|
December 2000
Continue to pray of the Niellim. Sothenes and his family have endured much in
the cause of the Gospel among the Niellim. He is a Chadian, but every bit as
much a foreigner as we would be in the circumstances. He needs to painstakingly
learn the language like we would, and must endure hardships which he wouldn't
have were he at home 200 miles to the west. Of particular concern to them is the
very poor water supply which has made for a lot of family sicknesses. (A project
is under way to drill a well for them and AIM will receive funds for it - ask us
for details if you're interested.) Besides the day to day hardships of life,
they have recently experienced much opposition, some of it unquestionably
supernatural. And as if to add insult to injury, the first convert from among
the Niellim and someone in whom Diane and Sosthenes had put much hope for the
future of the gospel among this tribe is now in jail for thievery, adultery, and
attempted murder (his weapon had no bullets fortunately).
|
Those
of you who supported Diane with your prayers and
gifts through her years as a single gal will remember that she was working with
the Niellim people in southern Chad, and eventually did her thesis at the
University of Texas at Arlington on their language. While our principle ministry
now is with the Kwong, we still maintain a keen interest in the goings-on in
Diane's old stomping grounds. Hence, when her parents visited, it seemed like an
ideal opportunity to visit and renew her acquaintances there. 
In
brief, you will remember (if you were one of Diane's supporters) or learn (if
you were one of Mark's) that the Neillim are a people group of about 4000 who
are for the most part Muslim. There is, however, a young group of believers
among them with whom Diane intended to work before she was spirited away to
Kwongland by Mark. Now, however, there is a capable young man named Sosthenes
(right, with family) from another tribe who has taken over Diane's work of Bible
translation into the language as well as the spiritual oversight of the young
believers. We had a delightful visit with Sosthenes, and
were also pleased to meet his disciple, a young Niellim believer named
Felix (below right). 
