May 2012 Report

Dear Friends,

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Thank you for sending Fred to Africa once again. It was an awesome trip. It is a privilege to serve the Lord as a missionary, and it is a privilege, for us, to be your missionaries. You are a part of all that is accomplished!

Thank you for your prayers. We need them and feel the strength from them. Please continue to pray for us.

Thank you from our students in Africa. We were in three countries and Fred taught at four Bible Schools. They are so eager to learn and are very thankful for Bible training. It is an awesome responsibility to teach leaders. It affects the nations! They send their thanks to you, our partners.

15 + 15 = 30 Years of God’s Faithfulness

In 1982 we began to Pastor in rural Pennsylvania. We did that for 15 years. In 1997 we became missionaries to Russia and then in January 1998 we moved to Africa. This is our 15th year as missionaries. To God be the Glory! Thank you so much for Praying and Supporting us through the years!

THREE COUNTRIES – FOUR BIBLE SCHOOLS

Charlie Harrison, our nephew, traveled along with Fred on this ministry trip to Africa. Charlie sang a song of worship before many of the church meetings and also at the Bible Schools. He was a blessing and fit in so well. They loved him and he made many friends.

We are normally in more than 3 countries, but because of the financial crisis we have been facing, we had to cut this trip to the bone. Fred needs to visit the other countries he skipped on this trip, some time soon.

Mali

We began this fruitful time of ministry in the country of Mali. There is tremendous revival happening in this once 90% Muslim country. People are turning to Christ! Churches are being planted and there is a great need for trained leaders!

Fred taught “Old Testament Survey” at the Bible School of Pastor Marc for the first week. The second week was spent ministering in church seminars. Two seminars were near to Bamako and the third was a 6-hour bus ride away in the town of Sikasso. All three of the churches are lead by students we have taught at the Bible School.

Three days after we left Mali, an army led coup, put out the president. An Islamist army has now taken control of the northern 2/3’s of Mali. It’s like the country is now divided into 4 groups. This is very sad. The enemy is mad about the good things God is doing in Mali.

Let us continue to pray for Mali according to 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Pray for political stability and the revival to continue there. Fred has plans to return there this fall.

Burkina Faso

Fred and Charlie took a bus from Sikasso, Mali, to Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso and then they took a second bus on to Ouagadougou, the capital. Fred taught “1 & 2 Corinthians” at Logos Bible College. It is a higher level school. What a joy to be a part of training these church leaders.

Last year, Burkina Faso was politically unstable, but now is stable once again. Thank you for praying for us and for Burkina and what God is doing there.

Benin

We left Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in a small, packed, uncomfortable, bus. It was a painful 5-hour trip that brought us to the Northern border of Benin. Then our connection didn’t make it for some hours and we had to wait in the heat. Finally, we made our connection and went by bush taxi to the town of Natitingou, Benin, for the night. Early Sunday morning, we traveled on to Parakou in the middle of Benin for church. After church we had a graduation of the Video Bible School in Parakou. This was for two groups who had completed the training. What a blessing to be there and share with them! It made us forget the painful bus trip of the day before.

Early Monday morning, we took a 7-hour bus ride South to Cotonou, the capital of Benin. Fred taught “Old Testament Survey” at 2 different Bible Schools there. The first one is the Bible School of Pastor Nazaire, where we have been teaching since 2002 – 10 years. The second is the Bible School of Pastor Augustin. This is our 2nd year to teach at that school. Fred promised to come back in the fall to teach “New Testament Survey” at both of the Bible Schools. It is a pleasure to teach these eager, on fire, Christians.

When we are in Benin, we always visit Exodus House Orphanage, to see how they are doing. Bill and Cathy Hoffman came to Benin to minister there too. There are now over 100 children at the orphanage. These children always have a smile. They touch our hearts so deeply.

On Easter weekend we were blessed to be a part of the dedication of Pastor Augustin’s new church building. Fred was there when he was given use of a room in the stadium to start the church a couple of years ago. Now he has land and a church building to meet in. God is so good!

Video Bible Schools

We now have more than 50 Video Bible Schools in the French speaking countries in West and Central Africa and also in English speaking Ghana and Nigeria. We also have a handful in Western Europe. We were excited to have our first Video School in Quebec, Canada – and now the second in Pikogan in the Northern part of Quebec on an Algonquin First Nations (Indian) reservation. We can’t wait to go visit this one too. Please pray for God’s blessings on all these schools and students.

This trip we took Acts videos in English with “Ewe” (the principal language of Southern Togo) to Africa with us.

We need help to record new languages for the Acts video class, at a cost of about $250 each. We have other classes in production too. Your prayers and support are greatly needed and appreciated!

Workers

During our near 15 years in Africa, we have had a part in training many workers. They are now training workers themselves. Back in September, 2008, in Accra, Ghana, David Yanney was our youngest graduate at 17 years old. Now at 22, he had a graduation of students that he had taken through the Video Bible School in Tamale, Ghana. Even when we are not in Africa, the fruit is still multiplying!

Plans – Philippines & Africa

Fred and Debby along with Marie-Louise, plan to spend July and August ministering in the Philippines. We will be on four Islands, Luzon, (the main island) Palawan, Coron, and Dumaran. This will be Fred’s first trip to the Philippines. We will teach at Bible schools and seminars as well as local churches. We are very excited about this trip. Please pray for us – we need to buy the tickets now and we need about $4,500 to do that.

Fred has promised to teach “New Testament Survey” in Africa this fall at the Bible School in Bamako, Mali, and two Bible Schools in Cotonou, Benin. This completes the teaching of “Bible Survey” that he started at those 3 schools in March and April. Please be praying for this as well.

Help

The enemy is attacking us and trying to stop us – our finances have fallen dramatically. By the grace of God, we will keep on. But we need greater prayer support. We are asking for your help. We need a miracle to pay off the ministry debt of $12,000, immediately. We need your prayers and financial support like we have never needed them before! We need more monthly support partners – friends who would send $30, $50 or $100 each month. Please pray for us. Thank you so much for sending your financial support. We are praying that God will bless you abundantly in return!

Prayer Points

  • Pray for our finances.
  • Pray for new montly support partners, for the needed monthly income, and to pay off our ministry debt of $12,000.
  • Pray for the Bible Schools that are training the workers.
  • Pray for Protection from all attacks of the enemy.
  • Pray for Health, Strength and Safe Travel for all of us.
  • Pray for our trip to the Philippines in July and August.
  • Pray for Peace and stability in the country of Mali.
  • Pray for Fred’s return to Africa this fall.
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