For many years I had an African “grandma.” I called her Pati. Over the years I picked up bits and pieces of information, understanding that for some undisclosed reason, her family had abandoned her—her children, her husband, her sisters and brothers. In this culture, to abandon an elderly mother is unheard of.

As Pati began to lose her eyesight and was unable to care for herself, she was shuffled from one home to the next. During her last two years, she spent most of her days and nights reclining on a hard, wooden chair in the corner of her nephew’s front porch. All her worldly goods were either under her chair or in a little pile next to her.

Sometimes when I went to visit, I couldn’t see Pati’s toenails or fingernails because the grunge was so thick. It made me want to cry. Her clothes smelled, and her hair was matted. I would take her home, bathe her, wash and braid her hair, and do her nails while her clothes were being washed. At the end of the day I would return Pati to her chair on the front porch.

When total blindness set in and I would visit, I tried to sneak up on her if she was resting under the mango tree. I would tiptoe quietly and slowly sit down on the bench next to her. Within a couple seconds, Pati would get all excited, give a little jump, grab me and say, “Biddo an arii! Biddo an arii!” (My daughter has come! My daughter has come!)

It made me happy to give Pati so much joy because I knew she didn’t have much of that. As the months passed, she got weaker, and I kept waiting for someone to come and tell me that she was sick and asking for me. But no one did. Two days after Pati was buried, I heard from a passerby that my “grandma” had died. It hurt that no one had told me.

It has been two years since Grandma died. The other day, Pati’s granddaughter, Iliasou, came to visit me. Although the family had abandoned Pati, Iliasou had taken care of Pati while she was dying. She was the one who closed Pati’s eyes. Before she died, Pati told Iliasou to find me after she was buried.

We talked about Grandma, and we talked about Jesus, who has touched Iliasou’s heart somehow in these two years. She’s no longer the same hard woman she was before. She even has a glow about her face and a soft, sweet smile that she can’t seem to stop.

During our time together, Iliasou told me about a conversation her uncle and older brother had this week. They were discussing the fact that Iliasou wasn’t practicing a local tradition. Her older brother was accusing her of following those “white Christians” like Rougi (that would be me) who only take people away from God. But Uncle chimed in and said, “Rougi isn’t a Christian. She follows God.”

In this culture, “Christian” is almost a dirty word. It is a major insult to call someone a Christian. So for Uncle to say, “Rougi is NOT a Christian—she’s a God follower” was the highest compliment that he could have possibly paid me. Let’s ALL be God followers.

“When I asked if we could challenge the congregation,” said Penny Williams, a church member at Sandusky (Ohio) Alliance Church, “our new pastor, Brian Hickey, raised the bar.” The 40-member church was asked to contribute 1,500 pairs of socks/booties by Labor Day for the “mama packs” that Shelby Alliance Church sends to the Koutiala Hospital for Women and Children in Mali, West Africa.

“Pastor Brian said if we reached the goal, he would dye his hair the three colors of the Mali flag—green, yellow, and red,” said Williams.

The congregation had six weeks to complete the seemingly impossible task. On July 24, the church was still 600 pairs shy of its goal “And I of little faith thought all was lost,” Williams quipped.

But the goal was met and Sandusky Alliance Church presented Shelby Alliance Church with 1,613 pairs of baby socks, as well as blankets, onesies, and knit caps. “The pastor kept his word,” said Williams, “showing up at the event with a colorful new do.”

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

After seeing a video of Jesus’ life based on the Book of Matthew, members of a women’s group in a Thai prison were excited to learn that someday, Jesus is coming back. “You’d think I would have mentioned that before this,” said Alliance missionary Joy Chase, who ministers at the prison with Team Isaan, “but there is so much to teach them and so little time. So today they learned about the Lord’s Second Coming and were quite thrilled.

“The women’s group in this prison is doing well, with many reporting answers to prayer that have strengthened their faith,” said Chase. “One woman learned that she will be released earlier than expected. Another reported that she had a dream where two men touched her back with their hands. When she woke up, her back pain was gone. Still another reported that a daughter who desperately needed a job found a full-time position. They all gave glory to God for these answered prayers.”

Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

• for Pati’s granddaughter, whose heart is softening to the gospel
• for ordinary people empowered by our extraordinary God
• for His answer to prayer

• for the salvation of Iliasou and her relatives
• for God’s blessing on Sandusky Alliance Church
• that God will answer more prayers, showing His power and love for the Thai people