We have our own share of disappointments, though we try to encourage who we can when we can through the stories we send from West Africa . Then, we get E-mails like this one, and it comes back around to encourage us:

“Dear Bro. Matt:  Greetings and thanks from the Hallwood Church .  I have been receiving your e-mails, regularly, and save them to use as part of our lesson studies in our monthly NMI meetings.  This last week, after a sumptuous dinner, I had three or four men read portions of your e-mails, taking the parts of you, the young pastor in Benin (whose host had his house ravaged), Moise, and any others you might have mentioned in your letters.  I had the parts organized by date as you had sent the material to me.  It was almost as if we were hearing the stories first hand as they happened.  Our small group then gave generously for the general budget [for World Evangelization], and we prayed for you, Moise, and all those we had heard about.  Then we gave the great news about the birth of the new baby girl to Moise and his wife, and the group, especially the ladies, was excited to hear the good news.  Our group has been very interested in the on-going trials of Moise and so happy to hear that things are better with his health and now the delivery of the baby. Please continue to keep us updated.  We feel as though we have had a part in all of this, and we continue to keep you, your wife, boys and all of the workers there with you in our prayers.

“May God continue to bless your work and keep you all in the hollow of his Hand.

“Thanks again,  Ruby Schoenig, Study Chairman, Hallwood Nazarene Church , Marysville,

California.”

I hope you were encouraged as much as I was when I read this E-mail from Ruby, especially the part where she wrote: “We feel as though we have had a part in all of this.”

That’s the whole point, and it made my weekend.

Blessings from Benin ,

Matt

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Dala the Housekeeper and Keeper of the Divine Secret

Jesus told his listeners in Mark chapter 4 verse 11: “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.” This is a true story from Senegal .

A woman named Dala works as a house maid. She had a secret to tell. Do you want to hear about her secret? Four months ago she became a Christian believer and attends the Church of the Nazarene. She now carries the secrets of the Kingdom, and the seeds of God’s Word, in her heart and life.

Every few days she goes to a local vendor to buy charcoal. This particular day the vendor asked Dala a question.

The vendor was a middle-aged Muslim man. When he saw the cross on her necklace, he asked her to give it to him. She said, “Absolutely not! You will just take it and throw it away.” He asked her why she wore it. She began to share with him the Secrets of the Kingdom.

The Muslim charcoal vendor was just one of many people in this neighborhood trying to make a living. He was exhausted and grimy from the work of making and selling charcoal. He was usually ignored by most people, except Dala who could not keep the Divine secret hidden in her heart.

Every few days Dala would return to buy charcoal and the man said he wanted to know more about this Jesus. He always had more questions about her God, this prophet Jesus, and the meaning of the cross she wore around her neck. She did not go get her pastor to answer for her. Instead, she shared what she had been learning about God from His Word and from weekly sermons. Within a few weeks, the Muslim man received Jesus Christ as His Savior. He later told Dala’s pastor that whenever he had a question, Dala would respond with just what he needed to hear.

Dala found out through their roadside conversations over piles of charcoal that this man also knew much about Islam. He even knows the Koran in Arabic from memory. Now, after many weeks, Dala asked her pastor to help the Muslim man understand more about this Jesus who is found in the Bible and is now living in his heart.

J. Matthew Price, Ph.D.

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Quick notes:

My favorite time of year—school’s back in session, football starts, you can hear the marching bands practice as the leaves are turning color. Soon, there will be fresh apple cider and pumpkin pies and piles of leaves along the street. “We are what we remember.” Isn’t that true? Here, it’s still humid but with cool breezes. The rains have kicked in, the puddles in the street are growing, and it’s kind of like April and May in north America .

The Buckeyes are scaring me. They could be great or a major disappointment this year. But, that’s the burden of a true football fan—sticking with them, regardless.

The boys started school this week. Payton is starting first grade. He said he spent most of the first day writing e’s and o’s in cursive. (They start young in the French system.) Parker started school like it was just another day. We think having a tutor almost every of the past two months really helped. They decompressed yesterday and today by watching Gilligan’s Island on DVD.  They almost have the theme memorized. I taught them how to sing Amazing Grace to Gilligan’s theme music.

Sonya and I are in the midst of trying to negotiate the rental of the apartment next door and the sale of our Toyota . Things have been crazy the past few days. I spent three hours trying to have a meeting with Moise while people were at the door wanting to check out the car. Moise’s brother Matthieu is helping us with interested buyers. That is helping a lot.

We’re in the middle of trying to start a huge teacher training program to help prepare pastors. Suffice it to say, lots to do there.

We’re in the calm before the storm right now. In about three weeks or so, the schedule kicks into high gear. Right now is a time of preparing and planning along several lines. It takes a different kind of effort, and many interruptions or emergencies are bound to arise. So, keep that in mind as you pray for our work. It’s during these times that we’re tempted to lessen the intensity of our spiritual awareness. That’s when it becomes dangerous in a place like this.

We have new friendships beginning as we encounter parents of the boys’ friends at school and new arrivals at the embassies and NGOs who we occasionally see on the street or in restaurants. We would like your prayer for us as we try to extend a witness of grace into their lives.

Now to the really important subject of this newsletter. We have good friends named Joey and Karen from college and KC who are now working in a Nazarene compassionate ministry center in Cincinnati , Ohio . They sent this request tonight. Please be in prayer for this little girl who is the same age as Parker. Candace is their niece. Her E-mail reads as follows:

“Candace Howard, age 8, is the daughter of Dana and Sherry Howard, missionaries serving in Quito , Ecuador . We just learned that Candace has seven tumors in her lymph node and thyroid area. She is undergoing tests this week to determine if any of the tumors have cancer. Please help us pray for this precious child and for the family as they go through this stressful time of testing and waiting.”

Please be in prayer for this little girl.

More grace to you this week.

Matt