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What is Home Ministry Assignment (HMA)?

The role of a missionary is split between time on the field and time in one’s country of origin. The work on the field is what typically comes to mind when you think of a missionary – sharing the gospel, church planting, discipling, language and cultural acquisition etc.
The work on the home front is what drives the work on the field. Avant describes HMA as “an opportunity to reflect about your time on the field and look towards future ministry” by addressing four key relationships: with God, the Avant family, Ministry Partners and Those We Reach.

With those in mind, here are some specifics for us:


1. Connecting with Our Support Team (Ministry Partners): This will be a huge part of our time in the States. As much as possible, we want to connect with those on our support team – both churches and individuals. We literally could not be on the field if it wasn’t for the generous finances, prayers and encouragement that so many of you give! We are very excited to be able to connect face-to-face with our team, especially since we will have been gone for nearly 3.5 years by the time we return. There will be a lot to give updates on!

2. Raising More Funds (Ministry Partners): Between normal attrition, the addition of Evie to our family and general increases in costs, including significant increases in our health insurance costs, we need to raise more funding. While we can do some of this online (many of you will remember that we initially did support raising during 2020 so we found ourselves meeting with many of you online), it is much easier and realistic to do so in person. The fundraising journey has been one that has humbled us, taught us a ton and blessed us beyond what we could have ever expected. We are excited to see how God will provide!


3. Home Office Check-In (Avant Family): We are required to pass through Avant’s HQ at least once every five years so we will definitely be planning a trip to Kansas City while we’re back. I might be using the word excited too much, but it’s applicable here as well. We love Avant HQ!


4. Training (Those We Reach): We don’t know what this will look like yet, but HMA can be used as a time of equipping if there are things you want to learn or grow in that you may not have the space for or access to on the field. We know at a minimum we want to include maintenance of our French.


5. Rest and Connection (God): Finally, HMA will allow us time to rest and evaluate how our family, marriage and personal walks with the Lord are going; connect with our family in the States; and let our kids get to know grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We will happily take advantage of the free babysitting family provides to capitalize on dates 😀 We also look forward to worshipping in English at our sending church and connecting with friends.

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The Ups and Downs of Driving in Dakar

If you ever come visit us here in Dakar (and we hope you do!) one of the first things you are sure to notice is that the rules of the road are a little different here. With an overabundance of cars, motos and people on the roads combined with driving rules which are often treated as optional, driving here takes some extra attention. I like to say that you need a cautious aggressiveness to drive here. While there is a lot that could be said about that, I wanted to share a recent experience to give a glimpse into one aspect of driving here.

Last week as I was returning home from work, I came up to a divided road that has a large median and bus route dissecting it down the middle. I needed to go left but in order to do that I first needed to turn right and then make a U-turn at the next intersection (a Michigan Left right here in Dakar 😀 ). I made the needed right turn, but as I was approaching the next intersection, I saw there was a “No Left Turn” sign. This, however, was the left turn I wanted to make and also what Google Maps was telling me to do at this intersection. Google Maps is not always a trustworthy source of direction here in Dakar, but neither are street signs.

For example, on the autoroute on the way to the airport they have signs warning you to watch your speed because there are radar cameras. These cameras don’t actually exist and I don’t think they ever enforce speed limits. But even in the city there are also many street signs and even traffic lights that no one follows. So my rule of thumb when in a situation like this is to always do as those around me are doing. I figure my best way to not draw attention to myself is to do as others are doing. Usually this works well for me, but unfortunately not in this instance.

Many cars were doing the same thing I wanted to do, including the car directly in front of me. So I made my left, crossed the median and then made another left to get back on the same road but in the direction I needed. However, as soon as I did this a cop on the side of the road signaled me to pull over. He came over to me and after exchanging some greetings he asked me why I turned left when it is not allowed. I said that I was following all of the other cars that did the same thing. He again asked me if I had seen the sign that said no left turn. After telling him that often signs are not followed here in Dakar, which he agreed with, he said that I needed to follow this sign because if I had caused an accident I would be at fault. He took my documents and walked away from my car. While he did this I sat there and watched some 10-15 other cars make the same turn I had just made. When he returned, I mentioned this to him but he just repeated that I needed to follow the street sign. So, as is the process here, he took my driver’s license and gave me a little yellow slip of paper so that I could go downtown the next day, pay a fee and get my license back. The police officer was firm, but not unkind, nor did he ask for any payment to get out of the ticket which is quite common here.

The tickets are not expensive (about $5), but you do have to go downtown and wait at the police office to be seen. The other stressor is just hoping they don’t lose my U.S. driver’s license. Needless to say, I was somewhat frustrated with all of this.

So the next day, I went downtown to the police station but I brought my secret weapon: two kids! So the three of us walked into this outdoor courtyard which had probably 20-30 guys sitting around in it, all with the same little yellow slip of paper that I had. I was the only white person in the room and the only one with kids. As I walked in I started asking around for who was currently last in line. I learned from the last time I got a ticket that this is the official system for determining order :D. So, after finding who was last in line, the kids and I went and sat down on the ground. After waiting for just a couple of minutes an officer walked by and, seeing the kids, asked why I was there. I gave him my ticket and he told me that because this happened just the day before we’d need to go upstairs (the previous time I had gone in an office on the 1st floor).

So we went upstairs and asked another officer what office I would need. He pointed to some chairs and told the kids to sit down and that he would find out for us. He came back about a minute later and escorted us into the office of the person who would have my license. We had been there for maybe five minutes at this point. This officer greeted the kids and made sure they had a spot to sit down in the office which was packed with probably another ten people. He then looked through a list on his desk but couldn’t find my name on it. So he called the officer who had given me the ticket and found out that he hadn’t brought my license to the station yet. He told me the officer was going to the Mosque to pray soon (it was almost 2pm on a Friday which is the biggest prayer time of the week) but that after he would bring it over.

So the kids and I went back downstairs to wait. We were sitting on the ground in the shade and another officer came out of her office and brought a chair for the kids to sit on. A few minutes later yet another officer came by to see if we had been helped yet. After about 30 minutes someone came down and escorted us back to the 2nd floor office. When we got there, sure enough the officer who gave me the ticket the day before was there with my license. However, on this day he greeted me very warmly and with a big smile as if we were old friends. He then gave me my license back and told me that my infraction had been forgiven because of my kids and that I didn’t need to pay! So after being at the station for just a little over a half hour, we were on our way home again with my license and for only the cost of parking.

It was a bit of a rollercoaster of an experience. Because of the system here, or perhaps more so the lack of a consistent system, it is hard to know how things are going to play out. Sometimes this is to your benefit and sometimes it isn’t. But I’ve learned that when in doubt, bring your kids with you!

-Adam

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Visit with Papa and Dani

With the recent visit of my Dad and Dani we have officially had visits from each of our parents here in Senegal. We are so thankful for this blessing and for the immense support our family has given us, though we know it is no small sacrifice on their part for us to be here.

My Dad and Dani came for about a week, but wasted no time jumping right into life here. School was out for Adam and Mia and the trip actually fell on the Muslim holiday of Tabaski so we enjoyed uncharacteristically good traffic. On the actual day of the holiday we did a driving tour of the city and happened to go out as Senegalese families sat on their front porches and in roads slaughtering and cleaning their lambs for the meal later that day. This was certainly a cultural experience!

We were able to take them to our church Sunday as well which was very special to share with them despite the fact that it’s only in French and Wolof so they couldn’t understand anything. This was also Father’s Day so we enjoyed a lunch out to one of our favorite restaurants Eric Kayser (my dad is a huge fan of baguettes and they have the best ones in town!)

Later in the week we visited the Western-most tip of Africa (and were allowed access to it despite it being privately owned), Gorée Island, one of the more ornate mosques on the ocean and The African Renaissance Monument (which we climbed up to for the first time). We also took them to Hann Park and even walked through the Zoo.

In addition to these big outings we had lots of time together: we ate lots of different foods, drank A LOT of coffee, played Euchre (we miss this!!!) in the evenings, watched a movie (Dune 2), bought souvenirs, enjoyed the roof, drew together, read lots of books and played Playmobile (some of the kids favorite activities these days).

We cherish these special times with family and are so thankful for the sacrifice of time, money and energy that so many of our family have made to visit us in France and now in Senegal! What a gift to show them this beautiful country we call home.

– Selina

One of my favorite things – an early morning coffee date on the roof, just me and my Dad on our final day
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Thoughts from Travel in Europe

Our family had the privilege this summer of travelling for three weeks. We spent the first in Cyprus at a resort for a conference. While the amenities were luxurious in many ways (A/C, pools, someone else cooking and cleaning everything etc.), there were also similarities to Senegal as far as heat, power outages now and again, no access to certain types of food and a major language barrier (worse here since we can at least communicate in French in Senegal).

Our following two weeks however were spent in Denmark and Sweden where English is spoken by almost everyone, the weather is cool, many of the foods we miss are plentifully available, craft coffee is a staple, green spaces and parks (AND DISC GOLF!!) are abundant, walking around, biking and public transportation are all super accessible (we stayed in capital cities) and everything is SO clean!

Disc Golf in Copenhagen
Flat White and a Latte from Coffee Collective in Copenhagen

There were moments of longing for some of these things and moments of grieving our kids getting to explore nature or walk down a street with ease. Adam reveled in his cool weather runs to amazing places around Copenhagen and Stockholm. I relished having windows open to fresh, crisp air and the ability to cook in a cool kitchen with ingredients I miss. The trip actually brought on a lot of homesickness for me and longing for our family in Michigan as well which I wasn’t expecting.

Our first Airbnb in Copenhagen
One of the *many* parks we visited, this one was in Stockholm

Mixed with these emotions though, and overwhelming them, were feelings of deep gratitude. What a gift it is to live in Senegal and be growing in our understanding of the people and culture! And as an extension to that work, what a gift to then explore and experience three more cultures and countries! One day Mia figured out that at 6 years old she has already been to 10 countries! What a gift to be a part of an agency that prioritizes member care and allows time for conferences which strive to encourage, refresh and bring unity to it’s members. What a gift to have so many people and churches on our support team, invested in our family and the things God is doing in West Africa.

By the time we were wrapping up and heading home we felt that we had been thoroughly refreshed and, though a bit apprehensive about returning to the dust, heat and noise of Dakar, were ready to be home.

On that note, a cool story. We have often commented on the smell we encountered the first time we visited Senegal in 2020. As soon as we stepped off the plane it hit us. It wasn’t a bad smell, just a very distinct one. We’ve come to learn that it’s the smell of the dust in the air. As happens when you live anywhere, smells like this become a part of life and you don’t notice them anymore. When we got back home from this trip, however, we were again struck with that smell. The first time we experienced it, it was new, unfamiliar and strange. This time, however, it brought feelings of peace and comfort. We were home. This in itself is an answer to so many prayers. Senegal, especially as a location for ministry, is not an easy place to be, but it is where God has called us to be and it is home. We are so excited to be here and to see what He has in store in the months and years to come. 

-Selina

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Some Highs and Lows of International Travel with a Baby

Before leaving for Michigan I prayed a ton about the people who would be on the planes with Evie and I. Our travel to the States included a several hour flight, a ten hour layover in Paris and another several hour flight. Our travel home to Senegal was a short flight then an overnight from JFK to Dakar. Needless to say, this was daunting to anticipate, especially for someone who had never flown alone before. Throw in an 11 month old who’s teething and you just don’t know what you’re going to get.

God was so gracious to answer my prayers with amazing flight attendants who were exceptionally kind and helpful, particularly on my first flight out of Dakar, as well as neighbors who were understanding, sweet with Evie and patient with the, sometimes frequent, crying. In fact I can’t think of a single person who even side-eyed us or grimaced when Evie was struggling. That being said, it was still a grueling experience as anyone who has small children and has flown can attest to. The layover in particular felt a bit like a time warp where I just sought new positions and places that might lead to Evie napping without my back being wrecked.

There is something to be said for the energy that is produced out of excitement though. Despite the difficulty of travelling and the lack of sleep I felt very motivated to keep going and press through because I knew that, on my way to Michigan, family and friends I hadn’t seen in over two years were waiting and, on my way back to Senegal, Adam and the kids were waiting (this was the longest I had been apart from any of them).

One story in particular is worth sharing. Let me preface by saying that before I left Mia kept saying that she was praying for me to be able to share about Jesus with the people next to me on the planes. After our first flight I felt like that was going to be a long shot. I wasn’t talking to my seat mates, I was just surviving and trying desperately to prevent Evie from kicking them or chucking toys at them.

However, on our final flight which was the seven hour overnight from JFK to Dakar I had just that opportunity.

Unlike all our previous flights in which we sat in rows with three or four seats this final flight was just us and one other seat (Evie was on my lap for the flights). As each person boarded and came our way I wondered if they might be our neighbor for this trip, the unlucky person to be trapped against the window by a mom and her baby.

A young woman around my age approached with a kind smile and slid in beside us. We shared some small talk before settling in for the flight. It was quickly apparent that she was a very laid back and kind woman, interacting easily with Evie and chatting freely with me. She asked how Evie did flying and I shared about the exhausting journey we had had to get to Michigan two weeks prior. I told her about how Adam and I had travelled with two young kids before but it was easier because, even with more kids, you always had a second person to help. To that she replied, “Let me be your second person for this flight.”

And she was. Anything I needed she was happy to help with from keeping my meal and coffee on her tray since I couldn’t unfold mine with Evie sleeping on me (something that had caused me to skip the meals on previous flights) to helping me collect all my luggage after we had gotten off our flight (for reference: I had two bins, two suitcases, a car seat and a stroller to collect on top of all of the things I had with me on the plane which included a diaper bag, a laptop bag, a carry-on suitcase and Evie in a carrier).

After eating Evie passed out and stayed that way for several hours which was no small miracle and I found out our kind neighbor wasn’t able to sleep on planes and was open to chatting so we got to talking about our lives.

I found out she is from Israel and was headed to Dakar for a work trip. She’s married to a man from Africa, but they are living in New York City, a dream of hers. I shared about our life in Senegal and why we were there. We spent a long time talking about faith. She is a secular Jew, but vividly remembered meeting Christians for the first time on a short term trip to Haiti and her husband is actually a Christian. We talked about the hurt and brokenness in the world, so clearly apparent in places like Haiti and her homeland right now. I shared about the hope I have in Jesus, for this life and for eternity. We talked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. It was such a sweet time and so unexpected. I’m staying in contact with this awesome lady and hope she continues to ask questions about the gospel and that one day she might know Jesus personally as her Savior.

God provides in the coolest ways!

– Selina

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We Have a Car!

Since arriving in Senegal one year and four months ago we have always said that we knew we would get the right car at the right time, that being in God’s time. With this mindset we’ve had a lot of peace in the waiting.

Initially we found that the funds we had raised for a car were not enough to cover the type of car we need here as used cars (and new) are very expensive here in Senegal. To illustrate this, in our adult lives Adam and I have purchased four cars before this one. We paid more for this car (a 7 year-old car) than those other four combined!

Through the gracious giving of many supporters we had reached an amount at the end of last year which allowed us to expand our search, encompassing cars that fit the criteria we had.

A couple of months ago we were pursuing a car that seemed promising. Adam was actually in final talks with the owner as far as negotiating price and other details, although for some reason we didn’t feel total peace about the situation. The week that we were set to move forward with paperwork on that car we bought a desk from another missionary family in our community. 

They drove over to drop the desk off at our house and I stood outside talking with them for a bit. Adam was just arriving home from an errand and walked up to join the conversation. Off handedly the husband of this couple mentioned that they were thinking of getting a new car soon and would likely be selling their current one. Amazingly, their car was a very similar type to the one we were about to buy! We chatted for a bit about how serious they were on selling and expressed our deep desire to buy a car.

Adam immediately put things on hold with the first car and proceeded to go through the process of evaluating if this new car would be a good fit for us. Buying a car here is a much more complicated process than in the States but we are so thankful for this other family (the previous owners of the car) as well as other friends who are good with cars and were able to be a more informed pair of eyes in looking at it.

After several weeks we decided to move forward and this family felt good about selling. Adam and the husband reached a fair price and negotiated the details. We are immeasurably grateful for the smoothness of this process as both our families desired to protect our relationship with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ above haggling to the lowest (or highest in their case) price.

About a week ago we officially bought the car and feel like we are in a renewed honeymoon phase! There are too many ways to list why this car is such a huge blessing to our family, but one of the biggest is making us feel so much more settled here in Dakar. We are so grateful.

If you are someone who has supported us on an ongoing basis, through one-time gifts, in response to our specific request for car funds last year or through prayer for a car…THANK YOU! We know it is God who provides, but we are so thankful for the many people He chooses to use in that provision.

Much love,

Selina

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Near Disaster at the Embassy

This month we had to visit the United States Embassy to renew my passport. Adam, Desmond, Evie and I went, borrowing a friend’s car to avoid having to taxi. We snagged my new passport photos at a little photo shop on the way and arrived on time for our appointment.

Upon checking in with the guard standing outside we were directed to wait in the “waiting room” which is a patch of dirt and sparse trees across the street from the embassy. When we were allowed to do the next step of check-in at the outer window we found out that only Evie and I were going to be allowed inside. The embassy is extremely strict on security measures including restricting how many people are inside at one time and doing these various checks before allowing anyone in. When we had done Evie’s passport several months earlier our whole family had gone inside so we thought that would be the case for this appointment as well, however for an adult passport it turns out that entrance is restricted to just the adult renewing (and in this case Evie since she’s a baby needing to stay with me).

In the ensuing hurry of divvying up our belongings based off what I would need with Evie and what Adam would need with Desmond I ended up with just the diaper bag and headed inside to go through the metal detectors and bag scanners. I placed my bag, sunglasses and paperwork in the bin. There are no electronics allowed inside so I didn’t have my phone with me. Then I went through the metal detector with Evie, exchanging some Wolof greetings with the guard ushering me through and feeling quite proud of myself for the interaction.

I turned to get my bag and the guards doing the bag checks asked me, “Avez-vous un couteau dans ce sac?”; “Do you have a knife in this bag?”. Thinking it was just a standard question I chuckled and said “No”. After a pause though I realized that they were intently staring at the scanner view of my bag and then it hit me. A couple of weeks ago we had had a picnic and I had thrown a butter knife into the diaper bag! Panicked I started to explain. With wide, incredulous eyes they handed me the bag so I could remove the knife. Through profuse apologies I went back through the metal detectors and thankfully caught Adam before he had walked away so I could give him the knife.

I hurriedly walked back through security, with plenty more apologies, and went out of the security building. From there I went to the next building and sat down. At this point you are sitting in a big, blessedly air conditioned room in rows of chairs. The guard at the entrance to this room tells you which person you’re going to go after and you receive a number (not sure why both are needed). Eventually you hear your number or see that the person before you was the last one to go and you head up to one of the windows along the front of the room.

As I sat there, finally beginning to stop sweating from panic and embarrassment, I decided to verify that all my paperwork and photos had made it with me in the shuffle. Which is when I realized that while I had try to sneak a weapon into the embassy, I had not brought any money with me. The passport renewal is a closed process once in this room – you go up to a window and give them your application and old passport then walk down to another window to pay and bring a receipt of payment back to the original window. Air conditioning or not I’m sweating again wondering what to do and really hoping not to have to go back through the security. And once outside I would have to hopefully track Adam down since I didn’t have my phone to contact him.

By God’s grace another family from Mia’s school happened to have a passport appointment at the exact same time for their baby and were sitting behind me. They could thankfully cover me and I made it out without any further issue. In fact the guards even shared a genial laugh with me on the way out as I once again offered apologies.

While not necessarily the most ideal Embassy visit it certainly makes for a good story! Life is never dull in West Africa.

-Selina

* photo above of Des passed out on the way home from the appointment…which is what I looked like once we got home 🙂

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Heading into our Second Year

*I originally typed this out a month ago, but the weeks have been full which is why I’m only just posting 🙂

As we press on into Year 2 we are thankful for the many reminders of how much more settled we feel now and we look forward to continuing to plant deeper roots over this next year.

For example, we have started running into different events that we were here for last year like cool season, Ramadan, events at Mia’s school and so on.
It also dawned on me recently that I used to be so stressed by the doorbell ringing, which was a bummer since it usually happens multiple times each day, but now I feel very comfortable answering it and even have a rhythm with our various vendors (fish guy once a week, fruit guy every day, trash pick up, lemon guy several times a week etc.).

Conversations in French feel less daunting – although this is still one of the greatest areas for growth that we see. We have a better idea of where to get groceries from to get the best prices and which times of day are better for traffic. We have relationships in the various spheres of our life here including several really close Christian friends, which was something I was deeply craving this time last year. Our kids enjoy their lives here and are at ease when at home and out. We’re all picking up phrases in the local language, Wolof.

There is still SO much to learn, especially in language, culture, team dynamics, how to do ministry here, what church involvement looks like and so on, but we are in awe of the way God has worked and we feel confident that He has great things in store for the rest of this year. We continue to feel so blessed to get to live in Senegal.

Thank you for your part in this journey!

-Selina

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Political Situation in Senegal (update)

We last wrote about the political situation on our blog in July 2023 after Senegal had experienced a week of intense riots across the country. Things have been relatively quiet since then, until just this past week.

On Saturday, President Macky Sall announced an indefinite postponement to the election which was supposed to take place on February 25th. I (Adam) was taking part in a softball tournament that day at a field owned by the U.S. Embassy. When Sall made his announcement (around 3pm), the Embassy immediately cancelled the tournament for the day for fear of protests breaking out across the city. While Saturday remained relatively quiet, protests did materialize Sunday night into Monday morning. These protests (even peaceful ones) were met with strong force from the police who quickly used tear gas to break up any demonstrations.

On Monday morning, Senegal’s Parliament met to vote on the decision to delay the presidential election. At around 10pm and after a full day of debating, police were called in to physically remove members of the Parliament who opposed the bill and were trying to prevent the vote from taking place. After their removal, the bill passed and the elections were postponed until December 15th. This effectively extends President Sall’s presidency, which was slated to end on April 2nd since he has already reached the two term limit, for another six months.

Many are calling this move a “constitutional coup” and are saying that Senegal’s democracy has died with this delay of the presidential election. If you’d like to know more, you can click on the picture below to read a New York Times article which does a good job summarizing what has happened recently.

We ask that you join us in prayer for the following things:

  1. That democracy and a fair election process would be preserved.
  2. For peace here in Dakar and across the country.
  3. That protests would be peaceful and would not lead to the destruction of property and the loss of life like was seen last summer.
  4. That God would use this political situation to draw Senegalese people to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who alone provides true and lasting peace.

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Joy in the Mundane

The Senegalese people are hard workers.

There are times when this doesn’t seem the case because the culture doesn’t emphasize (American-style) efficiency when it comes to formal processes and because (American-style) timeliness isn’t as highly regarded (ex. expecting a mason to come work at our house in the morning, but waiting for hours because when he said morning he actually meant late afternoon). This is more of a cultural adjustment on our end though as we come from a culture that emphasizes efficiency and timeliness, arguably to a fault.

In general though, the average person who works is working hard for long hours each day, often for very little pay and doing a job that, from my perspective, seems monotonous and lacking in reward for the effort required. We live across the street from a boutique, which is a little store selling all sorts of things from eggs to juice to brooms to flip flops (seriously, these stores are filled from floor to ceiling with quite the assortment of goods!). Two men run this boutique 7 days a week. Each morning between 7 and 8 am they are out there opening the doors, setting up the stands of potatoes, oil and beans that sit outside the store and sweeping the step leading into the store which is perpetually covered with sand from the dirt road we live on. All day they help hundreds of customers, using a wheelbarrow to transport goods from the storage unit around the block when things need to be restocked. Senegal has a strong night culture so they remain open until 11pm and sometimes as late as 1am (and yes, they are still hopping at these late hours!). They pack everything back up, lock the doors and prepare to come back the next day. We have lived here over a year now and I have never seen the boutique closed, nor seen someone other than these two men running it. Talk about long, repetitive work.

This has prompted some thinking lately on the work God has given me as a stay at home mom. And in this I have been learning a lot about taking joy in the repetitive tasks of each day which is a lot of what my job is. For example, much of my life revolves around mundane, everyday tasks: cooking meals, packing lunches, encouraging potty breaks, wiping children, changing diapers, nursing a baby, laying her down for naps, picking up toys, cleaning up messes, doing dishes, filling up our water pitcher to keep our filtered water supply up, putting laundry away, wiping things down, meal planning, ordering meat deliveries, giving baths and so on. Of course there are plenty of other things in my day as well, but just maintaining a home takes a lot of daily tasks done on repeat.*

It can be easy to feel like I’m stuck in a never ending loop of figuring out what to feed the family and cleaning things which will just become dirty again the next day (or later that day, or later that hour). Yet, isn’t this a reflection of God? Day in and day out He causes the sun to rise and set. He brings the rhythm of the sun’s passing and the seasons changing. There is an order to life, an ebb and a flow in nature and even the things and seasons we experience as humans. Even in the garden, before the fall, He had created plants and animals, day and night. He had given Adam tasks which were a delight to him and had invited man in to work alongside the Creator.

This is still true today, though sin has marred it. I’m made with purpose. I image God as I carry out my day to day tasks and rhythms. There is deep satisfaction and joy in taking part in ordering creation in the spheres God has put us in. For me that is creating a home and mealtimes which bring our family together and allow us to find a safe haven as well as a space to be hospitable and relational with others. Additionally, even if my work can feel unproductive at times, like weeks when the kids are sick or just needing extra one on one attention, I can find fulfillment knowing that God has called me to this work and there is immense purpose in that alone. So, whatever the Lord has called you to for this season, be it motherhood, an 8-5 job, caring for a sick family member, a time of waiting; know that there is purpose and that God can be glorified in it all, even the mundane.

– Selina

* I would be remiss not to mention that Adam plays just as big a part in many of these daily tasks to keep the home running and has lots of other roles on top of his regular ministry duties (ex. being the sole grocery shopper and our main dish washer). Additionally, our house help Fatou is an immense blessing as she washes almost all our laundry and cleans the house from top to bottom twice a week, a much needed aid given how quickly things develop a layer of dirt and dust – even when it’s not dusty season!