Bishop Ba & Doris at Hampton Presbyterian, PA
This past Sunday Bishop Abdoulaye and Doris Ba joined us. Bishop Abdoulaye serves as General Overseer for DONE Ministries in Senegal. After recounting how he became a follower of Jesus Christ after his conversion from Islam Abdoulaye talked about Mission and his understanding of mission.
Abdoulaye defined mission as sharing the name of Jesus Christ with those who do not know the love of God. What struck me most about Abdoulaye’s message was his singular focus on the “power of God” at work in the world and the idea that the news of Jesus Christ is fundamentally good news.
Abdoulaye also emphasized that the call to be a missionary has little to do with geography. As best I can remember he said, “If you have the money to come to Africa and be a missionary great, but if you don’t you can be a missionary right where you are”. This reminded me of a quote from Dr. Alister Begg, “There is no better place to serve God that right where he put you”. I personally think the challenge is to find ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ in the United States in an area where faith is becoming increasingly public yet increasingly private all at the same time. Read more here…
On Friday July 21, 2006 at around nine o’clock p.m. it was discover by the prayer and intercession team;( who was holding a one week fast and prayer session), that the septic tank hole in the church was leaking vast amount of water. This happened because during the remolding of the area that hosts the church, the bathrooms and toilet holes were sealed up to get more space. It was these seals that burst open because the main plumbing line on the street was blocked after a rainfall.
were soaked in toilet water and had to be taken out. It was decided that the team on the ground could handle the situation and there was no need to disturb the Bishop. Everyone immediately got to work cutting the soiled rugs out and taking them for cleaning. Capping the hole temporarily until the people in charge of this kind of problem could be contacted. The next day the government team in charge was contacted and the situation was put under control. However God was with us. Everything was done on time for our regular service to be held on Sunday.
Architect Richard Donohoe visits DONE West African Headquarters in mid-June. His visit was in response to a request from the DONE board to evaluate the building for short-term solutions prior to the three-month rainy season beginning in July. While providing a recommendation toward a long-term building solution for DONE headquarters. Read report of ceiling collapse during Palm Sunday service 
through the entire building in order to see and examine the cracks in the walls. Next he was taken into the church and shown the areas that had been affected and the type of repairs that have been put into place. Dick took notes, measurements and analyzed bricks used for building in Senegal.
SHORT-TERM SOLUTION : After a critical examination of the situation he came to the conclusion that short-term emergency repairs should quickly be put into place before the heavy rains this year. He recommended using penetrating sealing on the entire outside of the building where water could affect, while sealing cracks and holes with cement, and tearing down or re-roofing the stairways. Further he called for large drainage pipes to be placed along side the walls for water to drain off the building as soon as it rains. As for long-term solutions he called for the entire top floor to be cover or if necessary replace the building.
Graduation exercise took place on the eight of July at the church in Dakar. It was well attended. Pastors from various churches and other non-governmental institutions were present to grace the occasion. Also present at the occasion were Rev. Betty Moore and Pastor Kelvonna Warner from the United States, a guest from Kenya (in honor of one of our senior students attending the collage from another church), a visiting pastor from Germany (also to honor a student from another church) among others.
Nine students from the second year class received an Associate of Arts Degree in Theology. Six of these students were from D.O.N.E ministries while the other three were from other protestant churches. They were from Nigeria, Congo, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Senegal. This is the last year associate of arts will be confer here because beginning next year the new curriculum will be put into effect. This curriculum calls for a Diploma and Bachelor Degree only. Also receiving Certificate of Achievement in Theology were seven students from the first year class. They were again from the above mention countries including Liberia.
Speaking at the occasion on the topic “You are the salt of the earth”, the guest speaker , the Rev. Nkemba Ndjungu, General Superintendent of the Methodist Church here in Dakar begun by stating that he felt as if he was a member of the D.O.N.E ministries, because he is not only present at most of the important functions held by the mission, but have always participated in officiating. He especially noted the ordination of the Bishop. He went on to challenge the students to remember that they were the salt of the earth. He asked them to note carefully the properties of salt and they will know the importance of their duty. As salt they are to remember that they are the preservers of the Christian faith. As salt is applied to wounds as medication so are they, because they exist in a sick world and they are its only chance through the promotion of the message of Jesus Christ. He challenged them not to take their duties lightly. Also speaking at the occasion, the Rev. Thomas Browne thanks those who came to honor the graduates on behalf of the Bishop. He also challenged the students not to take lightly the food for thought and consumption they received from the guest speakers.
To God is the glory. We are grateful to the Almighty that we have again reached the end of another school year. We are proud that the Lord has been on our side as we prepare men and women who are willing to sacrifice everything worldly to work in the vineyard of Christ.
task that you have undertaken and it is my hope that the knowledge imparted in you will go a long way in advancing the kingdom of God here on earth. I know that some of you will now be leaving for the field at once; to you I pray that you will always strive for excellence in all you do. I also know that some of you will continue to work hard for the advancement of your educational standards here and elsewhere; to you I say may God be with you in your purchase of knowledge.
