Monday, February 28, 2011

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

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

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.