Rishel Family- Burkina Faso, West Africa
Dear faithful ministry partners,
Proverbs 25:25 says “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.» As we continue our work here in the States, we rejoice that we are able to stay in communication with the pastors and churches in Burkina. As the pastors send weekly reports and pictures, it is refreshing and encouraging to see that the churches are not only continuing strong, but are thriving and growing.
This month, Victory Baptist Church (the second church) had a special time focusing on the family and had several special evangelistic events planned. They had over two dozen new visitors this month, including several new couples. Even more exciting are that some of these visitors have put their faith in Christ and have been coming back faithfully to church. We thank God for the pastors that are continuing the good work at these churches and ask that you continue to pray for them.
The radio broadcasts have been continuing every week and calls continue to come in for followup visits from those that wish to learn more about Jesus Christ. So far, we have had over twenty people call after listening to our radio broadcast. I ask that you pray specifically for an old muslim man named Ilboudo. The pastors visited him and spoke a long time about the Gospel and Christ. Ilboudo listened with great interest; but at the end, was too afraid of what his family would do if he believed on Christ. He asked for a Bible so that he could continue to learn more about Christ. Please pray for God to work in Ilboudo’s heart and bring him to faith in Christ.
We are planning to start a new cycle of the circuit riding preaching ministry in the villages in November, after the rain stops. During the first cycle, God allowed us to see many people saved and churches established in two of the villages the men preached in. We’re praying again for God to use
this new cycle to see the Gospel advance. A team has started to go out into new villages, so they can find villages that will be open to the Gospel to send the preachers to. They meet with the chief, present him gifts, and do a survey of the village to see how open it seems to the Gospel. We are excited to see the Gospel continue to go out into the villages.
By God’s grace, we have been having a great time traveling to churches and giving reports on the work that God is doing. We have been able to visit several supporting churches in Pennsylvania this month
and have been encouraged to see the work that God is doing through them. We are
excited to have three new churches partner with us since coming back on furlough
and thank the Lord for their hearts to join together with us to reach Burkina Faso with the Gospel! We are also enjoying being able to continue Bible Institute classes with the pastors in Burkina thanks to the marvels of technology. It is encouraging to see them continue to grow in their faith and desire to learn more.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support for God’s work in Burkina Faso this month!
Rishel contact information
[email protected]
Garcias- Honduras
The biggest news of the month is, of course, the new baby God has blessed us with! Baby Rosie was born on June 16th here in Honduras. We spent an hour stuck in traffic on a Friday night as we tried to get to the hospital, and I am thankful we made it with two hours to spare. The labor was more difficult than Amber’s first one, with Sofia, so recovery has been slower, but mama and baby are both doing well now and we are thankful for all the blessings we have experienced in the last three weeks.
Sofia is absolutely obsessed with her new sister! She always wants to be with and see Baby Rosie. She can’t stand to hear her sister cry and always tries her best to comfort her or tell Mommy when Baby Rosie needs her. Amber is already getting back into her Spanish lessons and is making good progress.
After our successful trip to the States, our documents have been delivered to our lawyer here in Honduras and are currently being translated, so pray that the next stages of obtaining our residency go smoothly. This week we went to “National Registration of Persons” and got Rosie’s birth registered in the Honduran system. Interesting side note: here in Honduras, when women get married they don’t give up their maiden name, so their children have two last names; their father’s and mother’s. Normally that is two different last names, but since Amber’s legal last name is Garcia, Rosie’s official last name on her birth certificate is “Garcia Garcia”. I think that’s pretty awesome.
The missionary family we are with this year, the Goins, have many teams visiting throughout the year, and right before our baby came, they had a large week-long medical clinic. I was able to help with some translating for one of the days. The clinic was a wonderful opportunity to help the community here and a great opportunity to share the gospel. Throughout the week over sixty people prayed to receive Christ.
Last week, during one of Amber’s Spanish lessons, I took Sofia to the town center to find some things. We didn’t find what we were looking for, but we did have fun buying some mangoes, watching the doves, and talking to strangers. Never underestimate the power of a cute kid to open up doors. Sofia, and now Rosie as well, have opened so many conversations for us here and I’m sure that will be a help when we start our first church in Tegucigalpa.
Although we are eagerly anticipating that stage in ministry, we are thankful for all we are learning right here, right now. Ministry isn’t just about what happens in the streets and in the church; it starts in the home, and God is teaching us so much as our family grows. More and more, we see the importance of surrendering the individual moments of our lives to the Lord and letting the outflow of that be the fuel of ministry. Thank you for the moments in your own life when we come to mind and you send up a prayer for us, or send a quick message to encourage us, or take the time to read this letter. We are grateful for you. May the Lord bless you.
Serving Him,
Andrew and Amber Garcia
[email protected]
