March Newsletter 2025

It’s not every day we get to prepare for a Christian wedding. The bride’s Catholic family did not support her union with an evangelical groom, and not a single man from her family attended. So, the church rolled up its sleeves, scrubbed, decorated and transformed the building into a joyful ceremony full of cheering as they said their vows.

This month, we also had our quarterly meeting with our team and regional director which included a discussion of our upcoming furlough starting in July. We must regain the 11% of lost financial support we have accrued since being on the field. Despite losing personal support, God still provides for our needs. Earlier this year, ABWE headquarters rallied extra funds to repaint our guesthouse and replace our termite-eaten playground. The children were overjoyed to be back on the playground after our almost one-year hiatus.

Everything changed when our teammate, Alison Dominguez, was seriously injured in a car accident that shattered an upper vertebra, risking paralysis. Our team quickly mobilized to support her during this critical time, feeling God's presence in the process.

We faced numerous challenges, from obtaining medications at pharmacies to navigating communal hospital rooms with screaming children and mosquitoes. She traveled on rough road to reach an MRI machine to be returned to the nearest hospital with open beds. At times, we had to search for medical staff and even wake them when Alison's pain became unbearable. We even fought flight clearances from neighboring countries once we had a plane secured. Through all the chaos and pain, the Holy Spirit showed Himself in Alison’s extraordinary courage.

After three days, our team leader, Joan Schmitz, accompanied Alison on a flight to London. Shortly after, Ruth Wood, an ABWE employee and former missionary to The Gambia, arrived to help. Within 24 hours, doctors provided medications, conducted scans, and fitted Alison with a back brace she lovingly named Rupert. Within a week, Alison was released from the hospital without the need for surgery. If her recovery continues, she hopes to return to the United States by late April for further treatment and, hopefully, back to The Gambia by the end of summer. We are grateful to God for her progress

Prayers & Praises

~Pray for Patrick’s father Bruce’s cancer treatment.   

~Praise God Alyssa received a scholarship that pays for 60% of every semester.

~ Praise God for the short-term missionaries He has brought to the guesthouse ministry while we are in the USA in 2025.

~Pray for Alison's healing and recovery and for Joanne who is now alone in the village ministry for literacy.

~Pray for the growing church of The Gambia and the implementation of pastoral training.