Mexicans in West Africa!?

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This update just came from Project North Africa’s newest missionary to North Africa. It is from Vicente Garcia who just arrived in October to work with Keith Shumaker. Project North Africa is a fund (not a board) organized and managed by missionaries in North Africa of varying boards whose common goal it is to mobilize Latin Americans to this mission field.

From Vicente:

“I thank God for this privilage to be able to write you and send our greetings hoping that they find you in love and harmony.

Thanks to God He has blessed us in a great way. I must thank you for what you hav edone for us. This month of November in our church we had a campaign on missions. It was a great success. We had Pastor Ake from Ivory Coast preaching. Some made decisions were made in giving and going.

As the week on missions ended, Bro. Mamadou from the church of Missionary Keith Shumaker opened a church at the edge of the city in a district called Sonre. The church was kicked off with a three day evangelistic campaign which was a great success. Many people in this area speak the Moray language. We were able to show the Jesus Film in their language as well as pass out many tracts. Many who had made decisions for missions were able to start with this new church plant. 16 people were saved by the grace of our God.

Concerning us, thanks to God we are improving daily in the language. We have five hours of class per day from Monday to Friday. These last two weeks we have been learning how to witness. We thank you for your prayers in this. The first week of November we were able to move into our new house. God has been tremendesouly good to us. We are very happy and excited in the work in Burkina.

Prayer Requests:

  • That God would continue using us
  • That we might quickly learn French
  • That God might use Bro. Mamadou in the new church
  • That my wife’s family might be saved.
  • For the Shumaker family, our missionary partners
  • That those who accepted Christ this month begin to grow.
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Happy Aid el Adha

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Today was the biggest holiday in the Muslim world: Aid el Adha. We were invited to the home of a new believer by her dad to spend the day with them. We arrived this morning as soon as they were sacrificing the one year old, male sheep. The oldest man of the house is responsible to say, “Bismi allah. Allahu akbar allahu akbar” (in the name of God. God is the greatest, God is the greatest).

The sacrifice is expected to forgive the sins of the whole house as they are all supposed to be present watching the blood letting. Each married male is supposed to sacrifice one. They wait traditionally until the king has sacrificed his lamb but it’s not the law.

I helped cut skin off but left the de-gutting to them. Probably the most disgusting thing I’ve seen in the while was when the father put his lips to the anus of the animal and blew the resevior of fecal matter from it’s intestines. Yeah, that was gross. The first meal was the kidney and dinner was the stomach and intestines. The head is eaten on the second day with the brains in a couscous plate. The meet is eaten afterward until it is gone. Depending on the size of the family it can take a couple weeks to finish off.

I have tried to witness to the dad of this particular girl before but he has always been so interested in what he had to say that I didn’t get a chance. Since we were at their house almost 12 hours today we had a lot of time to talk. He asked me at one point, “I just don’t understand why you don’t believe in Mohammed.” This oppened up the door for me to explain to him about Christ our sacrificial lamb as profesied by all the prophets. He listened as did the rest of his family. Pray for all of them.

Do you know a Muslim you could talk to about Christ our sacrifice today?

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Thanksgiving in North Africa

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I love reading about how God-placed Americans keep their traditional American holidays like Thanksgiving alive for their families. You can read here about the Holt’s in Chile and here about the Snode’s in Northern Ireland and here about the Shumaker’s in Burkina Faso. I’ve had people ask, “Do they have turkey’s there? What about pumpkins? Do you get the Turkey Bowl on any of your channels? Do they aire the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?”

In our six years of marriage we’ve celebrated on three continents with Peruvians, Turks, Kurds, and North Africans. This year everyone is off work and travelling for the “Aid el Adha” (Muslim feast of sacrifice commemorating God’s provision to Abraham of a ram) which is to take place on Saturday. This is as big as Christmas here so there is already a festive spirit in the air.

We couldn’t find a whole turkey so we bought it in pieces. This year I decided to get  my hands dirty and help in the kitchen. I cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs! (all with the close instruction of my wife) In the afternoon we had only two guys over since the rest of our church is traveling back to their homes. We had a great time explaining to them and our kids the reason Thanksgiving was begun in America and some of our families traditions. After gourging ourselves we took some of the leftovers to the home of a new believer and talked with her family for a while about the coming “Aide” (pronounced eye-d).

We missed our extended families, of course, but had a great day with so much to thank God for. What a great privilage to serve our Savior on the foreign mission field!

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