September 2022 Blog
The Madou saga continues as his blood still speaks. Two men responded to the message of reconciliation that Prince preached, requiring them to move out of Cull and into the training center in Jos. Their names are Aaqib and Yasir. Like Madou, Aaqib was a Boko Haram member. After the message some other men burned down Madou’s father’s (Aazim’s), home leaving the cinder block structure devoid of a roof or items inside. Jesus came to destroy all the works of the enemy. How do we continue that work? With spiritual weapons of course. Some of our weapons are grace and forgiveness. That led me to plot a response which would have a double impact on that village. Prince asked both Yasir and Aaqib if they would go back with him and Awal to rebuild Aazim’s home. Even as we speak Prince is engaged in reaching six other villages before their return to Cull. Many are being saved. They were stopped by rain today in the fifth village. By Saturday they should be in Cull working on his home. What might this do other than give Aazim a semblance of a home? This will be like pouring hot coals on the heads of the sinners who perpetrated this action on Madou and his father. My hope and prayer is that they will repent and receive Christ as Lord. Time will tell.
Fahad had a pastor associate do follow-up in the village near Djecki that had the most response to the gospel. There were 22 children and young people saved and baptized then. The very next day two of these were killed in the floods that hit the area. Pastor Badr is conducting a youth and children’s meeting which seems to be going well. After this is over, he will visit 4-5 Samogo villages with the gospel of the Kingdom. He has also agreed to join us in the outreaches to the Pulaar in Basse Santa Su, The Gambia in January of 2023. This will come sooner than I think, and we need to be in continuous preparation for this big event. Badr’s associate in AOG, Pastor Mifta of Kaye, Mali will be conducting outreaches to the Khasonke and the Soninke between the 18th-22nd of this month, assuming no rain.
Pastor Aariz of an area of Burkina Faso called Tita is planning one day outreaches to villages near him each week for the next four. We have helped him with renting a tricycle and fuel costs for this. Asad is doing a good job of mediating for him and myself. Pastor Cahil is going to return to two Wolof villages this month for follow-up although there are no adult believers there yet. He told me Dawoud, a fisherman I shared the gospel with on our boat trip back from Ourong to Ziguinchor, has interacted with him on the phone. Dawoud was not ready to receive Christ when I witnessed to him, but I asked Cahil if he had received Jesus since. He did not know. On another call he asked him, and he said he had but did not give timeline details. That was very encouraging to me as all the Africans in the boat laughed at me while I was giving Dawoud a chance to receive Christ. It must have been what he said, to the effect, “in such a short time you want me to be a Christian?” Yes, and everyone else who is lost but not forgotten.
Thank you so much for your partnership.
Going with you to the unknown, to make Him known,
Jedidiah