Andrew and Esther Schaeffer

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

https://youtu.be/yUU7iv_8zjw

WISE INVESTMENTS
July, 2021
Dear friends,
As we get older, we want to be sure we are using our resources as well as we can to further the Kingdom of Christ. We are involved in leadership development, investing in our Bible school students, and looking to equip them for full-time ministry. But we also want to invest well in the young people around us, especially in a country where such a large percentage of the population is under the age of 18. These young people face the challenges of getting an education, finding work, and developing purposeful lives.

For many years we have been doing Bible clubs and youth camps, especially during the summer months. This past week, we were involved in a camp for members of our church club. Stella, a young woman who taught alongside me, was just a girl when I began investing in her by helping pay her school fees and keeping her connected to Christ through a Bible club ministry. Now we were working side by side, investing in the next generation.

The woman who taught the younger campers, was another we helped, enabling her to attend a teacher's training course at a time when she didn’t have much direction for her life. Several other camp leaders have benefitted in one way or another from our team’s commitment to invest in young people.

So often, a timely word, an outstretched hand, and always a listening ear, can make the difference between whether a young person stays connected to the Lord Jesus and His church or if they drift away and forget all that Christ should be to them. Summer, with the break from school activities, has proven to be a great time to invest in young people.

We are thankful to be supported by you and to work with such a wonderful church that is committed to youth ministries. Pray that summer camps, English classes, and seminars will prove to be a solid and lasting investment for our team.
Blessings, Andrew and Esther Schaeffer

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Andrew & Esther Schaeffer
Mission Protestante C&MA B.P. 3050;
Bobo-Dioulasso 01 Burkina Faso, West Africa
Andrew: aeschaeffer@gmail.com
Esther: estherschaeffer@gmail.com

DONATE: We are supported through the ‘Great Commission Fund’. You can also contribute to support and work fund projects at www.cmalliance.org/give/ or by writing a check to “The Alliance” (memo: “for Andrew Schaeffer ministry”) and sending it to:
The Alliance, 8595 Explorer Drive,
Colorado Springs CO 80920.
Regular updates from MailChimp and www.cmalliance.org/subscribe

BOBO TEAM TWITTER PAGE: bobo_team

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

July 22, 2021
1. We had a wonderful time with our children, grandchildren, and many others. We went to three weddings and had most of the Schaeffer family under one roof for a few days. Believe me it was a very large roof!
2. Our daughter Rebekah has come back with us for the summer and we are teaching English classes and working on Sunday School materials. Pray for the students attending our classes and other camp events where we will be speaking.
3. Pray for our weekly ministry at the prison. We are waiting for access to be granted to us again as there have been some changes at the prison.
4. Pray for the security situation in this country. Pray for military families and chaplains.

July 8, 2021
1. Traveling is more of a challenge. Pray that our COVID tests would be negative and that results would return before we fly! Connections, luggage, you would think that we would know the drill by now! Thankful for those who have helped by packing and taking us to the airport. Pray that we would go with joy.
2. Rebekah will travel with us! She will teach English for a few weeks. Pray for just the right students. She will also try to get her mother organized and down-sized, if that is even possible.
3. Pray for our team as we look ahead to upcoming ministry initiatives. We are few in number and many opportunities to serve are before us. Pray that we would invest our time and resources well.
4. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness in our prison ministry. Pray that nothing would hinder us from sharing the Gospel at our local prison. Pray for a young man that needs the light of Christ to shine in his life.
July 2, 2021
1. We have just a few days left and are in those frantic times of lists and packings and saying goodbye. We are so thankful for these memorable days with family. Certainly, we can say that the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts and renews us for more faithful service. You walk this journey with us and we are thankful.
2. Our son David and his wife Jillian have been accepted for a post-residency program with Samaritan’s Purse. They have begun their final year of surgical residency. Pray that the Lord would clearly guide in deciding where they will be placed (we, of course are wanting to pull them to Burkina!)
3. Maybe you have experienced unprecedented heat this summer, but in Burkina, when the rains do not come or do not start when they are supposed to, it is disastrous. Most of our pastors depend on their crops to feed their families and provide money for their children’s school fees. Add to this the increasing number of displaced people (those who do not have fields to plant), and this becomes an even greater problem. Pray for a good rainy season.
4. Pray as we travel, both in getting to Burkina and also the travel to the city where we live (about six hours). Pray for negative COVID tests and that we can get the results in a timely way. Pray that we would go rejoicing!

June 22, 2021

1. We are thankful for these weeks we have had with family and friends. What is it about play houses and bubbles and reading those classic children’s books? We are thankful. Pray for our son David and his wife as they have an important interview this week to determine future ministry.
2. Our country of service sure needs prayer. Please stand with us in praying for the security situation and the huge number of displaced people. Pray for our church and their relief group that is working to bring help to those in our region of the country.
3. Pray as we prepare for summer ministries. Our daughter Rebekah will return with us and teach English. We have several youth camps that we will be helping.
4. Pray for students as they get the results back from their end of term exams. Pray for those that did not pass, that they will be strengthened in the Lord. Pray for those who will be making decisions about further schooling. Pray for pastors’ kids that are putting in job applications.

June 2, 2021

1. We are so thankful for these special moments with our children. After not being able to be together as a family last summer (COVID), we appreciated so much our immediate family all being under one roof for a few days. We were thrilled to meet our new grandson and get reacquainted with our other grandchildren.

2. Pray as we get vaccinated, as we take care of some other minor medical things, and visit our children in their different settings.

3. Help us by praying for two women that I work with who need a miracle in their situations.

4. Pray for a team preparing to come this summer, focusing on women's ministries. Pray for safety and health in their travels and that the Lord would give a far-reaching impact to their time with them.

May 21, 2021

1. We are thankful for uneventful travels to the U.S. and hope today to see our new grandson! Thank you for your prayers for us. Our family hopes to all be together next weekend.

2. We are also thankful for a wonderful graduation ceremony. Pray for our students as they begin fulltime pastoral ministry.

3. Pray for a woman at the prison who is in desperate need of a miracle. Pray as she grapples with her situation that she will come to know the Lord Jesus as her Savior and Friend. Pray for our team that continues with their weekly visits.

4. Pray for churches that are organizing camps and summer programs. Pray for decisions regarding speakers and locations and funding.

May 14, 2021

1. One of those weeks that is full to the brim but also with many blessings. Andrew spoke at a seminar on the life of A.B.Simpson. Much interest and questions asked and we are thankful for this opportunity.

2. And my last week with my Bible studies. We have learned so many lessons. Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach these women and that the Word of God will dwell richly in these women.

3. We will be speaking at a Sunday School event. Just finished a Sunday School manual in Jula. That has been a project waiting to happen for way to long. Thankful to have it done and dropped off at the printers. Pray that it will be a useful tool to our teachers.

4. We hope to travel to the U.S. this next week. Pray that we can finish things and test negative for COVID and enjoy this time with our children.

May 6, 2021

1. This is a big week for us with a two-day seminar leading up to graduation at our Bible School. We have been invited to speak at an English club at a local University as well as sharing with a group of servant girls. We are also getting ready to leave for the U.S. shortly after graduation so that we can hold some grandbabies! Pray that we will prioritize our schedules and lean on the Lord Jesus for wisdom and strength.

2. Pray for a deaf woman who is facing yet another difficulty. Thieves broke into her house and took all her money, phone, and other valuables. She has been struggling with loss of eyesight as well. Pray that she will come to know Christ in the midst of all these problems. Pray for our team as we help her and others in the deaf community that are in difficult situations.

3. We are working on a Sunday school manual in the Jula language. Pray for the team working on this project, that the translation will be clear and the typing accurate - no spell check for Jula!

4. Such a joy at the prison this past week. A woman was released after ten years. She accepted Christ and was baptized while in prison. Pray as she rejoins her family, looks for a church home, and finds a job.

Burkina Faso

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