MAURITIUS REPORT

Built on 4 dormant volcanoes, Mauritius is poised for a new eruption. God is doing a special work here through his people and Teen Challenge is launching to address a critical need of the hour. The island of Mauritius is located 2,000 km off East Africa, southwest of the Indian Ocean. Ten times the size of Washington DC, it is home to 1.2 million people that form a mosaic of race, culture and religion. On the right,
I minister in Creole with Josse Cangy, my musical translator.

We visited cabinet ministers across the rainbow of religious and political persuasions. In each office, we found concerned men facing an impossible obstacle but willing to lay down religious prejudices in order to find an answer. Pictured right, the Hindu commissioner of prisons offered Darmen, TC exec. dir. the opportunity to start T C among their most violent prisoners and then in the drug units.

In March, we were contacted by Darmen Ellayah with a burden to start TC. He cried out, "Everyday I am facing the opportunity or blessings of meeting with young boys and girls trapped in drugs and criminal lives. I work as a Police Sergeant in a police station and the Lord allows me to share and talk to them. I have at all times 2 or more addicts in my cells and I take this as an opportunity to share with them, most of them are coming from Muslim background, as am posted in a Muslim Gueto. . ."

In addition, the commissioner requested that Bonnie Martin, clinical trauma therapist who recently participated in the Global Teen Challenge LTI in South Africa, come to train guards along with Teen Challenge Bahamas executive director, Eric Fox to do training on anger management. In meetings with the Attorney General, Minister of Buildings and Allocation as well as Small Business Administration, God continued to open the door for the building pictured below to be deeded to Mauritius Teen Challenge. Darmen, his wife, and team members have been praying for this building, now filled with addicts "shooting up, "to be transformed to offer them a "hand-up' not a "hand out' through TC.

click for executive summary on building.
God provided opportunity to reach out to addicts in 16 services and outreaches around the island. Heroin addicts and alcoholics were so hungry for the gospel and open to ministry

One of the most challenging areas we visited was the creole neighborhood of Roche Bois (pronounced RoashbwAH). I had a chance to break away from the group to walk the drug torn street and pray with addicts. Many asked, "Why do you come here? This is a hopeless place!" Through alcohol drenched tears many cried as we prayed and that night at the tent, many came to know Christ personally. Deveroux, pictured left and right, has a long way to go, he needs Teen Challenge, but God has begun the work in his life. Any questions about the future of TC Mauritius melted as I saw the need in the hearts a lives of the people.

I can still see their faces and pleading eyes...
Who will reach us? Can anyone, anything change us? Teen Challenge is a tool God can use!
Like Haneen (right), who sings with such passion, about the change Jesus made in her life, God can touch these addicts.

While in the tent at Roche Bois, as we ministered, addicts tried to interrupt and militant Hindus tried to stop the meeting, demanding that we go, forbidding that the name of Jesus be spoken.
Josse Cangy asked one Hindu who was heckling us, "Why do you fear so much this name? The man cursed.
Josse answered, "I love you!
The man retorted, "I refuse your love!"
Josse responded, "I love you still"
"Keep your love,' he said. "I have my wife and kids to love me," and he and stormed off to find policemen.

2008 INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

A F R I C A

SWAZILAND, AFRICA
Nov 17 to Nov 24

2009 INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

GLOBAL BOARD MEETING
LISBON PORTUGAL
JAN 23-30 followed by
AFRICA advance trip for
Steve Hill Crusades in Liberia and Ghana

FEB 25-28, 2009
possible R.W Shambach Crusade
Swaziland, AFRICA

MAR 23-28 2009
Steve Hill Crusade: Ghana/Liberia

APRIL: Rock the Block
Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya

Cathy and I were honored to produce
the 50th ANNIVERSARY GLOBAL VIDEO
If you would like to view the video stream, click here.
DVD's are available upon request. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STATESIDE SCHEDULE
Current services. How about YOU?

December 7
Calvary Assembly of God
10:00 AM Hampton, Virginia

St Theresa Roman Catholic Church
2:00 PM Gloucester Virginia
Senior Christmas Diner

December 14
Cedar Road Assembly of God
10:30 AM Chesapeake Virginia

December 28
Calvary Assembly of God
Frederick MD
Gillott Family Christmas Service
December 30 to Jan 2
WORLD MISSIONS SUMMIT
CINCINNATI OHIO

PARTNER

PRAYER

FOCUS

1) Please pray for me as my Mission continues now to SWAZILAND with Kevin and Helen Ward and the tremendous team reaching addicts, AIDS orphans, HIV victims and women in desperate need. I will be helping to train their new children choir for an upcoming outreach to Northern Ireland, worship team development for their Siswati TC church plants and targeted staff training. A highlight will be the Annual Teen Challenge graduation and ministry at Teen Challenge plant . . . Potter's Wheel church.

2) Pray for the USA ... for healing and Unity as we prepare for a peaceful transition of power. Following a bitter and divisive election, no matter what your politics, we have biblical responsibility to pray for our government and leaders. Here in Africa there is excitement about "Obama, Africa's president" and the expectation that the US will now promote condom use (a failed policy widely discredited in every study) and remove the abstain requirements from US AIDS funding predicted as one of his first executive orders. On the street some tell me that it is about time that the USA stops trying to enforce its opinion of morality on Africa.

3) Pray for the final registration of Teen Challenge with the government of Mauritius, the bold leadership of their new board, and provision for the building that the Lord has for them. May the best building come in the right time.

4) Please pray for my mom who is still struggling with Cellulits, Staph infection ad fatigue/ She is a warrior, we all appreciate your prayers. I would love to be with her at home right now, but I know my work is in Africa.

5) Pray for Cathy as she is carrying the burden of the household and ministry while I am on this extended Mission. Pray as she prepares our Thanksgiving newsletter because we face some serious financial challenges right now.