Life as a Refugee

I have thought quite a bit about what I wanted to write about during this time while we are in Burkina Faso. By now most of you know that Ivory Coast had its long awaited elections. The essential information is that both candidates claim to have won, formed their own ministerial cabinets and neither of them is budging from their position. Add to all that the UN, US, France and several other international bodies backing the opposition candidates claims to the presidency and you get one big mess where people have started getting hurt and unfortunately killed. If you want to read more details about it, go to www.bbc.co.uk/news and click on the Africa link. You will see at least one story about the Ivorian situation and inside the article there are other news links that explain what's going on. The best way to sum up the situation is how another missionary friend put it to me the other day, "Sorry your country sucks right now." I would say that's pretty accurate from a political and social point-of-view.


I was able to go back into Ivory Coast a little over a week ago to get some necessities for living here for a little while (like Christmas presents, school curriculum, etc.). While I was there I also met with some of our key national leaders about the continuing ministry in Ivory Coast. It was a blessing to hear that despite all the noise going on about the presidential election and its aftermath, their resolve and plans for the ministry had not changed. There of course were a few modifications and postponements (they were living under a 7:00 PM curfew afterall), but the task of planting churches, training leaders and impacting communities has not changed. Very soon two national church planters are to head to Beoumi in the central part of the country to start four new churches. Those plans have not changed. "God has called us there and we will continue to trust in His call for us." The clinic continues to operate and minister to hundreds of people every week. CHE continues to engage the Cocoterrain region, seeking to bring health and hope to that community in Abengourou. Though the world around them is unstable, unclear and at times unfriendly, they continue to look to the Prince of Peace and serve Him as ministers of peace.


One of the blessings of this technology age we live in is the ability to stay in touch from afar. Not only with you all back home, but even during times like these we continue to work with our national partners to do the Lord's work in Ivory Coast. While here in Burkina Faso, we continue to work with them in translating materials, coordinating ministry activities, the construction of the Kids' Church/Djoula Worship Center (which is nearly finished!) and looking to future planning. Also while I am here I have the opportunity to study the Djoula language with less distractions than when I am living in Abengourou. Rest assured that our time in Burkina is not just a long holiday... at least it sure doesn't feel like one.


Thank you all for your prayers for both our family and Ivory Coast. Please continue lift up the Ivorian political situation and that all the leaders involved would be moved to look at the people of Ivory Coast who have suffered much during this time and would do what is best for them. Continue to pray for our family too while we live here in our friends', the Burks, house. They have been so gracious to let us live in their home while they are on furlough. Though living in Burkina for the past month is not what we inteded to do, there have been many surprise blessings. Pray too for our health, there has been some sort of "bug" we have been passing around the past couple of days. Thank you again for your prayers. God has heard them and has answered many already (the situation in Ivory Coast could be much worse than it is). May God continue to answer the prayers of His faithful.


Andy

Quick Update and Prayer Requests

Hello everyone, we are doing well and starting to get ready for next year. There is so much going on and changing it is exciting and yet sometimes stressful. What encourages us the most is the great sense that God is moving and guiding us in where we are headed. Here are some things to pray about over the next month.

-Elections might actually happen soon. So that is both a praise and big prayer request. The first round is Oct. 31 and the second round run-off is Nov. 27. Both Christina Skelton and the Bledsoes are traveling around those dates. Pray for their safety. Pray that the elections go as smooth as possible and real peace returns to Ivory Coast. This election date is almost exactly 5 years following the original election date back in 2005.

-Praise for the discovery of a new Christian Church (actually three, but they use a satelite church structure) in Abidjan among french speaking Ivorians. For a long time we have desired to see a french-speaking Christian church in the capital, but lacked both financial and human resources. They plan on joining the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast very soon. *It's a great story, but I don't have room here to explain how God worked things out.

-We will be starting a new CHE plant in the poorest area of Abengourou called Cocoterrain (also highly populated by Djoula-speaking muslims) within the next two months. We have a CHE TOT 1 & 2 scheduled for Oct. 18-22 for those who will be heading up the new work.

-The Association of Christian Churches is starting their planning for 2011 and are making major strides in being self-leading, being less and less dependent on the missionaries. Pray that God leads these national partners to accomplish some great things in the near future.

-Pray for Christina Skelton as she continues to get adjusted to the Ivorian culture and find her footing here in Abengourou. She has been doing very well so far.

-Pray for the completion of the Djoula Worship/Prayer Center. We are looking forward to starting various prayer services for muslim background believers and seekers.

-Pray for Andy and he tries to keep up with all of the above. :)

Thanks to all who pray for us and the ministry here in Ivory Coast. Our prayer is that God moves in your lives and communities as He is in ours!

The Béoumi Project

To say that it is time for an update is a gross understatement. Rest assured, we have been busy and good things are happening. I am excited to finally share with you about some of the ways God has been moving here at the Mission Chrétienne en Côte d'Ivoire. Since they are many, here is the first installment with others to soon follow. This first one deals with our work among the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast (called AECCI in French).

The Béoumi Project

One of our major objectives has been to instill within the leadership of the AECCI a greater vision for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Ivory Coast and beyond. Their desire to see the church spread into new areas has continued to grow and plans were made to start in a neighboring region in a couple of years. They pray regularly for God to help them move beyond the region of Abengourou (especially to the north and west in Ivory Coast). God answered clearly this prayer, but like He often does, in ways we did not expect.

Our story reflects that of Paul in Acts 16 when he received the "Macedonian Call." Paul had a good vision and plan for his mission, but God's vision was bigger and better. God clearly communicated His plan for Paul. Likewise, we had good vision and plan for expanding in Ivory Coast, but God had other ideas. The end of last year, our leaders received a call pleading with them to send someone to plant churches in the Béoumi region (literally... from a man named N'Guessan on his cell phone). At the same time, there were many other small things that developed and messages received (too numerous to mention here) that confirmed what we believed: God was calling the church to Béoumi.

What's exciting about the project is that it is not just about planting a church in a new town or region, or even that we are going to plant four new churches in the region, but it is the start of a new church planting movement in a new region of Ivory Coast. And this is not just any region, but in the center and heart of Ivory Coast. It sits as a gateway to the northern and western regions and will facilitate expanding again in the future. It has become clear that God's strategy is better than ours (go figure).

The AECCI's Director of Evangelism has already made a preliminary scouting trip earlier this year, and the leadership will make a strategic planning visit next month. At the end of this year, we will send two church planters to the Béoumi region and they will live and minister there for all of 2011, planting four new churches in four towns in the region. The Béoumi Project is for four years, with TEE leadership training to continue following the first year. At the end of the four years, it is expected that the new young church will have also planted another new church as well in a neighboring village. Our model has three important keys: it's Simple, Reproducible and Affordable. We teach the power of multiplication and following the simple holistic gospel of Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that God will imprint His desire for the lost on our hearts and theirs as well as a mindset of multiplication.

So PLEASE be in prayer for the Béoumi Project. We are also looking for partners in this church planting ministry. The total 4 year budget is $12,500. If you are interested in learning more about the project or giving towards this ministry, contact me via email (gablecmf@hotmail.com) or Facebook (Andy Stephanie Gable). More than anything, we are seeking out people to be prayer partners for this project (individuals or churches). God is moving and we want to ride the wave of His active grace.

May we be so filled up with His love that it flows over into the lives of others. Be Blessed.

Andy

*Next edition will talk about the Djoula Outreach Ministry

The Dark Side of Africa

Monday morning I received a wake-up call, in more ways than one. A good friend who works with the mission, Joel, called me and said his wife’s 12 yrs. old niece Cici, who lives with them, had been missing for a day. What struck me was his shaky voice. His fear wasn’t as if she had run away, but that she was missing... in an African sense. From time to time, people (too often children) disappear without a trace and are never found again.

Many generations ago, many people groups in West Africa occasionally practiced human sacrifice, often a child, to the spirits of this world. With the colonization by European countries in the 19th and 20th centuries, human sacrifices were banned and the practice ceased (for the most part). These were replaced by goats and sheep and people were content with it. But over the last 12 years, things have been getting tougher for Ivory Coast, with several coup d’etats and a civil war reeking havoc on their economy, and people have been searching for answers. Unfortunately, some have looked backwards for those answers... and slowly the number of people going missing has risen in recent years.

This is the darkness I heard in Joel’s voice. This was my real wake-up call. It wasn’t my first time hearing about it, but like so many things, it got pushed to the back of my mind. After all, so many of the Africans you meet are wonderful and kind people. I enjoy chatting with them about their day and family. They are genuinely thankful for each visit. It’s easy to forget the darkness that lies within their hearts. That’s not to say that they are inherently evil, but fear grips them and guides their lives day in and day out. For me, it was a stark reminder that though the ministry of bringing physical healing to people is essential, the greatest need is healing the darkness within the human heart.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12) God reminded me of the power of hope found in Jesus’ life-giving light. Later in the day Cici was found safe at the home of her slightly deranged aunt. God had heard our prayers and the scores of others praying back in America. May we pray equally hard for the hearts of the African peoples that they might receive the light that gives life.

New Beginnings

The beginning of the new year reminds us of the importance and need for change. People start working out, they plan to be more organized and they start a reading plan for the Bible. It's also a time when some start new activities and opportunities, both for individuals and organizations. This sense of need for new things and change at the new year is international. New Year's Day is the biggest holiday in Africa. No matter how rich or poor a family is, everybody gets nice new clothing, shares a special meal and visits their friends and family.

One of the most exciting things that this new year brings for the ministry here in Ivory Coast is the growth and new phase for the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast. The Association is made up the various church leaders from all eighteen Christian churches. Since the beginning of the mission here, the overseeing of the church planting and leadership development was done by missionaries. For some time now, the bulk of the preaching and teaching among the Agni and Attie people groups has been done by the various church leaders, however, the mission organized most of the activities. This is the first year that the Association will officially take over the overseeing responsibilities of the work among the Agni and Attie peoples.

It is a huge step in the life of the church here in Ivory Coast. Our goal as a

mission has been more than simply starting new churches in Ivory Coast, but creating an indigenous movement that naturally reproduces both new churches and capable church leaders. It's exciting to see the Ivorian church responding too to Jesus' Great Commission to make disciples. They have many great projects for this year, including starting three new churches, even sending a church planter to a new area of Ivory Coast!

The past several months we have been working hard in preparation for this historical step; we have done some reorganizing of the leadership training program, specific training for the ministry area directors and Executive Bureau, and another first of hiring a full-time ministry coordinator for the Association. Edoukou Jean-Claude, one of our most mature and respected pastors, has taken on this role of organizing the activities of the Association and encouraging the churches in the mission and vision of the Association. Please pray for him in his new role for strength, endurance and flexibility and he travels and learns new things. Pray also for Deahon Tro (known as Papa Tro), the Executive Director of the Association. Pray for wisdom, insight and passion as he leads the Association in these new endeavors.

It is exciting to see how God is moving among the people here and his ministry. I am greatly encouraged by our leaders vision, conviction and desire to serve God and make his salvation through Jesus Christ known to all. It not only is expanding their witness and influence, but has and will continue to free up more time and opportunities for us in the mission to focus more on the Djoula Muslim outreach. Please pray for the Association and Mission as we serve alongside each other to make Jesus and his love known to the people of Ivory Coast.

**The photos were taken during our planning meeting with our ministry area directors. The first photo includes Jean-Claude at front-middle. The second photo has Papa Tro in the back.