I’m not sure how many of you followed the progress of our team to Mali and the African Cup by checking out our website at www.ica-ed.org, but we rejoice in a safe and fruitful trip. The only mishap was a flat tire on the bus on the way, which, on these roads, is cause for rejoicing. Sixty-four staff and students returned to campus last night, tired and desperately wanting ‘real’ showers, but praising the Lord for his protection. This is their wish, as expressed by one of the staff in his e-mail from Mali: “Please pray for the seeds that we have been planting. The dry dusty soil that does not take seed quickly is somewhat of a picture of the conditions that exist in many lives. We want to remain faithful though to the charge of proclaiming Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. The sowers are sowing, the seed is being spread. Pray that it will take root.” 

Now, even though all are very tired, it’s back to school as usual. Just as in the states, this trimester seems to be the longest and hardest. The hot, dry, dusty weather seems to cause more parched sinuses and therefore more sickness. It also makes for sick computers, since the dust seems to seep in everywhere. My office has again filled up with broken and dying computers, and my hours are filled with computer triage on one hand and user consolation on the other. 

Next week we will be writing to you from the boys middle-school dorm, where we will be spending 2 days as relief houseparents while the regular houseparents take some time off. I’m not sure we are in our right minds, agreeing to do this, so please pray for us and for the 21 junior high boys who will be in our charge. These are some of the same students Bob teaches, which could be a good thing or could be a bad thing. We’ll let you know in our next update. 

As always, we thank you for your prayers. As we met with our director this week regarding our future plans, we realized again how ‘right’ this is for us, and we praise God for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do in the future in our lives and through your prayers.

I trust that all of you are doing well and experiencing God’s blessings as you begin this new year. Here at ICA, we are off to a good but busy start of the second trimester. As I mentioned last week, one of the things that is keeping us busy is preparing for the upcoming evangelism outreach in Sikasso, Mali. Although Bob and I aren’t participating in this trip, we have definitely been in on the planning for it.

This is a unique opportunity for our school. The Africa Cup of Nations is Africa’s continent-wide soccer championship games. In Africa, this is an event bigger than the Olympics. This Africa Cup is being held in Mali, with games being played in five cities. One of those cities is Sikasso, only about two hours across the border from Cote d’Ivoire.

You can follow the trip beginning today, read updates and view pictures, by going to the ICA website and clicking on the Africa map with the cross and soccer ball.

About 65 staff and students from ICA will be doing a number of evangelism campaigns – ministering through puppets, drama, story telling, music, preaching, video showings. The Sikasso believers will also be joining us for these presentations. They will also be ministering at the hospitality center that will be located right by the stadium. The local churches are choosing the sites for most of our outdoor evangelism campaigns, but on January 20, we will have an outdoor campaign right by the stadium. The program will start right after the scheduled African Cup match that night. We pray that we will have a big crowd there that night to hear the gospel. The drama team will be doing a number of outings in various places around Sikasso. There are also a number of outings scheduled for the Evangelism Explosion team. Our guys will be competing against one of the local teams in soccer. At half time, they are planing to present gifts and a brief presentation of the gospel.

In addition to the evangelism outings, there are some additional “treats” planned for the team. Our group will be able to attend two of the African Cup matches. One of these matches features Cote d’Ivoire vs. Togo. We have purchased special t-shirts to be worn during this match and ICAers will sit together to form a big Ivoirian flag. Be sure to watch this match January 21 at 6:00 PM. You may see us. 🙂 

PRAYER REQUESTS: 1) Health and safety as we travel; 2) That the students will be able to finish all the work they need to have completed in their classes before they go; 3) That God will prepare our hearts and the hearts of those to whom we will be ministering; 4) Smooth border crossings; 5) That the sound system will work well; 6) Good working relationship with the Sikasso churches; 7) That we will get enough sleep and that God will infuse us with His super natural strength; 8) Wisdom on behave of those who will be leading this outreach; 9) That we will be a blessing to each other as well as those to whom we minister; 10) For the different groups that will be ministering: drama team, EE, music team, story tellers, preachers, soccer team; 11) That we will be well prepared to present the gospel; 12) THAT GOD WILL DO GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS AND THAT WE ALL WILL BE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF THIS TIME OF MINISTRY. 

Tune in next week to hear what the Lord did in Sikasso.

To those of you in the Buffalo area: I think your weather pattern has arrived here in Cote d’Ivoire. No, we’re not getting snow, but we are getting unusual precipitation. This is supposed to be the dry season, and we’ve had heavy downpoors for the past 2 days. We’re not complaining, since it has really cooled things off!

Other than that, this has been an uneventful week. Students and staff are settling in to the new trimester. Most of the activity around ICA now centers on the school’s Mali Outreach which will take place in Sikasso at the Africa Cup Soccer game the 3rd weekend of January. About 100 students and staff members will be traveling about 8-10 hours north to participate in this outreach ministry which will include street-side evangelism and services, as well as meetings in local churches over the weekend. Visiters from all over Africa will be in Sikasso; in fact, the games draw world-wide attendance. 

This is a huge undertaking. Please pray this week as we are busy working out the details for these 100+ people which include making sure visas, passports, and shot records are in order; arranging transportation, housing, and meals; and practicing for the various presentations. 

I’ve been blessed this week while reading Isaiah 64:4. While talking to people who live in a land with numerous gods, the author tells them that noone has ever seen or heard tell of a god like our God who makes preparations specifically for those who wait on Him. Wonder what the year 2002 holds for us. I almost feel like a child at Christmas time, knowing that my Father has a surprise for me!