Prosper

Not the financial kind of Prosper; were talking about our friend Prosper (pronounced proh-Spare). Brett met him in the market here in Kara a couple of months ago and started a conversation. Prosper is a kind and gentlemanly old fellow, and they hit it off right away (they say opposites attract!). Brett ended up giving him a ride home, and they have been friends ever since. He likes to teach Brett the Kabiye language, and in exchange Brett has given him rides here and there around town, since he is an old man and doesn't get around very well.

This week Prosper came to our door in need of our help. He had swelling in his hip because of an infection, and the doctor prescribed him some antibiotics. Prosper does not have the financial means to buy the needed drugs, so we bought the drugs for him. We'll see him again this week and get an update on his health. At his age, even the smallest things can be very dangerous.

Please pray for Prosper. Pray for his body to heal, and praise God for his kind and humble spirit that has so strongly affected our family. We thank God for giving us opportunities to serve people right here in our part of town!

Family Meeting

Four times each year, we meet as a team with representatives from the churches or clusters of churches in Kabiyeland. Some are elders, some are just well respected by their brothers and sisters, and all are committed to God and to living lives of righteousness in their villages as a witness to Christ's life changing power living in them.

We talk about what is happening at each church, a kind of "state of the movement" discussion, pray for each church, and cast visions for the future of each church and the movement as a whole. It is a beautiful time of fellowship and communion with a common purpose in mind: the spreading of the gospel of salvation through Jesus to all Kabiye villages and people!

What really struck me at this last meeting was the sense of brotherhood. Our movement goes by the name "Kabiye Yesu Cecewiye", or the Kabiye Family of Jesus. This family mentality was so evident as the men present at the quarterly meeting talked, laughed, planned and prayed together. A true family of people that would otherwise never be brought together. Without the common bond they all have in Jesus Christ, this gathering would have had no purpose!

Pray for these men. Pray for Jerome and for Kpaaca (pah-chah). Pray for Essohanam and Jean-Marie. Pray for all of the leaders of the Kabiye Family of Jesus, that they may continue to spread the message to all Kabiye people so that nobody will be left out of the family...

New Truck!!!

It's finally here!!! We want to thank everyone for helping to make this happen. Thanks especially to John Land for doing lots of research and seeking out good advice. We are very pleased with our truck and feel that it will serve well and meet our needs for years to come. We plan on taking VERY meticulous care of it so that it will survive and thrive in these harsh conditions.It feels great to have our own transportation for the first time since we arrived in Togo this past January. Praise God, and may we use this vehicle to minister to the Kabiye and bring glory to Him!

We've Made A Decision!

We have decided to have our baby in Accra, Ghana at the Lister Hospital. (Click here to view their website and see more pictures.) This is a privately owned hospital that is only two years old. They are striving to provide excellent health care that rises above the typical Ghanaian hospital. Their facilities are very impressive and your first thought upon entering the lobby is, "Wow. This is in Africa?!" The staff we met today seemed very confident and we organized. We still have a few questions and medical staff to meet, but our overall feeling was very positive.

We were able to talk to a couple (she is Dutch and he is Ghanaian) that recently delivered there to get the good and bad of their experience. They had their first son in the Netherlands via C-section and therefore had a good perspective of what was different in terms of holistic health care. They gave us confidence in the quality of medical care we would receive and a "heads up" on the typical Ghanaian care we would receive from the nurses. We were glad to hear all they had to say so we didn't go into this birth with unrealistic expectations.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us during this decision. We truly feel this is an answer from Him. Continue to pray with us for the future doctors and nurses that will be assisting us in bringing this gift from the Lord into the world.