Newsletter June/July 2026

Goodbyes are never easy, and travel is exhausting, but we’re so excited to be back where God called us. Returning to our home, mostly empty for the past year, came with a few challenges and headaches: our oven broke, and we needed to replace the ceiling fan and air conditioner in our bedroom. Still, our roof stayed dry, and our car started right away, so God had us hit the ground running in just over a week.

Michele joined our colleague, Joan Schmitz, for the end-of-the-year celebration at Omega Community School. The school recognized children not only for their academic achievements, but also for their fortitude and excellence as role model students. We also said our farewells to Joan as she heads back to the USA for her furlough over the next seven months.

Fun fact: many Gambians consider Christian education an elevated form of education and believe that attending a Christian school raises your odds of success, largely because of the Catholic presence. Over a year ago, a man told Michele, “I wish the Catholics had put more emphasis on the gospel generations ago because so many Gambians gained education through a Catholic school.” He felt The Gambia would have become a Christian nation if people taught the gospel as highly as general education. We have been praying ever since about how God could help us be part of a teacher training.

As we continue to settle into our house and try to establish a sense of routine and organization, Oakridge Church from Salisbury, Maryland, arrived and held a two-part seminar. One continued the pastoral training from the DREAM Conference last year, and the other marked the first of what we hope becomes many Christian teacher seminars. An answer to prayer from over a year ago, God raised experienced teachers and administrators from the United States to hold a seminar for Christian teachers. They contacted us back in March while we were still in the USA and told us about what God was stirring in their hearts, and we were overwhelmed by how God was answering our prayers. We had a wonderful meeting about culture and training needs in The Gambia. Their side of the seminar was an in-depth look at teaching techniques and strategies for the classroom and how to boldly share your faith by showing God's love in all things. During our March meeting, we told them the average Gambian classroom holds around 50 students. Yes, 50! At the seminar, the largest classroom we experienced held 83 children with one teacher.  Please pray for Gambian teachers. The educators who attended the teacher seminar received it warmly, were encouraged, and look forward to future seminars.

Prayers & Praises

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

~Pray for Alison as she settles into Gambian city life.

~Pray for Joan Schmitz on her well-deserved furlough

~Pray for Alyssa as she starts a new semester of college.

In Christ,

The Reeds -

Patrick, Michele, Alyssa, Danielle, and Luke