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ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The day before yesterday we had our biggest annual celebration, celebrating 13 years of Centre Apostolique Malien. It was in November of 2004 that I started a church and Bible School, and much has happened since. This year we had more people come than last year - about 140 - but baptized fewer people than ever. Only our own 13-year-old Moussa was baptized, and he was glowing the next day!

Paul was leading everyone in Bambara praise, with our kids as his choir, and then I shared the history of the church and center, before Randy prayed a birthday blessing over us. Moussa then shared his story, and we baptized him. What a joy to see a transformed life! Then the children played the Good Samaritan story which was the core passage of my message on loving God and loving our neighbor. I just love it when Holy Spirit comes and so obviously speaks through me which is what He did Sunday. People were listening intently as I spoke about God's love and shared what Jesus did for each one of them and that they could accept that sacrifice for themselves. Many raised their hands when I asked who wanted to start a relationship with Jesus, and we prayed a prayer of commitment together. Then we opened the front up for people who wanted prayer ministry, and everyone who came for healing said their pain was gone. Praise God!

Then it was time for our banquet. We had killed a sheep that morning so everyone would have fresh mutton added to their plate of couscous with onion sauce and also had sodas for every person present. We all had a wonderful time celebrating together and give God all the glory!

Look at all the pictures here.

NEW TEAM MEMBERS

A day after our own return to Mali we welcomed Andrew from Kansas City who came with the sole purpose of serving us. His humble and selfless attitude made him a huge blessing to us all and we wished we did not have to say good-bye to him after only one week. I asked him to write a few lines about his time with us:

When I felt God calling me to serve internationally, he led me to the opportunity to serve at the Centre Apostolique Malien through Healing 2 the Nations International. Here I was given the opportunity to meet and show God’s love to the boys and girls that have been given a home through this ministry. While sometimes it was as simple as playing soccer with the kids and sometimes as exciting as going with Paul to a village and praying over people there, my time there while short was a blessing in my life, and it is my prayer a blessing in theirs as well. If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to be used by God in a similar way I pray that you will accept His calling for you. Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

We had expected Magda from Romania to join us around the same time, but her departure to Mali was delayed until January. Please pray for her and our preparation. We are eagerly awaiting her arrival so that our children are supervised again, plus she will be a great asset and addition to the team as a kindergarten teacher.

She will come together with Chrisstina, another young lady from Romania, who will do her 2-month internship with us. We are looking forward to both their arrivals and the mutual blessings resulting from our partnership.

CHRISTMAS IN MALI

Now that our celebration is over, we can start thinking about Christmas. On Christmas Eve we are taking all our 32 sponsored kids as well as team members to a nearby restaurant for a chicken dinner and soda. For many of these children that's the only time a year they go to a restaurant, and for some the only time they get a soda. It's always very special for them, and we all have a great time together.

Then we all had back to our center and cram into our living room where the gifts are waiting for them by the Christmas tree. We put together a bag of goodies for all our sponsored kids, and all those living on our base draw somebody's name to give a gift to. We talk about the meaning of Christmas, pray, sing, eat cookies, and exchange gifts. I'm so looking forward to this special time, especially for the kids who have never celebrated Christmas before.

Two days later we will put on a big party for street kids and neighbors' children, playing games, praising God, teaching them, showing them a movie, giving them a special meal and soda, and then a pair of shoes for each one of them. It is love in a action in a practical way, in a country where most people are Muslim and where there are only few signs of the Christmas season.

All these things cost money, and we still have not recovered from all the additional expenses for school tuition and uniforms. The banquet of our celebration Sunday alone cost $420 or 350€, and our Christmas meal and street kid party costs hundreds of dollars/euros more. Please consider sending a special gift to put a smile on these children's faces!

QUICK NEWS

•        New Security Company - We have switched security companies and now have both day and night guard provided by them. It is an additional financial burden, but we believe it was necessary. This company is also responsible for airport security and run by a French man, so we're expecting better services provided by them (which is also reflected in the higher cost).

•        New Children's Program - After our return we started a new weekly program for street kids and neighbors' children, playing games and teaching an excellent curriculum from Kids in Ministry International. It's been a blessing to get to know these children better and start to see God move in their lives.

•        Disciple-Making Movement - Our groups continue to thrive and multiply. In January the pastor who taught us this strategy is coming to Mali with another pastor to do a 3-day training for all our groups.

•        Intercessors Needed - We're in the midst of a fierce spiritual battle. Randy has been attacked physically big time with several physical issues, the most severe being his ankle that he sprained only hours before our return to Mali and now makes him unable to walk for weeks. Also, our driver had an accident after our celebration Sunday when he drove people home (nobody was injured and our car is undamaged), and our carpenter had a severe motorcycle accident on the way to our celebration. His knee went out of joint and he has a cast and cannot walk, and his son injured his arm and head. We need intercessors covering us!

•        Building #4 - We're getting ready to start construction on our next much-need building which will serve as dorms and classrooms for our elementary school in the beginning, and will be our business and workshop section later. We're believing for it to be finished by next fall so that our elementary school can start in it then. Total cost: $99,000 or 84.000€.

•        First-Grade Teacher - We are still looking for a French-speaking first grade teacher to join our team next September. There is such a need for a good, Christian school where the children are treated with dignity and learn something. Many of our Muslim neighbors would send their children to our school. Please pray we'll find a teacher by next fall!

•      Sponsor Needed - We're looking for a half-sponsor for Patrice (10), our cook's son. If you'd like to enable Patrice to go to school and be taken care off, a half-sponsorship is $30 or 25€ per month.

•        Security Situation - The presidential elections are planned for next July. They just delayed local elections for security reasons. Mali is becoming more and more radicalized by jihadists. Please pray for peace, and for protection from jihadists.

•        Malian Leader Paul - Please continue praying for Paul who really needs to move back onto our base but his wife does not want to. He's looking for housing that is closer than where they live now. Pray also for his wife to fall in love with Jesus and support him in ministry.

•        Miracle Baby - Please keep praying for our promised child. Only God can create life, and nothing is impossible for Him!

•        Language Learning - Randy has been learning French for the past few months but will join our new team member Magda in my Bambara class.

•        My book in French - My book has already been out in English and German for years, and now it's only a matter of a few more weeks and the French translation will be out. Praise God! Please pray for the final stretch.

•        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.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (Phil 1:6, MESS)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)