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DARA'S IMAM & SECOND WIFE

We've shared countless testimonies from the small town - the biggest in the region - of Dara with you over these past few years. When people picked up stones to throw at the leaders of the mosque who had just given rice to their own relatives instead of those in need, the imam and the elders all ran to save their lives. When Paul ran into the imam on the street who then told him how upset he was with everything we've done in his town, turning so many to Jesus, Paul told him that he'd pray for him to know Jesus as well. Last Christmas, he came to our shoe distribution and was amazed at how many shoes we distributed without asking for anything in return. He even helped out for a little bit!

Muslims are allowed to have four wives, and it's a matter of wealth how many they actually have. It is pretty common for Malians to have two wives. The imam's first wife got sick, but the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with her. She died this year. Then his second wife contracted the same unidentifiable disease. Fatoumata was scared she was going to die as well. She wanted Paul and the Christians to pray for her healing, but her husband was adamantly against it. She kept insisting until the imam gave in. Paul and the local pastor prayed for her, and she was healed and gave her life to Jesus. The imam (in the middle on the picture) kicked her out right away. Thanks to the intervention of Paul and the neighbors, he allowed her to move back in, but he's still not happy with her bugging him about Jesus. However, he sees Paul regularly to talk to him and is in reality very open to becoming a believer. However, he's lived in Saudi-Arabia for 17 years and has led a comfortable life as an imam. He's scared of the consequences of becoming a follower of Jesus. Please pray for him.

PAUL'S OLDEST BROTHER

When Paul was a teenager, he lived with his oldest brother Bourama for a while. He was a Muslim and pressured Paul to become one as well. Paul prayed to know who is the right God, as his Dad was a catholic, and the Lord then led him to me, where he found Jesus.

Two days ago Paul visited his brother as he was about to have an operation to have this huge tumor removed from his neck. His brother then told him that he'd had a dream the night before, where he saw Jesus as well as Paul, and Jesus told him to let go of everything in his life. He did just that and has given his life to Jesus. Paul is overjoyed! He's asking for prayer for Bourama's operation.

I've painted over the tumor to not gross anyone out.

ROKIA & FATOUMATA

A while back we met the sisters Rokia & Fatoumata (21 and 15) in Dara. They had to watch the jihadists kill their parents and then fled to the south, where Rokia prostituted herself to feed herself and her sister. She stopped after we gave them a bag of rice. Thanks to the German NGO CCARA (and others that give), we're able to give away at least 40 bags of rice to families in need every month.

Their parents had been clothes-vendors, and so they had the dream of doing the same to make a living. We bought them two big bales of clothes to get started, and they rented a stall by the market, where Rokia sells the clothes, while Fatoumata sells them walking on the streets. They have now already bought more clothes to sell twice. When Paul saw her, he noticed the cross around Rokia's neck and asked who had given that to her. She said she had bought it herself, with the money earned, as they have now become followers of Jesus, and she wants the world to know, even though some people won't buy from her because of it. They're now part of the local church we've started. And they're about to start evening school to learn to read, write and calculate.

It is your prayers and your donations that have allowed us to help these girls in need. Thank you.

ANTAGONISTIC NEIGHBORS

Our neighbors around our center in Bamako formed an organization a while back that has the only goal of hurting us and getting rid of us. Just yesterday Paul had yet another meeting with the neighbors who were accusing us of yet another thing that Paul was able to prove had nothing to do with us.

Rainy season is approaching its end, and it seems that the rain that was needed earlier to have a harvest, is only now all coming down at once. Paul believes there is going to be famine because of the lack of rain. And the current heavy rains are submersing all the roads, making it hard to drive anywhere. Only one of our gates to the center has been usable, and now the neighbors have dug deep water channel in front of this gate to make it impossible for us to get in and out of our center. Please pray.

POWDER KEG WEST AFRICA

After the coup leader now president threw out the French last year, the UN is now in the process of also pulling their people out of Mali upon his request. Instead the country has turned to Russia and brought in the Wagner group, ruthless Russian mercenaries, to combat the jihadists, but they're just as bad as the jihadists themselves. Once the UN is gone, nothing will keep either group at bay, and no more food aid is going to reach the millions in need.

As if that was not enough, a few weeks ago the fourth country in the region had a military coup and is now under their control. Those four countries have now banded together against the rest of West Africa. The regional block has talked about sending troops into Niger which would start a regional war Mali would also be a part of. Please pray for the region.

Early in July I got a phone call from Paul, which always means there is some sort of emergency. He told me that both Amadou and Moussa were at the hospital (picture) and that the money I had sent had still not arrived. He needed that money urgently for the hospital. I went to Western Union to get some money to him quickly. It then turned out that the reason the money had taken so long to arrive was because it came through a French bank, and Mali has turned away from anything French. Everything is becoming more difficult.

And Paul has just told me that the jihadists attacks have now come all the way to just outside the capital, where he lives and goes to the villages to minister. Please pray especially for Paul's protection.

OUR TRIP AROUND THE USA

We left Austria at the end of June to travel around the USA for 12 weeks; we now have 10 days left. Because of Covid, we had not been in the US for over 4 years, and so it was the children's first time in America. Our goal was to visit all our friends and supporters and supporting churches, which is why we went coast to coast twice. We had a wonderful time, and I greatly enjoyed getting to minister a few times. This month it is 20 years since I went to Mali with nothing but a big God and a big vision, and the Lord had given me a powerful anniversary message for his church. Most of the time, when I told God's people that I would have never thought that I could not be in MY country on this special anniversary, my voice would break up and I had to compose myself again before continuing to speak. I would love to have more opportunities to share this message God has put on my heart.

I had no idea how the kids would be doing being in the car for thousands of miles/kilometers, going to another city every few days. I've been amazed at how much they've enjoyed everything - meeting new people, new animals, and all the new places to get to explore and discover. They went to Disneyland on their 4th birthday, which was really special, got to ride horses and enjoyed Hershey's chocolate world and a waterpark, and got to go to the beach. They met two other sets of triplets, and got to meet all their nieces and nephews and half-sisters for the first time, as well as their Grandma, and they've immediately bonded with them.

We're finishing our time in America with a Holy Spirit conference next week. The Lord led me to it because they have a kids' conference our children can participate in as well, including Sammy. Please pray they get to experience God's love and presence like never before. Pray also for our return to Austria and transition back to life as before. We have a full schedule right from the day we return. Thank you.

You can find all the pictures from our trip in our albums on Facebook, as well as my daily blog on our website.

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/.

•        Samuel - Please pray especially for Sammy who starts a special kindergarten right after we return. He'll get all the therapies he needs there and is going to learn basic life skills.

•        Healing Needed - I've had a latent eye condition all my life that became acute a few months after the triplets' birth, during the first lockdown. It makes me go cross-eyed, causing double-pictures and headaches if it goes on for a long time. It has made life difficult and also embarrassing in the past 4 years. Please pray for healing.

•        Falani Event - Last time I told you about the village chiefs of Darala and Falani becoming believers. The village chief of Falani was so excited that he decided to invite all the people of his village to a special event, where Paul is going to preach the gospel, and surrouding villages are going to join in. Thousands of people are going to gather at the end of the month to hear the gospel for the very first time. Please pray for this event.

•        Construction - Last year we finally received our building permit we'd been trying to get for years. First our builder waited for rainy season to end to pick up construction again, then he told us that he'd already spent our money so he needed to finish other projects first. Now he said that he's about to get paid for a project and is going to start bringing materials and equipment to pick up work on our fourth building again. We're still waiting for that to happen.

•        Child Sponsor Needed - Joseph is still looking for a half-sponsor. A half-sponsorship is 25€ or $30 per month.

•        Malian Director Paul - Please pray for Paul who carries the full weight of the work in Mali on his shoulders.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Loving HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)