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FROM WITCHCRAFT TO SALVATION

In 2008 we started a church in the village of Dara, and we've told you many testimonies of what God has been doing there. One of the older ladies in Dara is Sokona, who'd been invited to church many times over the course of the years. She always refused to come. Instead, she was doing witchcraft against us, without anyone knowing about it. That went on for many years. Then she got really sick and thought she was going to die. One night she had a dream. In that dream Paul and a few other Christians prayed for her and she was healed. So she called for Paul who came with a few other church members to pray for her, and she was healed. Two weeks ago she came to our church service and publicly repented in front of the whole church, telling everyone about her witchcraft. Then she gave her life to the Lord. Hallelujah!

HEAVY RAINY SEASON

Sanctions, inflation, and now a rainy season (July to September) with too much rain. Hunger and even famine have massively increased in Mali this year. Paul has just told me that 10% of Malians can only eat one meal per day. People desperate for food come to Paul regularly asking for rice, women often crying, not knowing how to feed their children. And now many people have lost their homes built with mud bricks as they crumbled due to the massive rains. This picture shows a part of our base on the left and the street outside completely under water.

Mariam, a widow, is one of those affected by the heavy rains. This picture shows her in front of her destroyed house, when we gave her a bag of rice. She's recently started attending our church in Dara and is now staying with friends. The church has already said they'll help her rebuild once the rainy season is over. That's what church looks like!

A bag of rice currently costs about $40 or 38€.

FAMILY CHANGES

Every time we are in Mali, things that have been hidden come to light. That was also the case on our last trip to Mali in December and January. Fanta moved in with me in 2005, a year after her husband had started working for me. Like her husband (who later fell away) she gave her life to Jesus. Three of her five children were born while she lived with us, and especially her oldest daughter who was six months old when she came, is like my own. Over the years, we were repeatedly having problems with her, and those problems only increased over the past few years. Even when she was caught stealing, for example, she would deny it, and one time it was Paul who kept her out of prison. While we there this last time, something else came to light that was the final straw. It was time for her and her children to move out. Little did I know then that it would take 6 months for that to actually happen.

Just before the day had come, her family was still trying everything to stop the move from happening, threatening us, and pleading with us. They ransacked our bathroom during their last night with us and left their rooms in really bad shape. We had rented a house for her and for her family, but it wasn't good enough so that another one had to be found that was twice the price (and we paid the rent for the first 3 months). On July 14th the day had finally come for her to move out. She has been coming every morning to still work for us since. We expected Korotoumou, a faithful widow from our church, to move in right away, but that was not the case either.

Korotoumou has been looking forward to moving in with her five children, and sees it as a privilege. When the school year ended, she sent her children to her family in the village in central Mali, as she did not know, when she could move to our base. After Fanta had moved out, she traveled north to go get her children and bring them back to Bamako, so they could move in. However, once she was there, she was not able to get out again. Jihadists control central Mali now, and they decided to not allow any vehicles to leave the region. Korotoumou had no choice but to stay and wait until they could go home. After a few weeks the government had come to an agreement with the djihadists who now allowed a few buses per day to leave the region. And so Korotoumou and her children were able to return. I thought they could now move in. Korotoumou has already moved her few possessions to our base, but is still waiting for her landlord to get what he had kept at the house under her guard. She's expected to be able to move in the next few days. Please pray for her.

And she's not the only one to move in this week. The five orphaned siblings we've been trying to get to our base since January are supposed to move in on Wednesday. First we were waiting for them to finish the school year, then the family wanted to make sure everything was in order and contacted the authorities to do it right. Just as everyone was about to sign the papers, their uncle discovered that we were Christians and suddenly decided he did not want that for the children. However, the authorities still want to give us the children, as the family is not able to take care of them. They said they'd try to convince the uncle to change his mind and if not, they would still assign responsibilty for the children to us. The papers are supposed to be signed on Tuesday. Please pray for the situation.

And now one more big prayer request for Paul and his wife and unborn third child, a girl. The baby is already overdue. Doctors discovered that it was not in the right position and decided to do a C-section. However, this is the third world, and so Paul had to first organize blood as a backup if needed during the procedure. He said he'd have it by Monday, and then they'll schedule the operation for some time next week. Please pray for everything to go perfectly.

So there are a lot of prayer request just about this coming week. Please pray as we go from 4 to 12 children on our base, with a new "Mom" on site. Pray for everyone to adjust well and easily, and for God's love and peace to reign everywhere, including the operation room.

SECURITY SITUATION & POSSIBLE TRIP

Just before we were supposed to leave Mali in January, the regional block imposed sanctions on Mali as the coup leader now president refused to hold elections. It took us days to find a way to get ouf of Mali then. The sanctions were finally lifted in July, after the president agreed to hold elections two years from now. But there have been other problems. After nearly 10 years in Mali the French have all left the country and moved to neighboring Niger. And the president is also antagonizing the UN troups that have been in Mali for the same amount of time to keep the jihadists at bay. He arrested 50 UN soldiers from neighboring Ivory Coast, claiming they had entered the country illegaly, and more and more countries now remove their people from those contingencies. The Malian president has instead brought in the Russian Wagner group that is alleged to be responsible for several massacres in Mali. As for the jihadists, they are now active in all parts of the country and attacks have taken place close to the capital city, with them announcing they would start attacking targets in the capital itself.

Since the birth of the triplets, we have traveled to Mali for December and January every year to be there for all our Christmas activities, making them as special as possible. Please pray that we would clearly hear from God whether to do so this year. We need to make a decision soon.

START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Inflation has hit Mali hard, with food and gas prices going up, and Paul just told me that school supplies all cost twice what they cost last year. That is terrible news for us, as we've always struggled financially at the beginning of the school year anyway, when we have to pay school fees and school uniforms and buy school supplies. While people all over the world struggle with high prices, it is the humanitarian organizations like us that don't benefit from any government help. On the contrary, as people have less money to give, even fewer donations come in, making things even harder for us. It will take an even bigger miracle to keep going, completely depending on God. We'd be thankful for any help to get us through this difficult time, and thank and bless everyone of you who has already given generously.

QUICK NEWS

•        Daily Blog - If you are not on Facebook but would still like to read my (nearly) daily blog about our life (with the triplets), including pictures, you can do so on our website. Go to https://h2tni.org/blog/.

•        The Triplets - Just a few weeks ago they celebrated their third birthday and had lots of fun. We're thankful that the insurance covered all the costs for Sammy's walker that he has just received. Sammy loves being on his feet and enjoys being able to walk with it. The kids are slowly starting all their classes again - dance, swimming, music and PE. That keeps them - and us - pretty busy. And I now have a good number of students I tutor online, filling up every last available minute I have.

•        Child Sponsors Needed - We still have 6 boys who need a sponsor to go to school and be taken care of. Please check out their stories here to choose who you would like to support for $60 or 50€ per month. Half-sponsorships are also possible.

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

•       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.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Phil 4:12)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)