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A FEW WEEKS IN AUSTRIA

I've had four wonderful weeks in my country of origin, the country I left 6 years ago to go to Bible School, and then on to Mali. I enjoyed my brother's wedding (picture), seeing family and friends, eating the food I grew up with, going to stores, using trams and subways, being in western worship services, receiving words of encouragement, seeing people embrace the vision for Mali, the cold weather, going to the gym, being the same as everyone else (and not the only white person around), and many more things.

I came from Mali with a heaviness because of our desperate financial situation, but after three weeks of discouragement, the Lord met me in worship. It was so beautiful! I repented of carrying that burden, of taking His place. HE is the one to take care of everything, not me. HE is our provider, not me. My worrying doesn't make any difference at all. I felt so much lighter, and that lightness increased with each service that weekend.

I had the joy and honor of visiting three new churches where I was received so warmly it totally amazed and blessed me. As I simply shared what God is doing in Mali, the Lord touched people's hearts and encouraged them as well - and I saw that happening everywhere I went. Once I had the joy of preaching in an international church, and the Lord spoke so much in advance already and chose to use me for His purposes there, blessing many. In another church I prayed for the sick, and one lady had a tumor disappear. Praise God! He uses the most unlikely people!

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FINANCIAL UPDATE

I want to thank all the people in Austria who have given generously as the Lord touched their hearts for Mali. Their giving has allowed me to pay off the debts accumulated due to the lack of monthly support. Praise God! I'm still in need of monthly supporters, as only a third of our budget is covered, i.e. $950 of $2700.

In the meantime, the well and watertower have been built on our property (not actual picture), and are completed. Hallelujah! Our construction manager has asked for money to continue building but so far we do not have sufficient funds to continue.

We need to pay half the price for the electricity installation now so that the electricity department can start building, and they want the other half when they are done (it takes at least 1 month). The total cost is $44,000, and we currently have $4000.

Without electricity, we cannot draw water from our well, and without water, we cannot build. We could rent a generator so we have water and start building the wall, which costs $21,000, but no funds are available for that. After the wall that fences in our property we can finally start building the two buildings of the first phase which has to be completed by the end of September.

As an act of "crazy faith" I have given notice that we're moving out of our current house end of September. So we're moving onto our property end of September, whatever the progress of construction may be. We're all praying and believing for the necessary money to come in any time, since there are 3 months left and that's how long it would take to get everything done.

But right now, I can't even go to the property since it's on the edge of town with no way to get there and back, since we do not have a vehicle right now. The purchase of a Toyota pick-up truck is highest priority, and we're praying and fasting for that vehicle to be released from heaven. It costs about $20,000, and we currently have $2,000 towards that.

There are two bigger amounts of money for us tied up that only prayer will release. One is the sale of a valuable instrument (send a buyer!), and the other needs a hardened heart touched to return money owed. Please join me, my kids and my team in prayer for this miracle!

BREAKING NEWS: I've just received word that the Austrian Development Agency where we deposited our building project has rejected our proposal. The reason they gave us was "discrimination" because we only employ Christians in our church and orphanage. They would have sent a 5-digit amount of money towards our construction work.

CRISIS IN MALI

For these past several months we have not had running water during the day (with exceptions), but had to wait until 1 am to fill up all containers and bottles to be used the following day. We've been hoping for that to be resolved with the arrival of the rainy season end of May, but one month later, it's barely raining and the government has asked the Christians to pray for rain. One month into the rainy season, the streets are still dry (instead of covered in water), and the heat has not lessened. The rivers keep getting lower and lower, and the hydroelectric plants in countries neighboring on Mali cannot produce the electricity needed any more.

The result is power cuts all over West Africa, and the situation has also affected us in Bamako. It's already been two weeks that the electricity is gone for 6-8 hours a day; that means no more freezer, unbearable heat at the absence of fans, no computer work and no light. It's a very difficult situation, and there is no end in sight. Mali doesn't have hydroelectric plants, but it imports its electricity from those countries.

I took this picture in Mali in 1999.

Not only don't we have power, but if it doesn't start raining soon, it will have serious effects on agriculture which is what most people live on. No rain, no harvest, no food; the results could be disastrous, especially in the already poor and struggling north. I'm praying that the rains would pick up soon, and that the Lord would enable us to reach out to those starving with food as well as the word of the Lord.

Scientists are saying that floods and dry periods alternating will be the norm in the future.

QUICK NEWS

•       Daouda - Upon my return to Mali we were going to take in 14-year-old Daouda who's come to the Lord and whose family then locked him up. Daouda was on fire for God, saying he's ready to die for Him. He wanted to finish the academic year at school and then find refuge with us. However, we just received word that the family has already sent him to another part of the country where they put him into Quranic school. Pray for Daouda, for protection and for Jesus' presence to surround him, and for him to come back and be safe.

•     Souleymane - Abandoned by his mother as a baby, he first grew up with an aunt until she passed him on to our pastor in the village. After 14 years, her new husband has pushed her to demand her son back, and so Souleymane has been with those strangers (not believers of course) for the past week or so. However, there are problems as suddenly his Mom's husband doesn't want him any more, and neither does Souleymane want to stay. Please pray that he can return to the village soon.

•       Fousseni - His Dad has caused us problems before, coming to our house and demanding his son back or back for a while. During my absence he has shown up again and demanded his son for the summer months. Please pray against the spirit of anger in him, and that he won't come back to cause any more trouble. Pray for peace for Fousseni who was beat up all his life by his Dad, before he left him to live on the streets.

•      New Children - Pastor Enoch in the village has taken in two new children, brothers who were recently orphaned, 6 and 12 years old. They still need sponsors for $50 or 40€ a month. We're also starting sponsorships for poor widows or divorced women who have several children to raise.

•       Sotoly and Goro - Both villages where we ministered in May and where hundreds were healed and saved have closed their mosque and want to build a church. Hallelujah! The neighboring villages are also asking us to come - which we will do once we have a car again.

•      Visitors - This summer we're having four visitors with us in Bamako, each for a month. Three of them are French Christian girls who are gonna help in various ways, and one is an Austrian student who is not a believer and who wants to simply improve her Bambara. Please pray for a fruitful time for us as well as them.

•      USA Trip - I'm going on a 6-city-tour to the USA on Aug 9, returning to Mali Sep 18. My path will lead me to California, Georgia, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Ohio, visiting friends, sharing and preaching, and attending one of my best friend's wedding. Details on the left and always up-to-date on my CALENDAR page on the website.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Phil 4:19-20)

All HIS ,

Claudia

Our Resident Family of 12
(March 2007)