Donations:

WORKSHOPS & BUSINESSES

MINATA'S DEATH

This is Minata and her husband. Minata was very sick with a kidney disease and had spent much time in the hospital. Her husband had to sell everything he had to be able to pay all the medical bills. A few weeks ago the hospital released her to go home to die. Three days later she did.

Her husband called the authorities who sent a doctor who declared her dead; we're working on getting a copy of the death certificate. After he had left, the family needed to go get ice to put on her body until someone from the morgue could come to get her. A lady from our church who is friends with the family told the husband that he should call Paul to pray for his wife. He did not want to, but finally gave in. Paul had just finished a meeting in Dara and came right away to pray. The husband didn't really want anyone to see his wife dead, so Paul went into the room by himself to pray. Only once did he call our driver in to take this picture of him praying for her. Paul prayed for her for half an hour, then he left.

ALIVE AGAIN

Only minutes after Paul had left, he received a phone call. Minata had started breathing again! Paul returned, and her husband and mother-in-law in her nineties who also lives there, both became believers and followers of Jesus right away.

Since that day Minata has been getting stronger and better each day, and she remembers more and more of what she experienced while she was dead. She was taken both to hell and to heaven by Jesus and now she's also become a believer and follower of the One who brought her back to life. At some point, when they have the money, they want to go back to the hospital so she can be checked out and have medical proof that her disease is gone.

Please pray for the family, as the husband is wondering how to provide for his family now that he has sold everything to pay the medical bills.

News about Minata's resurrection has already spread far and wide, as a radio station reported about it. Many people refuse to believe it, and even more people now ask Paul to come pray for their sick loved ones.

TAKEN TO COURT

As you know, we've had trouble with our neighbors since the beginning. Paul has spent a day in a jail cell a few times, when somebody would once again accuse us of child trafficking. Thankfully Paul is well-connected and has friends in high places.

The day after the resurrection Paul was once again called to appear in a government office. It was a meeting that had been postponed over and over again, but the time had finally come. He was told that we were accused of child trafficking and other crimes that they were not going to disclosure to us yet. They said that we had our first court date in December, which is really more like an investigation into us.

Paul went to see his friend who is on the Supreme Court who told him to take this very seriously and gave him great advice. He said that people under such an investigation are usually detained for months on end while the investigation is going on, which is why we should count ourselves lucky that Paul remains free. Jesus is our advocate! Paul is confident, as none of the allegations are true. Please pray for this situation.

CONSTRUCTION WOES

Construction on our fourth building was stopped years ago, after our neighbors had gone to the authorities and claimed we did not have a building permit. We had changed builders and believed they were wrong, but it turned out that we in fact did not have a permit for that building, as the new builder had not taken care of it, like the old one used to do. And so we were fined and started the long process of getting one, which was finally the case in the summer of last year.

Our builder said he was going to bring his equipment back and continue building to finish the fourth building. However, he said that he had spent our money elsewhere and needed to recuperate that money first after finishing another project, then he would come. Well, he never did, and he still doesn't have our money. And because of the opaque way funds are handled in construction, we don't even know how much money was left, when he stopped construction.

As nothing has happened, and as he has lost our trust, we have now decided to switch builders. Paul already knows one that he trusts and who does good work. He is now going to talk to him to ask him to take on our project. He's also going to talk to our old builder so we can get the blueprints for our building from him and to try to find out how much money he owes us and to get it back. Please pray for this situation.

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/.

•        Christmas Events - We have a Christmas party on our base for all the sponsored children and those working for us, as well as a children's party for any child who wants to come, where we've had 2400 children show up before. If funds allow, we will also distribute shoes and clothes in three different villages. We are thankful for any help with buying them. It breaks my heart that we can once again not travel to Mali for this special season, as the jihadists are still waiting for our return to kidnap us.

•        Falani Event - Last time I told you that the big event where thousands of villagers were going to hear the gospel for the first time was planned for the end of September. However, it still hasn't taken place because the Muslims have informed the newly converted village chiefs that they would attack the thousands gathered if they went through with their plan. They are now trying to come to an agreement with the Muslims.

•        Situation in Mali - In June the ruling military junta ordered the UN to leave Mali after the French had already left last year. They now have until the end of the year to withdraw their 14,000 peacekeepers. So far just under half of those peacekeepers have left the country. They have also recently vacated a base in a key town in the north of Mali, where fights broke out right away between the Malian military with the Russian mercenaries and the rebels, killing innocent civilians. Please pray for peace in Mali and the region, where four countries are now ruled by the military after coups.

•        Triplets - Samuel has now completed seven weeks of kindergarten, and he's enjoying it now. It took 6 weeks before we were able to leave him there by himself. The other kids are learning with me at home most days, and in the afternoons and weekends they have classes - music, piano, dance, PE and swimming - and they're enjoying them.

•        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.

•        Malian Director Paul - Please pray for Paul who carries the full weight of the work in Mali on his shoulders. Pray also for his safety as he moves around a lot, while jihadists are increasing their attacks everywhere.

But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. (Acts 9:40)

Loving HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)