It is going very well with Abar and his family in Alana’s village! The Literacy classes that started at the end of June are going full steam ahead! The students are even prepared to come in some Saturdays to see to it that they finish this course as soon and as well as possible: they are hungry to read God’s Word! Some of the students, like Alana herself, walks TWO HOURS each day – both ways! – to get to the Literacy classes… We can hardly imagine such devotion…
If this is not enough, the Chronological Bible Lessons also started since this community is so hungry to learn more about God! Francois have visited them during this month to be there for the first Bible lesson. He is very encouraged by what he saw. Close to 100 people arrived, eager to hear the first lesson from Genesis 1. Francois spent the night and returned the 3 hour trip home the next morning. Abar and Liberia are also very encouraged by the way they have been received and the continued openness of the community. They are astounded by the way the Lord is providing in their needs… not a day passes without someone stopping by with food.
Last week we went for another visit to Alana’s village. We were invited by Abar to be there when they do their first Primer’s tests. So, four believers and I set out for the visit. It was so good to see Abar and Liberia again! The students are doing very well. They are going through the work at an astounding speed. Truly, not in the 17 years we have been in ministry, have we ever seen anything like this. How good is God?
The visit was also encouraging to the believers who went with me. Not only was it good for them to see the hunger and eagerness of another people group for the Word of God, but they were also stretched as they see how the Lord provides for Abar and his family. Some have never been that way in a vehicle (or otherwise) and found the GPS we recently acquired very entertaining! (How to explain that there is a “machine” outside the earth’s “borders” that links to some ”thing” inside the GPS that can tell where we are and that soon there will be a turn in the road…?). We nearly had a serious accident on our way back when one of the wheels started to come loose. However we caught it in time and although we arrived late that evening at home after about 6 hours in total on the road, we were praising the Lord for His protection and encouraging visit!
Thank you for your continued prayers for this new church plant under the (mostly) Marevone people group, as well as for Abar, Liberia and their kids. We ask for special prayers for their oldest son, Nelson, now 3,who developed a very bad chest infection since our visit. He is doing somewhat better, but still has some difficult nights. Abar and Liberia’s finances are also running low and they need our prayers. Their faith is being tested, but the Lord has them safely in His hand.