I need You, I want You, I choose You

As we are preparing to depart for our mid-year conference in Europe, my heart is heavy. We’ve never left Senegal before. We’ve never not seen our friends here. What’s it going to be like when we for certain leave in July?

Yesterday Katie and I met with a sweet friend, DiaDia. We have shared the message of hope and love with her numerous times before. But yesterday was different. I know that I am not guaranteed another day in Senegal let alone this world. The sense of urgency was there to tell DiaDia that Jesus is God, He died for our sins, He is the ultimate sacrifice and we must turn to Him in repentance and receive Him as our Savior and Lord to become children of God. My heart longs to see sweet DiaDia come to know the God of the universe.

My heart broke when she walked away still not having received Jesus as her savior. My heart broke when she cried because we were leaving for two weeks. My heart breaks knowing that in a few short months, I might be saying goodbye to DiaDia forever. I trust God with her, but my heart breaks that she is in bondage of self-works and striving for the acceptance of God when it is so freely given.

I am comforted by God’s immense love for me and all the people He is calling to himself. I am thankful that God has promised me an eternity with Him because of what Jesus did, not anything that I can do.

Please, continue praying for Senegal during this election period. Please be praying the Gospel would go forth and for our sweet friends like DiaDia to come to know the amazing grace He has lavished upon us.

“And All the World Will Praise Your Great Name”

After throwing our Halloween party tonight and getting the opportunity to share with 6 Muslim friends about how Jesus has changed my life, I’m resting in the hope that all the world will praise His great name. I am praying that my friends here will know the God of the universe as Lord, King, Comforter, Friend, and Savior of the world. I pray that they will know the full extent of God’s love for them, that Christ meets us where we are and doesn’t need us to clean ourselves up in order to approach Him.

I ask that those of you who have given your lives to God and put your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross, that you’d listen to this song and praise God for what He’s done in your life. Please pray these lyrics for the six women that came to tonight’s party. Pray that the lost are saved, that they find their way at the proclamation of Christ, that they will know God’s forgiveness, that they would see the sacrifice Jesus made was the only way to God. Pray that healing would occur in these precious women’s lives. Pray for the sick students that couldn’t come tonight. Praise Jesus!