Senegal...Yes, this is my next destination. You may have heard the rumors, and now it is for real. I have a paid-for plane ticket departing for Dakar, the capitol city of this West African nation. I believe I will be there from April 24th to May 1st (not certain yet on the exact dates), so it is a relatively short trip. Heck, I may not have to pack anything, I could just go with the clothes on my back and a bar of soap in my pocket. I am a huge fan of traveling lightly. Well, maybe at least a small backpack with an extra pair of underwear.

I am very excited about this opportunity. I traveled to Senegal two years ago, and spent 3 weeks there. I have been to eight different countries, but I have not returned to any of them for a second visit; until now. Senegal is a beautiful country, untamed in many ways. The sunsets behind the Baobab trees are amazing. And the people are friendly and hospitable, the only problem is trying to find someone that speaks English! Can you believe it? They don't speak our language in other countries! Absurd.

Anyhow, I will go with Johnny Clayton, a friend of mine from Fort Smith. I could almost call him a pastor, except he doesn't pastor a church. He only heads up a prison ministry, leads the local Concerts of Prayer group, takes teams to Senegal twice a year, and even more that I don't know about. He also plays banjo. My previous trip to Senegal was with him, and I'm excited to have another chance to go. Senegal, a predominantly Islamic nation, sits poised between a very strong Muslim influence to the north, and a Christian influence from nations to the South. Stuck in between, the army of God's kingdom is fighting against the forces of darkness for control of this nation. Our team's goal for our time there will be to team up with missionaries there to share the gospel with people living in small villages that they have had contact with.

I don't know much more than that at this point, but we will have weekly team meetings to find out more, and I will keep you all posted.

Welcome to my first ever blog!

Blogging, the latest phenomenon on the world wide web, I thought I would give it a try. Actually, I 'm sure that by now blogging is no longer the latest phenomenon on the web, that the latest phenomenon is something more hip and exciting, and I have yet to hear of it. I have no great epiphany to write about or anything, I simply new I needed to post something on my blogsite since I started telling people that it was here.

Yes, I live in Arkansas, and although it carries a bad reputation across our country, it really is a beautiful state. I went hiking yesterday on the Ozarks Highland Trail, and less than half a mile from the access point of the trail, I came across a small stream with an amazing waterfall. This state has many hidden outdoor features, with hiking, camping, and canoeing being great activities in the area. This is by no means an advertisement for Arkansas tourism, I simply want to say how much I enjoy this state because I see the awesome design of a great creator God all around me, and I can't go out into nature without appreciating our artistic Creator. Where I live at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) campus sits atop a large hill, and from here I can watch both a true sunrise and a true sunset in the same day. I don't know if I have ever lived anywhere that I have had that privilege, and I love it, and I thank God every time for his goodness in giving us something so simple yet so glorious to enjoy as a sunrise.

So that's about all I have to say for now, but be sure to check back again for more delightful insights from Josh Levin.