Updates from Africa
These are some updates from my friend, Abby Peacock, who is currently serving the people of the West African country of Mali as a missionary sent by God. Please keep her, and her team, in your prayers. I believe that God will do great things through them as they continue to honor Him.
You can go to www.abbypeacock.wordpress.com if you would to read more, and sign up to get messages from her. You could also leave her a note of encouragement, I’m sure that she and the members of her team would greatly appreciate it!!!!!!!!!
What’s been happening?
So my last update…was all about the technicalities of crafting a story from God’s Word. Over the past two weeks we have been “testing” the story to make sure that it is understood and correcting parts that were brought to our attention. We thank you for all of our pryers during this time. The Father has provided us with people who were gracious to listen and honestly tell us where corrections were needed. Some of the reactions to the story included: “This story is great is should be played on the radio,” “My favorite part was when J*sus healed the man and he was no longer in pain,” “I didn’t like the man could not be helped by the people of the village that must have been very hard for him.” Comments such as these really showed a comprehension of the story, which is wonderful. However, now we ask for your pryers that the Father would provide a supernatural understanding of these stories. We now have this tool in our hand and pry for opportunities to use it for the kingdom.
Last update I also talked about how we were able to go and visit a friend from our village, Joney, who was visiting our city. Well, the visit went great we were able to spend a few days with her just reminiscing and catching up on the going ons of our village. We praise the Father for letting us have this time with her. It is so cool to see how the Father has allowed many of our friends to visit us here in the city. We have just received word that the mayor of our village is in town and wants to see us. We are so excited!! Hopefully, we will get to see him this week. And now that we have this new story we pry we will able to share it with our visiting friends and they will take it back to our village. We cannot be there right now but the Father is still providing ways for His Word to be there. And best of all it will be carried by the Africans themselves. The Father has a plan to reach the “Nomad” people and right now I am in awe of how ii is coming together right in front of me.
Pulling teeth and telling stories.
Telling Stories and Pulling Teeth…this was the theme for the past 10 days! On November 3 seven volunteers arrived from America and since that night they hit the ground running. The team consisted of two dentists who left their practices in America for two weeks to come and offer free services to people who otherwise would have never received it. The team included members from Tennessee and Illinois who gave their time and talents to come and serve the Malian people. They showed the love of J*sus by pulling teeth, showing compassion to the lowest of the low, and boldly proclaiming the Gospel through B*ble storying.
It is amazing to see how the Father works. I know that this is sometimes considered a cliché phrase, but this past 10 days has proved that the Father’s works and how they are accomplished are anything but cliché. They are meticulously planned and beyond the comprehension of our human minds.
Day 1 Thursday Nov. 4: We made the three hour drive to Scott’s city. Scott is our colleague who works in a village using B*ble storying for evangelism and discipleship. We arrived and Scott gave us the program for the next three days. We would be traveling to three different villages to pull teeth and tell stories. We also heard the great news that two believers, Nema and Eve, from Scott’s village would be accompanying us to tell stories as the dental clinic was going on.
Days 2-4 Friday Nov. 5 – Sunday Nov. 7: The team arrived visited three different villages over these days. The dentists would create a primitive dental set up made of wooden benches and chairs that could be found around the village. As the set up was being taken care of stories from G*d’s Word were beginning to be told. Nema and Eve, the African believers, launched into the Demon Possessed Man and Creation to Return. People listened and heard the truth, possibly many for the first time. The dentists then saw people, infected and rotten teeth were pulled out one and one. During the treatment the dentists told every patient how much J*sus loved them and to remember when their pain goes away it is because of J*sus and His power. While the clinics were being held, many of the other volunteers visited homes in the villages. They told stories from G*d’s Word and boldy proclaimed. They were able to engage in divine appointments which they explained the Father’s goodness and grace. People listened and responded!! They recognized the truth in the stories and want to follow the J*sus Road. One man who chose to follow talked about how he had heard the stories before and we were proclaiming the same message therefore it must be true.
Please remember Scott and his two volunteers Amanda and Monica as they are working among these people. These dentistry clinics will open many doors in their corner of the country. Please remember these new believers and remember Scott, Amanda, and Monica as they begin to nurture them in the faith. Also, remember to lift up Nema, Eve, and the other believers in Scott’s village that they would continue to have the courage to speak the truth boldly among their people.
Day 6 Tuesday Nov. 9: This day was a day of firsts. We have never done a clinic inside of the city before only in villages. However, the Father provided us with a clinic to host a city dentistry clinic. The objective of this clinic was to serve the desert people. Right now, as you know we are not able to be with our people in the desert. So we handed out tickets to our “Nomad” friends here in the city. We asked them to bring people who truly needed their teeth looked at. Michelle, Sarah, and I were so excited about the opportunity to physically show the love of J*sus to our new friends here in the city. The clinics went awesome and as people waited the Stories were shared. People came from all over the city and not only were relieved of their pain but most importantly heard the truth
Please remember the people of the desert. The Father provided a way for them to see the dentists this week and everyday we are seeing new ways he is providing for them to see his truth. Pry that the clinic will open door for deeper relationships with the desert people.
Days 7-9 Wednesday Nov. 10 – Friday Nov. 12: These days were spent revisiting some places the dentists worked at last year. For the past two years we have had two girls working in a certain village. They went home this past year but came back to assist the dental team. The team was able to do three days of clinics. The people were able to hear the gospel proclaimed in the dentist chair and on the mud floors on huts.
Please remember the village and surrounding areas Kacy and Reaiah spent the last two years living. Pry that the dentist clinics were a physical reminder of the truth the girls presented as they lived among these people.
These past two weeks were definitely a time were we saw the Father truly at work. The Father was able to use something as dentistry as a way to gain access and credibility in these villages in order to share to accomplish the true goal to share The Father with these people. I truly cannot thank the volunteers enough for their work this past week. You sacrificed your time to come to hard place where people have never heard. And your obedience will truly be rewarded.
A New Perspective.
In my life so far I have been blessed to not have had to deal with subject of loss and death head on. Sure I have had lost members of my family and those have definitely been trying times in my life. But this week I experienced death in a whole new way and the Father has given me a new perspective, a kingdom perspective.
On the first day of our dentist clinics we were asked to make a house call. The people of the village told us this person could not been seen at the clinic but needed to see the doctor. Our supervisor, Judy, grabbed me and a couple other people and we made our way to the home. As soon as I entered the hut I smelled it. If I had to describe the smell of death this would have matched it perfectly. I immediately began to pry for the young woman who lay on the foam mattress. I had no idea what was wrong with her. I just began to pry that the Father would allow us to help her, that she would hear the truth this day, and that the Father would give us the strength and wisdom to know what to do. Our translator began to ask questions. How old is she? 27. When did she become sick? A year ago. What is wrong with her? At this question the villagers unwrapped the face to reveal a large cavity that was heavily infected. The cavity extended from her chin to above her eye on the right side of her face. The cavity was so deep and you could see straight through to her gums, teeth, and tongue. The infection had already taken her right eye. I have never been faced with the thought of imminent loss. Again the smell of death lingered in the air. We exited the hut and a nurse who was with the team quickly said she did not understand how the young woman was alive, considering the extent of the infection. We made the decision to go to a bush clinic to see if she could be helped. They told us they were not skilled enough to handle this type of situation. They sent us to the next biggest city they did not even look at her they immediately said she needed to go to the capitol to receive treatment.
The next morning Sarah, Michelle, and I left for the capitol with the young woman and two of her other family members. When we got to the capitol we bounced around from hospital to hospital everyone saying the case was too serious for them to treat. We finally found a hospital who was able to identify what was wrong. She was immediately diagnosed with the disease NOMA. NOMA is a form of gangrene. We were told that there is a ONG that is treating NOMA within Mali free of cost for research purposes. We were able to gain admittance for the young woman into the ONG’s treatment program. The Father provided treatment for this young woman through the generosity of others.
As we went from hospital to hospital only to be turned down, I thought about all the people across this country, this continent, and the world that are desperate situations. They are dying from diseases, illnesses, and infections. And many are dying never hearing the name of J*sus. They are dying hopeless, they are going to spend eternity apart from the Father. It just hit me this week what a big job is a ahead of every follower of Chr*st. We have been entrusted to share the hope that we have found. We must run with gospel it share it at every opportunity.
Yes, You Can Ministry 