Rehoboth School update

Greetings from Mali,

It's been awhile since our last update on this African Christian school project, and since we currently have progress:

Kayes Christian School UPDATE early 2014 

Louis teaching on our former house veranda

 From my recent letter to David N., a friend serving in Burkina Faso who has trained under Arnold P. on how to make the compressed-dirt-bricks with the PBM machine and build with them:

“I think we're ready for you, David, finally!  The Lord has provided in His faithfulness a few gifts, and we have enuf in to start making bricks and build, even, at least one classroom; maybe all three.  Do pray with us for more funds, we have about $4,500 of the estimated $18,000 needed for this phase.

“We had a meeting last nite here in Kayes of our school committee to talk about construction with the PBM compressed-dirt-brick machine.  We would like you, David, to come over in March to help lead the training in brick making and maybe stay long enuf to lead the building training by doing a model classroom.  Possible?  If you are tied up till April that would work, but it's hotter!  It might take two visits to accomplish things in order and time wise.

“The training will involve three different teams:
a/ the school project to eventually build a block three 9m x 7m classrooms in the city on the property I used to live on.
b/ Then another mission/group wants to build a small chapel in a small village 20 km away, and then:
c /my colleagues, Andrew and Mary, want the training so they can maybe build a school in another village yet. 
Once we all have understanding of the processes and differences from local building these projects can proceed using the PBM machine.”

We're hoping to build some Christian school classrooms in Kayes, Mali this year.  We have mentioned before that we have a special machine to turn out compressed-dirt-bricks from a ministry called PBM.  We had one training session in early 2012 and made a test chicken coop, so now we want to go further.  A friend currently in Burkina, David, will come and help train the team again.  He agreed just this past week!  Then once about 8,000 bricks are made another friend, Mr. Arnold P. of the P in PBM will come from Virginia and help us build!  We'll try to train in March, make bricks in April and May and maybe build in June/July.  Hopefully Rehoboth Christian School can have place to add a 5th grade in October.  If any from your church want to come help build with mud-bricks and tin roofs in Mali, welcome!  Just ask for details.  
See   http://pbmin.org/   for info on the machine and Arnold's ministry.   

Paul giving an address at the school conference

In the past six months the teachers of the Rehoboth Christian School, and even Luc Kodjo, the Director, have attended and learned about Christian education from the Association of Evangelical Christian Schools in Mali.  Able teachers from France, Mali, & South Africa have indeed helped our staff and we have seen improvements in quality and passion for the kids.  One of the meetings was right in Kayes in February and many in the churches participated and learned together.  We thank those who have enabled us to fund some of this and for your prayers.
Websites of interest concerning the Association of Christian Schools Intl:   http://www.acsi.org/   and  http://acsieurope.org/home/Partnerships/44/en/1  

Points for Praise -- Both ministries actually work out of the same building!

·         Greenville College, IL, (where our son Ben studies) is giving the UWM-Mali field and the Radio Espoir Africa FM97.7 Kayes a 16 channel mixing board & a needed computer as they replace equipment.  Should arrive in March!
·         Operation Mobilization Special Projects has given UWM-MALI and the Sower Association’s Rehoboth Christian Elementary School in Kayes $2,000 to help build a new classroom.  With new classrooms the school will be able to add 5^th grade in the fall.  

A final note previously mentioned in these Kayes school updates: 

Arnold & Jean making bricks in Kayes 

The school is being built on land the Mali government conceded to the UWM in the 1970s.  The churches are strongly counseling us to gain a complete title to this property so that it could not be taken and used for other development purposes of the city.  It is used now for a Christian radio station, a church, the Rehoboth School, and one missionary family home.  I had worked on this process starting in 2008, and found the fees for this would come to about 7 million francs, around $14,000, for our 7.04 acres.  This seemed pretty high, but actually reasonable as land prices are rising, even here.  Delays in receiving gifts prevented us from paying this fee, and when in March ’11 I finally offered the new land office boss ½ of that payment, he informed us that we were ‘late’ and that the fee schedule has risen, too!  Now we owe ~14 million cfa, or $28,000!  I followed the calculation, had it double checked by a friend in that office, & it is justifiable (unfortunately).  We know the Lord has the funds we need; please pray with us that all will come when needed.  Having 3 ¼ million cfa on hand we paid this as a down payment in faith in 2012.  Construction funds are above this, but we believe the brick machine will enable large economies here.  UWM School & Training Facility fund Project Number:  63-627

God bless,

Jim & Jenn

What we did in 2010: by the numbers

1: woman of the Soninké tribe discipled through weekly Bible studies and baptism preparation. (Jennifer)
1: Christian FM-radio station launched by a Malian Christian NGO with help from UWM (we have provided facilities and electricity, and helped them to find equipment); they currently broadcast about 18 hrs/day.
1: semester served on board of Dakar Academy. (Jennifer)
1: graduate class for education degree. (Jennifer)
1: son graduated from Dakar Academy, with honors.
2: new missionaries recruited for MALI, in a seconding agreement with WEC.
2: evangelism and medical teams to the Moors (about 15 participants all told, to 8 villages altogether).
5: meetings of the Malian Assoc. of Evangelicals attended by Jim, where he is serving on the Committee of Reconciliation to head off a split in the organization.

6: men taught in Bambara language Bible school (in partnership with Norwegian Lutheran Mission).

10: meetings with the local Christian school committee (see pix).
10: ESL teachers whom Jennifer observed and trained in Bamako during 2 weeks in January.
15: meetings in churches last summer, and we were featured at the Missions Night of the Annual Conference of the Church of Christ (Holiness), an African-American denomination, in St. Louis.
22: visits to disciple new Fulani believer in Kayes (who came to Christ through the controversial "Common Ground" method of evangelism). (Jim)
27: women trained in leadership seminars (in partnership with Marcie Harris). (Jennifer)
28: years celebrated married to same spouse!
35: Christian Fulani leaders hosted in MICCAO annual conference in Kayes for one week
30: visits to Fulani villages for outreach and supervision of the well project in Duduya. (Jim)
40: meetings with the Kayes Pastors' Cooperative for prayer and planning of joint evangelistic events. (Jim)
49: shows of original Star Trek watched!
52: beggars helped on our front porch by prayer, food, Bible reading, cash, work, clothing, loans, empathy, medicine, counsel, etc.

75: visits drinking tea to do friendship evangelism among mostly Fulani friends, often playing Bible story cassettes or mp3 players like the Megavoice. (Jim)

150: radio broadcasts managed in the Fulani & Moor languages (on 2 different stations).

12,000: miles traveled June-August in the USA & Canada to facilitate partnerships, raise funds, promote ministry, and keep in touch with supporters including many visits with churches and dear friends.

a church delegation visits the imams of Kayes Ndi

Yesterday, Nov 19^th, was the 2nd day of the Muslim feast memorializing Abraham's sacrifice known as Tabaski here in West Africa.  So in an effort of fraternity and witness several of us went to a number of different mosques to visit the imams in their homes.  We focused on the Kayes Ndi (small Kayes) side of the river where there is one Bambara speaking church and where I focus my visits to the Fulanis.

As a delegation of two pastors, Pierre and Joshua, and two missionaries, Siegfried and myself, and two other church members, Abel and Benjamin, we visited about ten imams and two town officials: the mayor and the village chief.  (I think this was Siegfried's third time to do such greetings, I went with him once before.)  I knew over half of them; in fact the chief is in a "grin" group where I often drink tea!  We had a great time and were warmly rec'd in every case as we made these short visits of ten to fifteen minutes. We were even giving them a large card with Arabic writing in the round like Muslims do but this time with Bible verses such as the Lord's Prayer or the Beatitudes.  I gave a small tract in Pulaar to the Fulanis, too.   

I heard today that one of the church members really liked this and thot that we should also visit all the mosques in Kayes, too!  I was also able to sort out better who was who and to make a few connections.  It was interesting that our guide, Mr. Ndiaye, was one with whom I had eaten part of the feast the day before via Mr. Diop, too, so I've made a better friend with him, too.  Another was a relative of one family I know very well, so that connection was improved, too.  Because of my work with the Mauritanian refugees several years back and the help of one Kayes Fulani, Mr. Abba Sy, I took his family name, so I'm known by many jokingly as Abba's son, his oldest son even, since Babba is a year younger.  Abba passed away a couple years ago never confessing Jesus, and I don't think he really understood the gospel much in spite of clear witness several times.  As yet we have just one Fulani believer in Kayes, and he's not from here.  Another man form Kayes was saved elsewhere a long time ago, and he's currently in seminary in Cameroon!  Two or three others are very open and close, but stepping over the fence requires a real effort here. 

I have a dream to do more research in Kayes as to what varieties of SLM we have here.  They have many denominations, too, and most of the Christians and missionaries are ignorant of these distinctions among them.  Some have told me that every mosque of Kayes is a different denomination (brotherhood)!  Most West Africans are Sufis of the Moroccan founded Tijaniyya order (and there are now many versions of this), but some are Wahabiyya, some are Quadiriyya, etc.  Such visits as we did yesterday help me in pursuing this dream.

Those met yesterday:

M. War, a Fulani near Thiam’s home, not present, only older lady who blessed us forever!
M. ___, a Fulani behind Peter’s house and friend of Abel, cheap mud house, not present
M. Sow, a young Fulani in new mosque near Nema’s RA housing; M. Dicko was there, too.
M. Souleyman BA, jom woro and member of tea ‘grin’(Oumar Diallo’en outside)
M. Ly, near Ba family but head of grand mosque of Baka Foro (pix)
M. Adama(?) Mariko, Kayes Ndi Mayor (pix), small yard and house, next to Samba Docter (sic) place.
M. Ibrahima Nimaga, past the church in Karankaran, Kadija Diop husband, and Modibo Diop was there, and a griot, too! (pix)     Nimaga is ‘politician’ of Kayes, his bro. a deputé, he selected the mayor, etc., Family from Nioro, a cattle dealer.
M. Sacko, a Soninke, mosque in Karankaran, older house on one side two stories, newer side large and roomy!
M. Sy, older Fulani who knew me as ‘bi Abba’ (!) lives near big mosque but imam of Ba’en mosque!
M. Mogobé Traoré, a Bambara, near market (son a rapper in France!)
M. Ibrahim Ndiaye, a Fulani tailor, was our guide; he lives near Woppa Diop’en;  Joba, an old lady there is also my friend.

odd notes: 
-all named Chiekna are also called Yuba after Alamamy Cheik Hamala of Nioro.
-all named Ibrahima are also called Baya!
-all named Moussa are also called Bala,
-all named Oumar can be called Baril, at least by Fulanis, etc.

-An Oumou as daughter, the brother who follows is always Modibo (works in the Modibo Diop and Vieux Mohammad’s cases!)

IRIN Africa | MAURITANIA/SENEGAL: Refugee Returns Resume

We are encouraged that the UN is again making this return of Fulani refugees happen, see below link to an IRIN report in Oct 2010.  The UWM in MALI helped this situation extensively from 1990 to 1995 when 18,000 of these Fulanis landed in areas north of Kayes.  Over 100,000 also flooded into northern Senegal, and while most have returned 'home' over 20,000 refugees remain in the border areas of the two countries facing Mauritania.  This article speaks of their plight in remaining and their plight in returning.  The UN hopes to move over 2,500 from Oct to Dec 2010. 

IRIN Africa | MAURITANIA/SENEGAL: Refugee returns resume | Mauritania | Senegal | Refugees/IDPs

UWM helped make initial reports in the fall of 1990 about their situation, and then worked long to alleviate the situation.  We also recommended that the UNHCR work with MALI's national church/mission association, AGEMPEM, and their social aid office, BADS, which became a very fruitful mission.  A sister agency was also much involved in the center of the refugee area.  A number of the refugees became believers in Christ and some have formed the nucleus of the nascent church in Mauritania.   My friends in the photo above, Abba and Boofo, met during these times, welcomed me, gave me lots of tea, & taught me tremendously about the Fulani culture.  Sadly both have passed away without understanding the gospel.

IRIN Africa | SENEGAL: One household, one ‘talibé’

This article about Fulani children appeared in an IRIN report this week.  Many efforts are made to help these 'Talibé' Islamic religious disciples.  This reporter speaks of a homegrown effort by families in a neighborhood of Dakar.  Reports say there are well over 10,000 of these begging & oft mistreated, students in the city!  Similar situations exist in other large cities of west Africa including Kayes, Conakry, and Bamako.

IRIN Africa | SENEGAL: One household, one ‘talibé’ | Senegal | Children | Economy | Education | Governance | Human Rights

UWM also seeks to help the Talibé children in another effort in the same city.  See 'Tad's Life' at tadhampton.blogspot.com for some encouraging stories.

Medical Ministry to the Moors

Adela removing splinter from foot

The two teams of ministry in February to the Moors went well.  The medical team from Canada was here for seven days and we were able to provide services in four Moor villages and also give the Chinese church a good view of life in Africa and missions.  We trust the Lord will use their reports and enthusiasm to enable missions in their Toronto and Hong Kong churches. 

Andrew helping Marianne in 'clinic'

older Fulani men gather across from Kayes Ndi mosque each afternoon

About half of these have died since the pix was taken in 2000.

Big boom in Duduya

What a trip! It's not the mud, nor the rain, nor the African roads, but the ferry crossing of the river at Kayes. Sekou and I were all loaded up to visit the Fulani village of Duduya to see progress on the well and to bring in some supplies, fuel, and tools. On a good day I've made it from my house to the village, only 20 kms (15 miles) over the dirt road in less than 40 minutes. Monday it took three hours just to cross the river, and a further hour to navigate the mud and stream crossings. I had thot in the morning we'd get out there, stay for lunch, and come home by night fall ...... Well, when we finally got all organized and loaded and to the river at 2:30pm, I realized then I'd be staying the night in the village.

The bridge has been closed since May for rebuilding and resufacing, and now that the old ford is hidden under water, all vehicles, motos, people, and goods go by ferry or local pirogues (sail boats). Because one ferry couldn't handle the traffic the Malian military brought in a second larger one real fast recently. But, because the banks are steep the trucks keep getting stuck or even fall into water at the edge! At least five a week have break failures and crash into something as they slam downhill. At last we were permitted to load onto the wide military ferry, but then had to wait while the soldier's trucks hooked cables onto a tractor trailer in the water and righted it, to the cheers of hundreds of on-lookers! I picked up Ousman Diop at his aunt's home, finally connecting with him in spite of repeatedly missing each other, and got moving to Duduya.

The road was muddy, very muddy, but my four wheel drive made it, even at one stream over two feet deep, PTL. The village, especially Mr Hamet Diallo, their chief, and the well digging team were all very glad to see us and the supplies. We checked out the well, a whole five meters deeper than two weeks ago, and heard they've even had a bit of a trickle into it, PTL. The chief decided to butcher a goat for us; that takes a while to cook, so Ousman and I visited around to see friends. The first Brazilian team had come out here with me often, so the ladies especially were asking how is 'Fatimata', 'Kumbel', and 'Asiata'. They were ticked pink to hear that two of them have since married. Everyone also asks about 'Baril' the Malian Fulani evangelist, and about Solomon, the Beninese Pastor who was with us a while.

Back at the ranch, indeed for about three hundred cows sleep there at night in the village center, as well as innumerable goats and sheep, we chatted over tea and listened to the radio while many in the village dropped by to greet. I pulled out the Bible scarf with about 40 Bible story pictures on it and asked them if they knew the stories; many did. It was good way to get a some conversation going about the gospel. Ousman and Sekou were also both quite interested in the MegaVoice players with bible stories and chanted Psalms. The goat was finally served around 10 pm, and soon after we had mosquito nets up for a long rest. The diggers even gave some of their nets and mats as we hadn't been prepared to stay.

I was up by 6:30 and found that the diggers had already started the compressor at 6 am and two were down in the hole digging away for the next two hours! Then they spent an hour setting the nine charges and being sure the wires were all connecting. Finally about nine they came out, the men cleared away the pulley support, moved the compressor away and then touched the wires to a battery ... BOOM! Some pieces flew out as big as a soccer ball and one as big as a sewing machine box!
Got lots of pix :)  


I had expected to leave after the boom, but the chief told me another family had sent over a goat for lunch to honor us, so we had to stay, again .... it takes awhile: lots of tea, chatting, and resting. The diggers slept over an hour while the dust settled and air got back in the hole, afterward as they were to descend, clear the debris, and drill some more ... they wanted to do one more explosion by night fall. Ousman & I had ample time to chat about his theo studies in Cameroon and his upcoming marriage to a Cameroonian Fulani believer he's engaged to marry soon, etc. 
                                        The photo show Ousman helping skin our meal:

We headed out just after 3pm, made the river bank in Kayes Ndi just after 4 pm since the roads were a bit drier, and then waited and waited for a stalled truck to be pulled up hill, for another barge to unload, and for our ferry to load, problems in both directions for some vehicles. I noted that there was another truck in the water on the Kayes Ba side, another victim of bad breaks :( We cleared the Kayes side at 6:30 pm, and I left Sekou off at his home and returned home for a needed shower and Jenn's supper and an old TV movie to zone out.

It was a good trip overall, in spite of the ferry and mud, pleasing to the village to see us, and pleasing to me to see the progress, and a good time with Ousman and having some chances to witness a bit of our Savior and the Kingdom of God to the Fulanis.

May they have both well water soon as well as living water from above.

Quiet Evangelism

After church I rode my moto over to Kayes Ndi using the pirogues to cross the river. The bridge is still under repair, and the old bridge is now under water from rainy season, so we have to go by ferry or pirogue. I first headed to see Modibo & Sanusy Diop who were sitting under a tree outside their yard. We chatted a bit about the ferries, my recent trip to Budapest, Houseni's eye operation, the MegaVoice player I loaned Modibo a few weeks ago, and the Duduya well digging progress. After a bit one of the kids came to announce lunch was finally ready, so naturally they invited me in to eat rice and sauce. I was surprised they hadn't eaten yet at 2:30pm. They were kind enuf to keep the peanut gravy away from me!

So I moved on to find Ousman Diop who had ridden with us to Kayes the other day from Dakar. I went first to his sister's on one end of the Bakaforo neighborhood and found he was staying with another brother at the other end! It was nice to chat with Abus Diop there a bit and give out one of the Bientot (Soon) broadsheet tracts (as at each place I visited today). So I rode over to the brother's and found the sister, Adama! She also was waiting for Diop with a couple of other ladies, Seleni and Jouba. While drinking some tea and chatting I tried to play one of the MegaVoice Bible stories in Fulani. They liked it quite a bit, but then while playing the chanted Psalms, the batteries died. With rain threatening I moved on to Idi Thiam's where we caught up a bit on folk, happenings, and my trip. I offered to read a Bible story and selected the Lord's prayer and comments in Luke 11 and we discussed it a bit. His idea of what is the Holy Spirit was mostly a Muslim concept, but much else was correct. This was one of the rare times Idi actually stayed on subject and discussed something without changing the subject for quite a jump!
Rain still ready to fall, I moved on to see Mahmadou Aan and Mamadou Dioum (both from Senegal) in the Sidiya neighborhood. We had a fine time of drinking tea and chatting about the Bible. Mr. Aan had recently helped another Ousman (Gene) translate a longish Christian book on the Seven Beautiful Signs in the Qu'ran. I also found out he'd lived in Cote Ivoire for about 15 years before coming to teach in Mali, and there had lived near a church and a number of Christians so had learned a lot then. Mr. Dioum also has lived in Liberia (speaks fair English) and learned a lot about the Kingdom of God there.
I'm trying not to speak of Christianity, baptism, Christ, Son of God, Trinity, evangelism, church, or other negative connotation code words, in my visits and presentations of the gospel. Neither am I in any way requiring attendance at church or other religious things to show whether one is a believer or not. I'm trying to let them make the declarations by themselves in their own time.
After much chat, and reading Ps 15 about the high bar of a just man, I offered to read the same Luke passage. We

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had an interesting discussion on the Lord's prayer, importunity in prayer, faith, what is the Holy Spirit, etc. Mr Aan has read one book, The Way of Salvation, and listened to most of The Way of Righteousness tapes, and other things, seems to have good answers and comments, so I feel he is getting close to the kingdom, PTL. I left several Bientots for Mr. Aan to give to friends, and a tape in Senegal's Wolof language on fasting for Mr Dioum (the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, begins shortly).
May the Lord continue to reveal Himself to these friends.

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!