November 2001

Greetings from Niger! There are not enough words in English or Zarma to explain what is happening in Niger this week. The Zerma team has been blessed to have a Prayer Walking Team from Missouri to come to pray for the Zerma people. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will begin our medical clinic and more prayer walking. Much preparation has gone into this project as well as many prayers. The experiences we have already had and the privilege to be involved in them have been awesome. Working with about 20 people has presented some unique challenges--but God is Good--All the time! Thank you for your prayers as we continue to work through this project. If any of you would like to be getting the prayer walker's daily prayer letter, please contact Marina Mohesky at: Mohesky@PaperChaseUSA.com and she will put you on their list. I think you will find it interesting.

- We are not sure why, but when the Prayer team left Missouri, their team leader and his wife were not able to travel with them as they did not have their health cards. They looked for these documents in Ella's purse but for some reason they were not seen. Charlie and Ella Holt, the team leaders, have arrived now - only 6 days late.

- When the Prayer team arrived at the airport bringing thousands of dollars of medicine in several suitcases, no problems were encountered.

- We have seen one person, Mariamma, accept Christ as her personal Savior.

- We went to one village to prayer walk and found about 20 cases of malaria - and just "happened" to have the necessary medicine for them. In 2 other villages we saw medical needs we were not prepared to meet. This was a bit heart-breaking for the nurses but we did come prepared to ask help from the Great Physician.

- Rachida is in the hospital. She has had malaria and hepatitis and was very sick. Many people have gone there and prayed with her. At first the doctor said she would have to stay in the hospital until the baby is born. Yesterday (Sunday) we went to see her and she said the doctor said she is much better and she will possibly be able to go home. At the beginning of this week the doctor was not sure the baby would make it through these
problems. Now the sonogram is showing that the baby is fine.

- It seems God is calling a leader for the Ouallam church.

- At the town of Hamdallye we were blessed to be able to pray on site for the beginnings of the Christian orphanage you have already prayed for through this prayer letter.

- Prayer walking in Ouallam we saw Christians growing and becoming bolder in their faith.

- As we have gone many places, people have been very receptive and very open to the prayers. God is at work in these people's lives. Please continue to pray for them to see a loving God, a forgiving God, and a God that cares for each one of them. Pray that our prayers would be answered, that these people would come to know the Lord as their personal Lord and Savior.

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This is an update on the Medical clinic/Prayer Walk that we did this week. According to our records we saw over 200 on Tuesday 16 Oct. It was an awesome day and many were helped. Today, Wed. 17th we saw way over 200 with several of the children that would not be alive had there not been help. There were several that received IV's, some very serious wound problems, very high fevers (105.F on several infants), many malaria. Please pray forus tomorrow (Thursday) as we work our last day here in Niamey. The word is out and today we were "mobbed" by the crowd before we even entered the church where we are doing the clinic. It is very hot, but Mark has "rigged
up" fans for some circulation using a generator. The Dr. Nester Shust, the attending doctor told us tonight at devotions/debriefing that he was sure that some of the infants were on the verge of death had we not helped. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your support for helping to send the volunteers.

The second group of volunteers arrived safely with the rest of the medical supplies. Their suitcases came through the airport safely. Thanks for your prayers.

Rick arrived safely (when the rest of the medical team arrived). He is fine and adjusting well. Today as he was dressing wounds and helping out he mentioned that not all things were not covered in his Orientation!!!

November Prayer Requests

1 Thursday - Millet harvest is mostly over now and the people will begin on dry season gardening. Pray for them as they prepare their garden plots, pray that Don will be able to get the seeds they need to plant. Pray that they will have the energy to work in the gardens, hand pulling water from the well and watering each plant twice a day. Pray that the "seeds" that are being planted will yield fruit - both for physical as well as spiritual.

2 Friday - Please pray for Rachida as she is continuing with her pregnancy. As mentioned above, she has had quite a time. It seems the baby is due in December and the doctor is not wanting her to do anything until the baby is born. Please pray for her health as well as the baby's.

3 Saturday - Niger is entering "cold season". The reason it is cold is because the dust is so thick it blocks the sun. Many people might be affected by the dust and the cold. Please pray for Health - for both the Nigeriennes and the Missionaries.

4 Sunday - Pray for the Ouallam church. It seems a young man may be evolving into a leader. Soumaila seems to be showing interest and potential. Pray that it will be God's will and God's call and not just a human desire.

5 Monday - Pray for Rick as he will begin his language study today. He will be learning Zarma and will be attending Ibro's school. Pray that God would give him the gift of hearing and speaking quickly!!!

6 Tuesday - Pray for Ibro as he has responsibilities at his school, as he continues the paperwork for the orphanage in Hamdalaye, and as he helps care for his wife, Rachida. (See Nov. 2)

7 Wednesday - Pray for Deanna as she is trying to begin a Storying group with some of the women. Rachida was going to help her lead it, but now Deanna will have more of the responsibility.

8 Thursday - Pray for Jeremy and Stephanie as they attend Sahel Academy. The school is still in need of more teachers causing extra work for the existing teachers. Pray for the students.

9 Friday - Pray for Mark as he would like to begin a Bible Study on the guesthouse property. Pray that he would have the wisdom, the language, and be able to do it in God's time.

10 Saturday - Aissa gave birth to a healthy girl in September. Zerma custom is that the mother must stay in the home and not work for 40 days. Aissa is now up and about. Pray for her and Kimberly as they try to continue the Bible stories that were began before she had the baby. Pray that as Kimberly is gone that Aissa would think on the stories that they have studied, that she would continue to share with her family. Pray that her family would hear and understand and want to know Jesus as their Savior.

11 Sunday - Pray for Cimbeero Bonjara (Pillar of Truth Church) which is led by Ibro. They have just purchased some land in another neighborhood. Ibro will begin leading this group and one of the young men will try to take the other group to another location. Pray that they would find the place that God wants them to meet. Pray for Zakary as he leads the new Preaching point.

12 Monday - Continue to pray for the people that were touched, prayed for and loved during the prayer walking project. Pray that these people will remember the difference in the worship of our God and how different it is from theirs.

13 Tuesday - Pray for the Pepper Project as many are busy growing their seeds, beginning the plots, transplanting and watering. Pray that the people will be able to have a good harvest so they will be able to make money to help out their income.

14 Wednesday - Pray for Teresa as she continues to work with the Kid's Club in Ouallam. These guys are so eager to learn and so fast to repeat the stories. Pray that God would be speaking and teaching them and calling them to Him even now.

15 Thursday - Please continue to pray for the medical project that we just finished. Because I am writing this before we did the project, I don't know how many were helped or all that will happen, but I know lives will have been touched. Pray that all the people we were able to see were able to be healed and will have seen Jesus through our lives.

16 Friday - Please pray for our health - both the Nigerienne's and ours. We are still in malaria season. We have seen several with malaria, there have been several deaths in the Zerma community, and we have had two from our mission family that had to be hospitalized for some fluids intravenously. (Phil & Caroline)

17 Saturday - Continue to pray for Rick's adjustment to the climate and culture of Niger. Pray that even now he would be able to start building relationships with some Zerma men that would result in their committing their lives to Christ.

18 Sunday - Pray for Dochimana village and Balarbe. The prayer team was able to pray at this village (But did not have the necessary medicines to help). There were several ear aches and nutrition problems. Pray for Balarbe as he is teaching several of the people in the village some Bible classes and is trying to teach literacy to the children.

19 Monday - Pray for our personal spiritual growth. Pray that we would guard our time with the Lord as well as with our families.

20 Tuesday - Please pray for Teresa as she is teaching English to the staff at the local hospital. There are 12 students and it is a very interesting class. She is using Christian teaching materials.

21 Wednesday - The Ouallam church is hoping to begin to meet on Wednesdays for prayer time. Please pray that we would do what God wants us to do. They are requesting that one of the missionaries teach a Bible class. Pray that one of us will have time to begin on this project.

22 Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving. We are so thankful for you for praying for us. For our ability to be in Niger witnessing to the Zerma people. We are thankful for our "Team" family and the love we have for each other and the love we all have for the Zerma people. We are thankful for our families in the States or wherever they are. Please pray for the "emotions" that we all have when we are separated from our families during these holidays.

23 Friday - Pray for Phil, Kimberly, Caroline and Caleb as they will be getting ready to go to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for Caroline to attend FES. Her class will begin on Monday and will be another 3 week course. Pray for them as they begin their 2 day journey today. Pray that they have a safe trip.

24 Saturday - Pray for Mark and Deanna as they are very busy during the week and seem to be pulled from their family time. Pray that they would be able to have some family time today, that they would be able to rest, play softball, visit and just be together.

25 Sunday - Pray for Salamatou as she tells the Bible stories at the Ouallam Church. She is also the song leader. Pray for her as she has such a sweet spirit but has been having some health problems. She is still recovering from her miscarriage.

26 Monday - Pray for Phil and Don as they continue to go to several villages. Pray for the literature and cassettes they leave for the people to study. Pray that the Zerma will hear, understand and accept as truths what is taught in the cassettes.

27 Tuesday - Pray for Djibo "Sandi" and his family. Sandi is an answer to prayer for Don as he is purchasing many of the seeds in the can and sacks them up and sells them. This is a big answer to our prayers as Don's goal is to have local people that will be able to provide the seeds. This will help Don a great deal so he won't have to travel so much, we won't have to sack the seeds ourselves, and Sandi will be able to have an addition to his income. Sandi also has listened to the cassettes and is in agreement with what is taught. Pray that he would accept the truth with his heart and accept Jesus as his Savior. His whole village has heard the cassettes. Pray for the salvation of this village.

28 Wednesday - Please continue to pray for the prayer walkers that came in October. Many lives were touched through this project - as well as theirs. It was very evident that God is speaking to some of their hearts to return to Niger. Please pray that God will provide the means and the willing spirits.

29 Thursday - Please pray for the prisoners in Ouallam. They continue to be very interested as Phil and Don go to the prison to teach Bible stories. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be able to work through their lives and draw them close to the Lord.

30 Friday - Happy Birthday, Caroline! Caroline is eight years old today, pray that this would be a special day for her. Please pray for Mark, Deanna and Moussa and all the staff as they continue to work in the office, the Guesthouse as well as visit several Government offices. Pray as they go about doing the "work" that keeps the Zerma team, the Songhi team, the Fulani team, the Haussa team, the Toureg team, as well as other teams.