Read eNews from: Rachel, Murphy, Christine, Emily, Marty, Louise, or AgMin
~ Marty and Louise Koonce ~ Blogs: Marty, Louise, 4T's
 From Marty - It has been a busy couple of weeks for us. It began with a visit by the Emerson family from Kara. This was a wonderful time for us as we got to know Brett, April, and their sons better as well as share our work with them. Brett and I got to visit some villages, make a rocket stove in Kpotonou, pray, and of course get my car really stuck. The getting stuck was fortunate as it made me aware that the four wheel drive I have is in reality only three wheel drive (I might need to fix that as well before selling it!). Any time of sharing with other missionaries like this is an iron sharpening iron moment that I would like to take better advantage of in the future. Truly we will miss the Kabiye team fiercely.
 While with the Emersons, I learned of the tragic loss of my dear friend Malcolm Howell, the husband of my cousin Stephanie and father of Katherine and Emma. I was blessed to find a flight out of Ghana by Monday and I arrived in Arkansas late Tuesday night. The rest of the week I was able to spend with my family and even though I had come to bless and encourage, I was the one who left with the blessings and the encouragement. Please pray for them during the coming months.
While in America I was able to contact many of you and discuss our transition to Rwanda. Please continue to pray for this. There are many details to be covered and preparations to be made. Pray for us to be at peace knowing that God will take care of it all and provide everything necessary to get us settled there. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your support.
As I consider the work here in Togo that God has allowed us to be a part of I am overwhelmed with gratitude to you for partnering with us. By God's grace and power I know that it will stand the test of time and many generations of Watchi people will be with us all in heaven. God bless you.
From Louise - Most of the last week, I spent holding down the fort at home while Marty made the trip to America. I had a frightful moment early in the week, when I found a green mamba in the yard beside my clothesline. Praise the Lord for dogs that alerted me to it and a nearby worker to call to help kill it.
Speaking of our workers, I ask you to pray for Benoit (ben-wah). He was very sick this week. When I picked him up to take him to the hospital in Afagnan, he was barely able to speak or walk. Most likely, he is suffering from malaria and dehydration. In the coming weeks, my main focus will be sorting and beginning to pack for our move.
~ Rachel Baker ~
As of October 1st, Emily and I have 37 days until our planes reach down in Texas! (whoa!!!) With this realization that I had this week, has come a lot of mixed emotions. This year has brought a lot of experiences I never would've had and with all the looking forward to going home I've been doing lately, I've also started to think about the things I'll miss so much. It's crazy to think of how quickly this year has gone by – but it's not over yet!
 Since getting back from our trip, life has kind of gotten back into the old groove we once had in Tabligbo and I can honestly say it's been a welcome feeling for me. I'm not one that loves a routine but having it for our last month or so here is great. We've really been able to do the weekly things that we enjoy so much like going to see our seamstress and visiting Postmaster Samy. Having the boys for full weeks again has made the weeks zoom by and its giving me more time to be silly with them. Speaking of which, they never cease to surprise me… The day of Matthew's birthday (see Matthew's Birthday Party Bone Pizza pictured left) party a few of them all of the sudden wanted me to spike their hair before leaving school! So, I had to pull out the hair products and we got to work before the left for the party! They are just too funny.
 One current thing at school is that we've been having visitors. Last week we had a chicken visit again and sure enough, Taylor was to the rescue. Instead of trapping it with a parachute, this time he just whipped off his hat and carried the chicken out the gate (the rule is that you can't touch chickens with your hands!). We've also been having some neighborhood kids climbing our gates and watching the boys at recess. Our Ewe speakers, Tucker and Taylor, try their hardest to make the kids go away, but we've learned the only real solution is to call Dah Emilie to the rescue! There's really never a dull moment… this week, they're catching lizards every day.
~ Murphy and Christine Crowson ~ Crowson's Blog
 From Murphy - Our most exciting news is that Stephen and Matthew were immersed into Jesus on September 20! Both have been talking about taking this step for several months now and at one point Matthew said, "I want to be baptized on September 20th! (the day after his birthday)" It was such a special time to Christine and I to see God developing faith in their hearts and to see their excitement about having their sins washed away as they begin a new life walking in the Spirit. Pray a special prayer for them both this week as they begin, or in many ways, continue this walk with Jesus. May the Lord prepare a path of joyful service in His Kingdom in the years ahead and may He firmly ground their faith in His Word! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to our family!
 We were so blessed to have Aimee Woodward and Carol Maples visit us from RHCC, our sponsoring church. They were only here for eight days so we packed as many experiences in as we could! Pictured left is our family with Aimee and Carol the night they arrived next to Randy Vaughn on the night he arrived. There was enough time in between their arrival and Randy's departure for us to have dinner together. We praise God for their support, love, encouragement and passionate prayers for our family and ministry! Thank you Lord!
 On Sunday during Aimee and Carol's visit we worshipped with the Sedome cluster in the village of Agodeke. Getting there was quite an adventure as we drove and walked through mud and water. It is such a joy to us when visitors come and see firsthand the fruit that God is bearing in the Kingdom here. All of the pictures and even newsletters can't really describe the amazing things that God is doing. We enjoyed our time of worship and fellowship. Thank you Lord for these Christians. May Your Light shine brightly through their lives!
 This past Sunday we worshipped with the Sedome church. During teaching time we studied Psalm 50. Pictured is the men's group going through each verse, restating it in their own words and then discussing what and how they can obey it's teaching. God wants us to offer up sacrifices of thanksgiving, fulfill our promises to Him, and seek Him in times of need so that His name will be glorified when He saves us!
 Pictured left is the baptism of Pascal, Denni's oldest son. When we announced the previous week that Stephen and Matthew were baptized, Denni said that it really convicted him to be more proactive in bringing his own children to a life of faith in Jesus. The next Tuesday, as I went to my leadership meeting in Batoe, Denni's son came along ready to give his life to Christ. Stephen and Matthew were so excited that their example of faith was already being used by God to bless others! Denni is a very special friend and it is exciting to me that our sons were immersed into Jesus in the same month!
Pray for the Batoe and Agodeke Christians as they lay the ground work to plant a church in the nearby village of Lakata. One person from there has already said he wanted to commit his life to Christ. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would bless His workers in the harvest field of Lakata!
On September 18th we celebrated our 10 year anniversary in Africa. As we look back on the previous ten years since our arrival our hearts are filled with Thanksgiving and Praise to the Lord for all that He has and continues to do!
Time for our transition to Rwanda is rapidly approaching and the need for our transition funds is drawing close. We ask that you passionately pray that God would move His powerful hand to provide all that we need for a healthy and smooth phase-out and phase-in this December and January. 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 website @ http://rwanda.harvestfields.net.
 From Christine - We have had a very full and exciting couple of weeks. We praise and thank God that Stephen and Matthew were baptized into Christ. I have been praying since before they were born that they would one day make a decision to give their lives to God and follow Jesus. I am so full of thanksgiving and praise for their sincere desire to live their lives in faithfulness to God. Thank you to all of you for your prayers for our boys. Please continue to pray that they will grow in their faith and that they will be a witness for Christ wherever they go.
 We were very encouraged by a visit from Aimee Woodward and Carol Maples from Ft. Worth, Texas. We had a wonderful week showing them our life here in Togo. We spent several days out in the village with our Togolese friends. Aimee and Carol were a tremendous blessing to the many women they greeted and prayed over.
 During Carol and Aimee's visit, we celebrated Matthew's 8th birthday. He requested a puppy party and it was so much fun. The boys were great fun to watch as they played puppy games like "Buster Says" and toss the bone. We ended the party with a pizza supper at the Koonces. Thank you to all of you who have sent us pepperoni (Matthew's favorite).
 As a way of saying good-bye to all of the women I have worked with here in Togo, we are hosting each group in our home for one night. The past two weeks we hosted first the Kpotonou women and then the Agodeke women. Both of these parties were so much fun. Da Emily helped me cook them a feast and then afterward we watched a movie. They all spent the night in our guest room. For most of them it was their first time to sleep on a soft mattress and use an indoor toilet and shower. It was so enjoyable to have these precious women in our home.
~ Emily Dunnagan ~
 Two weeks ago we had a very busy and joyful week. It was so much fun to be able to build deeper relationships with Aimee and Carol (pictured left). They blessed us with their company and also with generous gifts of books and other goodies. We had a wonderful time celebrating Matthew's 8th birthday and then Matthew & Stephen's baptism.
There baptism was a really special time not only because of their decision, but also because of the people it brought together. I was really touched by the opportunity to sing and pray in English and Eve with so many of the Togolese that I feel closest to- Da Emily our house worker, Fofo Yao who daily brings the boys to school and picks them up, Da Adjo who makes the roasted peanuts that I love, Fofo John who is our night guard, Fofo Oliveay who is Trevor's school moto taxi driver, and Da Florence who always greets me with a smile.
This past week life was back to almost "normal" routines. We have 3 full weeks left of school and then about 7 half-days until school is over for the semester. The boys are enjoying learning about sea creatures in science and are enjoying working on a school play. We did an experiment this week about seal blubber and the boys also enjoyed learning about turtles and sea snakes. The good-byes have also begun as each Sunday as I visit a different village, and I know will be my last time to see those people.
~ Agricultural Ministry - Laté Lawson-Simlen ~
 This week Laté put the new transport truck into action. Over 80,000 pineapple plant "seedlings" where bought and transported to different farmers to be planted. In 18 months time this will bring in more than $15,000 US to the farmers as the first pineapples are harvested and sold to an "organic" pineapple buyer in Switzerland. God continues to bless his people with resources to take care of their families and fund His work.
Plans are also being laid to purchase land this year to begin an "example" farm where Christians can spend time learning new farming and husbandry techniques to implement in their home villages. Please continue to pray for the Ag Ministry. That God would abundantly bless the Watchi Christians with everything they need to thrive in this life. |
