Heading Home

It's never easy living away from home for an extended time. While there have been many great blessings for our family here in Burkina Faso, it has not been easy as well. When we first came for a visit, by no means did we plan to stay this long, but then again it's hard to predict that both candidates will assume they are president (because having two presidents for one country works so well). The Burkina visas we acquired for Stephanie and the kids were good for two months. This coming Monday, the two months come to an end. New Burkina visas bought here in-country would cost over $1,800 and only be good for six months. Our truck also has to get its Ivorian vehicle inspection re-authorized (available only in Ivory Coast) by February 1st.

So we have been praying hard and asking lots of well-informed people (CMF staff, other missionaries and our Ivorian friends) about the various options we have before us. While it is clear that we cannot go to Abidjan, life in Abengourou has changed little and remains a peaceful corner of Ivory Coast. In terms of safety and living conditions, the current situation seems to be similar to the situation in 2004 when Ivory Coast went through a serious time of instability. In 2004, we were able to stay and continue working in Abengourou with little difficulty. Given the current circumstances, our team has decided to head back home to Abengourou and continue serving the people and ministry God has called us to.

God continues to bless and move forward the ministries of the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast, the PIM clinic, the CHE program and the outreach to Djoula-speaking Muslims. We believe God is leading us back to Abengourou to continue working with our great national friends and partners, serving together as a source of light and hope during difficult times. It's not a decision we have taken lightly, but one that gives us peace.

So please be in prayer for our family and our team-mate Christina Skelton this next week. We will be leaving Burkina Faso next Monday morning and traveling through western Ghana. We plan to spend the night in Sunyani, Ghana and then cross the border into Ivory Coast Tuesday morning, arriving in Abengourou sometime in the early afternoon, Lord willing. Pray for safety on the roads, easy and quick border crossings and sane parents at the end of our long journey. Also continue to pray that God would bring peace to Ivory Coast so that the Good News of Jesus Christ might be spread unhindered and the people of Ivory Coast experience true and lasting peace. Thanks so much for your prayers, they are felt.

Andy

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!