Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from the Senegal Mission Field.

“But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4:2

I would like to share with you some experiences as to how the Lord has been blessing our efforts in the work in Senegal (95% Muslim, 4% Christian, mostly Catholics and 1% animist). 2018 has been a very tough year, maybe the toughest since we have been here. Satan fought us at every level. But we “count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of our faith worketh patience.” And “let patience have her perfect work, that [we] may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2–4. We walked through the valleys and shadows of death without fear because the Lord our Shepherd has been with us. He prepared a table before us in the presence of the enemies of the Gospel (Psalm 23:4–5).

Last time, I gave you an experience of an old man healed from prostate cancer. The old man is still alive and healthy today, almost two years later. This helped us get into contact with his firstborn son who was also having some health issues, which we successfully treated. Upon his visit to Senegal (he lives in Spain), we met face to face and talked together and addressed some other health issues that he had. We then kept in contact. I would send him encouraging words now and then. Every Friday, I would send him a video of the French Sabbath School lessons that we produce from the Field Multimedia Department.

When his interest in the truth began to grow, he stopped smoking and drinking alcohol, since he understood that they were affecting his health and his spiritual understanding. I asked him if I could refer him to our church in Spain for a close follow-up. He accepted and, as we speak, he is in constant contact with two sisters from Barcelona that are giving him Bible Studies through conference calls on WhatsApp (of which I participated in one), because they are far from each other.

The Revelation Series video organised by the Evangelism department came as a blessing to him. I kept sharing them with him. Halfway through, he called me and expressed his gratitude. He told me that he wants to prepare for the coming of the Lord. He also stopped eating flesh meat, fish, and harmful food and he feels a great improvement in his health. I was down at the time, but after I spoke to him on the phone, during the time of the revelation series videos, I burst out with joy, jumping and praising God. I continue to pray for him to make a decision, and to seal his decision by making a covenant with God through baptism.

At the beginning of the year, a friend of mine referred a Muslim woman to me for help; she had cervical cancer. This is the woman you see with my dear wife and me in the picture. When she came, I told her that I am not a Marabou (a Muslim kind of talisman), I don’t have superpowers. I serve Jesus, who is Almighty, and if we pray together, take the medicine, and follow the healthful living instructions I will give her, Jesus will heal her. I made her promise Jesus that she will give her life to Him after He heals her.

I invited her every Sabbath to the church service and I pray for her. She came every Sabbath during her two months treatment. Her cancer was already far advanced because she was on her second chemotherapy treatment. I advised her to stop the chemotherapy and she did. After the treatment, she was declared cancer free. She then told me that she gave her life to Christ.

During a meeting where many people were invited, I was invited also, but I could not go because I was away from Dakar, doing missionary work in the southern part of Senegal. Many pastors from different Christian Denominations were present, even those who were fighting our influence. There were some Muslims there also. She stood and gave a testimony in front of all. She said “I am a Muslim (courteously), I had cancer but Jesus healed me through the work of a pastor who is a doctor at the same time”, mentioning my name. I started receiving calls from people who were sick and needed my help, even from those pastors who are enemies of the present truth.

As we speak, the woman attends church services every Sabbath when she is in Dakar. During the last Sabbath of the Week of Prayer, she asked for prayer for her sons to give their lives to Jesus.

It is a long journey for her, but she has made the first step. We pray that the Lord helps her sons, in answer to her prayer. We are going slowly with her. There are a lot sacrifices she will have to make. She is a widow. She might lose friends and family. Senegalese don’t have much of courage to do that because family and friendship means a lot to them. We pray that the Lord may open the way for her until she seals her decision with a covenant with the Lord through baptism.

Here in Senegal, we exercise every method possible to get in contact with people such as:

Health Evangelism;

Ministering to the sick;

Vegan cooking classes;

Friendship evangelism;

Multimedia (videos, WhatsApp, etc.).

We follow the principle in Ecclesiastes 11:5–6: “As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”

We are a very small Mission Field. Our finances are very limited. But we do not allow that to hinder the work.  We request your prayers.

The Lord has been blessing His work in Dakar and we are opening work in Ziguinchor (in the south). There are about five souls interested who are all Senegalese and three in Dakar (one Senegalese and two foreigners). It is difficult and we face many mountains but we know that it is. . . “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.  Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Zechariah 4:6–7

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:3–5

The peace of Christ be unto you all! Amen!

Judicaël M. Luboya
Senegal Mission Field