1 July 2002

 

Dear Faithful Ones,

 

Jesus said:  Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. – Matthew 10:14-15

 

We have been focusing on specific groups within Mandinka society.  In May, we focused on MNK women.  In June, we looked at MNK men.  This month, we will be looking at children, from birth through about the age of 12.  MNK children are prized possessions of the community; their births are celebrated and their deaths are deeply mourned.  They are taught how to become good MNK adults by the community, not just their parents.  They are taught who to trust.  They are taught that independent thought is not good.  They are taught how to be good Muslims, not how to have a relationship with God.  As a rule, we do not focus our ministry attention on children, even though they make up 50% of MNK society.  As we look at MNK children this month, pray for their physically challenging lives; pray that their value to God will become another aspect of all they are taught.

 

We say goodbye this month to another two-year missionary.  Leigh Smith has taught MKs and worked in our Righteous Way Reading Room during her nearly two years on the field.  Pray for Leigh as she continues to follow God’s chosen path for her life.

 

Continue to pray for the Mandinka depicted by our fictitious, yet representative, family of Bakary, his wives, his children, and his parents.  Pray that those of us on the field will be found faithful, available and obedient to what the Lord has asked of us; pray for those God is calling out to work among the MNK. 

 

Bakary, the head of the family (early 50s)

Fatou, Bakary’s first wife (early 40s) and her children (Adama, Hawa, Kadi, Sali, Mariyama, Fatou, Ibrima)

Binta, Bakary’s second wife (mid 30s) and her children (Lamin, Modou, Tida, Alieu, Isatou)

Kadi, Bakary’s third wife (early 20s) and her children (Ebou, Nyima, Alhaji)

Lamin, Bakary’s elderly father (mid 70s)

Sali, Lamin’s only surviving wife, birthmother of Bakary

Toubob, what MNKs call white westerners

 

Please let me know if you desire more promotional materials or to begin receiving the bi-monthly prayer awareness video.  We desire to assist you as you intercede on behalf of the MNK.

 

Your sister on the MNK field,

 

 

MNK Update July 2002

 

Mon, July 1:For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. – Romans 15:4  Scripture is timeless; Scripture is instructive; Scripture is true; Scripture applies to men, women and children.  Everything in Scripture was written to teach us, not to confuse us.  Pray that the Mandinka will become hungry for the Book of Truth and seek their answers from the inspired Word of God.

 

Tue, July 2:When Leah gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.”  So she named him Judah. – Genesis 29:35  When an MNK child is born, the father chooses the name.  He consults with his father and brothers, and normally names the child after someone who can provide for him or her financially, a benefactor, if you will.  The choice of the name has nothing to do with Islam.  The Hebrew language is a particularly beautiful and poetic language.  Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.  It is recorded in the Old Testament that parents often utilized this language to express either their personal sentiment or their attitude towards God when naming a child.  Pray for MNK men to consider God and His matchless grace when naming their offspring.

 

Wed, July 3:The Lord said to Moses:  “Tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.” – Exodus 10:2  The book of Exodus is replete with admonitions to tell what the Lord had done among His people.  The MNK have a similar tradition, but it has nothing to do with religion.  They often recount the heroic deeds of historic MNK warriors, how brave they were, how they fought against tremendous odds, how the MNK is the greatest tribe.  This is what children are taught…they are Mandinkas with a proud and long heritage.  Pray that MNK children will come to know the miraculous works of the Living God throughout history.

 

Thu, July 4:These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:6-7  The younger boys, ages 6-10, were sent out today to find firewood for the alimamoo (prayer leader).  After dinner, he will light a bonfire and sit with all the children of the village.  He will have them recite the most common Islamic prayer, the fatiya (fah-tee’-yuh).  They will recite it hundreds of times tonight.  They will learn to speak this prayer well, but may never know what the Arabic words actually mean.  Pray for MNK children to hear the true Word of God in a language they can understand.

 

Fri, July 5:Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. – Deuteronomy 32:7b  Bakary’s children rarely ask him questions about religion.  Actually, MNK children rarely ask questions of their elders.  More often than not, they just listen.  This is how they learn most of what they know.  Listening is a good technique.  But when clear questions are not asked, understanding often becomes blurred.  What an MNK child learns about religion and God, he learns from watching and listening to His elders.  Pray that as MNK elders come to know God, they will know the Truth and teach their children to actively seek the Truth.

 

Sat, July 6:The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. – Exodus 34:6-7a  The boys heard this verse on the radio this morning while they were working in the peanut field with Bakary.  Aspects of this verse are true…others are terribly confusing to them.  This word love is not one of the adjectives Muslims ascribe to God.  In fact, love is not in common usage among the MNK.  To think of Allah as one who loves mankind is a puzzling thought.  Pray for MNK children to have the opportunity to learn that the One True God is indeed the God of Love.

 

Sun, July 7:Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. – Exodus 34:7b  When the boys heard the rest of this verse on the radio today they were again baffled.  They understand that God punishes mankind by sending those who do not follow Islam to hell; they understand that even those who do follow Islam may be sent to hell for a period of time before earning enough favor to get into heaven.  But hearing that God will punish children for the sins of their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers is a very frightening concept, especially since the MNK do not acknowledge their participation in sin.  Pray for MNK children to realize that we not only have a choice in sin, but that sin has consequences; pray for them to desire to have a true relationship with God.

 

Mon, July 8:Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. – Exodus 20:12  This is the first commandment with promise attached.  An if-then statement.  MNK children are taught throughout life to honor their elders, especially their fathers.  But honoring their mothers is quite another thing.  Boys are taught from a young age not to trust women; they are taught not to reveal their secrets to women; they are taught to look at women as vital to MNK society, but not as important to God as men.  Pray as young MNK boys grow up, they will see that all of God’s creation is important to Him, and that honoring their mothers is one of God’s commandments. 

 

Tue, July 9:You are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. – Exodus 13:12  This is a day of firsts for Bakary’s best friend.  His first child has been born by his first wife, and it is a son!  To the MNK mindset it just doesn’t get any better than this!  While every birth is celebrated, there is something special about the firstborn, especially a boy.  A sheep will be sacrificed at the very moment the child’s name is whispered into his ear for the first time.  It will be an exciting and expensive day.  Pray for MNK men to see that every child is a gift from God and that they have the responsibility to raise that child to know and follow the One True God.

 

Wed, July 10:Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age.  When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word to him. – Genesis 37:3-4  MNK children are raised by one father and multiple mothers.  Men are allowed up to four wives in Islamic society, provided they treat each one equally.  There is often a subtle rivalry among the wives for attention for their birth children.  While the children appear to get along, some are disliked corporately.  And just as with Joseph’s brothers, schemes may be laid to cause harm to those individuals.  Pray for MNK children to grow up learning about God’s love, compassion, and mercy.

 

Thu, July 11:Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. – Proverbs 22:6  MNK discipline is an interesting phenomenon.  Until a child is weaned from his mother, he (or she) is rarely corrected.  After weaning the discipline becomes more threatening – “Look out, here comes your father.”  After the children go out to the bush for training (ages 5-12), discipline becomes more serious.  When adults are present older children are swatted at the drop of a hat and admonished to let the younger children have whatever they want.  When adults are not present, children relate to one another in a pecking order:  the oldest clobbers the younger who hits the next one who knocks over the littlest who tries to kick a dog or a cat or a chicken.  Scripture is clear:  what we learn as children we carry with us into adulthood.  Pray that MNK children will be trained in the Way of Righteousness.

 

Fri, July 12:He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind. – 1 Samuel 15:29  The children awoke this morning to hushed whispers outside the women’s house.  One of the elders of the village died in his sleep.  Bakary has come to tell the women and to prepare them for the influx of guests who will be coming for the funeral.  The women will have to work very hard at providing adequate water and food.  The boys will not have to help with that; that is girl’s work.  Instead the boys will sit near the men, out of the way, and listen as page after page of the Qu’ran is read in hopes of satisfying God’s requirements for admission into heaven.  While quite fearful of God, they are coming to like the fact that God’s mind can be changed.  Pray for MNK children to learn that God is Steadfast, True, Merciful, and Just.

 

Sat, July 13:Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “Are these all the sons you have?”  “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” – 1 Samuel 16:10-11  Sheep and goats are allowed to graze wherever they like during the dry season.  But during the rainy season, boys are assigned the job of tending the animals, keeping up with where they are, not allowing them to eat anyone’s crops, etc.  Bakary’s sons are no exception.  They go out to the bush with the animals mid-morning and come back late in the afternoon.  While not verbalized often, they know how important their job is:  no one wants their crops destroyed by grazing animals, and no one wants to loose an animal.  Pray for MNK boys to work diligently; pray that while they are in the bush, they will encounter God through His creation.

 

Sun, July 14:Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars.  Don’t ask for just a few.  Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.  Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  When all the jars were full, the oil stopped flowing. – 2 Kings 4:3-6  Fatou’s daughter, Mariyama, forgot to buy oil yesterday in the market.  Now she is faced with the problem of not being able to cook the meal Fatou told her to; she is frustrated, and afraid.  As she contemplates changing the menu, she listens to the weekly radio broadcast of Bible stories.  This is the Widow’s Oil story.  Fatou wonders what kind of magic the prophets were able to perform in order to accomplish such a feat, or is this just another untrue story from the Bible?  As she listens more she begins to wonder just how the widow had that much faith…  Pray for MNK girls to come to know that faith is a gift from God to all mankind, including women.

 

Mon, July 15:If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. – Leviticus 5:17  The girls were out playing in the garden this morning and trampled Fatou’s new tomato plants.  The older boys were sleeping under a tree while the goats ate their uncle’s peanut plants.  The younger boys didn’t see the monkeys come in and steal Bakary’s corn.  What is sin?  Sin is deliberate disobedience to God.  Does trampling tomato plants constitute sin?  For the MNK, sin is something that only those who do not follow Islam engage in; adherents to Islam are not accountable to God for unavoidable things.  Pray for MNK children to see sin as what separates them from knowing God; pray for conviction and repentance.

 

Tue, July 16:Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. – Exodus 2:16  One of the daily chores of women, including young girls, is water.  Water must be drawn from a well for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, gardening, and watering animals.  Except for watering the animals, all this work is traditionally done by MNK women and girls.  They will walk to a well, normally 100-200 yards from their home, draw water with a bucket from 30 feet deep, fill their 6-gallon buckets, lift it up onto their heads, and walk it back to the compound.  This is done perhaps five to six times each day by each girl above the age of 10 and the women.  The younger girls carry smaller amounts.  This story of Moses in Midian has many similarities to MNK life.  When women hear this story, they giggle at the thought of watering the animals.  Pray that as MNK women and girls hear this story they will see God’s faithfulness and care in providing Moses to protect the seven daughters from the cruel shepherds; pray they will see that God is still faithful and that He cares for each MNK girl and woman.

 

Wed, July 17:You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean. – Leviticus 10:10  There are forbidden foods in Islam.  One is pork – pig!  Another is the consumption of alcohol.  The boys have been to town with Bakary on occasion and seen older boys at the “ghetto”.  This is a place Bakary has forbidden them to enter.  He has told them that only heathens go into these places.  Of course, there is also the hotel in town where alcohol is served to the tourists.  Bakary has told the boys many times that Toubobs are not holy people because they eat pig and consume alcohol.  But the boys have never seen Bakary’s Toubob friend drink alcohol.  Are all Toubobs heathens?  What is holy and what is common?  How can MNK boys figure out the truth?  Pray for Christian teachers to work within schools among the Mandinka; pray that their witness will be a positive one; pray for them to be seen as holy people.

 

Thu, July 18:Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. – Psalm 127:3,5  MNK men may have up to four wives.  MNK women normally bear six to eight children.  That means one man could have over 30 children!  Truly his quiver is full!  The eldest son will remain with his father and learn whatever trade his father is engaged in.  He may become a subsistence farmer like his father.  Or he may become a tailor.  Or he may become a carpenter.  Or he may become a fisherman.  Whatever this son engages in, his role is to remain within the family and assist his father with life.  The other sons have other roles.  Pray for MNK children to become the prized possession God intended our children to be; pray that they will have the opportunity to learn about the Truth of God.

 

Fri, July 19:Jesus said: “When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:  in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me.” – John 16:8-9  Traditionally the second son is sent away to a Qu’ranic school.  There he learns the Islamic prayers; he learns how to pray properly; he learns special things to do as the prayer leader of a village.  He may be gone for 8-10-even 12 years.  But one thing he is never taught is man’s responsibility in regard to sin.  He learns that God made mankind this way, so when we sin God must forgive us because we can’t help ourselves.  Convenient thinking to be sure.  Pray for young MNK men studying in Qu’ranic schools to be visited in dreams and visions by the Holy Spirit, convicted of their personal sin and understanding of their personal accountability before God.

 

Sat, July 20:Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. – Luke 2:52  The oldest MNK son remains in his father’s house and becomes what his father is.  The second son is sent to Qu’ranic school to learn the ways of Islam.  The third son is sent off to the government school on the chance that, through his education, he might get a job and the opportunity travel to Europe or America, and thereby send money back to the family.  As MNK children grow they look just like every other child in the world.  They are often pudgy babies, difficult two year olds, toothless six year olds, clumsy adolescents, and know-it-all young adults.  Pray for MNK children to be able to grow physically; pray that they will also have the opportunity to grow in the knowledge of God; pray for Godly leadership within MNK families.

 

Sun, July 21:Do not imitate what is evil but what is good.  Anyone who does what is good is from God.  Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. – 3 John 11  Children worldwide imitate their parents.  Little MNK girls practice pounding spices with a small stick, an old can, and dirt.  Little boys practice herding animals by trying to corral dogs and cats.  Both boys and girls practice making tea with water and sand.  Boys try their hand at weaving a fence by playing with grass leaves.  But how do you imitate good?  How do you know what is good?  How do you learn what is evil?  How will MNK boys and girls come to know the difference?  Pray for MNK children as they listen to the Word of God usually from the background; pray that their hearts and minds will be opened and challenged to find the One who is truly Good.

 

Mon, July 22:And Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. – Mark 10:16  When an MNK elder sees a child he has never seen before, he lays his hands on the child’s head and whisper blessings:  May God give you a long life; May God grant you safety and prosperity; May God give you a good husband (wife); May God give you many children.  Often he will spit onto the child’s head as if giving them the very blessing contained in the words.  For the MNK Muslim, the power is not in the meaning of the words uttered, but the actual utterance of the words.  It does not matter if no one is able to understand the language.  MNK children are at the bottommost rung of MNK society.  Yet they are the future of the tribe.  Unfortunately true religious teaching is not part of their education.  Pray that MNK children will see that they are of tremendous value to God, that they are not second-class citizens.

 

Tue, July 23:“We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.  But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know.  Ask him.  He is of age; he will speak for himself.” – John 9:20-21  Freedom to make individual choices.  Freedom to speak one’s own mind.  Going against the grain.  These thought processes are not instinctive to the MNK mindset.  Obviously these were not common occurrences within Jewish society either.  Jesus had healed the young man in this story of his blindness, yet the parents were afraid to state so publicly.  The Pharisees kept insisting Jesus was not from God, that He was a sinner, because He had broken the Sabbath by healing.  The young man’s answer rings loudly:  Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know.  One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!  The issue for him was Jesus’ compassion, Jesus’ divinity, Jesus’ authority.  Pray for young MNKs as they are exposed to Christian thought processes and teachings; pray that they will be able to distinguish between culture and religion; pray they will find a personal relationship with Jesus, independent of their parents and their society.

 

Wed, July 24:He took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. – 1 Samuel 17:40  This story of David and Goliath fascinates MNK children, just as it fascinates western children.  To think that a boy with only a slingshot could defeat the biggest warrior in the Philistine army!  During this time of the rainy season, the boys are sent out to protect the crops:  chase away monkeys, wild pigs and the occasional goat, sheep, donkey or cow.  They sit on small platforms in the middle of a field all day and watch for these thieves.  It can be a boring job, and the boys don’t realize how important their job is until they themselves are adults with a field of peanuts, millet or corn to protect.  Pray for MNK children to learn the complete stories of the Bible and how they apply to our lives everyday; pray that they will take David’s example to heart and desire to serve the Living God.

 

Thu, July 25:Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.  May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.  May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” – Ruth 1:8-9  MNK girls are taught from childhood not to trust men.  They are taught that even after marriage, their allegiance remains with their own parents, specifically their mother.  They are taught to get along with their mother-in-law, but they are not really part of her family.  However the mother-in-law is still trusted more than the husband.  Girls carry their father’s last name throughout life; they do not change it after marriage.  If an MNK woman’s husband dies, she must remarry after the appropriate period of mourning.  If no husband is found for her within her husband’s family, she returns to her father and he will find a new husband for her.  Her salvation depends on her husband’s worthiness.  Pray for MNK girls to learn to love and trust their heavenly Father so that they will be able to love and trust their earthly fathers and husbands. 

 

Fri, July 26:When she could hide him no longer, she placed Moses in a basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. – Exodus 2:3-4  MNK girls’ roles are well defined.  They are imitators of their mothers.  They are taught to cook, wash clothes by hand, draw water from the well, carry buckets on their heads, and work in the rice field.  They are taught to be in the background, to be of support.  “Me first!” would never come from an MNK girl’s mouth.  As young girls, their responsibility in the rice field is caring for the babies so the mothers can work.  They learn by participation and observation.  Pray that MNK girls will find examples of Godly tribal women to observe and learn from.

 

Sat, July 27:Jesus said:  “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:17  MNK children are, as Jewish children were, on the outskirts of religious life.  MNK children do not go to the mosque until they are old enough to perform the prayers correctly.  MNK boys sit with their fathers inside; MNK pre-pubescent girls sit outside with the old women.  They recite prayers they do not understand; they listen to teachings they cannot grasp; they perform a ritual that is performed by millions worldwide.  And this is what makes them Muslim.  Yet the whole concept of receiving, or accepting, the kingdom of God is unconscionable.  They do what is required of them as Muslims; no more, no less.  Pray for MNK children to have the opportunity to accept or reject the Kingdom of God; pray that MNKs of all ages will come to grasp the realities of God just as a child comes to grasp the realities of life.   

 

Sun, July 28:A voice came from heaven:  “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:22  This verse is troubling to MNKs on many levels.  First of all, children are taught from a very young age that God did not, does not, have any children, because He never had a wife.  So for a voice to speak from heaven saying “You are my Son” is a mystery.  Second, why would someone tell a child, even a young adult, “I love you?”  That sort of familiarity is not the MNK way.  Now to assert that MNK children are not loved, or do not love their parents, is unfair.  But their concept of love is a very skewed one, since they do not comprehend the ultimate love of God.  Pray for MNK children to come to know the true love of God so that they may share that love with their parents and family. 

 

Mon, July 29:Jesus said:  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. – John 14:16  Within the Islamic teaching, this Counselor mentioned in the New Testament is taken as a prophetic announcement of Mohammed.  Muslims cannot fathom God having a son; if He did have a son, they cannot fathom him living as a poor, itinerant teacher; and if He really was a teacher, they cannot accept God allowing Him to die on the cross.  However in the Qu’ran, the term Spirit of God is generally held to be the angel Gabriel.  Children must deal with these inconsistencies in Islam; no wonder they are confused.  Pray for children to have minds that can hear and grasp the realities of God’s Word.

 

Tue, July 30:After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. – Luke 2:46-47  Bakary’s best friend from childhood is making the pilgrimage to Mecca this year.  But this is not an experience for the faint of heart.  It is physically grueling and spiritually captivating.  Muslims work themselves into a frenzy at different times during the hadj performing the very acts Mohammed was supposed to have performed.  This is not a time for children to be asking questions.  Islam is not a religion that is understood; rather it is rote memory work and performance.  Hearing these words on the radio is annoying to Bakary; a child’s place in Islam is in the background and silence.  Opening religion to children lessens its importance.  Pray for MNK children’s minds to be opened to seeking the Truth; pray for Scripture to speak loudly and clearly.

 

Wed, July 31:“Father, the fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” asked Isaac. – Genesis 22:7  This quote from young Isaac has to be one of the most precious interchanges between father and son ever recorded.  The son, completely trusting of his father, has no clue of the road Abraham is walking.  Yet it is the ultimate sacrifice.  God made that same sacrifice for the Mandinka when He sent Jesus to die on the cross.  Pray that MNK children will be able to fathom the great love God has for mankind and the bridge that spans the great gulf of sin.