God is at work in Southern Mali

God is at work in Southern Mali.

Yesterday, our friend from Loulouni came by. He is the believer who was a m-lim teacher, and heard the radio stationprograms, visited 2-3 times, and accepted Christ. We've been able to get him started on a basic theology correspondence coursein Arabic. So he came by to talk, very excited about his studies, and asked me to print some more off for him.He said his job as a teacher is over. (When he became a Christian, the mosque kept him as a teacher because they needed teachers,but demoted him to younger students to minimize his corrupting them.) He is happy about his job being over because it wasdifficult for him to continue teaching what he no longer believes to be true.
He wants to move his family to Kadiolo to better learn and grow in is faith. This presents a problem/prayer request. We need to be able to help him start up some kind of mini business so he can support his family.We really need about $400 to help him get started. We're not sure yet what kind of business fits him, although we know he can teach people to read Arabic. Pastor Youssouf would like to see him get trained as an evangelist/pastor because many will listen to him because of his strength in Arabic.

If anyone is touched and would like to be involved in this process, please write usand we'll see how we can proceed to help him in a cautious manner. Please pray that this would be a success story,that he would be able to be self-supporting.

Also, about three weeks ago, Tom went on an outreach weekend with a drama team of Christians from our local church.They spent 4 nights in a village, each night either performing drama or showing evangelistic films.This village, Woroni, has one believer and no church at this point.Many people came out each night to see the dramas, and to watch the films.Villages are fun because so many people come out, especially to see live drama.The main night we had at least 500 people out to see the drama, and stayed to watchthe film about a witch doctor who is powerless against Christians, and becomes one himself.

One young man, who lived in the courtyard of the Christian who was hosting us,decided to accept Christ. His name is Abdoulai. He comes from an animist family.He asked for prayer because he anticipated opposition from family members.He also mentioned that he was appying to the military, and if he was accepted, he would beviewed as an adult. He explained that this would be a good thing because it would minimize the family opposition.So we prayed with him, not sure how strong his commitment would be. (As you may have experienced, sometimes people pray to receive Christ, but get flaky later...)

So it is now approximately 3 weeks later, and the Christian man who hosted us came to Kadiolo to visit.He said that Abdoulai is doing very well in his faith. He said that Abdoulai's family members are pleased about his becoming a Christian, because everyone is talking about how his life has changed for the better.He explained that Abdoulai is now at a 2-week camp trying to be accepted into the military.But in a way, that's a shame because his new life in Christ is such a witness to his family. I was explaining how exciting it is because only the Holy Spirit living in a new Christian can makesuch marked changes in one's life as he is being made into a new creation. I said that is true evidenceof God being active in Abdoulai's life.

Please pray for Abdoulai, and his whole family. With these two believers, we have the beginnings of a body of believers in Woroni; and with their local witness in the community, who knows what God can do?

Quickly, here is another radio station story about another village 35 km away from us. A Fulani man is working in his fields,radio in hand, as he herds his cattle. He is very touched by the messages he is hearing, so he asks his friend,"Have you heard the messages from Radio Yeelen? They are very interesting, and I would like to know more about these people's God."His friend scoffs, "Don't have anything to do with those people, they're crazy."He shares the same interest with at least two others, who respond in the same way. So a few days later, he doesn't go to the field, butcomes to Kadiolo. He meets with Pastor Youssouf, and in the courtyard in front of the radio station accepts Christ.Fulani people are extremely resistant to the gospel. They are a least evangelized people group, less that 1% Christian.But God doesn't care about statistics, this man was called to Christ while he was in his fields, herding cattle, a long way from the nearest local church!
God Bless,Tom & Lisa Seward