Yesterday at ClearView I had the opportunity to explain to our people why our pastor was out of town. The reason: he is in Mali West Africa on a Missions Exploration trip, investigating how ClearView can make an impact for Christ on an un-reached people group. The definition of an un-reached people group is a village that has never heard the message of Jesus Christ. It is almost hard to believe that in this age of technology and ease of travel that there are groups who have never heard, but that is the still the case. It is our desire as a congregation to be an instrument that helps reach these people for Christ. We understand this could be a long process but we are willing to make that investment.
Just this morning we received the first update from the group that our pastor is traveling with. Here is that update:
Yesterday the first to members of the TN team visited a Jula village. They were welcomed to visit and had the opportunity to share two stories with the chief and others. After sharing the DPM story, they were able to share the panorama story of C2CR. The chief stopped them in the middle to ask a very important question, "How many sons did Abraham have?" "What were their names?" He was checking to see if we were talking about the same Abraham as they know who fathered Ishmael. They were allowed to finish the story explaining about Father's design and plan for each of our lives. Even though those who heard were not receptive, they each had the opportunity to here the Truth. Men were sent, they have heard, but they did not receive.
Ask Father to remove the scales from their eyes of the Jula that they may see and repent. Ask that His words may never leave their minds and that as they dwell on what they have heard, they will receive.
The rest of the Tennessee team finally arrived at 6:30am. They four men are exhausted. We will be dividing up into two teams, loading vehicles and heading out at 10am. Please pry for these 4 who just arrived especially that they will quickly be refreshed and adjusted to the time and climate. The other two men arrived two days ago and are ready to go.
Ask Father to go ahead and behind us to hem us in with His protection as we travel and for each of us to have a keen, sensitive spirit of discernment to know His voice and to recognize the man of peace in each village we enter. Ask for openness among the people to hear and receive Father's Words. We will be visiting and staying the night in each in the villages of the following people: Bolon, Dafin, Senufo Syenara, Gana. Pray that each of these pastors will have an acute awareness of Father's presence and instruction concerning who His choice is for their individual congregation to work among.
We echo the prayers of this missionary from Mali as we pray for our pastor and the others pastors who are with him.