MALI MISSION MARCH09: Worshiping and training in Village Y
March 25, 2009
2 Tim 3:16 ”All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Click here to play satellite phone message from Keith Arnett
This evening, team worshiped with church in Village Y. They were told there were three people who want to follow Jesus. Part of the team’s teaching included an invitation to walk on the Jesus Road. PRAY that those three, and many more, will choose to follow Jesus. PRAISE GOD that He provides a way for men to be forgiven of their sins and be redeemed.
Because the Yalunkan-speaking missionary has been along, the team has been able to test the understanding of the believers in all the villages. They discovered two areas of confusion (regarding the role of works in salvation and regarding the Holy Spirit). The concepts had been confused in the process of translation. PRAISE GOD that by His design, this Yalunkan-speaking missionary, is a part of the team, and that the misunderstanding was discovered before it was too deeply entrenched. PRAY that teaching from scripture will be clear, and that no confusion would remain.
A man with a heart condition, who chose to walk on the Jesus Road only two months ago, died recently. PRAISE GOD that this man is in heaven today! PRAY that his family will be comforted, and that they, too, will choose to follow Jesus.
On Thursday, the team will continue teaching and encouraging the believers in Village Y. PLEASE PRAY that they would be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, and that God would begin to bring forth leaders in that church.
PRAISE GOD, BECAUSE HE IS MOST WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!
MALI MISSION MARCH09: Praise God – effectiveness of Word, one saved, 13 baptisms
March 24, 2009
We’ve received an update from the team. All is well! Praise God for His hearing and answering so many of our prayers! Click here to play satellite phone message from Keith Arnett
ISAIAH 55:
10 “As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Scriptures (in Yalunkan) that have been read and taught the past few days:
Genesis 3:1-8 Mark 8:34-38 Romans 3:10-20 Mark 7 Mark 4:14-endPLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING that the team will be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in every area.
MALI MISSION MARCH09: Communications down…please continue praying!
March 23, 2009
It has been over 52 hours since we’ve had communication from the team, possibly due to technical difficulties with the satellite phone. We are still anxious to hear the result from Village F of their sharing the creation to return story, reading those scriptures in the tribal language, and showing the Jesus Film!
The team was scheduled to greet and teach in Village K today (Monday), where there are 33 brand new believers awaiting baptism. They were then to go to Village X to sleep and have an evening teaching time with the believers there. On Tuesday, the team, the believers from Village X, and new believers from Village K were to walk as one body to a place where baptisms can be performed. What an exciting time that will be!
Though we don’t know for certain what’s going on in Mali right now, we can rest assured that God is still faithfully working out his plan and has things under control. In the meantime, let’s continue doing our part by praying:
PRAISE GOD:
Psalm 117
1 Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.
- Thank Him for his faithful watch over and care for this team.
PLEASE PRAY, ASKING GOD that:
- His Name would be highly praised among the Yalunka;
- seeds of the gospel planted in Village F will sprout and grow into a righteous harvest;
- the teaching of new believers in Village K will be clearly understood and that more will be drawn to walk on the Jesus Road;
- believers in Village X will be spurred on to a new level of commitment to Christ;
- the baptisms demonstrating new life in Christ will stir everyone in the area to seek Him, who has power over death and the grave;
- whatever is hindering contact with the team will be resolved.
MALI MISSION MARCH09: Team warmly greeted by Chief in Village F
March 22, 2009
Yesterday, the team journeyed slowly toward the villages, again having vehicle & driver issues. Communication has been an issue because of the young interpreter they have been assigned. [Please PRAY.]
On the way, the team stopped to visit Noah. While he was not there at that moment, the team was able to meet the son on whom he depends. Through their conversation with him, they were able to plant seeds for the gospel.
While passing by Village X on the way to Village F, they passed by the hunter who has, on past trips, killed wild boar to feed our teams. Though he was busy with work, he immediately dropped his tools and went along with the team to Village F. Last June, the hunter was very vocal in giving a witness to a neighboring village about the message that was being brought and about his choice to walk on the Jesus Road. [Please PRAISE GOD for the hunter’s faithfulness, and PRAY that he would be used mightily these next few days among all the villages.]
The team was very warmly greeted in Village F, especially by Chief #2, the ‘administrative mayor’ of the village. After the (literacy) missionary greeted him in Yalunkan, he said he never expected to be greeted by a white person in his tribal language. He became very conversational with the team, so much so that they decided to forgo teaching time in order to take advantage of his openness to them. [PRAY that Chief #2's openness will lead him to accept the gospel of Christ.]
The missionary was able to test some of her literacy materials, which proved to be completely successful. [PRAISE GOD for this missionary’s faithful work over many years that will enable Yalunkans to feed themselves directly from God’s Word.]
Today, beginning at 2 pm Texas Time, some of the 90 people who wanted to see the Jesus Film last year, will gather to do just that. They will be taught and be able to discuss the Creation to Christ’s Return story. Then they will hear scriptures pertaining to the story (read by the missionary in their own tribal language) and be able to ask questions and discuss them. They will then be shown the Jesus Film, have opportunity to ask questions, and then consider their own walk on the Jesus Road. [PLEASE PRAY WITHOUT CEASING that the message will be clear, that any strongholds will be broken down, and that many in Village F will be given faith to begin walking on the Jesus Road.]
The team covets and thanks you for your faithful prayers.
MALI MISSION MARCH09: Two steps forward, one step back
March 20, 2009
After buying ‘provisions’ (rice, tea, sugar) and spending extra time to tend to the vehicle in K’ba, the now-complete team headed toward the villages. To refresh your memory, the team consists of Keith Arnett, Malian Pastor Barry, a missionary from Senegal who specializes in Yalunkan literacy materials, two IMB ‘Journeygirls’, two translators, and the driver.
Along the way from K’ba toward ‘our’ villages, are a few villages with government ‘checkpoints’. In the past, our teams have stopped at these checkpoints and proceeded without any questioning. At one of these village checkpoints today, however, the team was refused further passage and required to go back the 1 1/2 hour drive to K’ba to obtain paperwork from the regional Commandant. Thankfully, the Commandant held his office open late to give them this paperwork.
This disappointing delay meant they spent the night in K’ba (some in the home of a mission worker in that city and some in vehicles), but will mean that they will miss only a half day of teaching in Village F. [Remember to PRAY for open hearts as the Jesus Film is being shown in the evening…2 pm Sunday, Texas time.]
Also, as an unexpected bonus, this means the team will have more interaction and a possible witnessing opportunity with the checkpoint village tomorrow. [PRAY for an opportunity for seeds to be planted.]
Added to this, because they will have more hours of daylight travel, the team will possibly have time to stop by Noah’s home, the man with the boat by the river who was the very first person to choose to walk on the Jesus Road. Pastor Barry has seen Noah recently and feels another visit would be beneficial. [PRAY that he will further understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.]
PRAISE GOD that He has gone before this team and is even now ordering their footsteps and their timing!
MALI MISSION MARCH09: Journeying onward toward villages
March 20, 2009
CLICK HERE to play message from satellite phone
TRANSCRIPT: “This is Keith calling from K’ba about 2 PM Mali time. *[K’ba is where they will pick up Pastor Barry and meet the IMB JourneyGirls and a translator.]
“We arrived through a different route, traveling southeast across Senegal on what were remarkably great roads. As we approached K’ba, the roads became rough, similar to what we will experience in the in the mountains of Mali as we approach the villages, and the driver became agitated. He was concerned that he might not be able to drive on such rough roads. So PRAY for the driver, that he will be calm and confident and that he will see this challenge as one of the ways that God grows him. He is Catholic, and we think that he’s a believer, but have yet to confirm that.
“This evening, about 7 PM Mali time (2 PM Texas time), we will be arriving in the compound of Phillip the Evangelist [Village X, where there are about 20 believers]. There we will spend the night before driving on into Village F [the largest of the villages], where we will greet and begin to teach.
“Tomorrow evening [still at Village F] we will show with the Jesus Film and give those people an opportunity to respond to the call of Christ. [PRAY that many will be given faith to believe and begin walking on the Jesus Road.] Thank you for your prayers that sustain us. God bless you all.”
*[editorial comments]
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