Christmas greetings from Mali, the home of fabled Timbuktu! As we write these words it dawns on us that we’ve been here almost four years, and we have not yet set foot in that city. We live in Bamako, nearly 600 miles away from Timbuktu which is in rough and dangerous Tuareg territory. Most of our present ministry has taken place in the southwestern part of the country. Thus far we’ve pioneered in just two large cities: Bamako, the capital, and Sikasso, further south. We have yet to penetrate the other 8 major centers of Mali. We desperately need laborers in this vast harvest field!

We praise the Lord for everyone of our 16 pastors, and the 10 Bible School men who will soon join their ranks. School resumed in October, because of your praying and giving. Please allow me to introduce to you one of our students, Makono Jarra.

In the poor suburb of Sarambugu where Pastor Adama Traore has pioneered a lively church, Makono was known as the local madman. Literally! As practically all insane people who wander the streets of Africa, Makono was dirty, unkempt, in shabby clothing, and often roamed aimlessly about, muttering to himself. One day he walked into Pastor Adama’s yard and demanded to see him. The frightened pastor’s wife told him he was not home. But Makono refused to leave until much later that afternoon. No one had any idea why he had come, and why he waited for hours, or how he knew of Pastor Adama and his family.

A few days later, when Makono came back, Pastor Adama met him with Christ-given compassion. Though it was obvious that this young man was not fully coherent, Pastor Adama discerned that he had come because God had begun a mysterious work in his heart. It had all started at an open-air evangelism meeting where Pastor Adama proclaimed the love of Christ for people whose lives had been turned to ruin by sin and witchcraft, and had been rendered as useless as stones burned with fire. Makono was there, and in a moment of lucidity, he grasped the truth that Jesus could help him. And so the Lord led him to Pastor Adama’s house.

No doubt, the people in this Muslim neighborhood wondered why day after day, and week after week, the Pastor would spend time talking to a madman. Pastor Adama worked patiently with him, found out that he was the only son of an elderly widow, saw to it that he safely made it home after every visit, searched for him when he got lost in the bush surrounding Bamako, prayed for him to understand more and more of the Gospel story, and unrelentingly surrounded him with love. Finally, Makono understood enough to declare, totally on his own, that he wanted Christ to forgive him and deliver him!

Dramatic change came into Makono’s life with each passing day. His appearance changed. Gone were the filthy clothes and the incoherence. He faithfully attended church to the amazement of all who knew him. He soon requested that he be taught to read the Bible. In just two years he became an ardent sharer of the Gospel and an adept song leader. It was a joy to involve him in our Task Force evangelism campaign. Then in the Summer of 1995, he responded to the call of God for full-time ministry. Last Christmas, it was my privilege to officiate at his wedding to Ane, a young Muslim girl who also came to Christ in one of our crusades. Both of them attend our Bible School today and assist Pastor Adama in church!

Whatever it takes, no matter how hard this pioneer situation is, we believe God will raise up many like Makono and Ane Jarra. Thank you for making it possible through your dedication to the cause of Missions!

We pray God’s richest blessings for you during this holiday season. Have a wonderful Christmas and a purposeful New Year!

In the grip of His grace,

David (Faouzi) & Linda Arzouni