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JESUS IS ALIVE IN MALI!

The Kingdom of God is advancing in Mali, and nothing and nobody can stop it.

A few years ago the Lord gave us a new, simple strategy to spread the gospel in a non-intrusive non-threatening way, and it has born much fruit (Disciple-Making Movement DMM). Countless people in Mali have since encountered Jesus and started living with Him, and they are spreading the good news and starting more and more Bible-Discovery Groups (BDG). In this newsletter I explain how it works.

One of the greatest gifts to this ministry is my spiritual son, Paul (32), who came to me when he was 17, became a believer, did our Bible School, moved in with the first few street children to help, and has become our national director and pastor/overseer over all the churches we've started. If it wasn't for him, we could not be away for this long. If it wasn't for him, the ministry would not be today what it is. Please continue praying for him. He's extremely busy, having too much on his plate, and every try to raise up another "Paul" has failed so far.

A year ago Paul was introduced to a doctor, Boubacar, who is the government official responsible for a whole region's health to the south of Bamako. Paul started meeting with him one-on-one, doing a BDG with him. Half a year ago Boubacar had a dream. In that dream Jesus came to him and asked him to pray for the sick. He became a believer and started praying for his patients. He also started a Bible-discovery group in his native village Colesebougou, which is part of the region he's responsible for.

One of those patients he prayed for was the mayor over that same whole region, Mohamed. The mayor had diabetes and had to take medications. After Boubacar prayed for him, he was completely healed. The mayor was so amazed that he came to the group with Boubacar. He even took his laptop with him to take as many notes as possible, and was asking questions the whole time. The villagers were so amazed and honored that such a high official would come to their little group.

Please pray for Mohamed's salvation and for the gospel to spread like fire in that region! Pray also for Paul who oversees it all, and for the dozens of other groups we have in different regions.

TAKING CARE OF THE WIDOW AND THE POOR (Jam 1:27)

As you can see on this graph from today, the Corona cases are rising steeply in Mali, even though test kits are still lacking. There was never a mask requirement, people were just told to keep a distance, but if you know the reality (in the cities) in Mali, you know that's an impossibility. On June 2nd all school children were supposed to return to school, but instead they decided that only those children having important year-end exams are going back, while the rest continues working at home. Of our children that only affects Amadou, our oldest (third from the right), and greatest help to Paul, who is in his last year of professional school (architecture). For the others, Paul still has to get their school work and then take it to their school to hand it in.

The Corona crisis has also interrupted life in Mali, increasing the number of people needing humanitarian aid to 5 million, which is over a fourth of the population. Last time I shared a few testimonies with you of widows we helped with rice, some who had nothing to eat, or had eaten their last food. In the light of numbers this seems to be a drop in a bucket, but every person counts.

One of the widows we've been giving a bag of rice to every month for years recently expressed her great gratitude to us. Fatoumata is alone with several children, and she said that she and her children would have already died of hunger would it not be for the rice. Her oldest son left her a year ago to travel to the Mediterranean to try to make it to Europe, and has not been heard since, so now he cannot support his family from within Mali or from Europe. Every year thousands of Africans (and others) drown in the Mediterranean, trying to reach the "Promised Land".

There are so many more widows in need, so many more testimonies. We thank every one of you who has donated to help us buy rice for them. One 50 kilo bag costs 31€ or $34.

AUSTRIA

Randy has started packing our stuff into boxes for our upcoming move. We should receive the key to the new apartment by the end of the month, and pay double-rent for July and August, before returning our current apartment at end of August. If you're in Vienna or close-by, we need help; people and vehicles to help us, as well as those who'll help me with the babies while Randy moves stuff.

The move is really exciting, and I can't wait to have more room for all of us. But it does interrupt our lives - just another interruption after Corona. Once again we cannot travel, not even within Austria, to pick up itinerant ministry again. We had also wanted to fly to Mali this summer, which is not possible either. I guess it will be September before the itinerant work can start again. That work is so important, not only because we want to see the Lord move and touch His people in the Western world, but also because we want to make the work in Mali known, and because of the donations coming in in the process.

As for the triplets, our little world-changers, they are doing great. Now Emmy has also started with the first movements of crawling, and yesterday Tammy sat up for the first time by herself. Sammy is going to physiotherapy and is working on learning how to turn from his back to his belly. Just over a week ago they started going baby-swimming and are enjoying it. Their biological age is now just over 7 months, though they were born 9.5 months ago.

Samuel day 293                 Tamara day 285                Emmanuel day 281

QUICK NEWS

•        Important Meeting - Paul has an important meeting coming up concerning the title deed of our land and the construction permit. We still don't know how much we will have to pay this time. Recently some government officials came to measure our land which will decide that amount. It seems like we pay for it over and over again. Please pray for this meeting, for favor, and for the finances necessary.

•        Five New Tires - Our truck is in use from morning till evening (though less now with the kids not going to school), and with the rough roads everywhere, tires wear out quickly. We just had to replace all five which cost us 1700€ or nearly $2000 which is not in our budget. Thank you for supporting us as you are led and able!

•        First-Grade Teacher - We are still looking for a French-speaking first grade teacher to join our team. There is such a need for a good, Christian school where the children are treated with dignity and learn something. Many of our Muslim neighbors would send their children to our school. Please pray we'll find a teacher!

•        Malian Director Paul - Paul has been leading the ministry in Mali by himself for quite some time now and he's tired. Please pray for him!

•        Security Situation - The tension in Mali is still rising, a lot of people asking for the president to step down, and even talking about removing him forcefully. Every Friday there are demonstrations in the city. The army has been stepping up operations against jihadists, killing innocent people in the process, which turns the population against them and plays into the jihadists' hands. Please pray for peace, and for protection from jihadists.

•       Volunteers - Do you want to come change an orphan's life? Do you want to heal the sick? Preach the gospel to those who've never heard? Come to Mali for a season and let God change your life. No language skills needed, but French skills are helpful.

Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. (2 Cor 5:17, TPT)

In love with HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)