“Today at Église Evangelique Baptiste de Thiès, we were blessed to hear a powerful sermon about Jesus’ rescue mission and the journey of the Israelites. The day was deeply moving as we also met G, a young man who transformed from a life of hardship to faith in Christ through the care of missionaries. His story of struggle and redemption highlights the profound impact of faith and the need for God’s guidance in times of uncertainty.”
It’s Sunday— today is a day the Lord has made! I feel blessed to be back at Église Evangelique Baptiste de Thiès. Today was especially meaningful as one of my team members delivered a powerful sermon on justification, sanctification, and glorification, with Ephesians 2:1-10 as the focus. He spoke about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, struggling in the wilderness, and finally reaching the Promised Land. He then shared the rescue mission of Jesus who left Heaven, suffered, and died to give us new life! The church responded, praise God!
In the evening we spent two hours with 21-year-old G — a Muslim background believer who shared his profound journey to faith in Jesus. Growing up in the slums near Pikine, his childhood was marked by hardship, instability, and rebellion. Born to unmarried parents who had many other half siblings — his parents did not want him and he was eventually given to his grandmother’s care. At around age 11 he ran away with a friend to Dakar where they hid on a bus’ luggage area and ended up living on the streets in Dakar begging for food and shelter similar to what the talibé boys are forced to do.
Things changed when they encountered a Christian center run by missionaries. Through their care, G learned about Jesus, picked up French, and acquired essential skills. The missionaries also managed to reunite him with his family who were overjoyed to see how he had transformed from a rebellious child to a mature young man. He credits this remarkable change to his faith in Christ whom led every step before him.
Now G faces new challenges. He might need to move to Dakar to take over a boutique from a family member which would mean leaving his current Christian community. We prayed for him and his family, asking for his family to come to faith in Jesus, for relief from poverty, and for guidance in finding a stable job and living situation. In moments of uncertainty G’s story resonates the importance of seeking help in our faith and trusting in God’s guidance.
Verse of the day: Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24