Jim's Journal from Aug 4th, 2006 -Contacts with COMINAD

I’ve had some great contact this summer with several African-American pastors and churches. This is in regards to getting the Beninois pastors to come to MALI as missionaries. We stayed in Detroit with the director of COMINAD, Rev Brian Johnson and his wife Ruth. This is the partnership of churches that is seeking to effect reconciliation in Africa and to wake up the black churches of America for more involvement in missions. One of their key ideas is for a local American church to adopt a small village and to build a relationship with them. We are hoping that Duduya, near Kayes, and Assoum, further north, will be adopted in the near future.

We met with leaders from three churches in Detroit and another in Chicago. And just this week Bishop Robert Winn and his wife Mattie, of California, came and spent a couple days here in Baltimore with us talking about these ideas. It was wonderful to see several who have already been to Kayes, such as Ethelyn Taylor who came just last Oct ‘05, and to meet her pastor Everett Lindsay of Christ Temple in Chicago. We also met with Rev. Walter Godfrey, of St Paul Church in Detroit who also came last fall. It was neat to see a poster board displaying the pictures of every one in the village in Bénin that they have adopted. Each picture was displayed with the name of the church member who is daily paying for the person! Then I had the joy of seeing again Rev. Charles Oliver and Rev George Washington and the wives and congregations in Detroit. Both had come on the first COMINAD visit in 2001! In discussions with Rev Godfrey, Rev Johnson, and then later with Rev Winn we worked on the agreement between COMINAD, the Church of Christ Holiness, the UWM, and the UEEB churches in Benin. Brian Johnson is currently in Ghana and Benin and has met with the church leaders again to further plan this process. It looks like several will visit again in late October and probably work on the actual adoption in Duduya.

Jim's Journal from April 30th, 2006 -Visiting Fulani Villages

The Brazilians and I have been trying to visit all the surrounding Fulani villages so they can know what sort of ministry they can do near Kayes. On Tuesday this week we drove out to Pomiel, about 8 kms. I had hardly ever been there on my own so I missed it by a few kms and had to be directed back by a passing shepherd. We only spent less than a couple hours, not enuf for attaya even. At first they must have thot we were tourist for after greetings and water we were sort of ignored. The men were working on a hut, and the women were occupied with kids, but they slowly warmed up to us once one or two recognized me. It’s nice to have a team along for these visits, the girls handle the women, and we guys play tapes and read with some.

Recently we’ve gone out to Duduya, another week to Segué, another to Kerisiani, etc. We don’t necessarily know people in them, either Oumar or I seem to know someone, but it works out to friendly visits each time, PTL. All are within reach by bicycle. The youngest of the Brazilian women, Aliné, is the best among all four in languages and has even begun to teach reading & literacy, each nite at the Red Sea bookroom near the Daral.

from Jim's Journal on 18th April, 2006 -March for Jesus in Kayes!

We had a great day yesterday marching for Jesus! Well over 100 marched in the heat on Easter Monday singing and dancing and preaching from Diabougou thru Kayes Ndi. We got started about 8:30 am, crossed the bridge about 9:30, paused at the Evangelical Sahel Church around 10:30 and finished near the Deeper Life Church by noon.Our Toyota was the lead car with the speaker system and even a small generator running the whole time for power. Preachers included Josué Komaté, Djikiné, Phillipe Dembelé, Pierre Keita, Oumar Diallo, and David Sogoba. This was great for unity and as a witness to the city. Easter services were long with lots (too much) joyous singing. Mark Harris had a great message on walking with Jesus in holiness, very practical sonship.

I tried to get Idi Thiam to come to a service, but he and his sister were fighting sickness. Yesterday however, he invited Oumar & I over for dinner, so we went in spite of the tiredness after the march. While Oumar dozed I had a great Bible discussion with him concerning such issues as the Son of God and the substitutionary death of Christ. He’s getting closer!