As I stand by the water and look out over the ocean and the palm trees beach I wonder whether Pastor Pape does not have some hidden Dutch blood. He always has bargains (like the location of this church retreat, literally on the beach, but cheaper than what we would pay in Dakar) and he is direct. He says what he thinks and does not revolve around things, a quality that is not appreciated by everyone in Senegal, but for me it is very pleasant to work with. We are on leadership retreat with the EEPS and it is exciting to be involved with this passionate group of people!
In the past year I worked together with a colleague on a basic discipleship program. At the retreat I give a training so that all leaders can give these lessons. The aim is for all new members of the church to go through the same program and thus establish a solid and balanced basis of their new faith and give practical tools to independently read the Bible, pray and other spiritual disciplines.
In the first three months of 2018 there were over 50 new visitors in the church and more and more people are coming to faith. It is therefore of great importance that all members of the congregation participate in discipleship. The story of Tidiane is a good example. He walked into the church in search of a Bible. Pastor Pape not only offered him a Bible, but also the opportunity to study it together. This resulted in lessons given by one of our trained leaders, and last week Tidiane was baptized!
