Today was such a good day, despite lousy sleep. I woke up grumpy and wondered how the day would go, but God gave me a blessing.
Time to explain the ministry. Feluine and Malick Fall are a Senegalese couple my church got to know well when the World Vision partnership started here many years ago. Feluine originally worked for World Vision but she and Malick also started a ministry. called Way of Righteousness. Malick is an imposing man who now has a radio ministry throughout Senegal. One of their sons, Anton, now assists and added all today’s technology to the work. The usual suspects – Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and so on. They also started training and education programs to equip young people with limited opportunities to thrive. They have three building locations – one is a hospitality building to house visitors and a couple long term staff. Just two doors down is the guest house where I’m staying. Then there is a girls’ school and a boys’ school. We visited the girls’ yesterday. At these schools, they provide the sewing and cooking training, English classes, and vocational training like metal work and welding.
Feluine and Malick feel called to this work to let people know about Jesus by telling them about Him but mostly showing Him to all they work with and for. They are an incredible couple, and it is such a privilege to get to know them. Many of my friends from church have been here so I’m so glad to be a part of the Senegal family now.

Another ministry they started more recently is caring for the talibe boys. These are young boys who come from very poor families. An imam will come to the family and offer to educate the boy in the Koran and Muslim teaching or sometimes the family ask. The boy then goes to live with the imam, along with many other boys. One imam may have up to a hundred boys with him. They are taught the Koran, but their real purpose is to beg for the imam. They go out each day with their begging buckets and must bring money back or be punished. They must also beg for whatever food they can get. It is an awful practise and is technically illegal, but it is so engrained into the culture, it is hard to get rid of it.
So, with the imam’s permission, the boys come to the center and get to take showers, have their clothes washed, play basketball or soccer, color and hear stories. After a Bible story, they are given a good nourishing lunch and then leave. They come a couple of other days each week for shorter sessions. Tomorrow morning they will be here for breakfast.
All that to explain what happened today. They arrived about ten, dusty little boys with unsmiling faces and first started their showers. The church team that’s been here had brought new clothes for the boys so those were handed out – rather chaotically as you can imagine 60 some boys vying for their choice of clothes. My job, for the day, was the best one for me. The American nurse who helps here was out of town today so I was on wound care. After his shower, each boy with a wound (or occasionally an imagined one!) would come to me, and I would tend whatever I was presented with. Almost all the injuries were on their feet or legs. There were cracks on their feet, sores on their legs, and one little guy had just fallen and cut the back of his head.
I first cleaned the wound and surrounding area, rubbed on some antibiotic cream, and of course added the important bandaid. Toy Story was the prevailing theme today. Almost all of the boys are barefooted all the time. Their feet are callused and tough. As I propped foot after foot on my knee, I so wished for a huge load of sandals or shoes right then.
I also had some healing lotion in my supplies so I rubbed some onto each of their calves. These boys receive almost no positive touch or contact with women so it was a blessing to rub those little dry legs and see them turn a rich brown. I loved doing this! It felt like a tiny way I could nurture them. I have often wished, in the past few years, that I had some medical skills. But today, I got to do my little bit with Neosporin and bandaids. One of the team was a doctor. It would seem that he should take over, but he let me have full rein and just gave asked for advice and encouraged me along the way. Lovely man.
After our own late lunch, the team packed up and headed out midafternoon. They will be in Senegal another week but in different areas.
I headed home for a much needed nap and finally time to sort out my suitcases. I have no cupboard or dresser so I’m using a bed in another room to sort piles. I have luggage tags which read – “I would gladly live out of a suitcase if it meant I could see the world.” I’m rather doing that this trip. The bed holds piles of shirts, pants, skirts etc. Then one suitcase serves as my basic necessities area. I found a plug which works with my adapter in the “living” room so that is now my hair station. It all works.
Tonight I made myself supper for the first time. Not very exciting but it filled the tummy.
Bedtime soon. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear from any of you!