Melvins on the move October 2007

Question: What do our prayer partners, family, friends, IMB missionaries on four different continents, services in Missouri Baptist churches, WMU groups, a church in South Africa, and a group of African believers in Voi, Kenya all have in common?

All of them fell on their knees for the Basotho sometime between September 23 and October 14. We are praising God for how He immediately began to answer your prayers. On September 23, dark clouds began to form and the winds blew like crazy for two days. When the winds stopped blowing, the rains began to fall. It has rained on and off ever since. The Basotho are now able to plant and the animals are beginning to graze the hillsides. On that same day a team from a Baptist church in South Africa offered help and encouragement by visiting and conducting services in one of the existing Baptist churches whose pastor has been unable to recover from a stroke. On September 28, a man with Baptist training showed up at our gate willing to serve as an interpreter in new work areas. On September 29, we were contacted by Baptist Global Response with information regarding human needs (hunger) field project opportunities. On September 30, we started our first Training for Trainers group in a small village about an hour from Maseru. We have returned each week and the learners are excited and are sharing the Bible stories they are learning with other villagers. We give God the praise for answering our prayers. Please keep praying for the Basotho and our ministry to them. God is at work among them.

As we keep you updated, you may find it hard to believe that it has been a year this month since we were commissioned by our home church, Ironbridge Baptist in Chester, Virginia, packed our bags and moved to the International Learning Center for our orientation. What a year it has been. Your prayers have helped see us through and we thank you.

As the close of 2007 rapidly approaches, we want to remind you of the upcoming Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This special offering goes to support and fund IMB missionaries all over the world. Through these gifts we are able to focus on reaching the Basotho with the gospel. Pray about how God would have you give this Christmas.

Praises:

Support of many in virtual prayer walk

Good health and safety

Initial adjustment for Zachary and Eli at new school

New stronger internet availability for more dependable communication

Celebrating one year with the International Mission Board .

Prayer Requests:

Language! Language! Language! Learning

Zachary’s new service project at a Maseru orphanage teaching softball

Response to volunteer team request for 2008

Separation from family during the upcoming holiday season

God to raise up a leader/pastor in new work area

Eli and Zachary are adjusting well at their new school.They stay after school to play basketball

"Fall On Your Knees for the Basotho"

Many warriors prayed for the Basotho…

Genesis 7:14 The rain fell upon the earth…

.God answers prayer…the Basotho receive rain.

Tom prays with team from Wilro Park Baptist of S.A. The team was a huge encouragement to the church and family of Pastor Jacob Lebusa, answered prayer…

You know you’re in Africa when… the cow is slaughtered in the living room.

This was our third week of T4T "Training forTrainers"

… a new work in a village called Motsikuoa (Mot-see ku-wa) answered prayer…