April 4th , 2008 Newsletter #62 from the Moores.

Dear Family and Friends,                                                    

“Life isn’t always what you want, but it’s what you’ve got; so, with God’s help, CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.”  Barbara Johnson

“God holds us accountable for our choices. No one else will answer for you. We can’t blame anyone or anything for our choices. People and circumstances influence us, but everyday we choose.”  Martha Reapsome, The Journey of a Lifetime

“Prayer is the core of our day.Take prayer out, and the day would collapse…” Amy Carmichael

Greetings once again from Guinea! The month of March has flown by! We celebrated Easter and our Savior’s resurrection from the dead! Jesus is alive! He is our reason for living!

First an update on Had and Yo. The Sunday Yo was to come to church with Had we waited and waited. She never showed. Had stopped by her place the following week to find out why she hadn’t come. They came together to see me. (You need to remember that Yo is not yet a believer. She doesn’t have the courage that Had has to stand up to her family.) Yo said that as she walked down the road to the church she ran into a man from her family (her same tribe). He lives right across the road from the church. She was afraid to let him see her go into the church because he could talk to other family members and create big problems for her so she just walked on by. Yo said that if she went to church she needed to go to one farther away – not in her neighborhood! We prayed together and Had set up another meeting to take her to one of our other churches the next week. Yo didn’t show up. Had went to visit her again and encouraged her not to give up but to keep searching for the truth. Jesus is the only one who can help her with all of her problems. Yo listened intently as Had explained how Jesus has protected her and taken care of her. Had could sense that Yo is interested in knowing more but she can’t force her. The next week we heard that she had returned to her home town. We don’t know how long she will be gone or even if she will come back again. Had is burdened for her and constantly prays for her that one day God will open her understanding as to who Jesus really is and that He wants a personal relationship with her because He loves her so much! Had continues to share her faith with neighbors and others she meets! Thanks for your continued prayers for her! The little boy, Alpha, that she is taking care of is sick again. Please pray that God will heal him quickly! He’s been sick for two weeks now.

We have spent quite a bit of time in Kamsar this month. Our shipment was to arrive on the 28 th of March but now it has been changed until the 5 th or the 8 th of April. After the ship arrives in port the customs/duty papers have to be processed and taxes paid. Since almost all of our shipment is donated goods please pray that God will give us favor with the custom’s officials so our things will be exonerated and we can receive them to start giving them out to the people. We have been working on the little mission apartment trying to get it ready to put the boxes from the shipment inside so they will be secure.

 About two weeks ago we received the news that a Baga friend of Tom’s family had passed away. Sakoba was in the village when Tom was a boy and Tom’s dad spent a lot of time talking to him about the Lord. He had been a teacher in the government school system for many years and had recently retired from teaching and was now working in the administration department. The funeral was in a town about 30 minutes away. There were hundreds of people standing around his home as we drove up. There were many people there that Tom hadn’t seen for years and they warmly greeted him and were glad we were there. I went and sat with the women. (Some of our pastors’ wives were there.) Tom went with the men. We were told that hundreds of students had come by the house in the morning to extend their condolences to the family of their professor. People were talking quietly together and there would be occasional loud bursts of weeping from some of the women. Eventually two imams began chanting. This went on for at least twenty minutes. When they had finished their prayers they lifted up the body to carry it to the burying place. Then the wailing really started! Some of the women fell to the ground as the body went past. As I sat there watching all the commotion I thought to myself – they have no hope for the future! They don’t have the assurance that they will see their father, brother, son, uncle, grandfather again one day! How sad! Even though the Gospel had been presented to Sakoba many time he chose not to accept the truth! Please pray with us that God’s spirit will continue to work in penetrating the spiritual darkness in this Moslem land so that those who hear will choose to believe and have the hope of eternity in Heaven with Jesus.

We have another special prayer request. Robert Welch, Sherry’s dad, is in critical condition in the hospital. He had another attack of congestive heart failure compounded with respiratory failure and pneumonia. This is the third time he has gone through an episode like this in one year! This time to doctors don’t give much hope. He is in St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana, and he is under hospice care. Please pray for Sherry’s mom and the family that God will be their strength as they go through this difficult time. It is not easy for Sherry to be out here away from her family at this time but we know that Dad is in God’s hands and we choose to trust that His will be done in Dad’s life. Thank you!

Gas prices went up 55% this past Monday! Our fuel now costs around $6.50 a gallon! So far there have been no manifestations in the streets. Please pray with us that peace continues to reign in Guinea! Since the fuel prices have gone up the public transportation prices have also risen. In light of this, the national church has chosen to postpone our 2 nd National Conference until next month. This will give people the chance to find the extra money needed to attend the conference. Please pray with us as elections will take place at the conference and a new executive committee will be put in place to lead the national church.

Thank you for all your prayers for us and the people we work with in Africa! Your prayers do make a difference! A special thank you to those who support this work financially! When you pray and when you give people’s hearts and lives are touched with the love of Jesus! God will bring in the harvest one by one! May He find each of us faithful until the end!

In His Service,

Tom and Sherry Moore