Emily's Update: Everything's growing--trees, friendships, and God's kingdom

  

    Well, it’s been a month and a half since we have been back at BeerSheba! Update time!! I’d like to jump back into the FLOW theme that I was following before in an attempt to keep things somewhat concise. As a reminder, at the start of my internship I wanted to be focusing on Fellowship-ing, Lingering, Offering myself, and having Wonder for what God is doing here in Senegal. Here we go!

 

    You know you’ve sent roots down in a place when the thought of uprooting and transplanting yourself somewhere else makes you cringe a little. With only two more months left here in Senegal, Hawken and I have begun to feel the premature tugs and tears on the roots that we’ve sent down into this community. The goodbyes won’t be easy! I’d like to highlight a few of my friends that I will miss, and that I have been blessed to fellowship with and see God doing beautiful work in.

 

    Wally—I’m sure I mentioned Wally in one of my previous updates, but I’ll remind you of his story. He came to BeerSheba just two weeks after me as a last-resort attempt to be delivered from various spiritual strongholds in his life. My relationship with him was rather up and down as I battled against my flesh and the devil, who wanted to keep me far from loving someone who was in need of love and encouragement. It’s frustrating how the devil does that. He often makes it so difficult for us to love those who need it the most!

    Hawken and I both asked the Lord to give us love and open hearts to receive Wally, especially during our season of dating and wedding planning when he seemed to linger in our company in the few minutes of the day that we could actually get alone to focus on planning or just be together! I’ll admit that I really struggled to welcome him into our life and relationship with a good attitude! But, man, it is so beautiful to see how God answered our prayers for a change in heart and a blessed relationship with Wally. The change didn’t happen fast, but the more we welcomed him, sought after him, and offered ourselves to him, the more we enjoyed his presence. We both have so much love for this dear friend who God has healed and liberated in many ways over the last few months at BeerSheba. Wally is truly a changed man! And I believe it was by simply being in the presence of a community like BeerSheba, and being ministered to by the church here, that Wally met Jesus and was transformed by the powerful love of God.

    About three weeks ago Wally moved on from BeerSheba and returned to Dakar to have a fresh start. We miss him and continue to pray Wally comes to understand how much God loves him and that joy, purpose, and belonging can be found in no one else but Jesus. It has been really cool to see God use Wally in mine and Hawken’s lives to show the power of persistent and patient friendship. Is there anyone in your lives that seems difficult to love at the moment? Go out of your way. Love them. See what God does in your heart and theirs. It is a joy to be used by Jesus to reveal the kind of love He has.

 

Ndeye Ami—In the last few weeks I’ve made a very precious friend who I have seen God completely heal and restore since she arrived here at BeerSheba. God is healing and touching people before my very eyes here, and it’s beautiful. So what is her story?

    Well, I had noticed Ndeye Ami for a week or so. I had not interacted with her directly, but from a distance I could tell she was weak. Weak in body and weak in spirit. I saw her laying down in the eating area at meal-times, not eating. I felt as though I could tangibly sense her thirst for revival and healing when I saw her at church crying out to God during worship times and seeking intercessory prayer for healing. I wondered what her story was, but didn’t seek her out. And then one day, God brought her into the nursery! I think she honestly just wanted to figure out what this white girl was doing here lol, and I’m so glad she decided to linger.

    We got talking in Wolof and by the grace of God I was able to pick up on a few details of her story—she was here at BeerSheba to seek healing in the, “name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.” “Tuddu Yesu. Ci tuddu Yesu.” She kept stressing that beautiful name as if even saying it brought her one step closer to being healed. For the past decade she has hardly been able to keep food and drink down and has been to hospital after hospital seeking solutions, spending about $2000 dollars in the process. That’s a LOT of money here, especially for a mother who can’t work to support her 4 children. There was such pain and fatigue in her eyes as she told me about her journey, yet also a glimmer of hope and longing was there too. I could see it.    

    Somewhere along the way she heard of BeerSheba—a place where people are healed in the name of Jesus. So she traveled far to see what the talk was about. She was here to experience Jesus. To receive from His church. To rest. And she came with such faith! Her story touched me.

    With my broken Wolof, I told her that Jesus is her doctor, that He can heal her and that He wants to. And then I offered to pray for her. I was blessed to call upon Jesus and ask Him to bring healing to this woman who was so poor and weak in and body. She thanked me and slowly walked out of the nursery, where she ran into Hawken who was heading to work. I watched them interact for a few minutes and was blessed to see Hawken lay hands on her and pray for her as well. Ndeye Ami was thirsty for healing, so much so that she was just asking for people to pray for her in the name of Jesus as she crossed their paths. What’s beautiful is that BeerSheba is a place where people will stop and pray!

 I am overjoyed to share that Ndeye Ami has been healed in the name of Jesus. The week after meeting her in the nursery, she came through again one morning with joy in her face and light in her eyes. I asked her how she was and she said with a smile, “Mangi tane. Mangi tani ci tuddu Jesu.” I’m healing. I’m healing in the name of Jesus. “Praise God!!” I said with a smile. “You’re healing! Praise Jesus. God is good! Are you eating? Are you hungry?” I asked. She replied that she was, indeed, eating again, and I can testify to that! It’s been just awesome to watch her polish off the massive BeerSheba portions of lunch each day. It truly seems that with each new day, Ami has more strength. And she is testifying to God’s goodness publicly. She can’t keep quiet!

    This last Sunday she stood up and shared her story with the church and spoke of her desire for her children to experience this same kind of relationship with Jesus that has changed her life. Just this morning she stopped by the nursery again, which she does almost daily now, to my delight, and shared that she wants to spend her time going to the villages and telling everyone about the power of Jesus to heal. Praise God! She came seeking Jesus, and Jesus met her. I thank Jesus for allowing me to witness and have wonder for what an encounter with His people, His Spirit, and His church can do for a desperate, sick woman. I think of Isaiah 55:

 

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.”

 

    Ami had spent everything and had hardly anything left. And now she has all!

God is good!

 

    Well, I know I didn’t write much about my nursery work (which has been very busy!), but I feel as though what has happened within these friendships in the last month have been very worth taking up the space in my update. I’ll get to the nursery next time. :)

 

See the pictures below for a few highlights of the last month!

The lil' nursery is getting bigger and bigger! (And more organized, praise the Lord).

            

We made it back out to the ocean for another go at surfing! The wet suits were undoubtedly a necessity as the water was FREEZING. Thankful for this incredible man who has loved me and blessed me SO MUCH these first few months of marriage. I'm beyond blessed to have someone like him to adventure and do kingdom work with. (Couldn't help but share the pic on the left 😂)

We had a local bi-lingual school come by and learn about nursery things, and then plant some trees at BeerSheeba's brand new school! It was fun to interact with the students and try and get them excited about how cooooool nursery work, trees, and seeds are! 

Some gorgeous flowers that have bloomed since Andrew and I installed some new irrigation systems around BeerSheba. Flowers like these make the trench-digging for the irrigation worth it! 

Some happy dragon-fruit plants climbing their newly installed orchard-tower-things! 

The automatic watering system Andrew has put together. Genius! 

Six loquat trees I brought back with me from Kenya! They are stilllll alive.. mostly. Struggling. But alive :) 

Wally and Hawken at a BBQ at Wally's house. We have spent the weekend at his place in Dakar twice now and have been very blessed by his family's hospitality! 

Hawken and a papaya in front of the dragon-fruit orchard we installed. :)

The two Ndeye Ami's :) She brought some of her children to church this last Sunday. I'm excited to continue seeing how God uses this woman of faith!