N. Africa – Dec./Jan. ‘08-’09

It’s so difficult to just choose one memorable moment or one thing God taught me in this trip.  I guess if I had to choose just one thing, I’ll share a little of what He taught me about the power, joy, and necessity of prayer.  Everything we did on the trip was bathed in prayer: we prayed together in the mornings, we prayed before going out to spend time with “our friends,” we prayed for each other as different teams went out, we prayed at meals, we prayed as we drove or explored a place and met new people, and we prayed in times of joy and times of difficulty.  We went to the Lord with everything just as we should on a daily basis.   As the trip progressed, the Lord began to reveal to me just how much my prayer life was lacking.  Christ, God in the flesh, constantly sought the Father in prayer, retreated to pray, and prayed for those around Him.  He taught the disciples and us how to pray. How then do I think I can make it one second without seeking my Lord in prayer?

 The wonderful workers we spent time with were such a testimony to prayerful living.  I’m so thankful for the short time we were able to spend with them and thankful for all I learned from them.  We are surrounded by the fellowship of other believers and a church body, and it’s so easy to go to others with struggles and joys before we go to the Lord.  We get distracted by the stuff around us, and try to do things on our own.  We must not forget the power of, necessity of, and joy in prayer!  God just really drilled into me that prayer is not just something we do, but something we should live in every moment.  Just as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, we are to “pray without ceasing,” remaining in constant communion with our Lord.  Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  Again, Ephesians 6:18 commands us to “pray in the Spirit in all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep praying for all the saints.” Pray without ceasing, devote yourselves to prayer, and pray in all occasions – I’m so thankful the Lord began to show me what prayer filled living looks like on the trip!

 Prayer is our lifeline to our Father in heaven who equips us to do all things He has called us to do.  How are we to do all things for the glory of God as 1 Corinthians 10:31 commands without constant communication with Him?  We must remain in tune with Him through prayer at all times so we can see what He desires us to see, pray for people and places for which He desires us to pray, hear His will in every situation, and remain focused on Him.  We must pray, always, for the power to love with His love, for the courage to be bold, and for the strength to endure and fight off the attacks of the Evil One.  Above all, we must pray without ceasing, praising Him for His incredible worthiness.

 Written by Kristin Faulk

 

 

North Africa – Dec. ‘08/Jan. ‘09

Reflections from a Mini Bus:

As I ride through the streets of this city in the dead of night, I am brought to a solemn silence reflecting on the last week and a half…   The days seemed so long as we trudged through them, joyfully  exhausted, but in these moments, deep in the city night, it feels as  if they sped by all too quickly, not unlike all of these passing  streetlights, pointing us toward our final destination:  Home.  The  city seems so different at two in the morning.  The streets aren’t  filled to the brim with frogger-style pedestrians constantly crossing,  dodging, weaving.  Even weirder still, the road ahead isn’t brightly  lit with a thousand tiny brake lights on hundreds of stop-and-go cars.

It brings me back to those first moments of the combination of  excitement, nervousness, and readiness, stepping off of a Lufthansa  mid-class aircraft and getting the “Express” treatment through and out of the airport.  Back to those first hours of complete and utter  dependency on our M friend and having zero clue about anything that  was happening.  Back to hopping in a large taxi, and flying through  city traffic.  Oh, city traffic.  In a lot of ways, the way city  traffic worked was very much the way the rest of the city worked as well.  I mean, except the hospitality.  I don’t think anyone was very  hospitable speeding through the streets of this city, wedging between  other cars, and forcing themselves into self-declared lanes without warning.  That was the city in all its glory.

But it wasn’t N. Africa.  It didn’t include the stunning natural beauty of  the sunrises and sunsets, the crashing waves of the Sea, or  the glorious purity of looking out from the top of a sand dune, seeing  nothing but waves of sand before you.  There is something that is  undeniable about God’s majesty when one looks around at things such as  these.  There is truly a stirring to awe — awe that a landscape, a  combination of colors tossed forth, to and fro, taking shape, making  form, could stir the heart.  It is no surprise that Paul sent word to  Rome that, “[God's] invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power  and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the  creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Rom. 1:20  ESV).  But even in all of these things, their splendor, their beauty,  pales in comparison to magnificent man – even unrighteous man — who,  out of all creation, God made in His own image.

Which is probably why, driving through the streets of the city, head  filled with visions of sunsets and sand dunes, a name refuses to leave  me.  Subtle whispers of the Holy Spirit repeat one name:  ’Mr. S’.   Mr. S was the oldest of the men in his family, a butcher and patriarch.  He taught me how to tie a head scarf, smiling the entire time.  He offered to us  his home, his food, his tea.  He opened up all that he  had to us and brought forth his best if only we would sit down and  dine with him.  Eating with Mr. S and the other men in his family was  beyond blessing.  The way God stirs hearts to love who He loves comes  in a lot of ways, and sometimes all it takes to go from the abstract,  distant, arms-length love that we have for so much God loves to a  real, in-your-face, heart-aching sort of love is a shove in the right  direction through a shared meal.  Its no wonder that Christ’s earthly ministry was filled with dining with the sick, that he placed such  weight on his final meal with his friends, and that the early church  “broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere  hearts” (Acts 2:46 NIV).

So pray for Mr. S.  Pray that God do a mighty work in his life, that  the Holy Spirit would prepare and soften his heart and ultimately open  up his eyes and ears to receive the gospel, and that through the new  relationships our M friend has with his family he might hear the Good  News that was to Paul, of first importance:  “that Christ died for our  sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was  raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he  appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve” (1 Cor. 15:3-5 NIV).  And  pray that in these things, God might raise up a great multitude from  Mr. S’s tribe would sing at the end of days, “Salvation  belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev.  7:10 NIV).

Written by Matt Kramp

North Africa – Dec. ‘08/Jan. ‘09

Growing up in church I have always been familiar with the IMB and as a faithful participant of G.A.’s I have heard stories of Lottie Moon and so many other awe inspiring missionaries.  I remember sitting in church while some visiting missionaries shared their stories of living in a hut and eating bugs in West Africa.  I thought to myself, “wow only superstar Christians can do that.” 

During our time in N. Africa, we worked alongside a ”M” who shared with us, that he was simply a man whom God had called to serve Him in way that was different.  So he and his wife, along with their ten year old daughter and eight year old son, packed up everything and moved from the States to an unfamiliar place overseas.  Ten years later this m-couple is the first to admit that they don’t have all the answers, they aren’t always perfect and are far from “superstars”, but they do have a heart fro the nations and desire to serve in whatever capacity God calls them to.

It was in watching this couple that I saw first-hand that God calls those to the mission field, who will follow Him in simple obedience.  Just like Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me,” we must recognize that even without knowing all the details or having everything sorted out, that God calls us to love Him and love His people in whatever task He calls us to do.  I learned on this trip, and saw in action what it truly looks like to be ready and willing to serve and glorify God in every area of my life.

No longer do I think the mission field is for the spiritually elite, but rather for ordinary believers whose deisre is to simly follow Him in all that they do and make His name known among the naitions!

Written by Angela Wright

North Africa – Dec. ‘08/Jan. ‘09

This trip was incredible.  The workers that we got to meet were so awesome!  It was such a pleasure to spend the last two weeks with them.  Our group had such a good time and our unity was great.  Many seeds were planted throughout this trip.  The ”B people” are such a hospitable people and it was very easy to love them. 

One of the most memorable moments of the trip for me was when we had tea with a family of the “B people”.  As we talked with them they said to us in Arabic that “we were a light to N. Africa”.  I laughed and agreed, that our skin was much lighter than theirs.  Later, though, it was explained to me that they had really meant that we were light, in the sense of being a blessing to their family and to N. Africa as a whole.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that your way may be known among the earth, your saving power among all nations.”  Psalm 67: 1-2

Written by Michael Gaddy

North Africa – Dec ‘08/Jan ‘09

Sheep! Ewe…I mean eew. Not the cleanest of animals to say the least. And not to mention the shepherds who are looked upon as some of the lowliest in the culture.  But sheep and shepherds play a key role – not only in this region of the particular country we are serving in, but also in Scripture.  The sheep or lambs are seen as a main food among the people group whom we are working, but they are also seen as a means of sacrifice just like in the Old Testament (Lev. 16).

Today we went out among a family of the “B people” who work with sheep.  In fact, the “B people” are just that — shepherds.  We corraled them into the pen alongside the help of this particular family.  One of the “m’s” here serves as a veterinarian and so he brought a medicine for the sheep that helps ward off disease.  We then grabbed them by their hind legs, gave them a shot and then marked them.  These sheep are raised up then to become sustinance and sacrifice.

After we finished with this project, the family welcomed us inside their stone house to eat traditional food of flat bread, peas/broth mixture, tomatoes and cucumbers, and sweet hot tea.  We conversed with the family, with the help of translators and then left them.

I couldn’t help but think, even as I am writing this, about how the shepherds were the very first to receive the Good News of the Gospel when Christ was born.  The lowliest and dirtiest of the culture were first to hear, see, and then most importantly to tell about the Word Incarnate (Luke 2:8-18).  This same Christ-child would become the perfect sacrificial Lamb who would die for the very shepherds who first witnessed to and witnessed about Jesus.

I pray that today as we gave medicine to these sheep and conversed with these shepherds, that seeds of the Gospel (the story of the Lamb who has overcome) were planted, and the next time they sacrifice a lamb  for food, may the eyes of their hearts be opened to the Great Shepherd who has laid down His life for some of these – His sheep (John 10:11 ).

Written by Ryan Martin

Niger: June ‘08

The Lord started teaching me things before we even started on our journey. Before doing fundraising, I thought that I had a pretty good handle on my stewardship of money and that I did an OK job trusting the Lord to provide for me. However, it didn’t take long for me to start worrying about whether I would be able to raise money. I guess the idea that God is my provider was in my head but not my heart. Despite me, God did provide abundantly the financial resources that I needed for this trip. In addition, I was humbled by both who supported me and the amounts that certain people gave. It was obvious that certain people gave with a joyful heart. The made me realize that I often give out of duty and obligation rather than in joy.

Written by Hugh Medal

Niger: June ‘08

Today we visited a number of schools in Niamey. We started by visiting Sahel Academy, a Christian boarding school. Although most of the students at Sahel Academy are the children of missionaries, this quality education has prompted families with non-Christian backgrounds to send their children there. Praise God that a tenth grade girl accepted Christ into her life this past year. Also pray that God will provide for Sahel’s need for more faculty and staff people.Next we visited Esprit, a seminary specializing in training servants of God to do ministry among Muslims in the Sahel (region below the Sahara Desert). Please pray that God would provide for Esprit’s financial needs and that he would provide them with a professor knowledgeable in Islam, a big need to them.

This afternoon we worked on making new desks for one of the public schools in Niamey. It was a blessing to meet a need for them. In the evening we had our Games Night at the Foyer Evangelique Universitaire (FEU). This Games Night might be the highlight of our trip thus far.

The FEU serves as a student union at the University of Niger in Niamey, providing a computer lab (paid for by Lightbearers!), a library and study space, resources which are scarce in Niamey. Also the FEU is run by SIM so they seek to build relationships with the students and share the Good News of JESUS with them. It is really cool to see that the FEU ministers to a lot of the Muslims.

During our Game Night we were blessed by being able to get to know quite a few students and exchange contact information with them. Please pray for the follow-up with these contacts. Also, please pray that God would bless the FEU’s ministry.

Early tomorrow morning we plan on visiting the sand dunes outside of Niamey.

Written By Hugh Medal

Niger: June ‘08

Last night we visited Cornerstone, a Christian School in Niger. Cornerstone was started by two Nigerien Christians who have a vision to provide Nigeriens with quality education from a Christian world view. This is significant because quality education is lacking in Niger and teaching is often done from a shame-based world view. What I mean by a shame-based world view is that teachers teach in such a way that students will not become smarter then them (which would bring them shame).Cornerstone is a private school that teaches the State curriculum from a Christian world view. Because of this, the Nigerien government is delaying their acceptance as a state-certified school. Please pray that Cornerstone would receive favor from the government. Please also pray that they would get the funding and equipment that they need and that their students would perform well on the State exams demonstrating the quality of the Cornerstone education.

Although we planned to travel to Milo today, the Lord had other plans. We ended up breaking down about halfway and had to be towed back to Niamey. Praise God that although it was very hot, we made it back without any problems. One good thing about breaking down was that shortly after we stopped, a herd of giraffes passed by. The giraffes were beautiful and formidable animals.

Another good thing about our car breakdown is that we experienced African hospitality. Within 15 minutes of our breakdown there was a crowd of people around us that had emerged from the bush. They were willing to help but not insisting… they mostly wanted to talk and hang out.

We were disappointed that we were unable to reach Milo, especially since the whole town was expecting us. Milo is a town of 8 – 10 thousand people and is 98% Christian. Unfortunately, with the last rainstorm Milo received only enough rain to wash away the fertilizer in their fields. Unless God does something, the people in Milo will experience famine. Please pray that God will work mightily to save the Milo people from famine. Please also pray that God would comfort them despite the fact that we were unable to see them.

Tomorrow we will be working on making some new desks for the public school. We will also be putting on a games night at the University Students Centre. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the students who attend.

Health has been largely good.

Written By Hugh Medal

Niger: June ‘08

We’re back! On Thursday morning we visited some sand dunes outside Niamey. Our breakfast was interrupted by a sandstorm, which was a neat experience. We spend the rest of the day packing and at the market. The market serves as the super Walmart of Niamey, where you can by food, fabric, and clothing.

In the evening, the girls and guys put on separate events for the female and male missionaries, respectively. The girls spent the night giving the missionary women foot facials while the guys played volleyball and basketball in the hot Niamey evening. Both events were well received.

Before bed, our Nigerian friend that we met during our travel to Niamey came and visited us. She looked beautiful in her traditional African dress and was excited to see us. We exchanged contact information with her and hope to connect with her in the States. As I mentioned before, her and about 5 other Nigerian families are living in Louisiana. Please pray that our friendship with her would blossom and that we would be able to connect with her in the US.

We arrived into Fayetteville around midnight on Saturday morning. Our return travel went well. The highlight of our return trip was that we met a Muslim lady who was traveling to the States to meet her new husband. She was anxious because her husband had just become a Christian and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to become a Christian and stay in the US or if she would have to move back to Morocco. To make things more difficult, since she was moving to the US she had about 8 bags with her and was worried that she wouldn’t be able to carry all of her bags to her connecting gate in time. We were able to help her move her bags and she was very grateful. Please pray that she would see the hope in Christ in her husband and as a result would place her faith in Christ.

Overall, the trip had an impact on all of us. Since we cannot fit all of our experiences into one blog entry, we encourage you to seek out someone from our team and get them to tell you all about it. We leave you with a challenge: please continue to pray for Niger. It is a broken country that desperately needs Christ and his ability to transform culture. God is doing amazing things there in the midst of fundamentalist Islamic opposition, especially in the area of Christian education. You can keep up with SIM-Niger at http://sim.org/index.php/country/NE.

Written By Hugh Medal

Niger: June ‘08

It feels a little strange, but we leave for Niger tomorrow. Our flight leaves from NWA regional airport at 9:15am tomorrow. We will be traveling to Niamey (Niger) via Chicago, New York City, and Casablanca (Morocco). There is a level of excitement among the group and a continued increase in unity. Praise God that Jason received his visa yesterday! We have been blessed so far to have had little to no setbacks.Last night we met and packed bags with supplies to take to Niger. We will be taking school and medical supplies. We will also bring some items to a missionary couple currently in Niger.

During the time until we reach Niger, we would appreciate prayers for safe travel, prayers that we would make it Niger with minimal distractions and difficulties, and that Sarah, who is slightly ill will be feeling better by the time we depart.

We would also like prayers that the Lord would focus our hearts more and more for the task at hand, that we would be ready and eager for what he has for us. In addition, we would appreciate prayers that we would be open to being shaped by this experience. Finally, we would appreciate prayers that we would be aware of “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” in the midst of our individual anxieties.

Written By April