Courage and Confessions

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

Storytelling over Warm Coals

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

Like Daughter, Like Mother

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

Looking for God this Christmas

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

The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever

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

Return to Kar

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

Songs of Truth

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