Before It's Too Late

Getting There Before It's Too Late: (essentials for everyone)

This update, i want to say some things that are essential. No quick overview this time.

We're staying a couple days in a mission guesthouse that had a sign on the kitchen wall with the following inscription:

"The Gospel is only good news if it arrives in time!" -Carl Henry

Those words have been quite sobering. Only a few days ago the 15-year-old daughter of one of our national friends got sick and died. We were able to help the family transport the body back to her family in their village. There are two graveyards in this village --one for so-called "Mohammed followers" and the other for "Jesus followers." The latter was the resting place for only one person. The former held too many to count. When the Usus bury their dead they lay them prostrate in the ground and line sticks across the mouth of the hole. They cover that with leaves and then a mound of the dirt. Within a short amount of time the wood rots and the dirt falls in. I looked around me as they laid her body with those of her ancestors. Within that wooded area i counted seven fresh graves of people that had only passed away within the last couple months or so.
What i'm about to write here will be a hard pill for some of you to swallow, but i ask that you let me know so that we can talk about it in private.

She is in hell now. All those fresh graves and the several in between hold the remains of people who are all in hell. Most of them had never heard the Gospel. Why? And how can we as Christ's Church change that?

Those were not rhetorical questions. Leave a comment.

'til the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Joyful All Ye Nations Rise

Killing a Goat: (essentials for the skimmers)

• Enjoy our December 2011 video.
  
• All four of us are healthy and enjoying Christmas together.
• Wrestling (corey's ministry) has been low in attendance.
• English and Computer classes (Racheal's ministry) is off to a great start.
• African Thanksgiving was a great way to connect with our neighbors and share with them why we were thankful to God. Today we are hosting an African Christmas get together. Please pray!
  

Sharing It with Your Neighbors: (details for the readers)

Dear fellow rejoicers,

As this year comes to a close, we reflect on our first year completed in our new West African home (and also Zambia, and England, and North Carolina, and Senegal, and anywhere else we visited since December 15, 2010).

We want to thank all of you who support us through encouragement, prayers, and finances, without any of which we would not be here. Particularly, we wish to thank those of you who are giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This annual offering represents 50% of our organization's budget. Let me be clear that from our point of view, we would not be here without your giving; but from God's point of view, by giving to missions you're not enabling Him to accomplish anything. To put it bluntly, if you're unable or unwilling to help, He'll find someone who is able or who is willing. However, He has invited you to partner with the Body of Christ, the Church, in reaching the nations. Thank you for answering that invitation to fulfill the Great Commission. Thank you for partnering with us.

Many of the prospective wrestlers never showed up. A few months ago they appeared excited, but neglected to strain themselves during the fasting month of Ramadan. Nowadays they are in no short supply of other excuses. I have a core group of guys from 10 years-old to 30 years-old who come often. Most of the "all talk, no walk" crowd hang out under a baobab tree daily. It's where i first met the faithful few. The tree is impressively huge. At some point in time there seems to have been i fire that hollowed out the tree. You could probably fit a small car inside the cavity, though the opening is overhead and requires you to climb down into it. Last week i decided to go in to see what it looked like from inside. I started to climb up and by the time i got to the mouth of the cavity about 20-30 people had run over. They shouted, "What are you doing?!"
"Going inside the tree," i replied calmly.
"No! You must not!"
"Why? It's just a tree."
"There's something in there. Get down right now!" (The word they used for "something" implies a demonic presence.)
Let me pause here and say we live in a part of the world that the Enemy manifests itself very differently than in the USA. To entertain the idea that a living thing like this tree is demon possessed is not ignorant of the scientific and natural world. It's just a realization that the stuff that happened in the Bible still happens today.
"No. I want to see the inside of the tree."
"Aren't you afraid of the demon?" (Now they used the word "demon" no longer simply implying.)
"No. I believe in Jesus. He will protect me."
From inside the tree i could hear the people talking amongst themselves. "Who's in there?" "Is he okay?" "Has the giant [demonic] cobra come to get him yet?" I didn't see anything but a beautiful inside of a tree. A few minutes later when i came out the silent look on everyone's face said, "How on earth are you still alive. No one comes out of that tree alive." I told them that Jesus protected me. I told them that demons are afraid of Him. That asked if i was afraid. I simply told them that i placed all my fear in God, and i didn't have anymore fear left to put in other things like demons. I'm very excited to see how this will affect my relationship with the people. More importantly, i'm looking forward to seeing how this will affect their relationship with their Maker.

Racheal has started teaching English classes and Computer classes to nationals at "The Wisdom House." That is a facility that is maintained by our organizations. Classes like these allow her to build relationships with her twelve students. Please pray for those relationships. She recently found some ESL literature (textbooks, etc.) to hold classes in four levels of English. Racheal's first Level I class finished this week. Levels I and II will being January 17. Please pray for divine appointments with the students.

Please pray for church volunteer groups that are preparing to come to work with the Usus people. Pray that more volunteer team would be touched to come here also and join us in the work God is doing in this people.

Merry Christmas from West Africa!
'til the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Baby #2

Giving Birth (essentials for the skimmers):

• Watch our latest video: Episode 5
• We're back in our country of residence.
• We've been kinda sick, nothing too serious, but haven't been able to get out and about much since our return.

Catching the Baby (extras for the more detail oriented):

Dear brethren and sistren,

Sorry for the delays in getting this episode to you. I know many of you have been chompin' at the bit for some info on the new one.

So there we were in the delivery room. Racheal was a huffin' and a puffin'. River's head starts to come out and the doctor looks at me and says, "Would you like to catch him?" "Uh huh," i squeezed out, unsure of what he meant. He replied, "Put some glove on." So he stepped to one side and i got there just in the nick of time. On the next push, he fell right into my arms. What an experience! It made me thankful we had the baby here. Most western country doctors wouldn't let you do that.

Since then Fisher spilled juice on our computer. Thankfully, we had purchased Geek Squad insurance with accidental protection. They're going to fix it or replace it for free! However, that means no videos 'til we can send it back, have it fixed, then have someone (a volunteer team) bring it back.

Prayer ReQuests:

• Life with a new baby in West Africa is stressful to say the least.
• Thank God for River's health. He's been sick the least since we got back.
• Fisher and Racheal have impetigo, a skin infection. Fisher's has been pretty bad, but it seems to be clearing up with multiple baths daily and topical cream and antibiotics.
• Corey and Racheal have a sinus infection that will not go away. Corey's has been going on for 6 weeks and Racheal's just started. Sniff sniff.

'til the whole world hears,

corey reid pendergrass

Seperated

Dear you,

Racheal left me. She packed her bags, took the kid, and left me. No, we did not have a falling out. Much the contrary. We made a baby. It's been almost two weeks since she left to go to Senegal, West Africa where there is higher medical care. She is due to deliver September 17 or so (depending on which doctor you ask). Rightly so, our mission gives pregnant people two months of maternity leave and one month to their babies' daddies. That being said, i'll rejoin Racheal, Fisher, and River (in utero) about three weeks from now (September 10th, tentative fly date).

I've been stalling writing a blog entry because of the BIG NEWS that's arriving late September. Nevertheless, things are happening here that are so awesome i can't wait to tell you all.

The other day i was talking with some young men at the river port in our town that work most days in neck-deep water, shoveling sand from the river bottom to a wooden boat above their head. They then drag the loaded boat back to shore and pile the sand to sell or to mix into cinder blocks. These guys are ripped. I mean, they have muscles popping out of their eyeballs. I introduced myself and asked if they by chance ever wrestled. Wrestling is very popular in other parts of West Africa, but not in Usus land. Nevertheless, they had the frames for it. That expressed a desire to wrestle, but had no one to teach them. You could have seen the "divine appointment" light bulb click on above my head. "Well, in the United States i was a wrestling coach." They replied with glee, "Would you teach us?!" Long story, short, we are practicing every weekday at 5pm in a sand pit outside town. Right now is Ramadan (the month of Muslim daytime fasting), so most of the guys have expressed desire to come starting next month. We're already planning the first tournament in mid-December, to be held in the community center a hundred yards from our house.

I decided as i learn more and more Usus language, i could still do some ministry in the market/taxi stop, also a hundred yards from our house. I just showed up one day last week and sat on a bench beside a group of men and women, many selling fruit or waiting for their taxi to fill up so they can make their long journey to another city or town. Many of them are drivers themselves that have found it hard to find work during the rainy season, when the roads are totally are almost impassible. They have nothing to do except sit around and talk about the weather... and listen to God's word being read aloud. It's funny. People here are almost all folk-Muslims. It's Ramadan so even the less faithful, are doing their best to appear devout (In Christianity, you might call them "Chreasters," the people that come out twice a year... Christmas + Easter.). So several have asked me to come back every afternoon and read to them. When i get there some unashamedly sit next to me and read over my shoulder, even help me pronounce. Most sit within earshot, facing to one side, trying to not appear to the rest of the market as interested. At this point, we only have the New Testament translation finalized, so i started with Matthew 1 and i'm just reading through. I never would have thought i would start a presentation of the Gospel with a long genealogy. Reading a list of 42 hard-to-pronounce names in any language is not my idea of good time. But, in this part of the world, that genealogy is just as meaningful as the story Jesus feeding the 5000 or the Last Supper. Go figure.

Prayer ReQuests:

• Pray for Racheal and company. It's been very hard to rest with a fetus that dances all night (I think he got that from my mother-in-law, Renée) and a 23-month-old that wakes up at 5am shouting "COREY! COREY!"
  
  
• Pray for Racheal and i as we are apartt. That we would use this time to seek the Lord. That our minds would be quickened against the Enemy. That we would be able to glorify the Lord even when half of us is 450+ miles away.
• Pray for the wrestlers in Usus land. Pray that this sport would give way to build relationships. Pray that those relationships would give way to the Gospel.
• Pray for the men and women at the taxi stop. Pray for them to understand God's Word as i butcher the Usus language (I've been told that may be a blessing in disguise as people have to listen more intently than if i read perfectly).
  
  

'til the whole world hears,

corey reid pendergrass

A Time to Mourn

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Dear friends and family,

For a few months you've known that there has been a serious illness in our family. During that time my daddy-in-law, Randy Roberts, battled a very aggressive cancer. Last Tuesday, he died. It is our belief that Randy is now with his Maker. Though it's been a stressful time (That's very understated.), we praise the Lord for Randy's life.



We wanted to send Racheal and Fisher to yesterday's memorial celebration in North Carolina, but it didn't work out. Instead, we've asked Racheal's oldest brother, Randall, to come help her in Dakar while i, corey, can't be there. We'll be flying him there in a few weeks.

So this Sunday, Racheal and Fisher (and River, as if he had a choice) are headed to Dakar where there's better medical care for birthing babies. They'll be there for about two months; Randall will come in to help Racheal get around and watch Fisher while she's in the doctor visits (No kids allowed.). I'll join them in early September, pending River's progress. After the birth, Randall will return to the States and the four of us Pendergrasses will return to our home in Usus land.

Prayer ReQuests:

• Pray for Racheal traveling alone with a watermelon growing on her belly and a near 2-year-old on her hip. Plus luggage. Yikes.
  
  
• Pray for River and Racheal's health. They're doing fairly well.
• Pray for Racheal's family in the States and us in West Africa grieving the passing of her father.
• Pray for me, corey, as i'll have to be without my precious family for about a month.
  
  

'til the whole world hears,

corey reid pendergrass

Vagabonds

Receiving Our Crate... (essentials for the skimmers):

• Watch our latest video: Episode 4!
• We are all pretty healthy.
• We are being more intentional about having meaningful conversations with our neighbors.
• After 9 months of waiting, our crate has arrived!
• Happy USA Independence Day
  

...with Nothing Lost or Stolen (extras for the detail-junkies):

Dear friends,

Well, we made it back to West Africa and have been been getting resettled. It's been an eventful month since we got back.

Racheal will be flying to Sengeal to deliver River. However, the airline wasn't going to let her on this late in the pregnancy, but our diligent mission personnel wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and they were able to get special permission.

A few days ago our crate arrived. We had shipped it on September 24, 2010, 9 months ago. There were many items like major appliances and tools that we were looking forward to. There were tons of things like toys and clothes we'd forgotten about. There were some things like a DC-to-AC electricity inverter that will be so helpful. There were some things like a fish tank vacuum siphon that made us wonder why we put it in the crate. All-in-all, it's been a fun exciting time. It's funny to think about most of the problems and struggles of the last several months we've spent in West Africa. Most of those headaches from the Enemy could have been alleviated by something in that wooden box. However, let us not assume that we are now out of the Enemy's reach.

Prayer ReQuests:

• Praise the Lord for our time in NC and being able to return here.
  
• Pray for Racheal and River in the last two months of the pregnancy.
• Pray for Dave, Gabe, May, Goose, and Macy who we're building relationships with. Pray that those relationships would allow for a solid sharing of the Gospel.
  
• Pray for Racheal and Fisher and River as they will travel to Senegal soon. Pray for corey as he will have to wait another month after they leave.
  

'til the whole world hears,

corey reid pendergrass

Back in West Africa

Hey family abroad,
As you know, Racheal, Fisher, River (in utero), and i had to bail on 40/40 in Zambia, because of a family crisis. My father-in-law has stage-4 cancer. We made it to NC safe and sound. The fun thing is our families had no idea. We just showed up and surprised them. It was perfect!
First, for those of you in the Winston-Salem area, thanks for just enough face-to-face support while keeping a respectful distance most of the time. We needed time with her family, and we were able to do just that.
Over the month of May we got fat and healthy in NC. We know this because in West Africa, being overweight is compliment-worthy. "Oh, look how fat you've gotten," is supposed to make you feel better. We ate lots of buffets and ice cream in NC, and when the time was right, we booked our tickets back to West Africa. We've had a very good transition back into our lives here.
PrayeRequests:

• Pray for our loved ones back home. This fight with cancer has been a time of pain for several people, but also a time of spiritual crossroads. May we praise the Father in all of it!
  
• Pray for our adjustments back into West African life. Now we are paying for sleeping in A/C for the past month with our sweat. Fisher has a pretty bad rash/burn from a bite or allergic reaction on his torso, and we don't know what it is, but it's healing now. We have our usual "bowel complaints" again.
• Pray for our time usage. Since we've been back we've been unpacking, fixing busted pipes, buying and installing A/Cs, fixing the generator, fixing the backup generator, restocking the kitchen... the list goes on and on. I feel like the Enemy keeps us busy with temporary things... but at the same time, they are necessary things. What to do?
  

'til the whole world hears,

corey reid pendergrass

PS. I wanted to tell/remind you that there are some cool Sub-Saharan African resources out there for you and your church. AfricaStories.org is an online resource full of video and articles to pray through. The IMB catalog has lots of cheap and free stuff too. I recommend the "Africa Stories Spring 2011" magazine.