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Eastpoint Church

15303 E. Sprague Ave

Spokane Valley, WA 99037

June 2012

kevin

Theriver4@msn.com

Phone: 258-82-334-9966

Great Harvest International Ministries

Bamboo cutting team for Chuyia Discipleship School

Someone once asked me what a typical day in Africa is

like. Nothing typical here. I wake up and spend time in

prayer and the Word. Honestly, sometimes I fail to do it

just because I have so many people and things pulling at

me. I know, I know, all the more reason to get with

Jesus. And I most always do and am always blessed. In

fact, I just read several articles tonight about reknown

men of prayer. Nothing of Kingdom significance will

happen without it.

Today my friend and interpreter Mbirima and I made the

circuit to Galimoto and Chuyia. Sundays always make for

a long day, especially when you are traveling on what

looks like dry river beds half the time, or navigating

through bike trails in the bush in an old, 4-wheel drive

pick-up truck with branches scraping the side, small trees

grinding beneath, tall bush grass slapping you in the face

because you forgot to close your window. You might call

this typical.

The folks in Galimoto were slow to rise this morning

because of the cold winter nights now setting in (I guess

they take a while to thaw out in the morning sun).

Eventually most of them made it to our discipleship

school. We sang a few songs in Yao which I mostly just

stumble through. One of the songs is a blast however,

because we get to act out the song. Singing "It is good to

walk with Jesus" (we walk around the small hut); or "sit

with Jesus" (we all sit), or laugh with Jesus (and we all

begin to laugh hysterically). Only this morning during the

"walk with Jesus" part I led everyone around the outside of

the little grass hut. Fun. Joy. Simple people who love

Jesus. No stuffy churchiness here in the bush.

After Galimoto we trek another 10 or so kilometers to see

our disciple and friend David in Chuyia. David's first wife

of 10 years died and four of their five children also,

leaving him with one beloved daughter. He remarried

twice more only to have his wife and in-laws kick him

out. In this Yao culture the husband goes to live with the

wife's family. If his wife decides she doesn't want him

anymore, too bad, the family enforces a divorce. The

husband has to leave all and does not even have rights to

the children. Life without God here (anywhere) is crazy.

David is a gentle man and faithful to the call of God on

his life, and we believe Jesus wants to use him in Chuyia.

So today we went out together to gather about 50 logs

which he had cut in the bush for the discipleship school

there. Please pray for this ministry as this is a heavily

Muslim village.

Got home around 3:30pm and ate a late lunch, thanks to

my dear wife who cooked up some macaroni in her new

oven. Yes, things are progressing on the house. We now

have a flushing toilet and one sink that runs water if you

turn the knob; simply amazing stuff after two years

without. Made possible because we finally have our 1000

liter water tower up (see photos below), filled up faithfully

by our solar water pump! We are the envy of all the

surrounding missionaries who have to drag out their

generators to activate pumps.

As a missionary you almost have to be a “jack of all

trades”. I’ve had my hands on almost everything here –

laying brick, installing tin roofing, making windows,

designing and installing the electrical and plumbing,

which to my utter amazement actually works! However,

there are some things I need help with – like building

kitchen cabinetry. So we had a Muslim carpenter come for

a week to laminate all our countertops and make some

drawers. By the end of the week Kennedy was convinced

he needed to convert to Christianity and went home with

a Ciyao Bible. Before receiving the Lord, he first wanted to

discuss it with his wife. I have no doubt he will come to

the Lord as he asked if we would come and share with his

wife and family in Sanga (way the heck out there!).

He Wept in my arms…

Our young friend Yusufo came one morning on his jinga

(bicycle) having traveled 13 kilometers just to pour out

his heart. As he entered the gate, suddenly without

warning, he grabbed me with both arms, buried his head

in my chest and wept profusely. I had to practically carry

him to the roundhouse while motioning for Kath to come

help me find out what was going on. My first thought

was, “Who died?”.

Falling to the floor Yusufo continued to weep as he cried

out to Issa (Jesus) for help. All we could do at that point

was pray for the Holy Spirit to come and comfort him. A

short while longer he calmed and we were able to

understand (with our limited Portuguese) what was

troubling our dear friend.

As soon as Yusufo began construction on the Great

Harvest Discipleship School in Sambula he began to feel

sick. But he was affected by a spiritual warfare of

another vein. What he discovered was his cousin has

been sending curses his way in hopes to kill him. The

reason? Yusufo’s brother is rich and has two cars; if he

dies, Yusufu will inherit them (so his cousin thinks).

Pure jealousy. Absolutely crazy, I know, but this is what

we deal with in this culture!

These curses are real and because of the demonic

powers behind them, they are effective. However, those

who are in Christ have victory. In fact, his cousin

questioned him sardonically, “Why are you not dead

yet?!”

Being young in the Lord, and having physical pains

similar to those he once had suffered for years due to

witchcraft against him (before he was set free and

healed by the power of God), Yusufu knew very well that

he was under attack and he was fearful and sad. This is

why he came to us, why he wept.

Through prayer together God healed Yusufo again. We

then taught Yusufu that Jesus is greater than any demon

or any curse, and instructed him how to take authority

over these and rebuke them in Name of Jesus. He

returned later that week to report that it works: He has

had no more trouble with afflicting spirits. Keep praying

for this young man, for we believe the Lord wants to use

him greatly, and through his efforts there will be a

discipleship school established in Sambula and one day

a church!

One passion; One goal; One

reason to lay down our lives

and leave those we love behind:

To go and preach the Good

News of God’s redemptive love

to those who have never heard

-- destined for eternity in hell -

- unless we obey the call.

How to pray for us:

“But when He saw the multitudes He was moved with

compassion for them because they were weary and

scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to

His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers

are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out

laborers into His harvest.’ Matthew 9:36-38

Pray for more laborers to reach hundreds of unreached villages and thousands of people

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Pray the “hand of the Lord” will be with us in signs and wonders for His glory

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Pray for new believers to exchange their cultural evils for a Biblical culture

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Pray for our leadership team: Paul and Graca, Mbirima, Kevin and Katherine to have wisdom,

patience, love and power (to name a few)

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Pray for those we are training as leaders: Pedro, David, Yusufu, Nelson, Luciano and their wives.

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Pray for more provision to fulfill the call to “Go”