On February 13th, I had the privilege to board a plane for my first mission trip, like, ever. I had never been on one before, and I never pictured myself being someone who would ever get the chance to.  But God had other plans.

One of the most frequently asked questions I received when I returned home from Senegal, West Africa was, “What did you build?”  Well, we built relationships.  The thing I truly loved about this experience was that it was not just going, building a well, and leaving the people.  While that type of thing is great, I learned that a greater impact can be made through the building of relationships. We got the chance to connect with a bunch of our global ministry partners (like Pastor Malik and Féluine Fall, as well as Katie and Corey Garrett) and see what they are doing, how they are doing, and how we as Browncroft Community Church can further support them as they seek to serve and spread the gospel to the Wolof community, the people group that Browncroft has been called to reach.

With everyone and everywhere we visited, there were a couple things that stood out to me.  The first being how excited the Wolof people were to see us.  I feel like I’ve grown up in a generation that has a negative view of missions.  Because of this, and my very limited knowledge of the Browncroft-Wolof partnership, I thought that we would just be seen as another American group coming to push Christianity on the Wolof people.  The second I stepped into the Women’s Training Center, I found that I was so very wrong.  This center is a school for girls that provides them with skills and job training, and Browncroft has sent teams to work with the girls often.  When we arrived, there was so much joy seen on the girls’ faces.  They were excited to see their longtime Browncroft friend Linda Jackson. They were excited to sing for us and joined in when we sang for them!  My heart was so filled seeing them interact with Linda and the rest of the team.  They showed me how the people of Browncroft have truly blessed and impacted them.

We had the chance to visit the Deaf School in Dakar as well, and those students also showed me a new kind of love and joy. I have always wanted to learn American Sign Language, so I started to teach myself.  I only got as far as learning the letters, but I am so glad I learned them.  Those letters allowed me to connect with the deaf students in a way that most on our team could not.  I was able to sign my name as well as other team members’ names.   When those students saw that I could sign, even just the tiniest bit, their eyes lit up so fast and I knew they were touched in a new way, just as I was. Relationships make such a big difference in the lives of unreached people, and I am blessed to have witnessed it firsthand.

The second thing that stood out to me was the faith that these people have.  I am amazed and in awe of the faith of the Wolof people. I could see it in the pastors we met with in Saint Louis and Dakar, I could see it in all the students we got to meet with, and I could see it in each and every Wolof person in between that we met who had committed to Christ. For them, choosing to follow Christ most likely means losing their friends and family. Their entire world is turned upside down, and yet their faith in God never wavers. Every day they wake up and choose Jesus again and again. Living in a Christian nation, you don’t fully understand the depth of commitment that takes until you meet with and hear the stories of those living this experience. This trip has inspired me to take a look at my own faith and deepen it in the same way the Wolof have deepened theirs. I pray I can renew my faith everyday just as the Wolof people do.

There is so much more I could write about, but I’m sure there is not enough room on the page for that.  All I can say is I have been changed, God is working in Senegal, and I am blessed to have witnessed his work and met his people.