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

Imagine that there was a deadly plague sweeping the country and it was 100% fatal. Due to the recommendation of a very influential friend, you were selected to be immunized. As many of the regular medical personnel were already dead, you were given a brief training on how to give injections. Then you were given a large supply of the vaccine and told to go out and immunize as many as you could. When you rushed out to distribute the vaccine you were totally mystified at the reactions you encountered. Some said they were busy and to “come back next week.” Others refused because of the discomfort they thought they might experience. Some said the vaccine was only a placebo and there was no such thing. Many insisted that there were other ways to avoid the plague. Some were so angry that they slammed the door in your face and even threatened to kill you. Only a very few were receptive.

After becoming quite discouraged, you talked with others who had been immunized. They told you that you needed to study the policies and procedures manual more before offering the vaccine. So you joined study groups and read the manual each day. Some claimed they had had much success so they had written step by step books on how to immunize effectively. You soon had a whole collection of these on your book shelf. Strangely, all this expertise only made you feel ever more inadequate. Of course, as you searched for more effective ways to get people to accept the vaccine, you developed friendships with the other immunizees and soon were involved in frequent potlucks and outing to discuss you ambitions and plan strategies for inoculation. All this activity was very time consuming and exhausting. Then, one day, you realized it was too late, you couldn’t even remember the last time you had immunized someone, and all the uninjected were dead.

Life is fatal. Everyone will die without the saving knowledge of Jesus. He told us to go into all the world and make disciples. You are entrusted with the lifesaving “vaccine” What are you doing with it?

The time is short. During my last trip to Guinea Bissau, many Muslims came up to me and told me “Jesus is coming back soon.” I discussed this with the pastors there. They said even the people in the most remote villages where only spirits were worshipped were all saying that the end was coming soon.

Enough preaching! Here’s what’s been happening. John came back to the States in May and we actually were able to spend some precious time with family and each other. Our travels were not as far reaching as in other years. Sorry if we did not get to see you but our families needed us. Now John is back in Africa. He flew over on 9/11 on an almost empty plane. I am here in Weiser, Idaho continuing to care for my father. Please pray for us as this separation is difficult. Also please pray for wisdom and safety for John. The world is becoming much less friendly.

The second of three Inductive Bible Study training sessions started today. Please pray that the pastors will find this session as valuable as the last one was. After the conference, construction will resume on the Bible School/Teacher College and base housing. We have three very good teachers for the Bible School. Please pray that the Lord would clear the way, especially with their school age children so that they would all be able to serve.

Barb and Skeeter Wass are in the midst of their teacher training classes for the rainy season. They are expecting their first grand child in November and returning in Oct. to be there for this grand event. Please pray for God’s provision so that they might have the means to return to Guinea Bissau and continue the educational system they have developed. Foreign money is now pouring into the country which is building many private Muslim schools. Please pray that this funding would cease and that Christian education would flourish.

Judy Byers just returned to the U.S. Her sister has terminal cancer and Judy is very ill. Please pray for the Lord’s comfort and healing in her life.

A friend of ours from another African country was severely beaten when it was found that he was a Christian. He will be coming here in October to get medical care for the injuries he received. He is also hoping to be able to speak in American churches. I will be hosting some of his travels. Please pray for God’s provision and healing in his life along with traveling mercies.

I will be going to Mexico in October for the opening of the first Masters Bible College which will train educators to provide training in Guinea Bissau and many other third world countries. Please pray for our safety and for the long term success of this College.

Yeah! Our web site is being updated. Still in process but much better. Check it out at www.servantstomissions.org

For a great website (my son is developing it) and a great story (I wrote it) about Aissatu, see The World Wide Christian Network, http://thewwcn.org and then click on “Angels Among Us”. Please pray that the Lord would raise up many people to follow in her footsteps.

Keep on praying! “Deliver us from evil”!

Your Sister in Christ,

Rachel Hiskey

Servants to Missions

208-318-3708
011-245-667-7557