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A Time For Growing Roots |
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In our time we hear many
reports of thousands saved here, and thousands saved there, which is great
but I sometimes wonder where all those people are a month or two later. Jesus
commissioned us to make disciples, not converts. Yes, I believe there are
many sincere conversions, but if we leave the newborn baby to itself
We need
to water the little plant, take care of it, allow it to grow roots that go
deep until it can survive by itself and eventually bring fruit and reproduce
itself. We love seeing the little plants come up as a result of our sowing,
yet too often we then leave them to themselves to either make it or die. I've just planted some
vegetable seeds here in my garden. As a city girl, I have no clue whatsoever
how to grow vegetables even less than I thought. I did not know how many
seeds to sow, how deep to see them, how often to water, and what to do next. But
I sowed them, expecting to see little plants come up and eventually fruit. And
lo and behold, little plants did come up. However, I had sown to many seeds
so I had to act if I wanted "my vegetables" to survive. Another
patch of grass had to be cleared in my garden so the little plants could be
transplanted and spread out. Now they have room to grow above the ground as
well as roots if I keep looking after them and watering them. Right now, we are exactly
in that season of root-growing for the little plants. Yes, there are numbers
of how many "prayed the prayer", yet some of them have never come
back (and this is a country without phones or addresses). I've come to
realize how little worth that prayer has, because it's only a beginning, only
a birth, and the little plants cannot survive by themselves yet. Plants need
roots. And growing roots takes time; and sometimes you need to water one
plant more, or you need to transplant it, or fertilize it especially, or
protect it. Right now CAM (Centre
Apostolique Malien) is not growing in numbers, but we are growing roots. We
now have a few people that come regularly to the services and are growing in
their faith. For example: Sekou has grown the most. He is my
"grand-son" and now best friend of Simeon. Through their friendship
and Sekou's involvement and commitment to CAM, he has grown considerably and
is now ready to be baptized at the next opportunity. It is a joy to see that
little plant grow up. Elisabeth is an Albino lady, married with
many kids. Being an Albino, her eyes are very bad, so we keep praying for
her. Once we prayed for her baby that was sick and it was healed. Because of
her husband being unemployed, she is now one of the ladies who receives rice
every Sunday to help them survive. Aramata's case is very similar. She is a
lovely Malian lady who doesn't speak a word of French (like Elisabeth). Her
husband is also unemployed, and they're trying to survive with their many
kids from the little Aramata earns washing clothes. Because of that job she
is unable to be in the service from the beginning, but she comes over when
she is done. We also help her out with rice and pray for a job for her
husband, as well as that he joins her at church and with Jesus. LITERACY
COURSE Both Aramata and
Elisabeth have signed up to learn to read and write. Starting this Wednesday
I will teach 18 people (who don't speak any French) how to read and write in
Bambara. I've got some wonderful Christian materials for that, so that the
gospel will be sown at the same time (most of them are Moslems).
OTHER CAM
ACTIVITIES We now have activities
nearly every day, and I need to be careful not to become too busy. After all,
it's all about our relationship with Jesus, about BEing not DOing. MONDAY English class. Most Malians are
eager to learn English, so I'm constantly approached by people wanting to
join the class. A week ago we dedicated
one little room here as a prayer room we call it "Holy of Holies"
where anyone can come pray. It has maps and verses on the wall, always
worship music running, some bread and wine for communion, and blankets to be
on the floor. We are planning on using it once a week as a healing room. With
one word, it's our own little IHOP ;-) Last Sunday, we started
the distribution of rice to the widow and poor. Blessing the street kids with
rice is a bigger challenge, because it has to be cooked and we don't have the
facilities for that (I just have a propane gas bottle I cook directly on). STREET KIDS We have not yet picked up
on ministering to the street kids again because of several slight hindrances.
One is a car; without one it's nearly impossible to go where the kids are and
you can certainly not take anything with you (like food or clothing). So
right now we're planning another "party" for them at Easter. A few weeks ago I was
walking from school to a friend's house, passing through the neighborhood
where "our" kids spend the night. As I was walking along, somebody
called me. I turned around and saw two of our kids. They were so happy to see
me, as was I, and then they said to me that they were hungry. The
"spokesperson", maybe 14 years old, seemed to be on drugs. I told
them I wouldn't give them money but buy them food at the next opportunity. So
we got to one of the many little places where you can buy breakfast and I
bought them bread and an omelet each. At that same time two more of my kids
came by, this time two of my students, who joined us there, helping
interpreting and watching what was going on. One of those two students was Birama.
The other week, Birama
came and watched the "John" movie (word-by-word that gospel). The
other day, he asked me for a Bible. He came on Sunday (two hours late) and I
gave it to him, talked to him and prayed for him. Simon-Pierre who is in the
same class said he was serious about becoming a Christian. After leaving the two
street kids to continue on my way, it didn't take long before two more kids
"found" me. This time maybe an 8-year old with a 5-year old; I
didn't recognize them, but they recognized me apparently. They started
smiling those huge smiles, and that's all they did. Unfortunately there was
nothing anywhere to buy them anything and I had arrived at my destiny. My
heart was breaking, as I just wanted to take them home with me and take care
of them. Interestingly enough, I saw the two again some days later on my way
home from school. I was just buying some grilled meat when they saw me and
started smiling again. I took the meat and gave them each some. Again, I just
longed to take them with me! I wished we could do more
for all these lonely, unloved kids on the street that are unprotected,
exploited and who just try to survive. We are right now praying
that the Lord would give us a property, that He would lead us to it even
before the summer, where we could not only build a church but a home for
these kids. Please join us in that prayer! Properties in Bamako are
expensive, but we are absolutely convinced the Lord will provide! These kids
are His chosen army! Let's love them into the kingdom and equip them to go do
the same! LEGAL
RECOGNITION We've taken steps towards
legal recognition as a church, by the government and by the association of
churches in Mali, which is all not that easy, yet important. Your prayers are
very much desired. SIMEON GOING
TO MOZAMBIQUE I have the great joy to
announce to you that Simeon will do a three-month school with Heidi Baker in
Mozambique this summer. Heidi is doing her first missions school, with
well-known speakers from all over the world, where the students won't only
get great teaching but they will go into the bush to evangelize, as well as
live with the orphans. They accepted 120 students, and Simeon was the very
first one who was accepted AND received a scholarship (it looks like he is
the only African student). Simeon had already seen himself there in visions
before I ever told him about the school, and he's very excited about this
life-changing opportunity, now working hard to improve his English. I'm also
very excited for him, a proud Mom, knowing he won't be the same coming back. The only costs involved
for Simeon are his flight. Flights within Africa are very expensive, so that
he will need about 1700$ just for the flight. Simeon doesn't have a
single dollar yet (and I'm already helping out with passport, visa and his
monthly needs), so people of God, if God calls you to enable Simeon to do
this school, please mark your donations clearly with "Simeon", and
they will go directly to him. What excites me so about
this is that Heidi's ministry in Mozambique is a model and example to us in
Mali; we want to and will see the same things here! So may Simeon bring back
a huge impartation for our country to be changed for His glory! By the way, with Simeon
gone for three months, I'm planning on going to Kansas City and Austria
during that time. I will let you know more details as I know them. PRAYER
POINTS * New believers like
Sekou, Elisabeth and Aramata growing roots. While in Austria I
discovered some of you thought I'd prefer you DON'T write the opposite is
true; I WANT to hear from you every email is precious. May our lovely, glorious,
Bridegroom King of kings, almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, Lord of
all things including Mali, Savior, Brother and Friend, draw close to you and
overwhelm you with His abundant, overflowing love and glory! Loving HIM & living
for HIM, Claudia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cell (+223) 696 0050 Talk to me online with msn messenger - I'm
"healing2thenations" IMPORTANT: Don't write my name on the check, but add
a note that it's for me. In
Europe: Swift
code: BKAUTWW https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=office%40glorywebservices.com&item_name=Claudia+Wintoch&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=USD |
