June 2013 newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

We can hardly believe that another month has flown by!! This last month was filled with welcoming 2 teams from our partnering churches in KY & TX, moving into a new HUB, finishing up with our summer interns, & following up on the work that God is doing among the Songhai. Someone commented to us recently that they have been amazed at what all God is doing among the Songhai right now. Well, we are too!! We are so grateful to be a small part of His name going forward among the Songhai & many coming out of darkness into His Light. We are also SO grateful for your prayer support as you hold the ropes for us, our team & our Songhai brothers & sisters. We know that your prayers are key to what God is doing among the Songhai right now! Thank you!

that ALL may know HIM,

Mark & Parker <><

Weekly Prayer Focus: LA

We have begun work in a new village but with heightened security & persecution, I fear to mention it's name so we're going with "LA." PS - if you haven't read this post on the top 10 countries for worst persecuted Christians, you may have missed that Mali (our neighboring country & home to a million Songhai) is number 7 on the list. 

 Mark described the beginnings of our entry & work in LA in this post. Since that initial meeting & follow up, he has been able to visit this village a few more times with equally awesome times of study & fellowship with these new believers. These men are committed, are growing & are sharing. They are fearless in that they meet in the open with a mosque as their next door neighbor.

Men & elders of the village, usually on their way to the mosque for their daily prayers, stop by to listen to the teachings from the Bible. They do not object & do not argue ... they simply listen, wash up for their prayers & go on their way while the believers stay behind to continue studying the Word of God (making an OBVIOUS statement that they are no longer practicing the Islamic faith).

Even a seasoned national believer & partner of ours noticed what a difference this group is compared to other groups of new believers we've encountered together. These men are eager to learn & excited about their new faith, new life & new hope they've found in Christ ... despite what persecution their obvious statements could bring to them.

This week simply praise the Lord that He is calling the Songhai to Himself. Praise Him for this group of new believers in LA. Praise Him that they are bold, committed & growing together as a body. Pray that they would continue to grow in their faith & boldness & share the hope they've found with their family & friends. Pray for the men who hear the Good News each week on their way to the mosque to realize that their current way of life is fruitless and that salvation is found only in Christ. Pray that even if persecution comes, they would grow in & through it & it would only serve to strengthen their resolve in knowing Christ & making Him known.

the shell story

On my trip to Niger in February of 2012, I knew ahead of time that I would not be able to go to Ayorou.   This was where several dear believers lived that on my previous trips, I had visited and began to love dearly.  My closest relationship was with a sweet brother named Ibrahim.  He is a rock.  His faith has cost him greatly, and he has gladly paid.   He has faced days that i could not imagine and has firmly stood in the strength of our Redeemer.  To my amazement, after we arrived, Ibrahim had made the journey from Ayorou to Naimey!  After greeting him, Mark told me that Ibrahim had a gift for me.  He had asked Mark before hand, because he thought that his gift may not be significant to me.  Mark assured him that the meaning was far more important.  Ibrahim then handed me a snail shell.  It was polished and he wanted me to take it so that I would remember him.  I told him that I would.   He then continued.   Snails often go to the same place.  They have the same needs and therefore go the same place to have them met.  He said we were like snails.   We both have the need of a Savior so we go to the same place to have our needs met.   The next thing he said was new information to me.   He said that it is impossible for a snail to go backwards.  Much like us, once God has chosen us, we cannot go back to our old life, praise God.  Then he took one finger from each hand and simulated 2 snails as they move along there paths.   He said that we, like snails, are on a path.  Sometimes we would be far apart, sometimes our paths would cross, but because God has set us on this path, and we can't back up, one day we would end up in the same place.   I am so thankful for Ibrahim and carry this shell with me daily.

- Travis A, Bowling Green, Ky

Weekly Prayer Focus: *Adam*

I apologize for the month hiatus of posting a Weekly Prayer Focus blog. You can look back at the volunteer testimonies from Campbellsville & LHBC as well as May's newsletter to see what's been happening over the last month.

For this next week, however, would you please pray for a young Niamey believer named *Adam* (name changed for security reasons)? Adam was led to Christ by another young believer ... one many of you have met that is originally from Ayorou. We call him "the Bible." Adam & the Bible have been meeting with Mark on a fairly consistent basis over the last year for discipleship lessons & have grown & matured in their faith.

Adam showed up at our house this morning to tell us that he had been kicked out of his house. He has nowhere else to go so he decided his best bet was to travel to a nearby city, enlist the help of his older brother & return to Niamey to defend himself against his father.

While we know that persecution comes with the territory for the majority of our Songhai believers & things like that are sometimes par for the course, we also don't shrug it off & say, "Well, this sort of thing just happens. Get used to it." We told Adam that we would pray for him ... to have wisdom in confronting his father and for God to provide him a place to live, whether that be in his father's house or elsewhere.

We are now asking you to join us in praying for your brother in Christ who has nowhere to lay his head tonight or nowhere to call home. Pray that the Lord would give him wisdom on when & how to confront his father. Pray that the Lord would provide him grace & patience in doing that. Pray that the Lord would also provide him a home ... wherever that may be. And pray that in all circumstances, Adam would praise His Father & bring glory to His name.

Volunteer Testimonies: LHBC (May 2013)

This is the second time I have been to West Africa.  This trip was more demanding, both spiritually and physically than the last.  We did struggle, but all of us knew that God was doing something big while we were there.  It was a constant battle between darkness and light, and the whole team could feel it.  As we were sharing C2C with multiple people, we came into quite a bit of resistance, with a few patches of light.  The team could see God's presence in this light and it lifted us up.

We also met with a few believers and saw one of them preach the Word to other believers at a worship gathering.  It is something we take for granted in the U.S., but it something rarely seen in the villages of Africa.  It is very encouraging to see the believers stand up for their faith and worship the One True King.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

--- Josh B


Over the past week we have been immersed into a culture that is drastically different from our own. The Songhai are a people that are friendly, polite, hard working, and proud. No matter where we went we were always greeted with a friendly "Fofo!" and a bright smile.

We were invited into many women's homes to sit and talk to one another. In both Boubon and Tagabati we presented the 'Christ to Creation' story to many women and children.  We told many Bible stories of God's love for his people and of the prophecies of Jesus Christ.  We also shared the stories of the miracles Jesus performed while he was living on Earth.  We invited children to come listen to our stories and we sang songs about Jesus and played games.

It was wonderful to be able to share God's love with so many people.  We saw God move in many ways.  For some it was the first sign of hope they had ever seen. For others it was the only testament of love they had ever known. 

We will continue to pray for the Songhai people and that the seeds we have sown will one day bear fruit.

---- Monica Y



We were able to teach and share stories with current believers our first day which was both insightful and humbling. Then the next day we went to Tagaboti, did C2C and had 4 younger men say they believed and come back to the bush-taxi with us. The next day we met with 2 of the 4 and taught them on the Genesis E-Track and they confessed Christ. Then Brian had a epiphany and told them they had to go teach their children what we had taught them. That night we did C2C in Boubon and the man we spoke to listened intently, when we were done he said he wanted to go and talk to the elders first. Jody said, ''You know they will tell you I'm lying." He said, "I am a man, I make up my own mind." I was encouraged by this.

The next two days we did C2C around Boubon, not much occurred fruit wise, but I feel the sowing was important. Even in the midst of arguing, and other goings on while we were talking we could still see His Sheep Hear His Voice. That was the most profound part of the trip Sunday was the Worship service at the Fox's and it was great. We sang with the kids and a couple of the women, then we were taught by a local believer the story and meaning of Daniel in the lions den. It was a good way to finish out time there, however for me it ended too soon.

I have taken the names of those I met with me and I hope to see them soon. I look forward to continuing to see His Hands and His Feet reach His people.

--- John K

Volunteer Testimony: Campbellsville University (May 2013)

What a week on mission in Niger is HOT!

            After spending 9 – 10 day s here in Niger, Africa sharing the gospel, distributing children’s vitamins, baby formula, prenatal vitamins and sweating a whole, whole lot… I have come away with the remembrance of HOT.  Yes it is hot in a physical sense, but hot goes much, much deeper than the sun burn or the amount of sweat that issues forth each day.  HOT is what makes Niger, these Songhai people and the Phillips so encouraging, and mission for Jesus Christ so exciting here in this part of the world.

HOT has a deeper meaning.  The Hospitality we have been shown show’s Christ’s presence here.  The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the leaders, translators and new brothers and sisters in Christ is evident.  The Transformation that is taking place amongst the Songhai is more than a miracle, it’s a promise of God and the transformation among this team from Campbellsville University that has come is apparent as well.

Mention the Songhai people, and the very first word that comes to my mind is hospitality.  These people are never too busy to offer you their time, a cup of tea or even their best chair, which could be their only one.  In every village we visited, on very few occasions, a handful in fact, were we asked not to share the story of Jesus, we were treated as honored guests.  Anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour we shared the Creation to Christ account of how God created, man sinned, separation came between God and man, God’s bigger plan would involve His only Son, and Jesus dying a death we all deserve yet defeating death on the third day after crucifixion.  Hospitality is something I will look back on this trip and see that it can be exhibited even in the most remote places in Africa.  If those that are unsure of where their next meal may be coming from are able to sit, listen and hear the story of Jesus, it makes it more significant that I display patience, time and value to conversations I have with others, whether it be in the United States or around the globe.

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit is upon the Phillip’s and those they work with each and every day.  This Songhai team made up of Mark, Parker, Cephas, Biba and countless others are determined to make Jesus known to all people here in Niger, and the Holy Spirit is opening the ears and hearts of these people to hear this message.  Just sitting and sharing Jesus with an individual who have never heard the name of Jesus can be frightening, yet encouraging at the same time.  On this trip, we saw the Holy Spirit speak new life into five new believers in a village of Latta.  To see some people think about what we share but not fully commit to following right away is somewhat common, but not always.  To see five men at the same time, at a village that has never heard of Jesus, realize they are lost and without hope without Jesus is beyond encouraging.  That is the work of God.  To say that I was a vessel and this team helped share Jesus to celebrate new life with new brothers is by far the most important and exciting part of this trip!  And this was all due to the overwhelming and all-consuming power of the Holy Spirit.

Transformation has taken place.  In the lives of new believers, there is transformation of a life with purpose in praising and sharing Christ.  In the lives of those who have heard the story of Jesus, they now have the opportunity to reflect and choose whether to follow this truth or choose to ignore it; pray that they will be transformed through the power of God through the Holy Spirit.  The transformation amongst this team has shaped each of us to understand that the Gospel truly knows no borders.  A trip to Africa doesn’t have to open your eyes to see the desperate need of Jesus that the world needs to see, but it does give you a good perspective of how you are individually making Jesus known.

As we conclude this trip, and we reflect upon the villages we’ve shared the Gospel, the many vitamins and formula we’ve passed out at health clinics and once-in-a-lifetime experiences of camping out in a Songhai village, eating true African cuisine (African style too) and attending a church service in the heart of Niger, we know that God was at work.  Through the many reflections, the passage from 2 Corinthians 12:9 comes to mind which says,

 “…’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

All that we have seen, been a part of, and accomplished this week is because of God’s power working through us and enabling us to the work we came here to do.  We all became tired, hot, hungry, sleepy, hot, sick, frustrated and hot, but we keep enduring.  Even when we were affected by so many difficult weaknesses, we still found the strength to spend another day in the heat, sharing the story of Jesus with people and saw lives forever changed.  That is only through the power of God.  God’s power is sufficient enough for all people, and with his power in place of any and all our weaknesses, His plan will prosper.

Our team is thankful for all the prayers of those who knew we were hearing serving, and it is because of these prayers that lives were forever changed.  Because of those prayers, you have been as instrumental in this trip thousands of miles away as we were here serving.  Be in continual prayer for this Songhai Team; pray that lives will continually be transformed into the likeness of God, and may Niger and these people stay HOT (hospitable, outpouring and transforming) for the Lord!

Needing Joseph's help!

Today I went back to a village for follow-up where a team from CU had shared with last week.  Five men had come forward last week wanting to believe.  These men were the first believers ever to emerge from their village which is over 400 years old!

I told them last week I'd be back this week so today I went out there.  I found them all and they were still very excited about their new faith.  We went through some initial discipleship lessons and they wanted to be baptized.

However, before we went one of the men pulled me aside and said "i need to ask you something." He went on to explain that he'd had a dream he wanted me to explain.

I can honestly say this is the first time anyone has ever asked me this.  I admitted that I could only offer my opinion and that I was not like Joseph in the Bible who could, through God's help, interpret his dream.

He told me the following dream that he said he had the night that he'd believed last week:

"I was laying on the ground crippled with broken legs.  I couldn't walk, I couldn't move, it was like I was dead.  Then I saw you [talking about me] and a white dove.  You said to me "get up and walk" and the dove came and touched my legs.  I was instantly healed and I got up!"

Now, this is already pretty amazing but listen to this next part.  Remember, here's what this guy knows theologically speaking. He knows a brief Creation to Christ story and he knows Romans 10 about how to believe.

"When I got up, the Holy Spirit descended on me and saved me!"

I told him that I didn't think his dream was too hard to understand.  That God had used me as His messenger to bring the Gospel to him.  That he was dead in his sin and needed to be healed/saved.  God did this and has given him new life.

Now, the amazing thing is his use of "Holy Spirit." This is not an easy concept for our Muslim background believers to understand and even many of our mature believers struggle with this doctrine. 

In fact, I had never mentioned the Holy Spirit in my brief interactions with him thus far.  God had revealed this truth to this brand new believer. 

It was just an awesome reminder of how God is still using the supernatural today.  He is still speaking to His children through dreams and visions.