January 31: Kito

Trying to capture the quizzical look on this dog's face when he wrinkles up his forehead and tries to figure out something that puzzles him...

He's another of the pets that help to make this house a home!

January 29: puppies at Porchs!

Sheba, the mama dog, is doing very well after delivering 9 healthy puppies on Sunday! This is her second litter, and we are glad to be able to visit puppies without having all the mess ourselves!

January 27: Bailey and PoohBear

just for fun, these are a couple of the pets that help to make our house a home!

January 21: Dakar Rally Sunday!

Sunday was one of the coolest days ever!

I'm HOPING that Dave or Jacob will write more about it... but until then, you can read what I wrote on my photo-blog Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

And Dave took many more cool pictures which you can look at here!

If you'd like to read more about the Dakar Rally, here is a good place to start.

January 20: Dakar Rally Saturday

Dave, Jacob and I went to the Meridien Hotel this afternoon to see the arrival of the Dakar Rally motorcycles, cars, trucks, drivers and support crew-- who have been trekking across the Sahara desert for two weeks in this annual off-road race!










It's very cool to see the vehicles, the drivers, and all that goes into this amazing race--up close.














Dave says you need to know that "this is what's underneath the hood of Robby Gordon's Hummer. (the engine is in the rear.")

January 16: Attaya with Nassir (another vacation flashback pic)

around sunset each day, we'd find joey and cara talking with Nassir as he made attaya. they enjoyed the conversation, in a mixture of french, english and wolof, as well as the attaya!

January 16: Rugby on the beach (vacation flashback photos)

Joey is loving rugby at his college, and he taught the group to play the game (in a very elementary fashion, of course! ) joey was a great coach, patient with everyone, he helped us all enjoy the game!

Decker Update: Happy New Year!

I know this is a little bit late for a Happy New Year email! But today was the first day back to school for Jacob, so it feels like the beginning of another season-- I hope that counts!

January 15: Jacob at home

January 12: Friday night bonfire

We had a fun Friday night bonfire with our good friends.


Jacob and Ellie each made attaya, and are getting quite skilled at it.


Mom is practicing taking photos in different kinds of light...


and even the dog wanted some of the attaya!


By the end of the evening, with coals dying down, (and not to mention caffiene pumping in our veins...) we were very thankful for the blessing God has given us of good friends and peaceful times together!

January 12: Jacob and Mitch

these guys have a lot of fun together, finding adventure in their lives on a regular basis. it's always fun to hear their latest plans, and they always manage to have something exciting going on!

January 10: Softball practice

In the afternoons, the guys often go up to the school for soccer or softball. Today Jacob's team had a practice, and Coach Dave helped them to get ready for their game on Saturday.

January 8: Attaya

Up on our roof, with a little charcoal burner, and a little tea pot, we make attaya. Roof are flat here, and we bring up beach-mats to sit on.
Joey has been the master-attaya-maker of the family, having learned from his MK friends the real Senegal way. Attaya is served in three rounds, the first very strong and bitter and sweet, the second and third progressively less bitter and more sweet. It's a social custom here, and if you start the first round, it's considered rude if you don't stay until the third round is finished.





These pics were taken on Joey's last night here, before returning to college, as he helped Jacob learn to make attaya. Our friends' boys are learning as well!

January 8: Attaya pictures from the past

Joey learned to make attaya during his junior year of high school, our first year in Senegal.






and during his senior year, we enjoyed very much when he prepared attaya on the beach for us!

January 6: Emma and Abigail

We are so thankful for the continuing good news out of Paris. Emma is awake now, and recovering from her ordeal with malaria and the lung infection. She will need a period of rehabilitation and recovery, as her lungs need to continue to heal. The family is working on plans to return to their home area in the States for 3-6 months for her convalescence. Thank you for your prayers for them, and please lift them up as you think of it in the days ahead as they make arrangements. Emma and Abby's Mom and Dad are very tired and will need their own time of restoration and healing. We are thankful that we can continue to depend on God's good work and His healing in all their lives.

January 5: Joey flies out tonight

It's been great having him home for vacation, and we will miss him!

January 4: at the beach

We spent the day at the beach with several families and had a great time. the guys built a huge and wonderful castle-- and then did what guys do! (blew it up with firecrackers!!)

January 3: Update from Paris

Thank you all for continuing to pray with us for this family!

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:06 PM
Subject: update 1/02 - to forward

Abigail continues to improve. Doctors believe she will
be released Thursday afternoon or Friday morning at the latest.

At noontime Tuesday, Kate spoke with Emma in ICU and again
noticed her eyelids were fluttering. As they were leaving, one
of the nurses told Kate that she had actually opened her eyes
once during themorning.

At 8:00 p.m., Paul and Kate received the results from the MRI
that was performed earlier Tuesday. This report shows no
lesions, which indicates no apparent damage to the brain.

It is still expected that Emma will require a period of
rehabilitation time. Doctors speculate 3-6 months of
convalescence.

We continue to pray for Emma's complete healing; that all be
accomplished in God's  perfect timing.

January 2: Nativity scenes

We need to put away our Christmas decorations. I love our African nativity scenes, and love getting them set up, but it's sad to put them away afterwards.

January 1: prayer need for friends

Please pray for our friends, Paul and Kate, missionaries here in Senegal, and their daughters, Emma (12) and Abigail (10) who were airlifted out of Dakar early Friday morning (December 29.) Both girls have been suffering from a severe case of malaria. Both were admitted to the pediatric ICU ward of the Raymond Poincare hospital just outside of Paris. After the first tests had been administered they were informed that Emma, besides suffering from a severe case of malaria, has a pulmonary infection, is dangerously anemic and might have suffered brain damage. On the other hand Abigail, after an in-air transfusion, seems to be progressing well.

Right now, everyone is praying and waiting, as Emma will be sedated for several days to allow her lung infection to be treated, before trying to wake her up. We look for God's good work in the life of this family. He is the One who made her, loves her, loves them all, and will work for His best in their lives.

January 1: vacation

Christmas vacation ...

Special to have Joey home for Christmas break. We've missed him since he went to college in the States, haven't seen him since August. I'm so thankful for internet, email, MSN messenger, and even Skype for keeping in pretty good contact. (It's not the same as having him home though!) He brought treats from the States, including fresh CRANBERRIES! Yum!

Christmas parties: with our mission team, with former Abidjan people and new friends...

Vacation: up north to "the camp" with several families and single friends. playing games, reading, relaxing on the beach and on the river. Campfires, roasting marsmallows, making s'mores...

January 1: Out The Car Window

On the way to our vacation days at "the camp" we saw this very cool sight on the side of the road!

January 1: Christmas Day 2006

Fun to be together for a family photo, though we are missing Danny!

January 1: Joey

Joey is attending John Brown University in Arkansas. He is enjoying college, especially his new hobby: playing rugby!

January 1: Danny

Danny lives in Florida, where he is working and attending college part-time. He is our first-born son, and though he is not a Decker-living-in-Dakar, he is very much a part of who we are!

January 1: Dakar Deckers

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intro to Dave and Mary

Dave and Mary Decker
Biographical Information – updated February 2011

Dave and Mary long to see joyful missionaries effectively spreading a passion for God’s glory.  Having served for 21 years in West Africa, they've too often they seen effectiveness compromised due to under-staffed and/or under-equipped mission leadership and administration. Their aim is to serve field missionaries by offering quality leadership and administrative support.

The Deckers are currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Dave serves with the U.S. Finance department of SIM.  Mary is working on projects related to Member Care and leadership development.

Their years in West Africa included serving in many roles with SIM’s Western Africa Area, which includes Guinea, Senegal, Liberia and Ivory Coast. SIM has more than fifty missionaries spread across this region, working primarily toward planting the church among ethnic groups with no significant Christian presence.

Dave served as Treasurer for this four-country region for 20 years, and in addition has served as the regional Deputy Director, acting Area Director, and various related leadership and administrative roles. He loves working with students as well, and has spent many hours coaching and playing with kids in softball, football and other sports.

Mary has served as the regional Member Care Facilitator for SIM-WAFA, seeking to encourage her colleagues to continue trusting God, and allowing Him to bring healing in difficult situations. She enjoys helping mission leadership figure out strategies for specific situations, to provide caring support for missionaries as well as efficiency in crisis situations. She also enjoys working with the broader mission community as a facilitator of Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshops, and also facilitating effective networking among missionary women.

Dave and Mary came to West Africa for the first time in 1989 with their first two sons, Danny and Joey. The Deckers served as boarding home parents for missionary kids in Liberia, and after their first evacuation (due to Liberia’s civil war in 1990) Dave was asked to help in the area of finance and administration. He became WAFA Treasurer in 1992.

After their third evacuation from Liberia in 1996, the Deckers relocated to Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 1997. They served in Ivory Coast from 1997-2003. Dave continued as WAFA Treasurer, and Mary served as a homeschool mom/teacher.

Mary  began to develop an interest in missionary member care, and in 1999 attended West Africa’s first Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop. She attended the SYIS facilitator’s training workshop for SYIS, and has facilitated workshops in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Togo, as well as several in Ivory Coast. During her time in Ivory Coast, she worked in personnel and member care with SIM. She also enjoyed working with the broader mission community, facilitating the sharing of resources and helping to organize a women’s bible study.

As Ivory Coast became less stable, the decision was made to relocate SIM’s WAFA office to Dakar, Senegal. The Deckers moved there in June of 2004, after a year of home assignment in the States.  In 2010, they left Senegal for home assignment when their youngest son Jacob graduated from high school.  They've accepted an invitation from SIM USA to work in the home office for the next several years.