Monica, Anson and Krystal after Anson's baptism	Anson's baptism
The group gathered around "the creek"

Hello my family & friends!

I apologize for this unstable update pattern I have established! Once again I have thought many times about how I need to share with each of you what the Lord is doing here in Mali and in my own life… and just when I was quite sure I was not going to have the time needed to sit down and share with you again… He provided! He always does provide and bless especially when I am not expecting it!

Shortly after my last update our brother, Anson, was baptized! It was a beautiful time! We really encouraged him to take ownership of this symbolic day in his walk. Over 30 adults + kids walked with us to the nearest “creek” where the baptism took place. Some of these adults were the believing leaders of the Supyire and some were from our own family who are definitely not followers of the Jesus Road. They came to see and support Anson in this important decision of obedience in his walk on the Jesus Road. But they also heard the Truth presented in the form of the story of Jesus healing the demoniac, told by our crafter and another brother of ours, reading of the Supyire New Testament translation from Acts 2, and Anson himself told the story of Philip and the African concluding with, “I am like this African man. I want to be baptized today to also show that I follow the Jesus road!” It was a sweet day!

Thank you for your prayers for Anson and our own village family. Several members who we did not expect to come did and several who we asked to come did not. Since this day Anson has expressed with us, weeks after the start, how his life has changed. The way his friendships have disintegrated, how he is constantly mistreated and abused by different people in our village. How he feels like he is all alone. And in many ways he is, Monica & I cannot be there all the time. After a couple of weeks of meeting with our church storying group Monica & I went out of town but left Anson in charge. He was nervous but ready! When we returned he shared with us how through many different efforts not a single person came to here the story that night. Please pray that the Lord would burden Anson for the lives of his own family & people. That he would find strength and boldness in our Lord alone! That he would continue to grow on his walk, not wavering under persecution.

Since the time of Anson’s baptism we have, of course, continued on with our story set. Before we left for our final OneStory training at the end of May we submitted the remained of our set! We have 31 stories submitted to our translation consultant for approval! Over 20 of these stories we are currently finishing the details for stage one approval. The way the OneStory projects are set up there are different stages of story approval, stage one is for the individual stories. For the details of the wording of the in both Supyire and its English translation to make sure the truth of scripture is communicated clearly. The second stage approval is for the story set as a whole, which can only come after each individual story is approved. Only after we have the entire set approved can we start the final –radio style- recording process. So at this time in our project Monica & I are spending much more time behind the computer than we have yet in our time here. Which is tough for me but it is our desire that those whom we are leaving behind will receive a Supyrie story set that they will be able to use for evangelism & discipleship for years to come! Please pray for our translation consultant, that our communications would be most effective with her. Pray that we would have long lasting battery life on our computers, and that this detailed work of editing and reworking stories again and again would not be totally over whelming but an effective time digging deeper in the Word and the Supyire language & culture. May HE be glorified in this time & may more of the Supyrie hear and come to know the truth, even while our time with our village family has decreased!

We just got back to Mali a few days ago from our final OneStory training. It was a sweet time we had with our fellow teams to both encourage them and their work and also look towards the future for our specific storying projects and ourselves. Can you believe we are nearing the end of this journey? It is hard to believe but we are really just a short couple of months before my term is up and I will be headed back stateside for the next steps in my life & ministry! While I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I miss my family & the comforts of home I do not want to let myself focus on that while we still have some much work before us! Please pray that through each step of the next few months I would be focused on the work & the Supyrie people that the Lord has brought me here to serve!

One of the next steps in our ministry here begins tonight, Wednesday June 18, 2008. Tonight (really in the middle of the night), two college students from Ohio will be joining Monica & I for the next month. Please pray for Kari & Victoria as they double the size of our little OneStory Supyrie team. They will be learning village life and how oral storying for the Kingdom really works! Pray that Monica & I would have wisdom & discernment beyond measure concerning the details of all of our lives and ministry!

This step in our time & ministry, with Kari & Victoria, concludes with Monica & I both going on vacation to meet our parents and my sister! Yay! Monica & I will be on the same flight to Paris on July 12th but thereafter I am headed to New England to meet my family and she is staying in Europe! Please pray for the details of our flights and luggage! Pray that this time would be the sweet refreshing time that I know we both need & desire… body, heart, & soul!

Thank you always for your continued support and prayers! Your prayers are more of a blessing than you can ever know!

I pray that each of you are greatly blessed!

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water, I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because you love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63: 1-4

Christ’s Love & Mine,

Krystal


My blog: www.xanga.com/maligirl01

Krystal Hutchinson
Silah Mali
BP 2017
Bamako, Mali