Wrapping Up for Christmas

Last year I had the GREAT privilege of spending Christmas in Mali. It was great and I enjoyed being here to celebrate in a new place with my friends! This year God gave me the gift of Thanksgiving among the P people...celebrating my gratitude toward Him for the work He is doing among the nations. My time in Mali will come to an end tonight as i board the plane to head to Paris, then Cincinnati, and then to Charlotte. God is wrapping up this adventure and giving me one of the greatest gifts of all--Christmas with my family!! It has been 3 years since I have spent Christmas with my family, so the gift God has wrapped for me this year is precious! I look forward to opening the gift moment by moment! I am praying for you and your families as well...praying your time with the special people of your life will be filled with the unwrapping of special memories moment by moment...whether they are biological family or friends who make up the family around you!! Merry Christmas!!! Emmanuel has come!!! God is WITH US!!

From village to village

Jak, his nephew Bak, Lori P, and I spent this week traveling from village to village scouting out the activity of God. Our first day, we headed down the dirt road that sometimes looked more like a path to visit 3 villages and their chiefs. At each village we were met with the usual Malian hospitality...greetings, the best available seats, and great pleasure at our coming. One chief was talkative and very interested in our return to share stories from God's Word. One chief was so overwhelmed at our coming that all he could do was touch his heart and say, "Pa pa pa! They came to see me!" Then he proceeded to bless us over and over and over. He was an elderly chief with the most precious glisten in his eyes. He too was open to the stories being shared in his village and would not give us to road to leave until he had gifted us with a chicken. The last chief was working in his fields a great distance away, but as hospitatlity goes here...He came to greet and visit with us. He too gave us a chicken. In all the villages we prayed for the chief, the people, and the needs expressed by the chief.

The second day, we headed in the opposite direction to visit 2 more villages. What a fun day we had. We added Wa to our team and set out to greet more chiefs and see where God was working. Our first village had many connections to the village of Kar. The chief was very open to us and we were even greeted by the father of one of the women in the women's storying group in Kar. He was very interested in hearing the stories from God's Word. What a great surprise! We took our picture with him and then showed it to our friend. She was soooo excited as she looked at it and said, "That's my dad! That's my dad!" The second village was very open to us as well. There was one man there who sat with us, ate lunch with us, and showed great interest in the J.s road. He asked many questions and even wants to follow. There are a couple of things he is concerned about so he talked with us about those things. Wa went to greet a friend of hers and while she was gone, the village all crowded around us to just watch us. There was a curiosity and a hunger to know what would bring us to their village.

Please pray for God to prepare the way for the coming of His Son and the Good News that comes through Him. Pray for churches to adopt these villages and engage them with the Good News of J.s. Pray for the man who was so interested in following the J.s road to have the courage to follow, wisdom to discern the Truth, and peace to surrender even if it seems too hard.

Courage and Confessions

As we went to the village of Kar, this week we asked God for some specifics concerning our friend Wa. We went to sit with her the first night in the village and found her sitting alone listening to the stories from God's Word. She was singing with the songs after each story and enjoying the peace of the night in God's Presence. God continued to show us His work in her heart. We asked what she was doing the next day and she said nothing. We invited her to go with us to visit some new villages and greet the chiefs. We explained we were going to do God's work to see which villages are open to hearing God's stories. She agreed to go with us. What a joy to have her, to watch her join in our pr.yers, to hear her confessions that God's work was good. Again we sat with her before bed talking about the day. It was our last night in the village so we boldly asked her where she stood on the J.s road. Then the greatest confession of all came from Wa...just as we pr.yed...She confessed that she wanted to walk on the J.s road. She said it was good for her. The next morning LP sat with her and explained more about the birth and death of J.s and how He was the final sacrifice. Wa understood and continued to confess that there is power in J.s name and that His road is the only way! PRAISE God for hearing and answering our pr.yers for Wa! CELEBRATING Christmas with a new joy in our hearts!!

Storytelling over Warm Coals

We sat inside Wa's house for a spicy meal of Tigadigana (spicy peanut sauce, my favorite)because of the cool nights in Mali right now. They are so refreshing! The shovel filled with hot coals from the fire makes it feel almost like sitting by the fire at home. After dinner, all we needed was a good cup of hot chocolate as we sat around talking and telling stories. Wa had already told me the stories of Creation and Adam and Eve's disobedience, so we began sharing some of my experiences at the beginning of my time here in Mali. Lori P told her the story of the demon possessed man and then we shared with her how we had seen God's power do the same thing through the prayers of the volunteers who were in village S. Wa was amazed and declared, "J.s' name has power over the demons, there is power in J.s' name, the J.s road is the only way." Pray for the warmth of Wa heart toward Jesus to be fanned into hot coals that will warm those around her to the truth about Jesus being the only way to God. Pray for Wa to make the confession with her heart that she wants to believe and follow the J.s road. Pray for us to boldly ask where she stands on that road.

Like Daughter, Like Mother

During our morning rounds to greet the people of the village, we saw one of the women who has been leading the story telling in her family. We had planned to visit the previous afternoon so she could tell me a story she had learned while I have been away. Because of our travels we were not able to go. She called us out on it with a laugh, but we told her we would be there shortly. So we did...we went to her courtyard, greeted, and then asked her to share a story. It was great! She began telling me the story of Creation! She did great, and Lori P helped her get a few details in order. After telling us the story, she took off and told us to come with her. She led us to her mother's courtyard...if she had to tell the story then so did her mom. We smiled as we watched this young woman continue to lead and hold accountable those who were studying with her. We stood and listened along with 8 other women and over 14 children. The mother went beyond the Creation story and into the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience. We celebrated with them how God has given them the ability to learn, understand, and share His stories. We did a short dance to celebrate! Please pray for us this coming week as we challenge them with some questions about these stories and go on to share more with them. Pray also for us to discern how these stories are impacting their hearts and how God is working to draw them to Himself.

Looking for God this Christmas

Today I was reminded of the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah which led me to remember Sarah and Abraham and even Abi and her husband...how easy it is for us to forget that God wants to show His Power to us! He wants to show Himself to us! He wants to reveal to us that HE IS REAL and worthy of our FAITH! He wants us to know this Christmas season that He is Emmanuel...GOD WITH US...no matter the struggles we face, the hardships we must overcome, the battles we must fight...He wants us to look to Him, asking and believing Him for our needs and our desires! What do you need? What desires do you have that only God can meet?

The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever

His Word is True...Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! I continue to marvel at how God works, shows His power, and makes Himself known to people in the same ways as He always has!! In June 2008, a team came to tell the story of Hannah among the Samogho women...it was the beginning of God developing a hunger in hearts of the Samogho women to know and understand the stories of God...the testimonies of people both past and present to the greatness and power of the One True God. It was also the beginning of God spreading His Story from woman to woman and village to village. In December 2008, another team came and God placed in our path a young woman from another village who had heard the story of Hannah from some women and told us she had been unable to conceive a child. She asked us to pray for her. We talked with her about the faith of Hannah to believe God for the gift of a child. We boldly prayed for God to do the same in Abi's life that He had done in Hannah's life...give her a child! This week as we went to greet and visit in the same courtyard where we met Abi, the woman we went to visit began telling us how we had prayed and now she is pregnant! She had two praises for our God...first that we had prayed for her rice harvest and God gave her the best harvest ever. Second, that we had prayed for Abi to have a child and now she is pregnant. Abi now lives in a neighboring country so we may not have the opportunity to celebrate with her the gift of this child, but nevertheless we celebrate the God who is the same yesterday (Hannah's Day), today (Abi's Day), and forever!!

Return to Kar

After 10 months away, it was a joy to return to one of my favorite places in West Africa...the village of Kar. I have many friends there...most of whom I consider family. The friendships are strong and they are being used by God to make Himself known among the Sam people. Our first day was spent greeting and getting settled in for the week. Many are working in the fields because it is the end of harvest and there is much work to be done to get the crops into the storage huts. It was amazing as always to see 4-6 women walking in a straight line coming in from the distant fields with loads on their heads that weighed more than they did. What a sight! I could not wait to give the customary "Ka Fai!!" to each one, giving them thanks for the work they were doing. I love that about this people!! The work someone does never goes unnoticed and never passes by without encouragement! Wouldn't work be much more fun if that was the response given to all of us for the efforts we make! The men and children were awaiting the women so they could transfer the harvest into the storage huts."Ka Fai!" to them too. Most mornings we are met with lots of greetings and visits from the people of the village, but this trip the mornings were amazingly quiet. As we went to greet, we found that the people were already out in the fields working to bring in the harvest. This time of year means a lot of work--long days and short nights! The harvest this year is described as ok but not enough. Please pray for God to show Himself to the Sam in ways that will cause them to look to Him and put their faith in Him!

Songs of Truth

On the night we prayed for the woman who was possessed by evil spirits, an interesting and significant thing happened. After the intense time of prayer was over, one of the ladies in the woman's compound called my name. She looked me dead in the face and began singing a song about Jesus. It was a song she had learned on our visit in February. She clapped her hands and sang from her heart.
The next day we went to check on the woman, to see how she was doing, and how her night had been. She reported that the demons were gone and that she had rested for the first time in months. We prayed again for her and told her the story of the woman who reached out to touch the hem of Jesus robe. We told her that her body had to heal from all of the destruction the demons had caused. We prayed again with her this time with most of the village standing at a distance watching...even the chief was instructing her to call on Jesus for help. How incredible! The whole village was seeing the power of the All Powerful God through His Son Jesus!
Again as we left, the woman in the courtyard called my name. She began singing another song about Jesus--a different one from the night before. This happened again the next day. Another song...this time one she had made up herself. How incredible that a woman who does not know Jesus herself would step out to sing songs of praise to Him! Now only God can do that!
Later this woman came to visit us at our courtyard. She allowed me to record her singing on my voice recorder so I too can learn those songs and sing them with her on my next visit. I asked her how she knew the second song. She said, "My brother is a follower of Jesus. I have heard him sing that song many times."
Pray that the words of each song would ring out the Truth in the heart of this woman, as well as in the hearts of all who have seen the Power of Jesus displayed in her courtyard!

Freedom through Faith

A husband came seeking prayer for his wife. She had lost her sight and was having very painful headaches. After explaining to the man, what prayer is and how Jesus taught us to pray, we shared with him the story of how Jesus healed a blind man. He asked us to come and pray for his wife. Upon arriving at his compound, we discovered through talking with the wife that she had been tormented by demons for over 3 years. She explained the time when they took control. She had sufferered physically from bad health because of all the things these demons required of her. Her husband had tried all kinds of things to help his wife and they had spent all of their money trying to find help. We told the woman the story of Jesus healing the demon possessed man to show her and her family that Jesus alone has power over the demons. She agreed that she wanted to believe Jesus could could help her and agreed for us to pray. Before praying, we explained to her and her family that all other potions and trinkets had to be removed from her and her house. It was through faith and belief in Jesus alone that would heal her. After an intense time of powerful prayer, the woman was free from the demons. We taught her to call on the powerful name of Jesus when the pain was too great, if the demons confronted her again. She began doing that right away, trusting Him to help her. She rested for the first time in months that night!
We give praise to the One and Only...the All Powerful One...The One to Whom All others bow!

Faith Comes By Hearing

"Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the Everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and tired and strength to the powerless."

All along the frontiers and faraway places of every nation are peoples who have never heard about the Everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth, and the Promised One who came to show us the way to have right relationship with God. All around us are people who have never understood the peace and joy, the hope and healing that comes through Him. This is true of the people of village S along with the people in all the surrounding villages, but that is beginning to change!! Because of God's call on the lives of His people, the news is spreading through volunteers and the people of village S are beginning to hear and understand!
You have been praying with us for the stories to be translated into their heart language so that all can hear, so that followers of J can understand how to walk as He did. We began that process this week...join us in praise!! The first draft of the first story was translated!!!! The joy and smiles on the faces of the 2 followers as spoke and listened to God's Word in their own language was priceless! The process of creating an oral set of stories for this people groupo has just begun, but join us in praising God for this new beginning!! Continue to pray for direction, clarification, and the development of these stories so that the people of village S and all of those who speak this language will be able to hear, understand, and place their faith in the Everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth!

Power of the One Who is True

This is a story from God's Word...
One of God's chosen spokesmen challenged the spokesmen for the god known as Baal. He challenged them to a contest between Baal and the One Who is True. To make the story short for the sake of this blog, all day the spokesmen of Baal called out to him to come down with fire and burn up the offering on the altar...all with NO RESPONSE. Then the chosen spokesman for the One Who is True saturated the altar and the offering with water until the trench he had dug around it was filled. The chosen spokesman called out to the One Who is True, "Prove today that you are God and that I am your servant...Answer me so these people will know that you are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." Immediately the fire flashed down and burned up the offering, the altar, and even all the water in the trench. When they all saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The Lord--He is God!" This is a story from God's Word.
The Power of the One Who is True was displayed over and over in the 3 short days we spent with the people of village S. The holidays of 3 major religions all celebrated within those days proved to be the way the One Who is True had decided to show Himself and His Power to those who were seeking peace and long life. He showed His Power over the spiritual world by inviting several to trust Him for their physical health instead of the unseen powers and potions they had previously believed in. When they did express their faith and trust, He brought health, peace, and a display of Who He is...The One Who is True. He showed His Power as the One Who is True with every story that was told...with the revelation of truth that comes from speaking His Word alone. He showed His Power as the One Who is True and the One Who Provides by feeding the entire village until all were full with 75 kilos of rice and 2 goats. The words of the chief, " Everyone ate and the whole village is full, and there is food left over!"
Praise The One Who is True with us today and everyday! He is True and He longs for us to know Him and make Him known...
lori

WOW...that best describes our hearts as we return from 3 days of watching our Father do what only He can do. We just arrived back in Sevare, filled our bellies with sprite, fanta orange, and some of our traveling favorties... things that make coming in fro, the village so refreshing. We refreshed ourselves with long hot showers and some relaxed moments just recounting all we saw our Father do. We are looking forward to a great nights rest and an early departure for the capital tomorrow. We wanted to thank you for ALL of your prayers for us and the P people. You have been heard and our Father has answered. We celebrate holidays the entire time we were in the village. It was a special time to be there...both to learn about their celebrations but ,ost of all to share with them our Thanksgiving celebration. It was a blessed day...filled with evidence of our Father making Himself known and demonstrating His incredible love for ALL of those He created.
Please pray for my email access to be restored so I can continue to share with you all the great things our Father has done. Please pray for complete healing and health to come to an older woman named Je. Pray for the protection of all in our Family. Pray for our travels to be protected by our Father tomorrow.
We thank Him for you and will send more when we get to the capital.
praising, singing, and dancing...
lori

Greetings from Sevare
We have had a great day making our way toward our destination. We stopped to pick up our translator and deliver a trunk of goodies to some friends who live here.We made the exchange and visited with the new wife of our translator. We stopped under a large baobab tree for lunch and had quite a large audience watching us...each writing a new chapter in his or her book called life experiences. After lunch we headed on our way along with all who were watching. So today the familiar experienced in an unfmiliar way was not by us but by those going throumericans eating under the baobab.
We found agh their normal day. Today the familiar way was interupted by the unfamiliar A place to rest for the night, ate dinner and are heading for a good nights rest: Please pray for us as we make our way to tell His story. We have been practicing and preparing ourselves with our translator Y. Please pray continually for us and for those we will be living and loving for the next few days. We will stop to greet the family of our partner whose mom is in Bamako and just had surgery. I talked with hi, and she is doing ,uch better today. Continue lifting her up.
Thanks again for taking this journey with us...
lori

Off to Panaland

The day has come and our travels begin again. We are all refreshed and ready to be with the Pana. We have a message to share, love to give, and time to hang with them to celebrate two big holidays...one holiday is theirs and one holiday is ours. Our two cultures meet on this trip in new ways...again we see...the familiar in an unfamiliar way!! How fun that we would be allowed to celebrate side by side with the Pana their biggest fet of the year! How fun that we would be allowed to share our thankfulness to God for giving them to us as family...across the ocean. WE serve a FUN GOD! Praying for you ...we know you are praying for us!!

We will be gone until Tuesday of next week...their may be possible updates but no promises...if not be ready for our return...

watching for the unfamiliar...
lori

update from Mali

Lori was kind enough to allow us to use her blog to speak to all of our friends at home. We arrived in Bamako late Monday night and then awoke early the next day to prepare for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, which was to the delight of all of our friends here. We all shared the duties and the menu. We had turkey, still frozen from the states, dressing, cranberry sauce,corn casserole, mashed potatoes and pumpkin and pecan pies. We were able to share this with some Malian friends as well and talked about what each of us were most thankful for this year.

We were able to see Pastor Dao last night and found out more about the procedure that was used to bring healing to his mother. We found out that she had broken her hip and that they had to go in and do hip surgery which is a pretty invasive surgery here. The prognosis appears to be good. One of the big differences in hospitals here and at home is that the care of the patient is up to the family. So there are large groups of family members with each patient making sure they have food to eat and medicine for their injuries. We were able to pray for her and are trusting God for her full recovery.

We leave to go visit our friends and people today. We are excited about sharing Thanksgiving with them. It has been several months since we've seen them and we are expecting to see great things this trip. We miss you and hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

All our love,

Walter and Cherenne

The Comforter and Provider

After our time of thanksgiving, fellowship, and rest, we went to visit our Malian partner in the harvest among the Dafin and the Pana. His mom broke her hip 6 months ago and no one realized exactly what had happened. They took her to the hospital in the capital city and discovered it was broken and would basically take a hip replacement. The cost was beyond our friend and his family's abilities...but God made a way for her to have the surgery yesterday. We did not know that until we went to visit...we were so thankful for God's provision and His comfort for this woman, our friend, and his family. The original cost had been cut more than half by a second opinion. Please continue to pray for the Dao family, the healing of this woman ...a follower and our sister. Give thanks to God for being everything she needs...for bringing comfort and provision in a time of desperation! Our God is big and His family bears His likeness! We were able to pray with and for her! Please join us in praying for her quick recovery, healing, and return to normal life. Thanks for being our partners in prayer.

A Day of Thanks

Today, we gathered with friends who serve among the harvest with us as well as with some Malian friends who have become more like family. We stopped the busyness of travel and all of its preparations to give thanks to God for His provisions! We had all the traditional American foods in a completely non American land...We shared it with family though not our biological families...again the familiar done in and unfamiliar way. We had the turkey, the dressing, the green bean casserole, the deviled eggs, the cranberry sauce along with the pecan and pumpkin pies. It was delicious! We shared around the table the things for which we are most thankful! It was a great day...enjoying friends, God, and the slower pace!
Enjoy your day of thanks...it is coming soon to a home near you!!

On the Ground in Mali

Greetings from the beloved place of Mali!!
Walter, Cherenne, and I made our connection in Paris, had a little nap in the airport, then boarded a completely full plane to Bamako. Our flight was uneventful and we were able to get some rest. Our journey into the Bamako airport was interesting with such a full plane and all of the people entering a small place trying to get their bags and get out of there as fast as possible. It was fun to get to the scan machine and be recognized by one of the men placing bags on the conveyor belt. He immediately made all the bags stop and allowed us to put our bags on there...You have to love Mali where knowing people makes things happen faster.
On my journey this time one thing has been very evident...in this culture your position is very important. Whatever your position...good or bad...it is your place and you deserve it. It made me begin thinking about the position we have in Christ...how because of Him, you and i can come boldly to the throne of God. Our position before Him is not because of what we deserve but because of what Jesus deserves. We belong to Him and that makes all of the difference. I also noticed how this culture says it is ok to take your position or even demand it. As i thought about that, i remembered the parable of Jesus when He talked about walking into a banquet and taking your place in the honored seat. He said it is better to take the lower position and then the person who has invited you can move you to the place of honor if it is the place prepared for you.
As we enter a time of thanksgiving this week and as this team goes out to the village, my prayer is that we all humble ourselves before God, take the time to think of the incredible things He has done for us...not because of us...but because of His Son. Jesus made that final sacrifice for us...So let us give Him thanks...bowing our knees and sitting at His feet. At the right time God will lift us up and give us our place in the Kingdom. For now...lets serve Him with hearts of thanks and lives of humble sacrifice.
I personally thank my God for you...each of you and the place of honor you have before Him...the way you bow before Him to intercede for this ministry and the peoples with whom we work. So as you celebrate with your families this time of thanksgiving...know that i am celebrating with God the gift of you and your support!

Today we will be having a thanksgiving feast with some of the missionaries and inviting one of the Malian families we love so much. Please pray for us as we continue to share with them to love of Jesus. We will also be visiting Pastor Dao...the missionary we serve with among the Pana. His mother needs surgery so he is still in Bamako with her. We will go to greet her, pray with her, and encourage our brother and partner in this work.
More to come...
lori and the Pana team

Greetings from the Charlotte airport!

I am taking a familiar trip in and unfamiliar way this time. I am excited to be leaving from my parents home to go to Mali! My parents were able to bring me to the airport for the first time in all my Mali travels and it was a blessing...of course we shared a few tears as we hugged and i walked into the airport. Another unfamiliar thing about the familiar trip is im leaving from a different airport and flying a different route. One more unfamiliar thing is I will be meeting my team in Paris tomorrow morning. Please pray for our connections, our flights, and our ability to rest on the planes. Sometimes it is exciting to do the familiar in an unfamiliar way...opens our eyes to the newness, the freshness of God.

Thank you for praying for this team and me as we make this journey to Mali! Im praying for you as well...that you will try doing the familiar in an unfamiliar way this week..Then Write me and let me know how you saw God in new ways...

So far I have seen Him...
Give the gift of time with my family--celebrating, playing, and loving together...much needed time for us...thanks mom, dad, sheri, chuck, carrie, daniel, eli, vicki, hilary, erik and many aunts and uncles
Speaking to Philadelphia Baptist Church...thanks for the chance to share all God is doing in Mali
Leading a storying training for 2 churches in SC-- Oakbrook Community and New Life Baptist--thanks guys...dont forget to practice your stories..im coming back
The gift of coming to the aiport with my parents!!!
Make a way for my luggage to go straight through to Bamako...since i actually have 2 flights!!!
Lift my luggage up so that the weight was sufficient!!!
Protect me from a charge on an extra bag!!!
Friendly security people that didnt make me take off my hoodie!!

Have a great thanksgiving everyone!!! dont forget to thank God for all He is doing among the Pana and the Samogho!! He is our God and He is doing the amazing through people like you!!

bowed with a heart full of thanks...
lori

Praying...

Thank you for your work alongside us--the most important work of all...PRAYER! Without your prayers, the power of God will not be unleashed and the darkness will continue to cover their hearts and minds. We are believing God for great things and your prayers are the power to accomplish those great things! Thank you for choosing to be a part of this ministry and the work of God among the Pana! I look forward to giving you updates about the work as often as possible. We will be updating the blog on the website so you can follow along with us. There will be times when we are out in the village and will not be able to communicate all that is going on, but we will do our best to keep you updated as quickly as possible.

On your knees again....

The time is coming soon that Harvest Seekers and HighPoint Fellowship will be living, walking, and serving among the Pana people of Mali again. We have been planning and preparing, listening and following God's direction for our time among the Pana. You have been praying for us and for the Pana! It is time for all of us to take the next steps in seeking God for His will to be done among the Pana. This team will be leaving the United States this Sunday, November 22, 2009. We will be among the Pana from November 26-30.

This team will have a unique opportunity during their time among the Pana. We ask you to please pray with us about this opportunity. We will be in the village during the biggest holiday of the year. This holiday is called Tabaski and it will be Nov 28th. This Holiday is known as the Feast of the Sacrifice and it commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son as commanded by God. On Tabaski a sheep or goat is slaughtered as a symbol of the ran God substituted for Abraham's son. During this holiday, the people are seeking forgiveness from God for the sins they have committed all year. The amazing and God thing about this opportunity is that this team has been preparing to tell the beginning stories from God's Word which includes Man's Disobedience, Cain and Abel, as well as the stories of Abraham, Sarah, and the testing of Abraham's Faith. The other important thing about this team being among the Pana during this time is the great possibility that the Pana do not really know the story about Abraham willingness to sacrifice his son because God asked him to. They may celebrate Tabaski because it is a national holiday but not truly understand the meaning behind it. We have watched God intimately pursuing the Pana for 3 years now. We have seen him bring 3 of them to faith as they began their walk with Jesus. We have seen God drawing both men and women to hear the stories from His Word as well as watched Him answer our prayers in ways that they would know it was Him.

Please pray with us for the salvation of many in the village of S.
Pray specifically with us for the chief and his family to choose to follow Jesus along with several others who have an interest in following.
Please pray with us that the fear of persecution would not keep anyone from receiving the ultimate sacrifice for our sins...Jesus.
Pray with us for opportunities to talk with the whole village about Abraham, Sarah, and their son Isaac.
Pray with us for wisdom and discernment about who we need to spend time with, what we specifically need to share with them, and how we can best live out Jesus among the Pana.
Please pray for us to clearly present God's Word to each person whether it is through stories, relationships, or our actions.

We will also be celebrating our holiday of Thanksgiving with the Pana. We plan to provide a meal for the village and share with them the tradition of meeting together with our families to give thanks to God for all He has done for us. The Pana are a part of our family and we want to give thanks to God for them and the relationships He has given us this past year. Please pray for our time of celebration of thanks with them...especially our thanks for God's final sacrifice for our sins...His Own Son--Jesus.

New Opportunities

I have been traveling a lot these past few weeks since my return from Mali. I made a trip to SC to visit with a church in the Spartanburg area. I was able to talk with the pastor and his wife about the possibilities of Cedar Spring joining us as partners among the Pana people. I was able to greet the church and share with them the work God has been doing and challenge them to become a part of His work. Please pray for this Pastor and the church he leads as they pray and seek God's leadership about taking a vision trip with Harvest Seekers to see what God wants for them.

I am currently in Brownwood, Texas preparing to speak tonight to another church who is praying and seeking God's will about becoming a partnering church among the Samogho people. Lori Price and I will be speaking tonight, giving witness to what God is doing and how He is using churches and volunteers to fulfill His Great Commission. Please pray for the Pastor and people of Southside Baptist Church as they pursue God's plan.

Please continue to pray for Marianne and Mark Smith as they continue their benefit motorcycle ride from Fort Worth to Fairbanks for Africa. This ride is to raise funds to build a radio station in Mali that will give over 33,000 people access to the Gospel. If you would like to sponsor them for 1 penny a mile @ $38.50 and join in providing the opportunity for the Pana, the Dafin, the Fulani, the Bozo, the Mossi, and the Dogon to hear the story of Jesus, send a check to First Baptist Church Watauga, Texas and place "Africa" on the memo line. If you would like a t-shirt please specify what size you would like. You can follow Mark and Marianne on their blog at ridefordannaya.blogspot.com. The address for FBC Watauga is 6124 Plum St. Watauga, Tx. 76148

If you would like to participate even after the benefit motorcycle ride you may make tax deductible donations to Sahara's Gate. Make the check out to Isaiah 61 and write Radio Kantigiya on the memo line. Send the check to Sahara's Gate PO Box 901499 Kansas City, MO 64190

your partner in the gospel....
lori

Testimonies to Come

The team is home and ready to share all that they experienced on the field in Salle. Stay tuned to hear the stories!

Rejoicing!!!

Greetings from the Pana and your team serving among them!
We have just arrived in Bamako and we will leave tomorrow night (Thursday)
for the USA. Our hearts and minds and spirits are full! We are still
praising and processing all that God did.
We had an incredible time in the village! We expected much of God and he
went above and beyond every expectation! His Word is true...you cannot
even imagine all God will do for those who love Him and are called
according to His purpose. We expected to spend a day with the one believer
in the village. God arranged for us to spend everyday, all day with him.
We expected to talk with the women we shared stories with the last visit,
God opened the doors for us to speak to a large group of women. In
addition to that, God opened the way for us to spend some great one on one
time with some of the women. We expected to tell more stories with the
people and God allowed us to share stories with the young men, the women,
and even with a crowd that gathered unexpectantly. We expected to visit
with the chief in his courtyard, yet God allowed us to have a special one
on one time with him in our courtyard and even prayed with him in his
fields for his crops. Then there were the things that we didnt expect...to
spend a day with all the followers in the Baye region praising and
learning about being a disciple, going into Burkina Faso and encourgagin
the followers there, discovering and spending time with a potter in the
village, watching God do the amazing as He took away the pain of a
scorpion bite and then the greatest power of God displayed...a young woman
from another village choosing to follow the Way, the Truth, and the
Life!!!
There are stories to go with each of the praises above! Stories that
continue to declare God's glory just as the stories we tell from His Word.
I will continue to write and share with you the amazing details that
demonstrate our God. Please continue to pray for the Pana, for Ma the new
follower, and for the one believer Iz in the village of S.
Thank you for your faithfulness to pray...i am curious to know how God
spoke to you as you prayed for us at 10pm each night. If you have stories
to tell us please let us know. We want to fully declare His glory!
thanking God for you and praising Him for the work He has done!!
lori

On Their Way Back

Greetings! The Pana team is on their way back to Bamako. The trip to Salle was a great success. There will be many stories to tell, the most important about a young girl, Ma, who became a believer! Praise God!

Safely to B@m@ko

The P@n@ team has arrived safely in B@m@ko! Father held off the rainstorm so that the plane was able to land safely and the team was able to get their luggage and make it to their housing without getting wet. All the luggage made it too! Father is sooooo good! Thank you too, for pr@ying the team safely to B@m@ko. As you bend your knees on their behalf tonight, please pr@y for their time in the morning. They will meet together for about an hour to discuss future work among the P@n@. Pr@y for wisdom and direction during this time of discussion. Then the team will leave around 9am with the goal of making it to M0pt1. Again, pr@y Father's protection around them and for opportunities to witness along the way.

Your pr@yers are being answered. Father is working. Let's keep lifting up this team! Thank you!

Pr@yer

Please join us in pr@ying for the HSI team that is currently serving in Mali, West Africa. Many people, along with the Harvest Pr@yer Network are praying each night at 10pm Central Time. Use the link below to access the P@n@ Team's Pr@yer Guide.



Thank you for joining in Father's work!

The time has come to send out the next Pana team, to armor up for the battle and to bend our knees in prayer for the Pana and the team God has chosen. Attached you will find a prayer guide to follow along with us as we walk, live, and story among the Pana.

We would like to UNITE our prayer network in an even greater way this trip by inviting all of you to join together in prayer every night at 10:00 pm...just before you tuck yourself into bed...remember the Pana and the team serving among them. We would like for you to make that commitment along with the churches who are represented by members on the team. We believe God has great things for the Pana and we know without doubt that God's Word is true..."Where two or three come together in my name, there I Am with them." We cannot wait to see how God reveals Himself as we all come together at 10:00 pm in His name on behalf of the Pana.

You may ask, "Why 10:00 pm?" With the time difference, as you go to bed we will be getting up to begin our day. As you pray at 10:00 pm, you will be the power that energizes, prepares, and infuses us with God's Presence, wisdom, and Word.

Thank you for being a part of the greatest Prayer Network ever....smile...
We love you and thank God for you and your partnership! Thank you for joining in the Harvest of people brought to eternal life!

lori and the Pana team

Thank you for praying for my time with FBC Midland, TX and Humble Area's FBC.
Our training time with the 5 mission teams in Midland was great. Our main focus was learning about becoming an effective cross cultural witness. We spent 6 hours learning, discussing, and seeking to apply our new understanding to the different peoples the teams will be visiting. We discussed worldviews and culture, along with a fast overview of some basic mission team keys to being prepared. We focused on the importance of seeking to understand the influences that worldview and culture have on how we share the gospel with people from different worldviews and cultures. It was fun to grow together as we all seek to become the witnesses and servants God wants us to be.....so that we can make Jesus known to the ends of the earth.

I flew back into Humble Sunday morning to speak to the Life Groups. I spent time with a ladies group that has adopted me and HSI. It was great to be with them again and to catch up. It was awesome to hear how God is working among them and using them to minister to one another. It was great to share with them all that God is doing in Mali as well as how God is calling out volunteers to go. Of course there is always the challenge to join God...smile!

I spoke to another Life Group at 10:50. It was great to be with them and make them aware of the mission of Harvest Seekers International and how God has partnered our mission with their church to evangelize and plant churches among the Dafin people in Mali. Again...a challenge to join the laborers in the harvest.

Please pray for the teams from Midland who are in the planning and preparation phase before they embark on their different adventures. The first team will leave for Belize in about 1 week. The other teams will leave at varying times through the summer, traveling to: Mali, Central Mexico, Vietnam, and Costa Rica.

Pray for the Life Groups of Humble FBC to pursue their place among the nations and to take seriously the great commission for their own lives.

For now...it is time to walk out the work God has for me here in the USA as well as in Mali. Please pray for me today as I go to lead a training conference in Midland, TX. We will be talking about becoming culturally effective witnesses and servants for Jesus. First Baptist Church has volunteer teams going to Mali, Vietnam, Costa Rico, Mexico, and Belize. We will all be meeting together to prepare for the task of going out into the harvest fields and making Jesus known. Praise God for all of these volunteers willing to walk in faith to make Him known to those who need to know of His power, grace, and salvation.

I will also fly back to Houston early Sunday morning to join Humble Area's First Baptist Church for a day of emphasis and awareness of missions. I will be speaking to 3 Life Groups and sharing with them all that God is doing among the nations. Pray for them to be open to joining God in the harvest.

Living Water

As we arrived in the Pana village at the end of January and talked with the chief and elders of the village, they shared with us the difficulties they were facing. We asked about the harvest and how it had been. Their response was, "It was bad." They went on to tell us about how the birds had come and devoured their the millet they plant for their daily food. My heart broke as I listened because I have seen the vastness of a flock of birds like they were describing and my heart immediately felt the desperation that must come over them when they see the birds coming. Within moments these birds can eat an entire field of millet. My mind understood the devastation of their situation.

Then the chief went on to say how their water was bad. That made me curious since I had been there just a month earlier and helped the women pump beautiful clear water from the well. The next morning I went out to see the women at the pump but there were none. Everyone was drawing water from the well with ropes. I asked one of the women about the pump and she said it was broken. With that response, I thought that must be what they mean when they said the water was bad. NO...that was not it. Later that afternoon, the team split up to prayer walk through the village. That is when God showed us the true meaning of the chief's statement...Our water is bad. We met many who were sick and had strange infections. We prayed for them believing God to answer us with healing. As we approached the well, we stood and prayed for those drawing water. Then our attention was drawn to the water that was being poured out of the well and into their pans, buckets, and animal troughs. It was a thick, black liquid sludge.

At the same moment, we each groaned and realized just how bad their water was. We stood with our water bottles of clean, pure water and a sense of humility came over us. The questions pounded in our hearts..."How can we stand here with this water and drink it while our friends are drinking this sludge? How can we see this, know the desperation of the situation, and do nothing about it?" We knew without good water sickness would overtake this village and the people would die...and die without the knowledge of Jesus. We began praying and talking as a team asking God for wisdom and discernment about how to best come alongside our chief and our village to see that the pump was fixed and life giving water was restored to this village. With the help of the Malian missionary who was with us, God revealed His plan. Together this team, the Malian missionary, and the people of the village-- each doing what they could--partnered to fix the pump and bring clean life giving water to the Pana.

As we left the village, each of us on the team knew that God had just worked to lay the foundation for His Spirit to reveal to the Pana that Jesus is the Living Water. God was working in the physical world to bring Spiritual Truth to the Pana so that just like the woman at the well...they too can hear Jesus say to them "...those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

I received text messages from the Malian missionary saying that the pump was fixed. Fresh clean water was flowing again as the women went to the pump. The village held a celebration thanking God for helping them.

Please give PRAISE and THANKS to God for providing all that was necessary to restore to this village water that will bring life instead of disease, infection, and death. PRAISE God for the barriers that HE broke down in this village so that the Story of Jesus can become a spring of living water that leads them to eternal life. PRAISE God for calling out His children to go live out HIS Presence and HIS love among the Pana.

Please pray for our Pana friends and family.
Ask God to ready their hearts to hear His message about Jesus, the Living Water.

Ask God to bring health and healing to their bodies as they drink the clean, pure water flowing from the pump.

Ask God to call and send out more servants to go and share His Story with the Pana.

Thanks for your partnership, your prayers, and your love for the nations...especially the Pana!
drinking deeply from the Living Water...
lori

Harvest Pray-ers....
Thank you so much for praying for my time in Alabama, SC, and Louisiana! The journey was long--Texas to Alabama to SC to Louisiana and on to Texas-- but our God was faithful! He continues to amaze me as He watches over, protects, and guides us along His best pathway. He continues to call out servants and witnesses--His church--to join in the work of the eternal harvest of people brought to eternal life. He continues to connect His people and to bind us as one for the sake of His name among the nations.

At the Sub-Saharan Crossover Summit in Alabama, we had a great time connecting with missionaries and churches. HSI was able to connect with several missionaries to encourage and come alongside them for the purpose of training volunteer teams who come to partner and serve with them. We were also able to connect with some churches who are interested in beginning their work in the harvest of West Africa. Please continue to pray for these connections, for the training and mobilization of volunteer teams to walk among the unreached peoples and tell God's Story.

While in SC, I visited with the new pastor of my parents church. It was so nice to meet him face to face, to greet him, and to talk with him about missions. He gave Lori Price and I time to share with those at the prayer lunch about all God has been doing in Mali these last few months. During my time with him, he told us that he had spent time in Haiti as an agricultural missionary. Our conversation led us to talk about the possibilities of taking some agricultural savvy Christians to Mali to talk farming--cultivating the land, planting, and harvesting--as well as to do a little spiritual farming--cultivating, planting and harvesting of spiritual seeds. 

Little did I know that God would do His own cultivating, planting, and harvesting in my heart and mind through that conversation. From SC Lori P and I drove to Louisiana for the On Mission Celebration. As we entered Louisiana we drove for over 55 miles through the fields. On either side of us were acres and acres of farmland. Some fields were being prepared and others still had the remains of the cotton crops that had been harvested last year. Then we arrived in Jonesville, LA to celebrate missions with the churches in this area for the first time. This was the first On Mission Celebration ever hosted for these churches--16 churches with an interested in knowing what God is doing among those who do not know Him. 

Most of the people in this area are farmers. As I visited with the churches and shared with them what God has been doing in West Africa, most of the people were farmers or knew about farming. Their eyes lit up as I talked about how the West Africans farm and what kinds of crops they plant. As I considered God's purpose for opening the door for me to participate with these churches, it became clearer and clearer...God wants to use His farmers in the harvest fields of West Africa. My spirit has not been able to rest because of the excitement I feel when i think of Christian farmers coming to walk, live, and share Christ with the farmers of West Africa who have never heard about Jesus. God has called ALL of us to be Farmers in the Field...YET He has specifically prepared some to use their knowledge and skills of farming to reap a spiritual harvest of people brought to eternal life. 

Pray with me as we continue to seek God's direction for taking volunteers teams of farmers, agriculturalists, and spiritual harvesters into the fields that are WHITE!

declaring His glory....
lori

Greetings,
Lori Price and I arrived in Jonesville, LA late this afternoon to join 16 churches in what we believe will be the beginning of God's Spirit bringing a revival of missions to His people in this area. We are excited to be here with 20 other missionaries from overseas, the USA, Louisiana, and this local area. They are excited about this opportunity to hear about what God is doing and how they can join Him. We spent the evening talking with members from each of the 16 churches and connecting with them personally. Tomorrow we begin speaking and sharing the story of God's work among the nations. We will each be speaking in 5 different churches beginning tomorrow morning. We will speak twice tomorrow and then each evening Monday through Wednesday.

Pray for:

God to speak to hearts and call out individuals and churches to join Him in the work He is doing in West Africa.

God to make the connections He wants to make between Harvest Seekers International and the churches who are interested in sending volunteer teams overseas.

God to develop a partnership between HSI and the Louisiana Baptist Convention to mobilize and train volunteers sent out by churches to join God in the harvest fields.

God to call out churches to partner with Lori Price and HSI to reach the Samogho people.

God to call out churches to join HighPoint Fellowship and HSI to reach the Pana people.

God to speak His words to each church as we HIS Servants give testimony to His hand at work among the peoples of West Africa.

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray!

declaring HIS Glory...
lori

Hey Partners!
It is so nice to be connected to you again and able to share with you the
things God is doing and know that you are praying alongside me!
Last week I spent several days in Alabama at the SubSaharan Africa Peoples
Crossover event. This was an opportunity for churches who are interested
in partnering and engaging with missionaries and peoples of West Africa
came to find out what God is doing. They came seeking God's direction
about their place in His work there. It was great to be there with
missionaries serving on the field as well as representatives from churches
who are seeking. Praise God for the time we spent together and for the
partnerships that were made.
Praise God for the connections He made between HSI and missionaries with
whom we can partner to train and prepare their volunteer teams!
Praise God for the churches with whom He connected HSI to come alongside
them to get started in the work God has called them to do!
Pray for me and HSI as we follow up and follow through with the
opportunities God has given to us through this conference.

I have been enjoying a few days with my family in SC...playing in the snow
and building snowmen. God made it possible for my sister and niece to be
out of school because of the snow so we got to spend extra time
together...a gift for which i give Him thanks.

I will be leaving here on Friday and traveling with Lori Price to another
On Mission Celebration in Louisiana. We will spend Saturday through
Wednesday night with different churches sharing about all that God is
doing in West Africa.

Please pray for us as we travel.
Pray for us as we declare God glory.
Pray for God to draw these churches into partnerships with us to reach the
peoples of West Africa with the story of God and His salvation through
Jesus.

Thanks again for your prayers and your partnership with Harvest Seekers
International.

declaring HIS Glory...
lori