Donations:

WORKSHOPS & BUSINESSES

DISCIPLE-MAKING SEMINAR

In January an Australian pastor came all the way to Mali to train our people in how to start a disciple-making movement. It was the same pastor that taught us a year and a half ago in Germany, and one year ago in Burkina Faso, where we invited him to come to Mali to train our people. We now have groups and second-generation groups going in Bamako, Dara, Falani and Sebela.

As people were coming a long way from our villages, we had to house them in our dining hall. For that purpose we bought 30 mattresses - a big expense of $1200 or 1000€. We also fed everything during the three days they were with us. All that was challenging financially - especially as we had to pay the next installment of tuition for our kids - but oh so worth it!

We had about 50 people that came for all the sessions, and they were so excited about what they heard! They would talk about it on the way home or late into the night on our base. Our speaker had a great gift of sharing with them on their level, and so they responded. On the last day, we practiced in small groups, and it went really well. I can't wait to hear what the attendees will be sharing how it impacted their groups back home!

Many of these believers came to know the Lord through dreams, and on the last day a family came to us saying that they had a dream of our speaker laying hands on their handicapped child and then she was healed. So he laid hands on her, and we are still praying for her healing.

Look at our January pictures here.

THIEF AMONG US

In the end of January the TV was stolen overnight from the common area everyone has access to. At that point we'd had the professional security company day and night for two months already, but the guard had not noticed anything. Paul believed it was an "inside job".

We have always had a lot of thefts - even the curtains were stolen from inside our windows through the bars, and twice! This time we decided to call the police. Even if we didn't find the thief, at least it would scare everyone!

However, it was a delicate situation as we didn't want anyone to go to prison. Long story short, one of our 14-year-olds opened up and confessed that one of our workers living on our base for the past 13 of my 15 years in Mali had told him to help her secretly get the TV off the base. She promised him money in return. Unfortunately, this young man always does every stupid thing anyone proposes to him. We kept this information secret until the police came to question everyone.

The police came to our base to look at where the TV was stolen from and then took everyone to the station to question them. That's when our 14-year-old told them what had happened. The police then questioned the lady who would not admit nor deny that she had stolen it. She just committed herself to "God and the Prophet", which makes me really sad as I believed her to be a Christian. For the police, it's all they needed to hear to believe she was guilty. However, Paul intervened so she would not go to prison and took her back home.

She continued denying what she did and said it was all a conspiracy against her. The 14-year-old had been threatened by her and the relatives involved in the theft, and the police made it very clear that nothing must happen to him.

My heart is broken as I trusted her completely all these 13 years I have known her. We are friends, she cooks for everyone and helps me in the household, and I would even leave her alone in our house. Her 4 children have grown up with me - two were born with us - and are like my own, which is also why we can't kick her out. I wished she had at least confessed what she had done. Please pray for her and us and the children.

CONSTRUCTION STARTED

On February 5th we started construction on our next building. Praise God! This building is to house our workshops and businesses. However, the most important purpose in the beginning will be to house our elementary school For that reason we have the lofty goal of finishing it by September. Our carpenter who has set up shop under a tin roof in our courtyard right now also gets to set up his workshop in his permanent location. And finally, our boys' dorm will move to this building so that we have a little apartment available for a family, and hopefully Paul and his family will move back in with us.

We have a great Christian builder who works for us for the first time, and we're really impressed with him. His team works fast, and we're also expecting greater quality. He has asked us if we could come up with an additional $5000 or 3000€ right now so he can tear down the property wall and rebuild the outside permanent wall. The total cost for this building is 84.000€ which at the current exchange rate is $104,000.

Why build a Christian school? There are many reason why it's burning on my heart to get our school up and running. The schools are the primary environment where HIV is being passed on as teachers force students to have sex with them. The whole school system is in French, which the children don't speak, and so they read, write and memorize and have no idea what they're reading, writing and saying. If they are caught speaking their mother tongue, they are punished and humiliated. Children also get beaten in school. Schools don't care about grades, and so children just go from grade to grade without knowing anything. Our own Habibatou is in 5th grade and can't even do 2nd grade stuff. I've taught in a little Malian High School for two years, so I've seen all this first hand. We need to have our own school, where children learn something and are treated with dignity. Even our Muslim neighbors will send their children to a good Christian school, which we saw when we started school with 5th grade two years ago, and went on for one year. We need to start with a 1st grade! Will you help us get this building up and our school started?

Please mark your donation with "construction". Click here to donate online or look on the left for other ways to give. Thank you!

QUICK NEWS

•        New Team Members - We are so blessed by our new Romanian team members Magda and Cristina who arrived over a month ago and who have been a tremendous help taking care of the children. Cristina has one more month, while Magda is staying long term. Please pray for them.

•        Language Learning - I've been teaching the girls and Randy Bambara every morning, and I'm very impressed with the girls' progress who get to apply what they learn with our children every day.

•        First-Grade Teacher - We are still looking for a French-speaking first grade teacher to join our team in 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 fall!

•        Malian Leader Paul - Please pray for Paul who has been dealing with a lot recently. Pray for his health, strength, and for his wife to fall in love with Jesus and support him in ministry.

•        Security Situation - The presidential elections are planned for July. Mali is becoming more and more radicalized by jihadists. Please pray for peace, and for protection from jihadists.

•        Health Update - Randy had to have a tooth removed that cracked a few weeks ago and has been in pain. His foot is better, but is still not all the way healed.

•        Miracle Baby - We've been looking at two different clinics in Slovakia and Czech Republic for IVF treatment. Please pray we pick the right one and pray for the procedure that will take place in March, that it will be successful.

•        My Book in French - My book has already been out in English and German for years, and now the French translation is finally available! Contact me if you'd like a copy.

•        Partners - We're looking for monthly financial partners as we only have 43% 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.

People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry, but when he is found, he must repay seven times what he stole. He must give all the property of his house if necessary to meet his fine. (Prov 6:30-31)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)