Missionary Ken Satorius is visiting his Budik friends in the village. However his primary reason for the trip to West Africa is to check Bible lesson material for 1 and 2 Peter. Budik believers Pityan and Eme are coming every day to help Ken complete checking the Bible lessons. Pityan has been an accomplished Bible teacher for many years. He has also been on the Budik translation team with Ken and other Budik believers.

Eme is the wife of Labo, who is another faithful Bible teacher and on the translation team. Eme is also the dear friend of Kathy Satoius. Both seemed to know when the other was troubled and they would freely share and pray together.

When Ken and Kathy’s son Andrew died, Eme was right there with words of comfort and love. She is one of the most mature Christian women among the Budik. She reads well, so she was a great help to Kathy in checking the translation. Now she is faithfully helping Ken check the Bible lessons for 1 and 2 Peter.

Pray for this small team of co-laborers to finish the checking so that the Church can have the lessons.

Ken is also spending time with the believers. Pray that as they talk together the teachers will understand and benefit from the shared wisdom. Pray that they will be able to convey Bible truths. Pray also that all would be encouraged.

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.

On Sunday the members of L’Eglise Baptiste de la Grace, Grace Baptist Church, in West Africa were delighted to carry out their third missionary commissioning service.

The first, organized in 2008, was to send out their first missionaries, an NTM family who had completed the on-field training program. At that service the elder giving the challenge to the missionaries and the church shared his vision that one day they could send out one of their own African families as missionaries.

This month that vision became reality. Prosper and Suzanne Gandoul are stepping out in faith to serve as full time missionaries. Prosper, one of the elders in the church, has been very active in oversight of the church and in the children’s ministry. The Gandouls are heading for the southern part of the country which is in a more remote less developed area than their present ministry in the capital city. Pray for them as they become accustomed to a new culture and settle into a new area.

L’Eglise Baptiste de la Grace has committed to faithfully pray for the Gandouls and also give financially toward their ministry and support.

The church has also stepped up to help send Daniel and Stephanie Dias, missionaries with New Tribes Mission, being allocated to continue their on-field training and begin serving in Burkina Faso.

The church has faithfully and graciously helped to equip several New Tribes Mission missionaries for their ministry in West Africa. Pray for the three families as they look to God for His provision for their ministry. Pray for the members and pastors  of L’Eglise Baptiste de la Grace as they take on this new adventure.

“Rejoice with us in seeing what God is doing,” wrote missionary Dan Rabe. “Somehow we get the feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg of what God intends to do through His Church in West Africa.”

God is encouraging the Budik believers as they take the reins of ministry to their own people.

Ken Satorius recently made a trip to Senegal to check Bible portions and lessons he had revised or translated. Since January, "there is no longer a missionary living among them,” Ken wrote. “Although the believers were a little afraid of how it was going to go … it is a good growing experience for them as they need to rely more completely on the Lord and not man.”

Kali is teaching the believers in two villages once a week. But in one of those villages, the believers wanted a second lesson each week. So Labo, Kanar and Bigir are teaching the second time.

Kanar and Bigir are also looking into teaching the children separately from the adults. Pray for wisdom as they make arrangements for that, and adapt lessons for the younger group.

Labo is also providing medical care for the Budiks.

“This time of year there is less to be done, but in village life you are on 24 hour a day call, so you never know when someone might need your medical help,” Ken wrote. “The clinic … also serves a number of other villages in the area, so Labo's motorcycle-ambulance comes in handy when he travels to other villages to help out.”

Ken was able to check his translations and revisions during his time in Senegal. He added, “The Lord really used that trip to encourage the believers.”

“Pray for Kali, Labo, Bigir, and Kanar as they teach. Pray that their lives and ours would model Christ's love and compassion.”