project: schools in MALI

letter to Rev. Mark Vaughn, VA
I just got confirmation this am that the three men will definitely be going to the teacher training program next week. The letter, attached, in French, is a thanks for providing the cash for their travel and class fees and housing. Luc Kodjo, who wrote and signed it, is the high school psychology teacher who will be going along with David Sogoba of Campus Crusade, and Job Diarra an elementary teacher. I'm glad you all will be praying for them to better understand a Christian philosophy of teaching that the YWAM program offers in the next six weeks. YWAM gave us a minis-seminar last summer, first in my home, and then at the church for a day.
Several families of the Kayes church have asked the mission to help them set up a private Christain school in Kayes. This would be only the third or fourth in MALI other than Catholic schools! They formed an official association, Semeur (= seedsower) and have made application to the school department to open a school. They have even paid an architect out of their own dues for plans! They're hoping to open a pre-school this fall and add a grade a year! The UWM has agreed they can build on land of the mission, where I currently live actually, and we're welcoming this initiative of some of the most talented men of the church. We noticed they needed more understanding of what makes a school Christian so we suggested this YWAM program. Once they had the mini-seminar they we're very interested in the more complete program in Koutiala, the other side of MALI. So, off they go on the 15th until mid-Aug. PTL!
We'll be talking more about this project (among others) as we visit churches this year as it will demand quite a commitment form both the UWM and the Association Semeur to see it through. The total cost is far more than we've ever tried to see the Lord supply, well over $100,000, for construction and school supplies, so we need to find partners to help. I'm even dreaming that Teen Mission Intl, TMI, will accept to send a teen builders team over to help us once or twice. The Association Semeur has let us know they can manage the construction planning and work (some of them already have done such for other projects), so that is a load off my shoulders.
I'm also dreaming that some churches would accept to send some teachers along to help, in French, teach the kids over the next few years. The Mali church intends to supply all the teachers, but they wouldn't mind help from overseas. We'll be contacting French speaking churches in Switz, Belgium, and Quebec that we know, too. They also expect school fees to cover all the operational costs after an initial start up. One other neat aspect of their plans is that if there are profits from running the school they will use that for evangelism in the Kayes area!

Looking forward to chatting with you all,
God bless,
Jim & Jenn
UWM - MALI

from Jim's Journal on July 7th, 2007 -Meetings and Visits

Last evening I put in ten hours of ministry! And that was after a morning of email, money, visitors, computer maintenance, and typing a bit! We held a further meeting about the radio possibility in the Kanyaga area, and so Klaus, Siggi, Levi, and I understand better what is possible and what is available in equipment and money. We might meet with Oumar and Mamadou Traoré this afternoon so that all actors will finally meet and know each other.

After that I went to chat with Houseni and a friend for a while and then attended the ministerium’s once a month Friday night prayer meeting. Only five were present, not even the hosting pastor, and with two from outside Kayes, so we were a bit disappointed at attendance. I feel it was a good time of payer and worship led by David Sogoba anyway. Houseni has an ongoing leg problem which hurts quite a bit and limits his walking a working. He’s already been to a guerisseur a couple years ago which probably did him more harm than good. One doc says there’s a crack in the femur bone that might need replacing. He’s getting cortisone shots regularly now, too. Perhaps a pin or screw would help? We prayed, but I want Him to know there’s no guarantee and also that he must obey the Lord and seek His face not just religion. I get very frustrated at these friends who turn to faith healers and not to the Lord first. May the Lord manifest His power and grace among my friends. His friend was Mamadou, Amadou Ba, who had helped me a couple years ago to translate the booklet ‘ElHadji’s Journey to Faith’ into Pulaar. He’s a teacher living in Atesan, near Duduya, so we might go see him soon.

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.