Lost People Seeking, Found People Transformed

Thank you for being our partners in the Lord’s harvest in Mali! As we report to you, we are reminded again that the work is about lost people seeking, and about found people being transformed, even in this Islamic context. Please consider the following:

This is Sidik. For two years he resisted the Gospel witness, especially our insistence that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” His Islamic upbringing would not allow him to believe that Issa Al-Massih (Jesus) is the only way.

Believers kept him on their prayer list. In June of this year a single persistent thought kept him awake at night: “No other Name, No other Name!” He came to our church in Kouri, and, convicted of his sinfulness and of the grace of God in Christ, he gave his life to the Lord. The next day he came back with a bag full of Islamic baraka objects (amulets for protection, power, and blessing) and had them all burned.

The Church Is Alive In Timbuktu!

Dear Friends,

As we write these words, at least 15 heads of state are gathering in the city of Timbuktu, Mali, to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.  This highly publicized event has been sponsored by Ghadaffi, the president of Lybia.  He is personally leading this remarkable group of African leaders as part of his efforts to promote “a purer and greater Islam” on the continent.

Timbuktu is considered an “Islamic holy city” not only in Mali, but throughout West Africa.  Historically, it was the entrance point of Islam into all of West Africa.  It has been known for its resistance to outsiders and to the Gospel, and it has been a place of persecution of Christians from time to time.  And yet, the Church is alive in Timbuktu! It is a suffering church, but it remains triumphant. 

On Our Way Back To Mali

Dear Friends,

We are on our way back to Bamako, Mali! God willing, on August 14th, we will fly back for our sixth term of service among the Muslims of West Africa.

This has been a long and arduous furlough. We wondered if we’d ever be able to raise our substantially increased budget (up 32% due mostly to the weakness of the dollar overseas), but the Lord has given us favor in your eyes and has helped us raise the necessary funds. We do regret two things: (1) the fact that we were unable to visit and report to some of our longstanding and faithful supporting churches; (2) the fact that our six month extension to pursue our graduate studies was practically swallowed up in travel and fund raising. But we are so grateful for the ministry opportunities and for the time spent with family and friends. We are excited about getting back to the land of our calling. Thank you so much for making it possible!

Current Prayer: Esaie Makono Diarra

Mali: (David and Linda write) We’re going through the greatest heartbreak. This whole e-mail is about us struggling to handle this new situation. One of our young Malian pastors, Esaie (Isaiah) Makono Diarra, 32 years old, has an awesome, incredible testimony. He was totally insane, wandering the streets of Bamako half-naked, when one of our pastors took him in, gave him food, shelter, clothing, and much prayer. After a period of time, Isaiah was totally healed and restored to his right mind. Pastor Adama taught him how to read, then two years later sent him off to Bible School after he’d expressed his conviction that God had called him into the ministry. He married one of the lovely young Christian women in the church (she’s not yet 22 years old), finished his 3 years at Bible School with passing and quite decent grades (mostly “C’s"), and began pastoring a church in a suburb of Bamako (Sarambougou). He turns out to be one of the finest Malian preachers we’ve got!

Current Prayer: Mali

Mali: During a relief mission, a sister organization faced difficulties in the food distribution in the famine-stricken northern region of Mali. The enemies of the gospel exploited the situation to incite a riot against the local Christian population. During the showing of the Jesus Film, a mob ransacked the equipment, stoned the believers, burnt the church, destroyed the pastor’s house, and injured several of our brothers. The government conducted an investigation and largely dismissed the seriousness of the event by announcing that this was not the work of Malians, but of Tuareg rebels. The threat remains, and we have no confidence that the local authorities will undertake any serious steps to protect the believers. We request your prayers for this situation which, since the perpetrators were not apprehended and punished, could be the catalyst for further violent persecution of the church throughout the nation.