clothing
• Any medications you need daily

Sweets for Senegal Promotion

Miss Kang's business class produced the following videos to help promote the upcoming Sweets for Senegal fundraiser:

Promo #1

Promo #2

Laundry

When we return from our time in the Senegalese bush, there will be a lady who will do our laundry at SIL. We won't do laundry individually - it will all be thrown into one pile. So, if you have items that could be confused for someone else' (such as socks or underwear) please write your name or initials on them in permanent marker.

Cameras

A note from the Radfords...

If you are planning to bring a camera to Senegal, be aware that there is plenty of sand that has the potential to do some damage to your camera. So, make sure that it is well-protected. Otherwise, bring a less expensive camera.

Say Cheese!

Sweets for Senegal

In just a couple of days, Miss Kang's business class we will be hosting a fundraising event for the upcoming project to Senegal.

On Friday, her students were busy at work making last minute preparations for the event. We are hoping that their hard work and support will bring in the remaining funds needed for our time in Senegal.

Please join us in the high school gymnasium from 6:30 -9:30 pm on Monday, February 13. Bring a cheque to make a donation to this project! Thank you in advance for your support.

We are getting ready!

Hello again PCA team! We hope that your training day on Saturday went well. We are so glad that Megan and Emma were able to join you and give you their perspective on Senegal! They said you had good questions which is great!

We have booked your accommodations for while you are in the city. You will stay at the same location the PCA team of 2003 stayed, and they loved it there! Also, you will be returning to work on the same property in the bush that the 2003 team worked on. They helped build the Pastor's home and you will help repair and repaint it. So, the PCA Missions legacy in Senegal will carry on!

We are also planning meals and excursions for you. Rice, pasta and lots of great French baguette will be on the menu for sure! Prepare yourself to drink lots and lots of water. It is a necessity in the heat and dry air. We want you to stay healthy while you are here!

If you have any questions you or your parents would like answered, please ask. You can send the questions by email or on the Facebook group we started. We want you to feel free to ask any question that comes to mind.

We are looking forward to your visit. We will work hard, pray hard, bond together tightly and have some fun too! See you soon!

Sharon & Will Radford, Jesse & Beth

God delights in our praises!

Greetings from Senegal! We have been so excited to read of the preparations the PCA team is going through in order to be effective ministers of the Gospel here in West Africa. We thought that you would also like to hear how we are preparing for your arrival and ministry! So, from time to time we will add our thoughts, plans and prayers to this blog. But first, enjoy this video of the children of Ecole Esperance Vivante, our newest Christian school, as they sing in French and Wolof of the goodness of our God! It is our prayer that each of these children will come to know God in a real and life-changing way! See you soon! Sharon & Will Radford

Push Ups and Testimonies

During last night's training session, Mrs. Paas led the students in a time of reflection and repentance. Employing the assistance of Josh and Thomas, she demonstrated the ease with which they were able to complete push ups. Then, using Philip as a weight to hold Josh down, she demonstrated the difficulty of doing push ups when we are burdened by sin. We were invited to privately confess our sins to Christ and find the freedom of knowing his forgiveness.

After this time of confession, we moved to the computer lab and began working on our testimonies. We trust that we will have many opportunities to share all that Christ has done in His life, death and resurrection.

Thank you for reading this update and remembering our team in your prayers.

Believe by Harmony of Hearts

Believe from Harmony of Hearts on Vimeo.

Gospel Paintings & Communication - January 2 & 4 Training

On Saturday, January 2, the students on the Senegal team had an early start to the year with a day long training session. We met at 9:30am at Markham Baptist Church. Jocelyn led us in a time of teaching about prayer and then in a time of prayer itself. I have found that the students are shy about praying out loud. However, Jocelyn was very clear in her encouragement to be courageous to pray. Perhaps, you can pray that the Spirit of God would do a work of revival in our team and that one of the fruits of this revival would be a passionate yearning to be with God in prayer. I long for that day when the love and fear of God would be more persuasive than the love and fear of our neighbor's opinion of us. Such a moment will come and it will come by God's grace. Please pray this into being for our team.

After spending some time in prayer, we moved to the church's gymnasium where we spent the remainder of the day. Paul McDonald, a street evangelist from the west end of the city, gave a very powerful exhortation around the preaching of the gospel. (Paul has a blog about his evangelistic ministry at http://goodnewsfortoronto.wordpress.com)

Paul explained what the gospel is (and isn't) and the joy and necessity of preaching the gospel. He then taught the students a very effective means of communicating the gospel by painting out stories on a sketchboard. The students were taught a lesson on Peter's walking on water, how Peter began to drown and cried out, "Lord save me!" Likewise, we are facing sure death and hell because of our sin. However, if we, like Peter, look to Jesus and ask him to save us, he will - because he has paid the penalty for our sin on the cross and has risen to life again.

I am very glad that Paul was there with the students, to glory in the gospel and provide very meaningful training in how to communicate it. I've attached a photo of Paul training the students in sketchboard evangelism with this email.

The remainder of the day was spent fastidiously learning the techniques behind preparing and presenting effective "gospel sketches." It was trying at times, to maintain the aesthetic quality of the painting while preaching. All the student had an opportunity to practice with each other. Hopefully, you will be able to view one of these presentations before our departure.

While the students were training on the sketchboard, Daisy and a couple of students were baking cookies for a Parent-Information session which concluded the evening. As always the parents were more concerned than the students were. However, they were genuinely grateful for the opportunities that their children will have to proclaim the gospel.

On Monday evening, Diane, came in to the weekly training session and exhorted the students around the area of communication, the importance of taking initiative and the avoidance of cliques, to name a few of the items she addressed.

As we approach the day of departure (February 26), there is still much work to be done:

We continue to raise financial support for the trip. To this end, Lord willing, Miss Kang's business class and the Senior team will be hosting a fundraising dessert night on Monday, February 15. It is a holiday (Family Day) - if you and your family are able to attend, we would encourage you to do so to support the team.

We have two more all day training sessions on January 23 and February 22. On January 23, the Radfords' eldest daughter will be leading the training and providing more background for our students on her parents' ministry and life in Senegal.

Needless to say, this is demanding work and we need you to continue to pray for us and the team. Pray that God would revive our spirits and give us a joy in Him that would pour forth in our ministry. Pray that we would have the same desire as the Apostle Paul, namely to know nothing except Christ crucified.

Immunizations & Outreach - December 18 Outreach Event

It has been a few weeks since I last updated you about the progress of the Senegal Project.

On Monday, of this past week, we took the team to the Missionary Health Institute's Travel Clinic where the nurse outlined the risks and precautions we should be aware of as we prepare to travel to Senegal. Hearing about some of the potential risks drove home the reality of the trip. After the health session, she began the painful task of immunizing our students. Our students are making a sacrifice of time and energy to communicate the gospel cross-culturally in a climate that is quite foreign to them. We pray that God would be gracious to us and grant us health, strength and joy as we share with those who need to hear about Christ.

To this end, the team spent yesterday afternoon in and around the Eaton Center. With gospel tracts, they asked people who are milling about to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. If the person was willing, our students shared with them a simple gospel presentation. This is the second year that we have incorporated direct evangelism into our training. It has been a joy to watch our students take a very definitive stand for Christ and be numbered with Him.

All of our students had had an opportunity to share the gospel with at least one person yesterday. They all returned with stories to share about how God granted them wisdom to speak with clarity and with boldness. Needless to say, I am very proud of our students and their willingness to step outside of their "comfort zone" and outside of cultural norms, to approach strangers, strike up conversations with them and ultimately point those people to Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, January 2, the team will be gathering together for a day of training and preparation. Each of the students has been paired up and is preparing a Bible lesson, craft and activity that will be used to point the Senegalese children to Jesus Christ. We will be going over these items on Saturday. As well, we will be receiving training from a local street evangelist who will be teaching our students how to present the gospel through interactive paint demonstrations. The day will end with a parent-information session.

Would you join us in praying for open doors for the gospel to be proclaimed in Senegal?
Would you join us in praying for sufficient prayer and financial provision to take us to and from Senegal?
Would you join us in praying that we would be a blessing, encouragement and joy to the Radfords?

Have a Merry Christmas!

Sharing the Gospel with Children - November 16 Meeting

This message is sent with great joy at the progress I am observing in our team.

During the training session yesterday, team members had to submit their support letters in which they ask for a team of prayer, encouragement and finanical supporters. While Jocelyn, Daisy and I read the letters, the students met in their small groups and began to share what they had gleaned from the gospel of John over the past week.

It was very encouraging to hear the students leading each other, encouraging each other and exhorting each other to be faithful in their study and meditation of the Bible.

Yesterday's session sought to address two critical issues: What is the Gospel? And, how should we communicate the gospel to children? (Much of our work in Senegal will be with children).

Jocelyn led the team in a deeply meaningful demonstration of sharing the gospel with children. She shared the principle of "Hook, Book, Look, Took.: "Hook" the children with a common object or story; "Book" refers to the telling of the story or explanation of the object; "Look" refers to the transition from the object or story to the person and work of Jesus; and "Took" refers to the appropriate response of the child to Christ.

In Jocelyn's demonstration she asked all the students to sit on the floor and pretend that they were young children. She shared the story of a Butterfly, explained how a caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis then demonstrated how Christ enables a type of metamorphosis in a person's life as he takes a sinner and makes that person a Child of God. Finally, she invited the students to respond by believing in Christ. It really was a very moving time to watch our senior students become like little children as they listened to and prayed with Jocelyn. The students were then assigned to craft three different gospel presentations using a picture book or common object which follows the "Hook, Book, Took, Look" model. They have 2 weeks to prepare this.

In closing, I am humbled by the reality that God allows us to be his ambassadors at home and around the world. The gospel really is the greatest gift in the world. Would you please pray that our students would be both students and heralds of this gospel?

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates. Thank you also for taking the time to pray for our team.

Prayer and The Word - November 9 Meeting

Today, Jocelyn led a very meaningful time of exhortation for the team. She shared her personal testimony and the critical role that intentional time of reading, meditation and reflection in the Bible have had in her life. We have made it a point to exhort our students to be students of the Bible, independent of their class time. Someone once shared with me that the breadth of my ministry should never exceed the depth of my ministry. This is true for all who are called to minister - adults and students.

To this end, Daisy has worked very hard to produce a self-guided study through the gospel of John for our students. Each verse is examined for its content, meaning, impact and application. In their small groups, they are going to be working their way through John's gospel, verse-by-verse. I am confident that the sustained immersion in the Bible will produce much fruit in and through the lives of our students. Would you pray that the promise of Isaiah 55:11 will be evident in our students?

We have received some preliminary plans from the Radfords, in Senegal, regarding schedule and program. Please have a look at the tentative schedule they provided...

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						February 27 Team arrives
28 Music, skit, testimonies in Dakar church – Temple/Bethel/ Maristes	March 1 2 3 4 SIPS Dakar ministry ideas: Mural painting at Christian schools Children’s presentation at Christian schools Bible clubs assistance Possibly Youth presentation at a local church Possibly Youth Group presentation at Dakar Academy Thursday night After school interaction at Dakar Academy				5 SIPS Possible attendance at SIPS (Sports Invitational for Private Schools) activities for interaction with DA students and other non-Christian schools.	6 SIPS Leave for Thiadiaye (2-4 hour drive from Dakar to rural Senegal to set up for several days of ministry)
7 Attendance at and participation in a rural church. Evening evangelism	8 9 10 Rural ministry ideas: Work on Pastor’s home repairs Kids’ clubs in villages Evening evangelism in village Wednesday evening – leave for debriefing venue.			11 Debrief	12 Debrief in morning Leave for Dakar in afternoon Pack and leave for airport.	13 Team leaves

One particular item that they have asked for is a fascinatingly simple yet ingenious evangelistic tool called the "Evangeball." If you would like to learn more about these balls or purchase one on behalf of the team, please check out the following link:

http://www.africanazarene.org/wmafrica/RegionalServices/EducationDiscipleshipNED/JESUSFilm/EvangeBall/tabid/367/Default.aspx

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray that we would be equipped to preach the gospel fearlessly and clearly, as we should.

Raising Support - November 2 Meeting

Today, Daisy provided a very thorough overview of the Biblical basis for support raising and encouraged them to begin planning their support letters. Each student is needing to raise $3250. This is a large amount, to say the least. However, we are confident that God is able to meet this need. Would you join us in praying that each student would rise to the challenge of raising this amount and that God would provide each student with a supportive team of people who would encourage, pray and love them to and from Senegal?

Another item of prayer is the persistent concerns regarding the H1N1 virus. We would like you to pray that if it is God's will for us to be in Senegal, then the spread of this virus would not pose any danger or obstacle to us. We are working with our travel agent to identify specific policies around trip cancellation should an outbreak of the virus be detected in Senegal.

Finally, would you please pray that the students have the endurance to persevere through the training sessions? They are already putting in a full day at school and the energy needed to go through another 1.5 hours can be taxing. Yet, these sessions are so important for them. So pray that they would discover the Lord as their supernatural strength - especially on Monday nights.