Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report June 1-14

•    Women’s Monthly Meeting: We thank God that the women’s monthly meeting for June successfully took place on the 6th June. It was attended by approx. 25 women. The topic was ‘living with HIV in the home’. The topic was well received by the women who attended although some requested that next time their husbands should also be invited to such meetings.
•    Regional conference: The regional conference for the reformed Baptist churches in the southern province of Zambia is scheduled for 5-7th July in the town of Livingstone. The main churches involved are Choma Reformed Baptist, Mazabuka Central Baptist Church and Trinity of Livingstone who are hosting. But we intend to invite those brethren who are outside reformed circles with a view to introducing them to the doctrines of the reformation. This time round we will have pastors Kanyense and Kalifungwa handling the topic of the five solas. Pray for the organization aspect, the traveling aspect, the speakers and the ultimate success of this conference.
•    Mrs. Mayaka: She has been one of our regular church attendees but she has not been able to attend church for a number of Sundays now. This is because she is nursing a sick mother who is getting mentally disturbed. Pray for her mother’s recovery and that wisdom will be granted to Mrs. Mayaka to know how best to nurse her mother.
•    Expecting mothers: We have two expecting mothers in church namely Karen and Paxina. Karen is due to deliver in the next two months and Paxina in the next three months. Karen had problems with conceiving on account of having fibroids in the womb. Paxina has conceived on a number of occasions but her pregnancies have always ended in miscarriages. The current one seems to be holding. For both this will be their first child. In view of their history you can understand that they are a little anxious about their respective situations. Join us in praying for these two ladies that they might deliver safely.
•    Chibwe: Chibwe has just come into town. He is young brother to Karen. After attending church and bible study he came to ask for spiritual assistance. He said he knows that he has just been religious from childhood and that his religion has not done him much good. He now wants to know the true way of salvation as he does not want to stray in future. We have started having evangelistic bible studies with him. Pray that he may experience true conversion.
•    Church decorations: Our church sanctuary has received a massive facelift after the ladies arranged for wall to wall curtains to be put in front, covering the wooden boards which were an eyesore! They have also introduced flowers and a carpet for the front. Join us in thanking God for this thoughtfulness and skill on the part of our womenfolk.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report for 5/18-31

•    Sepiso Sitali: Sepiso has concluded her work in our midst. She was able to talk to a number of children and youths. She has shared the gospel with a number of them. Pray that the Lord will bless Sepiso’s efforts and that the Sunday school and the Youth Ministry will be able to pick up and continue from where she has ended. Pray for genuine conversions amongst the children and youths she has spoken to.
•    Mr. and Mrs. Chulu: We went back to check on this couple seeing they had not shown up at church the past two Sundays. They claimed that they were not feeling too well hence the absence. We enquired as to what they had done with the gospel message we had shared with them. They both claimed they had repented and received Christ as Saviour. But upon asking whether they were sure they had become Christians, the wife said she wanted to join the baptism class and to get baptized. She felt this would guarantee her salvation. Took the opportunity to explain to them the place and meaning of Christian baptism. They have since resumed coming to church. Gave them a new bible. Pray that this couple will experience true salvation. We will soon start taking them through the parable of the sower. Pray that the Lord will grant us wisdom as we continue ministering to this couple. 
•    Women’s Monthly Meeting: The monthly meeting for June is scheduled for Saturday the 6th. The topic that will be presented is ‘Living with HIV in the home’. Do join us in praying for the success of this meeting. Pray that the many women who have been invited will come for the meeting. Pray that those who are living with HIV or those who are living in fear of HIV will find solace in Christ as Saviour. The topic will be handled by Mrs. Mbofwana, she is a nurse and she attends another Baptist church. Pray that the Lord will grant her grace to minister to her fellow women.
•    Marrieds’ Ministry: The next bi-monthly meeting for marrieds’ is scheduled for June 27th. Since the meetings have an evangelistic slant, we plan to invite a number of none Christian couples for the meeting. Pray that the Lord will lead us to couples to invite and that those invited will respond positively. Pray for wisdom as we are still looking for a suitable speaker.
•    Pastor’s health: In 2006 I was diagnosed to be diabetic and was put on medication for a while. In early 2007 I went off the medication and I have been managing the condition using diet and exercise. But a couple of weeks ago my sugar levels started shooting up and it has become necessary to once again go on medication. Unfortunately the medication has negative side effects on me. Do join me in praying that once again it might become possible to go off the medication.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report for 5/4-17

•    Sepiso Sitali: Sepiso is a second year student in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Zambia. She has come to do some missionary work with us whilst she is on 3 weeks break. Her fiancé Elijah has intentions of going into full time ministry. Her coming has been arranged by the Mission’s wing of Kabwata Baptist Church who have started encouraging students to take such opportunities to familiarise themselves with the mission field. We have assigned Sepiso to follow up, and minister person to person to the children and the girls who have been attending Sunday school, youth meetings and Sunday services. Pray that the Lord will bless her efforts in our midst.
•    Mwila: One of the children Sepiso has talked to is a 10 year old boy by the name of Mwila. Mwila has been very consistent at attending Sunday school, youth meetings and church. Both his parents do not attend any church. Asked how he ended up at CBC he said he read the billboard and decided to start coming. Asked if he was a Christian, he said he became a Christian when at one of the morning services he was convicted when he heard the pastor talk about the need to repent. He said he went home and confessed his sins and asked God to make him his son. Asked what has changed since in his life, he said he now prays and reads his bible and finds himself controlling his temper when he is provoked and tempted to fight. Do pray for Mwila; all indications seem to point to the fact that he has indeed become a Christian. Pray that this testimony will be an encouragement to the teachers who labour amongst the children and youths.
•    Mr. and Mrs. Chulu: We concluded presenting the gospel message to this couple. For some reason the husband seems to have been upset about something. They have not shown up at church the past two Sundays. We intend to go back and, if they permit us, start taking them through another evangelistic topic. Do pray that this door will not be closed permanently.
•    Women’s Monthly Meeting: This meeting successfully took place on the 9th May and was attended by about 32 women. We thank God that a number of women who were invited came. The pastor spoke on the topic of handling interpersonal conflict. The question and answer session clearly showed that many were experiencing conflict especially in their marriages and courtship. We took the opportunity to point them to Christ. Pray that the non converted women who attended will seek the Lord for salvation. A few indicated that they needed counseling. Pray for these follow ups.
•    Sunday services: We have come to verse 43 of Acts 2 and we are now studying the subject of apostles and miracles. Because of the influence of the charismatics, there is a lot of confusion surrounding this area and we are seeking with the Lord’s help to clear the confusion from the people’s minds. Pray that the Lord will grant us the grace and wisdom to do so.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report for 4/19 - 5/3/09

•    Mr. and Mrs. Chulu: We are continuing to share the gospel with this couple. They continue to show keen interest and also to attend church. Pray that the hearts of both husband and wife will be opened so that they come to faith in Christ.
•    Ladies Meeting: The monthly meeting is scheduled for this Saturday the 9th of May. The women are busy making invitations. The pastor will be preaching and we intend it to be counseling/ evangelistic in nature. Like we shared last time this forum has struggled to get back to its feet this year. Join us in praying that this Saturday’s meeting will be a success and will mark the revival of these meetings. Do pray specifically for converts.
•    Sunday services: The attendance to our Sunday morning services has steadily increased over the past few months to the effect that we are running out of sitting space. We are still anxiously waiting for the 10 pews pledged by Kabwata Baptist Church to be delivered. Both the number of children and adults is going up. Join us in praying for quick delivery of the pews and for wisdom to minister to the increasing varying needs of the congregation.
•    New members/ baptism class: This class has known more consistence in attendance over the past few weeks. We are now studying the subject of Christian growth having looked at the topics of becoming a Christian and assurance of salvation. Pray that those who are not genuinely converted will be converted and that those who are Christians will grow and be equipped for membership.
•    Mr. Stan Mateke: He is new in town and has come to work for World Vision. Prior to this he was working in Botswana. His family has not yet joined him. Many years ago he used to attend church at Lusaka Baptist Church when he was a student at University of Zambia. The wife goes to a Pentecostal church and he seems not decided as to where they will be congregating as a family in Mazabuka. Pray that he might know the Lord’s leading and make wise decisions in this respect.
•     Mrs. Semba: She and her husband are CMML. She has attended our monthly women’s meetings and our couples meetings. She has now started attending our morning services. She had earlier sent her children to start attending our Sunday school. Pray that she will find a spiritual home in our midst and that the Lord will grant us grace to minister to her needs.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - Bi-Weekly Prayer Report for 4/6 through 4/19/2009

•    Couples: Nine marrieds traveled to Lusaka on 18th April to attend the marrieds’ seminar at Lusaka Baptist Church which was taken by Dr Wayne Mack. The material presented was highly appreciated by those who attended. Pray that the marriages of those who attended the seminar will be strengthened and become more God honoring.
•    Mr. and Mrs. Chulu: We have commenced having weekly evangelistic meetings with this couple. Last week we looked at the fall of man and its consequences on our lives. They seem to be eager to learn. The following Sunday, both the wife and the husband came to church. Do pray for a genuine conviction of sin in their lives and that the Lord will graciously save them. Having kept away from church for so many years, pray that they will feel at home in our midst so that they can benefit from the ministry of the word to them. 
•    Wedding: Abel and Inonge got married at a colorful wedding at Kabwata Baptist Church on Saturday the 11th April. Abel is already settled in our midst having moved into town some months ago. His wife Inonge is a pharmacist who at the time of the wedding was still working for the government in Lusaka. She will need to find alternative employment in Mazabuka. Pray for her search for employment so that in His time the Lord will open the right door. Pray for this new couple as they seek to serve the Lord in our midst so that they can know God’s guidance as to how exactly they should serve Him. Pray for their new marriage so that they continue to build on the Rock.
•    Series on the church: We have continued with the Acts 2 series on the subject of the church and church membership. For the past 5 Sundays we have looked at how and why the 3000 new converts devoted themselves to prayer. Our hearts have been warmed as we considered the various aspects of prayer namely; praise and adoration, thanksgiving, confession, supplication and intercession. Pray for us that the Lord will teach us to pray!
•    Ladies meeting: The ladies meeting has struggled to successfully take off this year. The last attempt saw only a handful of women in attendance. An attempt will be made early next month on the 9th May to revive the monthly meetings. Last year these meetings were used of the Lord to minister the gospel to a number of women in town. Do pray that the meetings will successfully be revived and that once again they will become a forum for gospel preaching in addition to meeting other teaching needs of the womenfolk.
•    Shenny: After showing up at church for a couple of Sundays, he has been overtaken by busy work schedules. The planned follow up meeting with him has also been affected by the same. Pray for him that his work schedule will be such that he will be free on Sundays. Pray also for an opportunity to be found for us to sit and discuss spiritual issues with him.

Hefner Update - April 2009 - On Furlough

Hefners on Home Assignment
It’s hard to believe that the first official day of spring is just around the corner. Each day seems to pass at a comfortable, relaxing pace. But when we take a look at the calendar and see how much time has gone by since we arrived in the States (mid-December), it’s shocking! We are currently in Snohomish, Washington, spending time with Lindsay’s family and our sending church family, Emmanuel Baptist Church. The church provided us with a very comfortable place of our own and we are enjoying having people in our home and getting to know them better.

Lindsay, Elijah, and Lenaya are in the full swing of school, learning about everything from the capital cities of the US to the ministry of missionary Gladys Alyward in China (a great story!). It’s been fun to have the opportunity to take “field trips” to places like the Pacific Science Center, and to spend an afternoon at the Soup Kitchen (serving meals to the homeless). Elijah and Lenaya also experienced their first “snow day”, when we were blessed with two inches of snow in March. Of course, we had to cancel school due to the bad roads.☺ The kids were THRILLED! Building a snowman, making snow angels, sliding on iced-over puddles…it was quite the day! Besides speaking in a couple of churches and sharing about our ministry in some local Christian schools, Aaron is also co-teaching a married’s Sunday school class at our church. One of our main desires for our time on home assignment is to reconnect with our families and strengthen our relationships with friends, and those who support our ministry. We don’t want our time here to come to an end and regret that we didn’t spend more time with people. Please feel free to stop by, or get in touch with us! We would love to see you!

Future Plans
We will be in Washington State until early June. At that time we will head back to Little Rock, Arkansas and will spend most of the remainder of our furlough there. We will have a few trips “sprinkled” in there, though – Houston, Texas and Charleston, West Virginia. We’re looking forward to seeing “y’all” ☺

Home…where’s that?
When we lived in [Africa], home was our cement-block house on the outskirts of the village. When we stayed in the capital city...from time to time, home was the mission guest house, surrounded by a tall cement wall. When we arrived in the States this past December, for six weeks home became Grandma and Grandpa Hefner’s house. And now, here in Washington, home is our church’s mission house. When we move again in a few months, home will be in another location. This can be confusing to a 5- and 7-year old child. We’ve been asked more than once, “Dad/Mom, where is our home?” Rather than cause us to think, “Oh, poor things, they don’t even know where home is”, these questions have been wonderful opportunities to teach Elijah and Lenaya that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20), and to “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2) Our everchanging home location has been a good reminder to us as well, to hold loosely the things of
this short life, and to keep eternities values in view.

Prayer and Praise:

• Due to the fact that Lindsay’s health is greatly improved and every test that she has undergone these past couple of months revealed nothing, we have decided to not pursue further medical testing. We are still unsure of the cause of her prolonged illness in Senegal but are resting in the fact that the Lord does. He was faithful to strengthen and sustain Lindsay these past 2 ½ years, and we know that He will do the same in the future, should her symptoms arise again, when we return to [Africa]. We are SO thankful for the good health and energy that she has right now!
• Please pray for our co-worker. She has a very full schedule in this upcoming month preceding her own home assignment. Pray that she would rest in the Lord’s goodness and strength.
• Remember the man who placed his faith in Christ right before we left...and came to the States? Well, our co-worker has reported that he is still holding onto Christ, is reading further Bible lessons and Scripture portions, and continues to ask questions about what he is reading. This is exciting! If you choose to pray for only one request in this newsletter, let it be this one! {He} needs your prayers. Pray that the Lord would strengthen his spirit to withstand the persecution from others in the village. Pray that he would remain steadfast in his new faith in Christ. Pray that the Spirit of God would be teaching him and giving him understanding as he reads Bible lessons. And also pray that he would be a bold witness for Christ.
  

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report - 3/9 through 3/22/2009

•    Obituary:   Gift, a 12 year old Grade 7 pupil who has been a regular Sunday school, youth fellowship and morning service attendee passed away in his sleep on Wednesday afternoon. The amazing thing is that he was playing football and we were talking to him on Sunday afternoon and everything seemed alright. He has suffered from some ailment since childhood. Although we do not know his spiritual status, his Sunday school and youth fellowship teachers testify that he was a keen student who was very knowledgeable about the bible. The parents have never been to church. Do pray that the passing away of Gift will challenge both the young people and the older ones to make things right with God. Pray that as we participate in his funeral by way of assisting the parents, doors will be opened for gospel ministry to them.
•    School leavers:   The meeting for school leavers took place on the 12th of March and was attended by 25 school leavers. A number of these were new attendees. We took time to sell the concept of meetings for school leavers to them. Showed them that they were better off attending and gaining knowledge in various areas of life instead of just doing nothing at home or getting up to mischief. We proposed that a committee be formed to spearhead and organise these meetings. This was agreeable and will be done at the next meeting. Continue praying for these meetings that the Lord will give us wisdom to know how best to use them evangelistically. 
•    New members’ class:  This class is now in full session and we are looking at how a person becomes a Christian. It is heartening to hear the lively debates and through these discussions, the spiritual states of some attendees are becoming clearer. Pray for the conversion of those who for some time have believed they were Christians. Pray that through these studies their spiritual eyes will be opened.
•    Shenny:   He is a young man who is a graduate of the school of journalism. He has recently moved into town from the neighboring town of Kafue. He was brought to our attention by pastor Sunkuntu from our sister church in Kafue. He came to church and we are in the process of following him up. He is of a catholic background. Pray for his salvation.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka - BiWeekly Prayer Report - 2/23 through 3/8/2009

•    Sunday services: We have continued with our studies on the church drawn from Acts 2. We are currently looking at how the 3000 converts devoted themselves to the fellowship. We have seen that a life lived out in a church fellowship with other believers is God’s will for everyone who becomes his child. This fellowship is not to be superficial but deep and real. Through fellowship we function as the social beings that God created us to be. Through fellowship many of our various spiritual and social needs are met. Do pray with us that those who are coming to faith in Christ, and those who already profess faith will devote themselves to the fellowship in a similar manner that the early believers did.
•    Young Peoples: This has been divided into two classes, boys and girls. The two classes first have a time of games together before separating into their respective classes. The boys’ class has been hit by the going out of town for school by at least 5 boys. Pray for the establishment of these two classes. Pray for more teachers. Pray for an effective person to person following up of the young people. 
•    Chipo: She has come less frequently for the counseling sessions we have been having with her. At the last session she claimed to have cut links with the married man she has been seeing. But the situation in reality seems to tell a different story. She is definitely struggling. Continue praying for her.
•    Esther: She is a zealous young lady who has come to work in the town of Mazabuka for some months. She is already involved with the young people and we thank God for the work she is doing. Pray for her work situation that she will quickly settle down.
•    Mrs. Chapa: She and her husband belong to the brethren church. Their church is spiritually dead. Out of three church elders, one is a drunkard, the other an adulterer and the third a wife beater!  For a long time she has desired to leave her church to come and join us. But her husband has resisted as he fears they might be excommunicated from their church and he seems to value the traditional ties with his denomination. But the past two Sundays she has been attending our church services. It seems she has just become fed up with their church situation. Do pray for this couple so that they will reach an amicable resolution to their church problems. Pray for the husband that he might value his spiritual health and that of his family above mere traditional church attachment. Mrs. Chapa has also been very instrumental in talking to some of her church mates about their spiritual states and inviting them to our various meetings.
•    Mr. and Mrs. Semba: They attended our last couples meeting. They congregate with the brethren church (same as the Chapas) but they do not seem to be happy with the quality of fellowship at their church. For the past two Sundays they have been sending their children and dependants (4 in total) to come and congregate with us. Pray for wisdom as they make decisions that affect their spiritual lives.
•    Biblical Counseling Course: I was in Pretoria the past week attending the biblical counseling course which is run by the Grace School of Ministry. The journey through Pilgrim’s Progress by Dr Wayne Mack was an excellent feast for the soul! It helped us to see the Christian life in a nut shell and brought to life John Bunyan’s classic book. Joel James’ treatment of the book of Proverbs was also an icing on the cake which gave us invaluable insights into the book of Proverbs. Pray that the vital counseling tools we are receiving will be put to good use in helping multitudes who need counseling.

Central Baptist Church of Mazabuka

Bi-Weekly Prayer Report for the period 9th to 22nd February 2009
No. 54

•    Baptism and new members’ Class: This has now commenced. The first one was attended by 11 people. A few more are expected to join in as the class progresses. The objective is to prepare the attendees for baptism and church membership. A number who will be attending are still spiritually undefined and we intend to use this opportunity to have personal interviews with them and more accurately explain the gospel message to them. Do pray with us that those who are Christians will be prepared for membership and those who are not will discover their true spiritual status and come to Christ for salvation.
•    Thursday Bible Study: This is another new meeting which has now commenced. We had the first meeting on 19th February and it was attended by 7 people. The first topic we are looking at is the parable of the sower. The objective is to assist those who are just professing faith and those who are coming into church from various spiritual backgrounds to examine themselves with regards to the genuineness of their profession of faith. We would like this class to consolidate the new members’ class. We would also like it to be a forum to which we can invite those people we are counseling but who do not attend our church. Being a mid week meeting, a number of people might face difficulties with attending; so join us in praying for the establishment of this bible study and that it will be used of the Lord to bless many in our land.
•    Couples Meeting: Our second meeting for marrieds (first in the New Year) was held on 14th February and was attended by 7 full couples and 2 married ladies. We were looking at the subject of preparing for retirement. We tried to show from the scriptures that God is continually providing for our needs during our days of formal employment but He expects us to manage these provisions well so that we at the same time prepare for the future. We used the story of Joseph in Egypt. God revealed there would be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. When put in charge Joseph used the 7 years of plenty to adequately prepare for the 7 years of famine. This is the type of wisdom we need to employ in our family lives. Our next meeting is scheduled for 18th April. Do pray for these meetings especially as we seek to use them as a forum for evangelism as well as for biblical counseling in our town.
•    Monet: He is a young man who has been in our midst for a while now. He has just passed his Grade 9 exams to go into Grade 10. Since he has been having problems with support issues from his relatives in town, his family has decided that he goes to continue pursuing his school in the town of Chirundu. He is a Christian and was settling well in our midst. Pray for him that he might settle well in the town of Chirundu and that he might find meaningful fellowship there.
•    School leavers Meetings: We last held meetings for school leavers sometime last year. They were disrupted after the death and funeral of our late president. There after it became difficult to gather the school leavers. But since another stream of school leavers has been added to the previous one, we would like to revive these meetings. We are planning to hold one on the afternoon of 12th March which is Youth day and a holiday in Zambia. Pray with us that everything goes well and for the establishment and continuity of this ministry.

Hefner Update 11/26/08

We got our tickets last week and I should have contacted you guys right away. We will be home the 16th. We just got word yesterday that Mayo refused Lindsay application because she is not presently seeing a doctor that can do the follow-up after they treat her there. Rick Houk has been a big help and I'm waiting on his advice before we proceed further. We are planning to get the medical things taken care of first thing. If the treatment is in LR it will probably take longer than if we get into Mayo so I really cannot say how long we will be in LR before heading to Washington. We are resting in the fact that God is in control of all this.

As far as expenses go, I'm really not sure what to expect. Our insurance through the mission organization will give us some help and from the brief reading I've done it looks like the maximum that we'll pay on our end is $6,000 even if the bills get up into the 6 digits. We have someone buying our vehicle here in Senegal and that should take care of those expenses (we would be selling the vehicle regardless of Lindsay's medical situation). I really do not feel that BCLR needs to help us financially at this point. We would rather see that money go to a missionary with greater needs. If needs do arise that are beyond our financial ability we feel the freedom to communicate those to you. You have been very gracious towards us in this regard.

Thanks to you and the entire church for your prayers for us. We can honestly say that we have felt the Lord upholding us each step of the way, without Him we'd have fallen for sure. This is a testimony to your prayers. We are glad to be serving Him and trust that He will accomplish His work in and through us in His time.

We are in communication with the other churches that support us trying to work out a schedule for our year on furlough. We would like to spend at least 3 months there in LR with BCLR doing whatever it is we can to connect with the folks there during that time. We desire to visit our sending church in Washington State first and we are tentatively planning to be there from Feb - May.

Hefner Photos

Aaron and Lindsey have given us permission to share these photos with our blog readers.


















Aaron spends a day in a tribe in PNG and helps with the building of the missionary’s house.














Aaron visited the village, where literacy is an important part of the church.















The kids with Falai and Jata, some good friends, sitting in a hut they made.

To quote Aaron, "What happens when Dad is supposed to be watching the kids."













Susannah, our family’s donkey, is being trained by Aaron and Wiye to work in the fields.

Hefner Update Sept-Oct 2008

We Hefners are homebodies. We like to stay put. Just thinking about packing and going to and fro on rugged roads and hanging out in airports makes us tired. We would much rather stay in one place – preferably home! In spite of those preferences, the months of August, September, October, and November have been and will continue to be filled with a lot of traveling – across Senegal, into Guinea, and even across the ocean to Papua New Guinea! Here’s a little peek into what the Hefners are up to…

August – At the beginning of the month Lenaya spiked a very high fever that continued for 9 days. We suspected malaria at first, and tried treating it with malaria treatments two times with two different medicines. Her fever persisted. On day 9, Lenaya still had a fever of up to 105 degrees, so we called an emergency medical flight and flew to Dakar as a family and immediately saw a doctor and had some tests run. Through wisdom given by God, the doctor prescribed a special antibiotic for Lenaya, even before the results of her tests were in! It was really neat to see the Lord so obviously watching out for her and guiding the doctor’s decisions. She was diagnosed with e-coli and we spent 2 weeks in [city] while she recovered. Many of you back home were praying for Lenaya, and for that we are incredibly grateful. We went back {home} for 2 weeks, and then…

September – Aaron flew to Papua New Guinea for a church-planting workshop. This was quite a lengthy trip (3 ½ weeks) and because of Lenaya’s recent illness we didn’t feel comfortable with Lindsay and the kids staying in the village alone. So, once again, we packed up and ventured on the rugged roads. Aaron had a wonderful time in PNG visiting different tribal works, talking with other church planters, and being taught and trained by experienced missionaries. He was greatly encouraged by seeing how the Lord is building His Church in other parts of the world. We trust that things that he has learned during his time there will be very beneficial to the entire NTM West African team. After...spending a couple of weeks at home…

October – Aaron will pack his bags yet again, this time traveling to Guinea, W. Africa (just below Senegal) along with a few other members of our NTM Senegal team. While attending a conference there, Aaron will have the opportunity to share the things that he learned while he was in PNG. This will be a shorter trip – 1 week – and after he returns we will be going back{home}…and hopefully staying put for a while!

Prayer and Praise

We are so very thankful for the Lord’s protection and healing of Lenaya. His care for our family was evident in very tangible ways – providing the right doctor, the kindness and care of our support team, health and strength for dad and mom in spite of very minimal sleep. Thank you to everyone who was praying for us during that time.

Aaron’s trip to Papua New Guinea was not only a beneficial time of learning for him, but also a time of refreshment and encouragement. We are thankful for the friends he was able to spend time with and the blessing he received through seeing first-hand the work that the Lord is doing there in PNG.

Being able to homeschool the kids is such a blessing to Lindsay. She loves watching the kids learn, and also learning along with them. It is a joy to be able to give Elijah and Lenaya an education based on the Word of God. We thank the Lord for this opportunity!

Please continue to pray for the young man who began meeting with Aaron in August to hear Bible lessons. When we return to the village (beginning of October) our desire is to continue these meetings with him and continue on until he hears the full message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In our absence, {our co-worker} has met with him a few times (upon his request!) and gone over some of the Bible lessons. Pray for continued interest and understanding.

Pray for Lindsay’s health. She is still struggling with regular spells of unwellness. We hope to have thorough testing done when we are on furlough this next year. Please pray for strength as she continues to care for the family and do language and culture study.

Please pray for us as we seek to raise Elijah and Lenaya according to God’s Word. Pray for wisdom, consistency, patience, and humility.

As we come to the end of our first term on the field, our hearts are heavy for our friends {here}. Things are not as we desired that they might be, yet we trust in the goodness and wisdom of our great God. Please pray for the people {here}…and the other 110,000 {tribal} people of West Africa.

Hefner - Senegal

We are emphasizing prayer for the Hefner’s teaching ministry as the Dialonke people hear God’s Word for the first time.

1. That the Dialonke will understand God's Word

• That they would listen without the distractions of village life
• That there would be no unrest (religious, cultural, familial, political, economic, crime, etc.)

2. That Aaron will clearly understand the Dialonke culture and language

• Communicating the content, context, and the proper understanding of those truths

3.

That that the Dialonke will understand

• That God is their Creator and Judge
• That their sin violates God’s law
• That they need redemption and a Redeemer

4. That God would grant repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

5. For Lindsey as she serves and supports her family

• For physical/ spiritual health and stamina
• For protection from harm
• For Aaron’s family time during these demanding days

6. That Aaron will be able to quickly deal with the inevitable practical challenges that will come his way

• Housing, supplies, power, water, sanitation, etc.
  

7. That all their support needs will be met