Do you believe the Lord hears and answers prayer? I believe it because we keep seeing Him do it! A bunch of us, including many of you, prayed specifically for certain things regarding our two-day Easter Camp.

Jennifer, Katie, and Molly working the registration table

God graciously saw fit to grant us what we asked for:

• 87 kids attended with their parents’ permission;
• town water stayed on;
• no one got sick or injured;
• the high on Monday was only 100° and 102° on Tuesday (much cooler than the highs of 107° – 110° that we have been experiencing!); and
• the Easter story was shared clearly in Wolof through teachings, a skit, small-group discussion times, songs, and a film.

Each of the campers made a seed mosiac of a tree using green peas for the leaves, brown lentils for the trunk, millet for the ground, and rice for the sky. We talked about how a seed dies and is buried and then new life rises!

I wish I could calculate the probability of each of these things happening. The statistical probability of the town water staying on alone is so low that I am sure God’s hand was specifically intervening to bless the camp! That gives me confidence that the Lord is also answering in invisible ways the things we prayed for that can’t be seen – for example, that He was speaking into the hearts and minds of the kids who were there to let them know that He loves them and died for them.

I know that many of the kids came to camp not knowing what Easter is about. At the beginning of camp, before any of the teaching times, I got to address the whole group. I asked them, “What holiday are we celebrating?” and one of our Sunday School kids answered, “Paques!” (Easter!) Then I asked, “And what is Easter about?” It was clear that most of the kids didn’t know as only a few hands were raised. I called on one of the kids I don’t know and he answered, “Korite” which is the holiday celebrating the end of the Muslim month of fasting. I shook my head, looking for another volunteer, but no one seemed to know. Finally, another one of the handful of Sunday School kids who were there was able to help us, “Easter is about when Jesus came back to life after he died.”

Kody, Corey, and Jeff hanging mosquito nets in a classroom

By the end of the two days all of the kids had heard the whole story of how Jesus, who was perfect, took the punishment for us, dying on the cross, and then rose again, showing His power over death and confirming that He is able to save us from death too. Pastor explained this to the kids later using an analogy that I appreciated; he said that if someone gives you breakfast, it makes sense to believe that same person when he promises to give you lunch later. In the same way, Jesus’ resurrection gives us good reason to believe Him when He promises to resurrect us too!

It was a joy to share this Good News with these precious kids. We are so grateful for the partnerships that made this year’s camp possible: our SIM Kaffrine team, the local Pastor and other Senegalese believers, and all of you who were praying! Glory to God!