Dear Faithful Ones,

Jesus said, “Your father in heaven is not willing that any of these should be lost.” – Matthew 18:14

In the developed world, we always want to know why someone died. Was it cancer? Was it a heart attack? Was it preventable? Was it an accident? When an old person dies, we think, well, it was their time. When a youth or a child dies, we are saddened at the loss of potential. But death is death! And death is a daily occurrence among the MNK. Their Islamic, fatalistic outlook on both life and death can be, because if everything is God’s will and by God’s hand, then the responsibility is entirely God’s, never the individual’s. Unfortunately this philosophy is not Biblical. The whole point of Scripture is to reveal God to mankind, to offer us hope.

The MNK live in a world fraught with physical dangers. They face preventable accidents and curable diseases. Yet the most difficult hurdle to surmount is their blind focus on Islam. They are born Muslims because their parents were Muslims; they will live as Muslims because they do not want to embarrass their families; they will die as Muslims for they know no other path. As you look at the physical difficulties of the Mandinka this month, please pray for their hearts and minds to be freed from the bondage of Islam.

Thank you for your continued prayer support. We have moved into our new house and it is rapidly becoming our home. How grateful we are God knows what is, what has been, and what will be, and He is always present with us.

Like thousands of other parents, our son has been deployed to the military theatre of southwest Asia. Please pray for our son, his wife, our family, those under our son’s command, the rest of our armed forces, and our leaders. Let us also pray for the salvation of all those who follow, albeit faithfully, false religions. Pray for the believers serving in the military. I know of three MKs serving: one in the Army, one in the Marine Corps, and one in the Air Force. Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. – Revelation 22:20-21

Your sister on the MNK field,

MNK Update March 2003

Sat, Mar 1: Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. – John 10:10 Everyday life is dangerous, especially in the developing world. MNKs die daily; some deaths would be preventable with access to medicine and education; some deaths are not physically preventable. This is life to 1.3 million MNKs around the world. Their spiritual life is also fraught with fear and death. But Jesus came to offer us the opportunity to live a spiritually abundant physical life. Pray for the MNK to come to know Jesus as the abundant giver of life, not the one who takes life indiscriminately.

Sun, Mar 2: God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” – Genesis 3:17 The men of the village decided to clear their fields early for planting; they are praying Allah will send rain in late May or early June, instead of August when it came last year. The fields have been well fertilized by the cattle tethered there every night during the dry season. Working with hand-held tools, they spend all day manually cutting the weeds and bushes from the soil. When they return home they discover they have the normal cuts and bruises on their hands. Unfortunately, some cuts are deep; within hours, serious infections set in as the bacteria from the cattle manure invades their bodies. Pray for the MNK as they work everyday; pray for them to listen to the medical community when they teach the importance of personal hygiene.

Mon, Mar 3: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God.” – John 3:1-2 The MNK traditionally eat dinner between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM. In the larger towns, visiting takes place after dinner. This is not always a safe time to be out walking; snakes, scorpions, motorcycles, thieves are a threat. Pray for those MNKs who are truly seeking God’s truth to pursue those with knowledge, no matter the time of day.

Tue, Mar 4: When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, she took some. – Genesis 3:6 The middle-aged ‘tree climber’ visited a nearby village. He was collecting the palm nuts from the tall palm trees that grow along the riverbank. He planned to sell them; boiled they make a delicious stew; oil is also extracted from them. As he was climbing up the 30 ft tree, the bamboo strap that held him to the tree broke. He landed flat on his back. He died a week later having never regained consciousness. Pray for MNK men as they try to earn a living to support their families; universally, human beings are convinced we are immortal, both physically and spiritually.

Wed, Mar 5: When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. – Deuteronomy 26:12 Giving alms is one of the pillars of Islam; therefore, begging is an accepted part of society. It is not shameful to beg since begging allows Muslims to fulfill their obligation before God. In large cities, women will sit at busy intersections with their children. The children will dart in and out of traffic, going up to each vehicle asking for money. Often they don’t notice the light change, or a car pulling around the standing traffic. Whether they really need the money or not is beside the point. Pray for those who work among the MNK in large cities to find appropriate avenues of helping families in need.

Thu, Mar 6: 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 The 8-year old girl was sent to the well to draw water. This is an old well, without a good wall around it or a pulley to help with the extraction of water. As she was struggling with the bucket full of water, she lost her balance and fell in. It was over an hour before anyone was aware that she was missing. It took another hour to locate someone with a ladder long enough to go down inside the well and bring her out. Amazingly she was only bruised, frightened, and cold. Immediately the men of the area began berating her mother for sending her to the well; it was the only thing they could do, for everyone knows young girls are always sent to the well. Pray for MNK girls who spend much of their time in daily, dangerous chores; pray for safety as well as an opening of their minds to God’s truth.

Fri, Mar 7: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12 This is not the most politically correct statement ever made, but it is the truth. Recently a colleague was entertaining some young folks on a vision trip, exploring the possibilities of coming to work among another ethnic group in this region. They toured a huge mosque in the area. They also came across a funeral, heard the wailing, and saw the hopelessness in the faces of the mourners. Driving home, an astonishing question was asked: “Do you think that person is in Hell? He had never heard the Gospel. What about people who have never heard?” Pray for those who work among the MNK not to be deceived by worldly wisdom; according to Scripture there is only one way to God and that is through the person of Jesus Christ; it doesn’t matter how good a religion appears.

Sat, Mar 8: The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness. – Psalm 41:3 The little girl ran to the shop to buy some milk powder for her big brother. Living in the big city he has become accustomed to having milk at breakfast. At the shop she simply pointed at the sachet hanging on the wall beside the packets of laundry soap powder. Unfortunately because neither the little girl nor her mother nor the shopkeeper could read, several in the family became quite ill after drinking the laundry powder. Pray for those missionaries among the MNK who teach literacy; pray as they teach, they will also illuminate minds to God’s love.

Sun, Mar 9: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. – Psalm 23:4 Walking home after collecting firewood in the bush, the pregnant woman encountered a herd of several hundred goats on the move. They were being driven by their pastoralist herders a hundred miles to more fertile grazing land. Apparently some of the male goats were tired or annoyed or ornery or whatever. In any event, she was butted in the abdomen. A day or so later she went to the health clinic complaining of pain and bruising; the most serious problem was that she no longer felt movement of her baby. Pray for those health care professional missionaries who work with pregnant MNK women to share the Good News of the true giver of life.

Mon, Mar 10: Moses said to the Israelites, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. Each one is to gather as much as he needs. No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However some paid no attention to Moses; they kept part until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. – Exodus 16:15,16,20 Islamic holidays always include the sacrificing of an animal, usually a sheep or a goat. The people are commanded to give excess meat away to the needy and others. But like all of us, they hold some back for future meals. Unfortunately most MNKs living in villages do not have access to refrigeration. Inevitably by the third or forth day cases of food poisoning are rumored; deaths are not infrequent. The most at risk are the children whose bodies and immune systems are small. For the rural MNK there is no cure for food poisoning. Pray for the MNK to comprehend God’s completed plan to provide everything they need in both their physical and spiritual lives; they do not need to assist him by sacrificing animals.

Tue, Mar 11: On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. – Luke 2:21 Both male and female circumcision are practiced separately by the MNK. It is performed sometime between the ages of 3 and 13, preferably before puberty. The children are kept in seclusion for several weeks, or until all in the group are adequately healed. During this time extensive cultural teaching occurs. Unfortunately children die following this practice, particularly girls, from the unhygienic tools, the bush environment, the extensive cutting, hemorrhaging. Pray for the MNK to see that God’s desire is to circumcise our hearts, so that we will bear evidence outwardly of what He has accomplished within our souls.

Wed, Mar 12: Jesus said, “If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” – Matthew 18:9 Teenage boys are responsible for following the sheep or goats or cattle in the bush as they forage for food. This is a tedious, tiresome, often boring job. If the boys come across something exciting, boys being boys, they will put all their energy into it! This could be a troop of baboons or wild dogs or monkeys; it doesn’t really matter. Running through the bush, though, is a dangerous activity. Eye injuries are very common as they encounter stray tree branches. These injuries are often unattended medically; permanent damage is common. Pray for safety for MNK boys as they go about their assigned tasks; pray that they will come to see the significance of this verse as it applies to the sin in their own lives.

Thu, Mar 13: Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. – Proverbs 23:31-32 The advertising is everywhere…in English…in French…in African languages. Beer, wine, cigarettes, x-rated music videos, the lottery; these things make the west decadent to the Muslim mindset. Yet they are impacting this African, Islamic, uneducated society. “We want to be like the Toubob.” “If it is on the radio (or television or billboard), it must be true.” Pray for the MNK to be able to see through the traps Satan sets before us in our lives.

Fri, Mar 14: And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you, a covenant for all generations to come: Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.” – Genesis 9:12,15 In an environment where rain only comes 4 months every year, sometimes it feels like we are being washed away. Heavy, early rains flood compounds, sometimes washing children and small animals away. MNK women working in rice fields are struck by lightening every year. Broken branches collapse mud-block houses. Latrines fall in. Wind blows roofs off houses and shops. Pray for the MNK to find ways to survive the storms of nature; pray for them to learn, and hold on to, the promises of God found in Scripture.

Sat, Mar 15: So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. – Job 2:7 Anyone who has ever suffered from poison ivy can relate to Job’s suffering. In this part of the world, scabies is extremely common, especially among children. Scabies is a mite that tunnels under the skin, most commonly between fingers and toes, causing intense itching. Children scratch causing secondary infections. The cure is a topical ointment, often sold as a sheep or cattle “dip”. It isn’t always available for humans. Pray for the MNK to have access to appropriate drugs and that parents will learn how to keep their children healthy.

Sun, Mar 16: Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” – Matthew 5:21-22 Domestic violence, while not encouraged, is common in MNK society. A man gets so angry with his wife that he beats her to death. An adult sister becomes so angry with her brother, she delivers a mortal blow to his head with a solid wood stool. Men of a village are outraged that one of their bulls has been stolen, and take out after the thieves with machetes. We live in a violent world; MNK hearts are without peace. Pray for the MNK as they struggle to find peace; pray for them to be filled with the peace that passes all understanding!

Mon, Mar 17: Jesus said, “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – John 3:21 The old man woke up at 5:30 AM feeling lazy, heavy. He had a bad headache. But he didn’t say much to anyone. He did his morning prayers, had breakfast, and went back to sleep. By noon, he was extremely nauseous. He grabbed his prayer beads and began reciting the 99 names of Allah over and over. He died around 3:00 PM of cerebral malaria. Malaria remains one of the main killers of all ages in MNK society. Pray for those who work in the field of public health among the MNK; health education saves lives, the Gospel saves souls.

Tue, Mar 18: Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. – Matthew 8:23-24 The MNK live near rivers. They fish in them. They drink from them. They bathe in them. They wash their clothes in them. About the only way to traverse the river is by boat; there are precious few bridges, even in 2003! The vessels are either 1940’s vintage mechanized ferries or dug-out canoes, or wooden pirogues. Most MNKs never learn to swim. And they do not talk while they are crossing the river; they are careful to neither awaken nor anger the water spirits. Ferries and boats sink due to overcrowding; MNKs drown due to panic. Pray for the MNK to come to know the God of all creation, including rivers; pray for safe practices on the rivers to become the norm of their lives.

Wed, Mar 19: Impress these commandments upon 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 6:7 As in every society, youth rebel at tradition. In MNK towns, the young women rebel by adorning their bodies with make-up and wearing very tight-fitting clothing. They wear tight skirts with high slits. They wear trousers that appear painted on their bodies. In order to make a point, religious leaders went out one night and grabbed several young women as they walked around town. They were severely beaten; one even died. Pray for MNK religious leaders to come to know the Truth; pray for them to zealously proclaim the Gospel according to God, not the Law according to man.

Thu, Mar 20: You brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. – Psalm 22:9 Surprisingly, the number one killer of MNK children is diarrhea. As he grows and strays from his mother’s arms, a child begins to pick up the things that cause his intestinal system problems. For a child on the edge, an excessive loss of fluid through the diarrhea causes dehydration; if this goes unchecked, the dehydration eventually causes death. Pray for MNK toddlers to have the opportunity to grow and age physically so that they may hear the Gospel for themselves.

Fri, Mar 21: That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. – Genesis 11:9 Forty percent of the MNK population have had some form of hepatitis during their life time. Consequently many suffer from liver problems. One of the main staples of life here is oil and this is not only painful to one who has had hepatitis, but dangerous. The life expectancy among the MNK is about 50 years. Pray for MNK men and women to have the privilege of hearing the Gospel in a clear manner in their own language.

Sat, Mar 22: God said to the woman, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. – Genesis 3:16 Childbearing, in this society, can be dangerous. MNK women normally bear eight to ten children, half of whom die before the age of seven from various ailments. Superstitions abound: Don’t eat too much…your baby will be too big. Don’t take vitamins…these will cause you to become sterile. Don’t drink cold water…you will only have girls. Don’t act like you want your child…the witches will take it from you. Pray for MNK women as they bear children in a dirty, dangerous environment; pray they will come to know the One who came as a child, grew, and died for all mankind, including MNK women.

Sun, Mar 23: Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. – Hebrews 13:4 The HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing in this part of West Africa. It is unfortunate that as a heterosexual disease, neither the Islamic community nor the government teaches abstinence. Muslim men desire to marry virgins, but MNK society also turns a blind eye to young men as they “sow their wild oats”; men commonly do not marry until they are 30+ years of age. Girls are often seduced with a pair of shoes or a piece of new cloth. Hence, sexually transmitted diseases are common and babies are born out of wedlock. Pray for the MNK to come to know God’s plan for men and women in marriage; pray for them to keep themselves pure until they marry.

Mon, Mar 24: The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. – Daniel 3:22-23 Fire is a part of life for every MNK. Every meal is cooked over an open fire; candles and kerosene lamps light houses at night; brush fires that sweep across the bush threatening homes are fought annually. Nearly every MNK has some sort of burn scar somewhere on his body. Either a young child falls into a fire while mom is cooking, or their clothes catch on fire from walking too close to the dinner pot, or a bowl of steaming hot rice is spilled on them, usually while they are on their mother’s back. Medical burn units are unheard of and physical therapy care is found only in the big cities. Basically, severely burned patients die, but it may take weeks. Pray for MNKs to be diligent in protecting one another from preventable accidents; pray for them to grasp the amazing part of this story in the book of Daniel.

Tue, Mar 25: Tie these commandments as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 8:8-9 God’s command for us to keep His word ever present in our lives was a good one. Yet we have perverted His plan by adding to it. Virtually every MNK wears jujus, or amulets. These are leather pouches with secret writings inside. They wear them on their waists, in their hair, around their chests, and tie them on babies wrists. These are meant to protect the bearer from the evil eye, from illnesses, from accidents, from guns, from knives. In fact, the sicker a child, the more jujus you will find on his body. Parents will forgo western medical care in favor of this “traditional” protection; many children die as a result. Pray for MNKs to be released from this oppression of Satan; pray they will truly bind God’s words on their foreheads, always keeping thoughts of God’s grace foremost in their minds.

Wed, Mar 26: They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. – Revelation 9:10 The tired mother sat the baby down on what appeared to be a soft pile of sand. Evidently her husband had gone out to the bush and collected the sand so he could make the needed repairs to the women’s house, as well as the kitchen. The sand was cool; all the children were enjoying playing in it, making tunnels and ditches. Suddenly screaming reached her ears. A scorpion also made his home in the cool sand, and when disturbed, he immediately stung the baby. While very common and rarely lethal, scorpion stings are nevertheless extremely painful. Pray for the MNK that when they hear this verse, they will desire the grace and protection of God available only through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thu, Mar 27: The unfolding of your words gives light. – Psalm 119:130 The woman was walking across the compound at 9:00 PM. It was a dark, moonless night; the batteries in her flashlight were spent, so she depended on her familiarity with the compound. Of course, without light, she did not see the small viper before she stepped on it. The bite was quite painful, but not deadly. Her screaming brought everyone out of their houses to see what had happened. She didn’t sleep that night for the pain, or the next or the next. A month later her leg was swollen twice its normal size. When she finally got to the health center, massive amounts of infection were drained from her leg; she required antibiotics, but she had no money. Her family came to ask for help. Pray for those who work among the MNK to have discernment for when to offer financial assistance; pray that our first line of giving will be the unfolding of God’s word.

Fri, Mar 28: Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. – Mark 10:1 Jesus walked, rode on a donkey, and took boats. These were the only ways of going from one place to another in His day. The MNK walk, take boats, ride bicycles, ride on horse or donkey carts, or pay for taxis. Bush taxis are single cab pick-ups with bench seats in the back, seating (legally) 10 adults, but often carrying 20 or more passengers. “Money-cars,” or “rapides” are large vans that hold nearly 50 people. A woman was riding on the back of her husband’s bicycle when he swerved to avoid being hit by a taxi. She died from hitting her head on a rock. Accidents occur daily on the roads between towns. Pray for the MNK as they move about their countryside; pray for them to have the courage to demand that drivers slow down; pray for opportunities of witness as workers among the MNK travel on these forms of public transportation.

Sat, Mar 29: Mary wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. – Luke 2:7 Newborns are always wrapped up tight; it doesn’t matter what continent you live on or your reasoning. The young child developed a high fever; red spots broke out all over him. The women in the village advised the young mother to wrap him up, lay him out in the hot sand, unprotected from the sun. “Burn the evil spirits from him.” When she hesitated, they did it for her. This measles epidemic killed many children, but not without the help of well-meaning neighbors. Pray for MNK mothers to stand firmly in protection of their children; often ignorance and peer pressure interject themselves between mother and child.

Sun, Mar 30: In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war... – 2 Samuel 11:1 The entire continent of Africa is replete with wars and rumors of wars. Very few conflicts on the continent are not tribal; unfortunately, weapons know no ethnicity. Landmines remain covered over; non-combatants find lost or misplaced weapons. The boys were only 12; the day after the foiled uprising, they were walking in a field, and came across a hand grenade. They tossed it back and forth unaware of the immanent danger with which they were playing. One boy lost a leg; the other was seriously burned and lost a hand. Pray for God’s peace to inhabit the land, lives and hearts of the Mandinka people of West Africa.

Mon, Mar 31: It is not good to have zeal without knowledge; nor to be hasty and miss the way. – Proverbs 19:2 Of all the daily dangers a Mandinka faces, the most perilous is the religion of Islam. They follow and unquestioningly accept all that is told them by their Muslim teachers; they do no have the ability, the desire, nor the resources to study Islam for themselves. They are walking blindly down a path whose destination is unknown; even they acknowledge they cannot be sure of anything. Pray for those of us working with the MNK to direct them to the True Path; pray the MNK will ask questions to determine for themselves where the Truth lies.