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A DREAM COME TRUE

Impossibilities become reality, dreams come true, as they are pursued, sought after and prayed into unrelentlessy, continuously, and with great perseverance. Many don't ever see their visions fulfilled, their dreams made reality, because they lack single-mindedness and perseverance. The enemy tries to deter them from pursuing their goal, and far too often he succeeds. How many dreams are buried out there on the side of the road? How many visions dead and discarded? How many never enter into their destinies?

These past four years in Mali I've seen impossibilities become reality. I've seen dreams come true. And today - after 4 years of prayer - I'm overjoyed to introduce to you our new car:

2002 Toyota Hilux double-cabin pick-up with 175000km

In my last email update just over a week ago, this car was still an impossibility, still a dream I had pursued for 4 years. My team and kids in Mali were praying that I'd come back with the money for the car, but I just wanted to get the debts due the lack of monthly support taken care of. I was telling people how we are unable to go to our property or the villages or do anything without the car, while at the same time, I started accepting the fact and realizing I'd be less busy that way and could get some rest.

But the Lord heard our prayers, and He answered my kids' prayers for my return with the money for the car. An hour before I left Austria, I was given a big amount of money dedicated to the car that completed the amount necessary to purchase a decent car that will run "forever". I was stunned! And decided not to tell my kids and team by email but in person.

They were all gathered together the evening of my arrival, after a wonderful reunion with much joy of seeing each other again, and then I told them. The explosive response was deafening, as "hallelujahs" and shouts and dancing and jumping made the house shake!

And their faith has made quite a leap - if God could answer that prayer, He can also provide for the construction! Amen! And He does!

Emmanuel has been our "car guy" (though he's not around much unfortunately), and he immediately started research, activating his contacts. He immediately found our car (used by a government official), exactly what we were looking for, for exactly the money we had! The Lord's promise had come true!

What promise? A few months ago, when our old car was already "breathing its last", and we were praying for a new car, the Lord spoke to me that the new car would come "suddenly", nearly as if it dropped down from heaven. It has sure been quick, receiving the money on Monday, and completing the purchase just a week later! Emmanuel is taking care of the paperwork right now, which should take a few more days, and then we can go to our property, go to the villages, and go to the store! Praise God!

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

So far I've only seen pictures of the progress (since you need a car to go to our property). This picture shows the watertower before they put the container on the top.

Last Thursday they started building the wall around our property, which costs $21,000 (16.000€) and takes 3 weeks. We still need $15,700 (11.500€) to complete it.

We decided to shift priority from electricity to building, since it's better to have a house without electricity than electricity without a house when we move end of September.

Please pray for the necessary finances to come in to complete our first building phase. We still need $157,000 (115.000€).

OUR TEACHER HAS LEFT US

This first week back home in Mali, it felt like the enemy launched a counter-attack from all sides because of the advances we've made. I cannot share all of them with you, especially the most serious one, but our teacher Issa leaving us has also shocked, surprised and rattled us all.

A year ago I was the one teaching our kids - something I enjoy thoroughly - but I knew I just can't do everything myself, and so I started looking for a teacher. I turned down three teachers, feeling God was saying "not this one", until Issa mysteriously heard about our search. He was the one we'd been waiting for, and he started teaching in November. Issa was a young believer looking not only for a job but a community of believers. As an English major, he was also looking for an English-speaking environment, as well as a way to fulfill his call to work with street children. The match was perfect, the kids respected him, and things were going well. Issa become a huge blessing, a great addition to our family.

Several days he ago he simply informed me he was leaving; no discussion, no asking for advice, simply the facts I had nothing more to add to. We were all in shock. We discovered that all year long Issa had tried to write his Master's thesis (on street childen) and failed. This coming weekend he was supposed to go to the south of Mali to complete his Christian teacher training that lasts 6 weeks (he did the first part last summer).

But now he's leaving because he's panicking concerning his thesis he needs to get done. He's moved out and is doing just that right now.

A few months ago another teacher with great qualifications contacted me, and I've invited him for an interview.

In the meantime, we have one less team member, and if Firmin goes to his village for his summer vacation (starting in a month's time), Paul would be alone in taking care of everything while I'm in the US. May the Lord guide our steps, and give grace and answers continually!

Paul in his first own suit somebody in Austria donated.

FOUR VISITORS IN JULY/AUGUST

On my own first day home in Mali, our first two visitors arrived, two ladies from France who are believers and who are staying for a month. On Sunday another French lady is arriving, and on Friday a university student from Austria who does not know the Lord is coming to improve her Bambara. Rilla et Frédérique have already been a blessing, and they are also enjoying themselves. They are all gonna do the following:

Rilla (left) - doing much-needed translation work

Frédérique (right) - teaching our kids and adult women French

July - working with our little kids, teaching them French, playing games, etc.

Carina - improving her Bambara through interaction with our teenagers

We're also having much fun together, playing games with the kids, watching movies, and praying together Please pray for their time with us.

QUICK NEWS

•       Energy Crisis - Another prayer answered. The day before I returned to Mali, it started raining hard and did so repeatedly over several days. Since my return to Mali, we've had no significant power cuts, and even the water is on all day now. Praise God! Please keep praying for sufficient rains this rainy season; it hasn't rained in Bamako for several days now.

•     Souleymane - 14 years old, abandoned by his mother as a baby, and living with our village for a while, his mother's new husband suddenly forced her to get her son, but he then changed his mind and wanted Souleymane to leave again. Last week Souleymane moved in with us to spend his summer vacation here. He is a sweet boy who loves the Lord.

•       Final Exams - This week our kids had their final exams that I prepared, did, and corrected. Two of them had their grades go down significantly. Only one out of 4 has no F's, while the others have 2-3 (out of 5 subjects). They now have an intensive French class daily with Frédérique, then vacation in August, and they have to redo the failed exams in the beginning of Sep before school starts again.

•       Dio - Both villages that have come to the Lord are asking for me to come back, and now that we have a car, we're planning on going to Dio as well as the villages the last week of July. We've started sponsorships for poor families, and will do more groundwork to make it work, as well as writing down the stories of three new kids our pastor has taken in, and taking their pictures. Family sponsorships are 29€ each, and a single kid's sponsorship is 40€. Email me for more details.

•      Theophostic Prayer Ministry - Please pray for the TPM sessions we're doing with several team members and kids in the weeks to come to help them be freed of deep pain from their past.

•      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.

Nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)

In HIM,

Claudia

Our Resident Family of 12
(March 2007)