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Tanquist Family News MARCH 2010

The village meeting was called by his uncle. Its purpose was to confront him about his newfound faith. It might

have gone something like this:

Uncle: “Is it true what I hear? Is it true

that you are now following the

Jesus Way?”

Nephew: “Yes, uncle, it is true.”

Uncle: “To be Maninka is to be Muslim.

You have disgraced our family!

I command you to renounce this

Jesus!”

Nephew: “I am sorry, I cannot.”

Uncle: “Renounce him!”

Nephew: “I cannot renounce Him.”

Uncle: “Renounce him, I say, or your

life is at stake!”

Nephew: “I must continue to walk the

Jesus Way.”

Uncle: “Leave my presence now!”

Faced with possible death, the nephew quickly hopped on his bicycle and took off for the home of a friend of ours, a

missionary who had been studying the book of Genesis with him. After hearing the nephew’s story, the missionary

was able to let this man listen to some 70 Bible stories in his native tongue of Maninka throughout the night. Not

able to read, having the opportunity to

the courage to return to his village the next day, in spite of possible persecution and even death. Not long after that,

an elderly, influential Maninka man advised the nephew’s uncle to allow him to have the freedom to choose his own

religion. Though some persecution continues (someone killed one of his donkeys), the death sentence was lifted!

Living in our western culture, it is hard to imagine what life would be like without the written word – books,

newspapers, cell phones, websites, Facebook, etc. -- all of those rely on the ability of the users to be able to read.

For the nephew above, his ability to face the next day came from being able to HEAR God’s word in his own native

language. In January, we told you about the chronological- storying that SIM missionaries use to teach about God’s

Truth among the oral people group called the Wolof in Senegal. This month, we’d like to introduce you to the

strategies SIM missionaries are using among another oral people group, called the Maninka, in the West African

country of Guinea.

One of the best ways to begin telling others about Jesus is to do so in their own

language. To that end, the joint efforts of both SIM and Pioneer Bible Translators

have led to a number of different books of the Bible being translated into the

Maninka language from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is an

amazing thing for a person to realize that the Creator of all people actually speaks

his or her language!
hear these truths strengthened the nephew’s faith tremendously. He found
“When a Maninka singer dies, it is like a library of history books has burned

to the ground.”

The treasures of the Maninka culture are kept by musicians and story tellers. As a

result, reading is not a vital skill and perhaps only 15% of the Maninka are literate.

Their culture reflects that as well – there are few forms of communication found in

written form. While literacy training is an important step in helping people read, in

the meantime, the Good News of Christ needs to be proclaimed. In this culture,

translating is just the first step in learning about God’s Truth. Putting it into an oral form needs to be the next step.

In 2004, God led a long-standing SIM missionary and his family to create

MAMO (Maninka Audio Media Outreach). This ministry has become a

vehicle through which translated portions of the Bible are recorded onto

cassette tapes in both narrated and dramatic form. These tapes are then

copied and distributed to the Maninka people as well as to greatly

interested private and government radio stations. MAMO started with the

book of Genesis and most recently finished dramatic recordings of both

Ruth and Jonah, using multiple Maninka speakers to bring God’s Word to

life. In addition to Bible recordings, our colleague has digitalized the 70

stories the nephew (above) drew strength from called, “Look, Listen &

Live”; put together a new introduction and conclusion to the Maninka

version of The Jesus Film; and has just begun translating, with the plans

of recording, the chronological study of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation (100 15-minute radio programs

specifically geared for Muslims). This translation work is currently carried on by Maninka believers while he and his

family are on home assignment. The possibilities seem endless and the demands are ever growing as more and

more people are exposed to the Good News of the Bible…

In addition to reaching out through MAMO, SIM has been meeting the

physical and spiritual needs of the Maninka through a project called CHE

(Community Health Evangelism). Started in 2000, CHE goes into

villages by invitation-only and addresses the specific issues of that

village as they relate to health and wellness. Chosen by their village,

trainees are taught the basics of good hygiene and health care.

Missionaries use Biblical truths and stories to show how attitudes and

behaviors play a key role in the choices that they make, even when it

comes to being and staying healthy. The training sessions include a

showing of The Jesus Film in the Maninka language. As you can see,

even here, oral/audio communication is crucial in presenting God’s

Truth.

In most Muslim cultures, breaking free from the bondages of Islam to embracing the freedom in Christ often leads to

alienation, persecution, and even death. After the 24 years that SIM has been working in Kankan, Guinea, there are

only known to be 75 believers. Yet, missionaries have put their trust in the Lord and His promise:

“…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall

accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

On that note, we too look forward to being a part of allowing God’s Word to go out among the people groups in West

Africa! It looks as though it won’t be too long now….

We had asked you to pray with us about the possibility of leaving at the end of March –

leading us to remain until the end of the school year for the children’s academic situation.

financially? We have seen the Lord do AMAZING things since the beginning of January. Specifically, between the

Lord’s tugging on people’s hearts to want to partner with us and an invitation to Leigh from Dakar Academy to teach

chemistry again this upcoming school year,
we have sensed the LordWhere are we,our needs have dropped from $1250 to less than $450 per month.
Due to the World Cup soccer games being held in South Africa this June and our flights to Dakar continuing on to

Johannesburg, finding available tickets is getting harder and harder. We have gone ahead and bought tickets for

our return, trusting that the Lord will supply the remainder of funds that we need in the next 3 months. Mark will fly

out on May 14

29

classes at Tree of Life Christian School are finished. It feels good to have certain plans in place!

Thank you so much for continuing support to us through your prayers, your finances, and your encouragement! You

bless us greatly! We know that the economic situation has been a hardship for so many of you and yet, you

continue to give sacrificially as God provides. Thank you.

Grateful for each of you,

Mark, Leigh, Elisa, Kristoffer & Stephen Tanquist
th to help in the transition of those colleagues leaving the field in early June. Elisa will fly out on Mayth to be a part of the final week of activities at Dakar Academy. Leigh and the boys will fly out on June 10th, after
(temporarily in the US)
SIM-USA
5398 Eric Place PO Box 7900

Columbus, OH 43235 Charlotte, NC 28241

614/459-5856 (h) 704/587-4300

612/227-8087 (c) www.sim.org

mark.tanquist@sim.org
Our account #: 65753
PRAISES

Thank the Lord with us for:

•
God’s ongoing faithfulness to us through the partners He has already provided.
•
the blessing of this extended time to be close to Mark’s parents and three of his sisters.
•

activities that aren’t available in Dakar.
the many opportunities the children have had to be involved at Tree of Life Christian School, especially
•
God has continued to grace us with good health and with adjustments to this American lifestyle.
•

to help with the new track team at Tree of Life.
Leigh was blessed with the opportunity to attend training at a clinic for Track and Field coaches and is able
•
we have our airline tickets in hand!
PRAYERS

Please pray for:

•
consistent and good devotional times with the Lord daily as individuals and as a family.
•

universities in Wisconsin and Minnesota March 12

school sophomore, but it will be the last opportunity before she graduates from high school.)
safety, good fellowship, wisdom and discernment as Leigh and Elisa travel to visit 6 colleges andth through 21st. (This is early since Elisa is only a high
•
Mark, Kristoffer and Stephen who will be “on their own” during the nine days of Leigh and Elisa’s trip.
•

the next two months.
joy and development of skills in baseball (Kristoffer) and the high school musical (Elisa and Stephen) during
•
the remainder of our needed funds.
•
all the little details as we wrap up our lives here and pack.
•
our transition from Columbus and to Dakar – that we would finish well.

Paul Schurke, arctic explorer and former Pilgrim student,
plans out his next expedition from his
Wintergreen, Dog-sledding lodge
in Ely, Minnesota.

Larry Fitzgerald, Football, Arizona Cardinals

Pilgrim Alumni Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

Former Pilgrim Student Larry Fitzgerald Jr. in Superbowl XLIII

"SEMESTER EXAMS" starring Caleb Sorensen class of 2006.
A St. Croix High School Film Class Project.

Former Pilgrim students does well again! Congratulations Taylor! May the Lord bless and keep you always. Pilgrim is proud!

Laurie (Johnson) Sorensen (Class of 1970)

6121 Loren Drive

Minneapolis MN 55417

612-861-6182

I have been working as an RN in orthopedics since 1980, presently at Abbot-Northwestern Hospital. I have been married to Joseph for 27 years. We are both in Pilgrim’s contemporary band “Praise Hymn” together.

We have 4 children: Angela, 24, married Judd in 2005, Chris, 22, married Amanda in 2006, Elisa, 16, and Caleb, 14. All of our 4 children attended Pilgrim K-8.

I remember Mr. Knippel sitting on a front desk and expounding on us his “pearls of wisdom” and how proud I was when he was awarded the Teacher of the Year award the year he taught Chris’ 4^th grade class.

Patrick Krause (Class 0f 1969)

503 Main Ave N.

Roseau, MN 56751

(218) 463-9455

I am currently serving in my 5^th year as Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Roseau. I’ve been married 28 years to my wife, Diane. We have four children: Sara (24), Joel (22), Leah (20) and Anna (19). We also have one grandchild, Naomi (11 months). Sara is living with us and is recovering well from a recent bout with thyroid cancer. Joel is a graduate student in Production Management at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh. Leah just completed a one-year internship at Trout Lake Bible Camps in Pine River, MN. She and Anna have just moved to Thief River Falls, where Anna is beginning at Northland College.