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THE POOREST OF THE POOR

For years we have been helping out widows and women who were kicked out by their husbands with their children, as well as refugees from the north, and others in dire need by giving them bags of rice. Often they had nothing left to eat or had not eaten in two days, and not infrequently they start crying, surprised by the sudden blessing filling their stomachs.

Since food is the first priority when you have nothing, many of those families had to take their children out of school as they simply could not afford for them to continue going to school. Not only are there school fees to pay, they also need uniforms and materials that are unaffordable to many. That is also why the beginning of the school year is the most challenging time of year for us financially, costing us thousands of dollars to send all the kids in our sponsorship program to school.

In spite of that already existing challenge, our hearts have been moved by the stories of these children who had to drop out of school but long to return. Some of them were excellent students. And that's why we have taken the big step of accepting 14 new children from the village of Dara into our sponsorship program. By faith, before having found sponsors for them, they returned to school today. Being sponsored also means that they have no more worries in case they need medical care and that they'll have priority in case of need for rice. Many of these families have received rice from us in the past.

Now I'd like to present these precious children to you. If you would like to become their sponsor with $60 or 50€ per month, or do a half-sponsorship for half that amount, please contact me.

Adama (11) was abandoned by his mother, when he was 6 months old. He lives with his father and his new wife. His father wants to send him to a community garden to work, instead of going to school, as he cannot afford it. With our help he's going back to school and starting 4th grade in 2021. Sponsor needed.

Awa (15) and her family, all dedicated Muslims, used to live in the north of Mali. In 2020 they had to flee because of the jihadist threat and lost everything they had. We have already helped them out with rice. In the beginning a Muslim organisation helped them to survive, but not to go to school. Awa finished 8th grade in the north, and now she can continue school in Dara, starting 9th grade in October 2021. Sponsor found.

Bourama's father has been sick and paralyzed for a long time and has been home since 2019, unable to work. The doctors have not been able to find out what is wrong with him. Bourama's mother has become a believer and is part of our church. Because of their dire situation we have helped them with rice before. Thanks to the sponsorship Bourama can go back to school and started 5th grade in 2021. Sponsor needed.

Chaka (15) is Madian's firstborn son. We paid Madian's operation in summer of 2021, they delivered her baby, and then she died. Not only did Madian become a believer a few months before dying, Chaka is also following Jesus and a part of the church. The family is without means and so Chaka's father was going to take him out of school. Thanks to our sponsorship Chaka is returning to school and starting 7th grade in 2021. Sponsor found.

Dem (12) is Fulani, a (semi-)nomad people that are fervent Muslims, and used to live in the north of Mali. Because of their ethnicity the population suspected they were jihadists, and so they finally had to flee for their lives. When they arrived in Dara, Dem was able to return to school thanks to a refugee program, but he could not even finish 6th grade, when they stopped their support. The family has no means at all, but thanks to our sponsorship program, Dem started 7th grade in 2021, after the director said that he was such a good student he did not have to finish 6th grade. Sponsor needed.

Geneviève (7) is the only child of her single mother who became a believer and is part of our church. She sells drinks to survive. Geneviève completed second grade, but her mother did not have the means to send her back to school. Thanks to our sponsorship program Geneviève started 3rd grade in 2021. Sponsor found.

Ichaka's father died in a car accident in 2020. Even though it was a government vehicle, the family received no help. They were living together with the rest of their big family. After they completed the months of grief, Ichaka's uncle kicked his mother out, together with him and all his siblings. They found a place to stay, and his mother does odd jobs to survive. He has finished 7th grade, but they have no means to send him back to school. Thanks to our sponsorship program, he could start 8th grade in 2021. Sponsor needed.

After Mery's father left her, his mother got remarried, and so she handed her son over to her mother to raise. Mery's grandmother could not afford for him to go to school, and so he had to drop out in the middle of first grade. Thanks to our sponsorship program he went back to school in 2021 to start first grade again. Sponsor needed.

Mohamed (13) finished 5th grade. Then his father left the family, and so there was no money for him to continue going to school. Mohamed's mother has a bad leg, making walking and working difficult for her. We have given the family rice because of their dire needs. In 2021 Mohamed was able to start 6th grade because of our sponsorship program. Sponsor found.

Ousmane was in 5th grade, when his father died in the beginning of 2021. He had to drop out of school. They were in so much need that we helped them with rice. Thanks to our sponsorship program he was able to go back to school in 2021 to finish 5h grade. Sponsor needed.

Ramatou's (14) mother became a believer and is part of our church, while her father is still a Muslim. After she finished 6th grade, her father sent her to Bamako to live and work in a bar (and be sexually exploited). He was making $20 per month as a result. When Paul found out, he was able to convince her father to bring her back home and told him that we would cover the cost of sending her to school. Thankfully he agreed, and so she returned home after two months. She started 7th grade in 2021. Sponsor found.

Souleymane (14) is Baroh's son, one of the ladies in a desperate situation who we helped. In 2020 the family with 7 children fled the north of Mali, where jihadists had killed their whole family. When Souleymane's father returned north to sell their possessions to have something to live on, he was killed as well. Souleymane had finished 6th grade in the north, but never went to school in Dara. After a year out of school he started 7th grade in 2021 thanks to our sponsorship program. Sponsor needed.

Souleymane's (12) father died in the spring of 2021, leaving them with nothing and no means of income. Because of their desperate situation we had helped them with rice. Thanks to our sponsorship program Souleymane can go back to school and started 6th grade in 2021.Sponsor needed.

Youssouf's (8) mother has become a Christian and is part of our church. His father is a Muslim and handicapped, which condemns him to begging as the only means for income. Because of his inability to pay for his son's schooling and the debt he had accumulated at the school, he decided to send Youssouf to a koranic school, as those are free. Thanks to our sponsorship program we were able to prevent that, and Youssouf started 4th grade in 2021.Sponsor needed.

AUSTRIA MINISTRY TRIP

At the end of August the triplets turned 2 years old. During the past two years the only place we have traveled was Mali, but we did not do any itinerant ministry, which was mainly due to the pandemic. Now the time had finally come for us to hit the road again, and I was curious how it was all gonna work out with three little ones.

We rented a car and did a circle through Austria that lasted two weeks, ministering in Upper Austria, Vorarlberg and Carinthia. While it wasn't easy, we all had a wonderful time. When not ministering, we did different things that were on their age level, giving them lots of experiences and fun times. But they also had fun at church. It was challenging to keep them at bay during worship and while I was preaching, but it all worked out. When they'd come to me, I'd simply pick them up and continue preaching, and then put them back down.

I had a simple message of His strength being made perfect in my weakness, and told lots of amazing stories of what God is doing in Mali, in spite of our weaknesses. After the message, we prayed for everyone who came forward, and I only started once the triplets were up front to join us. Emmanuel was the most involved in praying, Tamara was less interested. In fact, I had told Emmy he'd be praying for people that night, and all day long he'd say "pray", as if in great anticipation, and he sure did seem to enjoy it. Samuel got to join us as well. And God's power came to heal, to touch and transform. His glory was displayed in Austria!

We're hoping this was only the start and are praying for the Lord to open more doors to minister in Austria, Europe and the US and Canada. We're still waiting for the mask-mandate on planes in the US for 2-year-olds to be lifted to travel to the US, and are hoping to be able to do so in spring.

MALI MINISTRY TRIP

But first we're returning to Mali to spend nearly two months with our family there during the important Christmas season and into the new year. We'll be traveling to Mali on November 29th, leaving Vienna very early in the morning. We still need someone with a car who could help us all get to the airport, as the church van is not enough for all of us plus our luggage.

We're also looking for someone who would travel to Mali with us, which is challenging with three 2-year-olds. You'd have to pay for your own ticket and could stay in Mali as long as you'd like. As for us, we leave Mali on January 19th. And we're excited to have the pastor and a few people from my homechurch in Vienna join us our last week in Mali.

While we're in Mali, we'll be giving away shoes, toys, clothes and candy to a few thousand children in the capital and the villages. We'd be thankful for any donations of small toys and candy, if you can get it to us in Vienna before we travel.

QUICK NEWS

•        Daily Blog - If you are not on Facebook but would still like to read my daily blog about our life (with the triplets), including pictures, you can do so on our website. Go to https://h2tni.org/blog/.

•        Permit & Deed - After the second coup in June, the government put everything on hold. Now they have finally started working again, with new people in place. One of Paul's friends who has a high position in the army is now in a position to help us, so we're hopeful to soon have our building permit and title deed. Please pray.

•        Schools - The new school year has started today, which has kept Paul very busy, going to the different schools to pay the first installment of school fees and buying the school materials we already know the children need. This is the most challenging time of year for us financially, as we need thousands of dollars/euros at once. We'd be thankful for any help.

•        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 - Please continue praying for him, as he carries the weight of the ministry all by himself. Right now he's extremely busy due to the beginning of the new school year and can't really focus on anything else.

•       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.

True spirituality that is pure in the eyes of our Father God is to make a difference in the lives of the orphans and widows in their troubles... (Jam 1:27a, TPT)

Loving HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)