Monthly Archives: May 2011

Update from our Summer Interns in West Africa

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With a home in “B” quickly approaching, we are eagerly gobbling up any kind of wisdom and advice we can receive on living in the hot African bush! It has been such a blessing to have the Living Hope team here with us for our first week in Niger as we learn language, get acclimated to Songhai culture (and the heat), and find our way around the village. It’ll be a huge blessing when we actually move into the village. Speaking of, allow me to introduce you to our humble abode, yet to be named:

Isn’t it a beauty?

And of course, true to form, I go to kids like a magnet. I don’t know why I ever doubted that I should be an elementary teacher! One of the most frustrating things about the animism in this culture is that you can’t call children “beautiful.” To those without Christ, it is believed that the demons only come and take the most beautiful children. So, of course, it is an offense to call someone’s child beautiful! This kills me, but it causes me to want to love on those kids even more and show them that “Yesu ga ti ni cado”- that is, Jesus is their gift! That being said, pray for the children- pray that they and their parents will hear and believe the Gospel. My heart breaks for the futures that these precious Songhai children have.

This picture is of some sweet kids in “A”, one of the villages Living Hope-ers are very familiar with! Some of these kiddos have parents who are boldly following Jesus, despite persecution. Pray for them.

If you haven’t noticed, prayer has become a common theme in this blog. We have shared the Gospel (the story from creation to Christ) countless times with over 100 women in “B”, and we have found a few who want to hear more. The few believers who do live throughout Niger are persecuted in ways that make this American girl feel like a wimp! The Gospel is not just some ordinary thing over here, and I’ve come to value it so much more. PRAY that these people will understand the message and will have a desire to learn more! Pray that they will desire Jesus more than anything else. Pray that the believers will be strong and courageous, despite being practically thrown out of their communities.

It has been an encouragement to see the four villages we have heard about for so long. While “A” has about 12 firm believers, “K” and “B” each have only one. Can you imagine- being the only believer for miles around? Satan has his grip on these places, but Christ has conquered Satan. Our prayer is powerful and it can change things through Christ alone!

This parched land needs a bit of Living Water, don’t ya think??

West Africa Report part 2

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Things are going well. one of the team who was sick is finally better. She missed the first two days of ministry, but has been with us for the trip to “A” and today back in “B”. She was in good spirits about it though, just frustrated it took her so long to recover. It is so hot here!

We have had three solid days in “B”. Two of us have been meeting with “S”, the believer in “B.” We have been going over lessons from the E2E. He is soaking it in. He is able to repeat the lessons back to us the following day. The missionary has been blown away at his ability to retain knowledge. We went ahead and started the church lessons today. Tomorrow we are having church with him, to model it. So, tomorrow we are having the first church service in “B”… ever! “S” has been reading the Bible to his wife at night, so this encouraged the missionary that “S” is serious. We have also been encouraged that he walks with us through the village. He walks with us, Bible in hand. The missionary says he is “dirtying” himself by walking with the Christians.

The girls have had great visits with probably a hundred women by now. They have been welcomed in most homes and will gather a crowd! They have been sharing the C2C with as many people as will listen. They are already known throughout the village. They have been given local names. Kids ask us where they are while we are walking with “S”, we point in their direction and they take off running!

Yesterday we visited “A” and the believers there. We were encouraged to hear the testimonies of two believers. We met with them for a few hours, had lunch, and came on back. It was a really long drive and an extremely hot day. The heat is overwhelming. Today we ran out of water and had to come back early.

This afternoon we traveled to “K” to meet with the lone believer there, and the national partner living there. We met the man of peace who has offered a room to the national partner. He had been kicked out of 2 previous rooms. This man is truly a man of peace. He is the chief’s uncle, so carries a lot of weight. He has caught flack over letting the Christian live there, but he is firm in his defense of him. It was neat to have them all sitting together, the man of peace, the national partner staying in his home despite persecution, and the lone believer. We did not visit “T” because we ran out of water.

Tomorrow we have our last day in “B”.

Prayers for Wednesday

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The following are prayer requests from church this past Sunday that people designated to put on the prayernet.

Pray for Tammy who is fighting Cancer
Pray that Jason will come to have a relationship with Christ
Pray for a members daughter who is being bullied in school
Pray for Travis, a marine pilot, who is being deployed to Afghanistan

West Africa Report Part 1

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The team is in-country Niger.  Two bags didn’t make it, but they are sure to come later this week.  It is very hot there (115 degrees).  After the first day of briefings and some tourism, two members have already overheated.  Please pray for the following:

– Protection for the heat

– Safety in travel as they drive to a village each day

– Eyes that see where the Holy Spirit is working

– For their families as they are gone