OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020 • PART 2 OF 2 MAGAZINE & PRAYER DIARY | EU.AIMINT.ORG 125 YEARS OF GOD'S WORK THROUGH AIM INSIDE 04 CHAD Moussa’s story of 20 years reaching his Muslim neighbours and Faith’s testimony of finding Jesus. 08 CAR Seeing God at work through medical provision among the Zande, and the church ministering in refugee camps. LOOKING AHEAD 12 SOUTH SUDAN _ The role of literacy education to make the Bible accessible and how God is ne day, I found an old book, written by a raising up South Sudanese leaders. missionary, Ruth Schaffer. It tells the story of INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS Ruth, and her husband Roy, going to Kenya in 16 The delight of reading the Bible in the early 1900s, bound for the then-unreached your own language and how Sophie is OMaasai people. Reading their story, I am struck by the using her testimony to encourage and commitment, courage, and sheer audacity of the Schaffer witness to others. family. And I wonder, would anybody in AIM, myself included, even think of allowing such a risky journey today, 20 DIASPORA much less bless it and send them off? Opportunities to challenge But this is 2020, not 1910. Africa is different. The world preconceptions about Christianity, is different. The church is different. The Maasai are reached. reaching the community on your Some things remain the same. The Great Commission is doorstep and helping with homework. the same. Our call is the same. All we do is still focussed on 24 TANZANIA Jesus Christ. Ultimately, it is not really about AIM or about Quiet heroes of the faith, the ‘ordinary missionaries or about you and me. It is about the Father, unschooled men’, and the patience redeeming, loving, and calling the lost. needed to sow seeds. What has changed in 125 years? Transportation, 28 RWANDA communication, finance, healthcare. Churches, mission The God of healing, camps that agencies, governments. Mission structures, models, and transform lives and learning to lead. strategies. Huge, vibrant churches in every country of Sub- Saharan Africa. Decline of the church in many traditional 32 MADAGASCAR AIM mobilising countries. It has all changed and will likely A common goal, new workers and how continue to change. Missionaries from the early 1900s God guided two Malagasy missionaries would not recognise much about the AIM of 2020. And to join him in his mission. today’s missionaries might not recognise the AIM of 2050. Or even 2030. But the essential things do not change. Because, ultimately, Jesus does not change. CELEBRATING 125 YEARS: PART TWO There are still almost 1,000 African unreached people _ groups, mostly in the Sahel, North and West Africa. May Jesus find us faithful, even for the next 125 years. Or until The content in this edition of he returns. Connect is the second part of a two part special, celebrating the stories of all that God is doing Luke across Africa. Luke Herrin, AIM’s International Director If you haven't had a copy of the For feedback and comments: [email protected] first half (our July edition), you can request one from Lindsey at ©AIM Europe | October 2020 | Lindsey Davies, Joe Morgan and Lucy Cranston [email protected]. Africa Inland Mission International, a company limited by guarantee (04598557), a registered charity in England and Wales (1096364) and a charity registered in Scotland (SC037594) Registered Office: Halifax Place Nottingham NG1 1QN. 3 1-9 OCTOBER CHAD FROM THE BEGINNING _ Justin, AIM’s Unit Leader, shares the story of AIM’s ministry in Chad, as we look at the past, present and future, through the person of Moussa Batchaguine. CHAD oussa Batchaguine, though born _ into an animistic family in southern In 1987, AIM began work in Chad, was given over to a Muslim Chad. From the beginning, the teacher at a young age to study Mthe Qur’an and follow the path of Muhammad. Missionary Training Centre Silo (CFMS) in the town of Ba-Illi was Along with a group of other boys his age, Moussa at the heart of AIM's ministry in began to daily memorise the Qur’an under the Chad – the vision of training and tutelage of his teacher. One day, as his teacher mobilising Chad’s growing church was preparing to take Moussa and the other boys to reach their many unreached further north to continue their studies, war broke fellow countrymen. out and all the boys were sent back home to their families. By God’s grace, Moussa eventually came to know Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. One night while reading his Bible he came across John 14:6, Jesus’ declaration that he is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’. It was at this point that Moussa 4 AOZOU Tibesti mountains R A LAKE CHAD H A In the 1960s, S A Emi koussi the lake Lakes of covered an Ounianga area of 25,000 FAYA-LARGEAU km², which has reduced FADA to 1,350 km² Bodélé today. Depression Ennedi Massif ROUGH EDGE OF THE START OF THE SAHARA The Sahara MAO CHAD ABECHE covers about a ATI third of Chad. N'DJAMENA Zakouma National Park C hari River PALA SARH MOUNDOU realised that his many Muslim friends were and encourager as he works alongside one of destined for hell and the Lord set him on a our ministry teams. And looking at the future, path of reaching the Muslim peoples of Chad we long to see more Moussas, more national for Christ. Moussa eventually was trained at missionaries who are passionate about reaching the Missionary Training Centre Silo that was their lost countrymen with the gospel. Partly founded in collaboration between AIM Chad inspired by Moussa’s life and example, in and the Eglise Evangélique du Tchad, AIM’s January 2020, AIM Chad launched AIM’s first national church partner. ever French-speaking Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team which, apart from the REACHING THE LOST team leaders, is comprised solely of Chadians Today, Moussa and his family have been who are passionately committed to reaching faithfully labouring among the Muslim peoples their lost countrymen. of Chad for over twenty years – twenty We thank God for men like Moussa challenging but fruit-filled years! In looking Batchaguine and we pray that God would raise back, Moussa represents the fruit of the up more men and women from the Chadian labours of many past AIM Chad missionaries. church who have the burden and vision of Looking at the present, Moussa is now an seeing Christ-centred churches among all the invaluable ministry partner to the AIM Chad peoples of Chad! Unit, serving as a wise counsellor, discipler, 5 a Chadian lady 200 miles away to deliver at a SHARING IN THE district hospital. Then what to do about the UPS AND DOWNS baby girl? Amazingly, a pastor and his wife _ decided to take on baby Ann as their own when they heard she had nowhere to go. Ann serves as a doctor in Chad, meeting people in their homes and also treating them FINDING FAITH and their children for mental illness and That was three years ago. Faith became a epilepsy. Christian during the time when she was in such a challenging situation, as she aith* wanted me to help her get an contemplated her sin before God and abortion. She was about four months wondered how her baby could be saved. Since pregnant and her husband was away in another country and had been for then, she has become a different woman, more twoF years. He’d left her caring for her mother- patient and forgiving and much calmer. After in-law in the town where I worked. Obviously, prayer, even her mother-in-law has changed. I wasn’t going to help her get an abortion even Her husband returned to Chad and accepted if I had known how. But we talked of the new her, even after hearing she had a child out of life within her, forgiveness and the good news wedlock. She praises God for her salvation. of Jesus Christ and I prayed for her. She said She is eager to read the Bible. Her challenges my prayer changed her and she decided to keep remain. Her husband has no job. Neither he the baby. Her mother-in-law didn’t make her or his mother have believed. But people notice life easy, passing lots of rumours about her. that she has changed although she does not She was afraid she would be killed if her family have the courage to declare clearly how that found out. I continued speaking to her about change has come about. the gospel. We even spent a fun afternoon Meeting people like Faith, sharing life with looking at abdominal exercises hoping to hide them – both the ups and downs, is all part of the pregnancy longer. Finally, she went to stay working in Chad. with a stepsister 150 miles away and then with * Name changed for security reasons 6 1 OCT • THURSDAY 5 OCT • MONDAY 8 OCT • THURSDAY Praise God for the freedom there is for Chad has many unreached people Pray for missionaries planning to serve missionaries to go to Chad and serve groups and AIM is seeking to begin in Chad. Covid-19 has prevented some without fear of government reprisal. work among two new groups. Pray who are already in language study Christians and Muslims live together, that God would call team leaders and from travelling to Chad. Others have largely without problems, unlike members to join these teams.