September 24, 2005

Murphy and Christine Crowson

This has been a good week. Praise God for the very good rain we just had today in Tabligbo. On Tuesday Batoe and Sedome area had a very good rain that lasted several hours. Praise God and thank him for the rain with us! Please pray with us that people’s crops will do well this year. Many of you may have heard the good news about Adzovi, the little girl from Sedome who was sick in the hospital last week. She is better and praising God for her healing. Last Sunday she gave 1,000 cfa to the Sedome Church as a way of thanking God for healing her. The Sedome and Kpeve Churches are continuing with efforts to evangelize in two new villages. Pray for the Christians to persevere and that the hearts of those in the two villages being evangelized will be tender and open to God’s word. Praise God that our family has been in good health. Monday was Matthew’s 5th birthday. We had a very fun party on Saturday to celebrate! Thank you all so much for your prayers for the work here among the Watchi and for our family!

Marty and Louise Koonce

Greetings from the Koonce family! We have enjoyed another week back in Togo. The boys have continued to get in a routine with school. Things must be picking up as the homework has begun. Trevor thoroughly enjoys going to school every day for a couple of hours. Our teachers are doing a beautiful job. Louise has had her hands full with the usual household chores being a little heavier since the dryer is not working. Praises be to God for the rains that fell, even when it meant running to get clothes off the line. We would rather have wet clothes than for the Togolese to have no corn this year!

Marty has been in full swing this week. He has had the regular meetings with the village church leaders. We had an encouraging meeting Sunday with the church in Afakomi Kope, they apparently did very well while we were away even though one of their leaders died while we were away. Vogan is doing well this week and it looks as though they are beginning the eldership selection process this next month. The Atitogon area has been using soccer matches to stir up interest for evangelism. This is working well and all the churches are being used to follow up on individuals and families who are interested in Bible studies. The weaker churches there of Togbonou Kope, Hompou, and Amouzouglita Kope still need your prayers. God bless you all for your concern and love you show for us and the Togolese in your prayers.

Anthony and Maureen Parker

Anthony spoke to the Tabligbo church this week on the subject of being Jesus' witnesses. This has been the theme of his personal study, and also the theme of our team Sunday night devotionals, which our family is hosting this month. On the team, we rotate months, and the responsible family hosts the devotional, leads and--most importantly--provides snacks for the team meetings. Maureen came through with her famous cream puffs this week!

We made an extra trip to Lome this week. Our car's air conditioning went out and we had to take it in on Wednesday for a rather expensive repair. We also started the process for Maureen's medical certificate to show that she is healthy enough to live in America. Also, we visited our neighbor's niece. Our neighbor had come to us because her niece, who is an orphan, had been told that she has cancer and needs an operation. We went to check on the situation and, thankfully, the diagnosis is far from certain. The relatives that she is living with agreed to get more thorough testing done and let us know the results. Please pray for Ahouefa, that she will be spared from any serious illness.

We are thankful for much needed rain that fell on Friday. Please pray that God will bless the crops of the Watchi and give them a bountiful harvest. The boys are enjoying school. We're also thankful to Uncle Marty for taking on the role of team Athletic Director. He is currently working with the kids on soccer and Tae Kwan Do.

Jeff and Brenda Holland

Our family is finally closing in on good health. Praise God for answering that prayer. We are all doing in well in our various activities and thank God for his blessings. Ellianna made the big step to being a potty-trained big girl. She finally decided to wear pretty panties and voila, she has been dry for three days. Josiah is still enjoying martial arts many days a week after school. Between that and the increase in fifth grade studies, he seems to be away from home all of time. The rest of us are fine.

Keep praying for Komla to regain his health after his stroke several months ago. He is brushing his teeth, feeding himself, walking with assistance, and speaking more clearly. Praise God for his progress. Pray for the many church plantings under way and the continued leadership training. Also praise God for the second round of literacy teacher training that Brenda’s former assistant conducted in many churches over the last few weeks. He said the teachers are growing in their skills and many are well on their way to teaching other in the churches and community to read and write. Lastly, please pray for rain. Although it is the rainy season, we have not had a single rain in September in most of the Watchi area. This drought covering many nations of our part of West Africa is hard on what is already the poorest region of the world. Also pray for our Agricultural Assistant, Laté, as he is struggling to help the people make the best of difficult times.

Stacey Sexton

Ok... so something very disturbing happened to me today that has really gotten to me. I was walking to my pleasant and wonderful house that I am living in from the school building finding this poor helpless goat in front of my gate. There was blood all over her face and her horn was broken. She was shaking her head with confusion and pain. I couldn't help but feel for this mother goat. She was standing among her little ones, two twins, who are oblivious to anything and everything. I guess things are just bound to happen especially when there are animals and moto's taking over the roads of Africa! I don't no how many times I have almost stepped on a baby chicken!

Oh....this is really funny. I was walking by myself one day and this little child around the age 2 was ahead of me wondering around like most children do at that age. He turned around and atomatically I smiled reaching out to him not expecting the response of a child who had just seen a clown for the first time! He screamed and started crying. His mother was laughing and everyone else that was around. Talk about looks that could kill. I wouldn't have been surprised it that child would have fallen over and died. I have never seen a child so scared! Other than the bleeding goat and the terrified child things have been great and fullfilling. Oh....and I can now drive a stick! Thanks to Anthony....he has so graciously have taken Jenna and I out to explore the roads of Tabligbo. I do believe that there was one time when I saw Anthony out of the corner of my eye pushing on his invisible brake in the passanger side. It was really funny but I don't think he found the same humor in it as I had! Another great week of adventure and more to come. God bless and love in Christ, Stacey

Jenna Stephens

God is so faithful . . . and he continues to prove that in so many ways! This week I am feeling MUCH better, and seem to be over the malaria completely—praise God—so thank you for your prayers.

School is full-steam ahead, and just this week I assigned the first “project” to my fifth graders. They are learning in school that the older you get the more work you have, but hopefully also that they can rely on God to help them accomplish all that they need to get done, and that their school work and their attitudes can actually praise God! This age is such a neat time in their lives . . . I hope to help them establish some good habits that will serve them later in their school careers, and lives.

As a running update on our transportation situation, I would like to announce that Stacey and I are officially mobile! Anthony took us around town last week, and since then we have driven a lot (not unnecessarily, of course)! We are so truly grateful to have a vehicle here, because it allows us the freedom to go as needed without bothering any of the families! God has provided us with safety, and we continue to trust that no animals, or people, will be harmed in our way :)

God is so wonderful, and becoming more real to me each day. This week’s portion of our “Believing God” study is really challenging me . . . and so is what I see in the lives of everyone here. More, truly, and deeply, is how I want to know God and understand His Word and will for my life; I know that bringing me here plays a significant part in it, and I am glad for the opportunity to share with you all the ways that God continues to grow and stretch my belief and faith. I love you all!