update...and explanation of pictures.

Dear friends,


Today we were able to go and visit the woodcarvers. I can't really express to you how I felt when I saw the market to the ground. I was reminded of devastation that I saw from a tornado that hit Xenia, Ohio. There was just nothing left! You can see from my post of pictures that, that is true. But more than that, the people also were about the same. Most just sitting under the few trees in front of the market that were not burned, hoping for some kind of help. As I talked with them I learned more about what had happened. This was one of those strange happenings. The fire started at a house about 200 meters away. And between that house and the markets was a main road, and another house. The other house was totally untouched. The fire started in the middle of the market and spread outward to the rest within 15-20 min. Those on the ends(including those from our bible study) tried to save items by moving them away from the market, but the fire reached them and burned them up. They lost everything! Our aim was to meet with those from our bible study and have a time of prayer and reading some passages from Scripture. But very quickly it turned into a market wide study. A couple of the pictures I posted shows that time. See over the past few years of having this bible study, we got to know many of those there at the market. Even if they never came to the market they knew we came every thursday for the bible study. It was a great honor to be able to read the Word with so many today. We hope to see them again next time we go in. Then we had a chance to sit down with just those from the bible study(Tiago, Sarafina, Innocentia, and Sylvia). I asked them some questions, and I learned more about there specific needs. See, the biggest problem that they are facing right now, it that there is no food at home. All of them have children, and they all do not know how they will feed them. At the market they are cooking Pap for those there, but that only feeds those at the market not those at home. And since they have no source of income now, there is not much they can do. Please pray that God would provide for these needs. They are also hoping to rebuild, but that seems far off for now. To rebuild there stock would take both time and much money. Please pray that the Lord would provide! More than that though, pray that there dependency would be upon the Lord alone. And that they would "wait on the Lord" and be courageous! That there witness to there fellow carvers would be glorifying to the Lord! I will write more soon....Please Pray!!!