A Testimony From Tami

Hello, my name is Tami. I am the Arzounis’ daughter and an MK (missionary kid) in Bamako, Mali. About a month ago, I experienced a miracle, and I wanted to share it with you.

I think that since the day I was born I have been horse-crazy. When I was about nine I started to save my money to buy one someday, somewhere. Finally, when I was fifteen in Mali, my dreams came true. The Lord also blessed me with a young riding partner, Alisa Kosheleff. Together we and our two horses, Jarabi (my horse) and Calypso (her horse), have shared many adventures. It is the last one which I’m going to tell you about.

We were coming home from a ride on the river’s edge. We took the dirt road that would take us right up across the street from Alisa’s house. On the right was a construction site, and fifteen minutes before our arrival, the dump truck delivering sand there had cut an electrical wire crossing high above the road, and fled in fear. We were caught unawares.

We came around the corner at an easy canter, and I was right behind Alisa. Two American Embassy employees were out on the road, chatting. Ahead of them on the left was a puddle from the last rain covering more than half the road. As we passed them, I saw a heavy, shiny wire lying through the puddle and angled halfway across the road. I remember thinking, “I hope that’s not dangerous.”

We were about to go through the puddle when Calypso, still in front of me, fell flat as though he had no legs. I stood in the stirrups and hauled back on the reins, sending Jarabi into a skidding stop. Then suddenly my horse and I were flying over Alisa and her horse. Alisa was thrown to the side. I was in the air wondering what happened, knowing I had been in control, that my horse had stopped, when I felt an amazing amount of electricity shoot through me.

When we landed on the other side of Calypso, we were in the puddle. My mare fell to her side - across Alisa! I had been thrown in the fall and had therefore broken contact with the live current. There lay Alisa under my horse, being electrocuted. The electrical wire passed completely under Calypso, under Jarabi’s legs, and they were all in the water.

In seconds I was at my horse’s head, and so were the American men, and the Africans from the nearby houses. Even though we kept feeling the electricity, we pulled until her bridle broke and the bit ripped out of her mouth. I was terrified for Alisa’s life. I put my arms around Jarabi’s neck, and with my mouth inches from her ear I pulled and yelled to her to get up, “Oh please, get up!” I knew she couldn’t though. She was completely paralyzed by the current.

I believe guardian angels then picked my horse up, with her legs shaking like Jello, looking like she was walking, and put her to the side. Our helpers kicked Alisa’s feet and pulled her out of the water and away from her horse. Alisa’s life was spared. She had no broken bones, nothing more than bruises and scratches, when my horse falling on her alone should have killed her. Her horse, however, never moved again from the place he fell.

If there had been no amazing circumstances, nothing so out of the ordinary as a dump truck that cut an electrical wire, the Lord’s power would not have been witnessed by the entire community, both American and African. Praise the Lord for His intervention, for signs and wonders.

Thank you for your prayers. I know they help me every day!

Tamara Arzouni

Opposition To The Work And God’s Victory!

After receiving funds designated for the purchase of some land for a church, we bought a piece of land which was reasonably priced and well situated, but then the Muslims of that area banded together and went to see the land owner to accuse him of betrayal, because he had sold his lot to Christians. They even took the matter to the Muslim mayor of this commune. The pressure was such that the man recanted, gave the money back and demanded the deed be returned to him. Legally we could have fought it, but it would have been counterproductive. After much prayer, we concluded that we sadly could only shake the dust off our sandals and walk away. This is not uncommon. The issue, of course, is not just property or a church building. It is opposition to the spiritual work we do, no matter what form this takes externally. The Church is birthed and planted in this country with much travail.

However, we knew that the Lord had not provided the funds for this need in vain. Praise the Lord, we found a great piece of property in the vicinity, and since it is a new development where we are among the first to buy, there is no established community of Muslim neighbors to oppose us. Our Heavenly Father favored us and lifted our heads by granting us this property for less than half the cost of the other one, and this has enabled us to negotiate for another property in another developing area where we plan to establish a church in the near future!!! We heard through the grapevine that our “adversaries” found out about our exceptional purchase and are confounded. Yes, the Lord has shown us favor and mercy! 

Some Thoughts From Don Corbin

I want to talk about a big word in our missionary vocabulary: “results!” Very recently, one of our colleagues said in genuine anguish: “We aren’t seeing much happen here! Nothing like we had hoped. I’m not sure it’s worth all the effort to stay!” Been there? Done that? Surely! We’ve all asked, “Does what we are doing really make a difference in Africa?”

Sadly, our American “bottom-line-culture” doesn’t help us much. To the contrary! Our relentless American pursuit of tangible, visible accomplishments creates undue pressure to produce! Even supporting churches and donors - creatures of the same culture - who want results! NOW! Some give saying, “We want the biggest bang for our buck!” And voilà, the culprits behind much undue frustration and discouragement, the pressure of donors and time to “get something done quickly (if nothing else, at least to build a building), show we’re productive, and “giving them the ‘bang’ for their support they hoped for!” Sad, but true, isn’t it!

I sense an obligation to remind us that “Spiritual Harvest” does not follow the usual rules of our American commercial exchange model. The laws of this harvest are not made at the Harvard Business School. Rather, the Lord of the Harvest Himself eternally establishes them! He causes the seed of the gospel to produce, in His time! He is clear about our roles! We are the sowers and waterers in His field. And He promises to “...give the increase!” But He will do it in His way and in His timing. Not ours! We have come too far and the harvest opportunities before us are too great in Africa to succumb to these skewed cultural pressures. We are not in Africa for ourselves, our careers, our gain or glory. We are there for Him! It is His harvest! We are co-laborers with Him! 

Good News From The Ivory Coast!

The Assemblies of God of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) with but thirty churches in 1970, now reports without hesitation one million constituents. Pastor Adama Ouedraogo, a man not given to exaggeration told us that, in the Abidjan area, there are now 45 churches, 1 of which counts more than 5,000 members, 3 more than 3,000 members, 5 more than 2,000, and 10 more than 1,000. The Côte d’Ivoire Assemblies of God has clearly moved into a mode of “exponential growth!” A recent council, at which (General Superintendent) Tom Trask was the guest speaker, was attended by approximately 25,000 people. Blessing, anointing, extraordinary worship, and healing .... marked the meetings each day from morning to evening. People ran by the hundreds to the center of the Bouake soccer field to respond to the altar calls. Worth it? Oh, yes!

The Benin Assemblies of God 50th Anniversary

What a celebration! Approximately 8,000 delegates from the churches filled the sports arena. Choirs sang (about 15 of them), danced and rejoiced. Reports and theater told the story of the first missionaries: Arnold Weston from the USA via Burkina Faso and six Burkinan pastors.

From hard and humble beginnings in the far north, today the Benin Assemblies of God counts 620 churches and 68,000 “adult baptized believers.” If all the children, Sunday attendees, and new converts were added, that number would easily double, triple, and perhaps more! Again and again, the Benin Assemblies of God leaders declared, “We have grown! But now we are to truly grow!”