Update #4 from LINK Business Vision Discovery Mission

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow! As we reflect on today, it's hard to even express in words the mixture of emotions. Those of you who have been to Niger know exactly what we're talking about, don't you? It's that day that seems so busy you don't really have time to process it all... until we take time to sit down together as a team and share our experiences.

Today was a day full of driving on roads that seemed more like paths for cattle, walking through such high winds that the desert sand got in your eyes and mouth, and then listening to testimonies from the Gourmanche tribe that made you realize that potholes and dust are minor inconveniences. We saw faces of stone, women who are visibly weary from their 18 hour + workdays, but who still find the strength to travel miles a day to learn how to read and write for the first time so that they can read the word of God (the Bible will be the first book they ever read!) and learn how to sew to help support their families. We went to a well dug by ministry partners working together in Niger. As we started gathering at the well, children from the neighboring village began to congregate around us. They were curious about who we were and interested in why we were there. We asked if we could take a few pictures and then started handing out lollipops! You can only imagine the response - they were so full of excitement! And it was just a lollipop :)

We celebrated the inauguration of The LINK™ Outreach Center this evening with local missionaries and pastors who have been impacted by the work of The LINK™. It was a time of fellowship, prayer, and dedication. There were more than 6 countries represented, all serving the same mighty God! It was a tiny glimpse of what heaven might be like, with many voices lifted in prayer and song. With so many people calling out to God at the same time, it sounded like a beautiful orchestra; one that could only be directed by our one true Savior.

And to think...this was only day 2.

The 2012 LINK™ Business Vision Discovery Mission
The LINK™/Effective Ministries, Inc. Staff