Missionary Letter

Dear Friends,

It is only recently that I've been able to hear the Muslim call to prayer from my bedroom. Loud and monotone, it is the cry of the lost. From our church site, we can easily see three mosques. They are everywhere here. Not long ago, I was waiting at the gas station, and I saw one of the worker's prayer rugs outside — unrolled and pointed toward Mecca. How our people need Christ.

I've been back in Cote d'Ivoire for just over one month now, and it has been good to be back. One of the neatest things has been seeing how the Lord worked here while I was away. Valerie, one of our nurse's aids, walks to work each day from our closest village, Adjame. She has come out of a difficult past, and we were able to provide her with a loan when she needed to have a C-section last year. On one of my first days back, Valerie was assigned to work with me in the patient treatment area. It was a slow day, so we talked in between treating patients. She asked me first about American nursing homes - they are always so interested to learn about the US. Then, completely on her own, Valerie beautifully described to me the plan of salvation. She had a light in her eyes that I'd never seen in her before, so I asked her if she'd gotten saved. She said that she had. Wow! That's the Lord! Like a miracle in front of me - completely changed. Village life is hard at times, so I pulled out my NT and showed her Ps. 91:11. She read it aloud, and she continued to read to the end of the chapter! Then, I showed her John 14:1 - same thing - she read to the end of the chapter! Finally, I told her to take my NT when she told me that she didn't have one. The next day, I saw her carrying it in her hand all around the clinic!!! "One soul is worth more than a thousand worlds." - Dr. James Ray

When it rains, it POURS — especially in West Africa! We are nearing the end of what has been a hard rainy season for our people. Throughout the city of Abidjan, there has been widespread flooding, and homes have collapsed. Overall, the weather forecast calls for four torrential downpours during this year. The first took down a 15-foot section of the wall that surrounds my house. The afternoon of the second, we laid sandbags in an effort to redirect the flow of the rain water away from the walls. I also sent out a quick email asking you all to pray. Three hours later, we received word that the weather forecast had changed! The storm that was predicted never came. Everyone here was amazed. The Lord changed the weather in answer to your prayers for us! Keep praying as we look ahead to two more forecasted storms.

Thanks so much to all of you who have been upholding my dad in prayer. He is doing well and is continuing chemotherapy treatments. We would like nothing better than to see him cancer-free. As always, we're trusting the Steady One to strengthen, guide, and keep us.

We are presently in a planning phase in two of our ministries — the village outreach and the evangelistic clinic. We are in contact with the "chief of the chiefs" of the villages in our area according to the tribal system. On Monday, July 19th, we will be having a lunch meeting at my home with representatives from both the clinic and our church. The weight of these meetings cannot be underestimated as they have a part in determining the direction that we take. We are praying for the Lord to give us much wisdom. Our heart is for reaching souls. Please pray that the Lord would open up just the right doors for both of these ministries.

With love in Christ

Kristine Mclaughlin