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Mali APR09 - the message is received & a chief believes!

April 21, 2009 · Print This Article

Faithful partners in prayer - This report is a little longer than usual, but you will find the blessing well worth the time!!
     Below are today’s reports from the team.  Lawrence was getting some kind of “time out” warning near the end of the message, so he cut it slightly short.  However, in a brief subsequent call, there were few new details.
     It was interesting to learn that this village’s dialect is nearer the SOUTHERN DIALECT for which we have the entire Bible translated.  This is in contrast to our original area where they speak the NORTHERN DIALECT where we were recently blessed with Genesis, Mark, and Acts - plus doctrinal teaching materials - through the arduous work of New Tribes Ministries.
      Included in the team’s activities was encouragement shared with these new-found brothers from 1 Thes 2:17-3:13 and testimony to new-found faith in Christ from our own Phillip.
      Lawrence concluded by saying that we must find a way to get back into this area in May and continuing.  Earlier he commented that the nature of the road and waterways was such that just a light rain could result in several days of isolation.  So, begin praying now that we will not be remain hostage to fear of the elements, but that God will guide us in methods by which we can respond to the needs to which the Holy Spirit is directing us.
      As the team was teaching earlier from picture books and tapes with biblical stories, one of the believers that has been in this isolated village for 10 years ran to get his Bible in the national trade language, Bambara.  As the tapes went from story to story, he would follow along in his Bible and provide explanation and further clarification in the local language.  Almost certainly, he and the other remaining believer have been studying God’s Word together over these years.
3:00 PM Mali time

     Hello.  This is Lawrence Duhon calling from Village L Mali.  This is a new village and the first trip we’ve been here on.  We found the two believers we were looking for:  two men who received Christ in 1996 and were discipled for about 3 years.  No believer or Christian has been to visit them in over 10 years.  So it was a great joy to find them and see their response and have a chance to encourage them in their faith.

      They’re able to read the Bible in the Bambara language so they are able to  stand firm in the Lord and they still are.  There were 37 people back in the early days who were seeking to  learn about Christ and all, at least for now, have fallen away because no one had been with them to help teach them.  The village asked us to come back and teach, even the chief of this village is interested in the Gospel, which is very, very difficult to get to.

     We found there were a lot more so-called modern conveniences here from a peanut grinder to plastic dishes and that kind of thing to more motorcycles, even  some houses built out of brick and concrete for those who have sold some gold and gotten some cash.

     We were able to show the Jesus Film last night and it looked like about 50 people or so at the peek time and at the end there was about 20, and we preached the Gospel after that. although no one made a public commitment to Christ there was one man, kind of a spokesman for the village, saying we want to follow Jesus if you’ll just come back and teach us.

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     As the team was teaching earlier from picture books and tapes with biblical stories, one of the believers that has been in this isolated village for 10 years ran to get his Bible in the national trade language, Bambara.  As the tapes went from story to story, he would follow along in his Bible and provide explanation and futher clarification in the local language.  Almost certainly, he and the other remaining believer have been studying God’s Word together over these years.
     Just listen to what God is doing in Bryan Blain’s report from this evening!
11:30 PM Mali time

     This is Bryan Blain calling from Village L out in the remotest part of Africa that our team has been to yet.  We just finished a teaching time for the last two and a half hours with the village chief who we met earlier today who wanted to hear about Jesus.  Tonight after the teaching he wanted to give his life to Christ and follow him and realized that he was a sinner that needed a saviour and that only salvation is through Christ and Christ alone.  It is an incredible time, and what a privilege it is to serve our wonderful God.  The chief is just excited about Jesus.  He wants us to come here and wants a church here.  He just wants to learn all he can about Jesus.

      We’ve also met a couple of believers here that have stayed strong over the last 10 years just pretty much isolated and so we spent some time discipling them.  We’ve been able to give them some materials that were provided to us.  We went through that with them today.  God is definitely working here and it’s a privilege for our church to be involved.

      The path back through Village F is the roughest experienced to date.  Then, the familiar road will begin to smooth out.

  • Pray for the team as they conclude their teaching in Village L, that they will finish well.
  • Pray that the church will begin emerging in Village L as a result of the years of faithfulness of just 2 believers, and the prayers of the African evangelist and Pastor Bart.
  • Pray for the team’s journey:  for their safety and for those divine appointments still established along their path.
  • Begin praying for the MAY09 team, departing May 20, that God will provide clear direction as they serve on two fronts - in the familiar area (Villages F, X, Y, and K) and in this new area.
AND PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFUL CALLING - FOR THE DISPLAY OF HIS PLAN THROUGH THE CREATION, AND FOR CALLING ALL MEN TO HIMSELF THROUGH THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

 

 

Written by FBCKELLER · Filed Under Ends of the Earth, Mali / Yalunka People 
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