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ADOU (15) SAVED FROM BEING BURNED ALIVE

We have three different groups of kids. The street children who just spend the night on our base, get fed physically and spiritually and return to the street during the day; the former street children we have taken into our home, who are like our children, and the non-resident children who have one or two parents they live with who are poor and can't afford to send them to school and provide for all their needs.

Ever since we opened our gates at night for the street children eight years ago, we've had problems with our neighbors who accused us of bringing those kids into the area who then steal from them. Every time there is an incident in the neighborhood, we get blamed, and the police has been here countless times because of it. A few years ago the neighbors decided to attack us, saying that calling the police makes no difference at all, but thankfully, Paul was able to diffuse the situation. For our neighbors, the street kids that only spend the night on our base are also our kids we are responsible for.

Last week one of the street kids who sleeps often in our center stole money and fabric from a neighbor and got caught later. The neighbors beat him up until that kid Adama claimed that he gave a third of the money to one of our resident children, Adou (15). So the whole neighborhood marched to our gate to question Adou. Randy and I were not at home (which happens only about every 10 days) - God's providence, we believe - and Paul was in town with us. Adou came to the gate and told them he knows nothing about it all (which was true). However, the neighbors didn't believe him, grabbed him and took him to the guy's house where the money was stolen. That man then started beating Adou up, demanding to know where the money was. When he said he'd stop beating him if he confessed, Adou said he did it.

A big crowd had gathered by now, as the neighbors tied up both Adou and the real thief Adama to burn them alive. Something that is not uncommon these days in Mali and that people even get away with. One of our neighbors who is our friend tried to intervene and talk to the men, asking them to wait for Paul's arrival to sort things out.

We returned by taxi, oblivious to what had transpired. Paul was informed, and went to the police station where they had taken the boys. While he was there talking to the police, he got a phone call from that friendly neighbor informing him that the neighbors were banding together to attack our center. So Paul had policemen sent (which you have to pay for) to have the neighbors who beat the boys up summoned. When police showed up in our neighborhood, the neighbors got scared and abandoned their attack plans. Later that day Paul had those neighbors released, telling them he was not pressing charges, and telling the neighbors he forgave them, which amazed them.

The police informed Paul that the boys' case was not in their jurisdiction but that they had to go to the government office for children's affairs downtown. That office deals with anything children related. The inspector in charge of children's centers questioned the boys alone. She told Paul that as soon as the boys entered she could tell Adou was innocent (I believe she saw Jesus in him) and Adama guilty. Adama admitted to the theft and to having blamed Adou for no reason.

When the inspector heard that we do not have legal papers for our children's center, she told Paul that he was going to prison. But then several inspectors that have known us for years intervened and told her about us and about the great work we do. Paul also let her know that the papers have been going in circles at the government office as we've been working for years on making our center legal. However, when you're Christian, and you don't line the pockets of every official...

Adou returned home with Paul, while Adama went to children's prison for what he had done. Paul was required to bring proof that our papers were in fact being worked on, which is as time- and money-consuming as everything government-related. The inspector was impressed with what we do and wanted to help, letting us know that very soon the government was going to start cracking down on illegal children's centers. So a few days later she went to the government office with Paul who was amazed as door after door just opened and they breezed through them, and he was assured that we'd hold our papers in hand in no time at all.

What an amazing God! Adou has been through a nightmare, but he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ. And now what the enemy meant for death and harm and loss, God has turned around for His glory. We praise Him for His love and protection and guidance! He is good!

Click here to see all the June pictures.

OVER 200 SAVED & COUNTLESS HEALED

Besides the church in our center, we have two village churches. Goro is a two-hour drive away, and we have not been able to go there since we lost our last vehicle as it is too remote. Dara is a 45-minute drive away, and Paul moved pretty close to it last fall, so he continues ministering there every week.

A while back a believer from a remote village called Sebela came to the church in Dara and pleaded with Paul to bring the gospel to his village. He said the village chief himself wanted him to come. So a few weeks ago Paul got on that believer's motorbike with him for the long 2-hour journey to the remote village that cannot be reached by car. Paul healed the sick, one after another being healed, and then preached the gospel. About 500 were present, and over 200 decided to follow Jesus - including the village chief. Awesome God! A new church was born!

Several weeks had passed when Paul returned to Sebela this week. Already the rain had made it hard to get there, and he knew it was his last time going there until rainy season was over. Arriving he found out that the Imam and Muslim community was not happy that suddenly 200+ of their people had become Christians. A council meeting was called where Paul had to appear. To his amazement, not only the village chief had become a believer but most if not all of the elders and council members, so they all were on Paul's side, defending their freedom to choose what God they follow. It was a resounding defeat for the Muslims! They cooked a special meal in honor of Paul and gave him a goat to give to us as a gift.

Please pray for this new church and the new believers.

Click here to see all the pictures from Sebela.

EVANGELIST SARATA

Sarata (just turned 11) is the only girl among our resident children and has lived with us since she was 6 months old (except for a 9-month period when her Dad took her away). She has a very special place in my heart. For many years she was indifferent to God, certainly spiritually affected by her Dad who had renounced Christianity again and left the family with us, only visiting from time to time.

All that changed a year ago when Patricia King spent two days with us and called her out twice to prophesy over her. Sarata has never been the same, now loving God with all her heart, which is so exciting to see.

A few weeks ago a classmate of hers had stomach problems and went to the school infirmary, but she wasn't better. Sarata told her about Jesus and asked if she wanted to accept him as her Lord and Savior. She said yes, and so Sarata prayed a prayer of dedication with her. Then she prayed for her stomach, and she was healed. She then asked whether Sarata would be her best friend, and she said yes. That little girl has already taken some heat from friends and family for being a Christian now. Please pray for her as school is now on summer break for four months and that girl is the only Christian with her family, having no contact with Sarata.

REPAIRS & BEAUTIFICATION

On April 10th we woke up to our house standing in flames and caught inside. Thankfully we were heard and our boys tore the bars off the window so we could get out. We spent 12 days in the hospital with burns before staying at a friend's house for another 3 weeks to heal more in a cool and clean environment, and returned home on my birthday, May 14.

Paul had started repairing and restoring our home immediately, but those things take time. We returned home as soon as our bedroom was done - but that was the extent of it. Work continued for a few more weeks, and today we're just waiting on our carpenter to finish his work.

Four and a half years ago I moved into this third building on our base to make room for Paul and his new wife. Our builder hurried, did not put a breaker box in, and the money wasn't there to finish it all the way, so it was never painted. The enemy tried to kill us and destroy our possessions. With the fire put out, neighbors were still smashing in windows and tearing out bars and stealing valuables like our brand-new photo printer and video camera.

Yes, the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, and he did all that. We will be wearing scars on our body the rest of our lives. BUT GOD! Jesus came to bring us abundance, and God turns everything around for good! Today I'm wearing scars of honor, having had the privilege of suffering for Christ. Today we live in a house that is so much more beautiful than it was before. It now has a breaker box, hot water, and everything is painted. The carpenter has put our wardrobe in and will eventually finish the rest to complete the house.

While our neighbors could have rejoiced in another opportunity for us to be defeated and leave (we think it was a spark in a faulty adapter that caused the fire but who knows), expecting to see smoldering ruins and empty houses falling apart over time, they see our center today in more glory than it has ever been. All our buildings have been painted afresh, the gates and property walls painted for the first time, and a gardener has just planted 64 coconut palm trees along our property walls. While they'll need some time to become tall, majestic trees, we are now closer to looking like the oasis in the desert we are called to be than ever! All because the enemy decided to strike - I'm sure he really regrets it.

Yes, it is all God's doing, but we couldn't have done it without YOU, God's people, responding with love, compassion and concern to the situation we were in, not just with words but with deeds. Thanks to you all this has been possible! We pray that we will go on from glory to glory instead of going back to not having enough. Our hearts are stirred, full of hope, and full of anticipation as we are looking to continue construction work and build the next building on our base.

Click here to see all the renovation pictures.

CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION

The next building phase consists of our workshop & business section - a carpenter, tailor, basic shop, bakery, internet café and basic Malian restaurant. Those will serve a threefold purpose, 1. serve our community, 2. train our children, 3. create income for the ministry. Also, having those rooms would allow us to use them for dorms and our elementary school until the main building is done.

We found a new Christian builder that we are very happy with who is currently working on drawing up professional plans and calculating how much this next building will cost. After 4.5 years of not building it feels so great to move forward again! May all of the dreams and plans in God's heart come true!

QUICK NEWS

•        Our Health - We haven't hardly had any physical pain in a while, but the wounds haven't really changed any. We're now in the phase of trying to minimize the scars as much as possible, with mine being more severe and visible than Randy's. However Randy has been having heart issues since his botched infusion; please pray for him.

•        Bible School - We recently started our second trimester of Bible School. Unfortunately six of our eight boys failed the first trimester, so there is only two of them left this trimester, but even for one it is worth it!

•        Morning Prayer - The fire started right where we had all been praying together every morning for an hour. As soon as the living room was done and we had a TV again, we started our morning hour of prayer again and are having a great time starting our day together early every day like this.

•        Government Papers - We should have papers for three entities. Our church papers burned in the fire, and it takes time and money to get them again. Our mission papers (the first ones we got) need to be renewed every year, and they just would not do it. And thirdly, the children's center's papers could only be deposited after we got our church papers, and as you read above, we should soon get those. In fact, we're hopeful to have all three papers soon. Please pray to that end!

•        Elementary School - We're starting our elementary school on July 11, and much has yet to be done in preparation. Please pray for me in particular, as I'll be their teacher to start with. Pray also for God to call teachers in France to come to Mali to teach our children.

•        New Car - After a lot of research and several offers, we decided to buy a 13-seat Toyota Landcruiser going through an Austrian organization helping missionaries and whose representative I've known for years. However, we will have to wait till October or November before the car will be in our possession. While we have the money for the car and shipping, customs costs $12,750 or 11.250€ and we still need $9,850 or 8.750€ to be able to pay for that. However, a Christian at the government office said he's gonna try to get us a tax exemption. Please pray for this miracle to happen!

•        Florentin - Flo got a new heart valve in Europe three years ago and has recently been having issues including water in his lungs. He's now taking a good number of medications and feeling okay again. Please pray for him.

•        July - Randy's youngest daughter is getting married in July, and Randy is going to be in the US for that occasion for over two weeks, while I teach our new school. It will be our first time apart. Also, several of our kids will leave on a two-week YWAM outreach, while others go on a YWAM dance camp at the same time.

•        Sept-Nov - While our US schedule is full (see on the left) we still have some openings in Europe (also on the left). We're looking forward to seeing many of you again and making new friends and connections. Please pray for open doors and divine appointments, and especially for God to send French teachers to our school in Mali.

•        Donations - We were so amazed by all your generosity after the fire. Thank you so much! Unfortunately it seems that now we are seeing the other extreme of hardly any money coming in. We're still praying that God would put it on people's hearts to support us on a monthly basis so that we have more than the current 41% of our budget met.

•       Volunteers - We're looking for volunteers to come to watch and play and spend time with our children. No language skills needed, but French skills are helpful.

Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible].(Mat 5:11-12a, AMP)

Excited with HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)