A new car for missionaries Daniel and Stephanie Dias became a blessing for Guinean missionaries .

When the Lord provided for Daniel and Stephanie to buy a new four-wheel-drive vehicle, they sold their old vehicle and gave the money to the Syllas, a Guinean family serving as missionaries. The Syllas were able to purchase a small car and begin building a new house for their missionary team in Guinea.

After helping the team in Guinea to further their ministry, Stephanie and Daniel began preparing their vehicle for a trip through West Africa to visit villages that need a Gospel outreach.

“We had several upgrades to make on our car,” wrote Daniel. “This has truly been our 'home' while on the road.  We just put four new tires on it, but other than that, we haven't had any major mechanical issues.”

Pray for Stephanie and Daniel as they travel through West Africa and as they help missionaries to further their efforts to reach people with the Gospel.

The Bulongish people of Guinea have reached a key point in the Firm Foundations Bible lessons they are hearing.

Last week, “we continued … with the last plague in Egypt,” wrote Gene Bacon. The teaching moved through the Passover and into the Exodus, and continued on to the Ten Commandments. The presentation of the Ten Commandments is a key point when people begin to see two things: First, that all men are lawbreakers, and second, that they can do nothing to satisfy a perfect, just and holy God.

Partially because this is such a crucial time, the missionary team to the Bulongish people was grateful for a visitor. “A believer from another part of the country, from a different language group, … came … as an encouragement to those that were attending the teaching,” Gene wrote.

“His words of encouragement were well received and carried a special significance as he had listened and understood God’s Word many years ago when it was presented in his language and came to have a personal relationship with the Savior.”

The missionaries are handing out written copies of the lessons as well as recordings. “We have more people asking for the recorded lessons than we have players. We are encouraging people to share and the small speakers on them allow for more than one person at a time to listen to them,” Gene wrote.

Many Bulongish people are gathering under the teaching shelter to hear God’s Word.

Pray that upcoming lessons on the Law do in the hearts of the Bulongish people exactly what the Law was intended to do: demonstrate the sinfulness of man and our need for a Savior.

You can buy Firm Foundations Bible teaching materials in English and Spanish.

Missionaries Steve and Casey Cretsinger are making the most of every opportunity to better understand the culture of the Guinean people.

Recently, taking part in the wedding of a friend led to more than they expected. When Steve’s friend and language helper, Mohammed, came to them for help in arranging his marriage, they learned a lot about the complicated process necessary for a couple to “tie the knot.”

“[Mohammed] gave kola nuts to [the bride’s] family as an offering and to let them know that he was serious about marrying her.  Since then, we have been following this marriage journey with him as he seeks to fulfill his obligations to her family,” Casey wrote.

In Guinea a proposed wedding demands blessing and approval from many people and gifts must be given to each person. Because Mohammed’s family lives in a distant village, Steve and Casey are considered his parents and are responsible for him.

“While we are thankful that we can be a part of his life this way – it also means that we get to pay for a lot of things,” wrote Casey.

When Mohammed met with the girl’s family there was a long list of gifts needed to seal the contract – bags of rice, bowls, fabric, soap, a suitcase – and much more. Mohammed agreed, looking expectantly at Steve and Casey.

Finally the day of the wedding came. Steve and Casey were seated in the middle of a circle of people, so that everyone could keep track of everything they did.

After a long day of music and dancing, eating, and blessings, Mohammed and Mawa were married. Pray for Steve and Casey as they serve at the mission center in Guinea and build relationships with the people there. Pray that Mohammed and Mawa will build a strong marriage and will trust in Jesus as a result of their friendship with the Cretsingers.

On the eighth day of a baby’s life in Guinea, the village hosts a celebration. Steve and Casey Cretsinger were excited to share this special day with the family that was celebrating last month.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month since Fatou’s baby was born,” wrote Casey. “He is just a bundle of cuteness and I love any time I get to spend time with him.”

When the Cretsingers arrived for the ceremony the family was finishing up cooking rice for the occasion. Steve took his place with the big men of the village and Casey headed inside the house to see how the mother, Fatou, was doing.

For the ceremony, the men sit on one side of a circle and the women on the other. The mother sits on a mat in the middle of the circle with another woman who holds the baby for her.

The religious leader stands up, says a prayer, admonishes everyone to behave correctly and then announces the name of the baby. The baby is usually named after someone in the family whom they would like to honor. In this case it was after Fatou’s uncle who had died not long ago.

The people wailed in the deceased’s honor and then everyone gave the mother money to help her pay for the things that the baby will need. Then the bowls of rice were passed out.

Fatou wanted pictures taken with people, so Steve and Casey were snapping them quickly before an oncoming rain hit.

“It was so funny to see these groups of people in all the rooms of the house huddled around bowls of rice and sauce waiting out the storm,” wrote Casey. “Even though it got cut a little short, it was still a great celebration of little Daouda’s life.”

Please pray that Steve and Casey will have a positive influence in the lives around them as they build relationships and study the culture and language of the people.