Is His Word Enough?

In Nehemiah chapter 8, we see the importance of God's word. So let me ask this, "Is God's word absolutely enough? Think about in the church, if we take away the air conditioning, the comfy seats, the cool lights, the rockin' music, is solely Gods word enough?" The answer is YES.

This summer I spent 2 months in Ivory Coast, Africa where every Sunday I was in a different church. No air conditioning. No comfy seats. No smoke machines or colorful lights. No crazy band and rock Christian music. None of that. All there was were the native Africans and their voices singing... dancing and praising God and studying His word together.

This summer through church in Africa God showed me His word is more than enough. None of the other things matter, His word is what matters. We put on a show in our churches of cool music and lights when none of that matters but our voices and spirits being lifted up to Him and studying His word. Because it is enough for us and it is what matters. 

Sitting in an African service, all in French with no translation half the time, drenched in my own sweat, I was happier than I have ever been. Because God showed me His word was enough for me and my soul. Through His word and the Holy Spirit, He spoke so much to me. Also, think about all the people who have to meet in secret to have church. They do not have anything except Gods word. I pray that we could all realize how important Gods word is and love His word like those risking their lives around the world to study it do.

-Hailey
Ivory Coast

Red Light, Green Light

Monday was our first day of VBS. I had the group of kids who were 7 years old and younger. I had around 30 kids that I brought outside and sat on a mat under a tree. Some of the neighborhood kids saw us and my kids multiplied to 45! I told the story of Zacchaeus and explained the importance of treating others, even if they have wronged you, nicely and sharing Christ with everyone.

Then it was game time. I had 45 little eyes looking at me, ready and waiting for me to say, "Vert," or green. We played Red Light, Green Light, and they loved it. On "vert" (green), they would quickly start walking toward toward me (they weren't allowed to run). Then I'd say, "Rouge" (red), and they lounge forward or quickly take a few more steps and then stop. I would try to back away from them and they'd all follow. I'd tell them, "No, rouge, rouge." They'd think about stopping and then follow anyway. Finally, when they were close enough to reach me, I'd say, "Vert," and all their little hands would grab me. They'd hug me and cheer. I thought I was going to fall over, but I had too many children surrounding me for that to happen. I would send them back and they'd all run as fast as they could, ready to get to hug the white person at the other end again. I actually think that was why they loved the game so much—they loved hugging and touching the white person's hair at the other end.

There was so much joy in these children during the week and it was truly wonderful to see. It was a blessing to share God's word with children from all kinds of different backgrounds, and many children that never would've stepped foot in a church.

Please pray that these children will remember what they learned about God this week.
Pray that God will send more Christians along to water seeds that were planted during the week so these children may come to know and love Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

By Kaylee

Life Together

The forty to fifty children stared at me—they had no questions about the triumphal entry of Jesus. One of the women in the back raised her hand. “I have a question,” she said in French. “Can you tell me your testimony?”

I moved closer to her, joined by my translator. She began asking me a series of questions: What does the Church look like in America? What is the fellowship like among believers? Are churches like families? Do people who profess Christ love his bride? Do you all go door-to-door sharing the gospel?

I told her that the American Church is very large, and that I couldn't speak about it in whole. But I could tell her about my experience.

There are churches that look like families and there are churches that don't. There are churches who have all things in common and there are churches who have little in common. There are churches where people share the gospel and there are churches where people don't seem to know the gospel.

As in Abidjan, such is the reality of the Church in America.

She shared with me about her church—how believers who have food give to those who don't, how they split into groups after the sermon each week to discuss it, and how they are intentional about sharing the gospel with those who live nearby, holding one another accountable.

She didn't pretend that her church is perfect—no church is. But she did speak of how they are a family, a body, the called-out people of Christ.

I've been teaching Sunday School at her church each week, and I've seen how the people of the church do life together. I think there's something for us, believers in the American Church, to see, to learn from, and to be encouraged by.

The Church is the called-out people of God. It's not a building or a service. When Scripture talks of the Church, it uses the metaphors of a family, a body, and a bride, among others.

The Church is the bride for whom Christ secured salvation. Through his perfect obedience, his crucifixion, his death, and resurrection, he purchased a people for God “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

As the old hymn says,
From heaven He came and sought her.
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

Like this church in Abidjan, let us press on to know the kind of community that the New Testament speaks of. If our church seems far from the picture of a family, a body, and a bride, let us think upon the words of pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Christian community is like the Christian's sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.

With thanksgiving, let us receive the fellowship that God has called us to, all to the praise of his great and glorious grace.

Adapted from a story by Hannah

Four Ways to Pray for Abidjan

Kids team

 We've been in Abidjan for almost four weeks now, and we have about four weeks left. Here are four ways that you can be praying for us:

1. Pray that God would draw people to himself as we share the gospel in different neighborhoods of Abidjan. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44a).
2. Pray that many young Christians would come to know and embrace a God-centered, Christ-exalting vision of marriage and its consummate act through our True Love Waits trainings. "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:31-32).
3. Pray that we would be a blessing to believers here, both to the missionaries and to the natives. "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ...Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thess. 5:9-11).
4.  Pray that God be glorified in all that we do—the worship of his name, the building up of his church, and the calling of those he came to save. "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Student team

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36).

Oh, The Things You'll See

Kaylee playing the guitar

Hannah and friends

Carley, Hannah, and Kaylee with youth from Belleville

A picture of Kaylee taking a picture

Hannah carrying her new friend

Discussing a literary classic, The Missionary

God Revealing Himself

I went to church Sunday ready to teach a simple Sunday school lesson on Philip and the Ethiopian. Little did I know that God had more in mind.

After singing, I gathered the children and went to head back to our little room. All the children stood up to go except for one little girl on the front row. They tried to encourage her to go, but she wouldn't. I picked her up and covered her little head as we walked in the rain back to the little concrete room where we'd meet.

As I taught the lesson and we played games I was told something that I could understand because it was in French about the little girl. Watching her I thought maybe she could hear or talk, but later I found out she was mute. I watch as the children played games and skipped over the little girl, who's name was Sarah. She didn't understand how to play. She looked very sad and didn't interact with the other children at all. Looking at her face I could tell that she longed to. She didn't even have a touch of joy on her little face. It made my heart sad because I wanted her to have the joy that all children should have.

After the lesson was over I turned around and there she was asking me in her silent way to pick her up and carry her back outside, just like I'd carried her in. When we got outside her mother was praying with the pastor so I stood there holding her and waiting. My translator explained that the little girl couldn't understand nor speak and that she was born that way. Holding her close I prayed for her, asking God to let her be the joyful child she should be and to possible heal her if that was His will.

Remembering I had a headband in my backpack I sat down on the bench, pulled it out and placed it on her head. I snapped a picture and showed it to her. Her face lit up just a little. One of the boys took a picture of the two of us together. I showed it to her and her face lit up a little more. She got the attention of the lady sitting behind her that was her mother's friend so that she might show her the picture.

I grabbed her little hands, placed them on the camera and helped her take pictures. You could see the excitement on her face with each picture she took. She had to take a picture of all the children there and had to show them all the pictures. I had accepted her as the child she was and she was finally showing the joy that a child should show. The pastor prayed for little Sarah, we put her shoes on and she walked away with her momma, turning to wave bye as she left.

It may seem to be something little, but for me seeing her light up and interact with the other children Himself through her, or maybe God has greater plans for her that he will accomplish because she is mute. It may not be through healing her or maybe we will never see how God uses her. I may never know, but God does. God truly does love this little girl, just as He loves each of us.

After they left my translator asked me, "How can we say that God loves the children when he allows them to be sick like her?" The truth is that He does love little Sarah. her being mute doesn't mean that He doesn't love her it's simply the result of sin being in the world. I was reminded of the story in John 9:1-12 where Jesus encounters a man that was born blind. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that eh was born blind?" Jesus told them, "Neither," rather "This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." It wasn't that God didn't love this man, but God had greater plans that he or anyone else would've thought. Jesus used this man's blindness to reveal God through the man. How great amazing is that!

Maybe it's the same for this little girl. Maybe she was born mute so God could reveal Himself through her, or maybe God has greater plans for her that He will accomplish because she's mute. It may not be healing as the man in the story, but God can accomplish His goal in so many different ways. I may never see what God's plan is, but God knows.

It was Sarah's mother's first time at church. I know God has a purpose in bringing them both to church that day. Please pray that God will bring her back and that she might be saved. Also pray for Sarah, that she would be full of joy and not worry what the other children think of her being mute and that, if it is God's will, she might be healed. She was a beautiful little girl and I pray she will see that.

In Christ,

Kaylee

The Walls of Jericho Redux

There were five kids and no adults. We called Mama Kassou. She told us to wait until 10am. So we waited. More children began to arrive, and, after an hour, there were thirty-two of them and twelve adults.

We started off in prayer and song. Hannah led them in “Hallelujah, Praise Ye the Lord.” The middle group of kids stood up and sang, “Hallelujah,” and the outer rows sang, “Praise ye the Lord!”

Then I told the story of Jericho and explained the importance of obeying God’s commands. When I finished, they wanted to act out the story—even the adults.

We ended our time by singing a song about the walls of Jericho, which Mama Kassou led. Everyone sang loudly, pretending to walk around the walls and shouting for the walls to come down.

Pray that the youth of Belleville would come to delight in the Lord more and in his perfect, pleasing commands!

By Kaylee

This Is Eternal Life, That They Know You

Yaswah, Timo, and Junior stared at me, waiting for me to repeat the word. "Chair," I said. They nodded, scribbling down the word in their notebooks.

We were halfway through our first ESL session, having covered how to say one's name and different body parts. The curriculum consisted of what was in sight—pews, chairs, and a table. All that was left in the one-room, concrete church was us.

We spent an hour and a half together. The three twelve-year old boys were unhindered by my Southern drawl and lack of experience with ESL. I was struck by how eager they were to learn English. And not just them—the choir girl from Treichsville; the man from Coqivoire, the chicken store; and the student from the local university. All of them want to learn the language, and they spend time, money, and effort to do so.

What if we did the same—and more—to know God? How many of us labor to know him who "is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...he [who] upholds the universe by the word of his power"?

How many of us study the Bible, listen to Bible teachers, and read Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting books, all for the sake of growing in "the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence"?

More than these Ivorians want to know English, let us strive to know God more—more of his character and of his ways. Jesus says in the Gospel of John, "[T]his is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

We know "but the outskirts of [God's] ways," and, as the Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards once wrote, "Of all the knowledge that we can ever obtain, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves, are the most important."

"Let us press on; let us press on to know the LORD" (Hos. 6:3).

Adapted from a story by Hannah

Hearing the Word, Crayons in Hand

On Saturday morning, we met with teenagers in the village of Koumassi. They teach children at Bible Camp each week, where most of them were once students.

Ten of them and two of us packed into a tiny house at the back of the village—the home of Mama Giselle. She started the ministry in the village eighteen years ago.

The teenagers spoke little English; we spoke even less French. Thankfully, Bamba, a local, was with us to translate.

We spent the morning singing, praying and reviewing the lesson for the afternoon's meeting. They were teaching about Jesus washing the disciples' feet from John 13. One by one, they each practiced telling the story, receiving feedback from the others afterwards.

At one point, they sang a song about the Lord redeeming and using young people. When they finished, I asked if I could share a verse with them. They grabbed their Bibles and someone brought out a pack of crayons.

I began reading 1 Timothy 4:12. They leaned in to listen, crayons in hand:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

I encouraged them to continue to glorify God with their lives as they teach the young children each week.

Pray for this ministry in K. Pray that these children’s parents will be open to hearing about the gospel and that they will come to know Christ through the ministry of these teenagers. 
Pray also that the Lord continues to use these youth for His glory in K!

-Hannah

Joy in Abidjan

Mama Giselle is a special woman.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, she holds Bible clubs for kids of four different age groups. They call her Tante La Joie, which means Aunt Joy, because of the joy that she has brought them and the rest of the community.

She loves children and desires that they come to Christ.

Her husband shares her desire. Together, they have had Christmas celebrations with the children and have had supported some of them financially, giving them the opportunity to go to school.

We will be working with Mama Giselle this summer. Please pray that many kids would respond to the gospel and that, through kids, parents would come to know Christ as Savior and Lord.

-Kaylee

Not By Bread Alone

A-lo-ko.

Aloko, small bits of fried plantain, was one of the first African dishes we ate. It tasted sweet—like a sweet potato—and could have been paired with chicken or eaten by itself with some powdered sugar on top.

It was the first of many dishes we hope to try (and make). We have jumped into the culture, and are learning by immersion. Making food here is not just cooking—it is getting to Interfrais, the local grocery, by taxi, buying ingredients that are all labeled in French, and paying for them in West African francs.

Thankfully, in addition to teaching us new recipes, the missionaries here are teaching us how to get around, buy groceries, and use the local currency.

Pray that we would continue to adjust to the culture, that we might be unhindered in our efforts to share the gospel and disciple believers here in Abidjan.

From Un to Deux to Trois—Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac

"Un, deux, trois," I said to Élie, proving to him that I could count in French. We had just finished singing "Father Abraham Had Many Sons" and "Our God Is So Big." Hannah and I spent the rest of the time talking with the children.

This was our first Sunday working with the kids. After singing with the congregation, one of the missionaries, Hannah, and I led the children to a small, adjacent room, where they rolled out a woven mat and sat down on it. All of us went around and introduced ourselves; the children learned our names quickly, even Hannah's ("H"s can be hard to pronounce for French speakers).

The missionary told the story of when Abraham and Sarah learned that they would have Isaac. We asked them some questions about the story, which they were able to answer. They so were precious. I am looking forward to working with them this summer.

Pray that many of them would come to know Christ!

-Kaylee

Let the Little Children Come

Kaylee (left) and Hannah (right)

Team members

Kaylee Penick - Martin, TN | University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Hannah Nette - Birmingham, AL | University of Alabama at Birmingham

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).

Pray that many children in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire would come to know Jesus as both Lord and Christ!