February 29th , 2008 Newsletter #61 from the Moores.

Dear Family and Friends,                                                      

“Today a great disease is that feeling of terrible loneliness, the feeling of being unwanted, having forgotten what human joy is, what the human feeling is of being wanted or loved. That is really a very great poverty.”      Mother Teresa

“God, being who he is, cannot cease to be what he is. He cannot act out of character with himself. Because he is faithful, he will be faithful in his actions. He will never let us down.” Millie Stamm

Greetings from Guinea! Weeks have flown by and it is time to share what God is doing in Guinea. In our last letter we stated that we were thankful for the regular electricity we had been receiving during the African Cup Soccer tournament. No sooner had we sent that letter then the electricity became sporadic again! We are blessed if it comes on between 6 and 7 PM one day and then the next day it starts between 12:30 and 1 AM! Sigh. Of course since we have people soldering nearby the lights flicker and usually go off several times during the evening. This is life in Guinea!

There are several stories we want to share with you. However, once again, for security reasons, we will only use abbreviated names and not mention the name of the towns involved. We hope you will understand.

One of our pastors recently came to visit us in Conakry. He began sharing what God was doing in the town where he ministers. He said, “This is the first time ever that the birth of Jesus was celebrated at the mosque in that town!” He explained that he had met and had been talking to one of the religious leaders in the town. The man said that he wanted to know more about Jesus so our pastor secretly gave him a Bible. The imam sometimes calls the pastor by phone and asks him questions. Or the pastor will call him and tell him to read a certain portion of scripture that they will discuss later over the phone. Around Christmas time the imam arranged for this pastor to come to the mosque and share about what Christians believe concerning Jesus and his birth. The pastor was not allowed to go into the mosque and talk there. They remained in the courtyard. There were many questions following the pastor’s talk with the religious leaders! Please pray that God will reveal Himself to each person who heard the Word and that God will give them the courage to seek THE TRUTH – Jesus!

 Now an update on Had. For many months Had has been living in the two room apartment of little Alpha’s parents. It became increasingly difficult for her to pay the rent since she has no regular income. Finally out of desperation she began to look for another room. She wanted a single room and didn’t want to pay more than $12 to $15 a month for it. It also had to be in an area where her family members didn’t live so she would feel secure. God took care of her once again! She found a single room with an indoor toilet (just a hole in the floor – a squatty potty as we fondly call it)! It was in a newly built compound so it was secure. It would only cost her $15 a month and God miraculously provided the money for her to pay a year’s rent which was required! She was elated! Now what was she going to do with the rest of her friend’s furniture and belongings? She was able to talk to Alpha’s mother and it was arranged that a friend of the family would come by and get most of the furniture to send to Alpha’s mom up in the village. However, Had was to keep the twin mattress that she and the boy slept on and also a few of the pots and dishes as she always cooks for them and she doesn’t have her own dishes and pots. When the man came to get the furniture he insisted on taking not only the big bed (the parent’s bed) but also the twin mattress Had and the boy slept on! She argued and argued with him but he would not listen. When Alpha’s mom called again and found out that Had no longer had a mattress for them to sleep on she cried! (She is so grateful that Had is taking care of little Alpha since his dad died.) Had says that they just put some clothes on the floor then she spread one of her wrap around skirts over it and they sleep. She says its no big problem! But God sees and knows her needs and in a few weeks she will be able to get a mattress –bigger than the one that was taken! Another African woman gave her two plates and several spoons! She is always amazed how God touches people’s heart to help her! He does provide for her every need as He promised He would!

 Not far from the mission compound lives another young woman. She is from the same tribe as Had. We met her several years ago when she was going through a crisis and some of our young Christian men asked us to help her. We’ll call her Yo. She had been forced into a marriage against her will. When she got pregnant her husband began to mistreat her. Shortly before she was to deliver her child her husband abandoned her and said that he didn’t want anything to do with her ever again and he didn’t want her child! She had no food and she couldn’t pay for any medical treatment or for the delivery. She got very sick right after she delivered her son and almost died! This is when she came into our lives. (She was unloved and rejected but Jesus loved her!) We were able to provide some medicine for her and the baby and also we helped her with food for a while. When she got better she came by to thank us. The first time she saw me she threw her arms around me and hugged me! (This is very uncharacteristic of most Guineans!) We saw her last year a couple of times after we returned in April. Then several weeks ago she showed up again! She looked much better and she even brought her little 2 ½ year old son to meet us. She hugged me again and I asked if I could pray for her. She agreed. I thanked God for watching over her and the boy and for keeping them. I told her that God was her husband now as He loved her and would take care of her until she gets married again. I felt a nudge in my spirit to arrange a meeting  between Yo and Had. It was arranged for last Thursday. God had already started working in Yo’s heart years before! I found out that her older brother was adopted by a missionary when he was young. The missionary worked in her town and would help the family out from time to time especially after Yo’s father died. Her brother is a Christian since he grew up in the missionary’s home. While Had and I were talking to her I said, “So you have heard about Jesus before from this missionary?” She said she had but she was not a Christian. Had jumped in and began to tell her about her experience with Jesus and how she had come to understand who He was! Yo listened intently because Had was explaining things to her in her own dialect! Had told her that she should seek to know who Jesus is not because of what she might gain materially but because she really wanted to. Had told her that she needed to start coming to church from time to time – but not always to the same church so her family wouldn’t follow her there – because then she could not only hear what Christians believe but she could also see how they are and what they do. Had invited her to come to church this Sunday! We will go down to the church first and Yo will come a little later so Had and Yo aren’t seen together. Had is so excited about the possibility of Yo becoming a Christian! Please pray that God will work in Yo’s heart and reveal Himself to her in a very personal way! “Some plant, some water and God brings in the harvest!”

 God is faithful to His Word! Thank you for praying for us, Had and the work in Guinea! For those of you who give financially we express a special thank you! Because you have given we are able to buy medicines and food to help people like Yo and her son! May God be with each of you and continue to use you where He has planted you!! May no one around us ever feel unloved and unwanted! We have so much to share with them! Be bold!!

In His Service,

Tom and Sherry Moore