Author name: Lois Gillespie

Welcome to 2007

Like all of you, our holiday season was busy – much more so than we anticipated. After all of the end of the semester grading and Christmas parties and programs at Sahel Academy and the local community, we’ve finally had some time for special projects. For Lois, these have included major changes in the computer lab at Sahel and other smaller computer-related projects for EBM missionaries. Bob’s projects have included helping with EBM’s video outreach, laying the foundation for the new church in Baneira, and working through his ‘honey-do’ list. We also enjoyed 4 days of camping with another family in a game park near the Benin border.

The foundations are dug and the first few rows of blocks are laid for the new church building in Baneira. Work will continue this month, hopefully culminating with the roof being put in place by a workteam of students from Sahel Academy by the end of January. Our goal is to have the dedication of this building early in February. Please pray for the testimony that this building is having in this watching community.

The Christmas program at the EBM elementary French school was as enjoyable as anticipated. Kids are cute all over the world! The gospel through the Christmas story was very clearly proclaimed to all the watching parents. Please continue to pray that those who heard the good news will want to know more.

During the week before Christmas, EBM held 2 different video outreaches. These involved going into a neighborhood and while our team set up all the equipment, local church members went out into the community and invited all their friends and neighbors to come and watch. As both of the outreaches were in poorer communities where most of the residents may not even have electricity, these were ‘big events’. Pray for those who may have heard the gospel for the first time. Pray for the churches who will continue to reach out to those who have shown an interest in what they heard. Continue to pray for Boubacar who attended one of these outreaches with Bob and heard the gospel once again.

On the Saturday before Christmas, one of these churches held an all-day neighborhood children’s outreach with over 100 children participating. At a special service on Christmas day, so many of these children came back that the church was packed. As there was no room for the adults, Pastor Hassan shared the Christmas story with us in the front room of his home next to the church. Pray that these children will continue to come and hear God’s Word.

We were reminded once again this past week as the Tabaski rams were sacrificed in almost every courtyard of how life-changing The Gift of God’s Son really is. For all these who are hearing the gospel through these various ministries, our ultimate hope is that they will make the huge commitment that is required when someone takes Jesus as their Savior in this Muslim community. There is no ‘easy believism’ here in Africa; this decision will change their lives in more ways than most of us can imagine. As you pray, pray for the courage that is required to take this huge step of faith.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

We’ve been thrilled to hear from so many of you this past week as you’ve shared your Thanksgiving praises – from all parts of the world. God is indeed busy! Even though some of you are sharing from the midst of very tough circumstances, you are all sharing the same thing: God has been faithful. Your testimonies have blessed us.

What are we thanking God for this week? Our container has finally arrived from the states! This is your praise as well as ours, since so many of you have been praying for this very thing. On Thanksgiving Day, when we had planned an EBM Thanksgiving dinner, our container was finally released from customs. Fortunately, our director was able to put a heavy-duty lock on the door and leave it parked overnight on Sahel Academy property. Unloading, distribution (to 12 different families/ministries) and unpacking started Friday morning.

Please pray for Boubacar as we continue to meet together for Bible reading and story time. One Sunday night, I was later than usual in getting started. Boubacar came to the door and asked me if I was going to tell him a story. This Sunday night, we’ll be watching the Jesus film together. Boubacar has a thirst for knowledge. Please pray that this thirst will lead him to the Source of Living Water.

Much like in America, our school kids are finishing their semester coursework AND practicing for Christmas programs. Some are also planning for their Christmas banquet (for which Lois will help with the cooking), and some are getting excited about the holidays during which they will make visits back to their passport countries. Please pray for the safety of all who travel here and there during this holiday season.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” – not true! And no, we won’t be ‘home’ for Christmas. Even so, Lois and I are looking forward to the Christmas break so that we can have more time to work on ‘settling in’ projects now that we have our ‘stuff’. While I’ll be fixing things around home (building cabinets for storage. sealing window frames to keep out bugs, etc.), Lois will be trying to solve power problems in the computer lab, building a new server, setting up the new computers that came in the container, and reformatting the older ones for placing in the classrooms. We may not have much of a break, but we are thankful for this time which allows to get some of these things done.

Remember the church in Baneira where last month we had the privilege of helping to baptize 69 new believers? One of the 4 student outreaches planned for next semester includes a trip to Baneira where the students and staff will put a roof on a new church built with money generously given by some of you. Thank you for helping make this possible.

In our next newsletter, we’ll give you more of the details about these student outreaches. Pastor Dave (Sahel’s youth pastor) is busy with all the planning that goes into taking students and staff on these trips where sometimes there are very limited facilities (if any) for cooking, showering, etc. Please pray for Pastor Dave and his outreach committee as they finalize these details. Also please pray that people in the 4 different villages will see God’s love through Sahel students and staff.

Christmas season, along with Easter, gives EBM’s national elementary school the opportunity to proclaim the Greatest Story Ever Told in their own Christmas program. This year’s program is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 21st. Most of the Muslim parents of the 500+ students will come to watch their children as they re-enact the story of the Greatest Gift ever given. Please pray that some of them will open their hearts to receive this Gift.

Because you are so special to us, we truly do thank God upon every remembrance of you. We want to take this opportunity to wish you a very, very special holiday season.

– Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year –

Happy Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) is just around the corner, I am reminded of a family tradition – one that many of you probably share. As our extended family gathers to pray, or after we’ve eaten our fill, we ‘challenge’ each other to share something for which we are thankful. Everyone starts with the expected, and then by the 2nd or 3rd round, we’re naming things that have recently impacted us. As I write this update, I’m especially thankful for those ‘expecteds’ (mom, dad, church family and friends, etc.), but here are some things that occur to me in Round 2:

  • You may not welcome the cold weather, but we thank the Lord when it arrives. Now, instead of afternoons with temperatures around 105 and high humidity, we are enjoying much cooler temps around 90 and lower humidity.

  • This month, we’re also thankful for a hot water heater that is now installed and working – just in time for the cooler weather.

  • We’re thankful for the new elementary building. Grades K-6 started their 2nd Quarter in their new ‘home’ and are enjoying the new and bigger rooms.

  • We’re thankful for a good rainy season which will mean good crops for the people of Niger.

  • We’re thankful for the 8 African church leaders who are taking Bible courses this week and next here in Niamey. These courses are part of the Tri-M ministry of our mission (Evangelical Baptist Missions). You can find out more about this ministry by visiting www.ebm.org.

  • We’ve been receiving some of your church newsletters. Thanks for sending them our way, either by snailmail or by e-mail. We love to read about what God is doing in your neighborhood and pray for you as you pray for us.

  • Thanks to all of you who e-mailed us this past month. We’re so thankful to hear from you – especially because it lets us know you get our e-mails!

Here’s how you can pray this month:

  • Your prayers were and are greatly appreciated, especially for our moms who have each recently lost a sister. Pray for lost family members who have once again heard the gospel message at a time when they’ve been brought face to face with eternity.

  • On Sunday evening after church, Bob has been spending time with the Taureg boy who works for us on the weekends. While Bob doesn’t speak tomasheq and Boubacar doesn’t speak English, they are able to communicate in french. They have watched the film “At the End of the Spear” together; recently Bob has been telling him Bible stories, starting with the parts of Genesis on which Muslims and Christians agree. Pray for Bob that he will be able to communicate clearly without offending, and that Boubacar will see and understand God’s true plan for salvation.

  • Remember the 69 new believers who were baptized in Baniera last month, that they will grow in the Lord and continue to reach out to their community.

  • Pray for Anna, the daughter of one of our co-workers who is fighting a severe case of malaria and other complications. She has been in a clinic for a week receiving vitamins, fluids and meds through an IV. Last night, she was able to go home and sleep in her own bed. Please pray that she continues to improve and has no relapses.

  • We ask that you also pray that our container which has been sitting in Cotonou (the port city in Benin) for 2 weeks would be released to start its journey north to Niamey, Niger. We’re not experiencing a longer than usual wait, but 12 different families and the kids at Sahel Academy are anxiously awaiting its arrival.