July Newsletter 2024

We collaborate with several ministries in the Gambia, including the House of Hope, a group home for abandoned children. A key part of our mission work here is to connect people with the necessary resources. Recently, Patrick and our colleague, Joan Schmitz, visited the House of Hope to teach them how to use the "Story of Hope," a Good Soil ABWE workbook. This study is designed to lead individuals through the Bible and reveal God's redemptive plan of salvation. Since then, the leader, Ebrima, expressed his enthusiasm for the resource and its effectiveness in guiding their studies. He's used many resources over the years but found the "Story of Hope" to be the most engaging and effective. As a result, he requested more copies of the workbooks, and now we're out of stock. We placed an order for 250 "Story of Hope" workbooks, but the delivery of heavy materials takes time as it crosses an ocean to get here.

This month, we also received positive feedback from many churches regarding Michele’s Vacation Bible School Gambian mission videos that they shared. One child even expressed a desire to become a missionary in the future. Let us know if you would like to access these videos. Additionally, Open Bible Church showcased our videos and raised a generous special offering for the Omega Community School in the Gambia. This Christian school, catering to kindergarten through 2nd grade, is currently seeking funds to expand its academic offerings to include kindergarten through 12th grade. To achieve this, there are plans to construct a new three-story building to accommodate a larger student body.

Our mission work isn't always about church services and Bible studies; many times, it's about forming connections, building relationships, and developing friendships. Sometimes it looks like playing cards with neighbors and supporting them during significant events, such as getting a sonogram. Even our recreational activities, like playing golf, have allowed us to make connections. Golf in the Gambia is different from that in the United States, as there are no traditional greens; instead, they have browns due to the tropical climate with dry and rainy seasons. With the dry season lasting almost 9 months, it's a great challenge to keep any grass alive and to practice water conservation. Instead of a green, they spread old motor oil and pack down the sandy soil to create a flat surface around the hole. Therefore, in addition to a caddy, a browns sweeper is also needed to prepare the browns before your ball arrives.

What began as a hobby for Patrick has blossomed into friendships not only with Gambian men but also with men from various countries, including Wales, Kenya, India, and Switzerland. God has given Patrick opportunities to build these relationships and share the gospel in one place yet around the world.