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DISCIPLE-MAKING MOVEMENT

Last November at a meeting with mission leaders from all over Europe we were introduced to the Disciple-Making Movement (DMM). We were immediately gripped by what we heard - testimony after testimony of Muslims getting saved and churches being planted in the Muslim world, even in the most oppressive countries. It was so simple, yet so effective, to let Holy Spirit bring the Word alive as you simply share it with people.

Upon our return to Mali, Randy read two books about it (Contagious Disciple Making by David Watson and Miraculous Movements by Jerry Trousdale) and started putting what we've learned into practice. In the beginning, it goes slow, but then you reach a momentum and it starts exploding. One thing that exploded immediately was the spiritual warfare. These past few months have been extremely difficult in that respect, and it's still not over (see more below). It made us realize the truth of what we were told and have known for a long time: We need intercessors that lift us up continually! I've tried for years to put together a committed intercessory team, but have not succeeded. If you are willing to intercede for us daily, please email me and let me know, and we'll keep you up-to-date!

WHAT IS IT?

Jesus sent out his disciples and gave them these instructions in Luke 10:5-7:

Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God] to this house.’ And if anyone of peace is there [someone who is sweet-spirited and hospitable], your [blessing of] peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house. (AMP)

Based on this passage, you look for these "persons of peace" that God has prepared, that Holy Spirit has been working on, and you find them by finding out their priorities. One way of doing so is by asking them the question of what they would ask of God if there was ONE thing He would grant them.

Once you've found a "person of peace", you ask whether you can share some stories with them. There is a set of 26 Bible stories to start with - and we have one geared towards Muslims - that introduce our God, and later Jesus. But from the first story on (the creation of the earth) you simply read the story and ask questions. What can we learn about God here? What can we learn about man? If this story is true, what will you change in your life this week? Who will you share this story with this week?

So from day one people OBEY the Word of God, and they go out and tell others (evangelize). If they don't do that, then they are not ready and no persons of peace. When they do, their lives start changing, and they start another group with other people that they have told the stories to. After a while, you have a lot of "home groups" or "house churches" of pre-Christians and later Christians.

DMM TRAINING

Randy started several groups after our return to Mali in November, and Paul and others came along to translate and help. They had not heard the teaching on DMM, so they later admitted that they thought Randy was "crazy". In February the missionary who taught us DMM in the first place flew to Burkina Faso to do a training, and we knew that was a great opportunity to bring our Malian leaders to hear the teaching and get the training. Having just gone through a few nightmare weeks and much turmoil, it was with some trepidation that we left Mali.

We had only just started using our car on January 24th as it took that long to get all the paperwork done. On February 4th Randy and I, our Malian director Paul, and two young men got into our car and we started the two-day journey to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The seminar lasted two days, and from the first session Paul was blown away by what he heard. He caught the vision and returned to Mali full of excitement, ready to put it all into practice. Now he's able to keep it going, even when we're not around.

We were thankful that the Lord was faithful to protect our base and everyone back home during our 6-day absence.

SMALL BEGINNINGS IN MALI

We have a few groups that were started, and some are going really well. Both Paul and Randy have been amazed at how much impact even the creation story has on Muslims that have never heard it, and they go around telling everyone what they have heard, eager to hear the next story the following week. Randy wrote about a group composed of refugees from the Central African Republic:

I don't have adequate words to express how amazing it is to be in a home of Muslims with their friends when they hear for their very first time God's creation story of man and woman. These are mostly Muslim widows whose husbands were killed by "Christians" and they have fled their country for their lives. After hearing the story twice in two languages and hearing their joy, we asked, "What will you change in your life this week if you believe this story is true?" Most of their responses were that they were going to forgive the ones who had murdered their loved ones! Only Lord God could touch someone to that response.

And from the same group another time:

This is soo radical! Reminds me of another radical--Jesus. Sitting in a room with mostly Muslim ladies telling the creation story of Lord God creating the heaven and earth in six days. Reading that God said everything He made was good. What is radical is that they have never heard this story. They are so excited that they are going to now tell their family and friends. Join me in praying that as Jesus' disciples who were a gutsy bunch at first, these will discover and obey Lord God as the Father leads them to His Son Jesus. It is amazing that they are not believers yet, but they are already excitedly telling His story just like Jesus commanded us to tell and obey.

Another time, the husband of the lady at whose house a group was meeting was so intrigued by what he heard, that he decided to go to Paul's house to find out more. Another lady who came for the first time reacted the same way. A few days later they both came to Paul's house and asked questions for three hours. At the end, they both gave their lives to the Lord!

We have started doing DMM in one of our village churches, and immediately had big crowds of curious Muslims show up. It was amazing! Randy wrote:

In an African village today we continued telling Bible stories to Muslims and former Muslims. This is so easy as we tell the story twice and then they tell it in their own words, practicing to tell their families and friends. God touches their hearts as only He can as they tell us specific things they are going to change in their lives. We are now in creation and the fall and will go to redemption leading to Jesus's life, death and resurrection. Please continue to pray for all these groups, that eventually we will hear as Jesus did from His disciples who answered His question: "Who do you say that I am?"--"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!"

This is from two other groups of Muslims:

After we read our story today on Adam and Eve's disobedience, we asked them, "What are you going to change in your life this week because of this story?" From both the morning and afternoon group, Muslims or former Muslims, a man and a woman said the same thing, "I will stop beating my kids." WOW! Where did that come from? And you know that it only came from Father God desiring relationship with His children.

One day, Randy was doing a meeting where they prayed for one lady's healing. That same unsaved lady suddenly said that God had just spoken to hear saying, "I will heal you." Even the unsaved hear God's voice!

When Randy first came to Mali, he went around looking for sick people and saw many miracles. This is what he wrote in January:

By looking for the persons of peace Jesus told His disciples to find, I was looking for a lady God had healed last year who could not walk and who had taken off running after He healed her. Now I had not been able to find her house. Our discovery groups tell of those in the community who have needs. We found a blind man this morning I too had lost touch with who received rice from us and has invited us back for a new group. Coming back this afternoon from a group we had walked over an hour to, a lady walked up to us who had recognized us. It was the lady who God had healed last year who had gotten up and ran to show us she was healed! Well now we have another discovery group location--at her house tomorrow.

A discovery movement in a country of 90 percent Muslims will not work without a prayer movement behind it. Please consider praying specifically for this movement. If you have groups that will pray for us, I can get you details. Again-- God is soooo good!

SPIRIT OF REBELLION IN OUR CAMP

Over the years we've gone through times when suddenly our children go crazy, often around holiday times. Unfortunately our children are very much influenced by the world because of their friends and classmates in school, where they are from Monday through Friday, often all day long. Another reason why we need a good Christian school for all grades.

In January a spirit of rebellion invaded our children, and children that have always been good kids suddenly became rebellious and disobedient and acted out. We tried everything we knew to do, but to no avail. With a heavy heart we finally had to tell one teenager to leave. We prayed over him, hugged him, told him we loved him, and wished him all the best.

Three other teenagers close to him decided to leave with him.

A week later we had to kick out another teenager who had always been a trouble-maker and was even caught taking drugs last year. It was unfortunate that he had become close friends with a good kid (and our newest family member) who decided to leave with him. Two days later one of our two remaining teenagers simply left as well, without a word.

Seven children between the ages of 11 and 17 left in total. Only one teenager remained who had not been under the influence of that same spirit and who stepped up big time, making us very proud. Another young man in his twenties was affected and gave me a very hard time for the first 5 days of our trip to Burkina Faso. On the last night we prayed together and Holy Spirit broke in and delivered and restored him and our relationship. Praise God!

This has been a very hard time for all of us, losing over a third of our resident children. The good news is that peace has been restored, and things have been going great since then. We made an extra effort to spend quality fun time with our children and took them to the zoo as well as a new ice-cream shop. We also took the remaining three students of our own school out to eat.

Please continue praying with us for those 7 teenagers, that they would be delivered, repent, and return to our family. At least one of them went to the authorities to harm us, and Paul has already been there twice for an interview, but the kid and his representative helping him did not show up either time, and so he is waiting to be called in another time. Please pray that the truth will come to light and that God would turn this situation around for His glory.

QUICK NEWS

•        Government Inspection - This week we have an unannounced government inspection because of our request to be a recognized and approved children's center. Please pray for this inspection, as anything could happen as a result.

•        Baby Coming - Fanta (our cook) who has been with us for a long time and whose three children live with us is pregnant. Please pray for her. Please continue also to pray for us get pregnant.

•        Our Health - Having just arrived in Austria, we have several doctor's appointments, the most important one being the dentist to take care of Claudia's tooth that has been hurting on and off since December, making her take antibiotics four times since then.

•        Our School - Our elementary school is down to 3 students, but is going better than before. The students now revise and master what we did the last few months before their exam early June. Please pray for French-speaking teachers to come to Mali to relieve Claudia as well as so we can start a first grade which is much needed.

•        Government Papers - Please pray we get the car customs exempt papers and the papers for our organizations soon.

•        Malian leader Paul - We'd like to send him and our young leader Joseph on a missions trip to Brazil with Randy Clark in June that would change their lives. If you'd like to contribute to this trip, please mark your donation accordingly. Also, please pray for Paul as he's tired and has a lot on his shoulders.

•        Language Learning - Please pray for Randy as he continues to learn the local language Bambara.

•        Building #4 - We're about to start building the foundation for our next building that will service as dorms and classrooms for our elementary school in the beginning, and will be our business and workshop section later. Cost: $94,000 or 84.000€.

•        Feeding The Poor - Some of you might not know that we've been feeding widows, the poor and refugees for many years. Recently a whole new avenue of ministering to refugees from the Central African Republic has opened up.

•        Partners - We're looking for monthly financial partners as we only have 49% of our budget covered by regular monthly donations.

•       Volunteers - Do you want to come change an orphan's life? Do you want to heal the sick? Preach the gospel to those who've never heard? Come to Mali for a season and let God change your life. No language skills needed, but French skills are helpful.

Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Shalom!’ to the household. If a seeker of shalom is there, your ‘Shalom!’ will find its rest with him; and if there isn’t, it will return to you. Stay in that same house... (Luke 10:5-7a, CJB)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)