Senegal (MNN) ― Senegal is a moderate Muslim country.
FARMS International's Nathan McLaughlin says Christians there face hurdles when it comes to renting homes, building churches, enrolling their children into school, and obtaining financing.
But that doesn't discourage the church leaders. One pastor says, in spite of the hardship, "The mission of the Christian churches in this area (Senegal) is ‘To present the entire gospel, and the real Jesus Christ.'" But that can be hard to do if there are economic troubles looming. That's where FARMS comes in.
In many cases, FARMS micro-enterprise plays a key role in change. "FARMS is just providing these people a level playing field by providing them money that they need to build a business that's productive."
The stipulation is that the loan recipient tithes to his local church to support the pastor, hence freeing him up to do more outreach. It works another way, too. A work ethic speaks loudly in this community.
For example, McLaughlin says they recently helped one family buy art supplies for the paintings they made and sold to the tourists and hospitality industry. That led to an open door for evangelistic work because "they've been a part of FARMS. The increased tithing, the witness, and the testimony really help to spread the Gospel in areas that are very closed to the Gospel right now."
The Senegal FARMS program launched about three years ago, and the impact was immediately felt. Says McLaughlin, "We are working with a number of churches in Dakar--the capital city, and the second city is Rufisque."
McLaughlin says, with their help, the church is able to build on a future in Senegal. "It's just a great growth story. They built a church, and they're looking at some opportunities to build schools for Christian children where the Gospel can be taught."
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