Monday, June 8, 2009

Final day of orientation

Hey everyone!!

First of all thank you so much for all of the prayers and emails that I have been getting!! I don't quite know if i will have time to email everyone back because our computer time is limited, so I will try and give everyone an update on here.

This week has been wonderful! Today is our last day before I am dropped out into the village of Kollo. This week has been a lot of orientation. I have spent over 20 hrs. in a Zerma language class, and am picking up on the language very well, by the grace of God. The missionaries here have been able to lead us in many sessions about the culture and other important aspects of life in Africa. One day we got the opportunity to go out into a neighborhood in the capital city of Niamey, and do some prayer walking. I spoke Zarma to a young man who was a Muslim, and got the opportunity to pray with him! As i put my hand on him, I prayed that God would give him good health, and that He would make his presence known to this man. While I was praying, the other team members that were with me said that the young mans eyes were filled with love and shock. I don't think that he had ever seen anyone do something like that for him before. It was really a neat experience. We also got the opportunity to have a Muslim who converted to Christianity through a vision, come and talk to us. He said that one night he was layinig in bed, and Jesus appeared to him, he said that he felt so much love and compassion in the room, and that Jesus reached out and handed him some bread to eat. Since then this man has moved back to the states and is a Pastor in Niger. The man spoke about how God is breaking the chains of Islam in this country. People who have been Muslims all their life are giving their life to Christ because Islam no longer satisfies them. They are recognizing that only Jesus can bring true fulfillment in life. Pray that God continues to use visions to make himself known to these people. The Zerma people are in so much bondage, The missionary here told us that, they are Muslim by night and animist by night. They have a huge belief in the spirit world here.
For example, when a baby is born they will never call it pretty or beautiful, however they call it ugly, because they don't want the spirits to come and take their child away. Some are even scared to go to sleep in the dark because, they fear the evil spirits. Satan has chained them down, but the Holy Spirit is moving through the villages of Niger. God has definitely been working in my life as well. There are so many things that distract me from what is going on, so many things that I think I need to be comfortable in life. However, I think the point Heis trying to make to me that He is enough. That Christ alone is what should sustain me, and if we have that then everything else falls to the wasteside. We were reading in Acts 2, when Peter was speaking to people begging and pleading with them to repent and follow Christ. It made me realize how focused on Christ Peter must have been if he was begging and pleading. His primary focus was to put all of his focus on Christ, and through that show the love of Christ. I am excited for tomorrow and the new adventure that awaits me. I will be back in the capital city on June 17- 19, and will update everyone on what is going on here.

Thank you for all your prayers, I can really feel them over here!!

Please continue lifting me up to our Heavenly Faher

Love,

Cody

3 comments:

  1. Wow Cody God is at work in you and specifically have called you to pray for that man. I cannot imagine being without Christ surrounded in so much spiritual darkness. I am glad your there and that IMB didn't locate you in a more receptive area, becuase through the majority are muslim they are receptive from what I am reading! Allah is a god of wrath and judgement, but Jesus Christ is the God of love and grace! I am praying for God to fill you overfolwing for a love and dependence to only boast in Him. I love you man and I am praying for God to use you to bring the ppl of Niger closer to Him.

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  2. I cant wait to read more cody, shoot me an email when you can. Love you

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  3. Cody,

    I am so glad you got to minister to an Islam! Much of the world follows the Muslim and Islam faith and I know that God will use you this summer to shed light upon them. Just keep being Love to everyone you come in contact with. I am reminded of Jesus' teachings to give to the poor and those in need as I read your post. All we have in Christ IS enough! Keep it up! I'm so proud of you! I'll keep lifting you up in prayer!


    Monica

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