In our last days here in Senegal we visited The Center orphanage run by Christian nationals who have come to faith in Jesus. The children at the orphanage have miraculous stories of how they got to the orphanage from the streets or terrible home situations. Now they can hear the gospel message and see it lived out in the lives of the workers.
While there we met the national pastor who spearheaded the dream for this place. He has a vision for one of the buildings to be a Bible school where they will train nationals to go out and evangelize all of Africa reaching up into other person countries.
Later in the day we went to Lac Rose or The Pink Lake. It is a lake harvested for its salt. You can't sink in this pink colored lake but you float on top similar to the Dea Sea.
Thursday and Friday we were in downtown Dakar. It was our first time in downtown and the vendors swarmed all around us because we stood out as if we had a sign on our backs that said "TOURIST!" Even for those of us who like to haggle with street vendors it turned out not to be the best of experiences because of their aggressiveness to get us to look at and buy their products.
Larry took a picture of the Presidential Palace and was approached by the guard with the intension of taking his camera. We found out people have taken videos of this country and culture with promises of financial help which never materialized. The guard was satisfied when he found out Larry was taking a picture and not a video.
On Saturday we took a taxi to the ferry going to Goree Island. We are now experienced at negotiating fare for our taxi rides around town. Goree Island is one of the major tourist attractions in Dakar. It is the port where the Africans were brought in chains and taken to the Americas and elsewhere to be slaves. It was very sobering to see the slave house where the slaves were kept in mass in small cells before the journey. Only the strongest were put on the ships because they were best able to survive the 10-12 week journey. We found out that a slave was given a last name common to the country where he or she was being sent. For some of us it was a time of somber reflection.
On Sunday morning we attending the missionary spiritual retreat and heard a stirring message out of 2 Cor. 1:8-11. We and the missioanries were encouraged because we learned that God allows adversity in our lives so that we might not trust in ourselves but in Him, the One who raises the dead! He who delivers us from peril will continue to deliver us. Because of this, we have hope and can deliver a message of hope to those who are suffering.
The rest of the day we prepared to return to the states. The students talked about how much they have grown since the hardships of the first week when everyone was ready to go home to learning how to deal with the conditions, becoming more flexible, and seeing God at work in lives.
We are on our way home now but please continue to be in prayer for the work of the missionaries and their work in Senegal. Pray that God will break down spiritual strongholds in this country.
Blessings to you all.