The Reynolds' Report

Keep On Praying

2008-06-16T10:25:00.001Z

We want to thank you so much for lifting us before the Father. He is truly working here. In our last letter, we asked you to pray for the five volunteers who were joining us to visit door-to-door in three different neighborhoods. They were a great help to us as we distributed over 300 pieces of media (books, Bibles, cassettes, DVD’s, CD’s). Most every household was willing to receive these gifts. Please pray that these seeds that have been planted will take root and grow into people following our Savior and having true peace, joy, and eternal life!

Now we are trying to follow up on those who seemed the most interested in understanding what we had to share with them. We were welcomed into many homes, but some were only being polite. We are praying that we will be able to talk more with those who are truly seeking. Today, Crystal and her sister went out to visit a family. A young man in the household was asking many questions about one of the testimonies he had watched on the DVD we had left before. They were able to share with him the way to have peace with God. Please pray for Kirk as he is thinking. He is supposed to come to our home to visit this Sunday evening.

Also, today, Crystal and her sister were able to visit at the school near our home. We are planning on giving them some books in English that are no longer being used at our Baptist center. We met with the principal and some others. They were very happy about adding these textbooks to their library. Please pray for this junior high school named David Diop. They have about 800-900 students! We have a relationship with this school because of the students who come to swing and play in the park in front of our house. We are praying about how this relationship can be built upon to reach teachers and students in our small part of this vast city. The Lord is so good about bringing all things about to accomplish His purposes!

Also, please be praying for our basketball clinic that will be coming up the first of July. Don’t worry, we’re not coaching!! We have volunteers coming from Florida and New England to help us reach families in the Castor/Derkle neighborhoods. This is the fourth year for this clinic here. We have great relationships already. Please pray that people would be open to hearing why we believe and live differently than they do. Pray that all of us will share boldly in every home where we visit. Pray that people will decide to follow Christ.

Oh, we can’t forget our friends, Mariah and Shaun. She is still reading her Bible and asking Crystal lots of questions. Chad has been able to spend time with Shaun showing how to live a life that honors God. The other night, this couple was able to talk with Crystal’s mother about why she is full of joy. She was able to share her faith with them.

We are so excited to see God at work and so privileged to be a part of the work! Please keep on praying. Just when we get so tired and think that nothing is happening, we press on and see that much IS happening. We could not continue, though, without your support. WE THANK YOU!!!!!

Volunteers & Visitors

2008-04-22T14:56:00.000Z

We hope you are doing well in your part of the world. We are sailing right along into visitor and volunteer season here. Chad’s grandparents were just here for a couple of weeks. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and showing them our life here. Chad’s grandfather even got to share some Bible stories with a digital player in the park in front of our house. The people knew that it must be important if this older gentleman was taking time to share it! Please pray that the families our grandparents met will remember what was shared and will ask more questions about following The Way.

Today, we just had a group of volunteers come in to prayerwalk and share CD’s, cassettes, and DVD’s with people in several neighborhoods around us. They will be here until next Monday. Please be in prayer for them and the people they meet. Pray for hearts to be open and receptive to the Truth from God’s Word. Pray that we all will have the stamina to go out for several hours each day. Pray that all of our team members will be able to translate well as the volunteers share their testimonies. You can pray for our volunteers by name: Rick, Charles, Wayne, Sandi, and Leah. We are really looking forward to what God is going to accomplish this week!

This note is short because we wanted to ask you to be praying for us and our volunteers this week. We will write more in a report next week.

We thank you so much for praying!!

Uncomfortable...

2008-02-16T22:41:00.000Z

...Is what we are most of the time here in our city. No, it's not because of the weather. We've gotten used to that. It's not because of our house, a lack of good food, or lack of a nice vehicle to drive. All of these things are wonderfully provided by many of you through your gifts to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering - and we thank you.

No, we are often uncomfortable because we live in a place of spiritual darkness. Our spirits are heavy. We are burdened for the people of this city who are following a religion that has twisted the Truth. Therefore, the ruler of this world has free reign. You can definitely see it as people are so jealous of one another, fearful of curses being put on them, and unsure of what will happen to them when they die. They are worried about appeasing God so that He won't be angry with them and do terrible things to them. We see hundreds of people every day who are lost and have no hope.

As we go out each week, we actually place ourselves in awkward and uncomfortable situations. In an effort to befriend our neighbors, we attend baby naming ceremonies, weddings, holiday celebrations, and neighborhood get-togethers where we don't know what to say or what to do or how to fit-in. We are constantly looking for an opening in a conversation to share the truth of the Gospel. You would think that we would finally get comfortable - but we don't. You see, there is a lot at stake. Our enemy does not want us to succeed because he wants everyone to stay deceived in darkness. We are bringing light and he is doing every thing he can to snuff it out. He distracts people. He makes them deaf. He scares them.

However, praise God that He helps us through every conversation and every situation. His Spirit has gone ahead of us and is preparing the hearts of people to receive the Truth. And here is where you come in. We need you. We need you to pray fervently for us and our co-workers. We need you praying for the people we have listed in newsletters. We need you praying that we can hand out materials (cassettes, DVD's, Bibles) and share the Gospel at least four times per week. Please pray that barriers would be removed and that they wouldn't be afraid to listen to what we have to say. Pray that their hearts would be open to hearing the Truth.

Thank you so much for praying for Mariah and Shaun last week. Crystal's time with them went well. Our boys behaved amazingly well (truly a miracle!). Mariah has been "devouring" the Word. She had questions about creation and fasting last week, and we had a wonderful discussion. She said she had more questions, but she had forgotten them. She is going to start writing them down so that we can discuss them. We have been praying in their home and for their housekeeper. They say they have a greater peace now. Please continue to pray for this family because there will come a time of crisis in their belief system. Pray that they will desire to follow Christ.

Last, but certainly not least, please pray for our family February 18-22. Crystal will be traveling to Abidjan for a conference, and Chad will be staying at home with the boys. He will work half days at the office while Chase is in school. Please pray that all goes smoothly.

His Word Shall Not Return Void

2008-02-06T09:12:00.000Z

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-12

We hope you are doing well. We want to thank you so much for praying for us. We have a couple of updates and prayer requests to share with you today.

First, several of you were praying for Cheikh's son. We praise God that the boy has fully recovered from a very severe strain of malaria. Cheikh was so touched that we would care about his son. Please pray that Cheikh will realize that it is Jesus who heals and desires us to follow Him. Pray that we will have more opportunities for spiritual conversations.

Also, you have been praying for our non-believing friends, Mariah and Shaun, and their baby. Well, we are seeing the Lord at work! Last week, the woman confided in Crystal that her housekeeper has a "spirit" who often visits her at night. This opened the door for us to share with this precious family. We gave them a Bible in Arabic, and Mariah began to read it immediately! Chad was able to pray in their home and for the housekeeper. The housekeeper is afraid of what will happen. Mariah is afraid for her baby daughter. Please pray that this family will come to know the ONE who casts out all fear!

When Crystal called to check on Mariah yesterday, she said she has been reading the Bible every day, and she has many questions. She wants to meet again to visit. Please pray for us as we meet Wednesday to discuss the Word. It is so exciting to see the Spirit of God moving! Pray for Crystal to have wisdom in her responses to Mariah's questions. Also, please pray for Shawn, as he does not seem to be as interested in spiritual things.

As we work here, we are humbled and see how inadequate we are. We realize that we are completely dependent upon God. Not only do we not have all of the answers, we often don't even have one answer! We take comfort in knowing that you are interceding for us, and for those with whom we are sharing. We thank you!!!

A Christmas Meal

2008-01-02T16:13:00.000Z

"For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "From now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:33-35

The Sunday before Christmas, they came to our home to eat an American meal. There were twelve ladies, two teenage girls, and one younger girl. They were dressed up in their beautiful, brightly-colored dresses and headwraps. They had a wonderful time visiting with one another, teasing each other, and laughing. They ate lots of salad, spaghetti and meat sauce, garlic bread, and apple crisp. Their stomachs were full, but most of their souls were empty. Only four are followers of Christ.

As we traditionally do with our family, we read the Christmas story from Luke 2. We read it in their heart language, Wolof. Then, one of the believers shared her testimony of how following Christ pulled her out of a life of sickness and fear in another religion and the rituals of her ancestors. She told the ladies how her life is now peaceful and full of joy. The ladies all listened intently, and when she was through, they had many comments and a few questions.

We want to ask you to pray fervently for the eight non-believers who were with us. Pray that they will listen to the stories from the Bible on the CD's they received. Pray that they will have dreams of who Jesus is, and that they will not be afraid to ask questions about the religion they have followed their entire lives. Please pray also for our two good friends from Crystal's English class who were unable to attend, Anna and Mary. Anna has now heard about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and has many questions. Please pray that we will have wisdom in answering these questions.

Also, we have some friends who are not Senegalese, but with whom we have become very close. Chad has had a few opportunities to share his faith with the husband, as Crystal has with the wife. They have a beautiful baby, and last night as I (Crystal) held her, and saw the portions of their holy book pinned to her dress, I realized that she has no one in her home to tell her about Jesus. I prayed over her, but I would like to ask that each of you would pray that this family will come to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We thank you so much for your prayers for us and for our work here. We thank you for your financial support as you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program. You make it possible for us to continue each day in the calling that God has placed on our lives. Many days are not easy, but we know that God is faithful, strong, and able to help us.

We pray that you have had a blessed Christmas, and that you will grow in the fullness of God's love throughout 2008.

Are you always like this?

2007-09-19T16:23:00.000Z

"Are you always like this?" This is what one of the ladies in my group asked one day. "What do you mean?" I asked. This woman wanted to know if we still dressed, acted, and taught the same things when we are in the U.S. She had been told that westerners come in and teach some things, and then go back home and act differently. I assured her that although I don't wear all my African outfits in the U.S., I still dress modestly, act the same, and teach the same things from God's Word. She was relieved. I was saddened, though, to think that there are already people trying to discourage her from learning the Truth in God's Word.

My group of ladies has reached a major point in our study. A few weeks ago, they were thrilled as the Israelites finally reached the Promised Land. We then went through some of the prophecies about Christ. Last Saturday, we talked about how the Koran teaches that they should study the teachings of Jesus (Issa). I sort of gave them the chance to stop studying. But, praise the Lord, they want to continue!! Please pray for their eyes to be opened and their spirits to receive the wonderful news of Christ being the final sacrifice for our sins. We will meet this Thursday morning and then Saturday before we leave for vacation. Please pray that nothing hinders our study.

Many of you know that the month of fasting (Ramadan) has started. We have many friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who do not allow any food or drink to touch their lips from sunup to sundown. Often, they won't even swallow their own saliva! I asked my friend why they fast. She said it was so that their sins would be forgiven. Also, she said that if you wanted anything, this is a good time to ask for it. It is a pretty miserable time for them because it is so hot right now.

It is really sad for us to watch this going on because we know that their works and sacrifice are not "earning" them anything with God. The one bright spot in all of this is that people often have dreams and visions during this time. Please pray with us that many will truly seek God, and that He will reveal Himself to them in their dreams. Many former Muslims say that they became followers of Christ after He came to them in a dream!

Also, please pray for Chad as he finishes up mountains of work at the office before we leave. Pray that he will have few interruptions, and will work very efficiently. He is also asking for wisdom as he has taken on an additional role as the IMB representative on the board of directors of the missionary school here in town.

We thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us and our work here. You help to keep us going each day!

Basketball Camp Results

2007-07-30T14:07:00.000Z

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us as we had the basketball camp a couple of weeks ago. The weather was beautiful, and we had at least 125 children and youth participating. Each of them was able to know our Savior's love as our team and the volunteers shared and played with them.

They heard the Good News each day as well. The team visited in many homes; and as they did, we had something happen that we personally have never seen before here in Dakar. Eight people decided to follow The Way !!!!! We are rejoicing greatly. Please pray for these new believers as they learn how to follow our Savior. They will probably face persecution from their families, friends, and neighbors. Ask the Father to give them strength to persevere.
We were not able to visit every home while the volunteers were here, so we are now trying to do that. Please pray that the materials we are giving out will be well-received. Pray that we will meet the parents of these students, and that entire households will be saved.

Also, we have a summer missionary helping us, and she is great! She is living with a Senegalese family. She helped with the basketball camp, and is helping visit homes. She is also teaching English at a cultural center near our church. Please pray that she will have great conversations that will impact her students. Also, that the family she is living with will hear and understand The Truth.

Thank you again for praying. We couldn't make it here without your support.

Upward Bound!

2007-07-10T19:20:00.000Z

This is the first time we have had a few minutes to write to you about what is happening this week. We have a volunteer team from Florida here to help us host basketball camps. We have a camp in the morning for the younger children, and one in the afternoon for older youth.

After camp each day, the coaches go into the homes of the youth, and share God's Truth with their families, pray for them, and give them some materials about how to follow The Way.
The first two days have gone very well. We would like to ask that you lift up the camp leaders and participants this week.

Please pray for the following:
1. That parents will continue to allow their children to attend the camp.
2. That the leaders will all have strength, energy, and good health. It is very hot and muggy right now.
3. That God's Spirit would go ahead of the volunteers, and the way of salvation will be shared clearly.
4. That many people will watch and read the DVD's and books that are being given out.
5. That those who are truly seeking God will come.
6. That those who are seeking to destroy God's work will stay away.

We have attached a couple of pictures to help you see a little of what's going on. We'll let you know next week how God has answered your prayers!!

There are no words to express the peace that the Lord gives us in knowing that all of you are praying for us and for the work here. We thank you!!!!

Give the White Lady a kiss!

2007-06-18T09:09:00.000Z

...this is what a Senegalese family told their 3 year-old son as Crystal sat in their living room. He was reluctant, but obedient. He was precious! But Tapha and his whole family are lost. Crystal visited this home with a group of high school and university students from International World Changers.

This is IWC's first time to come to Senegal. From June 15 to 25, we are visiting in schools and homes and distributing the book, All That the Prophets Have Spoken, and a DVD that has testimonies of how people from another world religion have become followers of Jesus. We are excited to have this group with us. They will be in Dakar and in some of the towns where we have workers. Please pray that many seeds will be sown during this time, and that the Lord will bring us those who are truly seeking Him. Pray for safety as we travel all around and for everyone to stay in good health. Also, pray that everyone can endure the heat.

Updates:
+ Not much has changed with Edward; please continue to pray that he will seek God, and not just financial gain. However, his wife Anna has been studying with Crystal and is very open. She remembers all of the stories from God's Word that we have been sharing. Please pray that she will understand the Truth, and decide to follow our Savior.
+ Mary also continues to study. She is learning English very quickly. Please pray that she will receive the stories, and that her whole family would be saved. Also, she could leave at any time to join her husband in another country. Pray that we will have enough time to share what needs to be shared before she leaves.
+ Please pray for Mariama who wants to study, but has a 6 month-old baby who makes it difficult for her to join us. Pray that she will make coming to our lessons a priority, and that she will seek God.
+ Crystal's best friend has decided to join the English/ Story study group. She is a believer and can help explain some things when Crystal lacks the vocabulary to do it. Our Father is so good to send us help exactly when we need it!

Please pray for Chad's workload as it has increased again due to one of our personnel having to leave the field for medical reasons. This is stressful for all those in the financial office. In addition, Chad is continuing to work on his seminary class which he will attend in July.

We thank you so much for remembering us before the Father. The hot and humid season has arrived which adds to the stress of cross-cultural living. Pray that we will have patience and understanding in our relationships as well as the strength to perspire - I mean persevere!

Long Overdue

2007-05-15T23:00:00.000Z

Yes, we are long overdue with a newsletter. Can we just say that we are grateful that we won't have to work on computers in Heaven? We have had major problems with ours which contained all of your addresses! We have finally managed to retrieve most of them. So, here goes.

We have been busy with quite a few things lately. Chad has a greater workload in the office now because his supervisor is out of the office for language study. Chad has been charged with compiling the West Africa region's budget request for 2008, and that has added a lot of work on top of his regular responsibilities. Also, he is taking a seminary class by extension, so he has lots of reading and other assignments.

Crystal is still studying Wolof, but did receive her required level of proficiency at the last evaluation. Praise the Lord!! She is also teaching English and Bible stories to several girls and ladies each week.

Our boys are ages 3 and 16 months now, so they are ALWAYS busy. Chase is learning to speak more French and Wolof, and he is playing better with the children in the neighborhood. Another huge praise to our Lord! Caleb is not talking yet. We think he is just trying to decide which language to speak.He is lots of fun, though, and he loves everyone. They love him, too.

We had asked some of you to pray for Edward as we explained how he must choose whether he wants to follow the ways of the major religion here, or to follow Christ. He has really been sitting on the fence. He had a crisis in his life that allowed us to share very directly with him. He is now doing better as he is working, and he is still reading the Bible. Please continue to pray for him because it often takes people awhile to make such an important decision.
Edward's wife, Anna, is one of the ladies who is studying with Crystal. She is truly a joy to know. She is very open to hearing God's Word, and eager to discuss the various topics. Please pray that she will be saved.

Also, thank you for praying for Mary. She has come back in full force. She is studying with Crystal 3 days a week. She even brings her younger sister, Victoria. We have now met a lot of her family, and are planning to eat lunch with them this Saturday. Please continue to pray that they will be saved as well.

Finally, we have another lady named Mariama who has said she wants to study with us, but she has only been able to attend one class. Please pray that she will be able to continue, and that she will be saved.

Please pray for our group of students who meet in front of the house. We have had many, many interruptions, and most girls have stopped coming.

Please pray that they will return. One praise in this area, though, is that Crystal was able to visit their school with some volunteers. She met the Saturday English teacher, and he invited her to come speak to his class anytime! Pray that we will be able to share with many more students and teachers there.

Once again, we thank each of you for praying for us and for the work here. We know God is working, but sometimes it seems like we are climbing a mountain with very heavy backpacks. Your prayers help to lighten our load. We couldn't continue without you. We pray that you realize the joy of the Lord in your life and work today. As always, be sure to let us know how we can be praying for you.

Father Abraham...

2007-03-20T15:33:00.000Z

When we last wrote, we were concerned about how the story of Abraham’s faith being tested would be received by the students. Well, we just have to say, “Praise the Lord!” and thank you for praying. It took several weeks to actually get to tell the story because Senegal had their presidential elections and school was out more than it was in. However, finally, the day came when Crystal got to share the story. The students listened, answered the questions, and had no problem with it at all! In fact, we learned a song about Abraham in Wolof and we taught them “Father Abraham” in English. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. All afternoon, we could hear children singing the songs in the park. Please continue to pray that the Truth will penetrate their hearts and minds so that one day they will understand and desire to follow Jesus.

Thank you, too for praying about the elections. Everything went smoothly and mostly peacefully. There were a few demonstrations, but the country didn’t have any real instability.

You also have been praying for Mary. She took a few weeks off from studying because of the elections. We were worried that she might be politely saying she wasn’t coming back. Yet, she also came again this last week, and we had a wonderful discussion about original sin. In addition, she told me about a movie that is being shown here on TV. It is attempting to scare people into becoming stronger, more religious Muslims. At first we were worried, but now we think this could work to help us. Please pray that people will want to think more about their relationship with God and eternity, and that they will hear the Truth.

Chad continues to visit with some guys in the market near his office. Please pray that he will be able to have deeper spiritual conversations with them.

We also have another young woman, named Anna, who wants to learn English and to study the Bible stories. Please pray that we can work out our schedules to include time with her.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We are so grateful for your prayers, and the role you play in the Lord’s work here.

Standing in the Need of Prayer

2007-02-14T22:07:00.000Z

We know it has been a long time since our last newsletter. It seems like our home, our children, and our work keep us very busy. Can I get an “Amen!” from anyone?

We do hope you are well. We thank you for praying for us. We have had some great lessons with our students. The other day, Crystal told the story of Noah, the ark, and God’s promise-the rainbow. Her friend and helper, Mariama said, “Be sure you help the students understand this story.” She said it was important because here many people think that a rainbow appears when God is angry with people, and everyone must hurry to the mosque to pray! This is just one example of how the truth has been twisted by their religious teachers.

This deception is one reason that we are so compelled to write and ask for prayer. Next week Crystal will be sharing the story of Abraham’s faithfulness to God in being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac; and God’s provision of a ram to take his place. Here, many people believe that it was Ishmael who was almost sacrificed and that God’s promised one would come through his line – not Isaac’s. This is another perversion of the truth. We are praying that this will not keep any of our students from continuing to come to our class.

In addition, Crystal is teaching English to another lady named Mary who is very interested in the stories. She even thought Crystal must be Muslim because she has NEVER KNOWN a white person to know God’s Word so well! Boy is she in for some wonderful surprises in the Scriptures. We are praying that the deception which she has lived under her whole life is lifted and that she comes to know the Savior.

Chad has been spending time in a market near where he works each day. He has had many interesting conversations. We are praying that he will find people who are seeking the truth about God and desiring a relationship with Him.

We thank you so much for your prayers for us and for the people here. Please pray that the barriers that have kept them from hearing about Jesus will be removed and the way will be cleared for many to know Him. Also, pray for Senegal as they will have their presidential elections the end of February. Politics are very difficult in West Africa. Please pray that there will be peace and that an honest leader will be elected.

Please keep us updated on your lives as well. We love hearing what is going on where you are, too.

The Sheep Says, “Baaaaaa!!”

2006-12-30T14:50:00.000Z

We are saying this to Caleb quite often because it is noisier than usual at our house. Our neighbor, Abi – and all our other neighbors, have bought their sheep for Tabaski, the Muslim holiday when every family sacrifices at least one sheep in remembrance of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son. It is a very festive day here as everyone dresses up, eats a huge meal, and visits their friends and family. However, it is sad for us because we know that this sacrifice does not bring them one bit closer to God. We are trying to share with them that Jesus was the final sacrifice who has paid for our sins. Please pray along with us that we will have many opportunities to share this truth with our friends and neighbors.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We thank you for praying for us during this season. Many people here think that Christmas is some wild partying holiday with lots of food and drinking and that Santa Claus is the main character. We have been telling everyone we can about the true meaning of Christmas. We have given out quite a few New Testaments in Wolof along with our gifts of little cakes and bags of rice. We tell each person to whom we give a gift that we give because God has given us the greatest gift ever given. Please pray that their hearts will be touched and their spirits will be open to reading and hearing God’s truth.

Also, you have been praying for our storying groups with middle-schoolers. Thank you!! We have had over 60 students sit in for at least one story. In addition, we have quite a few faithful ones who are here every time and can repeat every story. We have lots of fun! Please continue praying that the Word will penetrate their hearts and change their lives.

Finally, many of you have given to your churches’ mission funding, the Cooperative Program, and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We want to say a huge THANK YOU to you. You are playing a vital role in keeping us and 5000 other missionaries in our fields of service. You have put a nice roof over our heads, provided us a vehicle to drive, put food on our table, and put God’s Word in the hands of many. We appreciate each one of you.

May you and your family be blessed throughout the New Year!

Very Thankful

2006-11-19T15:25:00.000Z

We can hardly believe that it has been over a year since our family moved to Dakar! We truly have a lot for which we are thankful. We have a beautiful home, wonderful neighbors, Caleb’s safe arrival, many family members who came to visit, good health, the Lord healing us the times we have been ill, a generator to help us make it when the power is cut, our children enjoying Bible stories more than any other books, opportunities to share Jesus with those who are lost, and each one of you who so faithfully lifts us up in prayer. We are grateful to God for His faithfulness in our lives.

In this newsletter, we want to let you know that we are very excited (and a little nervous) as we prepare to start English lessons along with Bible stories on Tuesday, the 21st. This will take place in the little park in front of our house with the students who attend a middle school near us. They “hang out” in this park when they are on a break from school. When Crystal told them we would start next week, they shouted and jumped around! They are excited, too. We have another missionary who will be helping as well as David, Yacine, and Mariama who will help with the Bible stories in Wolof.

Please pray for the following:
1) That the hearts of the students will be open and ready to hear the Truth from God’s Word.
2) That we can learn all of their names, and really build relationships with them.
3) That no one in our neighborhood will oppose us.
4) That none of the students’ parents will object to their coming.
5) That some of the parents would even come to hear the stories.
6) That David, Yacine, and Mariama will be able to tell the stories well and answer any questions clearly.
7) That we will do this relying on God’s strength rather than our own.
8) That we will find those who are truly seeking God and lead them faith in Christ.

We desperately need you to be praying. We know that nothing will happen without the Lord’s Spirit moving ahead of us. If you are interested in fasting as well, we want to fast on Mondays at lunch time. We are calling it “Lundi (Monday in French) Lunch for the Lost.” We hope you can join with us.

“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods.”
1 Chron. 16:23-25

We pray that you and your families will have a blessed Thanksgiving. We love and appreciate each of you.

The Spirit of God

2006-10-10T20:40:00.000Z

Thank you for you prayers. This is a difficult time for us, as it is Ramadan (the month of fasting) for Muslims. They do not eat or drink all day long. They don’t even swallow their own spit. It makes everyone grumpier and more impatient. The hard part for us is that it is a time of much spiritual warfare. We often get opportunities to share about why we are not required to fast at a certain time to earn God’s favor. We share that we get to fast sometimes mainly to draw closer to God. So, as you can imagine, the enemy does not want us sharing this Good News. Many of our personnel (our family included) have had multiple illnesses, family emergencies in the States, broken bones, etc. Would you please pause to pray for our health and well-being especially for the next few weeks? Also, please lift up those who are truly seeking God – that they would know the Truth, and that God would send them dreams and visions which are a powerful confirmation in this culture.

But, God’s Spirit is moving:

We would like to take a few minutes to give you updates on some volunteer teams who worked here in Dakar. First was the Vacation Bible School which took place the week we headed out for vacation. We helped with the preparation and registration. An interesting thing happened in that we were working with the French-speaking Baptist church, and we asked the man who is in charge of the neighborhood if we could invite all of the children in the neighborhood to the VBS. He was reluctant because the VBS was to be held in the church. He said that it would be better to hold the “camp” at a nearby school! This opened many doors in the community for the church. There were at least 75 children who participated in VBS and very few were members of the church. Many parents attended the closing ceremony where the children sang praise songs and acted out Bible stories. Each family was given a “goody bag” with school supplies, candy, and Bible stories on cassettes. All were very happy to receive these gifts. Please pray that they will receive God’s greatest Gift – His Son!

In September, the basketball camp was also a huge success. A team of 4 men and 1 woman came from Florida to help with it. There was a morning camp and an afternoon camp. There were at least 36 students involved in each of the camps. After each basketball practice, the team visited in the participants’ homes. This means that at least 72 home visits were made during the week! Please pray that the local church will be able to follow up on the contacts made in these homes.

Another way we have seen God’s Spirit moving is in the life of our favorite taxi driver, Ibrahima. Many of you have prayed a long time for this man, his wife Fatou, and their 5 children. Well, the other day, he came by and was very distraught about his work situation. He only rents the taxi that he drives and is having lots of problems with the owner. He has been able to observe the lives of many missionaries, and many have shared the Gospel, Bible stories, their testimonies, etc. with him. So, of course, when he told Crystal his problems, she asked him if she could pray for him in Jesus’ name. He agreed, and God’s Spirit moved!! After we had prayed, Ibrahima sat with his head in his hands for so long that Crystal thought maybe he had fallen asleep. But, no, it was the Presence of the Lord dealing with him. So, we still don’t have the answer to his taxi problem, but he is moving closer to a real relationship with God. PLEASE PRAY fervently that he will accept Christ as The Way, The Truth, and The Life. We know everything else will fall into place after that.

Finally, please pray for a missionary family here, Greg and Angela Queen and their daughter, Meredith. They have had several miscarriages and lost a little baby in the past. She is pregnant again, and an ultrasound today showed that this baby has water on the brain. There is a possibility that it can still drain over the next 15 days. Please intercede with us for this precious baby and the family during this time.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prayers. You are helping to sustain us through challenging times. We appreciate each one of you.

Back In Dakar

2006-09-10T18:38:00.000Z

Whew! What a great time our family had as we took a month to vacation in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. We were so blessed to see so many of you, but our time passed so quickly! Thank you for the many ways you blessed us while we were there. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we jump back into our life and ministry here in Dakar. (Don’t worry. We did sleep for about three days after we returned.)

This will be a short newsletter because we mainly want to ask you to pray for a volunteer team who is here right now. They have come to lead a basketball camp for young boys in the neighborhood around the French-speaking Baptist church. There are five people in the group from Callahan Baptist Church in Florida. They are: Mike, Larry, Chuck, and another Mike and his wife Kathy. People from the church will be helping as well.

Please pray for the following:
* Pray that the volunteers and church members will have good visits as they go into the homes of the camp participants each day.
*Pray that the hearts of the basketball players will be stirred by the love that the believers show.
*Pray that people will be open to hearing the Truth of God’s Word and the testimony of the believers.
*Pray for stamina for the volunteers as it is hot and humid right now – at least they are from Florida. They will have a morning group and an afternoon group.

Thank you so much for lifting up these requests this week. We promise to update you soon about the Vacation Bible School last month and this camp.

“I Will Go to Spain or I Will Die…”

2006-06-18T15:07:00.000Z

These were the words of a man Crystal met while we were out with the Arkansas volunteers. His name is Pape (Pop) Konate (Koh-NAH-teh), and he was planning to leave soon in a pirogue (a small canoe-like boat) to go from Dakar all the way up to Spain to try to find a better life. Crystal knew that many people do not survive that trip, so she began to share in her limited Wolof how she is sure that she would go to live with God in Paradise when she dies. He said he was not sure what would happen if he were to die, but he was interested in knowing more about God. We were able to get some materials to him in Wolof and French the next day. Please pray that Pape will seek and find a true relationship with God. Pray that there will be people in his path who can help him understand what he reads and hears.

Pape was only one of the many people with whom we shared the Good News while our volunteers were here. They were a great group of university students. During the first week they went out to schools here in Dakar and passed out a book that explains who Jesus is and how He is the only one who fulfills all of the prophecies. We only gave books to people we spent some time with in conversation. Astou was a lady with whom Crystal visited and who was very interested in reading the book. Pray for Crystal to make time to go back and visit with her again before school is out.

That same week we also went out to a smaller town named Kaolak (Cow-lack) and handed out books at a school with 4000 students! This area has been very closed to the Gospel, but they were excited about the books. In fact, the director of the school wanted to have 60 copies for the teachers to read and discuss in their weekly meetings! Please pray for their eyes and hearts to be open to the Truth. Also, pray for our team members, David and Linda Jackson, who are living in Kaolak.

The second week, the group ministered in a small village where they held a medical clinic, played and did activities with the children, and washed the women’s feet and gave them pedicures. Talk about having servant hearts!! Chad translated for the volunteers and worked with the children. Please pray for this village to be open to hearing the stories from the Bible. Pray for Elliott and Pat Nichols who are our team members living near this village.

The third week, the volunteers prayer-walked in the area around one of the Baptist churches close to Dakar. It was a great encouragement to the church members who had just lost their pastor’s wife and another church member in a car accident in April. Please pray for our local churches to reach the people around them. Evangelical churches are few here and their members face persecution and many trials.

The group also worked with a Baptist church which ministers to talibe (TAL-ee-bay) boys. These are boys who have been given to a religious leader to learn the Koran, but usually are just sent out to beg in the streets. They are often dirty, malnourished, and looking for someone to love them. The team did a great job as they fed, cleaned, gave out clothes to, and played with these boys. It is amazing to think that God knows about each one of these boys and that He loves them and has a plan for them. Please pray that they can learn the truth about God.

Needless to say, we have had a very full three weeks. We are tired, but, oh, so blessed. Please pray for our strength to be renewed before the next volunteer team comes at the end of June. They will be doing 2 basketball camps for a week. We will have one more team that will come in August. These teams keep us busy, but we love seeing God at work! And don’t worry, there is still plenty of room and a great need for any of you who would like to come and help with the work here!

We love you and thank you for praying for us!!

Ummm… What did you say?!?!?

2006-05-20T19:27:00.000Z

Well, pray-ers, we want to thank you for responding to our request in trying to discover how many of you are out there. We were overwhelmed to calculate that we have at least 650 people praying for our family, our work, and the lost people around us!! We are expecting God to do great things as He hears our prayers.

As most of you know, Chad and Crystal are mainly studying language right now. The language spoken in Dakar from their colonization period is French, and the dominant local language is Wolof. Chad is studying French, and Crystal is studying Wolof. We want desperately to be able to communicate the Gospel in these other languages. Our studies have been going very well. However, learning new languages is not always easy. Even when you know the right words, people still might not understand you.

Like today, Crystal went to answer a knock at our gate. It was one of the children asking to use the swing for the park (that’s right THE swing – and we had brought it with us!). Crystal was trying to tell him in Wolof that everyone was resting, so he needed to come back later. He got this confused look on his face and said, “The swing is sleeping?!?” Crystal tried again to explain, but he just shook his head and said he would come back tomorrow.

Seriously though, this is a big request that we have. Pray that we will be able to speak and understand French and Wolof.

Next, we are excited that our first volunteer team comes in TOMORROW! They are college students from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. We have several requests related to their visit. First, pray for all of the travel involved and everyone’s health.

They will be helping to distribute a book in the some of the schools in Dakar and some other towns. The book is to help Muslims understand who Jesus is. Please pray that many will accept and read and understand this book. Pray that they will want to know more about Jesus and that they will follow Him!!

Also, the group will be going to a village to do a medical/dental clinic. Pray that people will listen to the Bible stories that can heal their hearts while their bodies and teeth are being cared for.

Their final ministry will be with talibe boys in Dakar. These are the boys who have been given to religious leaders to learn the Koran. However, they end up being malnourished, often ill, dirty, and begging in the streets. Pray that they will see and understand God’s love. Pray that they will decide to follow Jesus rather than their religious leader.

One of the great things for us is that our family gets to be involved! All of us will go out for four days of travel and ministry, and Chad will continue on with the group for an additional week. We are thrilled!

Well, this has been an extra long newsletter, but we wanted to let you know how to be praying.

Baby Dedication

2006-04-24T19:26:00.000Z

Thank you so much for praying for the dedication ceremony for Caleb this past Saturday. God’s presence was very evident throughout the day as all of the details came together with the help of several Senegalese friends. They are such a blessing to us.

We had a very good crowd of people. We served breakfast about 11:00 (actually, we should call it brunch), which consisted of an oatmeal-like dish with raisins called ‘laax’ (lock) with either ‘sow’ (so), a yogurt sauce, or neteri (net-uh-ree), a peanut butter sauce. Senegalese eat tons of it. Crystal thinks it is delicious, but Chad and Chase aren’t quite sold on it yet. After all of the guests had eaten, Crystal went around inviting all of the neighbors to bring their bowls, and we sent laax back with them for their households.

A terrific lunch of ‘ceebu yapp’ (cheboo-yap) came about 2:30 and consisted of rice, vegetables, and beef. Everyone ate lots and lots. We drank local juices, called bissap (bee-sap) and bouy (boo-ee), as well as cokes and Fanta.

During all of this, we had drummers playing to let all of the neighbors know that a special event is taking place. For the ceremony, we began with a time of singing - Christian songs in Wolof, French, and English. Pastor Seikou (say-koo) then shared a wonderful message. He explained that this is not a baptism service, that Caleb will be baptized when he chooses to follow Christ for himself, and then he explained how God has a plan for each baby who is born. He shared the Gospel and how Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies that had been given. Finally, he prayed for us and Caleb, the children who were gathered with us, the children in our neighborhood, the children in the city, and the children in the whole country. It was beautiful!! Our hearts were touched as he prayed for Senegalese children to have enough food. You know, that is something that we take for granted in the United States. We know, however, that they have an even greater need – that is to know Christ.

Over half of the people who attended are not believers. Our time Saturday was a great opportunity to witness to these. Isatou (for whom you have been praying for awhile) was there, and after the prayer time, she leaned over to Crystal and said, “It is so important to depend on God to help with your children. Please pray that I will be able to have children and have wisdom to rear them.” Crystal promised that she certainly would – and for much more! Also, our neighbors were able to see that we are people of God and that we want to be friends with them. Please continue to pray with us that the seeds that were planted will take root and grow. We thank you for being involved in this work with us. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do next!!

>see pictures at www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com

Pray for Baby Dedication

2006-04-22T00:07:00.000Z

We have an urgent (but not an emergency) prayer request. I have been hoping to write this email all week, but it did not happen as our week was very full. It was finally decided on Tuesday that we would have our baby dedication ceremony at our house THIS SATURDAY. This is a big event here. We have invited over 100 people and we will feed them breakfast and lunch. Around 11 am we will have a time of preaching and prayer. This will be done by the Senegalese pastor who was my pastor when I lived in Dakar previously. Normally, Muslims will have a baby naming ceremony. They have prayers, go to the mosque, shave the baby's head, and sacrifice a sheep. PLEASE PRAY that our Christian ceremony will be a witness to our friends and neighbors, and that they will ask many questions. PLEASE PRAY that we will be able to speak other languages clearly. PLEASE PRAY that pastor Seikou will have the right words to say, and that the Holy Spirit will move in the spirits of those attending. PLEASE PRAY that all of the last details will come together and that our friends and neighbors will know that we love them! Thank you so much for praying. We will post pictures of the event on the blogspot.

Petitions & Praises

2006-04-11T10:42:00.000Z

We hope this note finds you doing well. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. At this time, we need all of you to help us in a little project. We have to discover how many people are praying for our family and our work here in Senegal. This is going to be a challenge since our emails are often forwarded or printed out and shared with groups. So, if only you read our emails, you don’t have to do anything. However, if you forward or share our requests in any way (and we really hope you do!), we need you to email us an estimate of how many people besides yourself are lifting us before the Father. We are being asked to report these numbers to our leadership. We really appreciate your help.

So, on to how God is at work! Thank you for praying for Isatou. She was finally able to come to learn how to fry fish in cornmeal. We just laughed because it is so simple. She thinks she will start serving it at their restaurant. She and Crystal had only about an hour and a half together, so they did not get to listen to any spiritual tapes. However, they were able to discuss the aspects that God sees and knows our hearts, He is faithful, and He forgives! God is building a relationship between Isatou’s family and our family. We trust that soon she will hear the Truth and believe. She has asked that we pray for her uncle who was badly burned during one of our many power outages when his clothes caught on fire from a candle. Pray for his complete healing and that God would be glorified.

We are preparing for how we can rejoice in what the Lord has done and is doing as we approach Easter weekend. We do plan to gather with a couple of missionary families for lunch that day after worship services. But, we also want to be able to share with our neighbors the joy and hope that we have as we remember our Savior. Please pray that we will be used by God to share His Truth that day in a way that they will understand.

Normally, we reserve our family news for our blogspot, but we just have to share that we are praising the Lord for two new precious babies in our families. Crystal’s sister, Sheri, and brother-in-law, Mark, had a baby boy on March 21st who is named Jackson Thomas Burgen. And Chad’s brother, Sonny, and sister-in-law, Ellen, had a baby boy named Waylon Dean Reynolds on April 10th. We praise the Lord for His wonderful blessings. We do ask that you pray for us and for our families as it is hard to be separated during these big life events. We will get to meet our new nephews when we are in the States for vacation.

Thank you for praying!! We enjoy hearing what is going on in your lives as well. We are happy to pray for any requests you have. Just let us know! Many blessings and Happy Easter! He is risen!!!!

Odds & Ends

2006-03-19T17:55:00.000Z

We hope each of you are well. We thank the Lord for His faithfulness in our lives and for providing so many of you to support us in prayer. Instead of one story or topic in this newsletter, we need to share about several issues where we need your prayers.

First, we want to thank you for praying for believers who are being persecuted. Our housekeeper’s family has been allowed to stay in their apartment. The other family is being forced to leave. The landlord even told our friends to try to find some other believers to fill the soon to be empty apartment. This is a huge victory! We praise the Lord for His faithfulness. Please continue to pray for their influence on their neighbors.

God’s spirit is moving. We have been hearing of many open doors for our colleagues sharing the Good News. One of our guards was baptized in the ocean last week. It was a joyous occasion! Pray that he will grow in his faith and study with other believers.

We are having opportunities to be Christ’s influence as well. We had the Dione family over for dinner last weekend. We were able to talk about how important it is to know God’s Word – not just repeat prayers. We talked about how to bring up our children in the Lord. Pray that He will be glorified in their family. They are very influential in our neighborhood.

Chad continues to attend the university where he is surrounded by nonbelievers. Please pray that he will have opportunities to share the Good News with them.

Finally, please be praying for a beautiful young lady named Isatou. She is the wife of our main guard. She is not a believer. She follows another major world religion. We have been praying for her for a while now. Crystal has specifically been praying for a time to talk with her. We always feed any helpers who are around at mealtimes. So this includes the guard every evening. Well, the other day, we had fish for dinner. Crystal fried it in cornmeal, you know, the good southern way. The guard loved it!! He said, “You have to teach my wife how to make this.” They have a restaurant, so they are always interested in good food. Soon, Isatou will be coming to our house to learn how to fry fish in cornmeal! Please pray that we will be able to have a spiritual conversation. Pray that her heart would be open and ready to hear the Good News. Pray that Crystal will be able to speak French and Wolof well enough to communicate.

Thank you for all of your prayers. We really need you to continue lifting us up. The people here are so spiritually oppressed. As we bring the Light, the enemy comes against us spiritually. Some days and nights are challenging to say the least. However, we realize that sharing the Good News IS our reason for being here. Please pray that we will have many opportunities.

Persecution

2006-02-19T23:36:00.000Z

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matt. 5:11-12

A Senegalese evangelist and his family live in an apartment building here in Dakar. They truly love the Lord and want to see others pulled from the darkness into the Light. Often, they hold prayer meetings in their home. Most of their neighbors are Muslim and are antagonistic towards this family. They speak badly about them. They are trying to get the landlord to kick them out. However, if they lose this apartment, it would be difficult to find other housing due to their financial situation and the fact that housing is scarce here in Dakar.

Recently, one of the neighbor boys (who has caused problems before) forced his way into the apartment where the family lives. Only the daughters and young son were at home. He proceeded to destroy the apartment, some of their property, and to hit one of the girls. He finally stopped when the oldest girl began to hit him back. After this happened, the landlord was demanding that they pay for the damaged property or he would evict them (since he was looking for a way to pacify all the other tenants). Many of us have prayed for this situation and God has proven His faithfulness. The family has filed a police report which should make the family of the boy pay for the damages and either put him in jail or some other form of punishment. For now, they get to stay in their home.

So, why are we telling you this story now? There are many more families and individuals like our housekeeper’s family described above. We want you to understand what we mean when we say that people are persecuted for their faith. We want you to understand that it can be hard to follow Christ. We want to ask you to pray for the Christians who are living here in Dakar. We ask that you would pray for those who are on the brink of accepting Christ- a weighty decision – but are worried about the persecution they will face. Pray they will have courage and that God will sustain them. Pray that we would not take lightly our own salvation.

Thank you for your prayers for us and those around us. You are vital in the Lord’s work here.

Coincidence?

2006-02-04T23:34:00.000Z

Many of you have heard the story of Ibrahima Dieng (Jaing) the taxi driver and have been praying for him. For those of you who have not, he is a driver that Crystal had known in Dakar when she lived here in 2001. He has been driving missionaries around since that time. Many of us have been able to share the Good News with him. His wife is named Fatou and they have several children. They are a Muslim family. They have listened to a few of the chronological Bible stories in Wolof. However, they have almost seemed to become more religious and have even sent their youngest daughter to a strict Muslim Koranic school. They are still great friends of ours and many other missionaries.

Here in Dakar most taxi drivers do not own their taxis. The owner has someone drive his taxi and gets a part of the earnings. A few weeks ago, Ibrahima had his taxi taken away from him by the owner who wanted to have someone else drive. This meant that he did not have a way to make money to support his family. We have been praying that he would find another taxi to drive.

Well, the other day, Ibrahima came by our house to show us his “new” taxi. He was so happy – and so were we. He proceeded to tell us how someone he did not even know just happened to call him to ask him to drive the taxi. He said it was such a coincidence. We said, “Coincidence?!?!?” We reminded him that we had all been praying, and asked him who he thought might have helped him. He said, “Oh, yes, God brought me a new taxi!” We thank God for answering our prayer.

PLEASE pray for the Dieng family to come to know our Savior. Pray that we will have wisdom as we continue to live out our faith in front of their family and many others like them. Many are watching us closely to see what is different about our faith. Pray that we will have wisdom. Pray that our reactions to many life situations will be Christlike.

Too Many Sheep

2006-01-13T23:32:00.000Z

This is what Chase said every time we went out. You would not believe the number of sheep we have seen in town over the past week! They lined the main roads with their herders somewhere in the middle. The air was heavy with their baa-ing… and their smell. They were here because of the Muslim holiday called Tabaski. On this day, every family goes to the mosque with their sheep to pray over it, so that it will take on their sins. The sheep is then sacrificed to atone for those sins. They cut up the sheep and barbecue it, and then everyone feasts for the rest of the day. In the evening they all put on their new clothes and go around visiting their neighbors. They ask forgiveness from everyone they meet in case they have offended someone, even unknowingly.

For those of us who know that Jesus is the only true Atonement for our sins, this is really a very sad holiday. We know that all of the praying and sacrificing does nothing to pay for anyone’s sins. Sadder still, is that even after the sacrifice, a Muslim still has no assurance that he will go to Paradise when he dies.

We often feel helpless amidst the millions of people who are deceived and lost. What can just one person do? We have learned that we can pray and we can share the Truth with those nearest to us. We ask that you would pray for the millions of Muslims who are lost. Especially, we ask that you pray for our neighbors with whom we are building relationships. We so want to share the Gospel with them and see their lives truly changed. We want each of them to know the joy and peace of accepting Christ – the True Sacrifice.

Please pray for:
Nane and her husband and family.
Abby, Mohammed, and Leila
Pape, Djibi, Tham, and Chantal
Moustapha

We are asking the Lord that their hearts would be open. We are asking for wisdom and boldness in sharing. We are also asking that we will be able to speak their language well enough to share.
Thank you for praying with us and for us! Each of you is important in the Lord’s work here in Dakar.

Who is Praying for Fallou?

2005-12-19T23:30:00.000Z

We hope all is well as you prepare for celebrating our Savior’s birth. While we don’t have cold weather here, we still seem to have the “Christmas spirit.” There are Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, caroling, and gift exchanges going on.

We are also preparing for the arrival of Caleb. We have found a bassinet for him, but it needed a new cover – since the old one was pink. Caleb probably wouldn’t mind, but his father does! So, finally I (Crystal) braved the very busy fabric market to find fabric. My friend Helene went with me. We searched and searched, and finally came across just the right one – in blue. Then we had to find the tailor. Well, he had not shown up at his shop, yet, so we just sat down on a curb in the shade to wait. We were deep in the market and there were no other white people around. That didn’t seem too strange to me, but we sure received second glances when people rounded the corner and saw a white person sitting there! Helene and I had several good laughs.

The ones who were the most fun to watch were the children. They would just stare. I would greet them, make faces at them, or wave. After greeting one little brother and sister who lived right across the street, they decided they were brave enough to come over and shake my hand. Every time the little boy came out of his house after that, he came over and shook my hand. His name is Fallou. We decided that he must be less than two years old. Finally, he came over and just sat down beside me and leaned over on me. I patted him and talked to him. He was very content, even though his family kept coming to try to drag him away. I assured them that he wasn’t bothering me.

While we were talking I noticed the gris-gris (gree-gree) on his wrist. This is an amulet that parents put on their children to protect them from evil spirits. My heart broke. I thought, “I pray for my own children every day, but who is praying for this precious little boy?” Needless to say, I spent the rest of the time praying that Fallou will be able to know the salvation that God sent to us through His Son!

There are so many children like Fallou. Will you please spend some time praying for them this Christmas? There are not enough Christians here to reach everyone. Please pray for a powerful moving of God’s Spirit to draw people to Himself to be saved!

We thank you for your prayers!! We pray that each of you has a wonderful Christmas filled with awe of all that God has done for us!

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

2005-12-07T23:26:00.000Z

We hope you are well and enjoying your preparations for Christmas. Here in Dakar, it doesn’t feel too much like Christmas because it is about 90 degrees each day. However, we are seeing quite a few Christmas trees around. Today, we were driving downtown and we even saw a guy trying to sell a decorated tree as he walked along with the other vendors on the street! It made us laugh at first, but then we realized that we live in the midst of 2 million people with only a very few having any idea of what Christmas is all about. The picture they have gotten is a worldly and materialistic view. There is no spiritual or deeper meaning for many of them at all.

We are seeking to make known our Savior to these people. We have written about many of our neighbors, helpers, workers, friends, and acquaintances like Ibrahima who is very open to hearing the stories of the Bible. These are the ones with whom we have a chance to make a difference. Please pray that we will have many opportunities to share Christ during the “Christ”mas season. We hope that each of you will have divine appointments as well.

We want to thank you for your support through your prayers and finances as well. Many of you give faithfully to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program. You are directly supporting our work and the work of over 5000 missionaries throughout the world. It is so exciting to see God changing lives!

However, there is still much work to be done and many places where we have very few or no missionaries. We would like to encourage you to continue to give during this Lottie Moon giving season. We know you have been stretched as many of you have given to the tsunami and hurricane relief efforts. We do pray that you will still be able to give so that we and our colleagues can carry on in the international work to which God has called us.

We do thank you and appreciate each one of you!! We pray that your Christmas season is blessed.

In Christ,
Chad, Crystal, Chase, and Caleb Reynolds serving in Dakar, Senegal

The angel said unto them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-27T23:20:00.000Z

One month! It is hard to believe we have been in country for a month already. The days get a little fuzzy because we spend so much time in class, studying language, fixing things around the house, and preparing the next meal. We are doing well and feeling at home. We have only had a couple of M’s in for a meal so far, but we are planning to have some of our neighbors soon.

So, we wanted to tell you about our neighbors! We were able to go out last weekend and visit a few homes. First, there was Nane (NAH-neh). She has four older children – 2 boys and 2 girls. She is the first wife of a man. He spends his time between his two homes and two families! We have not met him, yet.

Next, there is Madame Jean (zhahn). She has two children, is married, and is a biology teacher. We did not get to meet her husband either. She is very helpful to us about things in the neighborhood. She is very nice.

Finally, we met Abinatu (ah-bee-NAH-too). She has a little boy who is 3 and a little girl who is 5! Yea for Chase! The little boy’s name is Mohammed and the little girl is Leila. This woman is lots of fun. She is separated from her husband, but she laughs and makes lots of jokes. She wants to teach Crystal how to cook local foods. We’ll see…

Don’t worry, there are men in the neighborhood. Chad had already met Moustapha. He is extremely tall with a very deep voice. He is middle aged, single, very polite, and very well known around the neighborhood.

Answers to pryrs:
We have met some of our neighbors and begun building friendships with them.

Requests:

1) Continue to lift up those we would like know our Father:
Ibrahima, Famorah, Ibrahima D., Elizabeth, Nane, Madame Jean, Abinatu, Moustapha – and all of their families!
2) It seems that we have to fix things about as quickly as we get them in place. We are asking that we will keep things in perspective and not be frustrated. We don’t want all of these little things to keep us from focusing on our work here.
3) We need direction as to which group to join for weekly sharing together.

For pictures and more frequent updates, visit our blog at: http://www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com/
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! We are thankful for each of you!!!

We're Home!

2005-11-19T23:14:00.000Z

We are in our home! We thank the Father that we were able to move in on Tuesday of this past week. Everything happened very quickly. We are happy to have our things in one place and to be making our house our home.

Our neighborhood is very nice. It is called Sacre Coeur 3. If you look at our blogspot (http://www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com/) you can see pictures of the house. We have met several of our neighbors. We plan to go visiting this evening. That is one of the things people do here. In the evenings, they go around greeting their neighbors.

Chad and Crystal have both started studying French again. Our language evaluations went very well. We hadn’t lost as much as we thought. However, we still have quite a ways to go. Chad studies at the university and Crystal studies with a tutor. We also do an afternoon of around-town orientation every week.

Chase is doing well staying with our helper. He still cries when Mama leaves, but stops after a few minutes. The only problem we have is that Mariama is spoiling him rotten!! There are lots of children in our neighborhood. They are mostly older, though. They love to see Chase. Sometimes they come to the door asking for him. We just can’t let him go off with them until he gets older. So, everyone is content to just talk for awhile. We speak French, English, and Wolof with them. It is often confusing.

The weather has cooled off here, but we can hardly believe that it is time for Thanksgiving! We are definitely thankful, though, for all that the Father has done for us. We hope you each have a wonderful holiday with family and friends. We will be pooling our resources as an M community to have a traditional dinner on Thursday. It will be a great time.

Answers to our pryrs:
1) Crystal’s doctor visit went well. She and Caleb are very healthy! She just has to remember to rest every day.
2) Chase and Mariama get along very well together. He is learning to understand French and Wolof with her.
3) We have moved into our house!
4) Our language evaluations went better than expected.

Requests:
1) That we would develop good, deep relationships with our neighbors.
2) That our language skills would improve quickly, so that we can communicate well.
3) We hope that the following people will come to understand why we are here :
Ibrahima, Famorah, Elizabeth, Ibrahima D., Nane, Abinatu, Madame Jean
Thank you for lifting us up, for writing to us, and for supporting us!!! We couldn’t be here without you. We are lifting you up, too!

We've Arrived!

2005-11-05T23:05:00.000Z

Thank you for praying for us and for our families. God has been so good to us. We are thankful to be in Dakar. Our first week here has been filled with many happy reunions with old friends and colleagues. We have also met many new people. Another joy has been to have authentic Senegalese food again. We have really missed it!

Much has changed here in the way of roads, buildings, and stores. However, not much has changed in the way of life of the Senegalese people. Our hearts are still broken for the millions of people who are living in darkness. Since we arrived at the end of the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, we have seen how the people are still in bondage and deceived by thinking that their works will get them to paradise. We long for them to know the freedom and hope that are only found in Jesus Christ.

On Thursday, Chad went with another missionary to a feast celebrating the end of Ramadan. The ‘meal’ lasted nearly 4 hours! It was fun to watch the teenagers drumming and dancing, and everyone dressed in their nicest and newest traditional African outfits. Even the children get new traditional clothes for the holiday. The other missionary had to translate everything since all conversation was in Wolof (Wall-off). We asked lots of questions about why they do certain things, and God really opened doors for friendship. Crystal and Chase will join Chad for lunch with this same family on Monday. Please pray for our time with them.

We have been provided a beautiful home that is perfect for our family. There are a few repairs being made. We have been busily searching for the appliances and furniture we need. We hope to move in soon.

Chase has been doing very well as he has been meeting so many new people. He has mainly been learning to greet them in French. The other day he was saying something we could not understand. He was getting very frustrated with us. Finally, we realized it was a phrase in French! He was just unable to pronounce all of the words correctly in his “toddler-ese.” We were all relieved and worked on some of our greetings together. We praise God that Chase is not afraid to try new words.

Our prayer requests for this next week are:
1) That Crystal will have a good first appointment with her doctor on Wednesday and that all is well with Caleb.
2) That Chase and his potential new babysitter (Mariama) will get along well. She will be doing most everything with us next week.
3) That we will be getting things ready in our house, so that we can move in soon.
4) That our French language evaluations will go well on Monday.
God is so faithful in His provision for us. We thank each of you for your prayers. May you realize God’s abundant blessings in your life this week. Remember to let us know how we can pray for you, as well.

Learning and Preparing

2005-09-17T23:55:00.000Z

Well, we have been here at the International Learning Center for about a month now, so we thought we should let you know what we have been doing. We actually have had a large amount of training in this short time. Chad and Crystal study with some of the greatest teachers in Baptist mission work each day.

We have been learning how to pray for and work with God in starting Church Planting Movements. We have had in-depth studies in spiritual warfare. We have studied the principles of mission work and how to work best with others in sharing the Gospel. Another wonderful class series was on how to do Chronological Bible Storying. This is a method for sharing God’s Word by telling the stories in order as they happened in the Bible. This is a very effective way to share the Word with people who cannot read. Did you know that about 85% of the world is illiterate?

Chase gets to go to “school” too. He really enjoys it. He has made several friends and has some very nice teachers. They have been learning about families and what God has made. They have also collected quite a few bugs, spiders, caterpillars, etc. in jars to watch. They have two gerbils named Faith and Hope, and another part of the school has a guinea pig named Snickers. Chase loves to watch and help feed all of these little critters!

As we are preparing to go to Senegal, we thought you might be interested in learning more about the Wolof people who live there. You can go to a website called www.ByHisGrace.cc/WolofTeam to find out more. It is a fairly new website, so not all of the links work, but you can still learn a great deal.

We still have some prayer requests that we would ask you to join us in lifting before the Father:
1) We are praying for our house to sell soon.
2) We praise the Lord that Crystal’s pregnancy is going well. We pray for continued health for her and for the baby.
3) Pray for us to finish our training well and to remember what we have learned.
4) Pray for Chad as he works on completing a seminary course.
5) Pray for our housing in Dakar to work out.
6) Pray for the ministry we will be a part of in Senegal
Thank you! Thank you! We appreciate all of your prayers so much. Each of you is a blessing in our lives.