Dear Pastor Ed, Family, Friends, and Prayer Partners,

WAWA! West Africa Wins Again. This poor little country of Guinea Bissau seems to be imploding rapidly. Your prayers are urgently needed. Only God can straighten this mess out. It is all quite humorous if one can only stand back a bit from the situation. Lots of crazy things are going on. I often say “Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.” Hopefully this is the case here. Some of what I am reporting may not be 100 % accurate due to rumor and translation difficulties.

Hummm, where to start? The country has become the main pipeline for cocaine from S. America to Europe. Now the news is saying that it is a pipeline for human trafficking too. Poor parents here send many of their children into slavery in surrounding countries under the false promises of a “Koranic Education”. Much money is made off them by their teachers/ handlers. Last week over 70 Syrian refuges with fake passports were placed on a TAP Air Portugal plane and the crew was forced, at gun point, to fly them to Portugal. As is to be expected, Tap Air Portugal is now refusing to fly into Guinea Bissau. Rumor has it that over $350,000. exchanged hands over the deal. http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/tap-suspends-flights-to-guinea-bissau-following-serious-breach-in-security/30130

Apparently the interim government has been collecting taxes and fees and making sure that the money gets into the bank instead of into various government officials pockets. (This is a good thing.) However, the bank is refusing to pay the money back out to the government due to numerous past loans which have remained unpaid. So the government does not have the money to pay it’s employees. Now all the public employees are on strike because they haven’t been paid in three months. All public transport is on strike in support of the government workers. Most everything is closed including the hospitals. post offices, and businesses. People can’t get to work even if they wanted to.

On a personal level, our return plane ticket is with TAP Air Portugal. Getting home may be “interesting”. One of my favorite church ladies and member of the Women’s Sewing Group by the name of Tia Guida, was in the hospital up until today when it closed. John can’t mail his reports to our book keeper back in the States, And, of course, the license for the radio station cannot be issued as the government offices are closed. Our internet is over the cell phone system which has it’s offices in Bissau, the capital city. who knows how long they can remain operational.

So there is a lot to pray for. Remember “We war not against flesh and blood…Ephesians 6: 12.” Your prayers are greatly needed and deeply appreciated.

Your Sister in Christ Jesus,
Rachel Hiskey

Well here we are back in Africa. After traveling through 27 States this past summer with Pastor Tony Vaz, our Church told us we were to take three months off. Did we ever need it! And we were obedient to this…..most of the time. We only did a couple three (maybe four) more presentations, visited Barb and Skeeter Was in Vancouver, WA and checked out some solar panel options for the radio station. It was a good thing we were somewhat rested up because we arrived home in Gabu (after a 2 day journey) to find a hungry young couple standing in our veranda needing a place to stay. Needless to say, the pantry was almost bare. Have you ever had mushroom soup with corn and garbanzo beans? It was actually quite good. Hunger is the best sauce, I always say. This young American couple was here from the neighboring country of Guinea Conakry scouting out places for their church to send missionaries. Please pray that much good for the Kingdom would come from their work.

We’ve been in country about 20 days and, so far, have hosted 15 people most of whom have been doing short term missions. They are from all over including Indonesia, Germany, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and, of course, America. I am glad we were rested. John is down with malaria, but is recovering rapidly. The malaria is vicious this year and many people are quite sick with upset stomachs and lung congestion along with the usual aches and chills. For awhile John lost his voice and was squeaking around. If your sick, you may as well be entertaining too. As a nurse, Gillie has been inundated with the ill. Please pray for our health and for strength to those who are treating the ill. Beyond that, pray that the malaria vaccine would become available to this count

PTL! The much needed (larger) guest house on the Jericho Base is scheduled for completion this year. More and more people are coming to stay for the short term and for education. PTL! All the funds have been donated. However, we are still in need of some skilled people to help out in a timely fashion. Please pray for an electrician and a plumber to come along side us in this project. We won’t turn down others such as roofers, carpenters, painters, etc. Our current guest house is getting a coat of paint in a few days. It really needs it. I can hardly wait.

Also please pray for these other project needs to be completed:
Doors and windows for the Cambajaba church.
Do the documents and build a church in Kuton.
Build the School in Sincha Butche
Work on the school and church in Che’ Che’
Finish building Pr. Tony Vaz’s Church.

PTL! The Radio Station is completed! All we need now is the final licence and we are ready to broadcast. However, the employees of the interim government that we have right now either don’t know what they are doing or are trying to hold out for more money or are just “having fun” jerking people around. All documents and construction have been completed but they are stalling on releasing the licence. Please pray that the Radio licence would be given soon.

The country of Senegal, just to the North of us is now requiring a visa from Americans. In the past we have freely traveled there to do banking, get medical care, and obtain provisions. We’ve tried to get a Visa on line. They tell us to go to the Senegalese Embassy. The Senegalese embassy says we have to pre apply on line and then to to Mbour at the other end of the country. Mbour says they do’n’t give out visas. The on line site does not work. Etc. Etc. Etc. Please Pray that this would get straightened out.

Elections are scheduled for next Spring. Pastor Ze Palo, who was head of the country’s largest church, quit his position several years ago and, went to college in Portugal to obtain a law degree in preparation for running for President. He is a wonderful Christian man, well qualified, and morally upright. Just exactly what this country needs. Please pray for his victory and safety. Being a politician in this country usually means a short life expectancy. He has already had several threats.

Please pray against the spirit of division that is working overtime against the Christians here in Guinea Bissau. There is much “He said…” She said…” No I didn’t…’ ” Yes, you did….” type of thing going on. It is impossible to get to the bottom of things so we know it is from the enemy. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly place. Ephesians 6:12.

It is no wonder that the enemy is working so hard against us Christians. Last week we had a short term team return from working with the Podjadinka. for a week. They saw the early church in action with many miracles, healing and casting out of demons. There were exactly 100 conversions, 99 from the village along with their taxi driver. Now there is a desperate need for disciplining these new Babes in Christ. Please pray that a Pastor or Missionary couple would be called to serve there.

The southern part of our region is mostly unreached. The last of the 7 Jericho project villages, Madina Boi, is located there. We have been invited to establish a church there but is it very remote and we have no one to send. We were going to visit there last week but John got sick. We just heard from someone traveling that road and their car got stuck in mud holes several times. Please ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers to this area.

Please ask God to bless Pastor Raul. He has been serving the church in Sonako for several years. Over a year ago the man in the US who was supporting him passed away. This has been a terrible hardship on Pr. Raul, his wife and young daughter. However he has remained faithful to God’s call upon his life and the Church is doing well and growing.

You know you’ve been in Africa too long when:

The day’s entertainment consists of watching the trucks try to get out of the big pot hole in front of your house.

The evening’s entertainment consists of watching the neighbors chase a huge pack rat around trying to kill it.

May the Lord richly bless you for all of your prayers!

Your Sister in Christ,

Dear Pastor Ed, Family, Friends, and Prayer Partners,

Happy New Year! 2011 has been an action packed year for us and Servants to Missions. I was able to come over to Africa for the first three months. ((just enough time for me to remember most of the language I had forgotten)

And then back to Idaho to Daddy sit. (Actually he is doing quite well for 93) John joined me in July and we took several forays across the US contacting churches, organizations, and individuals involved with the work here in Guinea Bissau. Then we would rush back to Idaho to check on Dad’s care. We even managed to get in our son’s wedding. (What a wonderful new daughter-in-law!) John returned to Africa in November and I joined him in December. Unfortunately we didn’t have near enough time nor energy to see everyone that we wished. Which brings me to our first prayer point.

We are considering splitting our time equally between the US and Africa. Many of the Nationals are trained and doing well with out our continual involvement. That way we can focus on generating support for their needs in the U.S. Please pray that we use our time wisely according to God’s plan for the work here.

PTL! The Bible School is up and running!

Construction of the classrooms is essentially completed and they are furnished with the desks chairs and equipment sent on the container which FINALLY arrived….Another PTL! We held our first conference there earlier this month. What a sense of accomplishment and completion! It was so fulfilling to see all of the people coming and learning how to spread the gospel by telling the Bible Stories orally. Everyone was so excited as this is the way their culture operates. We have observed many who are out using their training to reach others.

Please pray for the academic success of the current students and that God would bless them with productive ministries. Also please pray for the upcoming classes that God would call and prepare the hearts of those who will be attending. Last newsletter we asked for prayer for funds needed to build the Bible School office. PTL! The funds have been donated.

The Radio Station is much closer to completion. Masons are out doing finish work on the building even as I type. The broadcast equipment is supposedly sitting in customs in Bissau and we will be trucking after it Tuesday. Funds for the tower and the generator have come in. Now it’s

Just a matter of getting them all here and together Please pray that all the pieces for this radio project would come together.

More PTL’s The foundation for the Guest Housing is being poured and another church is scheduled for construction in Camajaba where there are already 30 believers The container has been such a blessing. We are having such fun handing out Bibles and evangelistic tools. Our store rooms are bursting!

Please pray for the country of Guinea Bissau

. Many of the crops have failed and crime has escalated dramatically. One of the churches has been broken into and everything but 15 chairs and the pulpit has been stolen…..even the drapes were taken. Now the Pastor sleeps there every night. People are getting hungry and desperate. Politically there is a lot of unrest. No one knows for sure if he President is alive or dead and the military were taking shots at each other a few days ago. Lots of rumors. It is all quite entertaining if one is not caught in the cross fire.Please pray for the following needs

:

$20,000 to finish the STM Guest House

$15,000 for the multipurpose center (for hosting conferences and concerts)

$20,000 to build a shop in which we hope to have classes in welding, auto mechanics, construction, and tailoring Our goal is to to train converts so that they can survive the shunning of their families and tithe to the church for it’s support.

$12,000 to ship another container with more materials.

Churches and individuals willing to help in pastor support.

We are faced with a major challenge of providing housing for

Bible School students who want to attend from remote areas.

Our goal is to build dormitory facilities on a separate piece of

land that we already own. This is a major project. We would

really appreciate your prayers in this matter.

Teams to come and do construction projects.

Funds to be able to buy fuel for the generator to run the radio

station on a monthly basis.

Continue to pray for the work in the north. We have lots of material

that needs delivered to the workers there.

One of our dear friends went to be with the Lord in late August this year. He was a big part of the work here and in the north. He is greatly missed here, but I think there was a big party in heaven when Eliot O’Brian came home and Jesus said “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

You know you have been in Africa too long when your only concern upon hearing about the latest coup is if it is safe enough to go into town to buy butter.

May you have a delightful New Year and may God richly bless and protect you. Many heart felt thanks for all that you do for this country and the spread of the Gospel here.

You Sister in Christ,

Rachel Hiskey

Servants to Missions