Missionary Heiko Hagemann is leading the team of 15 members between the ages of 17 and 30 from Germany. Missionaries Dave and Kathy Lanham will host the team and help coordinate their activities while in Senegal.

Experienced missionaries will teach modules on cross-cultural church planting, culture and language acquisition, Bible translation and literacy. There will also be sessions on various logistic ministries and how those ministries accelerate the church planting effort.

Visiting a tribal village will give team members an opportunity to meet with tribal believers and practice techniques they've learned in communicating with tribal people in their language.

The primary focus of the mission trip is to help team members observe God at work among tribal people and take home a desire to be more deeply involved in tribal missions. Many missionaries serving around the world were challenged by their Mission Focus experience.

Pray that God will work in the hearts of the team members and they will take home a passion for tribal missions.

<a href="http://www.ntm.org/missiontrips">Mission trip opportunities with New Tribes Mission >>

"What he had really come to hunt was their 'spirit rocks' and to hear about how they go to the spirits to find out who's been causing them all their bad luck and put a curse on that person or find out what they have to do to appease them. These beliefs are centuries old and even today many Budik people cling to those rituals," wrote missionary Ken Satorius.

Most Budiks who have not placed their faith in Christ are controlled by fear of the spirits and put "magical pouches" or fetishes on their children to ward off bad spirits. Most Budik believers do not put fetishes on themselves or their children but some of the newer believers do not yet understand their position in Christ.

They want to make sure they have protection in this life. While they are very clear on salvation by grace and eternal life, they believe that all their benefits are future. Therefore they still feel compelled to use protection against the spirits.

"It's something that takes a lifetime to learn, and we aren't always putting our best foot forward. But we do know how good it is when we do let the Lord have His way in our lives, and so we really want that for our lives," wrote Ken.

"But a lot of the Budik believers don't even know how fantastic it could be here on this earth--not materially, but inside them--when walking in step with the Lord."

After a lifetime of fearing the spirits, it is difficult for them to realize that Jesus is more powerful than any of the spirits. <br />Please pray that the newer Budik believers will understand more about who they are in Christ and the spiritual riches that are at their disposal.