Pastor Sampson and the Youth Center

Meet P*stor Sampson.  We had the honor to have lunch with Sampson and his wife on Monday.  Sampson is an amazing man.  He is a ch+rch planter, a pastor and he runs a youth center at his home.  Three days a week has has programs for the neighborhood children but from what I could tell while we were there, the children and youth he works with tend to spend a lot of time there.   He said they often have from 30-45 youth that come on a regular basis.  He and his wife located to one of the "poorer" areas of town.  There are many M^slims in this neighborhood and many of the youth he work with come from M*slim families.  Sampson gave his t+stimony while we were there..... His story is one of a boy who felt abandoned and unloved, but through Chr+st now feels called to love and share the love of Chr*st with children and youth.  Sampson and his wife would love to have children of their own, but it has not happened for them yet.  Please pray for them as they continue to hope for a baby.  In this culture, if a woman doesn't bear children, she is worthless, so there is a stigma attached to being childless after 3 years of marriage.      The boys in the picture to the left are part of a soccer team Sampson is putting together.  The sign they are holding is a drawing of what they would want their soccer shirts to look like if they had them.  My hope it to have soccer shirts made with this design to take back to them when I return.

This last picture shows Sampson's Youth Center.  The structure on the far right of the picture is the front of Sampson and Jacqueline's home.

I met some amazing people on this trip.  The p+stors, the ev+ngelists, medical team members, town leaders and church leaders.... and of course the GBIM team in Moundou... I have been more than humbled at all the work they do and the love they put into their work.  Only a really, really big G*d could give them the love, the wisdom, the insight and the strength to do what they do every day.  I'm honored to have had this opportunity to meet them and work beside them.  I hope to have the opportunity to go again soon.