Visit from the American Embassy

The American Ambassador's wife, Amanda Jane Carter, came to our mission's PIM Clinic to visit and see firsthand the work going on in HIV care. Since we are recipients of PEPFAR funds (US governments funding program for HIV care in Africa), she stopped by to see some of the results of the financing and also learn about our holistic care model. They also gave a gift of some medical and other misc. supplies. She spent about an hour and a half with us. It was an honor to have her with us.

Maternity Renovations Started

I am excited to announce the beginning of the renovations for the new maternity.  Three weeks ago we started by cutting down the three large trees that were posing a serious threat to both the foundation of the principle building as well as the power and telephone lines.

God truly helped us in the process because all these trees were extremely overgrown.  The trunk of the tree in the picture had grown around the telephone line.  Basically the tree swallowed it.  The other trees had huge branches hanging over the primary power line for our town's region.

Thankfully, all three trees came down without any major damage.  None of the trees broke a line.  The only minor damage was to the edge of the roofline which will easily be fixed.  The damage was simply to the facade.

The last two weeks the workers have been reinforcing the exterior wall.  Once they finish the wall they will start redoing the gates and doors.  The work is going well and is advancing quickly.  While we have started the renovations, we still need to raise more funds.  We still need to raise at least $10,000 more for the renovations.  We also still need to raise funds for equipment.  This amount is between $25,000-$30,000.  Things are progressing, but we still have a long road ahead.  Continue to pray for the project and consider how you can help.

Even through the difficulties, God is faithful.

In January, we were able to send our two church planters along with their families to the Beoumi region to live and work there for all of 2013.  Last year we were able to start two churches in the region, and our goal is to start four new churches this year (two in the first half of the year and two in the second half).  The first three months for our church planters in Beoumi have been very difficult, however God has remained faithful and we have started to see tremendous growth and the Spirit's moving in the ministry out there.  

It started with the trip out to Beoumi.  What normally is a half-day trip (6 hrs.) took a day and a half (they left at 10am on Monday January 7th, but didn't arrive until Tuesday around 7pm: 33 hrs.).  During the trip they had 3 flat tires.  After their second flat tire (the spare) they had to drive slowly with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere to the next village in order to spend the night in safety.

They were able to find another spare the next morning and headed toward the big city of Bouake, about 90 minutes away, in order to purchase a new tire and finish their trip.  Before arriving in Bouake, they had their third flat tire. Nestor, one of our pastors and coordinator of leadership training who was accompanying them, got on public transportation to Bouake, purchased the two new tires, then took public transportation back to the stranded Land Rover.  Beoumi was less than two hours away, but the errands took all day and they arrived just as it became dark.

Not even two weeks later, on January 20th at the very end of the worship service in the Beoumi church, Clementine, Pastor David N'Dri's wife, collapsed as she was closing the service in prayer.  Pastor Jean-Claude (David was visiting the Belakro church) carried Clementine to the nearby hospital and called us back in Abengourou to pray for her.  Soon after, the doctor arrived and pronounced her dead.  To say that it shook the two young churches and our two pastors is an understatement.  The mission assumed the cost of the paperwork and transporting her body back home near Abengourou.  The total was around $1,300.

January 31st, we headed out to Bouake and Beoumi to help bring Clementine's body back for the funeral in Kodjina and accompany David, Jean-Claude and the Beoumi church members.  On our way to the morgue February 1st, I started having vehicle troubles.  We sent everyone on ahead and I returned slowly accompanied by my friend Joel.  Thankfully the others arrived safely without any problems, but Joel and I finally broke down and had to call our mechanic to send the Land Rover to tow us back to Abengourou. We arrived late at night and headed out to the funeral early the next morning.

Following the funeral, Jean-Claude returned to Beoumi with the other church members while David stayed back in Kodjina to recuperate (he had been battling a case of dysentery) and recover.  Later in the month another one of our pastors, Emile N'Goran, went out to assist Jean-Claude in the work in Beoumi.

The Beoumi region is known as a place of tremendous spiritual warfare.  There are faith "healers" throughout the region and idolatry is rampant (including various sacrificial offerings).  Though our leaders have been praying regularly, they decided to increase their focus in prayer and since the beginning of March, everyday the church in Beoumi lead by our church planters, begins the day from 5:30am-6:00am in prayer.  Since then God has opened wide the door to two new villages near the town of Beoumi.  

They have visited the village of Assenzé at least three times.  The first day they were able to meet and evangelize 14 people.  The following week the met with 16 for Chronological Bible Storytelling (CBS) and last time they met with over 20 people.  The other village of Diacohou has been a tremendous experience. The first day they met with the village chief who said they are welcome to do as the wish and consider it their village.  That same day they met a family and began teaching in their courtyard.  People passing by kept coming to them as they heard them speaking and teaching.  By the end of the day 14 people were listening.  The second visit over 20 people were waiting for them to arrive and over 30 people were listening to the CBS lesson by the end.  The last visit, they were not sure how many people were there (because it was nighttime), but of those they could see and count in the darkness the number was over 106!

Already in both villages people have expressed the desire to be baptized (4 in Assenzé and 8 in Diacohou).  We have not started Sunday morning services in these two villages yet, but already more than 15 people travel by foot from their village to attend the Sunday morning worship service in Beoumi (Assenzé is 4.5 miles away and Diacohou is 2 miles away).  The believers in Beoumi have been accompanying Jean-Claude and Emile and have grown in their faith so much already by seeing God's faithfulness despite the trials our leaders have experienced.  Their example of faith, zeal and courage builds the faith of these new believers.

Please continue to pray for Jean-Claude, Emile and their families as they continue to serve in Beoumi.  Pray for the new believers to grow in their faith and service to Christ.  Pray also for these four new churches to grow and shine as a testimony to the power and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We know that the spiritual warfare will continue and there will be other difficulties and trials to come, but we also know He who is greater than any other power in this world.  Pray for us too as we continue preparations to do a mobile clinic and evangelism campaign in Beoumi mid-June.  Pray that the light of the gospel would shine brightly and the darkness would flee before it.