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GOVERNMENT SEIZING PART OF OUR PROPERTY

In 2007 I went to a government office in Bamako after finding out that as a Christian organization we had the right to land from the government. When they showed me our property on this map to the right, I immediately knew it was ours. It was a good size and was at the edge of the city, in a part of town that was rapidly developing. They showed it to me and told me to put a structure up, to make sure it would not be given to anybody else. We put a metal structure with a roof up and started doing meetings there regularly, even before anything else was up. The government told us that the streets and houses of this part of town had not been officially numbered yet, but that would be done shortly, and then we would receive the official papers that the land was ours. So our address became "behind the market, at the foot of the hill". That same year we started building, and in February 2008 we moved into the first unfinished building.

Today we have 3 finished buildings, and just over a year ago we started building the fourth of five buildings, the fifth one being the large 3-story building for sanctuary, offices, school, dorms, and medical center. This picture shows you the current state of the fourth building, the walls being up, all the way to the ceiling.

On April 10 government officials came to our neighborhood, marking buildings for destruction (the x on the walls), and they also seized part of our property. Not only is our construction affected (the red lines are only an approximation of what they are taking away), but they also took a big part of the other side of the property where our main 3-story building is going to be. Paul was so affected by all this, it took him two days to get God's perspective and peace. A few days later, the officials came back, adding more property to seize, which now included part of our current house.

Paul immediately used his connections to do everything in his power to fight this seizure. Praise God, he was able to prevent the seizure of part of our own house! As for the rest, he has an important meeting this Tuesday, please pray for it!

What happened? When a new administration comes in, they like to change things up, and in this case, they simply changed the layout of our neighborhood, as the numbering of streets and houses had not been done yet. Now they are doing it, and it means houses in the "wrong" places are being torn down. We're not the only ones in the neighborhood being affected, and at first, it sounded impossible to do anything to keep them from taking our land.

The current situation is that there is at least a willingness by the government to offer the only available solution: If they can't take the land from us, they need to take it from our immediate neighbors instead. What does that mean? It means that we will have to pay them money for it.

Please pray for this situation to be resolved!

MIRACLE TESTIMONIES

Every Saturday our children (and volunteers) go into the neighborhood to tell the good news. Randy being an evangelist, he likes going with them. One Saturday not long before we left Mali, they were going out into the neighborhood, when Randy saw a relatively young man with a cane who was hunched over and could barely walk. Of course he wanted to stop and pray for him, but the kids were already way ahead, and he had to keep up. On their way back, he was amazed to see that same man again, and just knew he HAD to pray for him.

They stopped and laid hands on the man and prayed. Then they told him to straighten up. First he straightened his legs, and then his back, standing completely upright! Praise God! A crowd had gathered by then, and a woman pushed towards our team. Her eyes were completely white and moving around. She was blind, caused by what looked like cataracts. Randy laid hands on her eyes, as did everyone else, and commanded her eyes to open up. When he removed his hands, there was color in her eyes, they had stopped rolling around and were focusing and following Randy's hand. She was able to see! Praise God!

Another day out in the village, Paul and our team laid hands on a man who was second-in-command over a number of villages. He had a lot of pain in his foot, probably gout. After praying, he told us that the pain first went into his big toe and then shot out of it. It was gone! Praise God! Not long after, this man introduced Paul to his boss who is over 52 villages and not-yet-villages, and who invited us to come bring the gospel to his unreached region. Praise God!

Another day a marabout showed up at our base. (They are Muslim clerics who get rich at the expense of the many children who live with them and beg for them, who they don't feed and beat regularly.) He had heard of us and wanted to know more about us. Paul talked to him. A week later he returned, telling Paul about his dreams he had had. Paul has now seen his home and family (though the children were out begging) and has started a relationship with this man. Please pray for his salvation and that we can rescue the children with him!

QUICK NEWS

•        Spiritual Warfare - We need intercessors to hold us up in prayer! We have a closed Facebook group for our intercessors.

•        American Volunteers - End of January Mary Beth and Clay from Mississippi joined us for one month. They loved it so much that they added another month to their time with us, which was great for our new volunteer Maja from Germany who had their company for her first of two months in Mali. We are so blessed by all our volunteers, and pray for more to come!

•        Nadia - Nadia spent 6 weeks with us at the turn of the year and was a huge blessing. God spoke to her to return to Mali for a year, which was such an encouragement to us, especially at this much-needed time. However, the enemy is scared of her and doing everything possible to keep her from returning to Mali, and right now it looks like he's succeeding. Please pray for her and for God's will to be done!

•        Kids Easter Party - Today we're doing our Easter party for street kids and neighbors' children. We are blessed to still have our German volunteer Maja with us, who will be a great help to Paul and our children with this big event. Please pray for them.

•        Miracle Children - Last time I told you I was pregnant and that it could possibly be twins. The week 6 ultrasound clearly showed twins. However, when we saw the heartbeats for the first time in week 8, there were clearly three heartbeats! One baby divided into two - identical twins! We're having triplets! I'm now 11 weeks along.

•        First-Grade Teacher - We are still looking for a French-speaking first grade teacher to join our team next September. 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's wife Rokia has been doing well with the treatment she is getting. Please pray for her complete healing.

•        Security Situation - Mali is becoming more and more radicalized by jihadists. Also, the population is rising up against the government, still not accepting the president's election. 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.

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. (Deut 28:7-8)

Trusting HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)