Donations:

We are believing and contending for the money needed to purchase a new pickup truck, for our deficit to be erased and to be able to complete the third building we've built.

We declare the time of lack is OVER!

HEALTH ATTACKS

Earlier this year we saw more miracles in such a short period of time than ever before. About three months ago the health attacks against my husband and me, Paul, our staff and our children started. Sarata returned from a visit to her home village with parasites, malaria, and typhoid fever. I started having intense pain in my jaw and ended up having a wisdom tooth pulled, followed by another full week of excruciating pain and pain killers. Paul had typhoid fever, and malaria several times. One child after another had malaria (not unusual), as well as colds, and so did our adults, and several of them had to get medical care. I had a persistent cold for over two weeks, and Randy had a deep cough affecting his lungs for three weeks. Some of our kids were in such bad shape, we had to take them to a clinic.

For the past 11 days my husband has been lying in bed because of excruciating pain in the joint/bone of his foot. He simply woke up with it one morning (he once had an injury there in the past). He's now putting ice on it and resting it - the only thing he can do - but it's hard on him to not be able to do any physical work. Randy had been painting our dining hall, where we also have all our meetings and the street kids sleep, and just another day and the inside would have been finished.

WE DECLARE ALL SICKNESS MUST GO AND RELEASE HEALTH AND HEALING ON OUR BASE!

OTHER ATTACKS

Our internet stopped working, and it took 9 days for a technician to come and fixed it. We've also had a few severe computer issues arrise out of the blue; we were able to fix them at the expense of time.

Something happened to our intricate electrical system (solar panels, batteries and city electricity). Every evening the power would go out and only come back on in the morning, leaving us in a hot bedroom without even so much as a fan. That went on for a full three weeks! If any of you have ever not been able to sleep, you can imagine what weeks of not sleeping does to you.

The Malian electricians we were refered to kept saying they're coming, yet not showing up. And when they did come, they said it was fixed, but it wasn't. After three weeks the missionary who installed the whole system "happened" to be in town (a God-sent!) and fixed it - by simply pushing in a button!

WE COMMAND THE THIEF TO RETURN SEVEN TIMES WHAT HAS BEEN STOLEN AND DECLARE ALL THAT WE HAVE OFF LIMITS TO THE ENEMY!

FINANCIAL STRAIN

Besides all the medical expenses we had for hospital visits and medications, the internet service provider technicians stole quite a bit of money out of our cash box. And we discovered the theft of a motorcycle that had been stored here. It was one of the street kids we baptized last year and who was a regular. He threatened the kid that saw him with killing him if he told us.

We just found out that we're losing our biggest regular monthly supporter by the end of this year. We're thankful for our new supporters after our summer trip, yet half of our new friends who committed to supporting us haven't started yet.

This is the toughest time of year for us financially because of the beginning of the school year where we need thousands of dollars in addition, and we already only have 43% of our budget met by our monthly supporters. We are close to finishing paying all the schools and school uniforms etc and have already spent 7724€ which is $8467.

In three weeks we're having our yearly anniversary conference, this year with pastor Alan Koch and the theme "Holy Spirit", which also requires money to put on. We're making radio announcements daily and will be broadcasting the Sunday afternoon live on Christian radio. We need to rent tents that cost a few hundred dollars, and rent buses to bring our village people in. We're also serving a banquet feast at the big Sunday celebration.

WE DECLARE WE HAVE ABUNDANT PROVISION FOR ALL OUR NEEDS IN CHRIST JESUS! ALL SCHOOLS PAID, VEHICLE PURCHASED, DEBTS ERASED, MORE THAN ENOUGH SUPPORTERS AND PROVISION FOR OUR HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE!

VEHICLE SITUATION

Not having a vehicle has had quite a few repercussions. Our children have to go to school and back twice a day, which is a long walk to the main road and then three public transportation buses. We spend 27€ which is $30 per day on that, and it's hard on the children plus eats up the little free time they have.

Paul's step-mother Elisabeth - a widow with 7 children - used to work for us, but now she can't. They can't attend our services either, as our pickup used to pick them up and bring them back home.

Paul has been able to visit our village church that is a 45-minute drive away by other means. However, there is no way to get to the village church that is 2 hours away.

Paul is running errands in town every day, which is much harder transportation-less, especially when items need to be carried, which sometimes requires a taxi. Other times we need to pay for people to bring items to us, like the many bags of rice we need to feed dozens of people every day, and to give away to needy widows.

We are considering buying a "moto-taxi", a motorbike with a small pickup bed, as that would allow us to take the children back and forth to school, and it's more affordable.

Randy has spent much time researching vehicles. They are much cheaper in Europe, and so we're considering buying one there and driving it back to Mali. After talking to people who have made that drive, we believe it is doable.

However, right now a mission agency is selling a pickup truck for $22,800. Are you the one God's calling to write us a check so we can purchase it? Or to make a transfer so we can pay the 20.600€? We could have a vehicle by TOMORROW! May God's will be done!

WE LOOSE PROVISION FOR JUST THE RIGHT VEHICLE GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US TO COME INTO OUR POSSESSION!

QUICK NEWS

•        Bible School - God spoke to us that we need to have our older boys that are becoming adults do our Bible school. It's been years since our Bible school has been in session, but this coming weekend we'll be doing an intensive and are expecting about 10 students. Please pray for it the organisation, logistics and the students.

•        More Painting - We hope to complete the painting of the dining hall before our conference in three weeks, as we'll be doing meetings in there. We're looking to see if someone else can paint the outside of the building as Randy's foot is still recovering.

•        New Church Plant- Paul recently moved off our base and into a house outside of town, closer to our village church. He has it on his heart to start a church there. Prayers appreciated.

•        Child Sponsorship - Seven of our children are currently praying to find a (new) sponsor to support them with $60 or 40€ per month. Please go to our CHILDREN's page to see which ones and let me know whose sponsor you'd like to become.

•        Monthly Donors - If you have committed to supporting us on a monthly basis, please either sign up online for an automatic monthly donation or in Europe set it up through your bank or in the US send a check every month. Thank you!

•        US & Europe Trip - Randy and I will be in Europe early January and the first half of March, and in the US in between. If you'd like us to come to your church to preach or share, please let us know.

•       Volunteers - We always need volunteers in Mali who can stay a few months or more. If you'd like to come help us, please contact me.

Pray without ceasing. (1.Thess 5:17)

All HIS,

Claudia