Never Before

"Pr@ise the L0rd! I will thank the L0rd with all my heart as I meet with His g0dly people. How amazing are the deeds of the L0rd! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything He does reveals His gl0ry and majesty. His r!ghteousness never fails. He causes us  to remember His wonderful works. How gr@cious and merciful is our L0rd!"
Psalm 111: 1-4

Greetings everyone!!
I come to you with a heart full of pr@ise and thankfulness!! I can only declare that our G0d is amazing--full of gl0ry and majesty, grace and mercy! His r!ghteousness never fails!!

I sat with D@n this week to listen to the wonderful works of our G0d in JuduTou! It is always exciting to go into an area where the name of Jss has never been spoken or rarely heard, where the love of G0d and His r!ghteousness has never before been experienced!! This is the case of JuduTou!

Most of us live with some tiny understanding of right and wrong...in a culture where guilt and innocence is a ruling force. Here in this land...right and wrong look very different...if you can even see them at all. The ruling force here is fear and power. Those with power rule over those without it, and those without power fear those who have it. Everyone is looking for power over the fears that they live with daily.

Because of the lack of food in this area, many non-government and government organizations have been distributing grain throughout the year. While the people have been receiving help, the words NEVER BEFORE became a theme in all that D@n shared with me. As he recounted the words and experience our our food distribution among the people of JuduTou, I was struck by those 2 words..."NEVER BEFORE".

The people said,
"Never before has anyone come to distribute food to our village AND given us the Words of G0d with the food."

"Never before has anyone come to distribute food to our village AND EVERYONE in the village received food."

"Never before--since the creation of our village--has anyone come to distribute food to us AND made everyone in the village EQUAL."

You see, those distributing grain entrust it to those with power in the village. Then those with power give small amounts of grain to those with whom they have good relationships and leaving out those with whom they are at odds. The majority of the grain is then given to the people of power and authority in the village. While to us this seems unfair and wrong, it is the way the world of fear and power works.

For me, I give pr@ise to our ALL POWERFUL G0D, for His unfailing love for EACH ONE of us, for His demonstration of r!ghteousness toward EACH ONE of us, and for His open arms of acceptance for EACH ONE of us when we surrender ourselves to Him. You see for the first time the people of JuduTou not only heard the Words of love and r!ghteousness, but they experienced the reality of them. They EACH received the gift of grain G0d had provided for them as well as experienced what it meant to be EQUAL before G0d.

After sharing with the people a little about Jss-- how He came to be among us and traveled from village to village telling people about the Kingdom of G0d--D@n shared with them how G0d loved the world so much that He gave His Son so that whoever believes in His Son would not die but have life forever. He also shared with them how Jss said, "Love one another."

The food they were receiving that day came from f0ll0wers of Jss who heard about JuduTou and the compassion of Jss moved them to come together to help. D@n told the story of Rachel, a 10 year old, who had a yard sale and raised enough money to buy 38 bags of grain. Then he said the most important thing, "I, D@n, did not give you this food. The people who gave money did not give you this food, but G0d Himself passed through them to give you this food! G0d Himself saw you--the people of JuduTou--and He came to you so that you could see His love for you. There are many villages around you, yet G0d chose you--JuduTou-- to come and visit today." D@n also shared the story of Jss feeding the 5000 with them.

As I listened to his next words, I am still unsure of how this happened. We had prayed for enough funds to provide one bag of grain for each family on the list given to us by the chief. G0d provided that and extra so that we could give extra to the widows and those with special needs. D@n told me that they gave out a bag of grain to each family on the list and the others as we had planned. When that was all completed, there were 38 bags of grain left. NOW, that is a lot of grain and I can tell you I have no idea where it came from. There were people standing around who had not received grain--again people the chief did not put on the list because he was at odds with them. Some were angry so D@n asked to meet with the chief and his council. He was able to say to the chief, "We only came to bring peace to your village." So they worked together to get EVERY family name in the village. There were 33 families not on the list. D@n went back to the storage and distributed a bag of grain to each of  the 33 families. Still we had 5 bags of grain left. We gave a bag of grain to each of the men who helped D@n distribute the grain, a bag to the family of AB@--the man we work with here in the capital, and 2 bags to the chief to use to help those who come to him later in need. Again, I say to you I do not know how we had those 38 bags left over. We bought 268 bags of grain, and there were 290 names on the new list.  This one thing I know...our G0d knew what we needed so that EVERYONE in the village would receive His Gift of Grain and HE PROVIDED IT!! He demonstrated His r!ghteousness, His gl0ry, His majesty!! Oh the wonder of His GREAT work!!

still pondering the amazing deeds of our G0d....

Feed the Hungry

"No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned, lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help...Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon...." Isaiah 58:6-10

Greetings everyone in the name of our Risen L0rd and S@vi0r!!

Would you join me in reading all of Isaiah 58 today? The whole chapter is rich and helpful in showing us truly what G0d wants from us as w0rship. It describes false w0rship and then goes on to describes what true w0rship and fasting means from G0d's perspective. As I have been pr@ying and seeking G0d regarding the v!llage of JdTou and our Gift of Grain Project, this chapter and these verses spoke to me. As f0ll0wers of Jss, the light of G0d in us shines in the darkness around us when we demonstrate His compassion and unfailing love to those who are consumed by the darkness.

On Friday, D@n, Pastor JD, and I sat together to hear D@n's report from his trip to the v!llage of JdTou--our focus for Gift of Grain 2014. I can only say I continue to be moved by G0d's Sp!r!t to believe in Him and to act in w0rship to demonstrate His love to this people. As I listened to D@n describe his journey, the difficulties and the fears of those he went to visit, it was evident that G0d had opened D@n's eyes to fellow M@lians who are living in some of the harshest conditions he had ever seen. As I watched Pastor JD and listened to his responses, I knew that he too understood the difficulties as he said, "Oh B@ye (the place where we all thought was hard),B@ye is a good place!"

Some of the descriptions D@n shared were

• From where the paved road stops, you will travel 175 km to the v!llage of N. This is the closest v!llage to find food, healtcare, etc. to JdTou.
  
• There is only sand...no trees...no water...no roads.
• From N@ra you will travel 30 km to JdTou without seeing any other person.
• From N@ra you will not find any protection or security forces.
• The road is not clear...so it is easy to get lost. They got lost and when they finally saw a man, his wife, and children, they ran and hid in their home. They were afraid of these strangers and did not want to talk to them. 
• Even in JdTou, the people were afraid of them. When they asked where the chiefs house was and if they could see the chief, they did not want to tell them even though the chief was sitting among them. G0d broke down those fears and began to develop a trust so that the chief spoke up and took them to his house...EVERYONE followed them.
  

When they were asked what their greatest needs are, they said 4 things:

• We have no water in our village. We have to travel 15 km to get water.
• We have no hospital or healthcare in our village. We must travel 30 km to find medicine or medical help.
  
• We have no school for our children.
• We have no food in the village. We must travel 30 km to find food for our families.

D@n asked them, "I need to buy 5 kilos of millet right now. Can I find it here?" The answer, "No. You cannot find even 5 kilos of millet here."

So they sat together to determine how many families lived in JdTou. There are 244 families living there.

It did not take long to experience that overwhelming feeling, to have a fear rise up in me, and to wonder if we can do this! As I looked at the number of families and the cost for ONE bag of millet I thought, "How can we possibly help? This is too big for us!! How will we ever have enough to make a difference?"

But as we talked we all agreed that we must seek G0d and allow Him to do what He wants to do. We cannot imagine how He will accomplish this, but we all believe and know that whatever He does will be exactly what we need to do.

Then I read Isaiah 58, and I asked myself, "L0ri will you fast so that this v!llage and these people might see the light shining in their darkness? Will you give up some of your food so that you can feed the hungry in the v!llage of JdTou?" I cannot imagine the hunger these people live with daily, the challenges they face with no water quickly accessible. I cannot imagine what it is like to be in the middle of the area where rebels seek to overtake you and you live in the fear of that daily. Yet one thing I know, G0d has shone His light and revealed this v!llage to His people and He knows all about the things they face daily.

For each family of JdTou to receive one bag of millet, this project will cost over $12,000. We have never done this before and to be honest I find myself trying to figure out what we can do if we do not have $12,000.  G0d continues to remind me, "L0ri your confidence and your hope is in me, not in yourself or others. Trust in me!"

We want to begin buying grain as quickly as possible. One bag of grain will cost $50. As August and September come, the price of grain will increase greatly because the shortage will be even greater until the harvest comes in October, November, December. We are asking G0d to provide what we need by the end of June. Will you pr@y with us? Will you fast with us so that His light will shine in the darkness of JdTou and her people?
 

If you and your family would like to buy a bag of grain for one of the families in JuduTou, you can do that by:

• going to our website at www.hisharvesters.org and clicking on the DONATE button. Please place a note on your donation that this is for Gift of Grain 2014.
  
• sending a check to HSI PO Box 1975 Cleveland, TX 77327. Please put Gift of Grain 2014 on the memo line.

Will you also begin now pr@ying for a great rainy season here in M@li? Pr@y for a great harvest this year so that people will find what they need to eat both physically and sp!r!tually.

Thank you for pr@ying with us for the people of M@li!!

The Arts and C@bo V3rde

Greetings to you all!!

Thank you so much for your pr@yers for us! R!ta, T0m, and I saw the hand of G0d orchestrating and leading us every step of the way. Our purposes in C@pe V3rde had many facets and we experienced G0d clearing the surface of each facet so that we could see Him and the purposes for which He sent us to C@bo V3rde.

T0m is an ethnomusicologist. Some of you may not even know what that means or what they do for the K!ngdom of G0d. Truly it was a blessing for me to watch and to learn myself how they go about their work. In the development of G0d's work among different ethnic groups, a key element is music. Think about it...where would your f@ith be if you did not have songs and music that allow you to express your love, your beliefs, your need, your surrender to G0d? Where would you be in those dark hours of life or those moments of jubilation if  you could not express your heart to G0d in song? How would your w0rship be impacted if the only songs you had to sing were in a language that you do not truly understand in the depths of your soul?

Part of the work we were doing was researching the existence and the need for the development of songs in the heart language of the C@bo V3rdeans--Kriol. In the ch.rches throughout the islands, the songs they sing to w0rship are primarily sung in Portuguese, the messages are given in Portuguese, yet the majority of C@bo V3rdeans speak Kriol as their heart language. We spent time learning about the C@bo V3rdean music, art, dance, and theater and how those avenues could be used to present the G00d News to those who have never heard of Jss. T0m was able to talk with many different people--f0ll0wers and non-f0ll0wers--about how using C@bo V3rdean music, art, dance, and theater could influence their desire to know and understand G0d. We had many opportunities to experience the different arts C@bo V3rdean style since each year during this time they have a Jazz Music Festival with all kinds of art displayed throughout the city. One huge moment during our time there was when we experienced a complete change in w0rship during the first Sunday. The w0rship had been powerful and the most of the people were engaged from the beginning. Yet when one man came to lead 2 songs in Kriol, the whole body of Chr!st began to move. In an instant, their hearts came alive as they w0rshiped in heart, mind, soul, and body! Truly we were watching people "Love the L0rd their G0d with all their heart, with all their mind, with all their soul, and with all their body."
Please pr@y for the development of Kriol songs, art, drama, and dance that will tell the story of G0d's unfailing love and f@ithfulness in ways that will engage all C@bo V3rdean people with the opportunity to know and w0rship G0d in heart, mind, body, and soul.

Pray for direction, leadership, and clear vision to engage the Kriol f0ll0wers of Jss and the church of C@bo V3rde in the development of the arts for the glory, pr@ise, and w0rship of G0d.

Another purpose for which we were visiting C@bo V3rde was to pr@yer walk and seek G0d direction for reaching the many West African who have moved to C@bo V3rde to work. Many of them go there thinking they will find their fortunes but they find themselves living very difficult lives and longing for home. G0d orchestrated every detail for R!ta and I to travel to the island B0aVista where the largest pocket of West Africans live. We were able to pr@yer walk through the streets of the shanty village where they live and to greet some along the way. It was a taste of home to be able to speak Bambara to some. I had experienced the struggle of not being able to speak to people since I do not speak Portuguese or Kriol. My heart became full as we were "home" among the West Africans. Many of the sellers in the tourist market are from S3negal, M@li, Gu!nea Bissau, and other countries in WA.

The greatest moment was when we were able to connect with M0di. Two years ago R!ta met him in the capital after overhearing him speak Bambara. R!ta greeted him, they talked, and he was so helpful to her in doing the research she was there to do. He was moved by her work and told her that the work she was doing was good. They talked about G0d's Word and R!ta bluetoothed some stories from G0d's Word in his language to his telephone. She tried to find him on her last visit but they missed each other. When R!ta called him this time, he was so excited to see her. He approached from behind R!ta and I could see his face. He was radiant with joy and continued throughout our visit to say, "I'm so happy! I'm so happy today!" He took us to his home, gave us a cold soda, and invited 2 of his best friends to come. One is from L!beria where R!ta lives now. We talked a lot with them and they were amazed we could speak some in their language. After his friends left, M0di told us he had listened to all the stories R!ta had given him and how much he loved them. We called D@n in M@li and the two of them talked. M0di told D@n how he wanted to f0ll0w Jss but there were no Chr!stians here who speak his language or who speak French that can help him understand and learn about f0ll0wing Jss. At that point, my heart became heavy. He told us that he had lost phone and lost all the stories. I felt this desperation come over me to figure out how we could get G0d's Word to him as soon as possible. This desperation just in my heart throughout the afternoon. Then M0di told us of his work and took us to see his work place. He drives the big Catapillar machines and is helping to build the port for B0aVista. He walked us home, then left to shower and eat. He came back later and we sat together and talked. He told us again how he had listened to all the stories, but one day he was working and his phone fell out of his pocket and into the ocean. UUUGH....was all I could think! There is no finding that phone...smile. I shared a verse of scripture I had recorded on my phone in B@mbara...verses I share with my friends on the street. He listened and smiled. Then he began to talk into my phone thinking he was recording a message. When I realized what he was doing I asked him to do it again and I did record it. It was a message to the church asking them to pr@y for him to have G0d's Word, to learn, and to know how to f0ll0w Jss. That he could share Jss with his friends and share G0d's Word with them too. Again, my heart was overcome with desperation...how could we get G0d's Word to him SOON!! Then R!ta opened her phone and took out her own microSD card with stories from G0d's Word in several languages. She handed it to him and his face lit up...while tears filled  my eyes. My heart was at peace and I felt a huge sense of rest come over it. This man was thirsting and longing...and he was satisfied. He immediately began listening to the stories going from language to language...he didn't seem to care that he didn't understand them all. He told us he would be listening and that he would invite his friends to listen with him. The great thing is there are many languages on the card...so of which other W African on the island speak.
Pr@y for M0di as he listens to the stories, as he seeks to know and understand what it means to f0ll0w Jss. Pr@y for him as he shares these stories with his friends. Ask G0d to send His H0ly Sp!r!t to teach them, to give them understanding, and to reveal deep truths to them.

Pr@y for G0d to show us how He wants us to join Him among the W Africans in C@bo V3rde. From the first time R!ta told me of them, my heart was quicken and my mind wondered if G0d might mobilize some M@lians to go and tell His G00d News among them. Please pr@y for G0d's direction, timing, and leadership in this work.

Tomorrow, I head back to M@li! I am super excited to be going HOME to be with my people there. I cannot wait to celebrate EASTER together with them. Please be in pr@yer for us as we celebrate both Friday and Monday--as we remember on Friday the suffering of our Savior and as we celebrate on Monday the victory we have because HE IS RISEN--HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

Your Son and Daughter

The big wedding celebration did not end in B@m@k0!! What a privilege and joy it was to present D@n@ya and his bride R3bek@ to his mom and his v!llage!!

D@n@ya's mom and many from the v!llage were not able to attend the wedding because of the distance between the v!llage and the c@pital city. As we sat with his mom and watched her look at pictures, my heart filled with joy as I thought about the privilege we had of bringing the greatest gift to her...Her Son and Her Daughter!! What a sweet, sweet moment to watch her take in every picture, to enjoy her baby boy and the greatest event of his life...an event she said, "I did not know if this day would ever happen."

You see, D@n@ya's dad died when he was just a very, very young boy. He does not remember his dad at all. His mom was chased away from his father's family and she was own her own with 4 small children. By the grace of G0d and a faith that was unwavering, this woman and her 4 children thrived and were blessed by G0d. She said she didn't know if her children would survive and certainly didn't know if they would grow up to be married and begin families of their own. All of her children have a strong faith and are powerfully serving the kingdom of G0d here in M@li.

Again I found myself watching intimately, the cultural joys of weddings, the joining of lives, and the welcoming of new people into a family and a v!llage. I watched as women came to greet us each one saying the same thing, " D@n@ya went to the big city and threw me away for this new woman." It was one of the funniest things I have ever watched as these women--all OLDER women, all described as D@n@ya's grandmothers--came to meet and joke with his new wife. The funniest moment was when we were walking through the v!llage greeting and we met up with one of these "grandmothers". She looked at R3bek@ in the eyes and said to her, "Do you know THIS man? Do you know THIS man? He has 14 wives and  you are the 15th one!" We all burst into laughter as this grandmother looked at us with the most serious face. I watched all of these interactions and saw the grace and peace of G0d displayed in R3bek@ as she enjoyed the joking and participated in every way with these women who were claiming her husband as theirs and not hers. It was such a joy to see her join in with the v!llage and become a part of it with her husband by her side.

I spent the evening and the early morning hours thinking about what it must be like to be in R3bek@'s shoes. We drove 8 hours to get to the v!llage, we greeted and all of these women came to joke with her, and then after it was dark, she was expected to cook supper for her new family and all of us. I could not imagine the intimidation of that task--entering another woman's kitchen not knowing where everything is or what is expected. Then to awaken the next morning and be expected to cook every meal for the family--your new family.

I was amazed by the grace, the joy, the peace and the fun that R3bek@ was having. She displayed a great love for her new family and became a part of them in a way that only G0d could have done through her. I was equally amazed by D@n@ya and the way he walked beside his new bride and encouraged her, helped her, and cheered her on. It was evident they were in this together!!

A Beautiful Celebration

On January 25th, we celebrated the wedding and the joining of 2 lives for the gl0ry of G0d!! One of our M@lian partners, D@n@ya, got married to his beautiful bride, R3bek@. It was a celebration filled with joy, excitement, and hope for all that G0d has planned to do through the lives of His 2 children, D@n@ya and R3bek@.












It was my first time to be intimately involved in the planning and preparation of a M@lian wedding and what fun it was!! We helped get the loads of tomatoes, onions, cabbage, egg plant, and rice needed to feed all the guest. We loaded up the cow in the moto taxi to be taken to be slaughtered and prepared for cooking. The moto taxi delivered a cooler for the drinks, the sodas, ice, chairs, tents, and everything needed for the big event.









Then the day of the event, the church was packed with people until it was overflowing. Tents were set up outside for those who could not fit inside. There was much singing, celebrating, and sharing of G0d's word with those attending. Then a sweet, sweet ceremony where D@n@ya and R3bek@ united their lives, making commitments to each other before a crowd of witnesses that were moved and touched.








You see, many in attendance had never experienced a Christian wedding. They had never seen the joy and love expressed in this celebration and they had never understood G0d's plan for One Husband and One Wife...the uniting of 2 to become ONE! As they bowed together before G0d, uniting their previous 2 lives into ONE life for the Glory and purposes of G0d, EVERYONE was touched!!

 To finish off the day, we transported family members back to their gathering places where the celebration continued!! This is one of my favorite parts of wedding celebrations here...load up and declare the fun and celebration to the whole city....

When I asked my friends who had seen a Chr!sti@n wedding for the first time what part they liked the most, the response was unanimous...

• When they made their alliance, giving each other rings, and committing to each other to love in all things...whether there is money or not, whether there is health or not, whether there is good or bad...
• When they knelt together before G0d to surrender their lives as 2 to become 1...one husband, one wife...D@n@ya is now R3bek@ and R3bek@ is now D@n@ya, if one hurts the other hurts, if one rejoices the other rejoices!

With My Own Eyes and Ears

His F@ithfulness R@dio...the fruit of all that G0d had placed in my vision 8 years ago!!! It became a reality in 2013, but this year 2014, I saw it and heard it with my very own eyes and ears!! I have longed for and waited for this time to actually see and hear His F@ithfulness R@dio on the air and to stand beside those who serve their community through this work.What a joy it was to peer in the doorways to see it in full operation.


On that first trip to the village 8 years ago, my friend, R!ta, and I were traveling to a remote part of M to see what G0d was doing among 3 different people groups. We were doing the study Bel!eving G0d together as we traveled. In that study the writer asked the participants to place a blue string around their wrist to remind them of the 5 statements of beli!eving G0d. We looked in the markets that day but could find no blue string. but G0d had a more lasting plan for providing us with a reminder.

Along that journey we saw this incredibly beautiful bluebird. One like I had never seen and one like I have never seen since. Every day as we journeyed to the village and while we were in the village, we saw this bluebird. It became our Bluebird of Bel!ef. To this very day, on every trip to the village and during every stay in the village, this Bluebird of Bel!ef has gone before us and flown beside us all along the way. Even when it was evident that our work was moving to the city because of the trouble in the n0rth, G0d brought this Bluebird across my path to show me He was indeed going before me and preparing the way for this change. This 2014 journey back to the village was no different. On the first morning when I woke up after staying the night in the r@dio station, I went outside to spend time with G0d. I looked up and there sat the bluebird on the tower watching the station. Pr@ise filled my heart and joy consumed me as I experienced once again the very REAL and PERSONAL Presence our our G0d affirming His work, His plans, His purposes!


I had fun looking at all the equipment and seeing how it all works to proclaim the G00d News of Jss throughout this remote area. The workers told me of how the children would come every Saturday morning to be on the r@dio. They would each have a chance to greet their parents and their friends on the r@dio. This is just one of the many creative ways the r@dio is making itself a part of the community.



On Sundays, the whole day is dedicated to Chr!st and making Him known through music, G0d's W0rd, and other Chr!sti@n programs.

After spending a couple of nights at the r@dio station, we headed to the P@n@ v!llage. The chief told us how he listened to the radio every day and how he no longer listens to anything else except His F@ithfulness R@dio!! It was a double blessing to be able to personally sit and listen to His F@ithfulness R@dio while we were there!! While we were eating or while we were just sitting around visiting, the r@dio was playing ...just like it was playing in compounds all over the 80 kilometer radius to which it was broadcassting!! Fullness of Joy!!!!

The Year to Return...2014

Two years since I have been to the villages and the peoples to whom G0d sent us... two years pr@ying for their protection through the difficulties their country faced... two years believing G0d to be the S0verign L0rd over all things, all situations, all peoples... two years knowing He loved them and was with them more than I could ever imagine!!





 

2014--the year to return... the year to see what G0d has been doing... the year to rejoice in HIS F@ITHFULNESS!! I cannot express to G0d how grateful I am for the opportunity to go back and see those I have missed so much!

For me and for my heart, it was a full circle experience. I was with all the people who began this journey with me.  I was seeing the lives of those He had changed as we w0rshipped together. Where there was once only one f0ll0wer choosing to live the hard life of Chr!st in front of those in his v!llage, there were now close to 20 worshiping together. We spent the day talking about G0d's Word and looking at how to live that out in the culture of !dol w0rship.

It was a great discussion and the levels of f@ith were evident as we struggled through what f0ll0wing Chr!st looks like as a P@n@ f0ll0wer.

A favorite moment was when the f0ll0wers wanted to sing a song where they had changed the words into their own language. To see their response to that...instantaneous dancing and praising G0d in ways they can only do in their heart language!! What a joy to witness!!

A hard moment for me was the news that one of my precious friends I would sit with under the tree and learn language with had passed away 2 months before our arrival. She died giving birth to her 5th child. The child also died. My heart was and is still heavy for her husband and the 4 children she left behind. As we sat with her husband, he expressed his emotions in ways that are rarely seen here. Please lift him up to our Father and ask Him to comfort and bring salvation to this man and his whole household.