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July 27, 2008

Tasmakat

I am in Tasmakat for a week with Pedro and Jean-Marc from St Etienne, visiting Pastor John and his wife Elisabeth and their seven children.

We had a good rain on Friday night and Sat morning, which was desperately needed. So, on Saturday, we spent a few hours helping John with his field. While we waited in the church for it to stop raining, John told us about the series of dreams he had when he was at Bible school, that led him to Tasmakat.

John said: “When we finally got to the place they were giving us for the church, I said: ‘This looks the same as what we saw in the dreams, but it can’t be the right place, because there is supposed to be an abandoned house here.’ When they heard that, they laughed.” He paused.

“Come with me” he said. He took us outside to the middle of the church land, and scraped away the top layer of sand. A circle of bricks became clear. “This is where the abandoned house was. Only the foundation was left. But it is a witness that this is the place God has sent us to. Even when it’s hard, we remember how God has led us, and we call on him to help us, knowing that he will open people’s hearts. We know he wants to bless this village.”

God is giving John favour with local people. Each day people come for prayer. An old Fulani man brings his son, who has severe mental difficulties. The old man himself has previously been healed through prayer, but has not yet decided to follow Jesus. But he acknowledges the power of Jesus. A young girl has decided to follow Jesus, but her family want to marry her to a Muslim man. She doesn’t want to marry him, but wants to honour her parents, and she asks for prayer for a way out.

I have had to come back unexpectedly to Gorom-Gorom for a day, as we have had a spate of punctured tyres, which can’t be fixed in Tasmakat. I have left Pedro and Jean-Marc in Tasmakat with Jean. Tomorrow morning I will return, with Pierre and Seydou, and we will spend the morning at the market, telling the good news of Jesus the Messiah:

“God’s kingdom is close to you!”

Posted by Keith at July 27, 2008 07:35 PM