Two Nights and Three Days on the Field

We got home today from two nights in ***** with “Auntie’s” ministry to unreached peoples. Her mission station there is amazing and God is really at work. We are so excited to have the opportunity to be part of what is going on. She has no water or power to her home, but is set up with a water tank system and solar panels so she has some electricity and “running” water. I gave the boys a “bath” with tubs of water. They LOVE it there. Elisha just thrives in the culture here where kids hang in groups and play all day. Judah is more reserved, of course, but is enjoying the action too. Caleb has been sick and we are just praying for his chronic congestion issues to go away.

Auntie drove us up through the bush to a remote village that has just recently been targeted as an unreached people group. She is unsure of the population, but there is not one known believer among them. We got out and greeted the people (they are not the specific people group we have come to investigate) and they were so excited to have us. They all wanted their picture taken and were very impressed with Lydia. There is a wide open door for us to go spend time with them and work on our language learning. All people in this country speak Hausa in addition to their tribal language. Hopefully we will begin serious language studies very soon. Even if we only spend our eight months and then go to a totally different area, we need to learn this language to connect with the people now. We have studied and found that language learning is a huge part of bonding with the people and culture.

***** is very rustic and hard compared to the plush living conditions were are enjoying at the moment, but from our short stay this weekend, it is clear that ***** is where we need to be to really experience the language, people, and culture. In our present location it is rare to even meet a non-Christian. However, at Auntie’s station they are in and out every day. She is a safe haven for the group we have come to minister to. They are not interested in her religion, but know they can stop at her place and wash up or get water or say their prayers on their treks to market or as they work. She has a relationship with many of them. By God’s grace these relationships often lead to an open door to share the gospel. This people group has a thick veil concerning spiritual matters and much of the time Auntie says they don’t even understand what she shares. They are in deep bondage, but the Holy Sprit can take away that veil and give them a hunger for truth.

There are endless opportunities for service in this location and there is a “house” that has been offered to us. After so many years on the field, Auntie has much knowledge and supplies to get us comfortably set up and we would have house help for fetching water and hand washing clothes, etc. Tonight our washer is broken here again, and so I hand washed about forty cloth diapers out of necessity since Ruth won’t come to work until Monday. I have a much greater appreciation for her now! Aaron’s “job” in ***** is endless and there are so many young men who are hungry for the Word and to just visit with him.

Every morning the fifty something people who live there have prayer time and at night they have devotionals as a group. Afterward, there is much visiting and Aaron has been a part of that the last two nights. It is not culturally relevant for him to be helping me as much as we are both used to, but God’s grace has been amazing. I do hope we will find a godly young lady to help me with the children if we spend more time there. But please don’t worry about us neglecting each other or our family time. It is our priority to make time for us to be together so our ministry doesn’t destroy our family or our children. ***** is a great place for our boys and although there is the possibility of outside dangers, the people who live at Auntie’s place are precious and it is such a safe place for our children. There are many children living there whose non-Christian parents have left for them to be educated so they just live communally as young as nine years old. Such a different world!

There is so much more to share, but I’ll save you from reading more! Please pray for us to hear clearly what we need to do and where we need to spend these eight months. We have felt so out of sorts and un-needed here in this compound because this is not what we came to do. These three days in ***** are what we were called to do and experience! However, we need courage and confirmation if we are to plunge in and leave this bubble we are in for real missions. I think we already know the answer! And God will give us all we need to do this thing He has called us to. The main negative aspect to spending our time in ***** is that we will not have internet access, and the precious contact we enjoy with all of you will be limited to every two or three weeks. Please continue to pray for our vision and direction. We feel your prayers thus far and I believe our experience these last three days and the things God has shown us are fruit from the prayers of the saints; that’s you!