“Wake up (your name here), Jesus loves you”
-God
This morning, we attended church service at Église Evangelique Baptiste de Thiès. The entire service was in French and Wolof, but our hosts kindly translated for us. Afterward we stayed for the church leadership meeting about the vision clinic we’re supporting this Thursday.
We’re staying in a house surrounded by mango, pomegranate, lime, and banana trees—fruit grows everywhere here! Later in the day, we met G, a chaplain at Bartimee Hospital with a Muslim background. He shared his powerful story of coming to faith in Christ through a divine verbal message “Wake up G, Jesus loves you” and the guidance of interacting with Christian missionaries. Statistics show it can take on average 7 years for a Muslim to move from hearing the Gospel to becoming a believer. They have to count the cost. Converting from Islamic to Christianity can result in rejection from family, facing legal trouble, and dealing with a lot of personal stress relating to finding a home to live, job and finding a supportive community. He highlighted key passages like 1 Peter 2:12, Luke 18 (the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector) and Romans 10:14-15. He also taught us a special prayer posture: open palms while praying and then crossing them over the chest at the end. I am deeply touched by those who have chosen to follow Christ in this culture. My heart longs for them to truly find Jesus and experience His love and peace. I know the Bible warns that we will face persecution and mocking in the faith, but I am witnessing it in a different way here in Senegal than in America. I pray that they feel Christ’s presence and strength in their lives and that He guides and comforts them through these challenges to persevere. May they discover the joy and hope that comes from knowing Jesus especially in the face of difficulties.
It’s quite hot here but we’re grateful for the air conditioning in the house and the van. Tomorrow we’ll explore the town, take a language class, visit street markets, and tour Dakar Academy.
A verse to ponder today: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6