Outreach Report

We want to thank the many of you have encouraged us by your e-mails asking for more information about our ministry and for specific prayer requests. We\’ve also noticed on our monthly report from our mission board (EBM) that some of you have increased our support. As nearly as we can determine, our support level is now at 95%. Thanks to those of you who have responded to this need through your prayers and gifts.

This week in chapel, Pastor Dave talked about staying close to the Lord so we can hear His voice. To get a better picture of this, all the students went out to the basketball court and played a \’missionary game\’. One person, the missionary, was blindfolded while his team members, lined up along the edge of the court, were supposed to guide him through a maze of head hunters (the other team spread out around the basketball court) to the other side. His team members could use their voices to guide the missionary through the peril of head hunters. He quickly realized that the farther away he got from his guides, the harder it was to hear them. Also, the voices of the head hunters, giving bad directions, got easier to hear as the missionary got farther from his guides. The lesson was that we are getting bad instructions all the time, but if we stay close to the Lord, we will continue to hear the instructions of Him Who knows and loves us best.

This weekend, about 25 of our students and staff will be involved in an outreach to Tera, a village about 2 hours from Niamey. Planned activities include a soccer game with local youth, a church-building project, kids club ministries, and \’zei hole\’ (?) digging. These times of outreach are a favorite part of Sahel Academy. Earlier this year, 12 staff and students went to Makalondi to minister by building school desks and holding kids club and english conversation with local teens. They came home excited about the opportunities they had had to share about Jesus. During a special prayer time, one girl prayed for the new friends she had made, saying that it hurt to think of kids their age not knowing Jesus. Since then, we\’ve received word that one of these youths has accepted Christ. This took tremendous courage – to be the first – and may lead to the salvation of others in his community.

Just a reminder: we\’re beginning to get \’forwards\’ again in our e-mailbox. Please remove us from your forwards list. The internet connection out here is simply too slow and too expensive to download all that extra stuff – no matter how good it is. Most times, the connection times out before we can finish downloading our e-mails. 

These are the things we ask you to pray for this month:

-A new renter for our house in Loudonville, OH: we received word last week that our wonderful renter is moving out in June. Please pray again for just the right renter.

-Boubacar: irresistible conviction leading to salvation

-Weekend Outreach: safety, ability to communicate the gospel clearly, God\’s continued working even when the team comes back to Niamey.