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SECOND CHURCH ANNIVERSARY

Two years ago we had our first church service, with 80 people, baptizing two young men. Last year we celebrated our first anniversary, baptizing four people, one of them Paul, another Sekouba, my first street child turned son. This year I asked the Lord to double it again, and he did. I had the joy of baptizing eight people, who all came to the Lord this year:

My three children Abdias (brown), Fousseni (blue left) (both former street children) and Saloum (blue middle), as well as Souleymane, one of the children from the village where we minister. There were also three adults: Fanta, Seybou's wife and Hama's mother, who cooks for us, and who came to the Lord in January, as well as Firmin who's lived with us since Sep, helping with the kids, and Mathias (far left), Firmin's cousin, who also attends our Bible School and is growing in the Lord. Kassim is the eighth; he unexpectedly missed the service, so that we baptized him a few days later.

It was a time of great joy. We had a lot of first time visitors, who sang with us, heard the story of how CAM came to be, and listened to the sermon on Elisha and the Elisha generation. Each baptism candidate gave a short testimony of how he came to the Lord and how he's changed, and it's always touching to hear their stories, and see the little role you've played in it. It's those times that make me say: It's worth it!

After the baptism, each newly baptized believer received a certificate and prophetic picture and was prayed and prohesied over. Three hours had passed, and it was time for our banquet. We also set up the screen and showed the movie NARNIA, which they loved.

OUR FIRST SCHOOL TEACHER

For several months I was looking for a teacher for our kids. Three came by, but I never felt God's green light to employ any of them. I gave up the search and continued teaching our kids myself. One day I received a phone call from Issa, who had heard that I was looking for a teacher; he didn't even know who told him. Today I know it was God who sent him. This is the second week of him teaching our children.

Issa is 26 years old and has been a believer for a year - the first in his family. Because of that he's suffering from the hands of his Muslim family, and we allowed him to move in with us already, even before the end of the trial month. He is hungry to grow in the Lord, to learn, to have fellowship with other believers, and is so happy to now be a part of our growing family. Issa is currently writing his university thesis to receive his diploma; his topic is education for street children. Issa has a clear call to minister to street children, and he's just wonderful with them. The children respect and love him. Issa has done a short training on education from a Christian viewpoint, which was a qualification he had, but he still has much to learn. I'm going to take him under my wings, helping him become the best teacher he can be.

Marie just got married and was planning to also come teach the kids. We will actually need two teachers for the following reason:

EXPANSION OF SPONSORSHIPS FOR NEEDY KIDS

Together with CCARA - the German organization managing the sponsorhips - we have decided to also help children that do not live with us, but come to us for help. We have at least two families in our church, where the children cannot go to school because they have no money, and where the kids have to go find food in other people's trash. We are now looking for sponsors for those children, so that we can teach them, treat them medically, provide them with clothes, and we're also gonna feed them on a daily basis. Once they all have sponsors, we're starting a first grade class with them all.

All the children alread sponsored, and looking for sponsors, are on my website, with their stories and pictures. Have a look, and contact me if you'd like to save one of them. Please understand that you can probably not pick a specific child but that we're gonna assign you one prioritizing according to need and other factors.

VILLAGE MINISTRY

Once a month we go to the village of Dio, where we are partnering with pastor Enoch to reach the region with the gospel, and now also to save children from hunger and hopelessness. Just a few days ago Enoch shared with me very honestly about his situation.

Totally abandoned by his organization and other people who promised help, he couldn't even feed his own family any more. Selling his ducks, chicken and pigs was barely sufficient, and then a sickness killed the remaining piglets. Besides his own family, many children show up every day, hoping to find not only spiritual food. And even that had become scarce. Prayer had become a deadly exercise, and few things ever happened any more in the church.

That was Enoch's situation when we first met nearly 3 months ago. We've been giving them rice so that they don't have to hunger any more, and he and his wife are attending our Bible School every Tuesday. They have started praying every morning, like we do, and thanks to the fresh manna from heaven, the remaining spark has become a flame again. Enoch shared how they have started to revive again. Praise God!

Last time we were in the village, we prayed for a 3-year-old boy who could neither walk nor talk, and his parents had tried every witchcraft possible on him. We prayed for him, and this time when we returned, we received the report that he had started walking three days after we had prayed for him. Awesome God! This time we prayed again, that he would start talking. I asked Enoch whether he wouldn't want to grab the opportunity to preach the gospel, and as he didn't, I was ready to start when he urged us to go on to the next family. Let's pray for that family to start following the One that could do what nobody else could do.

Dio has 4000 inhabitants, and Enoch is the pastor of the only (tiny) church in town, that has mainly children show up on Sunday. We gave him a bike so he can now preach the gospel also in the surrounding villages, and we are going to help him with this big and difficult task. On December 26 we are going to have a big Christmas service, showing the Jesus-film, and preaching the gospel, praying for the sick... may many more be healed and come to know the Savior.

Two thirds of the popluation of Mali lives under the poverty line, and so there is also much need in Dio. We have decided to start sponsoring those needy children there who have often been abandoned, passed around, rejected, and now have nothing to do but kill time from morning till evening, and hope not to be too hungry to not sleep. Last time, I took picture after picture, writing down story after story, and at times my heart was so very heavy with the pain those little ones have gone through. Their stories are also on the website to be read. We now have 19 kids in the village that are all waiting to find a sponsor. Once they have one, they can eat - pastor Enoch was shocked when I proposed 3 meals a day - go to school, be treated medically, and have clothes that are not torn. Please help us provide the most basic needs for those children.

BIBLE SCHOOL

Just a few more weeks and the first trimester of this year is gonna be over. We have 5 students - two pastors (one of them Enoch), two new believers (Mathias and Firmin who were also baptized), and Marie. Simon-Pierre started, but left to go to Algeria to study for three years. It came as a shock, a sudden surprise, when he showed up saying he was leaving that very night. When I taught German at High School here in Bamako, he was one of my top students. Because he is such a good student, he got a scholarship to study near Algier. We layed hands on him, blessing him, and committing him to the Lord. Simon-Pierre had tears in his eyes when he got up, and I was also very disappointed to lose this promising young man who has a call to be a pastor (but he doesn't know it yet). He is a very young believer, weak in faith, and I'm very concerned for him, being in such a Muslim country alone. If any of you has any contacts in Algeria, I would love to pass it on to Simon-Pierre so he can have fellowship with Christians.

PROPERTY UPDATE

There has finally been some movement, thank God. The long wait is pretty challenging, when you can't do anything but pray.

We are now planning on starting construction in April. We had a good conversation with the mayor's assistant, who told us that the preliminary work is in progress and will be completed in March. If there weren't still people on our property, they could let us start right now, but now those families first have to be moved, and for that they have to wait for the final papers being released in March.

Our construction manager Kossi has already done much work so that construction can start immediately when the papers are through. Our Amerian architect Peter has also put much work in drawing the plans for phase 1, so that they should be done soon.

We are still looking for investors who'd like to partner with us, since this is a costly project. If any of you has any contacts or ideas, please let me know.

The first building phase will start in April and be completed by July. We're moving onto our property by the end of July. Costs are about $180,000 for that first phase. So far, the well is paid for, but you can still finance the following:

$20,000 - Wall surrounding the property (250 m)
$36,000 - house for team members
$45,000 - my house
$50,000 - electricity supply (several hundred meters)

More details on my website.

We continue going on our property every Friday, teaching our neighbors' kids about Jesus and having fun with them. We all squeeze into our little car, and usually make it all there at once. I've finally taken a picture of the car with us, so that you can see its size in relation.

Enoch, Paul, Emmanuel, Simeon

TRIP TO ACCRA, GHANA Nov 24-Dec 2

The unthinkable has happened: I'm really going to Ghana, my first West African country after Mali! And the even more unthinkable is that Paul is coming with me. Finally no visa hindrances (in contrast to trips to Europe or the US).

We are leaving this Friday to fly to Accra, where we are staying for one week before returning to Mali on Saturday. We are spending the weekend with pastor Daniel, who contacted me by email, inviting me, because they'd like to start a work among orphans and street children. I'm preaching in his church on Sunday. From Monday till Thursday we are attending an inner healing seminar, where the founder of a certain widely-used approach is teaching how to effectively facilitate inner healing when praying for people. I've used this approach somewhat, but really know too little. The inner healing ministry is absolutely essential for the (former) street children, so that they can be set free and whole. We've prayed for them somewhat before, but will do so more when we get back. I've asked myself more than once whether Sekouba would still be here, had we been able to pray for the healing of his heart. Since Paul assists me in that, he's accompanying me to Ghana. Please pray for a supernatural gift of understanding and speaking English. Paul is VERY excited about this trip - his first flight, and on Sunday he wore a suit for the first time (that he borrowed for the trip). Pray that this will be a life-changing experience for him.

In the summer the Lord spoke about new nations opening up; could this be one? Please pray also for both of us during the trip, for protection, divine appointments, wisdom, ears to hear, and much fruit.

Pray also for the rest of the team and the kids that remain. Paul normally takes my place when I'm traveling and now he's not gonna be here either. Pray for much grace on Firmin, as well as Issa, and Seybou, Fanta and Emma.

QUICK NEWS

•    Please pray for my health. I've had a cold for nearly two weeks now. The short nights of 4-5 hours have taken their toll. Not only physically, but also spiritually and emotionally. I find myself irritable because of the tiredness, which doesn't help at all. I'm hoping to catch more sleep while in Ghana next week.

•    Issa joined our team, but still, monthly supporters are lacking. Please pray for much needed provision. Every party costs much money - the anniversary of last Sunday, and the Christmas party ahead.

•    We have several visitors coming in the next few months. On Dec 12 two Christian Austrian men are coming for a month to stay with us, doing muscial studies. And the first week of January a friend from Vienna is coming for a week. We are also expecting some Germans in the beginning of February. Any visitors are always welcome!

•   Seybou passed his driving test, but he is still waiting to receive his permit. Paul was denied a permit because of his bad eyesight that can only be corrected by an operation in Europe. However, they changed their mind and are gonna let him do the exam anyway. So, I'm still driving Anatloe and Etienne to kindergarten and back every morning.

•      Last time I told you about Kassim, the university student, who has come to know the Lord. It turned out not to be true. He is close, but still hasn't given his life to Him.

•    Sekouba has left Bamako to go to another town in Mali where he has family. I often think of him, like a mother of her son, wondering how he is doing. Keep praying for him. One day I will see him again.

•    I was able to take a special walker for Hama back to Mali with me. He's now doing exercises ever day and is making progress. Should the Lord wait with healing him, he should be able to walk one day anyway. What concerns me is that I've recently noticed that Hama is stuttering. Please pray for his complete healing.

•    We have two beds left in our house to take in new kids. We now have more kids again that come to our weekly program, and also younger ones. Please pray that the Lord would show us the ones He has chosen to stay with us.

Well, this was short summary of the events of the past two months. Please don't hesitate to give me feedback, as I'm always happy to receive email.

May the Lord bless you abundantly!

In HIM,

Claudia

Our team and seven sponsored kids.