The Hinds Family

 (Missionaries in Africa)

September 2009 Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

We apologize for the long delay in getting this out to you. Shortly after arriving in Africa our laptop crashed, and we have lost all of our email addresses. We are in the process of updating our list.

We arrived safely in Senegal on August 11th.

We spent our first week adjusting to the heat, time change, and learning our way around the area. Thankfully we were able to move into our new home within a week and quickly begin language study. Previously we learned French and Maninka. Although we are able to use French here, there are very few Maninka speakers. Wolof is the predominant language here in Senegal, so we are back at language study again. This will be our full time assignment until we reach a level at which we can teach the Word.

Although our primary assignment is to learn a new language, we have been able to spend time in one village and meet many of our neighbors. We will continue to spend time with the people around us with the intention of building relationships and looking for those who are open to learning more about God's Word.

We are blessed to have a wonderful school only 30 minutes from our house that Joshua and Jacob began attending on September 16th.  Bourafaye Christian School is run by WEC, a British mission organization for children of missionaries. We are currently able to carpool with 2 other families here, making commuting much easier. Without the responsibility of homeschooling, we pray we will be able to learn language quickly.

We ask that you continue to pray for the work among the Maninka in Guinea. It has been very difficult to let go of the people there that we love. Thankfully there are two couples continuing the work there. Please let us know if you would like to be added to their email lists.

Life here in Senegal is definitely much different than what we have experienced before. Senegal is much more modern. We are enjoying to electricity, water, and high speed internet here. There are a few restaurants to eat at and 3 grocery stores in our town to pick from. Although we cannot get American products, we are able to get most of the foods we enjoy and definitely everything we "need." We are only a 30 minute drive from the beach and the kids enjoy going for a swim on Sunday afternoons.

As we try to rebuild our email list, please feel free to forward this to others. Please send us a quick email in response so that you can be added back to our list. Also, we are beginning to transition to a new email address. Please begin to correspond with us at tuttitutti@gmail.com.

We ask that you pray specifically for language learning and relationships at this time.

Serving Him together,
John, Karen, Joshua, Jacob, and Benjamin Hinds

July 2009 Newsletter

Dear Family, Friends, Prayer Partners,

It has been a long time since we have sent out a newsletter. I would like to update you on what has been going on with our family.

As most of you know, we went to West Africa in March of 2005. We studied French then moved to Guinea to work with the Maninka people. During that time, our oldest son Joshua was diagnosed with a seizure disorder. We were flying almost 6,000 miles to Johannesburg, South Africa to see a pediatric neurologist. We had already scheduled a 30 day vacation back in Texas for March 2007. When we came home for this vacation, we took Joshua to a pediatric neurologist in San Antonio. It was evident to all that Joshua was still having small seizures. Along with the medical department of our mission, we decided the best course of action was to go on a medical leave of absence until Joshua was stabilized, seizure free on medication.

What we thought would be a short stay in the US has taken us 2 years. Joshua is now seizure free, on medication, and has been cleared by both his neurologist and our mission to return overseas, close to adequate medical care. Due to Joshua's medical condition, we are unable to return to Guinea. We were living in an area with no electricity, poor roads, and almost no access to medical care. In the event of a medical emergency, we would need to make a 5 hour drive (including crossing an international border which is closed at night and occasionally at other times) to Mali, then fly into another country to get care. The doctors feel this is unsafe for Joshua in the event that he had a serious seizure in the future.

Due to all of this, prayer, and contact with others overseas, we have decided to change assignments and work with the Norther Sereer people in Senegal. We will be living in a modern city outside of the capital, which would give us access to better medical care, and put us a short 9 hour flight from the US in case of a serious medical need.

Although we are very sad that we cannot return to our work with the Maninka in Guinea, we are thrilled at the opportunity to return to West Africa and the work to which we have been called, reaching the lost in Africa.

We will be leaving on August 10th. We are in the process of packing and selling things. I am currently trying to update my email prayer list.

We covet your prayers during this time of transition. I will do my best to keep you updated as things progress.

Serving Him together,
John, Karen, Joshua, Jacob, and Benjamin Hinds