Author name: Lois Gillespie

Easter 2007

He is risen; He is risen, indeed. We hope you experienced a joyous Resurrection morn, just as we did here in Niger. The English-speaking community in Niamey met at sunrise at our mission’s elementary french school ampitheatre on a rise overlooking the Niger River. Although a lot of those meeting together were missionaries, not all were; we also celebrated Easter with US embassy personnel, peace corp workers, military, and others from English-speaking countries around the world who are living here. Just as in America, Easter is the time of year to pay homage to the risen Lord.

Boubacar (the weekend guard you’ve been praying for) who watched another film about the Bible this week, asked to go to church with us this morning. Since the service was in English, he didn’t comprehend a lot. However, missionary friends of ours who work with the Tuareg, asked him to go on to the Easter service at the Tamasheq (language of the Taureg) church. We’re praying that he is finding answers and friends who can better show him the meaning of the cross. (His uncle died of a large tumor this past week; maybe it is causing Boubacar to think more seriously about eternity.)

It is the hot time of year with temperatures most afternoons 110+ and the humidity climbing. (Niamey is the hottest capital city in the world.) It’s the lazy time of year; not much work is planned for the middle of the afternoon. It’s also the hungry time for many when last year’s crops are disappearing and there is no moisture for new crops. This will continue until some time in June when the rains come, bringing much-anticipated moisture to water the ground and to cool things off – slightly. The crops will grow, bringing relief from the hunger.

We are enjoying a change of pace last week and this next week as we have a 2-week break from school. I am building a simple pulpit and some benches for the new church in Baneira, while Lois works in the air-conditioned computer lab at Sahel Academy doing maintenance-type things to the school network.

We say it often, but we mean it every time we say it: thank you for your faithful prayers. We could not be here without you. God bless you on this Easter Sunday.

Outreach Report

We want to thank the many of you have encouraged us by your e-mails asking for more information about our ministry and for specific prayer requests. We’ve also noticed on our monthly report from our mission board (EBM) that some of you have increased our support. As nearly as we can determine, our support level is now at 95%. Thanks to those of you who have responded to this need through your prayers and gifts.

This week in chapel, Pastor Dave talked about staying close to the Lord so we can hear His voice. To get a better picture of this, all the students went out to the basketball court and played a ‘missionary game’. One person, the missionary, was blindfolded while his team members, lined up along the edge of the court, were supposed to guide him through a maze of head hunters (the other team spread out around the basketball court) to the other side. His team members could use their voices to guide the missionary through the peril of head hunters. He quickly realized that the farther away he got from his guides, the harder it was to hear them. Also, the voices of the head hunters, giving bad directions, got easier to hear as the missionary got farther from his guides. The lesson was that we are getting bad instructions all the time, but if we stay close to the Lord, we will continue to hear the instructions of Him Who knows and loves us best.

This weekend, about 25 of our students and staff will be involved in an outreach to Tera, a village about 2 hours from Niamey. Planned activities include a soccer game with local youth, a church-building project, kids club ministries, and ‘zei hole’ (?) digging. These times of outreach are a favorite part of Sahel Academy. Earlier this year, 12 staff and students went to Makalondi to minister by building school desks and holding kids club and english conversation with local teens. They came home excited about the opportunities they had had to share about Jesus. During a special prayer time, one girl prayed for the new friends she had made, saying that it hurt to think of kids their age not knowing Jesus. Since then, we’ve received word that one of these youths has accepted Christ. This took tremendous courage – to be the first – and may lead to the salvation of others in his community.

Just a reminder: we’re beginning to get ‘forwards’ again in our e-mailbox. Please remove us from your forwards list. The internet connection out here is simply too slow and too expensive to download all that extra stuff – no matter how good it is. Most times, the connection times out before we can finish downloading our e-mails. 

These are the things we ask you to pray for this month:

-A new renter for our house in Loudonville, OH: we received word last week that our wonderful renter is moving out in June. Please pray again for just the right renter.

-Boubacar: irresistible conviction leading to salvation

-Weekend Outreach: safety, ability to communicate the gospel clearly, God’s continued working even when the team comes back to Niamey.

 

Reflecting…

As we pass our ‘6-month mark here in Niger, we look back and reflect on how God has worked. We have to admit that there were days when we first arrived that were tough and very, very lonely. At times we wondered why we were here. During those times, we had to remember how God brought us to this place. We want you to know that during these questioning times, remembering how God used you to meet our needs and help make His way clear pulls us through.

At our Niger field conference this next week, Bob will present a report of our ministry. We share parts of it here for you so that you can be reminded not only of God’s faithfulness, but of the ministry He has given us to do.

Lois and I arrived on the field in June 2006 after a year and a half in the States furloughing and raising an extra 50% in support.  Believing that God wanted us at Sahel Academy for this school year, we booked our tickets to Niamey in faith that God would provide, and He did – just in time…

“Since (Lois) believes that God brought her here to help with the technology needs not only of Sahel  Academy, but also of other missionaries here in Niamey, …work is never done since there is always another computer to fix, the network to bring back up after the power goes out, or some other emergency… 

“As for me, I have enjoyed working with the students at the school.  I taught 2 social studies classes and 2 Bible classes last semester.  This semester, I am teaching World History and Old Testament survey with Grade 7-9…With Grade 9-10, I have a doctrine class; Grade 11-12 is studying Understanding the Times from Summit Ministries, a comparison of Humanism, Marxism, New Age and the Christian worldviews.  I see this as a tremendous opportunity to challenge the students in their belief system here in this environment before they enter colleges that may not be sympathetic to the Christian worldview.  I enjoy playing the guitar and singing with the students…

“Some highlights of our first few months here in Niamey stick out in my mind.  Lois and I were privileged to be a part of a large baptismal service at the church in Baneira…in the middle of a mud hole…I’ve had the opportunity to lead singing at the English service a couple of times and also to present the Word; Lois has also been involved with the music by playing the piano both at Sahel Academy and in the English service. 

“Another blessing and challenge has been to work with my weekend guard Boubacar in sharing the gospel as he helps me with my French.  I have taken him through the Old Testament presenting Adam, Abraham, and David, all of whom prophesy of the Messiah…He is a bright young man and is feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but the family pressure to stay a Muslim is very strong.

“On a personal level, Lois and I are enjoying our new home, yet there is a nagging feeling not to settle since our last three places in Africa have been very temporary. Cultural adjustments are ongoing: the heat and sand, takes some getting used to, interpersonal relationships with our African friends can be challenging, while simple day-to-day living is not so ‘simple’.  We find that we also need to be on guard due to the spiritual oppression here that seems like a heavy blanket at times. Finally, after only 6 months on the field, our support level has fallen to 92% due to a dropping exchange rate and rising insurance costs.”

We ask you to continue to pray:

– for Boubacar, that he will continue to question his Muslim beliefs, to search for the real meaning of life, and find the answer in Jesus;
– for the students at Sahel Academy who are involved in outreach projects this semester in 2 different

Niger villages – Makalondi and Tera;
– for the people in Baneira who are completing their new church building and will hold a dedication service in April.

Thank you, dear friends, for your faithful support; your e-mails, cards, letters and even packages; but most of all, for your loving and very powerful support through prayer.