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ELECTRIC FIRE

We were hauling some stuff onto the roof, when suddenly the cables of the electric pole (the one on the right on the picture above) caught fire, and lights went out in the whole neighborhood. The cables were making noise and burning brightly. I was amazed to be witnessing this, and wondering why it had happened, while Firmin next to me was screaming, totally frightened.

To my surprise, the electricity came back on in our house little time later, while it was still burning, while the neighbors remained in the dark.

GOOD-BYE, OLD CAR

It was already late, but Seybou took the car to go to a missionary's house to pick up an item. Since he works at night, and the night guard there could give it to him, there was no reason to delay it.

At 0:45, as I was getting ready to go to bed, my phone rang. I don't pick up in the middle of the night, but as it rang a second time, I looked to see who it was, and saw that it was Seybou. He told me that the car had broken down a 30 min walk from our house, right at the bus station. It simply died. He wanted some of our guys to come help him push the car all the way to our house.

Issa was sleeping inside with the kids, while Paul and Firmin were on the roof. I woke up Issa, but the other two had locked the door from the outside, and wouldn't wake up from our shouts. So finally Saloum left with Issa to walk to the bus station and find Seybou. I was praying for them. The bus station is no place to be in the middle of the night, plus Saloum doesn't have an ID card. You're required to have an ID when you're on the street at night, so I was praying no policemen would cross their path.

They all got home at 2:15 am, with the dead car, but without having had any problems.

I'm amazed once again to realize the miracle of our car working like it did while the Americans were with us. Truly, it was running on prayer only.

OBITUARY

In April 2006, after two and a half years of praying for a car, the Lord gave us a 19-year old Subaru. It was a bumpy road, with government papers, and repair after repair, but it served us faithfully these 13 months. I thank the Lord for all it enabled us to do. Thanks to the car, we were able to go to the bush and make a difference there. Thanks to the car, two of our little kids can go to kindergarten. Thanks to our car, we could go to our property to do ministry. And the list goes on.

Before the American team arrived three weeks ago, I already thought it wouldn't make it. But when they came, it suddenly worked without problems at all. You should have seen the way it worked in the bush, on the horrible roads, filled to the brim.

But now it has breathed its last; there is nothing more to do. The engine is gone.

NEW CAR

Starting tomorrow, Seybou will have to take the taxi to take the kids to school in the morning, and then to pick them up. That will add up quickly to be a substantial sum of money. Thankfully, it's only one more month until the end of the school-year.

I charged Paul to teach the ALPHA course on our property, discipling all the new believers there. Now he doesn't have a way of going there, since it's too far to walk. We're looking for a solution.

The thoughest is probably not being able to visit our pastor Enoch in the village, who is overwhelmed with discipling all the new believers, and who needs our help. But without a fourwheel-drive it would have been hard anyway.

In any case, we need a new car. I've been in Mali for nearly 4 years, and for all these years I've prayed for a Toyota double-cabin pick-up. Those who've known me all this time can confirm that.

A Toyota pick-up has the advantage of a fourwheel-drive, and the open space in the back would allow us to fill it up with kids who want to come for our street kid program, or fill it up with equipment when we go to the village, of bags of rice to hand out to widows and the poor.

We know that the Lord has that car somewhere for us, and we can only pray that He will release it into our hands quickly. In the natural, the situation seems impossible as the debts from the lack of monthly support already way on us (and me especially), as well as the lack of money for construction. The last few days have also been crazy, as the enemy seems to have released his retaliation, attacking each one at his weakest point.

But our God is faithful, and He takes care of His children! We trust in You, my Lord!

I'm off to the airport to go to Austria!

Serving HIM,

Claudia

Our Resident Family of 12
(March 2007)