new volunteer docs!

We have updated our volunteer documents that we send to teams via email & wanted to make them also available online. Here you will find a very condensed version of "all you need to know" for your trip to Niger! Please remember to look at all the information we have for volunteers on this site so that you will come fully prepared for your time abroad. If you would like either of these documents sent to you via email in a PDF format, please email us at thephillips@pobox.com.

THE BARE BONES

 DESTINATION GUIDE: NIAMEY

Weekly Prayer Focus: Mehanna Road

Please be in prayer for the Mehanna Road this week. This road is a stretch of 45 kilometers with 5 major Songhai market towns on it. For those of you who have followed the Songhai team & ministry closely over the last several years, you will recognize this name immediately & know it's association with First Baptist of Hurst, TX.

FB Hurst adopted this stretch of villages in 2006 with the goal of doing mass evangelization to these market towns. After just a few visits, many Songhai men & women expressed interest in the Gospel & some even followed through in making a decision & baptism. Over the course of the last 5 years, First Hurst has seen many come to Christ & small groups of Bible study have formed as well.

Currently there are 2 national partners that live full time on this road to continue the evangelism & discipleship efforts with the believers. Even though they are there full time, L & A continue to struggle with consistent meeting times with the believers & have yet to start a church. Life in a village is rarely predictable & work or family always seems to take precedence over any "scheduled appointment." Please pray for patience & wisdom as L & A seek to do ministry among & with these believers.

Please pray for not only our national partners but also for the believers along the road. Many of them were able to travel to Niamey a few weeks ago to attend a week-long discipleship conference. They were fed, encouraged & strengthened as a body of Christ. As many of them are the sole believer in their family or village, it is very tough for them to remain strong amidst persecution & loneliness. Please pray for them to remain faithful despite what their circumstances may be.

Pray also for their Christian walk to continue to grow. Most of these believers are illiterate & only know of the Bible what they have heard from others or through a cassette. Please pray that what has been planted in their minds & hearts would continue to grow. Pray that they would realize the importance of meeting together for Bible study each week & make that a high priority.

Thank you so much for praying for the Songhai team & ministry!

Requests from Gomer in Accra

Dear Friends,

I come to you this evening in a very somber mood asking for your earnest prayers.  It has been an eventful and sometimes heartbreaking day.

Please be in prayer for Mitch* and his family.  Barbara* his wife started having some very painful cramps in the lower stomach area last night.  A trip to the clinic and then to the hospital revealed that she is about 6 weeks pregnant.  However the stomach cramps may have been the result of miscarriage.  It will take some time to know for sure, so be in much prayer for the whole family in this matter.  Mitch and I talked a lot about it today and he is very sad knowing the possible likely outcome. (UPDATE: It is with a heavy heart I come to you this evening asking you to continue to pray for Mitch* and his family.  Last night Barbara* was hospitalized.  This morning it was confirmed that the pregnancy has ended.  She is home now.  Please continue to pray for this wonderful family.  Pray as they go through the healing process, both physically and emotionally. This family has gone through so much in the last few months, pray for peace and healing in this family.)

Today we did go to the onion market area and while there I heard news that thrilled me, overwhelmed me and made me realize just how much I rely on God and His Holy Spirit here.  One young man who has been a good friend told me that he really needed our prayers, he has told the elders he will not go to the Mosque to pray and that he will be following Jesus.  He is very uncertain as to what to expect in the next little bit.  I am thrilled he has the courage to stand up for Christ in this manner.  Please pray for him as he travels this narrow winding path.

One of the other young men said he and two others would come to my house on Wednesday to talk, it will be good conversation I believe.  Two of them are ready to follow Jesus and the third seems eager to know what his friends are being moved to accept.  Pray as we minister to these young men that the Holy Spirit will give them courage and strength to endure what they know is coming in persecution.

Pray for the young Albasan guys, pink-eye has been running epidemic here.  We have been out and seen these young fellows with nearly swollen shut, bloodshot, oozing eyes just suffering in misery.  We have tried to help all we can, but it is just so much bigger than what we can do.  Pray that God will touch them with His healing Hands of mercy.

Pray for our next team currently here.  It is an Adult team from First Baptist New Orleans and it is a great group.  Pray for our obedience and that God will do great things in and through this group.  They really have put in a tremendous amount of time praying and preparing for this Mission.  I look forward to what is going to happen in the hearts and lives of many Songhai as God works through this group.  We will be going to the onion market a lot and this is a tough place to minister.

Pray for me as I host this team.  Pray also as I prepare to visit the States for a few weeks.  I am praying that God will give me ample opportunity to share with as many as I can what He is doing here.  I will also be trying to raise the funds to stay here a little longer.  Pray that I will be in God's will in all I do.  I do plan to spend some good quality time with my family!  Pray that everyone will be healthy and happy.

Praise God for the Bissa people group team from Scotts Hill Baptist of Wilmington N.C.  Pastor Jimmie Suggs lead a team that saw many make decisions for Christ!  I had the pleasure of escorting one of the fellows and the team to the sea where he was baptized!  It is great to see new family members coming into the family.

Please pray for the people of Islam, I know the stereo typical picture our media has painted of them, but folks please believe this, God is working in the lives and hearts of many humble, love seeking Muslims, and we all know there is no love outside of God! and there is no other way to Him but by Jesus!

• Please pray for Mitch* and Barbara* as they go through what ever is happening with this pregnancy.
• Pray for the young men who are accepting Jesus.  Pray that they will find true strength and comfort in the Holy Spirit. 
• Pray for Mitch and I as we minister and reach out to them that we will allow God to work through us.
• Pray for the young folks suffering with the pink-eye, pray that the end of this is near.
• Pray for the First Baptist New Orleans team as they prepare and come this week. 
• Pray for me as I prepare for the team and as I prepare to visit the states to see family and friends, but also that I will be faithful to tell everyone I can the wonderful things God is doing here!
• Praise God for the Scotts Hill Baptist team and for the people they saw respond to the gospel by accepting Jesus as their Savior. 
• Pray for the people of Islam, that God will continue to work in their hearts and that they will decide to follow Jesus!

       Thank you and may God bless each of you.
       In His Service,
       Gomer

Weekly Prayer Focus: "Henry"

Most of y'all recognize Henry's name as we've talked about him quite often. Those of you who've had the privilege of being here in the last 6 months can put a face to a name (& even his real name)!

Please spend this week praying for our brother. He is so desperate to begin a church (body of believers) in his village. For this to happen, he needs another brother (or sister) in Christ to stand with him & commit to meeting together to study the Word. Now don't get me wrong, "Henry" is not left to fend for himself each week. Someone from our team drives to his village to meet & study with him on a weekly basis. He sometimes even hops a bush taxi & makes his way to the capital city to visit with one of us for an extra dose of teaching. He just loves Jesus & the Word THAT much!

But, more times than not, he is by himself. A lone believer amidst a CROWD of unbelieving friends, family & neighbors in a village that is dark & dominated by evil. More than a handful of people in his village have professed to believe in Jesus, some even following through in baptism, but they each fall away. Much like Jesus' parable of the seeds, the cares of this world (or, more like, what they care about how the world views them) and the persecution of family & friends have choked the life out of them & they return to their former belief system.

Yet, Henry remains strong. He never ceases to sing praises to God no matter how much he is persecuted for his faith. The road he's chosen to follow is not easy. It is hard & tough & requires perseverance & faith. But, oh how glorious it would be if he could have at least one friend (or a dozen!) to walk this road with him.

Will you please earnestly pray for this to be a reality?

volunteer testimony - FB Hurst 02.11

What can I say?  This has been an incredible week!  Our week of discipleship with men from various Songhai villages has come to a close and my heart is so full!  Full of thankfulness for all that God has done this past week!  Full of hope for what God has planned for these men and their villages as they carry the light of the gospel throughout the region.  Full of joy for the salvation and grace of God that binds us together as brothers in Christ!   This week we experienced a touch of glory as we worshipped, prayed and fellowship with one another and the Lord! I may not see my Songhai brothers again in this lifetime, but I rejoice to see them and many more when we reach heaven! 

This was my second time to come to Niger and it has been totally different.  Our focus the first time was surveying and scattering seed in various villages in the region our church has adopted.  This time we spent an intense week discipling and modeling the church for men from this region.  I have been so struck by their faithfulness and eagerness to learn God’s Word.   Many of them come from villages where they are the only believer and have been shunned by their own family and the community.  For us in America that isn’t such a big deal, we are so secluded and self-sufficient, but for a Songhai this is everything!  These men are truly counting the cost.  When I taught on persecution, I felt so inadequate.  They have taught me so much more!  They have been so eager to learn.  They have sacrificed so much.

Spurgeon once said, “Write your name on hearts, not on marble.”  If you are considering coming on a trip like this you won’t regret it.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians that we are servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of the Gospel and we must be found trustworthy.  I hope that you or your church will consider partnering with the Songhai team.  In all of my years of ministry I have never witnessed a more committed team of people.  They have truly become all things to all people at all costs.  I have been so blessed and sharpened by my time with them.

When I think of our commitment as a church to partner…I think of Nehemiah (who was called by God to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem) when faced with all kinds of threats, accusations and distractions…uttered these words “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

To God be the glory!

Todd Campbell
Pastor - Adult / Men's Ministries
firsthurst.com

february 11

If you'd like to receive this prayer newsletter via email, please contact us at thephillips@pobox.com.

news from Gomer - february 2011

It has been a long time since I last wrote and much has been happening.  God is doing so much in the lives of so many here.  I thank you for your continued prayers even when I am slow to update you.  God knows the request before I do anyway so keep praying His will be done.

Today I start by asking prayer for Mitch*, his wife Barbara*, baby James* and their little niece Mary*.  Baby James started a pre-kindergarten class and one of the first things he brought home was ... Pink-eye!  Mitch, Barbara and James all are infected, only Mary has yet to get it.  Please pray for them to be healed and maybe Mary will not be infected and have to go through it.

Pray for the Scotts Hill Baptist team from Wilmington, N.C. that is in town for the next two weeks as they go out to the Bissa communities.  Mitch is working with them and we pray that he is beyond the infectious stage in his pink-eye so that none of them will become infected.  I will keep my distance for a few days.  Pray for this teams work: they come with a passion in their hearts every time they come to share Jesus and His Gospel.  They are lead by a wonderful Christian friend Pastor Jimmie Suggs.

While you are praying about Pink-eye, could you throw my name in there also? Seems that as of today, I might have been a little too close, my left eye is showing the early signs this evening.  Please pray for the Albasan guys that were at the house today that they were not infected. There were four of them.

God is using videos right now to move in the lives of the Albasan guys.  The Albasan guys are coming asking to see the Jesus video.  Some have watched it maybe 4 to 6 times, each time discussing it deeper and deeper.  Just this week Mitch and I decided to watch the "Passion of Christ" to make sure we would be able to explain it to the guys when they see it.  As we were watching one young fellow came to the house and watched with us.  He was moved and touched by what he saw.

Today three young men came running to the house and as soon as they cleared the door started looking for the "new" video about Jesus!  As we were watching another came to watch also.  They were full of questions, they were riveted to that little screen and just talked and talked about what they were seeing.  Please pray that they will allow the Truth to come to them.

Last week some of the fellows came and watched the Jesus video and one said he was going to start praying more.  The Holy Spirit is working on these young lives.  They are seeking, they are hearing an unfamiliar voice calling them to come to Him, it is Jesus.

Pray for these Albasan guys, God truly is moving in their lives.  My house has become something of a "Albasan Community Center".  They come each day, drink water, eat fruit and bread as I can afford, work on their bicycles, patch flat tires, climb the mango trees for fresh mango's and look at the pictures of their homes in Niger. Pictures of Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, friends and loved ones.  While they are here we try to always have one of the cassettes playing or maybe the Jesus video, something that will be putting the message of Christ in their hearts and minds.  They now sometimes come asking to see and hear the cassettes and videos.  The Holy Spirit is working, pray that soon many will respond and accept Jesus as their Savior.

We are praying that many will come to believe soon because it is only a month or two till many will make the long hard journey back to Niger to work the millet and rice fields when the rain comes.  It is our prayer that some will take the good news of Jesus back to family and friends.  Pray for us as we start trying to find a few little radios and a video player to send with them along with several copies of the cassettes and a few copies of the Jesus video.  We want to cast many seeds of the Gospel to the lands of Niger.

We have started going two or three times each week to the Albasan Habu (onion Market) and sharing cassettes.  This is a tough area to minister, it is the heart of the Songhai world here in Accra.  It is heavily influenced by Islam and there are always eyes on me while I am there, they know why I am there.  Pray that we will always follow the Holy Spirit in our ministry in this market area.
      

• Pray for Mitch and his whole family as they endure the Pink-eye.  Pray for Mary that she will not become infected.
• Pray for the Scotts Hill Baptist Mission team as they go sharing the Gospel that none of them will be infected, and that they will see many come to the Saving knowledge of Jesus.
• Pray for me, God has given me great health this past year and so a little few days of discomfort will not be so bad.  I praise God for all the good health He has given me this past year.  Through all the places we go, the gutters, sewers, the landfill and more, God has protected me and kept me healthy.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to move through the videos and cassettes, pray that the hearts of these young men will be opened to receive Jesus as Savior.  Pray for them as they come in and out of the house that we can always provide for them not just physical food and water but also food for the Spirit.
• Pray for the young men as they start preparing to return to Niger for the planting season, lets pray that they will also go to plant the seeds of the Gospel in families and friends.
• Pray for our work in the Albasan market area, that we will always seek God's will and guidance in all we do there.  Pray that as we reach out many will hear and accept.

I will be coming to the States on March 17th for a few weeks.  I am coming to see family and friends, to take care of a few issues such as taxes, also I need to raise the funds for the next year, but most of all I want to share with as many as I can what God is doing here.  Please pray for me as I plan and prepare for this trip.  Pray that God will open many doors for sharing news of His great and mighty works here in Accra in the hearts and lives of the Songhai.


      Thank you all and may God greatly bless each of you.
      In His Service,
      Gomer
   
*Names changed for security reasons.