Doors Wide Open

Throughout our time in the village of S, we continually saw Father opening the doors for His work among the P@n@ people. He is calling out more and more to seek Him, follow in His ways, and begin their journey on the Highway of Holiness. He spoke clearly to several team members about His desire for them to join Him as servants among the P@n@. He revealed His thoughts and plans as we sought to prepare for the future of growing His followers. One way He revealed His plans came when the chief visited us one evening. He came to tell us he had talked with the elders of the village and they had agreed to give a piece of land to the ch.rch of S. He invited us to go out with him the next afternoon to look and agree on a piece of land. We went out and chose a safe and permanent place for followers to wOrsh1p, fellowship, share stories from Father's word, and meet the needs of the P@n@ people. That afternoon the temporary cornerstones for the property that will belong to the ch.rch of S were set by the two young men who boldly chose to be the first to follow the way of J.s.s. What a joy to pr@y together and sing songs of pr@ise to our Father for the work He is doing!! The doors are wide open for Father's work among the P@n@. The ch.rch is being developed and His Word is impacting the people. The best part is the Chief Cornerstone has already been set--J.s.s Chr1st!

Give me the News

"Give me the news" is one of the questions you frequently hear in Mali as you go to visit and greet people in the village. They want to know what you have come to give them or tell them. Many times you can just say "I've come to greet you" and they are satisfied. One afternoon,the new follower, old Jen, came to visit us. She sat with us and joked with us as she always does. She loves to laugh and play together. Then she said, "Give me the news." We joked some more, then again she said, "Give me the news." After doing this several times, Yaya said, I can tell her a story. So he began telling her the story of the Lost Son. Old Jen listened intently and became very involved in the story. She expressed her disbelief that the son asked his father for his inheritance before the father died. This is a terrible thing in her culture and should never be done. The story went on and she continued to understand the news. Normally we ask questions at the end of the story to make sure the listener understood the truths from the story. Well, Old Jen took over. She began asking each team member one by one, "Give me the news." One by one we each shared with her the things we liked and understood from the story. This not only pleased her, but allowed her to add her own thoughts about the story. Father used this time with Old Jen to grow her in f@ith and understanding as well as teach us new ways to give out HIS news to those we meet along the way.

Progress of Radio Kantigiya

God continues His Faithfulness toward the building of the radio station. Since our visit in March, construction has begun and the blocks now stand as a building. It is exciting to see the progress of this project with every visit. What a joy to spend time in each room pr@ying for the work Father will do through Radio Kantigiya. We look forward to the day when Father's Word will be broadcast throughout the region and those who have never heard will hear. "So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Chr1st." Romans 10:17

Highway of Holiness

"And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in G.d's ways, fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it."      Isaiah 35:8-9

A great road now goes through the once deserted land of the P@n@. About 5 years ago, Father made known the name of a small people group way out in the bush of Mali. He called a small group of followers to begin pr@ying for someone to go and make J.s.s known among them. As a result of those pr@yers, a fellowship of followers began sending volunteers to walk, serve, and share G.d's story among them. The P@n@ are hearing about the road to the Father through J.s.s., and they are experiencing the Highway of Holiness as the Redeemed walk through their land. They are learning G.d's ways and recognizing the protection of the Father for those who walk on this great road. Several have chosen themselves to walk on it and others are seeking to understand.

When He Comes

In Isaiah 35, the words of Father's spokesman described what to expect when G.d comes to the wilderness, the desert, and the wasteland. He promises to open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. He says the lame will leap like a deer and those that cannot speak will sing for joy. As I read those promises, the faces of specific people who live in the village of S come to my mind. There is the old woman who struggled a few months ago with demon possession, terrible headaches, and blindness. After pr@yer and her demonstration of faith, she has been set free from the power of the demons and her headaches are no longer a part of her days. During this visit she talked about the great peace that surrounds her. She no longer experiences spiritual blindness...she believes in J.s.s and calls out to Him for help daily. We are still believing Father for the demonstration of His power to open her eyes physically...to completely heal her of all that ravaged her body when they asked us to pr@y. There are 2 deaf people--a young man and a delightful lady. The young man has expressed interest in being a follower, and the lady comes with joy to greet us daily when we are in the village. We are believing Father for each of these to truly understand His message--for their ears to be unplug and for their voices to sing for joy! Then there is the old man of the village... the gr@ndf@ther of one of the young followers. He is unable to get around and most often is found in his bed. He doesn't understand the faith of his gr@ndchild, but we are believing Father to demonstrate His power in this man's life and bring joy and peace and life when He comes! We are believing Father for all of this and more when He comes to dwell among the P@n@!

News that Strengthens, Encourages, and Saves

In verses 3-4 of Isaiah 35, Father's spokesman says, "With this news". With the news of the coming gladness, rejoicing, singing, joy, and life to the wilderness, desert, and wasteland, Father says to strengthen those with tired hands and encourage those with weak knees. He also says to  tell those with fearful hearts, "Be strong and do not fear for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." This is exactly the work and the message Father sent us to do among the people who live in the wilderness, desert, and wasteland surrounding the P@n@. Our time together with the followers was a time to strengthen and encourage us all to continue the journey of following the ways of J.s.s. We encouraged and taught the old woman who confessed she was following J.s.s. We spent time sharing stories and singing with the old woman who was delivered from the demons several months ago. His message is being made clear to those who live in fear..."Be strong and do not fear for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." Through this message a young woman chose to be strong and put aside her fears...she chose to receive the salvation that comes from our Father!

Promise of Life

In the first few verses of Isaiah 35, the writer speaks of the wilderness, the desert, and the wasteland. When traveling to the land where the P@n@ live, you will experience all of these--the wilderness, the desert, and what looks like a wasteland. As I read those first 2 verses, my heart rejoiced as I read the promises Father was giving through His spokesman Isaiah. He promised that in the wilderness, the desert, and the wasteland there would be gladness, rejoicing, singing, joy and LIFE. He promised that the splendor and glory of G.d would be displayed there!
As we were pr@yer walking through the fields and enjoying the late African afternoon, we walked through this area that perfectly fit the description of the wilderness, the desert, and the wasteland. While walking through it, I was reminded of Father's promises in Isaiah 35. I began pr@ying and asking Father to fulfill each of His promises for the P@n@. I got to the tree that was in the center of this circle of deadness. At first glance, it looked as dead as the others. As I looked up to examine the tree further, I saw these tiny green leaves shining on the branches and the tiniest little yellow flowers beginning to bud out. Just as Isaiah 35 had said-- the gladness, rejoicing, singing, and joy was described as green, blossoms, and flowers--LIFE! Life would be seen in the wilderness, the desert, the wasteland--all to display the splendor and glory of G.d!! LIFE was before me as I looked at this seemingly dead tree!

Promises from the Father

On the morning our team was to turn our focus toward the work Father wanted to do among the P@n@, my devotion was about Isaiah 35. As I read the whole chapter, Father's Spirit spoke to my heart. My ears were in tune with the promises Father was making in these verses... promises He was giving me for the work He was doing among the P@n@. My spirit was encouraged and my heart filled with hope! I could hardly wait to make the 2 day drive and begin to watch Father at work among the people He has given as my inheritance.

Connected as One through Our Father's Word

The last evening that the team spent in the village of S we all were gathered together under the shade relaxing during the heat of the day.  In small groups of two and three, we all began our own conversations of J.s.s. One group began talking about our favorite stories of our Father’s word; while others come together opening up our B.ble in their own language to share their favorite verses and stories. At some point we were all crowding around each other reading over each other’s shoulder, writing down everybody’s favorite verses and pointing out our favorite stories. For hours all we did was immerse ourselves in reading our Father’s word in different languages including Bambara, French and English. This time together showed us there is no language barrier with our Father’s Word. We all have our favorite verses and our favorite stories to share amongst our brothers and sisters of J.s.s. Our Father’s word is the same in every language. We can all be connected as one as we read from our Father’s word no matter what language we speak. Even though the evening was really hot, I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend our last evening in the village of S with our brothers and sisters of J.s.s!!!

Kadia

Praise in the Public Place

One of the desires of the young adults who had gathered for the storying conference was to sing and praise J.s.s in the public place so that the village of S might hear and see what it means to be a follower. Their desire to demonstrate their faith, their love, and the song of their hearts was bold and powerful! Many came to watch and listen, then were compelled to join in the celebration and praise! I was amazed as I watched them sing, dance, clap, and enjoy the proclamation of Father's greatness! I was exhileratingly exhausted as I joined in with them to sing and dance for over an hour!! Don't know when I have had so much fun!!! Don't know of a better way to demonstrate the joy of following J.s.s!

Confessions of the Mouth

"For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:10
One by one, young followers confessed with their mouths how they had come to know, believe, and follow the Way. During this time of testimony and confessing, one young woman confessed to the group, "I am not yet following." Testimonies continued and the power of Father was evident in each person's story. Later as we prepared to break for lunch, the words of Romans 10:10 were shared and the challenge proposed to the group--"If you have not yet confessed your belief, today is a great day to do that." The young woman spoke again saying, "I want to follow the Way of J.s.s." The group affirmed, encouraged, and supported her confession.
Just after that as we waited for lunch to be served, an older woman in the village who has been struggling with her decision to follow for a long time came and sat beside me. She also confessed with her mouth that she has made the decision to become a follower. We talked about that decision and the importance of her confession. We invited her to come back after lunch to hear the testimonies of the team and join in with the singing and praises as we concluded our conference. We confessed with our own mouths the greatness of our Father and the work He has been doing among the nations living in this region!!
Thank you for your pr@yers and your ongoing support of Father's work among the P@n@ and the peoples groups that surround them!!

Strength and Encouragement

Sensing Father's leadership to bring young followers together with the young adults on this team, we hosted a time of training and encouragement in the area where the P@n@ live. We didn't know at all what to expect, how many would come, or even how much time we would really have together. It is the busiest time of the year with field preparation and planting, so we knew that most would be expected to be in the fields working. We arrived on Saturday afternoon, unloaded, then sent the trucks back out to the villages to pick up the young followers to bring them to the village of S. When we returned, we had 2 trucks full of young people--22 in all. With our team and the nationals, we had 33 followers invade the village of S--all ready and excited about growing, learning, and praising our Father. We arrived back in the village and had a meal together--tigadigana-- before beginning our time of storying Father's Word. We were amazed at the number of young people who have chosen to follow the Way and amazed at the opportunity Father was giving us all to be strengthened, encouraged, and build relationships with each other.
During our time together, we shared our testimonies about how Father has changed our lives as well as stories from Father's Word. We sang praises, needs, and shared words of encouragement. We left our time together empowered, strengthened to continue the journey with Father, and encouraged to tell others about the difference J.s.s makes in our lives. We left connected as friends and family for eternity!!

Home Again--Resting and Reflecting

Greeting to you all from the good ole USA! Yesterday morning the team sent each other off with a special time of pr@yer for each team member. We began this in Mali as we began saying our "see you laters" and we completed it in the hotel in Paris before heading to the airport. It was a sweet time of closure as we all began the final journey homeward. Then we took a crazy subway ride to the airport that began from the first moments of stepping onto the train. The train was PACKED like a can of sardines, yet we had to get on it to make it in time to the airport. Half of the team was on and the other half struggling to squeeze into the can. We all made it even though those on the train wish we had waited...smile. It was a tough ride being squeezed so much...there were a few moments of relief at a couple of stops. When we got to the airport, we discovered that we were not all able to leave from the same terminal. This meant that we had to leave Yaya and Kadia way before we were ready. We hugged and said our "see you later" to them believing and trusting Father to see us all home. Abi, Sali, and I made our way to our terminal and found the check-in place for Abi, found our check-in place, then went back to say "see you later" to Abi. Again, believing Father to be her companion as she traveled the rest of the way alone. Sali and I got check-in after a long wait. Our flight was delayed a little, but we didn't have any problems. We got to London in time to go straight to boarding. Each of us arrived in the USA safely and found family and friends waiting to welcome us home! It was great to be off of the plane and connected again with those we love and long to share our experiences. Continue to pr@y for our adjustment to the new time zones, the different weather conditions, and the changes Father has made in our hearts and lives these last 30 days.

Airport bound

We are headed out for the airport and the journey homeward! Continue to support us as we fly and process all we have experienced! Thank you for being a part of our team!

Saying See You Later!!!

The see you laters are always hard to say but I know that I will see them again! We spent time in P@n@ and it was amazing!! God moved through each one of us and it was AWESOME!!! We met the followers and got to spend time with them and encourage them! It was wonderful to even be encouraged by them! The lasting connections that were made touched my heart in new ways! I will remember these people and love them for eternity! I'm excited to see what Father does through the seeds tht were planted and begin the harvest! Thank you for pr@yers and support during this amazing journey! I hate saying the see you laters but know it's a part of the mission life! Thank you all again!!

Dying to Self,
Sali

A Day of Contrasts

Our Parisian journey began with a yummy gyro as we sat on the street eating in Paris. It was one of many firsts for this group on this 30 day adventure. It was a delicious new experience as was all of the food experiences--crepes, gelato, and anything else we could find. We walked from there to Notre Dam and stood amazed by the architecture. We decided to go in and continue the amazement. We did a little shopping then came back to the hotel. We all fell on our beds and woke up a couple of hours later. It was a much needed time of rest. We got up and headed out again to enjoy the journey in Paris. We went to see the Eiffel Tower and saw the city by bus. We took pictures then sat to enjoy some of the street dancers. Then we heard a song that spoke of our Father's Son. We went over to see and it was a team of dancers presenting songs and dances to interpret the news of J.s.s. It was refreshing and brought great encouragement to my day! I truly saw His Presence in the faces of those dancing! We enjoyed the lights of the tower at night then headed back to the hotel! A good nights rest awaits us!!! Continue to pr@y as we say "see you later" to each team member tomorrow! It is going to be tough to see the final separations! Father has been soooo good to this team! We give Him praise and thanks!!!

Parisian journey begins

We made it to Paris after a great flight! The plane was very empty so we were able to spread out and rest better! That was a gift from Father! We found our way out of the airport and to the hotel with not too many struggles! Our room was ready way early so we were able to move into our room very quickly which is another gift from Father!! We are about to begin our Parisian journey! Stark contrasts in the cultures of Mali and France! Still looking for Him!!

Our Final Journey

Wow! What a great adventure!! We have had an incredible time as a team here in Mali. We continue to think of Monica who should be back home by now. We prepare right now to say, "see you later" to Lori P. Not an easy task to step by step say those words to each team member. Sali, Kadia, Abi, Yaya, and I begin our final adventure together as we leave in a couple of hours for Paris. We will stay one night exploring as many sights as possible. We will say our "see you laters" on the 21st as we leave Paris. More adventures await each of us as we come home to share our stories. Keep checking this blog for more details now that life will slow down a little...a little...smile! Thanks for taking this journey with us!

I can hardly believe that we are leaving Africa tonight. We have seen our Father in so many new ways throughout the last month. I leaving with so much more than I came with. I am sad to leave but also excited. There is so much that my Father has told meto share with His followers in the States. I am leaving with a vision of coming back. I'm waiting and trusting that He will show me what that looks like and work all the details out. As I go back the task is daunting, to help people understand what my father has shown me this month. I look forward to seeing how He is going to involve His followers in the work here in Afica. My heart is full and overflowing. Thank you all for your pr@. Abi

Songs for the heart

The team learned two songs in Bambara to be able to sing and w0rship with those to whom we told stories. We wanted to leave them with songs in their hearts so they could find strength, encouragement, and joy when they needed it. We wanted them to have a song to sing praise to the Father. Everywhere we went we sang these songs and taught the people to sing them. It was great to hear the voices of the chief of Shen, the young followers who gathered with us for a retreat, and two older women who have chosen to follow join in and sing with us. One of the greatest moments was when we as a team had gone into the schoolhouse for dinner and devotion because of the huge rain storm. After dinner, we began singing hymns to our Father and praising Him for all He had done. In just a few minutes, two women who have clearly hears about J.s.s and have chosen not to follow peeked their heads in the door and then joined us in singing. Please pr@y for Father to soften their hearts and empower them to say yes to Him! Ask Him to fill their hearts with songs of praise to Him!

Father and daughter

After introducing each team member to the chief of Shen, he claimed the two Coulibali members as his daughters. This opened the way for his new older daughter to share a story from Father's Word with her Father. One of the other old men of the village joined us and heard the story as well. His daughter shared about Phillip and the African man who was studying Father's Word. After discussing the Truths of the story, her Father said, "After harvest, I will call everyone together and share Father's Word with them. If they do not want to follow they can go away." In the heart of this father and chief is the desire for all in his village to know and follow J.s.s. As we pr@yed together, both the chief and the other man were verbally agreeing with the praises of our Father and receiving what was being asked for by Jak. Continue to pr@y for this father and chief to lead his people to know and follow the J.s.s road. Ask Father to continue to give him health, wisdom, understanding, and passion to share the stories he is hearing daily through the megavoice.

Listening and Remembering

During our time among the Samogho, we went to visit the village of Shen. The chief of this village has confessed that he wants to follow the road of J.s.s. A couple of weeks before he had been given a megavpice that has stories from Father's Word. When we arrived, he was so fill of joy! He told us how he had been listening to Father's Word all the time. We asked him to tell us one of the stories he had heard. He began..."In the beginning there was only God" he contined to tell us all he could remember. It was great to sit with this old man, to experience his passion for Father's Word. His joy and love for Father was evident as he gave thanks for the gift of being able to listen to Father's Word all day and all night.

From Bamako

We made it back to Bamako late this afternoon after saying the "see you laters" to Jak and Yacou. We are still a little weary and worn from our last journey to the bush, but our spirits are full from the incredible time we spent following and serving Our Father. He was so real and personal to us individually and as a group! I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow after the great night's rest I am about to begin...smile.
Please continue to pr@y for health for Lori P. She is still not feeling well and we need you to ask Father for healing and strength. Pr@y also for me to have array filled night and regain strength for tomorrow. More to come... Keep hanging in there with us!

In Segou and on to Bamako

Greetings from Segou! We arrived in Segou Thursday afternoon and spent the evening visiting our market friends. We visited the mudcloth factory and learned the process of this art form. We even got to make a small one for ourselves. Our translators wife joined us for dinner and then Jak took his first swim ever. It was fun to enjoy the introduction of something so new and different to him. We got in trouble for having too much fun so late.
We will be saying good bye to Jak and Yacou today...a hard time awaits us this morning. We have become family and it will be difficult to say see you later knowing that later may be in he@ven. Pr@y for Jak as he rides the bus to Sik and then rides his moto to Kar. We will leave Yacou in Segou at his home so pr@y for Father's direction for his life in the future.
Pr@y for the team as we travel on to Bamako. Monica will also be leaving our team to spend some time with a friend before she leaves for America tomorrow. We have had a great month and we have much to process! Ask Father to give us His understanding about ALL we have experienced!

Back in Sevare

We had a GREAT time with our Pana family and friends. I cannot wait to tell you all about the GREAT THINGS our Father is doing in their lives. I cannot tell all the details right now but we want you to rejoice with us that there is a new follwer of J.s.s among the Dafin and among the Pana. Our Father is at work...how fun it is to see His hands, His word, and His Presence so clearly. More details are on the way...
For now we are making our way to Bamako with 2 stops on the way. We are enjoying showers, beds, meat, and cold sodas. Please pr@y for Lori P. When we arrived at the hotel, she began running fever. Ask Father to bring rest, health, and strength.

My most touching experience--The Womans and Childrens Hospital in Koutiala

So we are sitting at the table about to head out to panaland!! Exciting. Nine people, two cars. But I'd like to talk about the hospital in koutiala. It was exillerating seeing Gods work there and very evident. Right now they are only open to women and children but have two large buildings under constuction, with the first expected to open in January. It was powerful seeing them with a bright future. They plan to start a school, eye care, a chapel and dental care in the hospital which are three things hard to come by in this area. Right now they are overcrowded but God has a plan for them and it's working out wonderfully.

As we took a tour of the hospital one thing that hit me most was the hospitals medical techniques. Two things stuck out. They had a premature baby in an old wooden incubator that works just as good as a modern one. Secondly, on another pre mature baby who was just born in the last 48 hours, the doctors taped a board to some string and tied the string to the top of the incubator to keep the babies rib cage from collapsing. Both of these are brillant! I would never expect a third world country to use old western world technology in this modern day. The whole experince was truely beautiful. Other high lights included discovering 100% of the staff are Christians, which is just going to help patients find Jesus Christ. Another high light was Monica and I giving blood. That's a story in itself, I always passed out. I saw the light.


Live long and prosper,

Yaya

I'll be your friend!

Last Sunday we were in Kar and as a team we worshipped together with Jak. On Sat. I was asked to lead the devotion with a personal testimony followed by a story of God's word. Honestly, I didn't have a personal testimony ready to share, but early on Sun. morning I woke up that morning I knew that needed to tell my story on how I put my best friend in front of God. I shared to the team how my best friend and I had a huge fight and now we don't talk to each other. After 3 1/2 years of being great friends, God showed me that I put my best friend in front of Him. I had to let go of my friendship to understand that God is my best friend who will provide for me and love me greater than my friend could ever do. I share this story because on Monday as a team we went around the village greeting for the last time. One of the woman in the village walked over suddenly after I had greeted her and moved to the next person, she pointed her finger at me and said I will be your friend. Twenty minutes later another woman in the village looked at me and said I will be your friend. How amazing it is that on Sunday I shared a tough story about losing my best friend. How hard it was to see that I put my friend in front of God. But now God shows me not once but twice that He will provide my friends. And most importantly that He wants to be my best friend who cares for me!
Catherine/Kadia

A New Direction for Me!!

God confirmed for me on the 6th of July that Medical Missions will be a HUGE part of my life!  I can't wait to see what He does with me through that but I am stoked!!  We went to Koutiala on Tuesday the 6th and got a tour of the women and children's hospital.  The nurse/tour guide, Jake, was awesome!  He was such a Godsend!  He talked to us about how he got involved in the foreign medical fields and I felt God, while he was telling his story, tell me that this is my future.  I don't know if I'm called to Koutiala, Mali but I will be going somewhere!  It will be an adventure that God and I will take together and I am just so excited! As Fanta would say I might do a little jig!  I felt God just speak to me, so audibly, when I was staring at the premature babies.  They were born premature because of malnutrition in mothers and because of malaria.  Just staring at those babies I was overcome with so many emotions.  I don't know how I held them all in.  I'm crying now just thinking about their frail bodies.  So far this day has been the most meaningful to me.  The village taught me a lot.  I know that the people will be changed and that God will move in their lives.  I feel like I could have done so much more in the village but I was held back by fear.  I don't know why I had fear but it was definitely there.  I enjoyed making relationships with the people though, finally getting to meet the people that I have heard so much about.  I am looking forward to heading out to Panaland in the morning!  I will not let my ridiculous fear stand in the way of what God wants for me on this trip.  I am ready to be His empty vessel.  Pray that we, as a team, have peace and unity in all that we do.  Thank you for your prayers and support!!  Love you all.

Shelby Ashley (Sali)

Bamako again

We were Bamako bound this morning when we loaded up the trucks. We had a great drive together alternating trucks so that we all spent time together. We began the process of adding the third language to our minds. We are seeking to process all we have experienced among the Samogho as well as focus our hearts and thoughts on what God has planned among the Pana. The team is doing great despite our tired bodies and our busy schedule. We have one day here in Bamako to re-orient ourselves to our work among the Pana, repack, and rest. Please pr@y for us as we prepare for all that our Father has planned for us and the Pana.

Our return and our restoration

With mixed emotions, we packed up our things, walked through the village for one final time of greeting the people of Kar, and loaded up the trucks to head back to Sikasso. So many came to send us off and our hearts were torn. Our week in the village had challenges, successes, joys, and amazing moments of seeing God. He is teaching us so much, opening our eyes to so many things, and growing us beyond what words can express. Each of us are just beginning to process all that God has done in us, around us, and through us. Upon our return to Sikasso, we SHOWERED (the highlight of coming home from the village), ate lunch, and then headed to a nearby waterfall for fun, restoration, and worship. The sweetest time was had by our team as we played together, laughed together, and songs of praise to our Father! We came home to another time of w0rship on the rooftop after dinner...a time of reflection, sharing, and openness about all that we have experienced. What an incredible Father we have!!! There is NONE like HIM!