MEHANNA ROAD

It has been exactly a year since my last trip to Niger.  I remember sitting at the Kings guest house in village M and eating Nerds last October 31st.  God is still mightly at work on the Mehanna Road.  I am continually amazed at the way God and his people in HIS strength continue to do battle with the enemy here in Texas and in Niger.  2009 has been hard for both the Songhai team in Africa and First Hurst.  The economy, job fears and losses, Al Queda in Niger, resident missionary changes, etc. etc. have been used by the enemy to stop the spread of the gospel into the literal darkenss on the road.  Satan will not have the victory in the end we know - thank you Jesus.  But I am convinced, convincted and confident - thank you Jeff Burnett - that Satan will not have the victory in the short term in Niger either!!!

What is our role in this.  1) Keep praying. The mustard seed prayers daily go up for the Mehanna Road and we have seen answers to prayers in 2009.  A first believer in village Y; seekers and persecution in village K; Abdourahman joining Lawally on the road; new discipleship methods pioneered by our teams and disciplers; many new folks at First Hurst stepping out on faith to go to Niger and minister, the list goes on and on.

2) Keep on going.  First Hurst has become such a wholistic Acts 1:8 church with strong mission ministries locally and globally that we joke "you don't have to go to Africa to be a missionary!"  This is true, but someone has to go.  The bottom line is even in many place our church does ministry the people that are seeking can find the gospel. Most can read; many have computers; most even have born-again churches nearby.  In Niger on the Mehanna there are NONE of these.  Most cannot read.  They have little to no access to media; there are NO churches.  They are truly lost.  This breaks my heart and gives me passion to keep on going.  Jesus said in Luke 10 verse 2 "the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harves field. Go!"  This verse and others don't specifically say pray for the lost - God wants them to be saved and is extending the Gospel to them. It says pray for workers - i.e. the Church to be the Church - to go.  That is what my prayers are for the Mehanna Road. For workers to be raised up to pray, give and go. 2010 holds such great potentially for blessing for our church and the Songhai on the Mehanna Road. I want to be able to say at the end that God once again found our church and specifically me faithful to the call!!! 

Be encouraged 2009!!!!!  Marc