December 26 was David’s 30th birthday. We planned to get together with our colleagues at 8 p.m. for cake, cookies, prayer, and worship. At 7:30, after the buffet was set and the cookies were just coming out of the oven, a co-worker called to cancel. They had already baked a birthday cake for David when they remembered it was the first night of a country-wide 8 p.m. curfew. The wife quickly brought the cake to us, returning to her own home minutes before eight o’clock.

Just a few minutes after 8, gunfire could be heard all around our home. David quickly ran in from the office, bringing the computer with him. We turned on our two way radios so we could be in contact with our colleagues, turned off all our solar lights so we wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention to our home, locked all the outside doors and retreated to our bedroom on the back side of the house, the furthest room from the street. We prayed that a stray bullet wouldn’t hit us, our car, or our solar panels.

As we waited for the gunfire to stop, we watched a recently borrowed movie. About half way through, an extremely loud bang came from the office building that sits just beside our bedroom. “What was that?” I asked. David paused the movie, turned, with wide eyes and said, “I don’t know, and I’m not going to look.”

At about 11 p.m. the shooting stopped and David was able to go to the office to call his mom for a birthday chat. He opened the office door and saw that a stray bullet had come through the tin roof and landed beside his office chair.

It was later reported that soldiers were firing into the air to both to honor the late president, and to celebrate the fact that the new president is a military man.

We were thankful there was no serious damage to anyone or anything, and we were able to reschedule David’s party for the next day.

The year 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of Guinea’s independence from France.  In honor of the occasion, our colleague, Eugene, wrote the following that I wish to share:

“We prefer liberty in poverty to slavery in riches.” On these words the Republic of Guinea fought for and gained independence from colonial rule. During the next five decades true liberty has proven elusive as political, socioeconomic, and religious (spiritual) poverty gnawed at the very fabric of individual and national life.  (more…)

Time and again, God has proven himself faithful to answer prayer. With that record, you would think our first instinct in every situation would be to lift it to the Lord in prayer. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Over a month ago, our neighborhood was once again plunged into darkness when thieves stole several important power lines (for the second time in six months). The electric company is not quick to make repairs here, and we knew better than to expect electricity any time soon. In the meantime, we made do with cold showers (no hot water heaters) and limited solar and battery power to charge our computers.

Then, last Thursday, I sent out an update to our prayer partners. In it, I asked for prayer that the power would be restored in our neighborhood. The very next day the repair work began! By Monday night, we had city power once again.

Don’t ever doubt the power of prayer. God listens, and he answers. Why don’t you take a moment and lift up your problems to the Lord right now?

According to the latest information we have received, the government has succeeded in pacifying the rebellious soldiers, and life in the capital is gradually returning to normal.  Gas stations and shops are reopening.  People are resuming their daily routines.  Please continue to pray for peace in Guinea.

Imagine if you did not have God’s Word, the Bible in your language. Imagine if all you had to rely upon for your spiritual nourishment was a few scattered Scripture portions and Bibles in other languages you could not read very well. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Pular Bible translation team and the blessing and favor of the Lord, the Pular translation of the New Testament has finally been completed and published. Distribution and sale in Guinea has begun.

On March 7, we had the privilege of attending the dedication ceremony of the Pular New Testament. With the publication of the New Testament in Pular, the Fulbe people now have access to God’s very Word in the language that is closest to their heart. It was a day of celebration for Fulbe believers and missionaries alike.

The work is far from complete, however. Work continues on the translation of the Old Testament. Work is also ongoing converting the New Testament from the Latin alphabet to the Arabic alphabet (Pular can be written with either Latin or Arabic letters) for publication. Many Fulbe only read the Arabic letters. Please be in prayer for these important projects.

Georgia arrived in Guinea very early Tuesday morning, February 26. At the airport we were able to see her deboard the plane and walk across the tarmac to the airport terminal. She was one of the first people off the plane so we expected her to get through customs and pick up her luggage quickly. She had very detailed airport instructions and knew exactly what to expect once inside. We went around to the exit ramp to wait for her. Billie held her welcome sign and we waited… and we waited some more.

As time passed we knew something must have come up. Was someone hassling her for a bribe? Was she stuck at the customs table? Had her luggage not shown up? Nearly the last person out of the terminal, we spotted her pulling only her carry-on bag behind her. Both of her checked pieces of luggage did not arrive.

In fact, her luggage did not show up for another four days. She borrowed Billie’s clothing and made due with what she had in her carry-on pieces. Georgia’s first week in Guinea turned her into a real Pioneer!

Finally, the morning we were to leave Conakry for Labe, she and David went to the airport at 3 am to look for it one last time. The airport security officer wouldn’t let David go in with Georgia, so she had to brave the French speakers on her own. Getting past locked doors, money demanding customs agents and into the luggage area were the first hurdles. Once inside she spotted her bags and had to swipe them away from a would be thief before the lady could take off with them.

Back past the money demanding customs agents and the aggressive porters, she triumphantly came pulling her bags behind her. Then her fanny pack burst open and her passport and glasses went flying. She was bale to retrieve her passport, but she lost her reading glasses. In fact, she lost two of her three pairs of reading glasses in Conakry within 6 hours! What an eventful first week on the mission field!

We’re so glad that Georgia’s bags arrived with all contents in tact and not a day too late. She’s doing really well adjusting to life and ministry in Guinea and is taking off with her French. She has already set up her home, been to the market, planned a vegetable garden, planted flowers around the house and met many other missionaries in Guinea.

Pray for Georgia as she lives and serves with us her first term.

We sat tensely listening for news this week as Guinea seemed perched on the brink of disaster. There were signs of unrest among the population including protests in various cities. Our own city, Labe, experienced a riot of its own as mobs of unruly students went on a rock-throwing rampage.

Rumors were flying fast and furious and no one seemed to know exactly what would happen. We stockpiled food and fuel in our home, mapped out evacuation routes, and prepared for the worst.

Praise God, the worst never came. Instead, after numerous meetings with government, social, and religious leaders, the trade unions decided to call off the strike planned for yesterday. Instead, the nation’s leaders are going to seek a solution through peaceful negotiations. We can all breathe easy, at least for now.

Thank you so much for your prayers this past week. We were overwhelmed by the amount of prayer and encouragement we received! Many political and social problems still exist in Guinea and we ask you to continue praying for the people here. Even more than they need peace in their country, they need the peace of God in their hearts that can only come through faith in Jesus Christ.

“These thousand hills roll ever on
Footprints of a mighty God
They bring me to my knees in praise
Amazing love, amazing grace”
~ Third Day

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

Isaiah 40:12-14

This Thanksgiving there are many things we are thankful for.  We want to take a moment to thank all those who have prayed for us, encouraged us, and supported us over the past few years.  We are so blessed to have people who love us and love the Lord; people who want to see the people of Guinea come to Jesus Christ.  The car in the picture above will be a valuable tool to help us in our ministry in Guinea.  May God bless you and give you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

David has gone to the market, Phoebe (our new kitten) is running all over, and I am once again unpacking our things into a new home. We finally moved to Labe two days ago. David is happy as a clam; on cloud nine. In fact, he doesn’t mind not having any electricity, the leaky toilets, no hot water, the bucket baths, or the mice that get into the food. For him, this is the place on which his heart has been set for the past thirteen years. He has finally arrived in his target city for ministry.

I’m excited too. I’m excited to finally have a place to call home. Somewhere I can paint the walls and buy furnishings. Plant a garden and have fruit trees. I’m excited that we can settle down and not have to pack up and move in six months or a year. I’m excited that little by little, I’ll learn the language around me and I’ll understand what people are saying.

We’re both excited that as we learn Pular we can share the life, ministry, and purpose of Christ. It will be great to host visitors from the U.S. who want to be empowered to pray for missions more effectively, and get a closer look at God’s heart for the nations.

The cooler weather here is wonderful! Even now I am wearing a cardigan and the quilts on the bed are piled high.

The other missionaries in our area have given us a warm welcome. One couple had us over for dinner the night we arrived and sent us on our way with a loaf of orange and cranberry breakfast bread. The couple from an hour away came by yesterday and gave us a welcome bag full of plates, tools, books and food. The mission community in Guinea is very close, and we are grateful for all they have done to take us in and show us the ropes.

We have a long way to go, and our house needs a little work here and there; but if the coming months are anything like the past two days, God is going to lavish on us blessing upon blessing. I pray that we will be faithful to pour out Christ’s love to those around us, and be vessels God can use to bring Guineans to Himself. And I hope you catch a bit of the excitement we have for Guinea, for the Fulbe people, and for our purpose here.