We have a couple of hours free this afternoon so we wanted to take the opportunity to send a quick update on what’s been going on over the last month.
First of all we thank you for all the prayers that you have lifted up on behalf of our family, the Moi church, and those who have gathered to hear the two months of teaching.
The 17 Moi Bible teachers have faithfully taught through 50 lessons in the past 1 1/2 months. They are now teaching through the life of Christ. Despite teaching sometimes taking 4 hours a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon) enthusiasm to hear and understand God’s Word keeps growing. You would think that after listening to so much teaching they would be keen to talk about other things, but that has not been the case. In the evenings, as they sit around the fires they continue to talk about the teaching, asking the believing men and women to explain things further.
What’s happening here reminds us of the passage in Mark 4:21-25 that our coworker, Steve, had recently translated into Moi and Rich taught to the believers. The gist of the “Lamp Under a Bushel” parable being that God loves to give understanding (light) and more understanding to those who are truly hungry for it. God is bringing light out of the darkness and life out of death.
Triumph Over Death
Some of you may have watched the testimony of our dear friend Dimapatai (Dee-ma-pa-ty) that we had included in an update last January 2014.
On September 1st, As we were returning from town after dropping off Atalee and Alyssa in the school dorm, we got word that he had passed away.
Upon our return to Moi land we were prepared to mourn with his wife, son (one of the Bible teachers), and married daughter, but instead we found ourselves mostly just rejoicing with them. It was so touching to see their unshaken faith as they retold Dimapatai’s final words as he lay sick and dying…
“He told us, ‘I am not about to go anywhere but Heaven. To go anywhere else is not possible. I’m going to Heaven.’ He was a man without two hearts (unbelief). He said, ‘Don’t think that I’m going somewhere else. Don’t be nervous or afraid for me. There are not two paths for me. I am going to to be with Jesus.’ That is what he told us.”
It’s obvious that that kind of faith and boldness in the face of death will not go unnoticed. His final words spoke directly against what the Moi had always believed about old people dying and becoming guardian spirits. He knew he was going nowhere but Heaven!
We praise the Lord for friends like Dimapatai who have become models of true faith in living and dying. Men like him have become the pillars of the Moi church for its continued growth and expansion.
If you haven’t already watched this, now is a good time to see what his unshaken faith looked like while he was alive. He saw clearly then and now even more so.
New Chapter in Our Lives
As we write you now, our girls, Atalee and Alyssa are in town living in a dorm and experiencing school for the first time in their lives.
First day of school. Alyssa (8th Grade) and Atalee (9th Grade)
There are so many adjustments that they are now going through. We know the Lord has been using this time for real growth in their and our lives. For that we are thankful, though we can honestly say it’s probably one of the hardest things we’ve done.
Please pray for them and for Ashlynn as she stays here in the tribe with us. She really misses her sisters, but we are grateful for how well she is doing.
Prayer and Praises:
Thank you for praying for the ongoing evangelism. The Lord continues to supply food for all the Moi gathered. The two months of teaching will end on September 28th.
Please pray for Rich as he works to finish up the extra lessons that will cap off the initial evangelical Bible teaching ending with The Book of Revelation. People are excited to hear those passages for the first time.
Please pray for Atalee and Alyssa as they adjust to life at school and in the dorm. And pray for Garth and Rachel, their loving dorm parents, who are already investing a lot into them.
Pray for Atalee as she has her second case of malaria since the beginning of school.
For His Glory,
Rich and Karen
Atalee, Alyssa, and Ashlynn