Read Amanda's May 29, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's April 30, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's April 15, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's April 1, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's March 10, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's March 1, 2002 Update
Read Amanda's February 22, 2002 Update
July 15, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your patience in receiving my updates. I've just been having some difficulty with having to send e-mails from the internet cafes. Today I have some time on my own computer, though, so I'll see if I can get you all caught up on all that God has been doing here in the Gambia! There have been so many things, I hope I can remember all that I wanted to share with you. I'm afraid I'll have to condense some things, but I think you'll still get the idea that God is totally bringing Himself glory in this country!
On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, we went out with church members to do compound-to-compound ministry. Those days went really well, and it was good for the team to gain a greater understanding of the culture and religion here in the Gambia. They discovered that there are many who claim to be Muslim, but are still searching for something more. The Gambians see that there is something missing in their lives, and when they hear about Jesus, a little door is opened, a little seed is planted, and many end up coming to Christ as a result. After the compound-to-compound ministry, I saw changes in the hearts and attitudes of many of the Awe Star students. God is breaking their hearts for the lost of the Gambia, and it is an incredible thing to watch!
Last Thursday, we performed the last drama of the day across the street from the national newspaper. As usual, it attracted some attention, and a reporter and photographer from the newspaper came to watch. The reporter ended up interviewing Bobby Mercer (one of our country coordinators), who simply presented the gospel to this man, who recorded Bobby's every word on his handheld recorder! As for the photographer, he and two of his friends had accepted Christ by the time it was all over! Oh, and the reason that particular site had been chosen was because there were hundreds of people standing in line for vaccinations! They weren't going anywhere, and there just "happened" to be a space large enough for us to perform the drama! Imagine that! It was quite obviously a set-up by God, and the entire team had awesome encounters, met open hearts, and got incredibly excited about how God arranged for so many people to see the gospel acted out.
We all woke up at 5:30am on Friday to pray for the land as the first prayer call of the day was sounding. This impacted the team greatly, and hearts were broken even more. We only had a half day of drama ministry on Friday, because we had Bible study with New Life on Friday night, but God brought people to the sites who were absolutely ready to hear the gospel and give their lives to Jesus. The team thoroughly enjoyed Bible study with New Life that evening. The church members have made them feel so welcome, and everyone at the church has been encouraged just by Awe Star's presence here. Pastor Martins is incredibly excited about the opportunities for ministry that have arisen since the team's arrival, and I am amazed and excited about the openness to the gospel I have seen as we have gone out.
On Saturday morning, we all joined Pastor Martins and the members of my discipleship classes for their baptism in the ocean. Oh my goodness, what an incredible experience that was. There were six of them, and as each of them came out of the water, they immediately knelt down on the beach in prayer before the Lord. They take very seriously the fact that baptism symbolizes their death and new life in Christ. I couldn't help but beam with pride for them as they each stood up in church yesterday to give their testimonies and sing to the Lord. It was so exciting to see them so excited! Oh, I think I have forgotten to mention that one of the ladies in the classes is the same lady who just gave her life to Jesus back in January. I believe I mentioned in one of my previous updates that she was previously Muslim, but became a Christian when God healed her of her 11-year infirmity. Praise God for the way He worked in each of these lives to bring them into His light. I wish I had time and space to tell you each of their testimonies. They are all incredible!
I'm afraid I must move on for now, though. Tomorrow, our team will be making a three-day trip to Bulock village. I would like to ask you to pray doubly hard for us all during this time. I believe the team is ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, but it would be foolish not to ask for a special reinforcement of prayer. This land is incredibly dark, and the enemy is not excited about the work that God is doing here. We have already encountered quite a bit of spiritual warfare, and I don't expect that it will lessen as we travel upcountry. We will travel up to Bulock tomorrow (Tuesday), and we will return on Thursday, spending two nights camped out in a school courtyard. Please pray for the preparation of hearts, the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual protection of the Lord.
Please continue to pray for me as I say my goodbyes and prepare to go home next week (YES, I said NEXT WEEK!). I know that I am going to miss the people at New Life and in my neighborhood that I have grown to love so much. I don't know for sure yet that God will bring me back to the Gambia. I only have suspicions that that is His possible plan. I love each of you, and I thank God that He has burdened your heart to pray for the nations. Stay on your knees...they need it! God bless you.
Unconditionally,
Amanda
May 29, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Ronda Tyson and her group arrived safely on Monday morning, and they are adjusting and working well so far! Praise God that all 52 pieces of their luggage made it to Banjul!! They will be working mainly with schools, sharing the good news and the rules of good hygiene. Pray that God would use each of them to shine His light in the darkness. Also pray for unity and good health in their team.
Okay, the first night of the miracle service was so wonderful! I'll just explain to you how Pastor Martins usually arranges things. Last night and tonight will be preparation of the hearts of the people, and Friday night we will start praying for the various needs of the people. Several people gave their lives to Christ last night as Pastor Leron West from New Life in Tulsa, Oklahoma, preached and gave an invitation. The Spirit of God was obviously moving in the hearts of the people. Ronda Tyson, Marlene West and some of the girls in their team led a time of worship, and I was incredibly blessed by their ministry in song. God's hand was definitely upon them as they sang their praises to Him! Tonight there will be more preaching, probably another invitation, and more worship. Please pray that God would motivate people to true repentance, and that He would reveal to the lost their need for Jesus.
The car that I was using is still out of commission, so I am relying on gilly-gillys and taxis. Hopefully in the next couple of days, the mechanic will have the little car running properly again. Until then, I'm having a lot of fun getting around!
Well, I must be going now. It's time for me to get ready to go to the service tonight. Keep up the prayers that are keeping me encouraged! I pray that God will constantly reveal more of Himself to you!
Unconditionally,
Amanda Darling
"It doesn't cost you much to follow Jesus--just everything!" ~Keith Green
April 30, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
I would love to go on with all God has been showing me about Himself, but unfortunately I am pressed for time today! It is shaping up to be a pretty full day! Pastor Martins is planning a "Miracle Service" for the end of May, and I am helping get the flyers designed and printed for that. I already have the design worked out on my computer, so now it's just a matter of buying paper and hooking up to the pastor's printer to finish the job. The "Miracle Service" will be held May 29th, 30th, and 31st, during which time Ronda Tyson's group from Oklahoma will be here. Please pray for God to draw people to the service that He desires to show His power through. I have seen some pretty amazing things as God has worked through these services to bring Himself honor and glory. My initial skepticism was tossed out the window as God proved the genuineness of the healings. Also pray that God will strengthen and motivate the members of New Life to be involved in the preparations and in spreading the word about the upcoming program.
As I mentioned above, Ronda Tyson will be bringing a group of about 20 people from the New Life Fellowship in Oklahoma. They will be staying from May 26th through June 9th (if I remember correctly). Her group includes some girl scouts, electricians, and others who will be helping New Life in any way they can. I know that their visit will be a great encouragement to their sister church here in the Gambia, and I trust that God will use them in mighty ways to minister to the lost, as well. Please pray for God to prepare their hearts and minds for all the things He wants to accomplish in and through them. Pray for safe travel, team unity, physical energy, and spiritual growth for each of these people God has called out.
Last week, I went with Pastor Martins and Nassie to get the church phone line operating again. It has been dormant for some time, and it's quite a process to get it reactivated. We talked to the necessary people, paid the necessary fees, and are now just waiting for Gamtel to do its job. Just pray for unusual efficiency in getting this line up and working. It's not the most urgent thing that Pastor Martins needs, but it will certainly relieve some various little pressures and inconveniences once it's working.
There is no new news on the situation in Bulock. The phone lines from there are still down. However, a few people have been contacted concerning the building of the school there, and so far it will be at least a year before anyone can get here to work. This isn't too surprising, especially considering the fact that the rainy season is just around the corner. People here can't do much of anything during the rainy season, because everything is wet all the time. It would be quite beneficial if we could at least get a small boundary fence around the area given to New Life, so that people know they have claimed the land and are serious about building on it. Please pray for God to raise up some way to have this fence put up. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or incredibly large. We just need something that says, "This is our land."
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your faithfulness in being involved in the work God is doing in the Gambia. There is so much need here, and your prayers are an encouragement to me and the native believers here. I pray for God's mercies, love, and power to be made known in your life! Keep pressing on and pressing into Christ! "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." and find our satisfaction in Him alone!! God bless you! I love you!
In Jesus' Love,
Amanda
PO Box 2376
Serrekunda, The Gambia, West Africa (air mail)
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." ~John Piper
April 15, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
I have some good news and some not-so-good news. It's not bad news. . . it's just not so good. Okay, the good news is, the New Life "Youth Week" went really well! On the last three nights (11th, 12th, 13th), New Life invited the youth of other churches to join and participate in their meetings. Let me tell you, those kids were incredible. God definitely took atmostphere as the many different churches joined together to worship the Lord as one body. The churches were challenged to get outside of their comfort zones and reach this country for Christ, and I pray that they will act on that challenge. Truly, if there was a stirring in the local churches, the Gambia would be saturated in the gospel of Jesus! Pray for God to fan the youth's flame into a raging fire to His honor and glory. Pray that the ambition in their hearts would be directed towards seeking after the Lord first and foremost.
Now for the not-so-good news. There has arisen yet another delay in the "electrification" of New Life. Yes, we have all the money, and we should be moving ahead. The only hold up is the fact that the electric company (NAWEC) won't take the money. No, they're not wanting to put the line up for free (although, that wouldn't be a bad thing to pray for. . . we can always find another way to spend money). See, the government has told them not to take any money right now because in a few months the government is going to have lines put up in various places. Now, from what I understand at this point in time, NAWEC will be taking money when the government starts putting those lines up. It's all at a standstill right now, though. This week Pastor Martins is going to plead his case to the executives at NAWEC, to see if there is any way they could have electricity before the summer. We are going to keep pressing the issue in any way we can, and I will keep everyone updated on the latest. Just pray for favor in the eyes of those in authority in this situation.
On Wednesday, Pastor Martins, Nassie, and I will be making a trip over to Bulock village to arrange ministry opportunities with the chief. Pastor Martins has an incredible relationship with this village, and I am so excited to be able to go back there! Two years ago, God worked some mighty miracles of healing through Pastor Martins for people in Bulock, and at that time the chief (along with the entire village) gave Pastor Martins a large plot of land. They gave him this land for the purpose of building on it a Christian school and church. They told him that if he didn't like the spot they had picked, that he could pick another place and it would be his. Is that incredible, or what? So the land is still there, waiting to be built upon at the time that God chooses to raise up the people and resources to do the building. Anyway, this will just be a day trip, which was kind of disappointing for me to learn. I was kind of looking forward to sleeping in a tent. No, really, I was! Well, be praying for travel mercies (the roads here aren't exactly in great shape), and pray that there would be continued favor in the time we will spend with the chief.
I continue to look forward to what God keeps unfolding in this little country! I am so excited that you are a part of the action here through your constant prayers! I thank God for this incredible Body that He calls His Bride. Keep seeking and serving Him with all of your heart! I am praying for you even now. God bless!
In Jesus' Love,
Amanda Darling
April 1, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Happy belated Easter! Even though yesterday was the actual day of celebration, I still feel like celebrating today! It's so amazing to me that even though I have been celebrating Easter my entire life, God still manages to make it fresh every year. Yesterday's church service was absolutely riveting. The New Life Fellowship drama team performed a drama portraying an innocent brother giving his life for his wayward sibling as an example of his love. It was truly touching. I wish each of you could have seen it! On top of that, Pastor Martins' sermon was entirely about Jesus! It doesn't get any better than that! It is so difficult to convey with words the spirit of celebration that reigned in the church. No one even noticed that we had been in church for over four hours straight! The atmosphere was just charged with the Spirit of God, and everyone knew it. If yesterday was that awesome, how marvelous must it have been 2,000 years ago on the very day the Son of God emerged triumphant?! Absolutely incredible.
Well, I could go on and on about Easter, but I must move on to the logistics of life. This past week, Pastor Martins and I spoke with people to begin facilitating Awe Star possibly getting into the local jails with the drama this year. It's not set in cement, but if possible, this would be a fantastic ministry opportunity. The lawyer for New Life has a lot of political pull, since he himself used to be a police captain, and he is contacting the necessary authorities to make a jail ministry possible. We also mentioned to the lawyer that we would like to present the drama to the president of the Gambia, and he said that the chances were good that he could make that happen. Please be praying that God would open up the avenues He wishes to use to spread His name among the Gambians. Nothing is impossible for Him, and I am very excited even at the possibility of these doors opening!
I need for you to be praying extra hard for provision for a power line to be connected to the church building. The building itself is completely wired for power, but they are having to rely on an unreliable (and expensive) generator for power. With the pastor and his wife now living at the church, it is difficult to live on a generator. Already, the generator has fried the pastor's cell phone and charger, and the gas to keep it running consumes the already-limited church funds. They only run it for church events, so Pastor Martins and Nassie don't have electricity very often. So why don't they just have the electricity company hook them up? Well, because there is no nearby power line to connect to. The church will have to pay for the poles, wires, and labor to have a connecting line brought from the nearest main line. This will cost them a ridiculous amount of money, especially considering that it should be the electric company's responsibility to make sure people have access to electricity. Just pray for the provision of the necessary funds so that these little problems may be done away with.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness to the Lord. I treasure each of you, even though I've never personally met some of you! I know that you are praying, that you are part of my family in Christ, and that is enough. Keep standing firm in the Lord, and press on toward the goal of knowing Christ!!
In Jesus' Love,
Amanda Darling
"...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." ~Paul
March 10, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Pastor Martins has asked me to lead the church Bible study this coming Friday night, so I need for you to be praying with me for wisdom in that as well. There are so many things to be studied in God's Word, and I don't want to just pick something. I am trusting that God will show me exactly the point he wants to make. I am so excited about this opportunity, and I am looking forward to seeing God's desire in it!
The renovation that the pastor has been doing on the church is coming along wonderfully. The new office and parsonage are looking beautiful, and I am so glad to see this work being done. This will greatly help Pastor Martins in many areas. He hopes to begin moving into his new home this week. Of course this hasn't been cheap, but God has provided all the way! How blessed we are to have a God who is not only our Savior, but our God-Who-Provides as well!
I pray that God's love would continually be communicated through you, and I trust that He is keeping you and yours in the palm of His hand! Praise Him for Who He is! Keep standing in the authority you have in Jesus Christ.
In His Love,
Amanda Darling
"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
March 1, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Pray for Mariama [a new believer converted from Islam, Ed.] as she continues to grow in the Lord. Pray for her family that God would open their eyes to the truth.
Daily ministry continues to go well, and I am enjoying every minute of it. I am still working on building relationships with various church members, getting familiar with faces and names. They are all such precious people, but often I am finding that they are in great need of encouragement. The family unit is so important here, and it is very difficult for an individual to leave their family to come to Christ. Although there are those (like Mariama) who know they need Jesus so badly that they don't care what their family thinks of them, others are too dependant upon their family for all of their support. Pray for God to work on the hearts of the fathers in the households here. With the heads of the households turned to the truth, the door is opened more widely for the rest of the family to follow.
What a blessed people we are to have such a wonderful God. Even though I've been here for two months already, I am still in utter disbelief that He would choose me to spread His name. I am so humbled to think about that. Praise God that although He certainly doesn't have to use us, He still does! God bless you as you continue to seek Him and share Him! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers...keep up the good work! Until next week...
Love you!
Amanda
February 22, 2002:
Dear Friends and Family,
Saturday marked the Muslim holiday of Tobaski. This holiday celebrates Allah's provision of a ram when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael. Yes, Ishmael. Each family is required to buy a ram, which costs them the equivalent of one to two month's wages. The ram is sacrificed as a memorial to Allah's preservation of the chosen son, whom they believe is Ishmael. Why should they believe otherwise, since all they've ever known is what the Quran and society tells them? Why should they live with the realization that the last sacrifice has already been made? Why? Because God is moving in this country. Amidst all the darkness, a Light is shining, and above the noise of the mosques, God's voice is calling. Even now He is raising up people to come to this tiny country to spread His glory. The expectation of God's movement grows within me every day! Keep praying for that movement. Stay where the action is--on your knees!
On the ministry side of things, this past week was spent trying to get Pastor Martins car in good shape. There's still a lot more work to be done, but we're making progress. There are so many different needs right now, and I ask that you continue to pray for God's provision for each of those needs. The pastor still wants to hold a healing service this next month, and I trust that God is motivating that in him. The funds for that have yet to be provided, but we all know that when God wants something done, He completely provides for it! The adding on of the office and parsonage is going well, and that task should be finished by the end of next month.
Pray with me that God will continue to open the hearts and eyes of the people here. Pray that the strongholds of Islam will be broken. Pray that people will realize that the explanation of "my family is Muslim" is not a good enough reason to remain in darkness. Lastly, pray for encouragement among the believers here. It is so wonderful to think that though there are oceans between us, the body of believers remains connected! Thank you for your continued support! God bless you as you continue to obey His voice!
Pressing on,
Amanda