The Shumaker Family's Blog

We had a huge surprise for Pastor Konate and his wife planned for last Sunday.  In secret I talked with the church and told them we wanted to have Pastor’s Appreciation Day.  At the end of service I was going to call Pastor Konate and his wife to the front, but I couldn’t find Pastor Konate.  I told a member to search for him real quick.  The member came back and told me he had to leave because Vicente (a Mexican missionary that helps in Burkina) was in trouble.

Three men from our church had to go and try to rescue Vicente from a very bad situation.  Vicente is very zealous and is a great soul-winner.  The children in the neighborhood all know him by name.  Sunday he went with his moto and picked up three children to come to church with him.  One of them began to cry so Vicente took the kid back home during the service.  When he arrived a mob gathered around.  Turns out that the parents didn’t know where the kids went to.  The mother questioned some people out front, and they told her that a white man took them.  She began to panic and cry.

When Vicente arrived he told the mother what happened and apologized.  She forgave him, but there was mob outside.  They had rocks, machetes, sitcks, etc. in their hands.  They were ready to punish Vicente without understanding what had happened.  They were trying to find a way to get into the house.

A member of our church, Justin, lives near there.  One of the neighbors recognized Vicente and ran to the church to get Justin.  When he showed up with Pastor Konate there was a huge crowd of over 200.  Since Justin knows most of them that were there half of the crowd calmed down and left.  The other half wouldn’t let it go.  God sent a police officer by.  He told them to go home.  He had to put Vicente in his car and drive him to church.  God protected Vicente, and gratefully he wasn’t harmed.

The mother of the children brought her kids to our Vacation Bible School this past week.  God is good.

Thanks for your prayers.  We just finished out a great week at our 4^th camp.  We had around 50 people from our churches participate.  I told them that in a few years we want to double that number.

God truly blessed and many decisions were made.  We had many different preachers preach and all were greatly challenged.  The theme was simple:  Without God many things are impossible, but with Him everything is possible.  Mission Possible.  It is great to be a part of a ministry that is growing and where lives are changing.

The greatest challenge that we looked at was, “Can we evangelize Burkina Faso and the surrounding countries?”  I think I was the only one that believed that at first when we got started in 2005.  Now I think that a small army is beginning to believe it.  It is going to be exciting to watch what God will do in the next few years.

I have heard problem after problem with many church construction projects in America.  We have had our fair share of problems also.  Many of our materials grow legs and walk off (nice way to say they were stolen).  We have always tried to put an emphasis on the church in Burkina Faso doing their part.  Many churches and individuals have greatly helped with the finances, but I have deeply felt that the church here needs to be active and sacrifice for their building also.

The building at Water of Life Baptist Church started in 2007.  It started with 15 or more of us digging the foundation.  We worked 5 days a week.  From 7:00 am to 1:00 pm in over 100 degrees weather.  It took us five weeks to complete.  This brought about great unity in our young church.  This unity has continued.

They have given financially on different sections of the building.  Today after visitation, the masons needed more blocks on the second floor.  There is no easy way to get them on the second floor but to pick them up on the other side of the road(where they made), lift them up over the wall of the church, and carry them upstairs.  The church members were singing and having a good time as we worked.  They were even making up a song about having courage and strength to keep working.

We are in the process of finishing up the second floor.   We are preparing to put on the roof in the next few months.  God has brought us so far from the first days.  It is truly amazing.

Construction projects don’t have to bring problems but they can bring great unity.

For quite some time I have been thinking that it might be a good idea to share the testimony of someone from the ministry in Burkina Faso.  I am going to send out a letter from time to time with the testimony of a man, woman or child that has been changed by the Word of God.

I want to share the story of a young man named Albert.  He is truly an important part of the ministry here in Burkina Faso.  He is one of the strengths of this ministry.

Over four years ago Gilbert (now a pastor in training) took us to Albert’s one room house.  Albert is actually Gilbert’s uncle even though Gilbert is older.  We visited with Albert for around an hour.  He listened very well to the Gospel but he was very religious.  He was very faithful to another church, but it was evident that he didn’t have any assurance of his salvation.  We invited him to church, and he hesitated.  He didn’t really want make a commitment.

Many weeks went by and Albert never came to church.  We visited him again and again. It was always the same:  good conversation, friendly spirit, but no commitment to the Gospel or come to visit our church.  In January 2008, we had celebration day.  It was our one year anniversary of Living Water Baptist Church.  We passed out thousands of flyers.  Members invited their families and friends.  We had over 250 in attendance.  We preached the Gospel and had many people come forward to receive Jesus as their Saviour.  Albert was one of them.  Albert left religion and found a new relationship with Christ.  He got born again.

For five months he didn’t return to the church.  He was so accustomed to going to his other church.  We had a friend day and Gilbert talked his uncle into coming again.  He never quit coming again after that.  He immediately became extremely faithful to church.  He became like a sponge, soaking up the Word of God.  He was extremely hungry.  He would sit on the edge of the bench with excitement, receiving the Word of God.  I taught on tithing and being faithful to give.  I noticed that our giving increased greatly.  I realized later that it was Albert.  We had our missions conference, and our faith promise increased greatly.  I realized later that it was Albert.  He started giving more to missions than he was giving for his tithe.

Albert is a cook at a very nice restaurant.  He probably makes $140 a month.  I estimated that at one time that he was giving around 50% of what he made back to God.  He rides his bike back and forth to work.  It takes him 30 min to get there.  In the afternoon he will come home and then at night go back again for work.  That makes two hours of riding his bike each day to go to work.  Many other people have a moto here.  Albert could save and get one but he can’t save money for a moto and give like he does to God.  During a missions conference he wanted to give a testimony.  He said, “Before I came to this church, I went to work for me.  Then I came to church and got saved.  The pastor preached on giving.  I realized that God has given us an opportunity to be a part of what He is doing.  I don’t go to work for me anymore but for Him.”   Another time Albert told me that he was wished he could give more.

Albert leads our choir and the congregational singing at church.  He loves it.  He is an inspiration to me.  I feel that one day God will call him to preach, but he is already totally involved and engaged in ministry.  I wish I had 100 people with the heart and determination like Albert.

Your prayers and support have helped Albert and others lives to change.  The pictures below are of Albert leading singing and leading the youth choir.

Camp 2011 will be our fourth camp.  We started the first camp for the youth but it has turned into a church camp.  We are extremely excited about what God will do this year.  I feel that the first year was a huge stepping stone for the ministry.  I really feel that this year can really help the ministry to advance.  God is doing great things.  Men are being called into the ministry.

Please take time to pray for us this week.  I really desire that God would greatly move.  I will try to update you in a few days.

As I teenager, I knew that God wanted me in missions work when I got older. I surrendered my heart to do just that, but I never imagined all that being a missionary entailed. My heart was always touched by news of men, women and children in far off lands who knew nothing of Jesus and how He died to free them from their sins. I would go and tell them.  They would get saved. That was all.  I guess the thought of teaching a children’s class was somewhere in the back of my mind, but that was it.  At the time I didn’t picture myself as a “pastor’s wife” who would lead women. I wasn’t a leader. I wasn’t comfortable in front of people.  I just wanted to be a missionary and see souls saved.

As time went on, I realized that being a missionary wife was, in fact, the same as being a pastor’s wife, and I would have to take on more roles than I’d ever dreamed of. To this day, I still feel more comfortable in front of a group of children, but God has given me a love for the wonderful ladies in our churches and a desire not only to see them saved, but also to help them grow in their faith.

Today was a great day in our ladies ministry, one I don’t know if I ever really believed would come. With the help of the pastor’s wives we work with and two other missionary wives, we had a ladies meeting involving ladies from 5 different works.  God truly blessed! I was so proud of the ladies who took part in the meeting.  One particular testimony really touched me. Mamata told about being born into a Muslim family and coming to work for our family.  I asked her after work one day to stay and talk to me. I told her about Jesus, and she prayed, asking him to save her, but only because she was scared not to. She told her relative (a Christian) that maybe she should quit because I wanted her to be a Christian and she didn’t want to be. The relative said to keep working and not worry about it. Mamata began coming to church with us. After one particular service, she realized that she really needed to be saved. What she had prayed before wasn’t from her heart, and this time, she wanted it for herself.   She was truly born into the family of God after the service that Sunday morning.  We began to study the Bible together. We would read the same portions of scripture in our personal quiet times and talk about what we had learned afterwards. We followed a discipleship program.  She talked about how much reading the Bible for herself really helped her grow in her faith. Then, she talked about how God blessed her by letting her marry a good husband, a pastor.  (Her husband is Salif, also a former Muslim who’s father wanted him to one day lead a mosque. Many of you already know his testimony.) I was touched by Mamata’s testimony. She gave it with such confidence. She has grown so much. I was encouraged to do more for the Lord.

Sometimes, it feels like my efforts are in vain or like I just don’t have the time or energy to keep working with people, but then God gives me just what I need to encourage me. It is not me that does the work anyway. It is Him working through me and allowing me to be a part of His plan for reaching Burkina Faso with the gospel. Yes, it means more than just witnessing and seeing souls saved. It means pouring my life into others and helping them grow into mature Christians that can win others and help them grow.  It is a huge task. It takes time and effort, but it is possible with God!

When I first arrived in Africa I realized that the African family was much different than the American family.  I am not saying that all of their customs are bad or that the American way is totally right.  In fact, all over the world the family structure has become weak.  The devil has greatly attacked the home.  Whether in America, Africa or anywhere else families have many problems.

When I first walked into an African church the men were seated on the benches on one side, the women in the middle and the youth on the other side.  Men and woman didn’t sit together nor with their children.  I was told that this was their custom and it wasn’t worth my time trying to change it.  If you didn’t visit their house, it was hard sometimes to know who was husband and wife.

The African young people didn’t have a good model of a father and mother that loved each other.  Many older men have multiple wives (3 or 4).  Each wife lives in their own one room house.  The husband lives in his own room.  For the most part there is no love.  The wife is basically a servant of the husband.  She is to feed him and take care of his needs, but if he doesn’t want to be with her, that’s his perrogative as well.

In the relationship between the husband and wife there would be no affection.  He doesn’t hold hands with his wife.  He doesn’t put his arm around her.  A couple could be married for 50 years with giving one kiss.

When I came to Burkina Faso I was determined that we would have change the mentality of the couples of our church.  I didn’t want to make Americans out of them but Christians (a family where the husband and wife love each and have a good relationship with each other).

It took many years of fighting and trying to give a good example.  Honestly, I almost gave up.  I asked Pastor Austin Gardner to come and preach on the husband and wife relationship.  God began to work.  Actually I think He was working the whole time, but this was the first time it was evident.  A miracle happened (doesn’t sound big for most but it was huge), four different couples came to altar to pray together.  Not saying it hasn’t happened before in Africa but it was the first time I have seen it happen here.  It was beautiful.

When I got back from furlough I found out that our newly married couples were struggling.  One of our preachers was on the brink of separation.  I knew that something had to be done.  God directed us to start a Tuesday night couple’s class.  We have been doing this for 7 weeks.  It is amazing what God is doing in their lives.   Each meeting started with a game to help each couple work together. We have had a blast doing this.  One week we did a three legged race.  They had to put their arms around each other, hold a spoon and a little ball in the spoon, run down touch the wall and give the spoon to their mate and run back.  At the finish line they had to kiss to finish it.

Below is a picture of another game that we played.  The man had to pick up candy with his mouth from off a bench.  Then run to his wife and give it to her without using his hands.  Then she had to run and drop the candy on the bench.  Man did we ever laugh at this one!

After the game time, we had biblical and practical teaching.  The teaching has even helped me in a great way.  I realized that I still have a lot of room to grow as a husband and a father.  Sometimes, I lack patience and do not appreciate my wife like I should.

We have seen couples begin to sit together at church, which have never or rarely ever done it before.  We have seen couples pray together at the altar.  We have seen men wash the dishes or cook for the first time.  We have seen them begin to pray together and read the Bible together at home.  We have seen them start to communicate with one another.

As for the couple that was struggling, God has done a miracle in their marriage.  They are learning to communicate and make important decisions together instead of each one doing their own thing.

While we were on furlough, God supplied many of the needs for the ministry here in Burkina Faso. One of those needs that was meet was a new building for the Fundamental Baptist Church of Tingandogo. Calvary Baptist Church of Trenton, GA felt lead to take on this project. The members of the church, lead by Pastor Wallace, responded well and gave generously. They took up over $7,000 to help build this building. A few weeks ago we started on the construction of this new church building.

The work has advanced rather quickly and we are excited about what God is doing. Many of the church members from the various churches have contributed their time to help with some of the different aspects of building. Below are a few pictures from the start to where we are at:

While traveling out to Saonre yesterday morning to prepare for our three day revival meeting, I saw a group of people assembled under a straw hangar.  I wondered what was going on but continued on my way to the church less than a quarter of a mile away.  We dropped off the material for the night service and passed by the straw hangar again.  I realized that it was a church.  There must have been about 25 people there.

A few hours later I brought a car full of people to evangelize the neighborhood and invite people to the night services.   Passing by the straw hangar again, there were now about 40-50 people.  I saw them dancing and singing.  After I got out of my car I could hear a man shouting and screaming.  I’m not sure what he was doing, but he was probably shouting at the devil or demons.  It sounded very bizarre.  Some of the neighbors told me they are crazy.

We had our night service and God blessed.  Two women came forward for salvation.  Pastor Konate dealt with the women.  He told me that they both prayed and received Jesus as their Saviour.  That makes the whole meeting worthwhile.

He then told me a story about one of the women.  She said that she had gone to the other church (the crazy one).  She thought she was okay because the pastor prayed over her.  He prayed that her sins be forgiven.  He never explained that she was a sinner.  He never explained what Jesus did for her.  He never explained that she must repent and trust Jesus to save her from her sins.  He just prayed over her.  That is the sad reality of many of the churches that are here in Burkina Faso.

I call this type of pastor, “the powerful pastor”.  He wants the people to believe that he can heal.  He wants them to believe that he can save them from their sins.  He wants them to believe that he can pray, and they will be blessed.  His focus isn’t on Jesus but on him.  I am not a powerful pastor,  but I have a powerful Savior.  I can’t save somebody from their sins, but I can point them to Jesus who can.  I don’t have the power to bless them, but I know that God can.  Praise the Lord that this lady didn’t keep her confidence in the “powerful pastor” but in the “powerful Jesus”.

Tonight will start a three night revival meeting at Bread of Life Baptist Church.  This church started about a year and a half ago.  Pastor Mamadou has worked really hard and has grown personally.  I am very proud of him.  In the next few months I will be working next to him, trying to help the church grow both physically and spiritually.

This afternoon a bunch of members from various churches will come together to evangelize and invite people to come to the services.   We will have two preachers preaching each night.  Salif and I will preach tonight.

Our goals for these services are two fold:

1. That sinners would be brought to salvation.
2. That the saints would be set on fire (revival).

Please pray that God would work, preach, convict sinners and send revival.  I desire that.  We need that.