~ Marty and Louise Koonce ~ Blogs: Marty, Louise, 4T's
 From Marty - For the last six weeks since we returned from Zambia I have spent the majority of my time trying to implement what we learned there. This can be rather tricky with an existing work like ours among the Watchi because of the changes in methods and our impending departure. Yet, I have been shocked at how receptive the leaders have been to this different strategy, for as they say, “Timing is everything.” Well, the time must have been perfect for there has been great enthusiasm particularly for the inductive Bible study that is used in the place of preaching. Pictured above is an inductive Bible study at the All Church Conference. God's Word is sinking deeper into people's hearts and having a greater effect on their lives.
 In addition to that I have spent a good bit of time developing a stove of clay that works with the principles of the Rocket Stove (a metal wood burning stove that uses up to 60% less wood). With most of the Togolese cooking over open wood fires you can imagine the problems that is creating. I have been building and training others in the process in hopes that the stove will be a way that the Believers can bless others and build relationships that will open doors for the Gospel.
Please be praying for Togo and its ‘washed out' infrastructure because of the floods of July. Many bridges are still out and shortages because of the lack of commerce and shipping are beginning to take their toll.
Whereas we are still physically in Togo our hearts and minds have started making the transition towards Rwanda. We need your prayers as the cost for this transition is large. The needs will include closing down our work in Togo, shipping our container of household effects to Rwanda, restarting our lives in Kigali, Rwanda, and of course buying a new vehicle. Please pray for these needed funds. Thanks for your love and your prayers. By the way, I will be starting my blogging again, please give it a visit.
 From Louise - Since our last posting, the Tabligbo Christians hosted the All-church Conference (pictured above). The event was greatly attended and they didn't even need us there. That may sound sad, but it was really encouraging for the future. (Pictured Left - Women preparing the Lord's Supper.)
While the Crowsons and teachers were on their trip to Mali, our family went on a two-day camping trip on the top of one of the mountains west of us. We took the dogs with us and they may have enjoyed the trip even more than the boys.
We are turning our attention to preparations for the move. I have been trying to finish up small projects and making lists of what to pack. It is an overwhelming thought to plan to move from a house we have been in eleven years, the longest stretch of our marriage and of Marty's life. We know you have been and will continue to pray for this major transition; especially as it effects the boys. God bless you this week.
~ Rachel Baker ~
 It's been such a long time since we've submitted a Times entry, that I'm not real sure where to begin. Emily and I just got back from a trip with the Crowsons to Burkina Faso and Mali. It was such a great trip! We were able to see and do so much across West Africa. In Burkina, we got to see the capitol city – Ouagadougou and got the chance to finally go see the team in Dano.
 While in Mali, we went to visit the villages in Dogon Land that dwell in the cliffs there, we drove through Bankass, Bandiagara, Mopti, and Sevare, and then lastly, drove the distance to Timbuktu! In Timbuktu, we got to take a camel ride out into the desert and stay the night in a Taureg village. We made some amazing memories along the 2 week trip!
In school, we've started our second “school year”. Our hope is to get the boys half-way through a year before the end of October so that when they head to Rwanda they'll be ready to start school there in January. It's a little bit overwhelming for them and for us, but we're getting through it! We've got great boys and they've got some amazing determination.
Life in Tabligbo is running pretty smoothly. Our seamstress, Amelie, and Postmaster Samy both went on and on about how much they had missed Emily and I while we were gone on our trip. It's fun to make relationships around town! We've also recently met the new Peace Corps Volunteers that have come to Tabligbo. It's a married couple from Michigan. Pray that God makes their stay here go smoothly and that they gain a positive experience from it all.
~ Murphy and Christine Crowson ~ Crowson's Blog
 From Murphy - After the Watchi All-Church Conference, our family, along with the teachers, headed north for two weeks to visit missionary friends, Dogon-land and make an attempt to travel to the famous, but distant city of Timbuktu, Mali. After a night in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, we headed West to visit the Dagara team living in Dano. We had a great visit with the Carters, Burks and Johnsons (Our family is pictured with the Johnsons on the left.) God is blessing their ministry and multitudes of Dagara people are coming to Christ. The same Word that is working in southern Togo is working powerfully there too! We praise God for this team and their ministry!
 After our visit with the Dano team we headed north to spend a couple of days in Dogon-land, Mali. For the past four years our team and the Kabiye team has taken interns to this part of Mali with the hope that God would put a burden on their hearts to work among this lost people group. I've been on two of these trips and fell in love with the land and it's people. I'm so thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to show this beautiful land to my family. Pictured to the left is our family sitting in the cliffs where the Dogon used to build their villages. Pray for this nation, that the Lord would raise up harvesters to bring in the harvest there.
 It doesn't take much to explain this picture:) As you can see, we are stuck, deeply, in about three feet of mud. As I rounded the corner the vehicle just kept sinking and sinking. After my unsuccessful efforts to get "un-stuck" we asked our guide to ask men in a nearby village if they could help. 30 men showed up and literally "dug" me out of this mud pit and it only took about an hour! We continued on our journey in a cow cart and had a great adventure!
 After we returned from Mali our family spent a few days in Benin with the Vaughn family who were visiting Aja friends. We worked with the Vaughns among the Aja in Benin before our move to Togo in 2002.
After Kelly and the kids left to return to the States, Randy and I were joined by Greg Bailey, another former teammate, and spent several days visiting and encouraging Aja Christians and leaders. Three of those days were spent in a meeting studying the book of James. Pictured left is an inductive Bible study going on with five women and one man. None of the women can read, so Senu read them the passage, they memorized it and then discussed how they could apply and obey it's teaching.
 Pictured left (you'll have to see the bigger picture on our web site) are four Bibles. From top to bottom is French, Aja, Eve and English.
As were were sitting in a mixed group of Aja and Watchi leaders it struck me how much we were going in and out of these four languages. I praise God for His Word and for all of the hard work translators put into making it available in so many languages!
Please continue to ask the Lord to provide for our Rwanda transition. You can find a list of our Rwanda Transition Needs on our blog. You can find out more about our future ministry in Rwanda by visiting our Musanze Team's web site @ http://rwanda.harvestfields.net.
 From Christine - We have had a busy end of the summer. The all-Church conference was very good and well attended. After the conference our family and the teachers took an adventured filled trip to Burkina Faso and Mali. We had a wonderful visit with the Dano team in Burkina Faso. It was such a blessing to get a little glimpse into their lives and ministry among the Dagara. In Mali we were able to visit the Dogan people near Bandiagara and the Tuareg people of Timbuktu.
After returning from Burkina Faso and Mali, our family made a trip to visit our former teammates, the Vaughns, in Benin. The Vaughns moved from Benin to Texas last year. This was their family's first return visit. We enjoyed great fun and fellowship at the beach and then in Cotonou.
~ Emily Dunnagan ~
 Our summer has really ended on a high note. We had a great trip with the Crowsons to Burkina Faso and Mali. I loved getting to see the missionary families of Northern Togo and Burkina one last time. I was amazed by all of the different people groups we came across. We were blessed to have lots of safe and exciting adventures along the way. We took a bumpy cow cart ride through Dogon Land and camels into the desert outside of Timbuktu.
We had three days of school last week and are ready to start the final marathon stretch. The boys are really enjoying our new schedule and are excited about working on a school play. We are studying creatures of the ocean this semester in science and the boy's favorite chapter so far has been on whales.
It is hard to believe that I only have 8 weeks left in Togo. What a blessing it is to get to live in Africa! It makes me stop and enjoy the little things- some that I love and some that drive me crazy. I treasure the relationship that have been built this year, and even though all of the noises sometimes drive me crazy I am trying to be more patient with the goats next door, the shouting, and loud music.
~ Agricultural Ministry - Laté Lawson-Simlen ~
 Five years ago when we began the agricultural ministry among the Watchi we had no idea how much and how quickly the Lord would bless our efforts. God blessed the farmers with so much soya beans and so many pineapples that we had a hard time finding transport trucks to get everything to market. We began to pray that the Lord would provide the funds for a transport truck so that we could have reliable transport to get the goods to market. After the pineapples are cut for the harvest, there is a short time limit in which we have to get them to market or they will spoil.
Through the generous gifts over the past two years by the Albany Church of Christ in Texas this dream became a reality and we were able to buy a used transport truck for the Ag Ministry. Praise God! Laté is pictured above with the new truck.
 Laté is spending more time on the road visiting and encouraging farmers in other ethnic groups. This past spring he spent one month in Kara, Togo working with the Kabiye Team learning about their method of well drilling as well as working to begin an example farm for their Christians.
This summer Laté has made two trips to Benin to meet with Christians. Anthony took him to meet with Fon Christians in July and just last week he traveled to Azove to meet with Aja Christians. The picture is from an Aja farmers land in Ainahoue where Laté helped him begin a pineapple farm.
We praise God for how He is blessing the Ag Ministry in Togo and Benin and pray that He will continue to bless, lead and guide us as the ministry continues on after our two families move to Rwanda. |
