 |
The Board for World Missions has approved a plan to send two missionaries to Senegal to learn the culture and language in preparation for sharing the gospel and gathering a congregation.
The country of Senegal has a population of almost 17 million people. The Wolof tribe makes up about 40 to 45 percent of the total population and is less than 0.01 percent Christian. Even though Senegal is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, the constitution staunchly defends freedom of religion and is a relatively peaceful and stable place. “This would be extremely ‘raw’ mission work, where we’ll be starting gospel outreach from scratch,” says Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. “While we do not have an invitation to be in Senegal, we are going because we know these people do not have the gospel.”
Schlomer and Stefan Felgenhauer, director of World Missions operations, made an exploratory trip to Dakar in September. They connected with a well-respected, cross-cultural learning consultant agency, which will serve as a valuable resource as it will be able to connect future WELS missionaries with an immersion opportunity to live with a Muslim Wolof family. This opportunity will allow the missionaries to settle into the culture and community, learn the language, and seek opportunities to share the gospel.
“The opportunity for learning, outreach, and immersion in this culture will help us grow in our understanding of Muslim influence,” says Schlomer. “We pray this becomes not only a blessing to the Wolof people but also a resource for future Muslim outreach around the world.”
Learn more about other locations for future mission work at wels.net/newworldmissionfields.
Author: FIC
Volume: 110, Number 12
Issue: December 2023
