Joey Update Vol. 10

Sesigeh! My first week back in the town of A. has been a good one. My day
begins with p'ayer (my partner and I have been meeting together regularly at
a wee early hour to seek His will for our day) and recently, I've been
longing to see Him more and more throughout our day. Well, He promises that
those who seek Him will find Him, but mainly because He seeks those who seek
Him first! Let me tell you a bit about our first days back.

We committed our plane flight (with necessary bumpy landing) to His hand and
He guided us smoothly through the sky. The dust was really kicking up and so
it was hard to see the ground or get a decent picture, sorry folks. After we
landed, we began almost immediately in meeting and reconnecting with those
people we left a month and a half ago. For the most part all has been well,
though it is a bit sad that some of the people we knew have moved to other
places for work.

On one day, we plucked up the courage to boldly enter people's houses. It is
almost expected in this culture and even greatly honors those in the houses
we enter, just to know that they are sought. So one day, hovering at the
entrance of the door of one of our friends, my friend Col. Encouraged me
with the words, "just go in Joey." So, against my Western inhibitions, on I
went. This particular visit we did not see the person we were looking for,
but news travels well here. He later met us and almost apologized at being
absent!

We heard another bit of news, just to give you all the nature of how things
travel here. It is not newspapers that spread the news but networks. It is
my theory that everyone here knows most everyone else, or so it seems, and
so news travels fast and beyond our imaginings.

One of our guards, who lives in a village 30k away from A., said one day his
moto broke down. This is not so uncommon and neither was what he found out
in the tiny village he went to for help. He said the people there mentioned
us, the two crazy white guys who are learning the N. language! Ok, they
didn't call us crazy, but they were surprised that we would want to learn
their language. Having never visited this particular place, just think what
the news will be when His word is introduced into the N. language! If these
networks travel farther and faster than we ever can, then perhaps an entire
people group in the heartland of C. will be reached for His name! That's the
plan.

P'ayerwalking continues and we lift up our neighbours by name frequently.
One of our visits to the souk, the local market here, was a great success.
We usually cause a stir of some kind wherever we go (we're the crazy white
guys learning N. remember?) but the market is especially intensive in our
stirrings. Just yesterday, Col. happened to tell a story from His word in N.
It was amazing to me how closely our audience followed the story and this
without any interruptions! That is a big thing to ask for but perhaps our
Father knows we're serious about the work. With this subtle change I see in
some of the people we've met again, coupled with the new boldness to enter
people's house and their welcoming this boldness, I have a great hope as I
see the Father working and as I see His hand in our activities.

Please lift us up today and this next week especially. We are planning to
visit outside villages, our first visits to these particular places this
next week, as well as share the recorded story we have so far. Travel and
grace with the people would be especially high on the List.

Man shekarkisigeh wa man shekarki Bubzig bu!
-I thank you all and I thank our great Father (for you)!

-Youssef