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!! MOVE POSTPONED !!

10 days ago I showed you the picture of our house with no walls at all yet. Today all the walls are up, praise God! Construction has stopped as of now because our current funds are not sufficient to put up the roof. Two donations have come in - praise God - and we are praying for a Christmas miracle, for God to release the remaining finances for our house to be built. I have talked to our construction manager Kossi who told us he could finish the house by December 20 if the money is there. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could celebrate Christmas in our new home!

DIFFICULT DECISION

Our moving date was set for December 3rd, and we were all ready to move, whatever the conditions on the property. In my mind I started setting up our furniture in the garden, and going through all the details what life outside would be like, how to do things. Everybody else was getting ready too. We wanted to move as soon as possible since we pay hundreds of dollars every month for rent and utilities and would rather put those into building the house, or helping us with daily expenses. While we thank God for money being given towards the building, our funds for daily expenses are depleted, since we have to believe God to provide two thirds of budget "supernaturally" every month. So the 14 of us are praying for the Lord to send money for our daily bread, and for the church's Anniversary Celebration as well as our Christmas Party for Street Children.

When the agency we rent our current house from told us they don't have new renters for our house yet, and we could stay longer, after much prayer and consideration, I decided for us to stay in this house a little longer, rather than living in the garden on our property. That will allow us to continue school, and spend a few wonderful weeks of advent leading up to Christmas. Hopefully we will spend Christmas in our new home, but in any case, we will move in God's time. Right now we still need $28,500 or 19.500€ to finish our first house.

The front side of our house. Three of my children in their room-to-be.

In any case, we still have our 3rd Anniversary Celebration on our property, and will have our Sunday services there from then on. On the 2nd of December we invite all our friends and neighbors to celebrate 3 years of God's faithfulness with us. We will baptize all those who've come to the Lord over the past year, worship our Lord, listen to Him, and have a big banquet to have communion and fellowship. Please pray for all preparations, and for people to come into the kingdom of God that day.

ANOTHER CHANCE FOR DAOUDA?

Nearly a year ago we took in three street children at once. The only one still with us is Solomani. One of the other boys was Daouda (then 14). He seemed the most serious in following God, and was a quiet and good kid. Except for his stealing problem. After having been caught several times, and receiving another chance each time, we finally had to send him away. A few weeks later he came back and broke into our car, stealing the car radio. When he tried to sell it, he was arrested and put into the boys' prison. My heart was grieving for him, and I desired to visit him there, but it never worked out.

Last Saturday he showed up to our weekly street kid program. He asked forgiveness for having stolen the radio and said he wanted to move in with us again. He said he's given up stealing. I do not doubt his good intentions, but cannot believe his latter statement. I told him to come back to the service the following day, and he did. Since then he's been coming every night, eating dinner with us and then sleeping on our porch, having breakfast, and leaving for the day. He'd really rather stay with us full-time.

All my other kids love Daouda and want him to have another chance. Some of the adults are more cautious. Practically, we don't have the capacity to teach him academically, being the only student on his level. What would Jesus do?

He's the God of many chances; He's the God of repeated forgiveness, over and over again; He's the One we're taking in by taking in Daouda. What an honor!

LITTLE CHILDREN

We've seen more younger children come to our street kid program, and it breaks my heart to see them on the street fighting to survive. That's another reason I want to move as soon as possible, so we have more room to take in more children. (Doesn't it break your heart to see those little ones in the picture and think of what their lives are like?)

Recently we've been growing again - we had a young lady from Austria join us for 2 months, then Daouda, and recently we found out we're growing biologically as well.

Fanta - Mom to Hama (6, handicapped) and Sarata (2) - is pregnant again. For the first time she's receiving medical care during her pregnancy, and things are going well. She's 10 weeks along, and we've already seen an ultrasound picture of the baby. Counting this latest addition, we are now 15 people living together as a living example of what church is like.

The other day I took Hama to a medical center to finally have him circumcised - something that needed to be done for medical reasons. His father didn't want to be there, and so I stayed at the side of my beloved little boy, holding his hand and comforting him throughout the half-hour procedure. They don't use anaesthesia in Mali, and so he was screaming in pain, while I prayed for him and stayed close to him. When it was done, he held on to me tight, and couldn't wait to get out of there. He's now recovering well, and staying in the house around the clock to protect him from an infection (since he's robbing on the ground outside and can't wear pants right now). He's doing great sleeping inside the house, in the room with the other boys. Just half a year ago that didn't work at all.

Our village pastor Enoch has also taken in another child - 2 year old Hawa who had nobody who wanted her. We have yet to go to the village and take her picture, and tell you her story. We just paid for medication to treat her since she was sick, and we're looking for a sponsor for her for $50 or 40€ a month.

MISSIONS TEAM FROM AUSTRIA

One week from now we have a team of 6 people coming from Austria to be with us for 10 days. We are going into two villages - Magnambougou and Bamabougou - where they have never heard the gospel, but they have been calling on us to come. Pray for these villages to dedicate their lives to the Lord, and to serve Him. We expect to see many healings and salvations.

In fact, more and more villages approach our pastor for us to come and bring them the gospel. Every week we could go and save another village, advancing God's kingdom in the region. For several reasons that is difficult for us to do right now.

We found out that our old 20-year-old car could have another engine installed and be up and running again for just $600. That would be a huge blessing, because it would liberate us to go to the villages. The old car could stay in Bamako and take the school kids back and forth to school, while we'd be free to go to the villages with our pick-up.

The Austrian team will also evangelize the neighborhood around our property, invite people to our celebration, and they will participate actively helping us out during our big celebration. They are also with us for two street kid programs, and will do some practical stuff on our property.

Please pray for health for them and us, and God's protection and favor, as well as His anointing flowing into us and through us. May His kingdom be advanced powerfully!

QUICK NEWS

•        Malian Teacher - I'm still teaching my kids, which I do enjoy a lot, but it takes up much of my time and energy. Please pray for a good Malian teacher to take over.

•      Other Malian Churches - We have started blessing other Malian churches financially, therefore acting in the opposite spirit in this country. My heart is to see the divisions in the body of Christ fall, and for all churches to come into the fullness of Christ. We want to honor other leaders in the body that way. It has already opened the door for me to preach in one of the churches we have blessed; the only other church in Mali with a woman pastor.

•       Intercessors Needed - I strongly feel the need for more intercessors for myself and the ministry. At times things can be overwhelming when you are a single leader, far from friends and others who could be there for you. Having lost my spiritual Dad, I miss the precious input I used to have. Please pray for intercessors to be raised up - prayer makes all the difference! Pray that I would have wisdom from God to lead His sheep, and strength to do what needs to be done.

•      USA & Canada - My next trip to the US is January 4-28. I'm going to Ann Arbor, MI, Abbotsford, B.C., Augusta, GA, and Pasadena, CA. Details on the left and on my CALENDAR page.

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords,strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. (Isa 54:2-3)

Serving HIM,

Claudia