Dearest Friends,
Deaf Friends
After being assigned a group of deaf children at camp, Natasha prepared by learning sign language. Afterward, they came and found her house. This is a very, closed community, but by her kindness, the door opened.
She quickly discovered that they had never heard about God. They had never even heard/seen His name. She said, "God is kind." Quickly, they signed that they understood. They said, "God is you." She laughed and said it was a difficult lesson to correctly explain about God. Clearly, these people saw God’s character mirrored in her life. Who do I show people? Who do you show the people who are watching you?
Homeless Friends
Children are born in the sewers where these friends live. Some are brought to our friend and she places them in a Christian home.
From working in the children’s jail (age 11 to 16), a Christian lady saw the need of the homeless. A young man left the jail and she continued to see him. She saw the people sniffing glue, drinking and a precious few trying to live as believers under impossible circumstances. One was the young man from children’s prison.
These believers needed a place to grow in the Lord, so she invited them to church. They came, but no one wanted them to come. Church members complained about the smell, lice, and bad clothes. I hope that you are broken y the church member’s attitude and convicted of the sin in our own hearts. Though the Pastor supported their ministry, many were unwilling to be kind to their homeless brothers and sisters.
So, she began meeting with them in her own home and provided them with the opportunity to wash clothes and take a shower.
Where she lives now was a month ago a place where drugs were sold. She said, "This is great. All of the drug addicts come to my door to buy their drugs and I give them Jesus."
K****n Friends and Their Church
So many years ago, these brothers and sisters, great, great grandparents were forcibly brought to this place as slave labor. This is a new church plant that we are blessed to join this morning in worship. Though most do not even speak their native language, they want to maintain their traditions.
They are also more willing to try new things, so most of their worship time was full of praise songs that we knew. Though we could not sing the words, we sang the same songs in our hearts. While the Pastor prayed, we heard music softly played in the background. As I prayed and listened, I heard the words to "People Need the Lord" in my heart. Truly, most people in this country do not know the Lord and so desperately need His hope.
As we walked in the door of the church, we saw a large banner. It said, "Stay with us, for the day is coming to an end." In light of the political situation in this place, those words are well chosen. Yesterday, a young man said to me, "No one knows what will happen. Many people are leaving. It is a very dangerous time." When he told me the country where hey were immigrating, I was shocked. As an American, I consider it a very dangerous choice. When I questioned the choice, he listed for me the other options. I had to admit that the other places were even more dangerous.
This is not a safe place, but everyday these friends remind me with their words and their lives that our safety is in Jesus.
Hard Life
Life for women in traditional villages is very hard. They must rise before 5 AM to sweep around the house. They believe that the evil spirits will stay all day if they are not swept away before the sun rises. The birth of a baby girl is not a blessing, but a curse. In the villages, you cannot educate a girl after 14 because then she will be too smart to be a good wife and will cause you trouble. A girl wears a hat with feathers to attract a suitor. When the choice is made, the young man kidnaps her and she either marries him or returns home in disgrace.
Training
We have been working with a dear group of ladies. After meeting with us each day for 4 hours of class and doing programs together in the afternoon, they asked for and extra class this evening to perfect their drawing and storytelling skills. We are so encouraged by their enthusiasm, but you must pray that they will be allowed to keep and use the equipment. Someone not from this country s objecting to the idea of this ministry and has the authority to stop this work. Our friend P***l needs your prayers for wisdom as he seeks to sort out this problem with those in higher authority. Please Pray!
In Jesus,
Linda for Sam and P***l