Fourteen years ago, we helped Daouda, a construction worker, learn how to read and write, using the Bible as a textbook. Daouda didn’t however learn just his letters and numbers! He was transformed by Christ, called to ministry, graduated from our Bible School, and has been pastoring one of our largest churches here in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. Recently, Pastor Daouda was elected to be one of Mali’s Assemblies of God Executive Officers.

But the story doesn’t stop there!

Pastor Daouda’s Muslim family, formerly his persecutors, have since entrusted their sons to him to raise and to educate. We are sponsoring two of Daouda’s nephews in one of our Christian elementary schools. The boys, Dramane (12) and Seydou (9), are today Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ!

Recently, we had the privilege of leading two more Dogons of the Jamiseyi clan to Christ. Both of them, one a young man and the other an elder, are secret believers. They know that they will, sooner or later, face harsh persecution from the Muslim community. The elder gentleman’s wife and son also want to follow him in his faith.

What a privilege for Linda and me to have been used to affect their eternal destinies! Though there are now still only 5 believers in this unreached people group, we believe that God will soon multiply their numbers.

Thank you for sending us to the Jamiseyi-Dogons!

During a recent trip to Timbuktu I was reminded of Mahatma Ghandi’s words: “For some people, the only way for God to appear is in the form of a loaf of bread.” Were he living in Mali, I think he would probably rephrase this to say, “...in the form of a cup of water.”

For those in and around the city of Timbuktu, water is precious. In the Tuareg language they say, “Amman, immaan” — “water is a person’s very soul”.

I was privileged to travel to Tamashek country with John Bongiorno of WorldServe International, and with Doug Pitt and Matt Miller, Springfield, Missouri businessmen. We sat together with desert men and their children, and John shared the story of how God provided water for Ishmael and Hagar, saving them from sure death. God answered Ishmael’s desperate cry. John told these men that the same God who saved Ishmael will also respond to their cries for help. How thrilled we were when these Tuareg men extended their hands and prayed with us in the name of “Issa-Al-Massih” (Jesus the Messiah).

In this dry and thirsty land, “living water” must be served in a cup of clean well water.

Will you help us dig wells? Will you give?

Will you pray that God grant us more opportunities to share “Living Water”?

Please respond.

David (Faouzi) and Linda Arzouni
AGWM, Mali (West Africa)