october 17, 2009

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

We have finally emerged from the rainy season! In a country where there is practically no drainage system for rain, this creates many problems. Thousands of people had their homes flooded. When school started on October 5th, there were still 65 schools flooded in the suburbs of Dakar. The consolation is that this year’s harvests are excellent.

This Thanksgiving, I reflected on these 5 last years in Senegal and realized that our PAOC team (of 5 families) has, by the grace of God, done exceptional work. We forwarded a PowerPoint presentation to the pastors of the PAOC, summarizing our ministry for the year 2009. It can be used during a missionary emphasis in your church.

Schools: In August we finished the construction of the school in Yeumbeul. Three classrooms are complete. About twenty students are registered there from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade One. This school came into being thanks to the financial participation of Springdale Assembly in Newfoundland.

We have also begun construction of the Pre-Kindergarten in a school in Kaffrine in partnership with World Vision. With time being too short, we decided only to delay opening this school until 2010. Many children from this area of the interior of the country are found begging on the streets of the capital. We want to staunch this hemorrhage at the source by offering an education to these children.

We also continued enlarging the school in Kaolack by adding two classrooms and by completing the entrance. We are behind in competing the work due to a lack of funds.

We had to borrow funds to meet an urgent need to complete a classroom for the beginning of the school year. We are in need of $15 000 in order to finish this work. We need partners to support us in the expansion of this school which went from 28 to approximately 260 pupils in three years. It is an incredible opportunity to show the love of God to the Senegalese people.

Will you be among those who will make it possible for other children to benefit from this ministry? We will not be able to get there without your assistance! You can send your gifts to the PAOC designated for the Senegal school project. You can also make your gift on the PAOC website for Gaétan & Jacinthe Gaucher by including the designation “Senegal School Project” in the window marked “comments”.

Youth Convention: From August 5th to 9th, we had the privilege of taking part in the first national youth convention. Nearly 800 young people attended. It was an intense spiritual time for these young people, as well as an opportunity to testify to their faith through concrete actions.

They held a March for Jesus, a concert of evangelization, distributions of treated mosquito nets and of clothing, a medical clinic and the cleaning up of strategic sites in the city. Several young people answered the call to devote themselves to the work of God and all set out again with hearts on fire and a renewed vision.

Church Planting: We finished the construction of a church in Koulouck. The inauguration took place at the end of August with a full house. This work started last year following the complete healing of an epileptic man at an evangelistic event in another village. When he returned to his village, he testified of his healing and several gave their lives to God.

We were able to assign a pastor to this village and the work advances well.

DECADES: The department of schools held its second conference for teachers in September. Nearly 70 teachers from Christian schools took part in it. Several speakers from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) taught various workshops there.

Operation Christmas Child: We are already preparing to receive 6 containers for the next season of distribution. Gaetan is in the process of training someone to take over from him on the national leadership team in order to withdraw himself gradually.

The family: Emmanuel is in his 3rd year of high school and is doing well. The big event for him is that he recently surpassed his mother in height! In November, we will have a visit from our son, Jérémie. Alain, a very good friend of the children, will also come from the Ivory Coast for this occasion. Jacinthe is still translating and teaching part-time.

Following the departure of our Pastor Bakayoko, Gaetan, in addition to his other responsibilities, has assumed the pastorate of the church in Thiès until the beginning of November.

Thank you again for the privilege that you grant us of labouring in Senegal.

Gaetan and Jacinthe Gaucher

Prayer Requests:

PRAY FOR…

• Gaétan must make a trip to Kédougou (9 hours by road) to help move the new pastor who will come to Thiès.

• The government authorities have recently ordered the closure of certain churches in Dakar. Pray that God gives favour to His Church.

• The training of partners who will take over from Gaétan the ministries of Operation Christmas Child and the Evangelism Department.

• Gaétan must go to Guinée Bissau to help brother Carlos start up the Operation Christmas Child ministry there.

• The funds necessary to complete the work at the Kaolack school.

• An evangelistic concert that will be held in Dakar November 1st.

• The installation of the roof of the Thiaoré church (8 hours by road from Thiès), in order to reopen this work as well as the one at Ngayokhem.