Testimonies of people baptized on Sunday at Agoudze, Togo (see previous blog for details and pictures):
#1 (Man about 35-40 years old) - "I used to go to bars; I quarred all the time. One day the pastor came and told me about the Savior. I asked, "Is there really a Savior who exists?" I added, "If there is truly a Savior, show me!" I started going to church where I heard about Jesus Christ. I noticed a change in my heart and life. I stopped going to the bars; there was no more bitterness. Now Jesus is my Savior. He has truly transformed my life. Jesus died for MY sins; He rose from the dead. By His grace, I am His. Before Christ, I had money but no peace. Now I am completely different."
#2 (Wife of #1 - first baptismal candidate) - "I used to go to the charlatans. But when I was sick and went to the charlatan, I was not always healed. So I was not satisfied. I would receive amulets from the charlatan; they would sometimes do ceremonies. One day, after being engaged to the man who is now my husband, I talked with a lady from Assogba-Kope who told me to leave fetishism. I told her "no, if I abandon everything having to do with fetishism, I will become a crazy woman." I did start going to church and even talked with the pastor. But I still kept my amulets. One day I saw a film that said that we needed to burn our amulets. After the film, I realized that was true. I told the pastor that I would burn my amulets - and I did so in the Assogba-Kope church (in a nearby village). Unfortunately, after that, I sinned against God; I was involved in sexual relationships before marriage. I became pregnant, and I lost the baby. I realized that I had sinned; I repented - and, by God's grace, I am forgiven. My life has changed. Now, if someone causes me a problem, I accept it. Even if my family does evil to me, I follow God. I am now ready to do whatever God wants me to do. I still have no children so I ask you to pray that God will give me children."
#3 (Man of perhaps 45 years old). This man's brother spoke first, telling about him. He said: "My brother was a drunk. He was always drunk. Even in rainy season, when He was supposed to work in his fields, he didn't do anything. Just drank. He would go to the charlatans when he had problems. Now he has completely changed. Now I have a brother in whom I have confidence."
The man himself (the one who was baptized) said, "My wife sold tchouk (local alcoholic drink). I would look for money in the house, even in her cloths (pagnes), to buy drink. I was involved sexually with women and with young girls at that time; I drank; I quarreled. After drinking one Saturday, a brother came and talked with me about Jesus Christ. He asked if I would go to church the next day. Even that morning, I had money in my pocket for a drink - but how could I drink in front of this brother? That Sunday, the pastor talked about my own life!! He talked about drinking. But I did not yet give my life to Christ. Later, I went to the charlatan because I needed to sacrifice at the end of the year. But instead, at that time, I decided to follow Jesus - so I let go of the sacrifice. At times I have a desire to return to drink. Thankfully, I have abandoned drink completely now for 1 year and 1 month. I know that God sent His Son for me - I have asked Him to live in my heart. I have cut off relationship with the world. Now I want to live for God; I want to share the gospel with others. I am the oldest in my family and I do not allow sacrifices in my family."
#4 - Wife of man above: "I used to go to the charlatans. Living with my husband before he accepted Christ, was not easy! There were lots of quarrels. I went to various churches. Then the pastor started a Bible study here in this village in the market. I heard about Jesus. When this church started, I began coming. I still had my amulets. But after hearing the Word of God, I burned my amulets. I used to enjoy quarreling; now there is patience in me and I am calm. I know God sent His Son to die for my own sins. He died and rose again. In all problems, I now know that God is there. I also burned my idols - but I have been protected by God!"
#5 - Young girl (perhaps 18-20 years old): "I lived in the village of Kpetegan. I practiced fetishism. A charlatan introduced "power in my skin" (injected something in my arm). My father died and I came to live in Agoudze. One day a doctor from the hospital in Tsiko came (our mission hospital); I was sick. I was treated. I went to my house, ate some food - then cried to my mother that I had a bad headache, and fell to the ground. Everyone thought I had died. After a long time, I recovered. I was taken to the village dispensary but the doctor said he could not treat me and that I needed to go to the charlatan. I continued to have headaches. The charlatan gave me amulets. I attended a different church but always had my amulets. One day, a group of Baptists came to our village and showed a film. I heard about Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior."
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Baptisms, Anniversaries, Exams, and Pigs!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Togo! What an incredible month this has been! I would love to share some of the highlights with you:
**Baptism at Kaduasso-Kope.
Ten people were baptized in this village on Easter Sunday. What a celebration to see them openly demonstrate their commitment to following Jesus Christ!
**Baptism at Agoudze. This past Sunday five people were baptized at Agoudze, another church plant under the direction of Pastor Martouka. Our hospital’s mobile clinic ministry as well as the CHE ministry have been involved in this village. The testimonies of the five people who were baptized were incredible: each of them telling of how they had turned from idols to serve the living and true God! I have translated the testimonies somewhere on this blog site (I hope!). If you would like to read them — you will be thrilled (yes, “blogging” is a new experience for me!).
**Ring-burning! At the end of the church service and baptism on Sunday morning at Agoudze, while most of us were starting to leave the church, the pastor suddenly called us back. He asked us to take our seats — and then explained that a young man (in the yellow shirt in the photo) had just talked with him. This young man had been at the church the evening before when a film was shown; the film told of a person who gave up his fetish beliefs and the items in which he trusted so that he could follow God. This young man saw the film and heard the preaching both that evening and in the morning service. He said that he had made a decision to trust completely in Christ as his Savior. He explained that he had worn a special ring for years; a ring given to him by a “charlatan” (fetish priest) who said that if he ever took this ring off, he would die. The young man held up the ring and said that he wanted to burn the ring right then, symbolizing the fact that he no longer trusted in talismans or amulets or rings but in God alone to protect him. Wow!! The whole congregation went outside, in front of the little church, and gathered around twigs soaked with diesel fuel — and watched as this young man lit the fire that burned his ring.
Our prayer is that God will confirm this decision in his heart and that He will protect him from evil as he continues to trust Him. The enemy, Satan, is strong — incredibly strong in these villages (and the world over!) and he would like nothing better than to cause one of these new believers to turn their backs on God. Please pray for the people who have made decisions in these villages, including this young man.
**20th Anniversary: Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of something(?) in the village of Bodze. It was announced as the 20th anniversary of the church. However, it seems that the church actually started 18 years ago. But there was a Bible study before that. So maybe it was the 20th anniversary of the start of the Bible study that grew into a church. Or it might have been the 20th anniversary of Pastor Yaovi’s ministry. I am not sure. But who cares?! The fact is, for the past # of years, God has been doing a mighty work in that village — and it was great to celebrate with the people there. Two of our nursing students are from Bodze, so it is especially thrilling to see the fruit of that ministry and know that these two young people will be involved in touching hundreds of lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
**Nursing Students: Speaking of nursing students, all 20 of them are right now riding in two vans on their way to Mango, in the north of Togo! Most of these students will be serving the Lord in our mission hospital being constructed in Mango – and most of them have never been to Mango. The missionaries there have organized this trip so the students can see that part of Togo during their school break. Our prayer is that God would put a huge burden on the hearts of these students for the spiritual and physical needs of people in that part of Togo! Please pray as our students will be there today through Friday. Please pray for safety for them as they travel some terrible roads in order to get there. Two of them have already called this morning just to say that they are on their way!! They are excited — and I am very thankful for this opportunity for them and for what God is going to do in their hearts and lives.
The current trimester ended last Friday. Once again we very definitely saw God’s hand at work as the students completed their course work, clinical experiences, and trimester cumulative exams. Stress was a little high as they sat for two mornings (three hours each morning) with exam questions in front of them! The morning of the first exam, I asked our administrative assistant, Germain, to pray for the students. He asked God to give each of the students a grade of 80% or better. This teacher was a little skeptical . . . Even more skeptical as I started grading exams. What was exciting was that, when I finished grading and calculating averages, the absolute lowest exam grade was 79.5% (rounded to 80%)!!! What an incredible answer to prayer!
In addition to seeing progress academically, I thank God for the way He continues working in the hearts of our students. Please pray for spiritual growth and maturity for each of them; pray that they would truly apply God’s Word to their lives — and that their lives would exemplify Christ in our hospital, in their homes, etc!
**CHE vehicle: Our CHE vehicle continues to struggle. It is once again at the doctor’s office (i.e., mechanic!). Unfortunately, when the vehicle is struggling, our teams are not always able to get to the villages, which is difficult for the villagers and for us. For example, our Thursday team this week does not have a vehicle available — they are considering renting one to take them to the village that is already planning on them coming. But renting a vehicle is costly. As are the repairs on our vehicle. Would you please pray that God will give wisdom about purchasing a vehicle. I am actually scared as I think about what vehicle to buy — not wanting to use God’s money unwisely, afraid to buy anything at all because I know the roads will destroy whatever we buy, yet knowing that we need a dependable vehicle for this ministry! I really am not sure what to do. I am attaching a link to a picture of the car that one of our Mango missionaries recently bought — he thinks it would be perfect for the off–road driving of our CHE teams:
(http://ecom.toyota-gib.com/Default.asp?WCI=VariantDetails&WCE=VID:2008431). I mentioned this as a possibility in the last prayer letter — what is exciting is that immediately after receiving that letter, two people responded and sent money to ABWE to help with the cost of a new vehicle. We have a long ways to go in order to have enough! Thank you for your prayers.
**Birth Day!! Last Easter (2012), one of my supporting churches provided money specifically for the CHE villages. One of our CHE teams used part of that money to buy three pigs for a village with the goal of pig-raising in order to help supply money and nutrition for villagers. I asked you to pray that the pigs would reproduce. This past Sunday morning, while at church in Agoudze, one of our CHE members received a phone call. Sure enough, our CHE leaders are now grandparents!! One of the pigs gave birth to 7 piglets; the other to 5 piglets! Thanks for praying for pig multiplication in the CHE villages (some of these prayer requests are a little “different” — but God is using each of these as a means of touching lives with the good news of Jesus Christ)!
Prep for Next Trimester: Please pray for preparations for the next trimester of the nursing program (starting May 13th). Pray for two dear friends from Cedarville who will be teaching the first two-week course on pediatrics and nursing care of patients with mental health problems. Please pray as I prep the renal course that follows their teaching. Please pray as we make some changes in our clinical practice in order to better prepare our students to work as effective nurses for God’s glory!
At times, especially when I know of a container coming to Togo, I include a list of “needs” just in case you might have some items sitting around the house(??) – or in case you are looking for a place to invest some money for eternity!! Here are some ideas:
Laptop computers for some of our faithful Togolese — and at least one pastor. If you just upgraded and have one sitting around gathering dust (or even not gathering dust!), there are some great opportunities for use on this side of the world!
Musical instruments — we can always use guitars, keyboards, trumpets. Our incredibly musical Togolese would love to use the instruments listed above in worship here in Togo.
Financially, there are opportunities to help with pastors’ transportation to and from villages; ongoing monthly support for the CHE ministry; about $1500 needed to finish the doors, walls, etc of a church in a CHE village; finances for transportation and meals for pastors’ wives fellowship (a time for the wives of our pastors to get together to study God’s Word); opportunity to purchase land for the Agoudze church ($450 total for three hectares, however big that is! My understanding is that it is a lot of land — and will be used for the church and for a church farm to help with the finances of the church) — not to mention the CHE vehicle.
What is neat is to see God’s hand at work as we pray for these needs! What a wonderful reminder of the fact that we work together with Him!! You and I, partnering with our God, for eternal results.
Thankful to be serving together,
Sharon
Address: ABWE, Missionary Finance, P.O. Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Togo! What an incredible month this has been! I would love to share some of the highlights with you:
**Baptism at Kaduasso-Kope.
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| Ten people baptized (+ 2 pastors) |
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| Baptism in river at Kaduasso-Kope, Togo |
This was really the first village in which our Community Health Evangelism (CHE) team began their ministry. We have had the privilege of working alongside Pastor Martouka in helping with this church plant and in seeing the villagers make changes spiritually as well as physically!
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| Pastor Martouka & family |
**Baptism at Agoudze. This past Sunday five people were baptized at Agoudze, another church plant under the direction of Pastor Martouka. Our hospital’s mobile clinic ministry as well as the CHE ministry have been involved in this village. The testimonies of the five people who were baptized were incredible: each of them telling of how they had turned from idols to serve the living and true God! I have translated the testimonies somewhere on this blog site (I hope!). If you would like to read them — you will be thrilled (yes, “blogging” is a new experience for me!).
**Ring-burning! At the end of the church service and baptism on Sunday morning at Agoudze, while most of us were starting to leave the church, the pastor suddenly called us back. He asked us to take our seats — and then explained that a young man (in the yellow shirt in the photo) had just talked with him. This young man had been at the church the evening before when a film was shown; the film told of a person who gave up his fetish beliefs and the items in which he trusted so that he could follow God. This young man saw the film and heard the preaching both that evening and in the morning service. He said that he had made a decision to trust completely in Christ as his Savior. He explained that he had worn a special ring for years; a ring given to him by a “charlatan” (fetish priest) who said that if he ever took this ring off, he would die. The young man held up the ring and said that he wanted to burn the ring right then, symbolizing the fact that he no longer trusted in talismans or amulets or rings but in God alone to protect him. Wow!! The whole congregation went outside, in front of the little church, and gathered around twigs soaked with diesel fuel — and watched as this young man lit the fire that burned his ring.
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| Young man at Agoudze burning fetish ring |
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| Ring burning, Agoudze |
**20th Anniversary: Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of something(?) in the village of Bodze. It was announced as the 20th anniversary of the church. However, it seems that the church actually started 18 years ago. But there was a Bible study before that. So maybe it was the 20th anniversary of the start of the Bible study that grew into a church. Or it might have been the 20th anniversary of Pastor Yaovi’s ministry. I am not sure. But who cares?! The fact is, for the past # of years, God has been doing a mighty work in that village — and it was great to celebrate with the people there. Two of our nursing students are from Bodze, so it is especially thrilling to see the fruit of that ministry and know that these two young people will be involved in touching hundreds of lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
 |
| Not sure a person has truly "lived" until eating real African village food! |
**Nursing Students: Speaking of nursing students, all 20 of them are right now riding in two vans on their way to Mango, in the north of Togo! Most of these students will be serving the Lord in our mission hospital being constructed in Mango – and most of them have never been to Mango. The missionaries there have organized this trip so the students can see that part of Togo during their school break. Our prayer is that God would put a huge burden on the hearts of these students for the spiritual and physical needs of people in that part of Togo! Please pray as our students will be there today through Friday. Please pray for safety for them as they travel some terrible roads in order to get there. Two of them have already called this morning just to say that they are on their way!! They are excited — and I am very thankful for this opportunity for them and for what God is going to do in their hearts and lives.
The current trimester ended last Friday. Once again we very definitely saw God’s hand at work as the students completed their course work, clinical experiences, and trimester cumulative exams. Stress was a little high as they sat for two mornings (three hours each morning) with exam questions in front of them! The morning of the first exam, I asked our administrative assistant, Germain, to pray for the students. He asked God to give each of the students a grade of 80% or better. This teacher was a little skeptical . . . Even more skeptical as I started grading exams. What was exciting was that, when I finished grading and calculating averages, the absolute lowest exam grade was 79.5% (rounded to 80%)!!! What an incredible answer to prayer!
In addition to seeing progress academically, I thank God for the way He continues working in the hearts of our students. Please pray for spiritual growth and maturity for each of them; pray that they would truly apply God’s Word to their lives — and that their lives would exemplify Christ in our hospital, in their homes, etc!
**CHE vehicle: Our CHE vehicle continues to struggle. It is once again at the doctor’s office (i.e., mechanic!). Unfortunately, when the vehicle is struggling, our teams are not always able to get to the villages, which is difficult for the villagers and for us. For example, our Thursday team this week does not have a vehicle available — they are considering renting one to take them to the village that is already planning on them coming. But renting a vehicle is costly. As are the repairs on our vehicle. Would you please pray that God will give wisdom about purchasing a vehicle. I am actually scared as I think about what vehicle to buy — not wanting to use God’s money unwisely, afraid to buy anything at all because I know the roads will destroy whatever we buy, yet knowing that we need a dependable vehicle for this ministry! I really am not sure what to do. I am attaching a link to a picture of the car that one of our Mango missionaries recently bought — he thinks it would be perfect for the off–road driving of our CHE teams:
(http://ecom.toyota-gib.com/Default.asp?WCI=VariantDetails&WCE=VID:2008431). I mentioned this as a possibility in the last prayer letter — what is exciting is that immediately after receiving that letter, two people responded and sent money to ABWE to help with the cost of a new vehicle. We have a long ways to go in order to have enough! Thank you for your prayers.
**Birth Day!! Last Easter (2012), one of my supporting churches provided money specifically for the CHE villages. One of our CHE teams used part of that money to buy three pigs for a village with the goal of pig-raising in order to help supply money and nutrition for villagers. I asked you to pray that the pigs would reproduce. This past Sunday morning, while at church in Agoudze, one of our CHE members received a phone call. Sure enough, our CHE leaders are now grandparents!! One of the pigs gave birth to 7 piglets; the other to 5 piglets! Thanks for praying for pig multiplication in the CHE villages (some of these prayer requests are a little “different” — but God is using each of these as a means of touching lives with the good news of Jesus Christ)!
Prep for Next Trimester: Please pray for preparations for the next trimester of the nursing program (starting May 13th). Pray for two dear friends from Cedarville who will be teaching the first two-week course on pediatrics and nursing care of patients with mental health problems. Please pray as I prep the renal course that follows their teaching. Please pray as we make some changes in our clinical practice in order to better prepare our students to work as effective nurses for God’s glory!
At times, especially when I know of a container coming to Togo, I include a list of “needs” just in case you might have some items sitting around the house(??) – or in case you are looking for a place to invest some money for eternity!! Here are some ideas:
Laptop computers for some of our faithful Togolese — and at least one pastor. If you just upgraded and have one sitting around gathering dust (or even not gathering dust!), there are some great opportunities for use on this side of the world!
Musical instruments — we can always use guitars, keyboards, trumpets. Our incredibly musical Togolese would love to use the instruments listed above in worship here in Togo.
Financially, there are opportunities to help with pastors’ transportation to and from villages; ongoing monthly support for the CHE ministry; about $1500 needed to finish the doors, walls, etc of a church in a CHE village; finances for transportation and meals for pastors’ wives fellowship (a time for the wives of our pastors to get together to study God’s Word); opportunity to purchase land for the Agoudze church ($450 total for three hectares, however big that is! My understanding is that it is a lot of land — and will be used for the church and for a church farm to help with the finances of the church) — not to mention the CHE vehicle.
What is neat is to see God’s hand at work as we pray for these needs! What a wonderful reminder of the fact that we work together with Him!! You and I, partnering with our God, for eternal results.
Thankful to be serving together,
Sharon
Address: ABWE, Missionary Finance, P.O. Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Great Stuff!!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Dear Friends,
There is some great stuff going on here in Togo! What is neat is that God’s hand is all over it – and it is so fun to see Him work! Let me give you some examples:
Miracle at Dzogbegan: Dzogbegan is a village about 45 minutes away. Strongly religious village (a religion that emphasizes good works, baptism, and church attendance for salvation). Seto and Anani, dear friends from way back when I first arrived in Togo, have been working there for over 10 years, trying to plant a church.
Anani is the church leader; Seto is his wife and she teaches the children. Each time I have visited in the past, there has been just a handful of people – maybe 10-12 total. Well, I attended church there about 3 weeks ago. And as I walked through the door, I could hardly believe it! There were loads of people there (probably 20 adults – plus 30 kids)! I was amazed – as in, “What in the world happened?” Well, Seto shared the story – and if I understood it all correctly, it goes something like this. One of the men who has been coming to this church for several years is married; his wife attended the large church in town. Seto would frequently visit her on Sunday mornings and ask if she was coming to our church. Every time, the lady would say that she was not dressed or ready. Finally Seto started to wait while the lady got dressed – and then the lady started making other excuses; most of the time, she would just flatly refuse to come. One day the lady actually agreed to talk with Anani about the Bible. As Anani shared about faith and about eternal life through Jesus Christ, she said that she had never heard things like that, even in all her years of attending church. Anani encouraged her to read the Bible – she said that was forbidden at her church. But as he continued to talk with her, God worked in her heart and she put her faith in Christ alone (not in a church and not in anything good that she thought she could do to earn heaven!). She is now so excited about her relationship with Christ that she just about glows!! She was in church the Sunday I visited – along with her mother, her father, her brother (who stayed after church to talk with Anani about how he could also know Christ personally!); her kids are there and at least two friends. This lady has started a small choir at the church. She is reading her Bible – which was forbidden before – she started in Genesis at the beginning of the year and is now in Deuteronomy! It was thrilling to hear her story and to meet her! Apparently her changing churches caused quite a stir in the village. To the point that she was brought before the chief and the village elders. They asked her why she changed. She explained to them about what Christ had done for her through his death for her sins and his resurrection – and how she now has new life through faith in Him alone. She even told the chief that she hoped one day he would be in her situation, testifying to the village of his faith in Christ! Wow!!! Absolutely amazing. God is doing an incredible work on the mountain – He is changing lives. I have watched Seto and Anani persevere in this village – even when it seemed like everyone was telling them just to give up and go start a church somewhere else. They believed with all their hearts that this is where God wanted them. And they have stayed and faithfully, Sunday after Sunday, shared God’s Word with whoever would come. Even just a handful of people. Please pray for Seto and Anani – every victory brings challenges. Our enemy is never content when God’s people push into his territory! And that is certainly happening in Dzogbegan. Please pray for this lady as well – I am sure Satan will do everything possible to destroy her and her family. They need our prayers!!
God’s provision for special needs: I wrote awhile back about some specific needs – and it is so fun to see how God has provided for many of those and then get to tell you what He has been doing!
**I mentioned quite some time ago what a huge benefit it would be if one of our pastors (Pastor Martouka) had equipment to be able to show DVDs in the villages – DVDs that would clearly present the gospel of Jesus Christ. A couple in the US responded to that need, bought every bit of the needed equipment, and even shipped it all to Georgia where a container was being packed for Togo! That container arrived recently - and in it was the projector, DVD player, small generator, large speakers – everything that was needed (except a microphone that we forgot about!!) for Pastor Martouka to take God’s Word (through preaching and through DVD recordings) into villages in his area! I got to talk with Pastor Martouka the other day – what a joy to rehearse how God has provided! I mentioned how excited I was, and he said, “You are not as excited as I am”! He is thrilled – can hardly stop smiling!!! Again, your prayers are needed – as soon as Pastor Martouka is fully trained on using the equipment, he will be taking it to the villages, entering Satan’s territory and literally blasting out the truth of God’s forgiveness and of eternal life through Christ! Please pray for him and for his family – and for this incredible ministry!
**God touched the hearts of four different ladies to purchase sewing machines for pastors’ wives – so they could help support their families and, in this way, help with their husband’s ministry. How fun to be able to go sewing machine shopping in Togo! I am including a couple of photos to show you what God provided for these ladies and their families!
**As you know, our hospital has some huge financial needs. A short time ago, I received a note from someone in a supporting church saying that she was sending a gift for our hospital ministry. That in itself was fantastic news! But what was even neater was God’s timing. About two hours after receiving that note, I was in our missionary prayer meeting – and the hospital administrator, Annette, asked prayer for hospital finances. She said that the hospital finances were probably lower than they have been in a long time because of some necessary expenditures. How fun to be able to lean over and tell her that God had already touched the heart of one person to give to the hospital! I love it when He does things like that!!
**Then there is the need of a vehicle for our Community Health Evangelism (CHE) ministry. I wrote about some seemingly impossible financial obstacles in getting a car for that ministry. A day after I sent that prayer letter, telling about a $38,000 car that sounded perfect for being able to get to these villages, I received an e-mail from someone saying that she wanted to help out with a donation. I have no idea what that entails – but it does not matter. What matters is that God touched someone’s heart! And that provides such a sense of peace and assurance that He knows the need and that He alone is able to meet that need! I have no idea what God will do; I have no idea how in the world the money will be provided for this need for the CHE ministry, but I believe He is going to do it!
**So many of you literally prayed me through the neuro class for five weeks of this trimester. Wow, did a lot of work go into that class! Literally weeks of study, preparation of student notes, my notes, powerpoint, exams – not to mention teaching time, grading, individual help, etc! I am not sure that I have ever put this much time into a course – or that I have been so excited about teaching a course! Seriously! In spite of being tired (wow, is that an understatement!), it was so neat to see how God gave ideas, and illustrations, and different ways of explaining thing. And how He gave excitement in presenting that information to students! I am not a “natural” teacher – far from it! I am only a teacher through God’s enablement – and am often reminded of how I cannot do any of this teaching or directing without Him!
**Many have also prayed and asked about the tooth pain from several weeks ago. I do not know where it went – the pain, that is, not the tooth! Seriously! Twenty minutes after starting antibiotics at the recommendation of my dentist in the US, the terrible pain was gone. It makes absolutely no sense that antibiotics would work in 20 minutes – but the pain has not returned since! So my tooth and I are staying together for the time being!! Again, thank you for praying!
In case you think that laziness has taken over now that the neuro course is done – not to worry!! I have one more week (this week!) to prep for the next course which is nursing care of the patient with endocrine problems. Another course that I thoroughly enjoy teaching - but one that needs a lot of preparation and can get a little complicated! I once again need your prayers as I begin teaching this four-week course next Monday!
I often say that our nursing program is also a 3-year “discipleship” program! Our students not only learn nursing theory, skills, hospital practice – they also must document growth in godly character and in Christian living. Multiple times each trimester, they journal such things as: application of biblical principles to life, demonstration of Christlike compassion, sharing the gospel with patients and families. I was just grading some of these journals and I read the following account. I want to share this student’s comments with you because they so clearly demonstrate the goals of our nursing program. Here is what this student wrote:
"During this past week, I took care of a patient who had a left foot fracture. This man had been 'abandoned' by his two wives and his 6 children. The patient came to our hospital without any family present and without any help. When I encountered the patient, his clothes were bloody, so I helped him change into a hospital gown and helped wash his clothes. I cleaned his bed and changed the sheets which were also wet with blood. Afterwards, I bought some rice cereal (bouillie) for him because he was hungry, but there was no one there to buy for him. After drinking the rice water, the man started to talk with me and thanked me. He asked this question: 'From where did you know me, that you would do everything like this?' I said, 'It is not necessary for you to thank me. Even though you were abandoned by your family, there is a friend who will always be at your side. His Name is Jesus; He is the One Who works in my life to demonstrate His love. Would you like to know Him? Would you like to keep company with Him?' His answer was 'Yes'!! This patient who had been very resistant to the gospel of Jesus Christ when presented by our chaplains, agreed to hear the gospel and even read for himself such verses as Jean 3:16 and Romans 5:8. At the end of our discussion, this patient made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as His personal Savior. Each day I continue to visit him in the cuisine (place where patients who are discharged can stay). He tells me, 'I have a peaceful heart with my Savior'!"
What a story! You can’t beat the thrill of being involved in a ministry like this! Thank you for the part you have through your prayers, through your gifts and support, and through your wonderful encouragement. You and I have the incredible privilege of working together with God!
Thankful to be serving Him together!
Sharon
Serving in Togo, West Africa with ABWE
ABWE Account numbers: Nursing program (#76355); CHE (#76352); personal (#13787).
Address: ABWE, Missionary Finance, PO Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585
Dear Friends,
There is some great stuff going on here in Togo! What is neat is that God’s hand is all over it – and it is so fun to see Him work! Let me give you some examples:
Miracle at Dzogbegan: Dzogbegan is a village about 45 minutes away. Strongly religious village (a religion that emphasizes good works, baptism, and church attendance for salvation). Seto and Anani, dear friends from way back when I first arrived in Togo, have been working there for over 10 years, trying to plant a church.
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| Anani and Seto at Dzogbegan Church Plant |
God’s provision for special needs: I wrote awhile back about some specific needs – and it is so fun to see how God has provided for many of those and then get to tell you what He has been doing!
**I mentioned quite some time ago what a huge benefit it would be if one of our pastors (Pastor Martouka) had equipment to be able to show DVDs in the villages – DVDs that would clearly present the gospel of Jesus Christ. A couple in the US responded to that need, bought every bit of the needed equipment, and even shipped it all to Georgia where a container was being packed for Togo! That container arrived recently - and in it was the projector, DVD player, small generator, large speakers – everything that was needed (except a microphone that we forgot about!!) for Pastor Martouka to take God’s Word (through preaching and through DVD recordings) into villages in his area! I got to talk with Pastor Martouka the other day – what a joy to rehearse how God has provided! I mentioned how excited I was, and he said, “You are not as excited as I am”! He is thrilled – can hardly stop smiling!!! Again, your prayers are needed – as soon as Pastor Martouka is fully trained on using the equipment, he will be taking it to the villages, entering Satan’s territory and literally blasting out the truth of God’s forgiveness and of eternal life through Christ! Please pray for him and for his family – and for this incredible ministry!
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| Mme Tchao and new sewing machine |
**As you know, our hospital has some huge financial needs. A short time ago, I received a note from someone in a supporting church saying that she was sending a gift for our hospital ministry. That in itself was fantastic news! But what was even neater was God’s timing. About two hours after receiving that note, I was in our missionary prayer meeting – and the hospital administrator, Annette, asked prayer for hospital finances. She said that the hospital finances were probably lower than they have been in a long time because of some necessary expenditures. How fun to be able to lean over and tell her that God had already touched the heart of one person to give to the hospital! I love it when He does things like that!!
**Then there is the need of a vehicle for our Community Health Evangelism (CHE) ministry. I wrote about some seemingly impossible financial obstacles in getting a car for that ministry. A day after I sent that prayer letter, telling about a $38,000 car that sounded perfect for being able to get to these villages, I received an e-mail from someone saying that she wanted to help out with a donation. I have no idea what that entails – but it does not matter. What matters is that God touched someone’s heart! And that provides such a sense of peace and assurance that He knows the need and that He alone is able to meet that need! I have no idea what God will do; I have no idea how in the world the money will be provided for this need for the CHE ministry, but I believe He is going to do it!
**So many of you literally prayed me through the neuro class for five weeks of this trimester. Wow, did a lot of work go into that class! Literally weeks of study, preparation of student notes, my notes, powerpoint, exams – not to mention teaching time, grading, individual help, etc! I am not sure that I have ever put this much time into a course – or that I have been so excited about teaching a course! Seriously! In spite of being tired (wow, is that an understatement!), it was so neat to see how God gave ideas, and illustrations, and different ways of explaining thing. And how He gave excitement in presenting that information to students! I am not a “natural” teacher – far from it! I am only a teacher through God’s enablement – and am often reminded of how I cannot do any of this teaching or directing without Him!
**Many have also prayed and asked about the tooth pain from several weeks ago. I do not know where it went – the pain, that is, not the tooth! Seriously! Twenty minutes after starting antibiotics at the recommendation of my dentist in the US, the terrible pain was gone. It makes absolutely no sense that antibiotics would work in 20 minutes – but the pain has not returned since! So my tooth and I are staying together for the time being!! Again, thank you for praying!
In case you think that laziness has taken over now that the neuro course is done – not to worry!! I have one more week (this week!) to prep for the next course which is nursing care of the patient with endocrine problems. Another course that I thoroughly enjoy teaching - but one that needs a lot of preparation and can get a little complicated! I once again need your prayers as I begin teaching this four-week course next Monday!
I often say that our nursing program is also a 3-year “discipleship” program! Our students not only learn nursing theory, skills, hospital practice – they also must document growth in godly character and in Christian living. Multiple times each trimester, they journal such things as: application of biblical principles to life, demonstration of Christlike compassion, sharing the gospel with patients and families. I was just grading some of these journals and I read the following account. I want to share this student’s comments with you because they so clearly demonstrate the goals of our nursing program. Here is what this student wrote:
"During this past week, I took care of a patient who had a left foot fracture. This man had been 'abandoned' by his two wives and his 6 children. The patient came to our hospital without any family present and without any help. When I encountered the patient, his clothes were bloody, so I helped him change into a hospital gown and helped wash his clothes. I cleaned his bed and changed the sheets which were also wet with blood. Afterwards, I bought some rice cereal (bouillie) for him because he was hungry, but there was no one there to buy for him. After drinking the rice water, the man started to talk with me and thanked me. He asked this question: 'From where did you know me, that you would do everything like this?' I said, 'It is not necessary for you to thank me. Even though you were abandoned by your family, there is a friend who will always be at your side. His Name is Jesus; He is the One Who works in my life to demonstrate His love. Would you like to know Him? Would you like to keep company with Him?' His answer was 'Yes'!! This patient who had been very resistant to the gospel of Jesus Christ when presented by our chaplains, agreed to hear the gospel and even read for himself such verses as Jean 3:16 and Romans 5:8. At the end of our discussion, this patient made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as His personal Savior. Each day I continue to visit him in the cuisine (place where patients who are discharged can stay). He tells me, 'I have a peaceful heart with my Savior'!"
What a story! You can’t beat the thrill of being involved in a ministry like this! Thank you for the part you have through your prayers, through your gifts and support, and through your wonderful encouragement. You and I have the incredible privilege of working together with God!
Thankful to be serving Him together!
Sharon
Serving in Togo, West Africa with ABWE
ABWE Account numbers: Nursing program (#76355); CHE (#76352); personal (#13787).
Address: ABWE, Missionary Finance, PO Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585
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