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A WAY OUT OF THE WILDERNESS

For many, recent days have felt like a wilderness.  Covid-19 has stopped some people in their tracks; and life has felt uncertain.  But the Lord does not forsake his children.  (Deuteronomy 31:6) The way out of the wilderness is to learn God’s ways and stay in His Presence (Ex 33:1-17). The current state of our world does not take God by surprise.  We have nothing to fear because He has already won the victory!   “God is faithful; He fulfills His promises (2Co 1:20; 1The 5:24)! 

Like the Lord caused the waters of the Jordan to stand up in one heap for the Israelite's to cross into the Promised Land on “dry ground,”  so we can be confident the Lord is taking us, His people, to a better place!
Therefore, let us persevere in trusting Him. For it is the persevering heart of faith that bears fruit (Lk 8:15).

Chip recently shared words of encouragement on our Facebook page.  We thought you might like to hear the message he shared!

CHIP'S RETURN FROM WACA

Just over two months ago, Chip was in Africa trying to get out of Nigeria before the nation completely shut down.  The Holy Spirit put an urgency in Kathy's heart to get Chip out of Africa a week before he was scheduled to fly out.  With many phone calls, airline searches and e-mails, the Lord went before us, and Chip was able to get out on the very last KLM flight leaving Nigeria.  Due to traveling through Europe, he was quarantined for fourteen days.  But that was MUCH BETTER than the option of “staying there indefinitely,” which was the message from the State Department for any US citizens who did not “return immediately.” 
"The Valley of the Shadow of Death"  (a note from Chip)
The medical systems in WACA are little to non-existent. Partly because of this, most of the governments in West and Central Africa (WACA) have been much more austere in their lock-downs than the USA. Some believe this is why Africa as a whole has not had such explosive “hot spots.” As of May 14, 723 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 out of 28,404 total cases in the 24 WACA countries. Comparatively, the USA reported 85,751 deaths out of 1,439,448 total cases on May 14. We have a great concern that when the restrictions are lifted, the number of cases will quickly explode, that the “curve has been flattened” too much. No one knows for sure why the virus has not yet “exploded” across Africa: whether it is because strong immune systems have been developed from fighting off the many other diseases without vaccines, the large “Youth Bubble” (the median age in Africa is 19-20 years old), that the population is largely rural (spread out), lack of travel, the strict government restrictions that were implemented early and continue, or some other reason.
 
I’m reminded of a podcast of Kris Vallotton’s that I listened to recently. He pointed out that if there is a shadow, that means there is light making the shadow! Keep walking towards the light. Don’t stop in the valley! Let us keep walking forward to the hope set before us (Heb 6:14-18).
 
While all 50 states in the USA are relaxing at least some of their lock-down restrictions now, moving towards reopening the economy, travel across most borders
and all airports across WACA are completely shut down. Africa is significantly behind the USA in the rate of infection of the virus.
 
Lock-down within countries varies from severe to lax. In CAR there are basically no restrictions to internal travel, whereas no one has been able to come into or leave Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. In Liberia the lockdown has allowed only one person per household to go get food for the family for one to two hours a day. Many in WACA do not have refrigerators and eat only one meal per day, and many small businesses resell foreign goods, which essentially has stopped with the closure of borders and airports. These factors and others make us concerned that the economic impact and starvation that results from the many of the WACA governments’ austere severe restrictions will far outweigh the COVID-19 pandemic. We have reworked our 2020 plan to emphasize Farming God’s Way and other innovations to do all we can to help our brothers and sisters in WACA.
 
Please pray for Father to provide their  “daily bread,” even as you pray for Him to meet your needs, too. The harsh government shut downs may easily result in the curative measures to be more severe than the pandemic itself. Let us pray for wisdom of the leaders and beseech the Lord to spare Africa the scourge this pandemic has been to the West.


The shutdown due to the pandemic began after the Nigeria and Guinea Leadership Development Academies (LDA) were all under way.   Even before I flew home, it was impossible to get the students home, so we continued the 3 month training.  What a great group of LDA alumni! Both LDA's finished at the beginning of the month.  We are still mid-stream, trying to get them home. As a dear friend in South Africa recently texted me, “They are scattered like the early church.” The Lord is working behind the scenes in so many ways to expand His kingdom!   While our accommodation and food expense is higher than we budgeted for the LDA’s, we are trusting the Lord to meet every need, as we work to get them home. Thank you for joining us in meeting these needs and agreeing with us in prayer for the safe return home of each one. In the meantime, we have found out that Zoom calls work rather well, even in WACA! So, we are regularly encouraging and ministering to the remaining LDA graduates and are beginning to implement Zoom meetings between our leaders there and here.  The Lord has caused us to “stumble” onto this platform to be able to communicate with our team and among themselves for the expansion of His kingdom (Rom 8:28)!

BUT GOD...

COVID-19 did not take God by surprise. One of our Chad coordinators says it best, "Though things are "locked down" in Chad, THE GOSPEL IS NOT IMPRISONED!" We are seeing God move in mighty ways throughout WACA. In Côte d'Ivoire, we have a team of 12 delivering masks with hand soap, planting churches, and loving on the villagers. In one village, 131 people came to know Jesus. In Chad, there are baptisms taking place in villages as the coordinators travel to the different villages sharing the love of Jesus. In CAR, internal travel is still uninhibited, and we are making significant strides in previously war-torn areas in the northwest and the middle north of the country. While we are seeing harvest even in this time, we are expecting an even greater harvest when things open up!

 

One of our schools in Cote d’Ivoire is continuing to meet. They are going through "Cell Church," a Live School course by Lawrence Khong. In it, he compares a church with cells to a church of cells. How appropriate! While the Message of the Church remains the same, the methods we use must change. Live School is becoming more relevant as a result of this pandemic! Rather than be “couch potatoes” and watching the “professional” pastor do everything, those in cell churches find, use, and mature in their gifts. We are called to make disciples who make disciples (Mat 28:18-20; 2 Tim 2:2). What the devil has meant for harm, the Lord is turning on its head for HIS glory!

SONRISE TEAM SPOTLIGHT

Amy Carroll, one of Chip’s three daughters, has recently joined the Sonrise team. In December of 2016,  she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Following graduation, Amy gained three years of experience working in an administrative role for a company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A few months before leaving that position, God began a deep work in Amy that would eventually lead her to resign from her steady, predictable job and explore the many passions God put in her. She heard God speak to her heart, “Amy, are you going to take the first step I have shown you, even if you don’t know the next five steps yet?” It was a call to obedience and to trust him on a deeper level. It was a call to step away from control, anxiety and fear of man and into freedom. This guiding, loving and personal nature of God fuels her passion to see the lost be found through the power of the cross. God has continued to guide Amy step by step, and she joined Sonrise International in March, 2020. She has enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of a ministry where the central focus is furthering the Kingdom of God. In Amy’s words, “I love having the liberty to be creative and share the heart of the ministry – which encompasses my ultimate passion of reaching the lost.” 

Join Us in Our Mission in Reaching the Unreached

GIVE
Thank you for your support!  If you would like to be more involved in what Sonrise is doing in WACA or would like Chip to come minister at your church or meeting, please contact mollie@sonriseintl.com.
May the Lord's blessings rest on you, that all nations might know His glory. (Genesis 12:1-3 & Psalms 67:1-2)
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Sonrise International, Inc.
10448 Ashford Court
Owasso, OK 74055

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