Did you hear that huge sigh of relief? Because we now have a 2-week Spring break, we think we will have some down time. We do have some plans, though.
- Bob is working on curriculum development, ACSI re-certification, and planning a trip to Beneira to hang out with Jellygoo, one of the lay leaders at a church being encouraged by our mission.
- I will be working with a man who arrives from Edmonton today to run and terminate network cable in our new Media Center. He is an answer to your prayers; I asked you to pray that Luke could come out and help. This man\’s name is Binh, but he is the Luke you prayed for.
Yesterday was an special experience for us as one of our workers was married in a local, very Nigerien church service which lasted 3 hours! That doesn\’t include the \’reception\’ or celebration which we are told lasted well into the night. We praise God that Jean has married a godly girl who will walk beside him as he seeks to follow Christ.
After almost 2 months of sickness, Boubacar\’s father is well again. Although Bob visited him and prayed with him and for him, it\’s hard to say which God the family credits for his return to health as local religious leaders were praying for him, too. Please pray that the family will clearly understand our compassionate and caring God.
Last Sunday night was Sahel Academy night at The Evening NEWS (Sunday evening\’s Niamey English Worship Service). What a blessing to hear the secondary choir sing about God\’s gift that was Written in Red, and then to hear student reports on this semester\’s 3 weekend outreaches to Inates, Maine Soroa, and Tera. Through these trips, God\’s love was demonstrated and proclaimed as the kids ministered by cleaning up and painting a village clinic, putting in insulation and remodeling a missionary\’s kitchen, constructing hangars for village school classrooms, visiting remote villages and \’sitting\’ with the elders, playing soccer and other games with the village \’youth\’, holding children\’s Bible clubs, and singing in Sunday services. These villagers saw \’Jesus in skin\’ even as they heard His story of love. Pray for the people in each of these villages who have seen and heard this message.
One of the blessings of this past month was to see how God worked through one woman\’s willingness to listen to God and follow the \’dream\’ He placed in her heart. About a year ago, Cathy shared with our Bible study group that she had a desire to put together a woman\’s retreat for the ladies of Niger; she asked us to pray with her about that dream. Cathy shared her dream with her sister Debbie who is involved in Women\’s Ministries at her church in the states. To make a long story short, Debbie\’s church not only paid for her plane ticket to come out here and minister to us at the retreat last weekend, but sent all kinds of love gifts to us as well. Their mother Eleanor came to serve and love us all. We were so moved and blessed by the love shown to us, and challenged as well to consider a few of God\’s Gifts of Grace to us: His love, His faithfulness, and our identity in Him. Thank you, Cathy, Debbie, and Eleanor, for listening to God and following the dream He placed in your heart. You are an example to us all. Thank you, also to all of you who got behind this dream and helped make it happen. You have encouraged many who were weary.