By Staff
SENEGAL, West Africa – Two leaders from Twin Rivers Baptist Association traveled here in late January to look into a possible partnership with the Wolof-speaking people of Senegal.
Brent Campbell, director of missions, Twin Rivers Baptist Association, and Richard Rhea, pastor, First Baptist Church, Troy, made the trip to meet with Jason and Dorothea Lee, International Mission Board missionaries in the region.
Dorothea Lee is from Troy. Her parents, Doug and Janet McGlaughlin, are active at First Troy where Doug serves on staff. The Lees have been working with the Northern Sereer people for the past two years.
Campbell and Rhea visited five different villages, going twice to two of them as they shared with the Sereer Safreen people. Their pattern was to meet with the chief of the village and then, in one case, to spend hours sharing with the important men of the village. In the second case, when the chief knew they were coming, he invited everyone in the village. Many women, girls, boys, and young men came as well.
“We would gather under a tree and share Jesus with them,” Campbell said. “All the people were very friendly and open and glad to have us visit, even though they were all Muslim.
“Using a translator, we were able to take them from creation to the cross. With their culture they don’t have a concept of needing a Savior. They know of Jesus but they do not know Jesus. They think of Jesus Christ as a prophet like Elijah or any other Biblical prophet. In each village after sharing and just talking to and visiting with the village people, they extended an invitation to come back and spend time with them.”
Campbell said an open door seems to exist when it comes to getting the Gospel to these two particular villages. A trip for April/May is already being planned. Another visit could be made in the fall.