The Shumaker Family's Blog

The other day when I came home, I found that my kids had turned into pigs. We had a good rain the night before, which is rare here. I thought it was hilarious that my children (the proper, well-educated American kids) were playing in the mud, when the African kids were standing around watching them. The whole neighborhood got a good laugh when I was walking back to the house and managed to slip and fall in the mud. So I guess the missionary likes mud also.

I’m not sure the grandparents need to see the picture below. Isaac thought it was fun to take a bath in the mud.

I have written about Emile before, but it has been a little while. He just finished his sixth year of Law School. He has a great heart and a great character. I have challenged him to be serious with God. For a long time he was off and on, but lately, he has been growing like crazy. He told me yesterday that he was moved one day when I told him that I wanted him to read his Bible each day and I would call him each day to see if he has done it and he can do likewise. He said at that time, he realized that my desire is to see him grow and follow the Lord, and he took the challenge. He started reading through John and we would talk about it over the phone or through e-mail. We started in the book of Acts, and we were supposed to be on Acts 2. He told me that he got a little excited about what was going on in Acts and couldn’t stop. He told me sorry. I didn’t know that somebody had to ask forgiveness for reading too far in his Bible. He had read to chapter 19 yesterday, and today he has finished Acts.

We met Emile in July 2006 when we had a group of young people here. He was off and on for a long time. He told me one day that twice he had promised God that if God would help him in the current situation that he would give God his whole life, but after he was successful he wasn’t faithful. It is amazing what a little encouragement and push can make somebody do. Emile is highly faithful and is going to be used greatly of God. He has a big decision coming up. He has been accepted to a university in Geneva, Switzerland. I would hate to see him go, but I told him that I couldn’t tell him what the will of God is for his life.

I was coming home tonight and decided to buy some street food. I guess that phrase may seem strange to some but that is exactly what it is here. At night many different people will set up a little stand and sell. You can buy chicken (looks more like the size of Quail), sheep, rice and sauce, fish, etc. We buy this food sometimes for three reasons: (1)It doesn’t cost much, (2)we like it, and (3)my wife gets a break from the hot kitchen(my wife added that comment).

I was ordering some fish and attieke(a special dish from the Ivory Coast) when a bunch of men, about 20, were gathering together. I watched them as they washed their hands and feet. They then formed two lines, lining up shoulder by shoulder. Then they proceeded to pray. I watched them as they repeated the same prayer time and time again. They do the same motions every time they pray (stand, squat, kneel, and touch their face to the ground then repeat the procedure). What breaks my heart is that they are praying to a dead god. The reason why they repeat a prayer and do the motions is because they believe God is impersonal. I am glad that we have a God that wants to be personally involved with us. He loves us and wants to communicate with us. I was just thinking as I was watching them God has really blessed the ministry thus far, but we have lots left to do. My heart breaks for those who are trapped in religion and don’t know the freedom from our sins that Christ brings. May God help us to reach these people before it is to late.

God truly blessed in our services today.  We had good crowds at both churches.  I taught on eternel security this morning.  One of the greatest lies that the devil had created is that a Christian can lose his salvation.  We are attacked but that greatly here.  After reading about 14 verses on the subject, I think it was very evident that a true believer can never lost eternal life.

Tonight, I shared the story of Elijah and Elisha.  It was interesting to me that Elisha was told by the prophets and by Elijah to go no further.  Elisha didn’t want any part of it.  He was going no matter what.  I feel that if he wouldn’t have went on, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to receive double.  His faithfulness brought greater blessings.  Many people stop short and miss Gods blessings.  Just go a little farther.  Don’t stop, don’t quit, just a little farther and God will take over.  A faithful friend and bother told me after the service he needed the message.  Bado has been a great blessing and used greatly in our ministry.  He has always given of his time and of his money(this is very rare here).  He was helping take care of some paperwork for our 5 acres of land at Tingandogo.  Since I was in the village over the weekend, he was forced to give about $40 of his own money.  He told me that a little after midnight, he felt like somebody was talking to him(we know it was Satan trying to discourage him), “if you continue to give and do all this for the church then you won’t be able to eat and live.”  He has also had many struggles with family as of late.  He said that the message really broke his heart and he knows he can’t quit.  Don’t quit, God has something great in store for you.

Just a quick blog as I am trying to prepare for tomorrow and it is late.  I went to the village yesterday afternoon.  We had a night service in which I taught.  I was really surprised at the number of people that came because it wasn’t really announced.  We had about 120.  This morning we had another service and had about the same.  It is planting season and unfortunalty many miss but we still had a good crowd.  We brought home with us a 5 year old kid and his mom.  He has a hernia.  We will get him checked out and see about an operation this week.

I taught a course on leading music this afternoon and then we had our second youth meeting.  What a busy day but defintley no complaints.  God truly blessed.  Oh yeah, a young man was saved last night.  Salif translated for me and then didn’t feel so good.  His fever came back.  I think he didn’t finish all of his typhoid fever treatment.

I wish that I could explain how much joy is in my heart. I felt that my heart was about to bust as I was buying some granite to begin the construction. I want to share with you a miracle that God has done. Last week I got an e-mail from a man and his wife(they wish to remain anonymous). He told me that he couldn’t get the picture of the foundation out of his head and felt that God wanted him to help. He asked me how much I felt that the bottom floor would cost. I told him that I felt that it would cost about $25,000 for the structure and another $5,000 for the extras(benches, electricity, etc.) He wrote me back and told me that a check for $25,000 was in the mail. Praise the Lord. We are starting again and thrilled. God has truly blessed this work more than we can imagine.

The church members worked on Monday and Tuesday and will return to work again tomorrow. We were hauling dirt back in to get the foundation ready to pour the floor. We had almost 20 people working together. We are literally moving the dirt back in one wheelbarrow at a time.  I know that many of you have prayed for Salif.  He is in the picture below loading the wheelbarrow.

I should have put this update on Sunday. Sunday we had a great day at church. I no longer feel like I am just a missionary here. I am really beginning to feel like a pastor. That may seem like a weird statement, but let me explain. Since coming to the field we really have never felt that we have a strong church family. Now, we are excited when we get to go to church. We want to be with our people. There are missionaries (not sure what they are actually doing) here that don’t even go to church or don’t go faithfully. They have church at home. I told our church that if I did that I would be in America. Most churches don’t have a Sunday night service. Outside of going to church most of the missionaries don’t want to be close to the people they work with. I’m not sure if it is fear of being hurt, lied to or stole from (I have faced all three many times) but the relationship is weak or non-existent. Again, I told the church that if I couldn’t be close to them I wouldn’t live here. It does make you vulnerable but then we have to ask the question, “Why am I here?” I don’t want to be a normal missionary. I want to rejoice when they rejoice, cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt because God has allowed me to be their shepherd. After church, my wife used to say, “Are you ready to go yet?” That doesn’t happen any more. I have finished talking to everybody and packed up the car. Then, I look for my wife. I just wait with joy in my heart for her to come. I definitely am not all that I need to be and I need to do much, much more, but I praise God for the love he has given my family for our church family.

I just found out that a young lady, who trusted Christ a few weeks ago, came from a Muslim family. My wife was visiting a few of the ladies from the church today and it was these faithful women that invited Ina to church. My wife saw Ina today and talked with her some. In talking with the other women that invited Ina, my wife was told that her parents are Muslims. That information has really encouraged my heart.

Many of you have been faithful to pray for Salif. He is doing much better. I was truly amazed at how many people have prayed for him and asked how he was doing. That also encouraged my heart to see how many Christians are compassionate and care about this ministry.

Our hearts break for the number of people trapped in the Muslim religion here. There are several different sects, and the family next door to our church belongs to one of the stricter sects. Today, I (Rebecca) was able to go with two other women from our church and meet the lady. She mostly speaks the tribal language so my attempts to greet her in the past using French haven’t been too successful. We basically just wanted to establish a friendship with the lady and let her know that we, as a church, care about her and her family. I was surprised at the warm reception the lady gave us.

Her four children weren’t home at the time, but the children’s clothing hanging on the clothes line, was evidence of the precious young souls that also live there. I kept wondering, as I looked at the clothes and thought of the little ones, if they will ever be able to hear and accept the truth. They like to sneak into the churchyard whenever they can and see what is going on, and they are always excited to greet my husband when they see him.

It is quite obvious that this dear lady would not be allowed to come to regular services so one of the ladies with me invited her to our free French classes, also held at the church. She said that her husband (a Muslim leader) would not even allow her to come to these courses. She could probably be easily won to the Lord if she had the freedom to come to church. Before she escorted us outside the gate this evening, she first went inside to get a traditional Muslim garment to wrap over her already modest dress. She would only step outside the gate once her head and all the rest of her were covered with this long garment. I was informed that in the past, she has even had to weir a veil to cover her face. Please pray for this sweet lady and many like her who would most likely be very open to the gospel if their husbands would allow them to come to church. Pray for the husbands as well to be open to the truth and for the children trapped in darkness in homes where they are forbidden to go to Bible preaching churches.

Thursday morning I dropped off two pastors at 5:30 in the morning. They spent a few days with us. As soon as that was finished, we(3 other Africans and myself) left for a village about 70 miles away. One of our church members told me that land down south is more fertile than the land here. It rains a lot more there and crops are great. I have often thought about having a plantation of mangoes or some other type of crop but have never went through with it. I have always wanted to figure out a way that we could help our churches, church members, pastors and Bible Institute students. When we got off the main road, I was a little disappointed because I wanted land right next to the main road but after 4 miles, much to my surprise, we came into a rather big village. We met with many of the people and look forward to having a work started there sometime in the future. We decided that we would plant about 12 acres of cashew trees or other trees and leave the rest (12 more acres) for the church people to plant.

I was talking with my parents about our desire to help and what our plans were. Thirty sec. after I got done talking with them, they called me back. They are going to help pay for the land(25 acres). I praise the Lord for such wonderful parents. They taught me at a young age to give and help others. They have been and are a great example of unselfish love (always looking at how they can help others).