WEC church planter Richard Shawyer has finally been allowed to leave Senegal and return to Australia, after being arrested on false charges almost two years ago.
With influence from the Canadian Embassy (which acts for Australians in Senegal) and the Senegalese Minister for Justice, Richard’s passport was returned to him in August and he was able to join his family in Australia after a long period of separation.
“It’s great to be home,” said Richard.
“I missed my family greatly, but we believe that God is behind all that happened, he is sovereign, and his plans are good.”
Richard and his wife Roxanne, along with their three children, are working with WEC and their sending church as they seek God’s direction for their future.
Weighing heavily is a concern is for the situation of the church in Senegal and the small number of church planters in the country.
“Despite being 95 percent Muslim, Senegal is a country that still welcomes missionaries and provides missionary visas,” said Richard.
“But the doors won’t stay open forever.”
“Now is the time to send people to establish the church among the main people groups, so that the church can continue on its own.”
There are more than five million Wolof in Senegal, with less than 100 known believers among the people group.
Many of these believers follow Jesus in secret, afraid of being ostracised from family and community.
“A large barrier to the Wolof believers is the absence of a visible community of faith,” said Richard.
“Once there’s a visible church and people openly expressing faith in Senegalese ways, then they’ll come in their thousands; but at the moment they don’t see anything they can come into.”
Richard hopes to continue his work creating Bible teaching resources in the Wolof language; a task he can continue in Australia.
He says his arrest was not connected to his faith or his church planting work.