Clean Water for Christmas
Pastor Abissir has just shared a video of the women from Sékou fetching water at our Living Water Well.
Look, I am making everything new!
Look, I am making everything new! “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!…To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” Rev. 21:5a, 6b NLT This year through your generous gifts, we were able to complete 11 Living Water Wells, enroll 25 women in our Prisca Peace Project, sponsor 180 children in 7 schools, and train 60 pastors and churches on village transformation. In 2024, we purpose to join God in His work of making everything new in Sub-Saharan Africa, with this fourfold focus. Educate the child by sponsoring 160 new children The cost of sponsoring a child is $30 a month Empower the community by building 10 new Water Wells and strengthening the 10 existing community transformation projects in West Africa. The cost of a Living Water Well is $10,000.00 Empower the community by enrolling 50 new women in our Prisca Peace Project. Each start-up loan is between $100 and $150 Equip the church by training 100 new pastors and churches in the Gospel of Shalom village transformation. The cost of training a pastor is $100. Your giving goes a long way. Donate Today
Giving Tuesday is tomorrow!
Your gifts are making things new! “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (Rev. 21:5-6 NLT) Thank you for giving. You are changing lives, transforming communities, and giving hope to children. Your gifts go a long way This year through your generosity… 9 Children sponsored in 7 schools opening the door to a new future. 2 Living Water Wells were completed bringing new peace to these villages 45 were trained with a new vision for their church and community. 3 women were given hope for their businesses & families through Prisca Peace Project We ask you to prayerfully consider the ministry of Le Pont International on Giving Tuesday and during this special end-of-year season of giving. Donate Today
Answered Prayers
Exciting News of Answered Prayer “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Jesus in Matthew 17:20 The weekend of August 26-27 was a hard one. We received word that Sherry’s cancer had reappeared and I got a letter from the IRS saying that Le Pont International’s tax-exempt status had been revoked. Her health and our ministry seemed to be in jeopardy. But we have witnessed the power of a mountain-moving God. The first mountain moved was the IRS. We had failed to complete some necessary annual forms for our 501c3 charity. We completed the forms and filed them on September 14th along with a request for an “expedited review”. How long would it take this huge bureaucracy to respond? I shuddered at the thought. Three weeks later, that’s warp speed by the way, we received the good news that our Tax-Exempt status has been reinstated with no interruption of deductibility and that all gifts to Le Pont International made in 2023 are tax-deductible. The second mountain moved was Sherry’s health. She said to me today, “Rex, I’m getting stronger every day”. God is answering our prayers. The side effects thus far are both minimal and manageable. We know there are mountains before us but it appears the giant mountain of fear and doubt has been cast into the sea. I believe that in three months Sherry will be a new woman. Please continue to pray for both Sherry’s health and our ministry through Le Pont Int. Thank you for the fellowship of your prayers and gifts – a sweet-smelling sacrifice pleasing to God and deeply encouraging to us. In his grip of grace, Rex Learn more about what we do & how to partner
First Day of Treatment
My first treatment began yesterday at 1 pm It started with a stop at the lab for blood work followed by a very long consultation about what this treatment would involve. Rex was by my side every step of the way. Then we went to the infusion room that is set up with a large number of vinyl reclining chairs with an apparatus standing by each chair that holds the IVBags. Since it was 3:00 PM, it was not full and they allowed Rex to take a chair beside me, which was NOT a happy place for him to be, but I sure was happy to have him by my side. The infusion was followed by 2 injections of something the nurse apologized for having to administer, explaining that the med was as thick as syrup and would take longer than usual to exit the syringe. Another trip to the lab where they found that I had a UTI infection and that a prescription for antibiotics had been called into our pharmacy. Rex had been faithfully and conscientiously carrying around a good number of papers explaining everything, as well as the 3-week supply of meds, neatly packaged with a full explanation on dosage. They asked us to make another trip to the lab for further testing of the UTI, and finally, we returned home after 4 hours. I am certain this is a very confusing report. But one thing was not confusing. We had unusual grace for every step we took through that TX Cancer Center yesterday. When we got in our car, we marveled at how well everything went on this dreaded day of beginning treatment again. Then we paused pondering what the day would have been like for a person who did not have the prayer support and encouraging messages that we had received. I will have to add that by the time we got home, I was feeling some pretty severe pain in my legs, no doubt from the infusion of Zometa for the bones, but I ended up getting a good night’s sleep and definitely not as much pain today. I am so thankful to the Lord and for the prayers of His precious people. Sherry 11 Water Wells. 180 Kids sponsored. Learn about our mission.
Please pray for Sherry!
Please pray for Sherry! Many of our Le Pont International family know that my wife, Sherry, was recently diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. We were shocked by the news. Sherry has experienced weight loss and debilitating fatigue over the past few months. Blood tests showed low iron but further tests and scans revealed the root cause. Two weeks ago, we met with her oncologist, Dr. Robyn Young. Our son, John, and his wife Anne met with us. Sarah, Billy, Rebekah, and Nick were also able to join us by phone as Dr. Young gave us the diagnosis and a plan for treatment. We had questions. She had answers. The treatment starts tomorrow at 1:15 CST. She will have a monthly non-chemo infusion of Zometa to strengthen her bones and lower calcium levels in her blood. She will also have a monthly injection of a drug called Faslodex. Then she will take three tablets a day of Kisqali, to block estrogen receptors and stop the cancer cells from growing. I give these details so you will pray specifically against side effects and for the success of this hormone treatment. We believe God has given man, created in His image, authority to exercise dominion here on earth. The drug given to Sherry back in 2012 was called Herceptin. She responded well to this treatment and a daily pill called Anastrozole, which she took for 10 years. Please pray for Dr. Robyn Young and her team at the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders. Pray for their success and others like them who fight tirelessly against this disease. Pray that Sherry responds well to the treatment with minimal & manageable side effects. Pray for Shalom in our home – a peace that is above and beyond the rational mind’s ability to grasp. This Shalom includes wholeness, well-being, and healing in Jesus’ name. Finally, brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s pray for one another, that we will seize this season and share with others the hope we have in Christ. We love you and are extremely grateful for your prayers. In his grip of grace, Rex and Sherry
Get Water. Make Disciples. 🌍
Living Water for Two New Villages July 12-23 I was in Togo for the inauguration of two Living Wells in villages with no electricity or clean water. Powered by solar energy, these wells give hope to women and girls who are tasked to fetch water for their families. Girls can now attend school and women can start small businesses through our Prisca Peace Project. Watch these two short videos to see how your gifts are turning dreams into reality in West Africa – Rex Get Water. Make Disciples. I just received a call from a new friend who wanted to know what we do at Le Pont International. After a thumbnail sketch of our work, he said, The Lord spoke to me from Revelation 7:17, “Get water. Make disciples.”. While he was talking I read the passage. “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17 My heart burned as he shared these words with me. Please pray for our African Director, John Laba this weekend. He is in Benin with Pastor Moustafa praying and planning for a Living Wells Project in this Muslim region. Moustafa’s wife is receiving a small loan along with another woman in the church to start businesses in Basilla, Benin through our Prisca Peace Project. The other woman recently became a Christian after Jesus healed her daughter of an incurable disease. Her husband kicked her and the three children out. She fled to Basila where Moustafa and his wife took her in, rented them living quarters, and provided food. We are partnering with Moustafa to help protect, provide, and train this new muslim background follower of Jesus. Learn more about Living Wells™️ for Africa
Pray for us, please…
Tuesday morning, July 11 Sherry and I are traveling.She is flying to Santa Barbara, CA to be with our girls and their families.I fly to Togo to be with 60 pastors for a training seminar on “How the church becomes a strategic center for community transformation”. (Hint. It’s about Shalom. See Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7, and Ephesians 6:15. I will ask the pastors to “Put on your shoes of Shalom”.)There will be three days. in three locations of teaching, workshops, Q&A sessions, and activation exercises.I will also participate in the dedication of Living Wells™️ #7 and #8 in the north Togo villages of Sekou and Gbadi-N’kougna. I will spend time with our Togo team to pray and plan for the growth of LPI into other West African nations. Please pray for Sherry. She is recovering from a month-long bout with iron deficiency that has left her depleted. Last Sunday she experienced a breakthrough. Sarah and Rebekah and their guys will enjoy her and love on her well.Pray for our travel as the Holy Spirit leads you. Pray for the Togo team’s boldness and wisdom as we travel the length and breadth of the country. There has been unrest on the northern border with Muslim extremists – the very people we long to reach with the Good News. Thank you for caring and sharing that all this might happen. A significant gift arrived today that wonderfully encouraged me and I know will encourage our board and team in Africa. We return to DFW on July 23rd. My flight arrives one hour before Sherry’s. Our son, John Mawuli, will take us to the airport and pick us up. Thank you for praying. Thank you for giving. In His grip of grace,Rex Learn more about Living Wells™️ for Africa
Six West African villages will get Living Wells™️ in July, August, & September
I met last week with the team in Togo about plans for 6 new Living Wells™️ in Togo, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire (September). They have already begun work with leaders in these villages. I will travel to Togo around July 15th to participate in a training session with pastors and community leaders from each village. Pastors and churches are equipped to use these Living Wells as centers of evangelism, enterprise, and education for the transformation of villages. We had planned for two wells in Burkina Faso but because of Muslim extremist violence at the border, we are putting them on hold for a few months. Pray for peace along the Burkina border with Togo, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire. Please pray for Shalom (peace) in these 6 new Living Wells™️ villages. They are predominately Muslim areas. Pray for our team as they prepare the pastors and village leaders for community transformation which starts with a Living Well of water. Thank you for your generous donations which enables us to bring to 12 the number of villages with Living wells I will keep you updated. In His grip of grace, Rex Learn more about Living Wells™️ for Africa
Graduation Hope
We have the same graduation hope for the children of Africa! 90 sponsored children are completing their end-of-year tests, teacher’s reports, and medical reports. We are filled with hope! Sponsor A Child “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 This is our hope for Madeline and for the children of Africa. Sponsor a School