Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #10

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #10

His People / His Work

This year, 2012, has been an incredible year! I left my home in December of 2011 not knowing what G0d had in store for me, for HSI, for C@therine, for the people of M@li. My plan was not to be gone for a year, but this week I have been in M@li for a full year and do not know what G0d's time table is for my return home. My plans for my time in M@li were so different from what G0d's plans were for this time! I have seen Him like never before, I have walked with Him like never before, I have heard His guidance like never before, I have watched Him work like never before! The scripture above has proven true...though adversity and suffering has surrounded me, HE has been with me to teach me, I have seen Him with my own eyes, my own ears have heard Him, and He has been right behind me saying, "This is the way you should go." The great thing is that the scripture has not been true for just me, but for the His people in M@li. How about you...how has He been with you this year, how has He taught you, how have you seen Him and heard Him, how has He instructed you?

I have shared many glimpses with you, but one of the greatest glimpses of G0d's gl0ry has been seeing His people bow before Him together and call out to Him on behalf of the people of M@li and watch Him pour out His Sp!r!t and power to move and work!! You see He has taken over 500 pr@yer warriors, countless financial supporters, and the volunteers who walked with Him here, and He has displayed His gl0ry in M@li! All of the glimpses you have read about so far have been a result of your f@ithfulness to pr@y, to support, and to walk with us here!! It has been a privilege to serve alongside you for His gl0ry this year--2012!! When His people, who are called by His name, humble themselves...HE MOVES, HE COMES CLOSER, HE SHOWS US HIS GL0RY!

As 2012 comes to a close and we begin looking toward 2013, I want you to know that my heart is bowed down in gratitude to each of you for your f@ithful pr@yers, your f@ithful support, and your f@ithfulness to walk with us in all the ways G0d has led you. These glimpses and so many more have been given to us by our G0d so that we can know Him, understand Him, and believe that He and only He is G0d. Without you, we would not have seen the greatness of our G0d in this year--2012! I look forward to 2013 together with you! Keep your eyes open for the glimpses of G0d...He is coming by again SOON!!

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #9

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #9

Empty hearts / His Joyful Song

Since January of 2011 and especially in the year 2012, the glimpses of G0d's gl0ry have been countless as He has taken empty hearts and filled them with His joyful song!! In a culture where everything has a rhythm, drums are played to celebrate and to encourage people as they work, dancing is the highlight of the day, the week, the month, or the year, and people break out in song at the slightest prompting, I have watched G0d pour out His joyful song into the hearts of those who have come to know Him. I have seen Him use His joyful song to teach them His word and the truths that come from it. I have watched His gl0ry and presence grow in both O and S0 as they learn a new song, as the LIGHT of J.s.s reveals its truth, and as they find strength and understanding to f0ll0w this new way of life.

His joyful song has not only impacted those who have chosen to f0ll0w Him!! Some of the greatest glimpses of His gl0ry have come as His servants and His children have simply allowed the joyful song in their heart to be expressed in all that they do. Just a few of the glimpses:

• Singing His praise, sharing songs while we sell ice on Sundays, and watching as another woman stops her work for a moment and listens to the words of the song--even joining in on occasion.
• The day O's mother began joining in our songs and quietly singing beside us
• The continual request from 0's children to listen to a particular song on my phone
• The joy on a young girls face as I handed her my phone and let her listen to the songs of J.s.s
• The face of a child as they walk up and sing one of the songs they have heard
• The joy in a father's voice as he shares how his son of 4 years was singing and dancing to one of the songs he heard us singing
• The hunger of a man to listen to the songs and worship his G0d
• The gathering of people outside the gate to our apartment as we sat with friends and sang songs of praise
• Daily being asked daily by O as we listen to a song--"Do you understand?" and then her proceeding to explain to me in simple Bambara what the song means
• Hearing the sound of O makes as a new truth or understanding is revealed to her about J.s.s or about what it means to walk with him, and hearing her ask me, "Is that true?" or hearing her proclaim, "That is true!"
• Watching a group of young people grab the drum and altogether sing one of their favorite J.s.s songs
• Seeing smiles fill the faces of those with us as we sing the song "Ala Ka Layidu" (The Promise of G0d) and placing the names of all those around us in t*/he line that says, "All of G0d's promises for ___________ are fulfilled in J.s.s"
• Waking up in the mornings MYSELF with a heart filled with the BAMBARA songs of J.s.s

This list could go on and on! The impact of music in the lives of ALL people is huge...it is G0d's design that our hearts be filled with HIS SONG!

I cannot end this glimpse of G0d's gl0ry without sharing the things that happened this week. During our thanksgiving celebration with our M@lian friends, we did a LOT of singing!! O and D@n were leading our time of singing while S0 was leading our time of storying from G0d's Word. Many of the people who came were friends and family of O and S0. On the day after the celebration, O told us how her friends and family were amazed by her singing and how she knew all of those songs about J.s.s. She declared, "They know I am f0ll0wing Him!" Then one of her friends, MM, came to sit with us on the street a couple of days after the celebration. Again, we were talking about what a great time we had together. So O and I began singing the "Ala ka Layidu" song. Almost as soon as we started, MM blurted out, "O, I woke up with that song playing in my head! I couldn't remember all of it, but then it came to me. I thought to myself, I can't be singing this song about all of G0d's promises being fulfilled in J.s.s. Then I thought, if 0 can sing it, so can I." MM has been a part of many things we have done. Little by little the walls are being broken down and she is experiencing a taste of J.s.s. He is filling her empty heart with His song! I'm certain it is not just MM's heart He is filling...

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #8

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #8

His Servants / His M!ssi0n

"Go...make disciples...baptize them...teach them to obey all I have taught you...be sure of this...'I am with you always...'"

What a privilege to see someone put their f@ith in J.s.s! What a joy to walk beside them! What an honor to see them walk in His ways and begin share with others and teach others all that G0d is teaching them. We have seen glimpses of G0d's gl0ry in the lives of O and SO as they have put their f@ith in G0d and begun to learn what it means to be a f0ll0wer of J.s.s. Two of the greatest glimpses were watching G0d take this f0ll0wers and use them as His servants.

At the beginning of November, O went on her first m!ssi0nary journey with the medical team! She saw first hand what it meant to be a servant of the Living G0d, to impact the lives of those who were sick and in need--all in the name of J.s.s. She had never seen anything like it and took in every detail as we sat together making baggies of medicine to pass out through the pharmacy. As we sat there, she burst into song changing the words to the song to reflect what she was seeing and experiencing. We titled the song, "The L0rd helps us as we do His work." It expresses how there may be troubles, tiredness, difficulties doing G0d's work, but G0d gives us courage and patience. The L0rd helps us as we do His work." She still sings this song when she remembers our time serving G0d and serving others. Another amazing glimpse of G0d in His servant 0 was watching G0d fill her with boldness and courage to go out and bless the people and share with them the difference J.s.s has made in her life since she started walking with Him. In this culture, giving blessings is how they start their day, relate throughout the day, and end the day. O blessed the people at the medical clinic with a blessing G0d had placed in her heart mind months before ..."May G0d take your sickness up to heaven and may health and strength come to sit with you." After sharing it the first day with many people, she ran into the room where we were working with great excitement and told us about how it meant so much to the people. She herself was filled with joy to overflowing and said at the end of the day, "Today, I am so happy to be a f0llower of J.s.s. This work is just a miracle!"

At the end of November, S0 taught his first story from G0d's word!! On November 29th, we hosting a Thanksgiving celebration for our Malian friends. We invited them to our house, cooked a favorite Malian meal with a little Am3ric@n twist, served water and soft drinks, sang LOTS of Chr!sti@n songs, shared testimonies of our thankfulness to G0d, pr@yed, and shared G0d's word. S0 loves G0d's word so much, so we asked him to share the story of the 10 Lepers who were healed. We spent the week before the celebration telling the story to him, talking about it, and preparing him to retell the story and lead the discussion at the celebration. It was amazing to watch S0 take in the story himself, listen to G0d's voice teaching him what the story meant and how it applies to our lives, then watching him tell the story with joy, animation, and excitement as if the story was happening right before us. D@n, our M@lian partner, had spent time telling the story to S0, and the next day, I sat with S0 and asked him about the story. He was nervous and wanted to tell it exactly like it was in the B!ble. He got his B1ble so he would not make a mistake. I told him, ":First, just tell me the story as you remember it from yesterday." I closed his B!ble, and he told the story. It was perfect!!! He missed no details!! On the day of the celebration, had I not known it was his first story to tell from G0d's word, I would have never known. He is a natural story teller and discussion leader, and HE LOVED IT!! Since the celebration, I have seen 5 of the people who heard the story. All 5 have retold me the story without missing any details!!

Oh the greatness of the glimpses of G0d's gl0ry being lived out in the lives of His Servants!! Again, what a privilege to see someone put their f@ith in J.s.s! What a joy to walk beside them! What an honor to see them walk in His ways, begin share with others, and teach them all that G0d is teaching them!!!

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #7

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #7

Life Choices / His Courage

The daily glimpses of G0d's gl0ry come as we watch G0d's servants, O and S0 grow in their f@ith!! At the end of the day each day, I sit and ponder and I am compelled to give thanks and pr@ise to G0d!! I feel like M0ses daily as he sat in the cleft of the rock and saw the back of G0d as He passed by so M0ses could see His gl0ry. I never see Him coming on see His back as He passes by!! I marvel daily at the G0d I serve, the G0d I love, and the G0d I live to gl0rify!!

Living in this country where animism and !sl@m are the focus of most, to choose to be so different from your family, friends, business clients is quite the challenge to the new f@ith of a young f0ll0wer of J.s.s. But in the lives of O and S0, I have seen courage and f@ith that can only come from the Sp!r!t of G0d living in them.

There are 2 big holidays in the !sl@mic religion. R@mad@n and T@bask!. During R@mad@n, they fast, pr@y and seek G0d's will for 30 days. T@bask! is the day when they seek G0d's forgiveness for the year, remember the time when G0d provided the ram so that Abraham would not have to sacrifice his son, and they themselves make a sacrifice and eat a lot of meat!

This year during R@mad@n, O chose to f0ll0w the ways of J.s.s. G0d's Sp!r!t lead her to continue walk with Him instead of following the traditions of her family, friends, and even her country. She chose to put her f@ith in J.s.s and live that out before her family and friend. Because of her f@ith and obedience to J.s.s, her confession about this year during R@mad@n was this, "This year has been very different. Normally during R@mad@n, I do not even go to the market. No one is buying peanuts or ice because they are fasting. This year daily God sold all my ice and 3 times this month I have had to replenish my peanuts. People were asking me, 'What are doing with the white people?' I said, 'Nothing. We are pr@ying to G0d and He is helping me." Just a glimpse of G0d giving O courage to change and walk in new ways with Him--a decision she made and lived out daily, a decision He honored with His f@ithfulness to walk with her

During T@bask! this year, both O and S0 asked about whether they should eat the meat their families sacrificed. After talking about that and the holiday, what our response should be to those around us, they each were encouraged to f0ll0w whatever G0d was leading them to do--celebrate with their families or not. In Chr!st we have freedom, and the most important thing is that we listen to Him and follow what He says to each of us. It is not always the same answer. S0 decided to separate himself totally for T@bask!. He chose to go to the market to sell like he regularly does. When I went to the street that day and saw him, he said, "I just want to spend the day alone with G0d, listening, seeking, and pr@ying." He spent 4 days doing just that

Both O and S0 have faced new life choices as f0ll0wers of J.s.s. They have to answer the questions about how to live this new life amidst old traditions. G0d has given them courage to choose J.s.s and His ways!! Those choices reveal His Gl0ry to those who are still sitting in the peanut gallery!

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #6

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #6

Peanut Gallery Reversal/His S@lvation

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

 

After our c0up refuge in S3neg@l and our retOn the day when Ama and Lasi were sitting in the peanut gallery listening to our conversation with S0, the peanut gallery reversed. S0 became the one watching and listening as Ama and Lasi shared their stories and then listened as they found answers to their life needs--J.s.s. S0 sat listening and watching as these 2 young men talked about the power they felt in our words and how they wanted to f0ll0w J.s.s. Then for the next couple of weeks, SO watched as Ama studied and talked about G0d's word with us. He was filling the seats of the peanut gallery.

Then one day out of the blue, as soon as we arrived on the street, S0 began telling C@therine and I something with great enthusiasm and animation. I looked at C@therine puzzled and trying to process what I thought I had just heard...my language then and now is still not always what I think I'm hearing. I said to her, "I think he just said he wants to f0ll0w J.s.s." She said, "I think I heard that too." So we listened and then told S0 we would get out friend D@n to come and talk with us to make sure we understood what he was saying correctly.

It was true!!! S@lvation had come to S0!! He had made the choice to stop traveling 2 roads--flip floping from animism to !sl@m to Chr!sti@nity. From that day to this day, S0 is f0ll0wing J.s.s in power, truth, courage, and f@ithfulness!!! I have never seen a man more hungry to know how to walk this road of J.s.s, how to live out this f@ith, and how to serve his G0d!! Every day, S0 wants to study G0d's word, to know what we have read that day, to pr@y together, to help each other with our daily struggles. This man is a new creation in Chr!st...as we read and talked about yesterday..."the old has gone and the new life has come!"

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #5

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #5

Peanut Gallery/His S@lvation

After our c0up refuge in S3neg@l and our return to M@li, the great debate was whether people should return to M@li or not, should volunteers come to serve alongside us or not. These questions can only be answered by those whom G0d is calling. These questions had to be answered by 4 women who had been called by G0d to come to M@li at the beginning of the year, they had been preparing, and the day the c0up happened, they had bought their tickets. By f@ith, their choice was to come, to continue to believe G0d and follow His call!

Because they came out of their love for G0d, for the sake of the G0spel, and the hope we have in J.s.s. Chr!st, G0d poured out His Sp!r!t and brought salvation. One Sunday afternoon as we sat on the street where O works selling peanuts, we sat visiting with others. O was attending a wedding. G0d specifically lead us to talk with a man who has been wishy washy and living a life where he talks like a M.s1mWe  when he is with M.s1ms and talks like a Chr!sti@n when he is with Chr1sti@ns. We had talked with him many times but his heart never seemed sincere. His name is S0. We had a powerful conversation with him as well as answering personal questions he had about following J.s.s. G0d's Presence was felt as G0d guided the conversation and filled our minds and mouths with the words He wanted to share.

Someone came and needed something and the conversation was stopped for a few moments while S0 took came of their needs. Behind us were 2 young men sitting in what we will call the peanut gallery. They were listening to our conversation even though they were not a part of it. While S0 was away, the 2 young men came around to sit in front of us and said, "Your words have touched our hearts." With that confession, we began a conversation with them listening to one young man (Lasi) share with us the experiences of his life and how when his mother was very sick nothing they tried (African Traditional Religion and 1sl@m) healed her. Then one day some Chr!sti@ns came to pr@y for her and talk to her. J.s.s healed her and she became a f0ll0wer of J.s.s. That day this young man said, "I have tried everything to find peace, to find help for my life. Your words have touched me and I want to choose to walk on the road of J.s.s. with my mother." Then he said, "It is not only me, but my friend wants to talk with you too." Then his friend, Ama, began to share with us how our words had touched his heart. We listened, talked, explained f@ith in J.s.s. and s@lvat!on. Both Ama and Lasi left that day, changed men, filled with joy and peace, hungry to know more about how to follow J.s.s.

We took them each a B!ble and each day  Ama would share with us what He was reading and we would talk about it. He would call his friend Lasi and tell him we were there on the street. Lasi would come to greet and sit with us for awhile. During the first week, Lasi came to us so excited. He had been looking for a job for a long time. He came and exclaimed, "J.s.s has changed my life and He has given me a job!" He even brought his friend who is a f0ll0wer of J.s.s and who has walked with Lasi through some very difficult times--loving him when he didn't deserve it, being J.s.s to him when he was traveling the wrong path. Together we all rejoiced at what G0d had done for Lasi!!

After only a few weeks, Ama returned to his country and to his family to help with the planting and harvest for this year. We miss him and pr@y for him daily. We look forward to his return and hope we will see him again in just a few weeks. We cannot wait for him to join us in w0rship and B1ble study!!

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #4

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #4

F@tith/ His Power

Two years ago as I walked by and greeted a vibrant lady who sells peanuts-- a lady I greeted many times in passing by-- G0d's Sp!r!t spoke to my heart. He spoke to me and simply said, "I want  you to come and sit with this lady." Just a few weeks later, C@therine came to M@li and we began sitting on the street with her. You know her as O, the peanut lady. We have shared many stories with you and there are so many more that we have not shared but longed to share. G0d has truly been at work in O's life as well as the lives of many of those we have come to know on the street who work beside her. When G0d spoke to me that day, I had no idea what He had planned or what His purpose was for our time sitting with O on the street. Today, I have a greater understanding.

In 2011, O began professing that she was the same as us--that she believed in J.s.s the same as us. In 2012 we have seen O grow in her faith and she has seen G0d's f@ithfulness to her. When the C0up D'Et@t happened in March, O was another reason my heart was broken that we had to leave M@li for a season. She was another reason I cried out to G0d begging Him to allow us to return to finish what He had begun. While O was strongly professing to be a f0ll0wer of J.s.s or one of "J.s.s.'s sheep", I was not sure she was strong enough or understood enough to continue f0ll0wing J.s.s if war, r3b3ls, or 1sl@mists challenged her bel!ef. During our time away, G0d taught me and prompted me to remain in close contact with O through this time of difficulty in M@li. We would pr@y together and share our struggles together over the phone. Through these times, G0d showed His f@ithfulness to her as she watched Him answer our pr@yers. One day she said, "Fanta, when we pr@y G0d answers us and does what we ask." Pr@ying and putting our f@ith in G0d has become the foundation of both of our relationships with J.s.s. Here are some of the glimpses of G0d I have seen as G0d has passed by to disciple and empower O this year:

• Seeing her face light up as she looked at the pieces of the nativity scene and heard the stories of each person in the story of J.s.s birth. Watching her contemplate those truths each time she came over and looked at the nativity.
  
• Upon hearing the stories and truths about J.s.s being the Good Shepherd, her confession that she belongs to Him, she is one of His sheep. G0d continues to use that story to teach her new truths about f0ll0wing Him and listening to His voice.
  
• Seeing the Presence of G0d's Sp!r!t teach her as she listens to His Word and sings songs of f@ith. Her hunger to understand the words to the Christian songs she listens to continuously. Watching her f@ith grow as she comes to understand the truths in those Christian songs.
  
• Watching O spontaneously share a song that spoke new truths to her heart with a friend on the street...totally lead by G0d's Sp!r!t in her. Then watching her explain what it meant to her friend.
• Driving down the road one day and the sun was not shining. It was very cloudy and looked like rain. O said, "Fanta, if the sun does not come out, my peanuts will be broken." So I told her G0d rules the sun and the rain. He is able to bring out the sun to dry your peanuts." At the time,  I didn't know exactly how to pr@y and ask G0d in Bambara to hold back the rain and send out the sun so O's peanuts could dry. So I mumbled through it as I talked with her and she taught me how to say it. So then we pr@yed together. Within the hour, the clouds were gone, the sun was bright, and the peanuts were not broken. At the end of the day, O and I had seen the realness of G0d's Presence and His response to our f@ith in Him. It has become a foundation stone in O's f@ith to pr@y and ask G0d to help her.
  
• Watching O wavering back and forth one morning about whether to do peanuts or not. Again the sun was not out and a DARK rain cloud was passing over. She could not decide what to do. I told her, "Either way you must believe G0d for what you need. If you wash the peanuts, you must have f@ith that G0d will give you the sunshine you need to dry them. If you wait until tomorrow, you must have f@ith to believe that G0d will send sunshine tomorrow." She stood up, looked to the sky, and said, "I believe G0d for the sunshine to do what I need to do today!" With boldness, courage, and f@ith, she went to get water, washed her peanuts, salted them, and put them out for G0d to dry them. By the time, she put the out to dry, the dark cloud was gone and the bright sunshine was warming their spot for drying. (One of my favorite glimpses of G0d's gl0ry...the empowering of His child with f@ith to believe Him!) She boldly told everyone what G0d had done for her because she believed Him.

G0d has given me many glimpse of His G0ry as we have watched O come to know Him, understand Him, and believe in Him...more glimpses to come...

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #3

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #3

R@dio K@ntiguiya/ His F@ithfulness

In October 2011 as C@therine and I spent time with many of you sharing about what G0d was doing in M@li, we began to see an increase and an orchestration of details for the completion of the radio station in B@ye. Since 2006, we had been watching, waiting, walking at G0d’s pace for the provision, development, and building of R@dio K@ntiguiya/ R@dio F@ithfulness. The name of this station is a living testimony to the G0d to whom it belongs and to the G0d whom it proclaims. As we returned to M@li in December, we had a renewed and bold confidence that 2012 would be the year that the radio station would broadcast its first messages and songs of hope, salvation, joy, peace, and love to the people who G0d had called us to serve.

For months the B@ye area had increasingly become more difficult for us to travel to due to the t3rr0r!st groups and r3bel groups who were bringing their activity closer and closer. C@therine and I were allowed to make one trip to the area just after Chr!stmas 2011. It was amazing to see the station, its equipment, and meet the technician who would work for the station. When the C0up D’ Et@t happened in March and we had to leave the country for a time, R@dio K@ntiguiya was one of the things so heavy on my heart. I cried out to G0d to finish what He had started, to not let the enemy keep us from not only the Gift of Grain but also from the completion of the radio.

F@ithfulness--I believe has been my greatest GLIMPSE of G0d in this year 2012 and I love that R@dio K@ntiguiya stands and broadcasts today! His F@ithfulness R@dio is broadcasting 8 hours a day proclaiming the Good News and the F@ithfulness of G0d to reconcile people to Himself…His salvation freely given to all who will believe and receive His S0n. He was not only f@ithful to complete and power up the r@dio to broadcast, but our G0d is empowering His R@dio so much that it is reaching far beyond the 60 mile radius it is designed to reach…it is reaching towns and villages double that distance at times. It has been described as second in that area to only the national r@dio station!!

Our greatest need for the r@dio station now is training for her workers. Again, G0d shows His F@ithfulness to His R@dio!! On December 6^th, His F@ithfulness R@dio will have its first meeting with her Mentoring station in Am3r!ca…H0uston’s KSBJ r@dio. We will be getting to know each other and developing a plan for mentoring and training the r@dio manager and all of the workers of the r@dio so that it can be the best station it can be for G0d’s gl0ry!!

Thank you to all of you who have believed with us for this r@dio station, who have contributed your financial resources, and who have come alongside us in so many different ways to see the gospel proclaimed in an area with little to no access to the s@lvation and h0pe that comes through J.s.s!! Thank you to KSBJ for their desire and willingness to walk the next steps with us to develop G0d’s best for the people who need him so desperately! We cannot wait to see how G0d is going to use His F@ithfulness R@dio for such a time as this in M@li!!

Oh Father, how we pr@ise you for your F@ITHFULNESS!! How I thank you for passing by us and allowing us to see your f@ithful Presence at work in an area where you alone can work and make yourself known! Father I thank you for your s3rv@nts who followed you to live among a people who did not know you and be your presence there. I thank you for your f@ithfulness in them to love and serve them, to share your truth with them and now to proclaim your word daily over the airwaves!! Thank you L0rd for continuing what you started there…what you said you have done, now we watch and wait for your Sp!r!t to be poured out and your s@lvati0n to be received!! You are F@ithful and True and we w0rship you!!

Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #2

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #2

C0up D’Et@t/Sovereignty of G0d

In late March 2012, the M@lian President was ousted by a group of military soldiers. Immediate uncertainty flooded all of our hearts and minds. Questions flooded in about what would happen and what we needed to do. We sheltered in place for a time, and we sheltered in a neighboring country for a time. While in both places, G0d’s Presence became our true Shelter! He was very real, and His words of strength and encouragement came every day. His guidance and wisdom were before us! The truth and realness that G0d Alone is our Refuge, our Strength, and our Shelter dug its roots deep into our hearts and firmly planted itself in our lives as something we can know without doubt and cling to in all circumstances. The reality is that serving G0d requires us to stand face to face with all that we fear—the evil of this world, the selfishness of man, the results of this life without G0d, war, torture, and even death for His gl0ry—and respond by faith to trust Him, believe Him, follow Him, and continue to serve Him no matter what.

On that day when the President was overthrown and ousted, M@li became a country in turmoil and it remains a country with struggles greater than she can conquer on her own. In those early days, the power vacuum left the northern part of M@li (2/3 of the country) taken over by extreme !sl@mists, rebels, and t3rr0r!st groups. The question remains…”How will M@li regain her territory and what will it take to do that?” Other questions loom over us like…”How long will we be able to stay in M@li and share J.s.s? What happens if war breaks out to recapture the north? Will it just take place in the north or will it be throughout the country? Do we continue with our regular visits and ministry plans?” The questions go on and on if you spend much time thinking and pondering the situation and circumstances here.

From that day in March to this day, as we continue to live in the uncertainty of what the future looks like in M@li, there is ONE truth that empowers me like no other…MY G0D is SOVEREIGN! He alone knows the future of Mali as well as the future of my life, He alone has power over ALL situations, He alone rules over all the nations and their leaders, He alone has ALREADY won the victory over the evil one and ALL those who serve the evil one in  M@li and throughout this world! My faith is in HIM and HIM ALONE!

Our Father God, we thank you for your Sovereignty! We thank you that you are the ALL knowing, ALL powerful, and ALL Present G0d! We thank you that you hold the entire world—each and every nation in your hand. There is NOTHING that happens without your knowledge and your specific purposes being accomplished! We thank you that when we walk with you, when we follow you—even in difficult, dangerous places—we are not alone! You are our Shelter, Our Protector, Our Guide, Our Constant Companion, Our EVERYTHING! Thank you for the glimpse of your Sovereignty daily as we trust you, believe you, and put our f@ith in you!

Suffering and Gratitude...Glimpse of G0d's Gl0ry #1

“Though the L0rd gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21

Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father for your journey with us in 2012!!

When C@therine and I returned to M@li in December 2011, we had no way of knowing what the year 2012 would hold for HSI, for M@li, for the people we serve, for those we serve alongside, or for us individually. This week as I look back and take time to reflect and give thanks to our Father, I have come to understand that this year…the year 2012 has been the year of suffering for M@li. It has also been the year in which our Father has demonstrated His power, His Presence, His Sovereignty, His grace, His mercy, and His unfailing love!

As we spend this week giving thanks to our Father, I felt compelled to expressed to G0d and to you all how the sufferings of M@li lead us to sing a song of thanksgiving as we look at some of the glimpses of G0d’s glory in 2012. We will sing this song a little each day as we express our thanksgiving, pr@ise, and love for our G0d!

Glimpse of God’s Glory #1

Famine 2012/Gift of Grain

We began 2012 KNOWING without doubt that M@li and her people were facing an unprecedented famine across most of the country. We knew that only G0d could provide relief and only God could satisfy! The famine was magnified and became even more desperate as M@li experienced the C0up d’Et@t in March and the humanitarian organizations, non-government organizations, and those who were planning to help had to leave the country for a time.

 
G0d’s response and our Pr@ise: G0d answered our cries to come back into M@li and demonstrated His unfailing love and faithfulness to those who were hungry, fearful, and desperate. G0d ignited His compassion in YOUR hearts and you gave exactly what we needed for the Gift of Grain at just the right time to make the greatest difference in the lives of those who were literally searching and asking “Where can I find food for my family today?” God empowered the believers in B@ye to demonstrate His love and provision through your financial support…G0d distinguished His people from all other people by love and compassion in the time of suffering!

Further pr@ise, G0d allowed C@therine and I to join with another organization to work alongside and help distribute grain two times in v!llages where our friends and co-laborers are serving. At a time when most were required to be out of M@li, G0d allowed us to complete the work He had promised us to do.

Even more pr@ise, you pr@yed with us all this year for the rainy season and harvest of 2012. Just this last week as we traveled back to one of the v!llages where we distributed grain in May and August, my heart was amazed, filled with gratitude and my eyes were filled with tears as I looked at the grain growing and becoming ripe for harvest. As O and I were driving, I found myself saying over and over to her, “Look at the harvest, it is white and ready! The heads of grain are huge! Pr@ise be to G0d! He has heard us and He has answered!” This year’s harvest is plentiful!!

Father, we thank you for your f@ithfulness! We thank you that you finish what you start and that you don’t forget your people in their suffering…as a matter of fact in our suffering your show yourself in greater ways. Thank you that it is your desire for us to know you, to see you, to believe you, to live with you—in good times, in bad times, in easy times, and in hard times! Thank you Father for giving us a glimpse of you through this time of hunger and famine! Thank you for choosing to use us to demonstrate your unfailing love and f@ithfulness to the people of M@li so that they too received a glimpse of your glory, your presence, and your power.

R@dio K@ntiguiya...All G0d's Promises

F@ithful Ones...greetings to you from a grateful heart!!

My heart continues to sing "There is none like you! No one else can touch my heart like you do. I could search for all eternity long and find there is none like you!!" This song has flowed from my heart for over a year now. It is not something I think about and it is not something I listen to on a regular basis...it just fills my heart and mind and comes out of my mouth without effort. Like a spring of water refreshing my sp!r!t.

Over the last few months another song...a B@mbara song has found a place deep in my heart as well. It has become a spring of refreshment and a reminder of truth to my s0ul. The words to this song mean,

G0d's promises, ALL of G0d's promises are fulfilled in J.s.s.
G0d's promises,  All of God's promises for the world are fulfilled in J.s.s.
G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for Isr@el are fulfilled in J.s.s.
G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for M@li are fulfilled in J.s.s.
G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for __________ (in the blank with a name or a place or a specific time) are fulfilled in J.s.s.
G0d's promises, ALL of G0d's promises are fulfilled in J.s.s.

Today, I am singing..."G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises are fulfilled in J.s.s. G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for the people of M@li are fulfilled in J.s.s. G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for the people in the North of M@li are fulfilled in J.s.s. G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for the people in the B@ye area are fulfilled in J.s.s. G0d's promises, All of G0d's promises for R@dio K@ntiguiya are fulfilled in J.s.s  G0d's promises, ALL of G0d's promises are fulfilled in J.s.s."

Thank you so much for pr@ying for my time with KSBJ, a Chr!sti@n radio station in the H0ston area!! We met together to begin talking and planning for the training and mentorship of R@dio K@ntiguiya. Our time together was sweet to the Sp!r!t and empowering to the s0ul. Truly words do not express all that I am experiencing at this moment as I have watched G0d's faithfulness for the last 6 years not only bring R@dio K@ntiguiya into being but also to join KSBJ--MY R@dio station--in partnership with MY people...those to whom G0d has called me. Honestly, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude to the One, True G0d and to you His f@ithful servants who have pr@yed, given, supported in all ways, and believed alongside us for His promises to be fulfilled. Yes, it is true we are only at the beginning and we do not know what tomorrow holds, but today we cling to the Truth and the reality that G0d has done this, G0d is f@ithful, G0d does what He says He will do, and we believe in Him.

Please pr@y for us as we move forward...walking in the footprints our G0d is walking out in front of us! Here are some specifics for now:

• Assessment of training needs and the development of a plan to begin training and mentoring the staff of R@dio K@ntigu!ya
  
• The best location and ways for training and mentoring (R@dio K@ntigu!ya is located on the edge of the northern region that has been taken over by rebels and divided this country, travel there is risky at this point in time)
• For G0d's Sp!r!t to be pour out on us so that we may walk in His ways, work for His gl0ry, and make His name known
• For wisdom and discernment for those working in the r@dio station as they seek to proclaim the Good News of J.s.s in ways that will bring s@lvation to those who listen
• Protection for the staff of R@dio K@ntigu!ya as well as the property of the r@dio station...ask for the Invisible Army of our G0d to be posted on around each individual and station itself (remember that M@li is in a time of turmoil with w@r looming on the horizon...a w@r that opposes the w0rk of our Father)

Thank you again for your f@ithfulness!! You are the best because the BEST lives inside of you!!

Stand up and Walk

Hello to all!

Two months ago, I (C@therine) shared with you through pr@yer request how our Father gave me the opportunity to work with two girls, Ou and Ji, who have Cerebral Palsy and are not able to walk. When I first saw the girls I felt that it was going to be tough for the family to take care of these girls as they grew older. So, I saw this as an opportunity that Father gave me to be H1s light in this family, but also to help these two girls walk. At that time I had only been working with them for a couple of weeks and I thought it will take a long time for them to actually be able to walk on their own; however, I believed that one day they would succeed.

Now 2 ½ months later I want to share with all of you how our Father has improved these girls in miraculous ways, given H1s strength to the girls and continue to shine H1s light and unfailing love among this family.

When I first saw Ou, the oldest daughter, she could hardly stand up on her own strength and power, she wasn’t able to walk without having to grab on to something, throwing a soccer ball was challenging, and kicking a soccer ball was even more of a challenge.  Her younger sister, Ji, had little control of her arm and leg movements and she couldn’t stand up on her own.

Over the past two and a half months both of these girls have improved in unimaginable ways. As of yesterday the last day I have worked with them….

• Ou is able to walk with a walker around her house without any problems.

• Ou is able to stand up by herself, throw and kick the soccer ball with any difficulties

• Ou is able to stand up, keep her balance and catch, throw and bounce the soccer ball.
•  Ou is able to bend down in a controlled movement to pick up a ball, or any other thing
•  Ji  is getting better at controlling her arm and leg movements
•  Ji is almost able to stand up with help and keep her balance

• Ji is stronger than ever before, working hard and learning to focus

However, the greatest blessing to see from our Father yesterday was to see Ou walk without help 2 times in their family room. As I was watching Ou walk on her own, without help, I had goosebumps all over my body…for I knew if wasn’t from Ou’s own strength that in 2 months she could begin walking on her own. I pr@ise Father for the strength He has given to Ou to walk on her own and the courage to walk for the first time without help. I pr@ise Father for the incredibly ways He has healed, shown H1s power and strength to not only through Ou, but through Ji and all of their family.

Over the past two months, besides working physically helping Ou and Ji walk, Father has given D@n and I the opportunities to pr@y with the family, to share with them that it is only through f@ith in J.s.s that Ou and Ji will be healed and be able to walk; it is through the f@ith in J.s.s that we believe they have improved in miraculously ways. D@n and I shared with them that we love them and help them because of the love that J.s.s has shown to us.

I pr@ise Father for this time I have spent with Ou and Ji and their family. The time to be a light not only among this family, but in their community. Please continue to pr@y for Ou, Ji and their family!

Please pr@y for

• Encouragment and strength to continue to work hard in their exercises
• Father to continue heal these two girls in a miraculously ways  and to help them to be able to walk without problems
• Father to continue to shine H1s light and gl0ry among this family
• D@n and I as we continue to work with these girls, to be a Father’s vessel to shine H1s light and gl0ry among this family   
• Opportunities to share J.s.s among this family
• Opportunities to pr@y and encourage this family
• Ou and Ji to not only walk physically, but one day follow walk with J.s.s
• Ou and Ji mother and father, for them to see that J.s.s is the way, the truth and the light

Thank you for your pr@yers!

Thank you...You're Welcome

Greetings to you all!

Those of you who have been to S!kass0 and K@r...the people greet you and they asked about you! Thank you for f0ll0wing our G0d to share your lives and especially the life of Jesus among them!

As L0ri and I drove from the good road (black top) along the bush road, we stopped to greet some Dutch friends who are working in the neighboring v!llage to K@r. The wind began to blow and it was evident that the rain was on its way. We decided it best to get in the truck and try to beat the rain to K@r. Well...we did not beat the rain...but we did arrive without any problems on the way. The rain was so hard that we sat for about 20 minutes in the truck waiting for a break big enough that we would not get drenched. Our arrival was a greater adventure than we planned...smile. The rain lasted most of the day...with a few small breaks for greeting those closest to us. The rain brought a coldness to the air that was unexpected but oh so nice!!

On Tuesday, we spent the day greeting and sitting with people. It was soooo good to see their faces, to talk with them, and to laugh with them! We had the chance to cook with K0r0...which made my heart smile. W@ came over to sit with us as well and I shared a B@mb@ra song with her that I have been learing and singing with O. It is called Ala ka Lahidu and it simply says "All of G0d's promises are fulfilled in J.s.s. All of G0d's promises for ______(fill in the name) are fulfilled in J.s.s." After I sang it to her the first time, her response, "Amiiina!" Later in the day, L0ri P opened up the car doors and we plugged in the music to the radio and G0d's pr@ises were listened to by those who had gathered for talking and hanging out under the mango tree. My heart smiled as I watched the responses ...the children all began dancing...not for show but out of genuine, natural response to music. W@ got up and moved her chair closer to the truck door where the speakers were, others came closer to where we were. There is just something about music...we all long for a song in our hearts...a song that touches us, speaks to us, empowers us, encourages us!!

Other favorite moments of my time in the v!llage were:

• sitting under the mango tree beside W@, the group was talking and I looked at W@ and said, "Thank you!" and in mid sentence she responded in her usual way, "You're welcome!" and went on to finish her sentence. As L0ri P said, there is at least one English phrase that W@ hears, knows, understands, and uses correctly..."Thank you...You're Welcome!" As I thought about that ...I thought how powerful...if we all could recognize and give thanks to G0d...to know and understand and correctly express our gratitude to Him as we should. I will never forget the sound and voice of W@ expressing those words...
• sitting under the mango tree...W@ getting up from her chair and L0ri P sitting in it while she was away. Without warning and very unexpectantly upon W@ return...W@ sits down on top of LP...surprise and laughter burst from everyone and I watch my friends laughing and enjoying their friendship
• sitting under the stars Tuesday night...hearing K0r0 singing along to songs on the radio that spoke of J.s.s. Then as a man was speaking on the radio, K0r0 said, "Nanto, he is speaking in Duun." Right then I gave thanks to our Father for radio in M@li. I gave thanks to Him that right there in that compound J.s.s was being exalted, talked about, and listened to by our friends. I don't know how much each person was hearing...some maybe nothing at all...but some were listening...Oh Father....may your words ring in their minds in days to come...may your Sp!r!t bring understanding and salvation!
• laughing with my friend Hawa while taking a picture together
• listening to Shaka...hum songs while standing close to me
• to be in K@r with my friend LP again...its been way too long!

As I prepared my heart to leave the v!llage, I simply said two words to G0d, "Thank you!" And His reply, "You're welcome!"
His promise to me in S3neg@l as I waited to return to M@li f0ll0wing the c0up d'etat...

"What's more, I am with you and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you." Genenis 28:15

This time in K@r, this time with my friend LP, and this time with my S@mogh0 family is another part of His fulfillment of this promise. He alone has placed the S@mogh0, the P@na, the D@fin, the people on the street corner, and the people of M@li in my heart...He alone has called me here, and He alone will finish what He has begun...I continue to say. "Thank you to Him for every day that we have to be the LIGHT of J.s.s. among the people here." Please continue to pr@y for Him to fulfill ALL of His plans for M@li and her people...to pour out His Sp!r!t and bring salvation to this land!!

M@li is Broken

" But whenever someone turns to the L0rd, the veil is taken away. For the L0rd is the Sp!r!t, and wherever the L0rd is, there is freedom."
2 Corinthians 3:16-17

Greetings everyone!!

This weekend, yesterday in particular, is the day that 52 years ago M@li gained her freedom and became a nation on her own. The day is always celebrated with great joy--parades, parties, and special events. Yesterday, for the first time ever, the people of M@li did not celebrate her freedom. With only a small, heavily guarded ceremony, the transitional President of M@li placed a bouquet of flowers at the monument that stands to commemorate M@li's Independence. He did this in the presence of only the members of the government and the foreign ambassadors.

As I sat with our friends on the street, one man with sadness in his voice said, "Mali is broken...really, really broken." His words are true in so many ways. Since our conversation, my heart has been broken again for M@li. I see the movement of G0d in so many hearts and minds, I am experiencing the work of the H0ly Sp!r!t in the lives of those we spend time with daily, yet the enemy is truly waging war to destroy a country and a people. The eyes of so many are veiled--almost a whole nation. The enemy is trying to prevent the Sp!r!t of the L0rd by imposing on people a law that only bring fear and death. M@li and her people are a peace loving, peace seeking people, yet the possibilities of war grow with each day.

Please join me in daily calling out to our Father to pour out HIS SP!R!T throughout M@li--to reveal Himself, His Truth, His Grace, His Mercy, His Salvation through J.s.s Chr!st, His FREEDOM! Since my conversation with S yesterday the scr!pture that continues to come to my mind is the one written above..." But whenever someone turns to the L0rd, the veil is taken away. For the L0rd is the Sp!r!t, and wherever the L0rd is, there is freedom." Will you please pr@y for the Sp!r!t of the L0rd to move freely in this land, removing the veil from people's eyes so they may see and know The Way, The Truth, and The Life--J.s.s? Please pr@y for the leaders of M@li as they seek to restore M@li and bring oneness to the people and the nation.

Thank you for your partnership and your f@ithfulness to pr@y alongside us for this people and this nation...

Eyes Filled with Hope

"...The L0rd always keeps his promises; He is gracious in all he does.
The L0rd helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The L0rd is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness."
Psalm 145:13-17

Greetings to you all!! Greetings from us, from your friends in the c@pital, and from your friends in the v!llage of Lakeville!

We had a great trip to the v!llage this last week with some of our co-laborers in the h@rvest. There are 2 living in the v!llage and 8 of us joined them for 5 days. Lakeville is one of the v!llages where we distributed grain in May, and that was one of our purposes for this visit as well. The harvest is coming soon and we are glad to share with you that G0d has heard our prayers and the fields are absolutely beautiful! They have had a great rainy season and the corn, millet, okra, cucumbers--well all the crops are growing and producing crops for this year's harvest. This distribution of food came just in time to see them through until the harvest begins and food will be available to them again.

Thank you soooo much for pr@ying for us!! We felt and experienced G0d's Presence and Power as we worked hard to distribute grain to each family. Our co-laborers were able to provide corn, millet, peanuts, and beans for each family. One lady told me how she used the last little bit of food she had 2 days before we arrived. Her thoughts, "I do not know what I will do now. The harvest is not ready." Then she said, "The next day I saw the trucks of food driving into the v!llage." I told her, "That reminds me of how G0d took care of El!jah, the widow, and her son." I shared the story with her and her daughter and we talked about how G0d knows our needs, He sees our situations, and He provides in ways we would never dream. We talked about how birds do not feed people, yet G0d sent the birds to feed El!jah. We talked about how grain and oil do not multiply, yet G0d multiplied the grain and oil of the widow to last until the rains came and the harvest was good again. They sat amazed at the love of G0d and continued to express their gratitude to Him for sending us to share with them Truths they have never heard before.

While we were talking with this lady and her daughter, 2 other ladies walked up. One was from the n0rth of M@li. Her and her husband had been living in the most n0rthern Ktown. She told us they were f0ll0wers of J.s.s. I asked her to sit with us and tell us how she came to f0ll0w J.s.s. She told us how her husband was a f0ll0wer and after she married him, she chose to become a f0ll0wer as well. Then I asked her to tell us about how they escaped from the troubles in the n0rth. It was truly amazing and only the hand of G0d could do it. She told us, "One of the !sl@mist leaders knew that the r3b3ls  would kill my husband and his family. He did not want to see this happen because he knew my husband to be a good man, a man with a good heart. He got a vehicle, put my husband and his family(me and 4 children) in it, and sent us to M0pcity." She continued to testify to us and the 2 women from the v!llage how those who f0ll0w J.s.s will suffer, but how J.s.s lifts their load and helps them carry it. She encouraged them by saying, "If you f0ll0w J.s.s, 90% of your family will not understand and may not like your decision because they are M.sl!m, but J.s.s will lift your suffering and help you."

We were able to visit shortly with one lady who came to the v!llage when the LIGHT team came in June/July. She came saying she was not leaving until the f0ll0wers of J.s.s pr@yer for her. She confessed her belief in J.s.s. as the only one who could help her and asked us to pr@y. We did pr@y and we too believed with her that J.s.s could help her. Her confession to us, "J.s.s has healed me. I am able to walk and I am not having any problems with paralysis in my legs." She gave great pr@ise and thanksgiving to J.s.s for healing her. She is a walking testimony...a woman who does not mind saying that J.s.s has done a miracle for her.

We also pr@yed for another young woman while the LIGHT team was in Lakeville. She struggled with seizures, and her mother and family members brought her and asked for pr@yer. We pr@yed then, and on this visit the young woman and her family came back to say that she was really doing so much better. As she made eye contact with both C@therine and I, she recognized us. She understood our conversation with her. Previously, she had no light in her eyes and could not understand all that was being said to her. Her family asked if we would pr@y again and continue to pr@y for her healing. We gave pr@ise to G0d for what He had already done, and we boldly pr@yed for Him to pour out His healing power on this young woman. Please join us in believing and seeking His continued healing for her.

Another mother brought her son to us for pr@yer. He too suffers from seizures. His name is B@k. Please join us in pr@ying for our Father to have compassion on him, to pour out His healing power in the name of J.s.s.

Many sp!r!tual conversations were had over the course of 5 days, many stories from G0d's w0rd were shared, and many words and songs of encouragement sung among the people of Lakeville. Please continue to pr@y for the Sp!r!t of J.s.s to be poured out on these people, for their eyes to be opened to the Truths of J.s.s, and for their hearts to be fertile ground for the seeds of G0d's W0rd that have been planted.

"Four months between planting and harvest. But I say, 'Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life..." John 4:35-36

For G0d Only

"Salvation comes from our G0d who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!
...Amen! Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honor and Power and Strength belong to our G0d forever and ever amen."
Revelation 7:10, 12

When our friend O sees G0d do something or when she experiences His great unfailing love, the only thing she can say is "Kuma te!" That is exactly where I was yesterday and I am still there this morning..."Kuma te! I have no words!"

I have only thoughts of pr@ise and a heart filled with gratitude and awe for the One Who Saves! As I read Revelation 7:9-17 this morning, it was a perfect picture of what I see our Father doing here. I imagined eternity and every nation, tribe, people and language represented and then..the faces of those G0d has drawn to Himself here in Mali filled my mind. I could do nothing but join in with the shouts and songs of those who have gone before us!

This week, another man from the street corner where we sit and live and work among our friends there, called us over. He told us, "I want to give my life to J.s.s." C@therine and I looked at each other unsure we understood but both heard the same thing. As always, I told him I would call one of our friends and he would come with us to make sure we truly understood what S was saying to us. S0 was persistent and continued to talk to me each morning about it and then he began asking us questions. He said, "I have not been able to forget your words when we talked, when you shared with me how you came to follow, know, and live for G0d." His hunger was so great and his desire to know how to live as a Chr!st!an was uncontainable. That is when the supernatural Sp1r1t of G0d filled the space we were sitting and talking with S0. Amazingly we were able to understand all that S was saying to us, the questions he was asking, and we were able to respond with words and sentences he understood. The next day, I took him a French B!ble and a pair of reading glasses. We sat to read from the book of John. After only a few verses, I knew that he was figuring out the words but the meaning was nowhere in his mind or heart. The LIGHT team brought with them several mp3 players with the B@mbara New Testament on them. His hunger was so great and his desire to know how to follow so deep, I could not hold back...the one I had been listening to was in my purse so it became his that day. He immediately started listening as well as looking at his French B!ble to understand it. He began sharing with me things he was hearing and things that spoke to him. If you remember, when we first began working on the street we helped this man with a very bad wound on his leg. The wound is so bad it continues to not heal, continues to get better then get worse. One of the first things he recognized about J.s.s was "J.s.s healed many people." I love how G0d's Word speaks to every person in the place where we need him, long for him, and look for him.

Yesterday, our friend was able to meet us there to talk deeper with S. He looked me in the eye and the first thing he said to me, "I do not make this choice for toubabous(white people), for you, for D@n (our friend), FOR ANYONE. I make this choice for GOD ONLY!" He continued, "God has opened my eyes to see that there is only ONE way--G0d's way to salvation. I have tried other ways, but nothing. I want to give my life to J.s.s. I want my wife and my children to know him and follow Him." With that we began to explain the difference between following J.s.s. and the practices of !sl@m. It is all he knows so he had many questions about how to "practice" Chr!sti@nity. You could watch relief come as he began to understand a relationship with G0d instead of rules to follow. Our friend O listened to all of this conversation even though she has heard much of it before. S0 and O confessed to G0d their belief in His Son J.s.s, their desire to give their lives to Him, and  f0ll0w Him. S0 asked us to pr@y for him, so I ask you to join us in that. He knows there will be consequences to his choice...there has already been pressure from others for him to not make this choice, to not dishonor his father and mother. Please join us in pr@ying with him for strength, courage, and faith to f0ll0w! This morning he shared with O that he went home last night and told his wife. She was excited for his decision and agreed with him to teach their two sons the ways of J.s.s. She also wants to f0ll0w with him.

Would you join me and imagine the throne of heaven with people from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages around the throne of our G0d? Would you give a shout and sing a song of pr@ise to our Father for the work He is doing here in M@li? Would you ask Father to pour out His Sp!r!t on S0, his wife, his sons, O, her daughter K, her son Yac and teach them all to walk in His ways?

Kuma te...
no words only pr@ise....