What We’ve Been Missing: A Servant’s Heart
Ayorou Outreach Trip

By Jessica, MK, Canada

The Ayorou outreach trip was a trip with many lessons. The team members were the junior senior class, three staff members and another Southern Baptist missionary student. This was my very first outreach trip and it was an experience that I will never forget. We cleaned the clinic for a village, painted, mopped, and dusted. It was an incredibly challenging experience. In our Bible class, we had previously been learning about having a servant’s heart. It’s one thing when you devote yourself to having a servant’s heart, but when you actually go out into a village, get completely out of your comfort zone, dedicate a couple of days to the wellbeing of others, your eyes are opened, completely opened to what it means to have a servant’s heart. There were so many times when I would be scrubbing medicine or blood off walls, that I had to just say “God, I do not want to be doing this. But work through me, so that when I look back, I can see that you did something amazing through me.”  

I had to do things that I had never done before, or at least not in a long time. One of the things that was different, but that I liked, was when I slept outdoors. Sure, I had the mosquitoes and the uncomfortable cot, but I also had a blanket of stars covering me, and a nightlight of the silvery full moon. What wonders are out in the world that we miss so many times, that we take for granted! That was another lesson I learned, to never ever take things for granted. It’s kind of like Gods word; we know that there are lessons to learn and things to grasp, but we don’t always follow the teachings. I know that I can never completely appreciate things, but I need to try a lot harder. The use of water, for example: how precious and how sparingly we had to use water was a surprise to me.  

God works in amazing ways when we let him take control. When I let God take my hands and my feet, I was made joyous. Our lives would be so different, if only we said “God, take my hands and my feet every day, every hour for you and you alone. You guide me, guard me from the things of this world, the distractions of this world, and make me your servant and your servant alone.”

Outreach

Outreach projects are trips that students and staff make to help other people out who are in need.  Whether it is working on a roof, help in building a church, or even sharing the gospel with other people, outreaches are a great time to bless others and be blessed yourself.

• Makalundi - 12 students and staff painted a school dormitory the weekend before their school started. Highlights of the weekend included soccer, teaching and learning new games, English conversation with the teens from Makalondi, singing together and singing at a growing church in Baniera.
   

• Ayorou - What seemed like an overwhelming task was quickly accomplished by staff and students who cleaned and painted a clinic for the people of the town.

Wednesday Assembly

At Sahel Academy, assembly period on Wednesday afternoon is never boring. Sometimes students are in charge of the assembly, sometimes parents talk about their ministry, and every once in a while we play games...Yesterday's assembly (playing Blind Flamingo Kickball) was a good example of how fun and games can be used to teach spiritual truth. Sahel's integration of spiritual values into every aspect of school is something that I think many students may take for granted but will ultimately be very thankful for.  ~Matt

See The Sahelian for the full article.

God's Girls

God’s Girls is a club for 3^rd to 6^th grade girls where we learn how to grow up with Christ. For this school year, the theme is learning about God’s princesses in the Bible. We have done lots of fun things like decorating a sign for the club, watching a movie (Princess Diaries), making bracelets, and doing pedicures and manicures. Every week for snack, we have one of the girls take the “food bucket” home and bring it back full. Each week we learn a verse. At the end of the school year, if we can say all the verses we have learned, we get a diary. I will really miss God’s Girls next year, but I hope we can have it again.   ~ alicia

Bible Studies

Each Wednesday, the secondary students are able to meet in groups to study the Bible in a personal way. The groups are divided by grades and gender, to provide a comfortable atmosphere. These studies are led by an adult who chooses appropriate areas for in-depth learning. Sometimes specific topics are chosen, or books are brought from the USA for study. During the meeting, prayer requests are shared and prayed about. The Bible studies are an enjoyed weekly event.

"Sahel encourages spiritual growth and character development through Bible classes and Assembly. Bible studies on Wednesday have encouraged me a bunch." (2008 Student Questionnaire)