DakarDeckers

moving to a new blog

2010-10-24T15:00:00.000Z

Dear Friends of Dakar Deckers,
We are going to be doing our future Decker blogging here. Please join us!

Decker Dispatch - September 2010

2010-09-30T10:33:00.003Z

THE DECKER DISPATCH
September 2010

Transitions
Does it seem to you like the word “transition” shows up in our letters pretty frequently? A search of our prayer letters over the years would certainly bear that out, and this one is no exception. One transition is to an empty nest. Jacob, our youngest, has just gone off to college, and all three of our boys are in the U.S. You’ll see a quick update on each of them down below.

Beyond that, we have also accepted a new assignment with SIM. In January 2011 we will take up residence in Charlotte, NC, and we will also take up new positions at the SIM USA office. At this point we are committed to two years in Charlotte.

This transition into a longer-term stay in the U.S. of course indicates a transition OUT of West Africa, which is no small thing after twenty-one years. We have sold our belongings and given up our rented house, along with all our responsibilities, and we’ve said goodbye to many cherished friends and colleagues. While our feelings about that are definitely mixed, we’ve seen the Lord’s hand in all of it, and we feel quite certain that this is the right move for us at this time.

New Assignment: SIM USA in Charlotte, NC
Dave will be the new Deputy Director of Finance at SIM USA, joining a Finance Department staff of about twenty. The total office staff numbers well over 100 people, all of them working together to build the church of Christ around the world by recruiting and training missionaries, networking and partnering with U.S. churches, and supporting and caring for over 700 American SIM missionaries serving around the world.

Deputy Director of Finance is a brand-new position at SIM USA. Dave will be challenged with a wide range of responsibilities, from day-to-day accounting to assisting missionaries with their finances to helping SIM USA address financial issues that we see arising in this rapidly changing world of missions.

Closing Thoughts on West Africa
(photos from 21 years of West Africa life)

Although we are by no means finished with missions, and perhaps not even with overseas service, this new assignment is a transition worthy of marking with a few thoughts concerning God’s faithfulness during twenty-one years in West Africa.

We could not have imagined, back in 1989, what was in store for us as we said goodbye to loved ones here, and then landed in the very foreign country of Liberia. Now after seven years there, followed by seven more in Ivory Coast and finishing up with seven in Senegal, we again feel as if we’ve left home and arrived in this somewhat foreign place called Minnesota. We love it here, but the people of West Africa will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

How has the church grown over the last twenty-one years in West Africa? How has missions changed? A new era has dawned, and in fact we’re well into it. We see that illustrated in each of the first two countries in which we lived.

SIM’s media and medical ministries in Liberia (see www.elwamausa.org) are now under Liberian management, a very significant thing considering that well over 200 local employees are under their leadership and supervision. SIM partners with the ELWA Management Association and is still very involved, lending support in a variety of ways, but day-to-day management is entirely in the hands of local Christians.

Ivory Coast is now the site of an SIM sending office (www.simwestafrica.org), directed by a local African who is a full member of SIM, just as we are. This office exists to partner with the church in West Africa as they send their own into cross-cultural missions, also as full members of SIM. It’s a new era indeed, and this office illustrates the shift of the missions sending base from the West toward regions that only recently were strictly receiving missionaries.

In Guinea and Senegal we see the continuing strategic significance (and necessity) of foreign
missionaries. The church is young and small, and missionaries still focus on evangelism and discipleship. We’re so thankful for missionaries who endure a rather harsh existence in order to live out the love of Christ before those who don’t yet know him, and we long for the day when SIM’s role will shift toward partnership with a thriving church in both of these countries.

Support Situation
Some good news regarding our new assignment in Charlotte is that our monthly financial support requirement will be reduced by roughly 20%. That’s due in part to no longer needing to pay school fees for our kids, but it’s also a reflection of the high cost of living in Dakar.
These last two years have been difficult for our financial partners. Consequently our support account, which began our last term with a buffer of several thousand dollars, fell to zero by the end of last year, and is now almost three thousand dollars in deficit. We will need to make that up.

The good news is that current giving already nearly matches our new, lower support requirement. In the comings months we will gain a better grasp of our situation, but at the moment it appears we will need to add somewhere between about three hundred and seven hundred dollars per month in order to be fully supported.

There will also be some one-time needs in addition to monthly support: the move to Charlotte, setting up a household (hoping to become first-time home owners!), buying a second vehicle, helping with Jacob’s college tuition, and covering some medical costs, to name a few. SIM has recommended that we seek donations for each of these needs. Please pray for the Lord’s provision. Tax-deductible gifts to our Ministry Account may be used by us toward any of the above.

Family Update
All three boys are now off on their own unique adventures. Jacob just turned 19 and has begun his freshman year at Wheaton College, in the suburbs of Chicago. We can’t imagine a better fit for him.

Joey has just begun an altogether different adventure, going off to Newport, Rhode Island to begin twelve weeks of Naval Officer Candidate School. This begins the fulfillment of a long-standing dream, and he’s been accepted into their aviation program following the successful completion of OCS in November.

Danny and Leah have just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, and along with daughter Alexis are doing very well down in Miami.

Please pray for each of them during these exciting times.

Thanks so much for your love and concern for us. We value your friendship very much!

Yours in Christ,
Dave for the Deckers

Joey at OCS

2010-09-13T19:03:00.000Z

Dear family and friends,
We'd love for you to join us in praying for Joey this week! He is in his fourth week of Naval Officer Candidate School (OCS), and this week Thursday will be a very intense inspection. Passing this will move them to the next phase, and failing will hold them back significantly. His classmates at OCS are working very hard preparing, and are feeling a lot of stress and pressure. We know that God is with Joey and will strengthen him and give him endurance day by day, and we ask you to join us in praying for him, and all of them. We feel privileged to support these young men and women who desire to serve God and their country by becoming Naval Officers.

If you'd like more info about Joey's journey through OCS, and more updates with prayer requests, please join the "praying for Joey at OCS" group on facebook.

Thanks for your prayers for our family, and especially for Joey this week!

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
(Colossians 1:11-12 ESV)

Blessings,
Mary
for the Deckers

August 22: Joey to OCS

2010-08-22T14:24:00.001Z

For many years, Joey has dreamed of serving God and his country as on officer in the U.S. Navy. Today he begins his 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School. It’s an intense time of physical, mental and emotional training for the Candidates.

Please join us in praying for Joey’ s health, strength and endurance during these very challenging weeks!

These pictures were taken earlier in the summer, by one of Joey’s friends (thanks Dan A.) when he was sworn in by his recruiter.

June 3: graduation!

2010-06-04T11:33:00.000Z

May 30: graduation open house

2010-06-01T18:45:00.003Z

We are thankful for the community of friends who helped us celebrate with our three graduating SIM kids! One family hosted the open house. Three families provided food. The punch bowl was loaned by another family. The crock-pot loaned by another. Siblings helped decorate while the graduating students visited other open houses that started earlier. Friends from around the country joined us... all ages hung out, munched, and enjoyed one another's company... it was a fun celebration!

May 29:Junior-Senior Banquet

2010-05-31T17:37:00.000Z

We are in the midst of the whirlwind end-of-year activities at Dakar Academy! Exciting times as Jacob graduates along with 27 classmates! This photo was taken at the Junior-Senior Banquet Saturday night... if you'd like to see more pictures of this event, click here for Mary's facebook album, or here for Dave's!

DeckerUpdate May 10

2010-05-10T13:05:00.000Z

Dear family and friends,

Greetings once again from Senegal!

We are thankful for your prayers and your encouragement to us as we transition from field leadership in West Africa. We have loved living in Africa, and though we're looking forward to home assignment and time with family and friends, we will miss so much about life here! Once in Minnesota, we will be living in the same Apple Valley house that has been home during each of our two previous home assignments. Meanwhile, much needs to happen before we leave Dakar in one month, and we'd appreciate your prayers for us as we finish work-related projects, spend time with the people we've grown to love in this country, and sell/give away all our household things that won't fit in our airplane baggage allowance!

On Saturday, Joey graduated from John Brown University, with a bachelor's degree in Intercultural Studies. We were so thankful for the live-stream that JBU provided, so that we could watch his graduation over the internet even though we couldn't be there! We are thankful for God's good work in Joey's life, and for Joey's accomplishments over these past four years. Please pray for him as he spends some time visiting friends and family, and prepares to enter Naval Officer Candidate school in August.

Today, Jacob completes his third AP (Advanced Placement) exam. It's hard to believe he will graduate in less than a month! He has made the decision to attend Wheaton College, and is very excited about that. Please pray for him to finish high school well, and say goodbye well to his friends and his life in Africa. Pray also that he will find additional scholarships and/or work-study that will help him finance his education at Wheaton.

As you think of our family, please continue to pray with us as we look to God to provide all that is needed. He has always been faithful to provide, often through so many willing-hearted human partners who have cheerfully given to meet those needs. We have been so blessed, and we are thankful!

We are looking for a car that we could use from June 14-mid July (or longer if available.)
If you know of anyone who has a drum-set that they are not using at the moment, Jacob would love to borrow one for the summer!
monthly financial support needs: we continue to be short about $800/month.
$3000 for medical co-payments/deductible costs.

Looking further ahead, we're grateful for the way the Lord is directing our next steps. Dave has been invited to work alongside SIM USA's Finance Manager in Charlotte, NC. The position is not yet fully defined, but it will give Dave an opportunity to serve the mission and its ministries around the world from our home base. We expect to take up residence in Charlotte in early 2011, following about seven months of home assignment.

Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf! We look forward with you to how God will lead us in the days ahead, trusting that He who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to complete it! (Phil. 1:6.)

With our hope in Him,
Mary
for the DakarDeckers

April 9: pelicans in the park

2010-04-12T10:12:00.001Z

more pictures of the pelicans in Hann Park here.

Decker Update April 5

2010-04-05T13:18:00.001Z

Dear friends and family,
Easter greetings to you: The LORD is risen! We are so thankful that we serve a Savior who is alive and active today! Serving Him (through serving missionaries by offering quality leadership and administrative support) with SIM in W.Africa has been our privilege since 1989, and we look forward to serving Him with SIM in other locations in the future.

We have kept busy with ministry and family life. Last week we participated in the SIM-Senegal Spiritual Life Conference. Dave and I each facilitated a session, and I was involved with program planning and program evaluation as well. It was a great joy to gather with SIM'ers from several places in Senegal, and join them in worship, rest, fun and enjoying one another's company over meals and free time.

We enjoyed a visit from our friend Anika from our home church, who spent her vacation here and helped out with the children’s program at the SLC. We also managed to visit some interesting places in Dakar while she was here.

Family update
We are thankful for so many answers to prayer. Danny has started a good job in Miami, and is learning a lot and enjoying the process. Please pray for him as he balances his time between work and his family.

Joey will graduate from John Brown University in May. His date to enter Naval Officer Candidate School has been pushed back to August, and he will spend some time in Minnesota with us this summer. Please pray for his patience as he waits to enter this program, and join us in thanking God for His work in Joey’s life through these four years of college.

The two colleges he applied to have accepted Jacob, and we're awaiting the financial aid package from the second. Please pray for wisdom for him and for us as we seek God's best plan for his university education.

Future Update

We have tickets to leave Senegal on June 11. We’ll spend two days in Washington, DC, and then head up to Minnesota for our 6 month home assignment. As we mentioned in a past update, we are sensing a need to provide a home base for a few years for our sons, and we trust that God will continue to clarify the plans He has for us.

We anticipate moving to Charlotte, NC in early 2011, and staying there for two years minimum, possibly longer. SIM has both its U.S. sending office and its International office within a few miles of each other in Charlotte. Dave has been asked to consider two different positions, either of which would be strategic for the mission as well as challenging and fulfilling to him personally. He needs to decide which to pursue within the next week or so. We would appreciate your prayers for us as we make that decision.

We would also appreciate your prayers for all the decisions we’ll have to make, and for practical needs and details as we approach this transition. One specific area is that we will need to buy a car when we get back to the U.S. We are wondering if anyone might have a vehicle they would be willing to loan our family for the first few weeks, so that we can make a careful decision about buying without feeling rushed.

Financial Update
Another item we mentioned in a past update was our support needs. Our supporters blessed us with gifts at the end of the year that kept our support account from falling below zero. Our monthly support is about $800/month short of what we actually need, and our support account is now well below zero. That will need to be replenished during our home assignment before we will be able to continue in service. We may also need as much as $3000 for medical insurance co-payments when we begin our home assignment, as we need exams and procedures to care for the medical concerns we may have as we return from the field. We know that God will supply all that we need, and we ask you to join us in praying for His provision. For those who'd like to be part of providing these needs, here's a link to online giving.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers for our family! We are thankful for you, and look forward to seeing many of you in the months ahead!

With joy in our Risen Savior,

Mary for the Dakar Deckers

February 25: sights and sounds of Dakar

2010-02-25T10:28:00.000Z

A friend of ours found this video on YouTube and I thought you might enjoy seeing a few minutes of Dakar life.

February 13: Happy Birthday to an amazing 22-year-old!

2010-02-13T00:30:00.001Z

We love you Joey!

February 12: W.A.I.S.T. preview!

2010-02-12T14:16:00.003Z

Tomorrow W.A.I.S.T. (the annual West Africa Invitational Softball Tournament) begins. Dave is playing on a team in the competetive league, and coaching DA's j.v team which will play in the "social" league. DA's varsity will contend in the competitive league, and there's another DA community team playing in the social league. Lots of games to watch, lots of friends and family cheering on their teams! (And passing out ice and ibuprofen!)

If two of the DA-related teams make it to the finals which are played on Monday, DA will declare a school holiday to allow staff and students to play in the last game... and fans to cheer... fan tension is high on Saturday and Sunday hoping the teams will win them a free day on Monday!

Here's one picture from last year, and links to photo-sets from the two years before that if you'd like to get a sense of what the next few days might be like!

W.A.I.S.T. 2008

W.A.I.S.T. 2007

January 26: DeckerUpdate - Liberia report

2010-01-27T11:09:00.001Z

Dear friends and family,
We are so thankful for your prayers as we work with SIM's Western Africa Area, which includes the countries of Guinea, Senegal, Cote d'Ivore and Liberia. Our purpose is to serve missionaries by offering quality leadership and administrative support. Many of you have been involved in our life and ministry since our very earliest days of living in Liberia, and you know how special that country is to us. Last week Dave returned from a trip to Liberia, and here is his report. God is clearly at work, and the need for prayer is very great. Please join us in praying, as this week and this season is very significant for the ministries there.

With thankfulness for your partnership and your prayers,

Mary for the DakarDeckers

Dave's Liberia Report
Last week I returned from a visit to Liberia, where rebuilding following the devastation of an extended civil war continues. Signs of progress are visible all over, as are obstacles to progress. This is true on the national level, and also in the church, and at ELWA, where SIM partners with Liberians ministering through radio, health care, and education.
SIM Liberia is primarily invested in two partnerships, with ECUL (the Evangelical Church Union of Liberia, consisting of over 100 churches) and with ELWA.

Progress on the ELWA campus, where I spent the week, looks like this: The new dental clinic has now been up and running for over a year, and is getting busier by the day as word of its ministry gets out. The clinic ministers to the immense dental and spiritual needs throughout Liberia, as patients sometimes travel great distances due to the lack of dental care close by. ELWA Academy has recently completed a new classroom building, which significantly increases their capacity for educating Liberian youth. The roads on campus are now paved (for the first time ever), and running water and electricity are much more reliable than in years past, and are for the most part available 24/7. Maintaining generators and the water distribution system is a continual challenge.

There are also two very significant obstacles at ELWA these days. There has been a great deal of tension between staff and management, particularly among the ELWA Hospital staff, and this led to a "go slow" in December; not quite a strike, but a significant reduction in services. Issues are now being dealt with in a more productive fashion, but are by no means resolved. Pray for effective mediation, and for unity and sense of purpose among the staff.

The second obstacle is their difficulty in managing finances. Much progress has been made in the last year, but now the loss of key personnel will make it difficult to bring systems all the way up to standard. Pray for management as they continue to address this need by implementing adequate financial controls. SIM would like to continue providing assistance, yet we are facing our own shortage of key administrative support staff.

SIM believes that it's both healthy and helpful to periodically review its ministries on a country-by-country basis, and this week it's Liberia's turn. What is God's direction for SIM in Liberia, and are we functioning well? In order to help answer these important questions, a team of about seven reviewers is in place, most coming from other parts of the world. As a part of this very comprehensive process, they hope to interview the entire SIM Liberia missionary team, plus a number of others from ELWA and ECUL and the wider church and missions community.

This country review will be completed by the weekend, and it holds much potential for good input into the life and work of our team. Alongside the review process stands SIM Liberia's need for long-term leadership, in addition to other sorts of administrative support. Please pray that this would be a very fruitful season in the life of SIM Liberia and its partners, ELWA and ECUL, and that God would provide personnel for these key positions in leadership and administrative support.

January 23: why missionaries need encouragements!

2010-01-23T11:56:00.006Z

This came from a letter written by Lisa Hicks, a good friend of mine: a career missionary woman, in a member care role...as she listened to some of the faith-stretchers experienced by a short-term team who was in West Africa for 10 days.

"... They had just shared some of their faith stretching experiences on the trip and so I suggested that when praying for missionaries, they remember their experiences ... and then multiply them by years. Here are some examples.

Missionary Life in West Africa (and anywhere) . . .

1) The first thing you have to do when going on a ministry trip is raise money. You usually have to write a letter and maybe do some speaking. It usually feels awkward and the results are almost always strange. People who you thought would give ... don't. BUT others who you didn't think would give ... do.

Missionaries need to raise monthly support (as well as one time gifts) for years and years and years.

2) A lot of times, once you've made the commitment to go, you can start feeling attacked. You might have a conflict with a friend/spouse. Sins that used to plague you may start to tempt you again. Or, you're physically hurt. The main speaker for the retreat was in a fairly serious car accident right before the trip.

Missionaries are under spiritual attack all the time! We know of several missionaries who've survived serious road accidents, robberies, health issues, etc. Also, often their children are pursued/attacked by the evil one for the express purpose of hurting the parents and their ministry.

3) You might start to feel fear ... "Are my children, aging parents, spouse going to be alright while I'm away?" One of the ladies was afraid that one of her kids would get H1N1 while she was in West Africa.

Every time a missionary returns to the field, as they kiss their aging parent/grandparent goodbye, they wonder if this is the last time they're going to see them. Often they're separated by 1,000's of miles from their grown children who do get ill, or hurt in an accident, or suffer from loneliness/depression. Some friends of ours, got that dreaded call that their daughter was in a serious accident while other friends had a son in the military who was shot (and had to have mulitple surgeries). It's really hard.

4) You probably have meetings with your teammates before leaving. Inevitably there's someone who rubs you the wrong way and you're glad you're going to be together for just 10 days (or so).

Most missionaries are on teams for years ... inevitably there are relational issues to deal with. AND you can't just leave and go to another team. It's tough.

5) Right before take off ... the real panic can hit. "What have I gotten myself into???" And you pray like crazy for peace of mind. Or you have adequacy doubts, "I'm not sure I can do this!"

Missionaries have the same feelings of panic and inadequacy that others have. Often, they're put into situations where they have no idea what to do ... lots of times out in the villages, they're the doctor (minus the training).

6) Once in country, you might worry about health issues. You might get stomach cramps, or allergic reactions to bug bites (someone from the short-term team), or simply a cold because of all the energy you expended to come.

Missionaries deal with health issues all the time (just read on facebook that a friend might have typhoid). It's usually one of their top five prayer requests ... it's a common problem that can discourage and slow a missionary down.

7) You might start missing your spouse and kids and you can't wait to get home to them (by about the 7th day). One of the ladies was really missing her husband.

In my weekly Bible study ... any given week someone can ask for a raise of hands from those whose husbands are away traveling and get 3 to 4 hands (out of 10) every time! Missionary women often have to face life in W. Africa without their husbands help due to travel (to villages, conferences, training, etc.) Also, missing grown children is continual ... birthdays, holidays, etc.

8) At the end of the trip, you're absolutely exhausted and need some down time.

Missionaries live with incredible stress ... my husband [a counselor] does a stress test with lots of missionaries and even tho' the normal score is 200 many, many of them live with an 800 or more. AND stress wears you out. Recently, a friend of mine suggested that it's like the missionary community is trying to work and function in molasses ... and that was a very good illustration because missionaries can feel like they're dragging through their week/month. It's tiring.

9) When you get back home, even tho' you're wiped out ... you go back to a job, family, schedules, and usually don't get the needed "down time" to process what you're gone through and get some needed rest.

Missionaries go home to dental appointments, shopping for something presentable to wear, multiple doctor visits, meetings of all kinds, support raising, return trip purchases, settling college age children into school (which often includes getting them a driver's license, a car, people to help them in emergency, instructions on job interviews, etc.), traveling across the country to visit friends/family/supporters, and the list goes on and on an on ...

10) BUT you're so excited about what God did that you want to tell everyone everything that happened in those 10 days. Unfortunately, most of your friends, family, and sometimes your church want the 60 second version. They're happy you're back, want to hear, "It was great!", and then move on.

In just a few years, missionaries have a couple of LIFETIMES worth of stories to tell ... there's just so much inside to be shared ... but even with people who want to hear it ... the shear volume of experience is staggering. AND it's hard to describe a world that is so fundamentally different from the world of your friends. "

If you've read this far, I'm thankful for your perseverance! And blessings as you consider how you might encourage the missionaries in your life!

January 22: encouragements

2010-01-22T09:12:00.005Z

Sometimes we are surprised (though we shouldn't be!) by God's amazing timing. Yesterday was a day when the internet wasn't working... well it was working at .4 kb/second... and a few other frustrating things had happened. But then, in the late afternoon we received a fun Christmas package from our Barnabas support team from our home church. We had known the package had been sent and the team had hoped for it to get to us by Christmas, and we just hoped it would show up at all! To have it arrive yesterday was a sweet surprise and a lift to us after a challenging day!

Here's an idea-filled article if you need some fresh ways to encourage YOUR missionaries! (They'll be blessed, I promise!)

January 18: campement pictures

2010-01-18T09:57:00.002Z

This year, on our three-days vacation (January 2-5) at the Campement Ocean et Savane, I took mostly nature pictures. If you'd like to see the ones I didn't post on the blog, they are here.

January 17: campement sunrise #2 (jan. 5)

2010-01-17T16:56:00.003Z

More pictures from our refreshing days at the campement are here!

January 16: invasion

2010-01-16T19:52:00.001Z

My guard-dog informed me that we had intruders in our airspace... when I went to check it out, I found these characters glaring down on us!

January 16: campement sunrise(january 4)

2010-01-16T16:04:00.002Z

January 7: crabby

2010-01-07T22:09:00.004Z

I'm not quite ready to edit and post the rest of my pictures but these are such fun!

Happy New Year from the Deckers in Dakar!

2010-01-01T08:48:00.004Z

December 8: DeckerUpdate

2009-12-08T16:19:00.003Z

Dear friends and family,

"What hope we hold this starlit night,
a King is born in Bethlehem.
Our journey long, we seek the light
that leads to the hallowed manger ground

Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
God incarnate here to dwell.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
Praise His name Emmanuel!" (from Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship by Chris Tomlin.)

This Advent season we are thankful to rejoice in the hallowed manger ground where Jesus came to dwell among men. Because of His life, and death on our behalf, we can appreciate the joy of Christmas now as well as the joy of eternal life with Him!

The season has finally changed here in Dakar and we are enjoying cooler temps and less humidity. We are thankful for the opportunities we have to be part of SIM's Western Africa Area regional leadership team, as well as for day-to-day involvement in the lives of MK's and international students at Dakar Academy.

These past weeks have included ministry and fun activities, such as Dave and Jacob's participation in an outreach with the senior class, Turkey Bowl and Thanksgiving. Our annual council meeting with leaders from Guinea, Senegal, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire was held in early November, with the many accompanying discussions and decisions.

We are now enjoying the Advent season, anticipating Joey's visit in a few weeks, and the celebration of Christmas.

Family update
Danny will graduate from college (with a finance major) next week! We are so thankful for his hard work, and pray that he will be able to find a good job even in these difficult times.

Joey will graduate in May. After his graduation, he will enter Naval Officer Candidate school before our return to the States. We are looking forward to spending time with him over the three weeks of his Christmas break, and then will see him again at his graduation from OCS. Please continue to pray for him as he moves forward in this direction that he believes is God's leading for him.

Jacob has submitted two college applications, has been accepted by one and is waiting to hear from the second. Please pray for him as he waits on God's direction for his future. It's been a joy to us to watch him maturing in this his senior year of high school, as he continues his hard work in three AP classes, as well as drumming on worship teams and participating with his class as their treasurer.

Financial Update
Our support came in at about 92% for the fiscal year which ended September 30. SIM transferred money from some of our other accounts (ministry and housing) to cover it so we ended up ok for the year, though some have had to stop giving due to difficult financial circumstances. We have a need of new monthly partners and/or those who would be able to increase their monthly giving, as well as one-time gifts to our ministry account.

This seems a bit daunting until we recognize once again that it is GOD who provides for all of our needs, and He will continue to do so. Please pray with us for His provision. For those who'd like to be part of providing these needs, here's a link to online giving.

Future Update
In January, Dave will travel again to spend time in Liberia, to help with a financial audit there. He continues to provide support and leadership to the team there, who are working through transitions in leadership. Please pray for SIM-Liberia in their partnership with ELWA ministries, and the church partnership with the Evangelical Churches Union of Liberia. We see God's hand at work as well as challenges and difficulties.

We anticipate being here in Senegal until 11th of June. From that time, we'll spend a few days in Charlotte, NC at our mission home office, and then head up to MN for a six month home assignment. We are praying for God's direction as to what comes after that. We are sensing a need to provide a home base for a few years for our sons, and are trusting that God will continue to clarify the plans He has for us. One possibility is that we would re-locate in Charlotte in January 2011, to continue working with SIM in the U.S. office. We'll keep you posted as plans develop, and we'll appreciate your continued prayers for our future!

We are thankful for your prayers for us, for your encouragement, for your financial partnership, and your presence in our lives.

With Advent love to you all,
Mary
for the DakarDeckers

December 3: Nativity set

2009-12-03T10:50:00.002Z

December 1: beginning to look like Christmas...

2009-12-01T09:21:00.002Z

November 26: Thanksgiving in Dakar

2009-11-27T11:30:00.010Z

We are thankful for so many blessings! This year our team Thanksgiving group was much smaller than the previous years, because we are missing several families who have left or are on home assignment! But we enjoyed a lovely meal, complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and our overseas traditional chocolate cream!

Holiday Traditions in Dakar: Turkey Bowl

2009-11-25T21:16:00.000Z

One of our fun holiday traditions here is Turkey Bowl. The day before American Thanksgiving, school ends at noon, and the afternoon is spent in an American Flag Football tournament. The junior class serves great food, and people hang out to eat and watch football. This year Jacob didn't play, but enjoyed eating and watching games with his friends, while Dave refereed some of the kids games as well as playing in the mens game. I think this picture was after his touchdown!

November 22: holiday preparations

2009-11-23T08:10:00.003Z

On the way home from a retreat weekend, we watched preparations for the holiday Tabaski which is at the end of this week. Huge lots filled with rams for sale... and once you purchase your ram, how do you get him home?

November 19: for sale in your neighborhood...

2009-11-20T07:08:00.003Z

Small lots are filling quickly with rams to be sold for the Tabaski holiday coming up at the end of this month! This one is just outside our office window.

October 30-November 1: Senior Outreach

2009-11-06T12:01:00.009Z

Dave and Jacob took off Friday after school for a weekend of work, play, and reaching out to villagers in Senegal with most of the DA Senior Class and sponsors. It was a great experience for them, and Dave took some wonderful pictures. Click to see more of them on flickr or more yet (with captions!) on Dave's facebook album.

October 23: Harvest Fest

2009-10-24T20:18:00.001Z

The Dakar Deckers were all involved in the 2009 Dakar Academy Harvest Fest Down-Under! Jacob ran a "chicken chasing" booth with one of his friends, which seemed to go over well with the little kids. The bigger kids had fun when the chickens escaped from the pen! I clipped the wings of one rooster, hoping to keep him in the pen, but he managed to jump out anyway. Dave kept busy grilling, relieving kids at their booths so they could get a bite to eat, and selling drinks... while I walked all over the campus helping out and troubleshooting as needed. We had a great time, and we're all tired out now that it's over! We feel privileged to be senior class sponsors, and love working with these students!

October 17: rain!

2009-10-18T08:24:00.004Z

After three weeks without a drop of rain, we got a downpour last night. Dave and I were almost finished with our nice dinner at a restaurant near our house when the deluge began. We waited about 1/2 hour to see if it would let up, but finally decided we needed to leave. The drive home was a challenge, with flooded roads and a low car. In several places I thought the car would float away! This pic is after the worst parts, but still gives an idea of how much water came down! (It doesn't look as deep as it was in reality but this gives you at least a sense of it!)

October 5: scenes from Liberia

2009-10-05T08:41:00.008Z

Dave arrived home on Friday afternoon, so glad to be back on his scheduled return-day! This is not something we take for granted when traveling around West Africa!

His trip went well, with many hours of talking and listening to team members. Please continue to pray for their leadership needs! (The acting director is leaving earlier-than-planned because of health concerns.)

He was able to be part of a "men's night out" with the SIM'ers there... they brought sandwiches to the top of the Ducor hotel and got ice-cream afterwards.

He also got to visit with some of our many Liberian friends-- who are the reason we love Liberia so much!

Update September 25

2009-09-25T14:05:00.002Z

Greetings from Senegal (and Liberia!)

We feel blessed and privileged that our ministry in West Africa involves providing quality leadership and administrative support to missionaries working in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia.

This week, we'd like to ask you to pray for Dave as he spends time in Liberia. He is working with the SIM Liberia team to consider their leadership needs, as Matt and Brenda Carr (working in leadership and personnel roles) will be leaving much sooner than expected, in December. We had planned that Dave and I would travel to Liberia together, but the available flights changed, requiring too many days for both of us to be gone with Jacob still at home. I'm disappointed because I would have LOVED to travel to Liberia again, and would love to be working together with Dave, but trusting that God's plan is for me to be here at the moment. Please pray for great times of listening and encouraging with the team, and for wisdom and flexibility as the team strategizes. He is scheduled to return on October 2, but the flights have been pretty unpredictable so he's prepared to be flexible!

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. Our support account is precariously low, as is our ministry account. As we mentioned in another update, we currently need at least $1000 for medical deductible expenses. Because of the way SIM's financial support system has changed, and due to skyrocketing medical costs, we find ourselves in a new situation for us-- ON the field yet needing additional financial support. In the past, when this has happened, we've benefited from SIM's pooling system-- however, that no longer exists. Please pray with us, and if you sense God's prompting to be part of meeting these financial needs, click here to learn about online giving, or email us.

... [We] have need of endurance, so that when [we] have done the will of God [we] may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36

The difficult month of Ramadan has ended, and we're thankful for that. The last several week we've enjoyed more consistent electricity, and are very thankful for that as well. The next six weeks are traditionally extremely hot and humid, before the cool, dry breeze from the desert arrives in November, so you could pray for stamina, energy and endurance for us!

Jacob is working very hard in school, with three Advanced Placement classes. He really enjoys the classes, and is working diligently at the many hours of homework each day from each class. We ask prayers for his good health, energy and endurance as well. Pray for God's leading as he pursues applications to colleges.

We are thankful for your partnership, in prayer, encouragement and financial giving. Our endurance is only possible with God's help, and we are very aware that YOU are one of the means through which He helps us, so we pray for your endurance as well!

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your [and our] hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 16-17.

With HOPE in HIM,

Mary
for the Dakar Deckers (in Dakar and Liberia!)

on the way to school...

2009-09-14T14:18:00.000Z

We've had a lot of rainy days recently, and the roads aren't made with drainage in mind since most of the year is so very dry!

Decker Update September 3

2009-09-04T07:06:00.003Z

Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

That was one of our Bible verses at breakfast yesterday morning, and it's an encouraging verse as we wait for the Lord through some hot and humid days in Dakar! We've been continuing to review our financial situation, and believe that it is important to let you know some of the specifics.

Monthly support needs: Our support is coming in about $800 short on average each month. We have a "support account" (kind of a buffer) that is down from 8,000 to about 1,000. Between those figures, it seems that our support may run dry very quickly.

Ministry account needs: Due to the same skyrocketing medical costs that you all deal with, our medical coverage has been scaled way back this year. We now have an annual deductible of $1,000 per person, which we were not at all prepared for. We've already spent over $1,000 for Mary this year (nothing serious, just some very expensive testing!), and we don't have funds in our account to pay the deductible. The good news is that we can use ministry account funds for all legitimate medical costs not covered by insurance, which means that donors can help out and get a tax-deductible receipt at the same time by giving to our ministry account.

We appreciate your prayers, and ask you to look with us to the Lord as we wait for His provision of our need. If you feel led to be a part of meeting some of these needs, here is the link for information about online giving.

Thankful for God's promises,
the Dakar Deckers

August 29: Goree Island

2009-08-29T22:24:00.000Z

We went out to Goree in the late afternoon with a young lady who has spent two months as a short-term missionary in Kaffrine. It was fun to hear about her experiences in different village and many ministry opportunities she's had during her time here! And, despite the intense heat and the sad history of the island, we all enjoyed some of the beautiful sights at Goree.

Decker Update August 22

2009-08-22T20:17:00.001Z

Decker Update

Dear friends and family,
Greetings from HOT, HUMID Senegal! We are in the hot months, knowing that in November a breeze will blow away the humidity... but until then, we sweat, drink lots of water, and try to stay cool!

We are so thankful for the many ways God has blessed us over the past months! We were blessed by Mark and Andrya from our home church, who loaned us a car for our time in Minnesota. We were blessed with frequent flyer miles so that we could get up to Minnesota after Danny's wedding in Miami. We were blessed by Lee and Tracy loaning us a cell phone with unlimited minutes for our time in the States! We were blessed with time together with our extended family and time to relax at my mom's cabin. We were blessed by the gift of a hotel room in Appleton Wisconsin where we were able to attend the wedding of Cal, son of one of our support team families! These and many more blessings encouraged our hearts during our time in the U.S.

We loved staying in Miami with the Prinz family, the parents of our new daughter-in-law, Leah. Our two families enjoyed being together and developed friendships that will last a lifetime, and we're so glad! It was wonderful being with Danny and Leah. Danny drove us around and took us shopping more times than he would have preferred-- out of love and service to us-- as we re-stocked things we'd need for the upcoming year in Dakar.

Danny and Leah's wedding was beautiful. It was held in an "ancient Spanish monastery"-- and was a joyful time of celebration with family and friends. We ask your prayers for them as they begin their married lives. Danny will finish college this semester, if all goes well with his schedule! Leah is taking a semester off from her college course, and is teaching music on a part-time basis.

Joey is back to John Brown University for his senior year, and has been accepted into the Navy Officer Candidate Program and Flight School after he graduates. He is very excited about this, and we are thankful that his hard work and dedication is paying off. We trust that God is leading him into this program, and have seen evidence of this in many ways. Please pray for Joey this year as he works as an R.A. in his dorm, and finishes his college studies.

Jacob is also a senior this year-- in high school at Dakar Academy. He has enjoyed the first days of school, and has a very challenging class-load but is loving it. He is beginning the process of college applications. Pray for Jacob to continue to grow in the way God is leading him. We're excited to watch and encourage him as he grows!

Today is the first day of Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Islamic world. Here's a little information about Ramadan: " Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and mistakes. Muslims fast during this holy month from the moment when it first starts to get light until sunset. " For more information, here's a helpful source, with a 30-day prayer guide for this month as well.

In a practical sense, this is a very difficult month for people living here. It's beginning to be the hottest part of the year, yet they will continue their normal work and school, while fasting from all food and water between sunrise and sunset. As sunset draws close, people are exhausted and often grumpy. It's not a good time to be trying to take a taxi, or even driving somewhere because the other drivers are often irritable and worn out.

Please continue to pray for young Christian believers during this time, who may face grave difficulty with their families because of their choice to follow Jesus. For updates on the situation we asked you to pray for with the specific young man, please continue to check the Garretts' prayer log.

Many blessings to you as you pray and partner with us, as we seek to follow Jesus here in Senegal, day by day in the hottest months, with or without electricity!

August 9: at home in Dakar

2009-08-09T16:42:00.002Z

a little list for this Sunday afternoon

Things that make me happy to be back in Dakar:
--seeing Dave again (he came straight back to Dakar and missed the Minnesota/Wisconsin part of our trip!)
--finding a "welcome home aunt mary" message on my Dakar cell phone
--my cat
--my own quirky kitchen with all my important stuff life my coffee grinder, my garlic press, "my own" space (it was fun to be a guest but it's really fun to be in my own kitchen again!)
-- the anticipation of seeing special friends at DA and in the community!

Things that make me sad to be back in Dakar:
-- my dish drainer is a lot more rusted out than I remember!
-- i'm not as acclimated to the heat and humidity after a month in central air-conditioning and cool Minnesota/Wisconsin!
--the anticipation of not seeing Danny, Leah and Alexis for a very long time...
-- the anticipation of not seeing Joey again for a very long time...
-- knowing that our family in the States will miss us, and the little kids will keep growing up without us being around!

P.S. One more thing that makes me happy is knowing that I will have pictures to edit and post in the days ahead, hope that makes you who read this blog happy too!

July 15: Miami trip pictures!

2009-07-15T15:01:00.005Z

We're enjoying our time in Miami, having fun with family and friends. We are keeping busy, and here's a link to some of our pictures on facebook!

July 11: Danny and Leah

2009-07-12T03:01:00.003Z

We had fun today taking engagement pictures for Danny and Leah... Dave took this one!

July 3: fun!

2009-07-04T00:37:00.002Z

July 1: looking ahead

2009-07-01T09:09:00.000Z

I can't guess whether I'll be blogging a lot or very little during the next month! We will be seeing sights that are very different than our everyday sights in Senegal, and seeing special people we don't get to see often enough! We'll definitely be taking pictures, and it remains to be seen how many and how often they will be posted here.

Dave, Jacob and I will travel tomorrow night to Miami, Florida and spend about two weeks with Danny, Leah and Leah's family before the July 18 wedding. Joey will be joining us on July 6, from England and N. Ireland. Did I mention we're excited??

Meanwhile, we need to pack (one of my least favorite jobs!) and get our household and pets in good order to be cared for while we are gone!

June 27: God of this City

2009-06-27T08:31:00.000Z

Another favorite song... our prayer for our city, nation, people...

June 26: Yours -- Steven Curtis Chapman

2009-06-26T10:55:00.003Z

I love this song. The first version here is the one with the new verse SCC wrote after his five-year-old daughter died last year. As we walk through dark valleys, it helps to remember who walks with us.

I'm adding the original version as well, since Tracy hasn't heard these before. This was written before his daughter died. I really like both versions!

June 25 financial update

2009-06-25T22:43:00.002Z

We've been reviewing our recent monthly donor reports from SIM, including the May report that just arrived. We've been watching these pretty carefully in light of the financial crisis. We'd like to ask you to pray for our support level, because we're suddenly seeing a pretty significant drop-off.

Here are some of the current realities that we're looking at:

* Our support income has dropped by $750 since we arrived back on the field 16 months ago. Some donors have let us know that they are not able to continue. Others have stopped giving for the last several months, and we can't be sure of their intentions.
* Our support requirement has gone up by $361 since returning to the field, to $8,244. The increased requirement is due mainly to annual increases in medical insurance and SIM administrative charges.
* We need an additional $880/month (beginning right now, June 2009) just to make it to home assignment (June 2010) with a zero balance in our support account. We're not even certain that we want to take home assignment at that point, but our support situation has the potential to leave us with no other option.
* We began our term with a buffer in our support account of roughly one month's support requirement. Now we project that our support account buffer runs out next month, July 2009. That balance has been dropping slowly up until just the last couple of months, when it's taken a much steeper dive.

We're asking you to pray with us, and we want you to know that we're praying with complete confidence in the Lord's ability to accomplish all that he desires, and with that in mind we're asking him to fully provide for our supporters and for us. We know that lots of people are hurting, and many of those who continue to give are doing so very sacrificially. We really appreciate your prayers as well!

(Click here if you'd like to find out more about online giving.)

June 16-18 road trip to Kaffrine

2009-06-19T17:18:00.009Z

(cow and goat crossing!)

(salt harvesting)

Here's the facebook link to my photos from this trip.

June 17: in the village

2009-06-18T10:44:00.001Z

During our visit to Kaffrine, Corey took us out to the village where he's working. We enjoyed meeting some of his friends, and seeing some of the realities of village life.

DeckerUpdate June 15

2009-06-15T16:07:00.006Z

Dear friends,
Greetings from sunny summer Senegal! We have felt blessed that the weather has been cooler than usual so far for this time of year! We have also had good electricity, and good water (most of the time.) Those "little" things help us to persevere in this desert location!

What's been happening?
The past couple of months have been full with ministry/life. On May 15, Dave became the "interim" WAFA Director, as Dan Porch stepped down from his WAFA Director role to pack and prepare to leave Senegal with his family after six years of serving as WAFA Director. This is a one year appointment for Dave, and we wait for God's direction as to what's after that time. Please pray for wisdom for Dave in filling this role. Burt Koppendrayer is now the WAFA Treasurer, having taken up that role that Dave has held since 1992.

We have said many goodbyes in the past few weeks. The Porch family has left, with no plans to return to Senegal in the foreseeable future. Mark (WAFA Business Administrator) and Leigh Tanquist have left for a six month home assignment. Please pray for their refreshment in the States, as they visit with family and friends. Pray for their support needs to be met so that they can return in early January-- they are much-needed here! Burt and Trish Koppendrayer left last night on home assignment now as well, for one year. We will miss these families, and ask you to pray for them on home assignment, and for their timely returns-- and for us right now as the only members of the WAFA leadership team left in the country.

Mary was part of the facilitation team for a Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop in May. It was a challenge and a privilege to work with people of 12 different nationalities! She has recently launched a resource blog intended for WAFA missionaries, with articles, links to resources and book reviews.

We enjoyed being class sponsors for the Juniors (Jacob's class) at Dakar Academy this past year. The years' work culminated in the Junior-Senior Banquet on May 30, a time where the juniors honored the seniors. It was a special evening, and we were so thankful for all the hard work on the part of the junior class and the other sponsors! And our juniors are now seniors-- hard to believe! We look forward to working with them during the next school year.

What's next?
Tomorrow Dave and I will travel several hours to visit our missionary families in Kaffrine. We'd appreciate your prayers for safe travel, and that we would learn much from our time with them. Pray that we would be an encouragement to them as well. Jacob will be home in Dakar, along with his friend Ben who is staying with us for a couple of weeks doing some work in this city. Now that they are seniors, we're pretty sure they can manage without us for a couple of days, but prayers are still appreciated! We will post pictures and notes from the trip on our blog.

And after that?
We are looking forward to July 3, when we will travel to the Miami, Florida, to be with our oldest son Danny, preparing for his wedding on July 18. We love his fiancee, Leah, and are so happy that she will soon be our daughter-in-law! We are glad that we will be able to spend some time getting to know her family as we stay with them for the weeks before the wedding.

We are looking forward to having our kids all together in one place! Joey is currently in Northern Ireland doing an internship as part of his college program. He was recently accepted into the Naval Aviation program (will attend Officer Candidate School after he graduates) and is very happy about that. He arrives in Miami on July 6.

Thank you!
Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and financial support. We know that the economic situation is difficult for everyone, and we continue to trust that God will provide our financial needs. Our support has dropped below 100% in recent days. We have lost at least $400/per month in support, and we have needs in our ministry-account as well. One time gifts to support or ministry would be helpful at this time, as well as new (or increased) monthly support. If you would like to know more about the needs, or about how to contribute to these needs, let us know.

With love in Christ, and thankfulness for all of you,

Mary
for the Dakar Deckers

June 4: Grad!

2009-06-04T23:45:00.007Z

A happy and sad night! We are so thankful for the accomplishment of the seniors, but at this ending of the school year, many people will be leaving Senegal and traveling to their home countries. So many that we love-- leave tonight, tomorrow and in the next few days... so our celebration is tinged with sadness!

One of the fun parts of the graduation/goodbye night has been Jacob's class (now seniors!) taking a class picture-- though some are missing... this group of kids has a lot of fun together and we sure enjoy them! See last year's post-grad picture here!

When we returned to the car at the end of the evening, we found this card for "Aunt Mary", with a beautiful bouquet-- it was an anonymous thank-you note for the time and love I've shared with the students this year... what a surprise and what a treat!

June 2: a few more JSB pictures!

2009-06-02T10:41:00.007Z

JSB was on our horizon throughout the school year, as the junior class raised funds to host this banquet for the seniors. All our events, such as junior-carnival, valentine-grams and others, were (in addition to being fun events for the community) fund-raisers with JSB as the goal.

So much planning and preparation went into preparing for this event... the juniors learned how to work well together as a class, the sponsors learned how to work together and how to work with the juniors... and we are thankful that it went so well! The seniors felt loved and honored, and we are so glad for that!

Often after the end of such a huge event, there is that feeling of sadness... we worked so hard for so long and now it's over... but we are enjoying the memories and the photos!

(the third photo cracks me up--Jacob and some of the guys in his class cutting loose and enjoying themselves after the party ended! )

May 30: Junior-Senior Banquet

2009-05-31T21:50:00.005Z

Dave and I had a great time working with the junior class to help them plan the Junior-Senior Banquet (JSB) of 2009! We are thankful that it went very well, that the seniors felt honored, encouraged and loved! We were so impressed with the juniors and all that they did to make this an evening to remember! Here's a link to Mary's facebook photos, and here's the link to Dave's--there may be more photos to come but for the moment, we are tired and our internet is working very slowly!

May 27: Joey's News!

2009-05-27T22:24:00.001Z

Quick note, Joey just called us from N. Ireland-- and he is accepted into the Naval Officer Candidate School and Aviation training... will finish his last year of college and then enter OCS after graduation... we are thrilled for him and thankful for God's evident leading in his life!!! He is VERY happy and excited!!

More as it unfolds... thanks for your prayers and encouragements!!!

Sunday May 24 (from Joey!)

2009-05-24T16:52:00.007Z

The Deckers are scattered around the world at the moment.

This is the photo I received from Joey today, the house where he is staying in Northern Ireland. He's interning with a group of students doing a study course in Belfast for the next six weeks or so.

Looking from our desert-ish home in Senegal, we are STUNNED by all that green grass!!

May 9: Mother's Day dinner out

2009-05-09T22:12:00.003Z

Dave and Jacob took me out for a Mother's Day dinner. We ate brochettes and grilled shrimp at Chez Fatu, and watched amazing waves! I love the way the lighthouse looks when it's getting dark...

May 8: fun Friday

2009-05-08T22:44:00.000Z

We had fun this afternoon with (little) girls (and their parents) over for tea. We girls enjoyed a lovely table and banished the guys to the living room, where they put up a sign for a "boys only" meeting! Then we got to attend another performance of to the "Seussical" (this spring's musical) at D.A. So great to watch kids who have worked hard for months perform so well!

May 3: baptism service at the beach!

2009-05-03T21:00:00.004Z

Jacob was baptized today at Bel-Air beach, along with 9 other DA students! It was a very special way to celebrate this sunny Sunday with many friends! We are thankful for our community here.

April 24: Goree Island

2009-04-25T18:51:00.005Z

Dave took the auditors out to Goree Island today after the audit was finished. They've worked hard for five days, and need to see at least some of the historic sites here. He took some amazing pictures (as usual!) Here's the link to see the rest of them!

April 24: twitter updates UPDATE

2009-04-24T12:41:00.001Z

So, I'm finding that I like doing updates on twitter. If you are following this blog in a feed-reader, you won't see the updates. But if you're interested, you could subscribe to the twitter updates on your feed-reader too! Here's the link to subscribe to my updates for this blog, DakarDeckers, and here's the link for twitter updates on my "lifesights(plus)" blog as well. (Note that there are different updates for each blog...)

April 23: last Saturday's outing!

2009-04-23T13:10:00.004Z

Last Saturday, Dave, Jacob and I went with a friend to Cap Manuel, to explore, hike, and take pictures. Those outings get us out of the sandy, dusty concrete reality of everyday life! If you'd like to see more pictures of this fun place, here's the link to my photoset on flick'r!

April 20: Twitter Updates

2009-04-20T17:18:00.000Z

So, less than a week after telling someone I didn't see the point of Twitter, I'm trying it out. I've set up a space in the sidebar of the blog for these micro-updates. That way, even if I can't take the time to edit and /or post photos, I can at least make notes about the reason why, and/or what else is going on! Twitter limits me to 140 characters. So I won't take a long time over these updates! Some how it feels less intimidating than that whole big empty space of a normal blog post... let us know what you think!

April 2-5 SLC

2009-04-07T09:48:00.001Z

Four days and three nights, time away from the daily routine! We had our annual Spiritual Life Conference with our SIM-Senegal team, and it was a wonderful time of refreshing!

Worship, singing, sessions in God's Word, discussions of diversity and unity, considering team issues... as well as time in the swimming pool, playing and walking in the forest and on the beach, fellowship over meals... we were thankful and blessed by our time together!

We love being able to spend time with these families, especially the ones living out of Dakar that we don't get to see on a regular basis!

If you'd like to see more pictures, here are the links to my photos on flickr.

SLC (people, animals, pool, dinner....)

and SLC Wildlife-- (I had so much fun taking pictures of monkeys and other animals that I needed to make a separate set of them alone!)

March 26: in the desert

2009-03-28T16:50:00.010Z

Our family had a very cool overnight in the desert with some friends... amazing sand dunes, camels, sunset views... it was a unique experience for all of us!

If you'd like to see more photos of this amazing adventure, here's the link! (to my photoset on flickr.)

And here are links to Dave's facebook albums.
Dave's desert camp album #1

Daves desert camp album #2

Enjoy!

DeckerUpdate March 25

2009-03-25T09:03:00.011Z

Greetings from Senegal!

It's been a little over a month since our last update, and we have continued active and busy during that time. We are based in Senegal as part of SIM's Western Africa Area leadership team. Our vision is to see joyful missionaries effectively spreading a passion for God's glory in West Africa, and that we would serve them by providing quality leadership and administrative support. Dave's two-week trip to Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire last month gave him face-to-face time with our missionaries in those two countries, and has increasingly clarified his vision of their needs. Please pray for him as he continues to train and support the people in each of those countries.

Here are some of the photos from his trip:
Dave in Abidjan
Liberia: reunion with friends
ELWA Hospital
ELWA Academy
ELWA Radio

We are finding ourselves very involved with students at Dakar Academy. Many of our SIM kids attend this school, from Senegal as well as Liberia and Guinea. Through Mary's role as school counselor (while awaiting the return of the permanent counselor) we developed more relationships with students. We are "sponsors" for Jacob's class, which involves helping them with fund-raising events. (These events are a fun part of life in this community where recreational options are more limited than in the States, and also require a lot of hard work by students, sponsors, staff and parents!) We have enjoyed getting to know so many students at DA and are amazed at the many personalities as well as nationalities represented in this community. We enjoy spending time with students, being involved in their lives, having fun with them, and talking with them about their more serious concerns as well. Involvement with teenagers has increasingly become one of the highlights of our life here. Please pray that we will listen well, love well, and speak truth into their lives.

And for a few pictures of involvement with school-related projects/events:
In the Park (Olympic Days)
Team Party (Jacob and Coach Dave's team)
building a volcano
Junior Carnival

The days ahead will bring new changes and challenges for the Deckers. Dave has handed over his job as WAFA Area Treasurer to Burt Koppendrayer. Dave is now full-time Deputy Director for WAFA, mentoring and training Burt in the Treasurer job, and preparing to take the role of interim WAFA Director in May as Dan and Laurie Porch prepare to leave Senegal. We will miss the Porches, who are leaving permanently, as well as the Tanquists and Koppendrayers who will be gone for home assignment. Pray that the Lord will give wisdom, and enable us to effectively cover the responsibilities that Mark and Burt would normally carry. Pray also for the Tanquists' support to be raised in time for them to return in 6 months, and for the Koppendrayers' year of home assignment.

We are looking forward to Danny's wedding in July, in Miami. It will be wonderful to be together as a family, and to celebrate with Danny and Leah the beginning of their married life together. Dave will return to Dakar right after the wedding, while Jacob and Mary will spend about 10 days in Minnesota.

Joey will be completing an internship in Northern Ireland before coming to Miami for the wedding. He would like to spend several weeks in Minnesota as well, before returning to John Brown University for his senior year. At this point we are not sure how the finances for this will work-- if you have frequent flyer miles and would like to help in this area, please let us know! Joey is applying to Naval Officer Candidate School through a program called the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program. He has completed all his paperwork, has passed all the physical exams with flying colors (including 20/20 vision-- thank you Lord!) and is currently awaiting results. Please join us in praying that God prepares Joey for the future plans He has for him!

We are thankful for our financial support that has been consistent, though some supporters have had to stop their donations due to the difficulties of this turbulent time. We still have needs for one-time gifts in our ministry account (mainly for medical co-payments) and continue to trust the Lord to provide. If you sense the Lord prompting you to be a part of that, we'd love to give you more information.

We are thankful that God has brought us here, and thankful to be part of a team that includes you as you partner with us through prayer, finances, and encouragement. So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" He reminds us: "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go... For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." -- "Be strong and courageous... it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." (from Daily Light,March 25 )

May He continue to bless you, and keep you confident in His help!

Mary
for the Dakar Deckers

March 21: refreshing beach day

2009-03-22T09:29:00.004Z

Dave and I spent a few hours relaxing at the beach today. (Jacob was off at another beach with his friends.) We relaxed and were refreshed by the beauty of the waves, rocks, sunshine and cool breeze!

March 13: Jr. Carnival!

2009-03-14T20:05:00.005Z

One of DA's biggest traditional events is Jr. Carnival. Each year the juniors choose a theme, and work together with sponsors and staff to present a fun evening for the DA community.

This year's theme was"Lord of the Rings" -- and the carnival was complete with lots of booths for kids, an "amazing race" type event called "The Race to Mordor", good food, and the traditional "jail"-- pay a little money to have your friend or sibling arrested and locked up for awhile!

These events are fund-raisers for the class, as well just plain fun for the DA community.

The Deckers were EXHAUSTED at the end of the evening, but thankful to have been part of a great team working together for this event-- many parents, school staff, students, as well as a group of players from the Wheaton College football team on their spring break ministry trip. Fun!

March 8-12: getting ready for carnival

2009-03-12T18:05:00.002Z

This week's photos were dedicated to preparations for the Junior Carnival.

Dave and I are junior class sponsors, and we enjoy spending time with the students, hanging out, helping out, and taking time to listen and encourage whenever we can.

Jacob is class treasurer, and as an officer, is very involved in the work of making events happen.

Their theme was Lord of the Rings, and most of these pictures are of the development of the volcano...Mount Doom!

March 7: Team Party

2009-03-08T16:17:00.001Z

After all day of soccer and volleyball games at school, we gathered the softball players to celebrate our season. Coach Dave and Coach Bruce gave certificates to each player to commemorate a great season, and we enjoyed a slideshow of season highlights!

March 4: in the park

2009-03-05T12:24:00.001Z

While watching 3K and 5K runs in Hann Park yesterday we were struck by the variety of scenes around us. Runners finishing their races with excellence, birds displaying their unique beauty, and women carrying firewood-- all part of God's wonderful creation. We thank HIM as we enjoy the blessings of these scenes!

March 4: update on Carol K.

2009-03-04T08:05:00.000Z

Steve Kejr writes to thank people for praying. Overnite, they made all the
connections from Cote d'Ivoire, and went directly to the doctor in Charlotte
who says Carol has a partially detached retina that included the
macula, the part of the eye that gives the central focus.

The specialist has initiated a basic treatment and may do a more invasive
procedure in a couple days if this doesn't work. Continue to pray. Carol must
hold her head in a given position, even while sleeping. The Doc says
because the macula is involved we will not know for several months how her
vision will end up. May both Carol & Steve know God's peace.

Pray also for the team at ELWA in Liberia. This did not seem to be a good
time for Steve to leave many projects unfinished.

March 3: Prayer Request

2009-03-03T17:14:00.002Z

Please pray for these dear friends, Steve and Carol Kejr.

Received this morning from SIM:
Sunday morning Carol Kejr, then in Liberia, experienced symptoms of retinal detachment In her best, right eye. As there are no good eye doctors in Liberia they flew to the neighboring country of Cote d'Ivore to a better hospital in Abidjan and saw an eye doctor at 7:30 AM local time Monday, who confirmed the diagnosis and advised surgery ASAP. They barely missed one flight and are expected to arrive in Charlotte about 11:40am Tuesday. Pray they will be able to make all connections, that there will be an opening in the surgeon’s schedule for immediate surgery, that God will give real peace of heart to both Carol and Steve as they continue “trusting in His care”, and of course for God’s hand on the surgeon’s. Praise Him that our insurance was willing to pay for the airfare and cover the surgery!

February 28: Senior Cafe

2009-03-01T15:10:00.000Z

One of DA's annual events is Senior Cafe-- a talent/variety show hosted by the senior class. This is the "senior act" at the end of the evening. We enjoyed the evening of raps, songs and skits... and the yummy desserts available for purchase as well!

February 27: Best Buds

2009-02-27T15:02:00.000Z

Here's Jacob with his 5th grade Best Bud-- enjoying lunch and interesting conversation together! Best Buds happens officially several times per quarter, but the relationships continue throughout the daily lives of the students.

We have loved this about DA, seeeing the older students involved in caring and positive ways in the lives of younger students.

February 26: Twenty seven years!

2009-02-26T14:55:00.000Z

Twenty seven years has gone by quickly! We have been blessed by God's goodness in our lives-- three wonderful sons, the privilege of serving Him in West Africa... we look ahead with confidence in Him for our future!

February 23: ELWA Radio

2009-02-24T09:13:00.000Z

Please continue to pray for ELWA Radio as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ over the airwaves in Liberia!

February 23: ELWA Academy

2009-02-24T09:04:00.000Z

Pray for ELWA Academy as they provide quality Christian education in Liberia.

(personal side-note from Mary: I can't resist posting several of Dave's pictures of the ELWA Academy students!

ELWA Academy was Danny and Joey's first school. SO many memories!

And I love the sight of of Liberian kids in their school uniforms! I miss living in Liberia!!)

February 23: ELWA Hospital

2009-02-24T08:26:00.000Z

Dave, Burt and Mark with Les Unruh in front of ELWA Hospital.

Please remember to pray for this hospital as they shine the light of Christ while ministering to physical needs in Liberia.

February 22: reunion with friends in Liberia

2009-02-23T17:08:00.002Z

Dave is enjoying reconnecting with many friends in Liberia. This couple, Steve and Carol Kejr, have been praying, encouraging people and ministering in many different ways to those involved with SIM and ELWA ministries over many years.

Although they've been living in Charlotte, they have been in Liberia for the past several months to help out with an urgent need in the services department.

February 20: Dave in Abidjan

2009-02-21T16:57:00.002Z

Dave, Mark and Burt's travel to Abidjan went well, and they spent time visiting ministries, auditing and talking with SIM-related colleagues in Cote d'Ivoire.

February 16: W.A.I.S.T.

2009-02-16T19:41:00.002Z

W.A.I.S.T was a lot of fun, we enjoyed a great weekend! The DA staff team beat the DA varsity to advance to the competetive league championship, but then lost to Senegal's top team.

We got sunburned and windburned, talked to lots of people, ate some hot dogs... a fun ending to a great season!

Jacob's team in the social league lost their first two games and won the last two-- one of which was pretty crazy! Here's a link to some pictures and his note about it!

February 14: W.A.I.S.T. (West Africa Invitational Softball Tournament!)

2009-02-15T07:15:00.003Z

This weekend is W.A.I.S.T.! Dave is playing and coaching Jacob's team, and two more teams from our school are playing as well. Other teams have come from around the region, and it's an exciting weekend!

Decker Update February 12

2009-02-13T14:04:00.006Z

Dear friends,

Greetings from the long-lost Deckers in Dakar! We are very thankful for you who pray for us and for our ministries in West Africa-- and I hope to do a much better job of keeping you updated in the days ahead!

Here's a quick look at some of the highlights (mixed with an occasional lowlight!) from the past months... (and for each month there's a link to photos and more notes from our blog!)

October:

* Joey flew to Minnesota for surgery on his broken collar-bone! We are thankful for a wonderful surgeon(and his wonderful wife) from our home church, Bethlehem Baptist, who helped us get this organized from across the ocean. We are thankful for insurance that has covered 80% of the costs. We are thankful that Joey is now (as of February) medically "cleared" and back to normal activities!
* Mary participated in a Member Care Provider's Consultation and Retreat, sponsored by the Mobile Member Care Team, in Ghana. It was a time of learning, and refreshment. I'm so thankful for the ministry of the MMCT, and for the privilege of being associated with them as a Peer Responder!!
* Dave spend several days in Accra, Ghana participating in the MMCT board meetings.

November

* WAFA council meetings. SIM leaders from Liberia, Senegal, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire gathered to pray and work through many business and strategy needs. Dennis and Meg from Boston came to facilitate leadership development with our leaders these four WAFA countries. Meg also led a session at the annual Senegal Women's Retreat, "Help, I'm Married to a Travelling Man!" Dennis and Meg stayed with us, and we enjoyed hosting them!
* A two-day visit from Pastor Dan and Liz, and Pastor Erik from our home church. They had been in Guinea leading a Spiritual Life Conference with our SIM team there, and spent two days visiting with our church missionaries here. We loved having Dan and Liz stay in our Africa home once again!
* Turkey Bowl at Dakar Academy! It's a half-day of American football (flag.) As junior class sponsors, we were involved in preparing and serving food, and Dave enjoyed playing on the staff team against the all-star guys!
* Thanksgiving-- celebration with our SIM team. Jacob on outreach trip with Dakar Academy Friday-Sunday.

December

* Joey arrived December 19 and was able to stay for almost three weeks. It was wonderful to be together with him again. We missed Danny, though!
* We enjoyed time with friends, and several days at the beach!
* Took lots of pictures, please enjoy viewing them on the blog!

January

* We received the exciting news of Danny and Leah's engagement!
* A few more vacation days before school starts again for Joey and Jacob.
* Back to the routines of school and office... spending time with students who need encouragement, working to encourage missionaries through excellent administration and leadership.
* Scott Hicks (the school counselor I've been filling in for at D.A.) returns, my role shifts to support and encouragement on a volunteer basis, and as a help to him and the school as needed.
* Jacob participates in another outreach weekend with Dakar Academy
* Softball games on Saturdays, Jacob playing, Dave coaching and playing! (Mary watching, cheering, taking pictures...)
* Spiritual Emphasis Week at Dakar Academy

February has begun well, and looks like another busy month. DA has been blessed by a visit from Beth Murray and her husband Glen. Beth is a psychologist from Canada, who specializes in eating disorders. She's spent time with individuals and families here, and has had teaching times with groups of high school girls, middle school girls, and school staff. I've been privileged to be her "facilitator" here. I've learned a lot and have really enjoyed helping both of them with logistics and connections. They leave tomorrow night. Please pray for our girls out here in West Africa. We are seeing more eating disorders, and there are no resources here for treatment, other than the DA school counselor.

Next week, Dave will travel (along with Mark Tanquist and Burt Koppendrayer) to Cote d'Ivoire, and Liberia to do financial audits and training. Please pray for this trip, that they would be effective and encouraging to all those they spend time with. Pray for me and Jacob "home alone." (As well as the other two families who will be without their husband/dad during that time!)

We are thankful for God's provision for our financial needs. We have learned of several supporters who have had to stop their support in recent months. It's easy to be anxious, but we continue to look to HIM for all that we need. We have some current needs in our ministry account, $2000 for Joey's surgery co-payment costs, and another $1000 for his wisdom teeth which had to come out this month. Please pray with us for those needs to be met, and if you are interested in being part of meeting those needs, here's a link to "giving online."

We are so thankful for your prayers, and for your encouragement to us. We know that God has given us faithful partners to enable His work to be done in us and through us in West Africa.

Blessings and love,
Mary
for the Dakar Deckers

February 7: Beth and Glen

2009-02-08T18:37:00.000Z

I've had the privilege during the past two weeks to facilitate/coordinate Beth and Glen's visit to D.A. She is a psychologist from Canada who specializes in eating disorders, and has given of her time and energy to spend time with our highschool and middle school girls, our teachers, and dorm staff.

Eating disorders are becoming more of a concern among our girls, and we appreciate prayer as we work to help girls choose recovery, with all the hard work and sometimes the fear that comes with recovery.

February 7 : league tournaments

2009-02-08T12:03:00.001Z

Jacob's team, coached by Dave, won the second-place trophy in the league tournament! It was a long, fun day of watching games...

And for some of our friends who don't believe me when I say it's COLD here-- please look at how these spectator friends of ours are dressed-- this is how we survive on these breezy cold day!

February 6: D.A. Olympic Day

2009-02-07T11:47:00.000Z

It was so much fun to spend the day watching kids compete in various track and field events. Here are a few of our SIM kids during their events...

Dave took over 250 amazing photos... if you want to see more, let us know and we'll send you the link!

February 3: D.A. Olympics

2009-02-04T11:33:00.001Z

We walked over to the park today after school to watch and cheer for kids who ran the 3K and 5K runs as part of the D.A. Olympics. This young man broke the record for the 5K... and it was great to see his accomplishment.

January 24: softball game

2009-01-25T10:00:00.000Z

You may know that Dave is coaching Jacob's softball team, and playing on another. We spend a lot of Saturdays watching games!

This game was special for another reason: Dave was watching with Burt! Moses K. is on Dave's team, and we are happy that Moses's parents were able to watch him play-- he's a great player.

And the reason they were able to watch him? They have relocated from Guinea to Senegal, and Burt is working with Dave on the WAFA Leadership team. These are days of transition for this team!

January 22: update on outreach

2009-01-22T10:52:00.002Z

Here's an update from the D.A. Chaplain about the outreach-- we're so thankful for all that God is doing!

Dear Parents:

We know you guys were praying for us on this last outreach weekend so we wanted to send you this little update. It seems like each time, these outreach weekends get better and better. God blew us away on this one. We were able to minister to over 3500 people in 10 different villages through the ministry teams involved: medical, Bible clubs, drama, and evangelism campaigns. We are thrilled to report that over 100 people responded to the message of salvation! Please pray for the national church leaders now as they follow-up with these people. Some of our ministry teams were the first ones to ever present the Gospel in some of these villages! We praise the Lord for His safety and protection as we traveled in 10 different vehicles, chalking up a combined 4000 kilometers in all! We were able to complete 3 other projects in 3 different villages:

We roofed a church in one village.
We laid a foundation, dug the hole for a septic tank, and made 690 bricks for a church in another village.
We painted a mural on the front wall of a church in a third village.

Our medical team broke a new record and was able to minister to 280 people. The highlight was when we were able to worship on Sun. morning in a church that we built last year with Evangelical Christian Academy in Spain. It thrilled our hearts to hear the national church president testify that there were over 200 people attending that church now, and 50 believers had been baptized since we built that church last year and evangelized in that area. He went on to say that through the efforts of the students from Dakar Academy, there has been a spirit of revival that has enveloped the entire region. In fact, one of the reasons we laid the foundation in one village was a direct result of the response to an evangelism campaign we held in that village last year.

None of these things could have been possible without the prayers of God's people so thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayer support!

January 21: Bible study girls

2009-01-22T09:33:00.000Z

I've had the privilege of meeting with these girls on Wednesday afternoons to study God's word together, pray, and share our hearts. What a blessing they've been in my life!

January 20: S.E.W.

2009-01-20T21:21:00.001Z

This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at Dakar Academy. We've got a great speaker, and are praying for rich times of worship and teaching, and refreshment in the lives of students and staff.

January 15: outtreach weekend!

2009-01-15T21:10:00.001Z

Jacob is heading out today for a weekend outreach in an area of Senegal about four hours from where we live. We are praying for the high schoolers and staff to be blessed and to be a blessing as they minister.

Here's a note from the DA Chaplain about their plans: "Last year, a group students and staff from the Evangelical Christian Academy of Madrid, Spain joined us for an outreach weekend to Sass where we evangelized and laid a foundation for the church there. A small group went back a month later and roofed the church. Now, just over a year later, we are able to return to this region to minister once again. Not only will we be evangelizing in a number of villages in that area, but we will have the opportunity to invest in 3 churches: 1) We will be painting a mural in the Sass church that we built last year. 2) We will be able to lay the foundation to a new church located in a village where we evangelized last year. 3) We are going to roof a church in a third village. We will be doing evangelism campaigns in 3 different villages in the evenings, working closely with the national church leaders in that area. Once again, we have about 120 students and adults going. It will be a logistical challenge transporting the different teams to the 3 different villages, as well as feeding everyone. However, it's exciting for us to be used by God to further His Kingdom here in Senegal. As always, we covet your prayer support!"

January 13: international friends

2009-01-14T11:25:00.001Z

These are some of the students that our family enjoys spending time with. We are blessed by living in an international community! They are from Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mexico...

January 11: coming and going...

2009-01-12T10:54:00.000Z

We managed to see Holly and her mom as they arrived from Cote d'Ivoire-- hours before Joey left to return to the States. Life for missionary families means many good-byes and many fun (even though short) reunions...

(When you see Holly and/or Joey--and/or Seth for that matter, even though he's not in this picture-- ask them to tell you about the pelicans!)

January 10: attaya on the roof

2009-01-12T10:22:00.001Z

Our traditional end-of-vacation bonfire on the roof... one last round of attaya by Joey! It's been a great break and we're so thankful for the good time of being together!

January 5: campement sunrise

2009-01-06T09:53:00.001Z

January 4: evening at the campement

2009-01-05T21:20:00.000Z

January 3: campement

2009-01-04T20:48:00.000Z

January 2: on the way to "the camp"!

2009-01-03T20:12:00.001Z

As we head out for a few days at a "camp" between the ocean and the Senegal river, here are a few uniquely Senegalese sights for you.

Danny and Leah!

2009-01-03T07:59:00.001Z

We were very happy to receive a phone call from Danny on January 2nd, letting us know that he and Leah got engaged on January 1! They are planning a July wedding.

We have known Leah for several years. Danny met her when he went to Miami in June of 2004. She is the niece of former Abidjan missionary friends of ours...

This is an old picture and I'm waiting as patiently as I can for a new one!

January 31: end of year celebration

2009-01-01T20:07:00.000Z

We enjoyed celebrating New Year's Eve as is our tradition with families and friends, and fireworks on the roof of the Hengers!