Say "Hello" to the SAT Phone

Hello everyone,

This afternoon I received a phone call from Pastor Tom on the SAT phone. Yes, the phone did arrive at the village of PAMA some time today. It is working for phone calls and they were going to try to hook it up to the computer.

Tom wanted us to know that everybody is doing well (except for a few "runs" here and there, if he knows what he means, due to the change in diet). The team has spent quite a bit of time with the villagers and today Jillian and Sue were involved with helping with some health issues at the clinic. Jim, Jana, Sarah and Sonia were able to help with some literacy classes and the rest of the team was out making visits in the village.

They were able to finish one wall in the school building but progress has been slow because of the rains. He believes the village will be able to use the building by fall.

He also said they have been able to be an encouragement to Pastor Gaston. Later I got an e-mail from Jim before he returned back to the U.S. and he asked us to pray for a better response on the part of the village people to our partnership with them.

Tom said the team is in good spirits and he will continue to call with daily updates, as long as the SAT phone is working.

I encourage all of you to continue to pray and to write notes of encouragement to the team, as they certainly will be reading them by this coming Monday or Tuesday.

Thank you for your prayers,

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade

Help IS on the way!

Hello everyone,

This morning I received two e-mails, one from Faye and one from Jim. I copy them here for your benefit. I know you will be encouraged by them. I don't have time for any editing, as I am supposed to head to a lake with my son on my day off (yeahhhhh!) and we were supposed to be on the road fifteen minutes ago!

PLEASE, KEEP PRAYING!

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade

"Hi again,

Jim called me about half an hour ago and said that the sat phone left Yaloke for Pama around 5 in the morning (around midnight our time) so they should be back in contact soon. Just thought you'd like to know.

Thanks for praying, faye"

Dear Ivanildo and Wooster friends,

Greetings from Bangui. Tom and I have had quite a few weeks here in the CAR. It has not been the easiest time for us and we have watched the devil hound us at so many points we have no where to turn but our Lord Jesus Christ.

Last night our team spent time with in two different homes listening to the passion and vision of some of our ICDI leaders working in ministry here in the capital city. No things do not always go well but these couples are thrilled with being able to use their skills to minister to people both here in CAR and visitors coming to learn about their country and the needs.

Tom left just 4 days ago for Pama and you have not heard from him since he left. We are not sure what went wrong with the phone but today you should be hearing from him again as we sent a truck to Yaloké with a phone and this morning at 5:00 am as I am writing this to you they are sending a motorcycle out to Pama with another phone for Tom to use. I am sorry we have not been able to keep the communication line as open as we had hoped but the Lord knows about this. I talked to Tom on Tuesday morning last and he was fine and it was then I learned that the phone I had been using had quit working for him.

Please do not forget to continue to pray for the team. My hope for them is not that they accomplish much, which is always the American mind set, but rather that they learn about the poor in Pama and how God is using the Grace Brethren Church there and the people there to meet those needs. Frankly, we could have just given them the money and they could have hired someone to build the rook and put up the walls but then my dear friends at Wooster would not have seen and touched the Poor in the CAR. Then they would not have known why I am so passionate about this work and even though there are vehicle break downs, accidents, phones that quit working and sickness ICDI still seeks ways to reach out to these people to give them hope!

Last night Josue Mbami our administrator was talking with me and shared that he had received three letters yesterday by bush taxi from small villages many miles away. These letters were expressing to him the responsible person for the Radio, their appreciation for the ministry of the radio station to their village. This man said, “we have never had a radio station we could hear here which brought us teachings on how to take care of ourselves and how to know God.” Please keep this radio station on the air.

Josue shared this with me because he was worried I would become discouraged as we had spent hours working on the radio station and then the power system we were setting up did not work. It was not fun but it is where we are often times in Africa. We were able to keep the radio station on the air but there are serious issues with the current and the inverter power system was to help protect our radio from damage. Please continue to pray as we seek ways to keep this radio reaching so many thousands of Central Africans on the air.

God bless….tonight I leave for the USA with the team I brought from WLGBC. We will talk to you again soon.

Jim Hocking

Help is (Hopefully) On the Way

Hello everyone:

I got an e-mail from Faye Hocking today. Here is what she said:

"Hi, I talked to Jim on skype this afternoon and he's going to try to get a sat phone up to your team. Jim's team just got to bangui yesterday from out in Pygmy country. Their blogspot is wlafrica.blogspot.com. It's been interesting reading two team's blogspots simultaneously. God bless you and thanks for sending the team out! Faye."

Later she told me that Jim was thinking about sending a driver from Bangui to Pama with a sattelite phone. So I am praying and hoping that we will have some connection in the next day. Please, pray with me.

I did check the blog Faye mentioned about. It is a team from Winona Lake GBC and they have some beautiful pictures there from Bayanga, Pygmy country, where our team went last year. I hope you take the time to check out their blog.

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade
PS.: Faye is Jim Hocking's wife. Jim is the Executive Director of ICDI, the organization we are partnering with.

The Inter-testamental Period

It's 7:20ish on Tuesday evening and I am just writing to let everyone know that I have had no new update from the team. This can mean only one thing: none of the phones are working. I know this is very disappointing to all of us, but I want you all to know that though we haven't heard anything, I think the truism "no news is good news" applies in this case. I know the people our team is with and I know that if something out of the ordinary had happened, they would find a way to communicate back to us here in the U.S.

So I just want to encourage you to keep on praying:

For a Spirit-filled week for all the members of our team.
For endurance as they will be working, dealing with highs and lows of their emotional scales, and wisdom as they make decisions every day on what to do and how to go about doing it.
For the rain to subside so they get the work on the school building completed.
For many opportunities to get to know the villagers and their stories.
For Pastor Gaston, the leader of the church at the village of PAMA, as he hosts the team. That this will serve as an encouragement to him and his congregation.
For the many orphans in that village. That they will be blessed during this week by the members of our team.
For many of the children who are sick in that village. That they will be ministered to and find relief to some of the pain they are carrying.

Thank you for standing with us during this Inter-testamental period, as Pastor Dave Lawson put it today during staff meeting.

Remember, God is alive in PAMA, and He is using our people to make a difference. I hope you are standing in the gap for them!

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade

Let the "Fun" Begin...

Bloggers intro: RAD sent this entry to Steph's ( his assistant) e-mail. She forwarded it to me early this morning but I never got it. I happened to be in the office late this afternoon and she asked me if I had received it. When I said "no," she resent it to me and this time I got it. It is the last entry just before the team started the trip to PAMA. Notice that even if the SAT phone is not working (to send e-mails), I am hoping to get a few phone calls (on a cell phone) from Pastor Tom, updating us on their activities. And I will post those updates on the blog as soon as I receive them. Please, know that we are doing the best we can to keep you all informed. Please, keep praying! Also, for all the relatives out there: you ought to know that though conditions at the village of PAMA will be rustic, there is no imminent danger to the team. They will be safe, Lord willing, and will receive the best possible care that the local ICDI team can possibly give them. I was in that village last summer and came back to tell the story! And the girls will be able to find a way to ensure their privacy. Read on... PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Pastor Ivanildo Trindade.

PS.: RAD included a note to Adam saying that they prayed for him with his responsibilities both in the services as well as at four-14 last night.

Dear Family and Friends,

Looks like this is my last entry for the better part of a week as we won't be back to Bangui until next Monday and as it stands right now, the SAT phone simply will not work and this is not like home, we can't just run down to Radio Shack and pick-up another one:). Let me encourage you to stop by the blog in a day or two and maybe something will have worked out but I'm not very optimistic.

I'll probably continue to write some entries while in the back country, so come about Monday bring a cup of coffee to sit down and catch up on life here in Africa. Today I'm jotting a quick note from the ICDI office while waiting for a driver for one of the trucks to take us into the back country. It has been a totally frustrating morning. It's about a six hour drive to Pama, we were hoping to leave by 9:00 but make that noon instead. We've stopped at the office to pick up some sort of paperwork that is necessary to travel where we are headed and so I'm seizing an opportunity to send a "YO!"

Leaving at12:00 wouldn't be a big deal except in the back country there is no electricity and it gets dark about 6:30 and it looks like we'll be setting up our tents in a totally new place, new culture (tribal), in complete darkness except for the flashlight and lanterns that we have brought with us.There is nervous excitement amongst the team about this next phase of our journey.

Some things to pray over the next week would be for bathroom facilities. Tom informed us last night that a new latrine has been dug where we are going; however, there are no walls, fence or anything else to give you a bit of privacy while you squat, because there are no seats only a hole. Needless to say the gals on our team are more than a little concerned about this dimension of the trip.

Another prayer request would be for the mosquitoes. The village of Pama is by a river and so the bugs will most likely be much worse than they have been in Bangui and many of the team are already sporting several mosquito bites and I could tell in their voices last night at devotions they are somewhat concerned.

Finally, the largest prayer request on my screen is just the possible general emotional breakdown of the team over the next week. It has been nice being in Bangui as it has afforded us a bit of a slower integration into the culture; however, each of us is fully aware that beginning tonight all comfort zones get kicked to the curb. We will be sleeping in tents, all under one room sort of commune style, it has been raining almost constantly in the village is the report that Tom received today, and the challenge of having no quiet place to retreat to, as people and children of the village will be hanging around with us just about 24/7 for eight days. I fear might possibly push to the end of ourselves. So I'm simply praying for my strength as I lead the team and that each person will find their "quiet place" in Christ over this next week or so.

As far as the team as a whole goes, health is good, all bodily functions are in check (you can expand that sentence in your own mind:) and it's been very sweet watching the Lord deepen the friendships and hearts for one another on the team. It has been a true blessing to be able to be out here representing our Lord and our church.

Thank-you family of Grace for making this trip possible and for standing with us in the journey. Well, the driver just arrived and so I've got to jet, or truck slowly would really be the more accurate description, so on behalf of all our team members we send thanks, hugs and kisses and much love to our family and friends who have been interceding and journeying with us. Hopefully we'll talk again soon!

RAD

Church for the Ages

Blogger's Intro: This afternoon I received a phone call from Pastor Tom. I was still at the church, the phone rang, and I heard his voice, "Hey, Ivanildo, this is Tom from Africa, over." The connection was not the best, but enough to understand that he wanted to let me know that they had another blog entry to send but there was another power outage in Bangui. He was waiting for somebody to call him to let him know when power was back at the ICDI office in Bangui.

Tom spoke well of the Team. He said everyone was in good spirit and good health. The call was after they had been to church. I decided to wait in the hopes that the blog entry would finally get here, and indeed it did, and what follows is the story of the Team's experience going to church today. I hope you will read carefully. Your heart will be moved.

Tom asked us to pray for the trip to PAMA tomorrow. It's a five to six hour drive and he asked us to pray for safety on the roads. Remember, Bangui is about six hours ahead of us, so you should pray for the trip before you go to bed tonight. Or, if you are like me, by the time you hit the sac early this morning, the team will be hitting the road! And by the way, pray for a miracle regarding the sat phone... Pastor Ivanildo Trindade.

It's Sunday morning in Bangui. Somehow I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be my usual Sunday routine. And yep, I'm quick like that, because church in Africa isn't like church in Wooster. Want to come along? Here's a taste.

We rolled out of the sack about 6:15 AM, grabbed some showers. A parenthesis here about the showers: they are not exactly what you think of when you think of a shower. That is unless you hold your breath in the shower when you shower at home. See, a shower here in Bangui can only be loosely described as shower. Because of the water quality you can't sing (which might be good for some who can't sing anyway), but the reason here is that if you open your mouth you invite some water "bugs" to come in and take up residence, so what you try to do is keep the water out of your mouth so as not to ingest any of those not so friendly water born parasites.

After showers we headed over to the main house where we eat together, plan out the day and have a treat together, oatmeal! Man was it tasty... Once breakfast comes to a close, it's back to the rooms for some individual morning devos before we launch into the day.

The time is now 8:30 and we load into a pick-up truck and an SUV and begin the drive to church. Along the way we come to the "five kilometer market," called that because it's five kilometers from the center of town, which is absolutely packed. There are so many people that we can barely drive through the street. Finally, we break through and continue our drive out to the area where Pastor Tom will be preaching this morning, a church that is now pastored by a fella whom Tom's mom had in her Sunday school class back in the day, pretty cool.

As we pull in next to the church, clearly we are the only ones that will be driving to church today as there is already a crowd forming, but no doubt everyone in this congregation walked to church this morning. We open the doors of our two vehicles and again it's an overwhelming scene of people and children just so very glad to greet us and I'm pretty sure that each and every person, young and old, got their hand shaken by every single one of us as a way of welcoming us to their church. (I'd recommend this as a way of welcoming new people to Grace, but I'm afraid they might just gas it and go, since I actually had to sort of push people back with the door as I was trying to get out).

Once we headed into church the first thing I noticed was that this particular church was pretty progressive as they had this nice patio on the front of their church. Nope. Not a patio, but rather a building project they are endeavoring to do and simply haven't had the funds to go any further.

Next thing that caught my eye as I walked in was how dark it was inside the church. I looked up toward the ceiling and sure enough they had light fixtures, "Oh, I see, the power is off again and so no light for inside of church today. Now I got it."

The walls are a sort of an odd greenish blue, the seating is wood benches except for several outside type of plastic chairs that had been set-up for us in the front as a way of honoring our attendance. Fellas sit on one side of the church, ladies on the other. I'm one chair from the front sitting next to one of the churches choirs. I'm sitting by the teen choir and diagonally across from me is their adult choir. Wow! They can really belt it out. I recorded them singing a hymn and so if you'll drop into four14 on August 26th when we share stories, pictures and video from Africa, you just might get a chance to hear it.

There was some congregational singing which when everybody got it going was a very cool deal. Joy was raising the roof, that was simple to see. There were some announcements, Scripture reading, a special choir number and then the offertory. These are of course American words as everything was in Sango and a heck of a lot more of just everybody being involved in the service was what happening at church.

Each one of our team members got to stand up before the church and say one of the like three Sango phrases that we know, "Hello, my name is Bob." And then the whole church says your name back to you. As a visiting Pastor I got to go first and I failed miserably. Bad Sango is one thing, but bad Sango in RAD high speed just left the church sort of staring at me, yeah it was awkward, but thankfully Tom covered for me.

There are no musical instruments in the church, everything is sung a capella so you can imagine my surprise and delight when I figured out that the offertory (really it was the song that lead into the offering) was a large group of children doing a bit of an African stroll/strut. I don't dare use the word "dance" because this was a Grace Brethren church. Anyway all of these children, probably 50 in number, accompanied by three African women, sang with all their might as they strolled towards the front of the church.

It was really sweet. Funny how sweet sometimes turns bitter when you least expect it. A fella from ICDI was sitting next to me doing some translating along the way trying to keep me in the loop, when he leaned over to me and said: "This is our choir from our orphan ministry." I couldn't believe my eyes. There were so many absolutely beautiful faces, children of all ages, sweet, innocent singing with all their hearts to Jesus. Then my ICDI friend leans over again and informs me that this is roughly only half of the group.

Orphan aid is currently unavailable in this area and so this small local church has taken it upon themselves to care for the children of their region. In fact the Pastor himself is currently housing and caring for eight orphans in his small home. Again, humbling and heart breaking all in the same flood of emotion.

And just then when I least expected it, Tom spoke something in English which surprised me because by this time we had been in church a good hour and half and I was more or less just sort of numb to lots of words zipping around that I didn't understand. "What was that Tom? They want me to pray? Pray for what, for who?" I was introduced as the youth pastor from Ohio and so they were asking me to stand and pray for the large group of orphans there standing everywhere around me. Instantly I smelled the hand sanitizer gushing from the pores in my hands as my heart raced and I stood to my feet in a sea of tiny faces. I bowed my head and then as my heart, mind and soul came together, I was just about to pray when something like rush of thought shoot through my mind: "What do you really pray for a bunch of orphans anyway? Be warm, be filled? Hope you have a nice day?" I truthfully don't remember what I said as I can only claim Romans 7 as to what got me through.

Once the Orphan choir finished singing, the offering was taken except rather than passing any sort of plates, different people of the church came forward and held a cloth sack that had a word on the front. The words were indicators of different people groups that would be giving that morning. There was the Deacon bag, and there was a youth bag, a choir bag, a children's bag and several others that I just simply could not make out.

All the time this is going on the choir is bringing it and I couldn't help but notice the excitement on the faces of person after person who were making their way to the front of the church during their respective time to give to their bag. One particular scene that caught my eye was this extremely old, at least she looked old, woman, who slowly made her way to the front, slender in build, carrying a slender cane to help guide her steps. She reached out her hand and dropped in what looked like barely a coin or two. I thought to myself: "I've just met the widow who has given her mite." It was so crystal clear that giving today was coming not out of their plenty but out of their want. It was very moving.

Finally, now about two hours in, Tom is introduced and he took the pulpit and brought a phenomenal challenge. I don't know what he said, but people were tracking with him, engaged in the challenge he was bringing. It was a good feeling. Tom made us proud back at the Wooster Grace.

There was closing prayer, in which our team was prayed for as the church wanted to partner with us regarding our travels to Pama tomorrow, a closing song and people began exiting the building. Once outside, I felt like a celebrity. People asking me for my address, so many kids just wanting to shake hands with me. That might quite possibly have been my 7 minutes of fame that everybody is supposed to get sooner or later, and if so, I'm glad I got mine when I did.

Still surrounded by people, expecting to leave soon, Tom called for me to come to the Pastor's house. As I walked in, some of the ladies of the church had prepared a dinner for us as a way of saying thanks for the work we were doing. On the menu was Gozo (a paste of manioc root, the main staple of the CAR), peanut Manioc leaf sauce, rice, some meat sauce and a cold Coca-cola chaser. Lunch was served for all 12 of us and everyone on the team realized the sacrifice that people had made to present this gift to us.

Just as a side note, the pictures I took of us eating were from standing in the middle of the

Pastor's house looking right and looking left. You can see Sonia in both pictures to help you get a better perspective of the actual size of this home. Remember I said the Pastor housed eight orphans in his home? Crowded probably doesn't really describe it. Especially when I found out a bit later that the total number of people living in that house was not eight, but actually twenty-three! Wife, mother and father in-laws, mother and father, orphans and who else I have no idea. I couldn't believe it! Jim was sitting next to me and said, "Most people's bedrooms in America are bigger than this house."

We thanked everyone, stepped outside and grabbed a quick photo with some of the church leadership, our hosts and a couple of new friends that we had made. Total time at "church" now about four hours and not a single person minded. We loaded up and waved to the many faces that lined the road as we drove away. This was church alright, church that we will not soon forget.

Thanks for standing with us.
RAD

P.S. Tomorrow we pull out early for Pama and a whole new set of experiences.
The sunset picture is from the other night looking toward Pama from Bangui. Clearly, we're not in Wooster anymore.

Blogger's note: RAD included a note:
"I don't know. We still are having no success with the SAT phone. This could be our last entry until next Monday when we return from Pama. I'm praying that somehow we will be able to get it fixed this afternoon or Monday morning before we leave.Pray along with us, RAD." It's obvious he is thinking about that SAT phone. Let's pray that will be fixed!

Seminary Didn't Prepare me For This!

Today in Bangui the thing I most dreaded has begun. What was I most afraid of about coming to this place? Namely, how I was going to be able to process in my western thinking, which translates to; 'if I see someone suffering, I strive to bring assistance and make it all better." Here, the perplexity of the overwhelming vastness of needs, and seemingly hopelessness that is written across so many faces of the people here is a challenge bigger than what I bargained for. Nothing I've ever experienced, in life or in school, could possibly prepare me for what I am experiencing here.

This is life in Bangui. I know I've talked about it already, but now that I'm fully awake and I've been asking the Lord to give me His eyes for the things I'm seeing and it's an aching pain. At the moment I'm struggling with typing because the tears that are welling in my eyes make it difficult to see the keys. With each drive down a main street there are hundreds of people hoping to sell the smallest thing, a loaf of bread, a few pieces of firewood, anything to make some money for the needs that they have.

We turn down a side street and we come across a child, maybe four, maybe six selling cigarettes by the road while his mother tends to the many children that scatter about outside of her home. We pass a truck overloaded with men and wood who have returned from the rain forest where harvesting of lumber is taking place regularly and I realize how wrong this is but how do you say that to someone who simply wants to provide for his family? These are the extremely difficult questions that shout at me as we drive through the streets. It seems that this entire culture is on a downward spiral that could one day perhaps just cease to exist.

This country called the CAR is too far inland for any real commerce, transportation of any goods is a challenge, and besides, remember earlier I told you there is only one plane a week that comes here? Now I know why.

It's interesting as I watch our team struggle within themselves about what they are seeing. There is nervous laughter as we are driving through the streets, talk of things we miss about home, and a general sense of "what can we possibly do?"

But now we've turned into the ICDI Orphan Care Center and we are greeted by swarms of children so happy that guests from America have arrived. Humbled doesn't even get to close to what you feel as we poured out of our vehicle and children lined up in droves to shake our hands, greet us and welcome us here. Soon the playing begins, and I'm sitting and watching the children. It's free time and there are so many children running to and fro, laughing, playing, interacting with our team like we've all grown up together. It's an incredible sight.

You have to wonder, where do all these children come from anyway? Earlier today I had a chance to interact with one of the ICDI leaders and ask some questions about the culture and more specifically, the children. Some of the things he told me left me stunned.

He spoke of a study that was done by the French equivalent of our own CDC (Center for Disease Control) in 1988 whereas four hundred prostitutes were tested for HIV and 40% of those tested, tested positive. Just two years later, in 1990 four hundred prostitutes in the city of Bangui were tested and at this point 80% were now infected. Add on seven more years to that statistic and perhaps we're getting close to our answer about where all the children have come from.

So what can we possibly do? Did I mention that I'm at the ICDI Orphan Care Center today and clearly, as I witness and watch all that transpires around me it becomes evident that any hope for this country lies in the hands of the children, and those who teach them. Here at the Orphan Care Center there is a weekly program that we are helping to do today that involves singing, Bible lessons, games and before the children leave each and every one has a belly full of food that sends them home with a really good feeling. Perhaps in some small way we are experiencing what Jesus felt when He feed those who were in need.

Topping the list of ministry paradigms here in Bangui is the "True Love Waits" and "True Love Stays" programs, and they are starting them now. "True Love Waits" teaches children and young people to choose abstinence, to wait for sexual activity until they are married and then once married the "True Love Stays" program teaches men and women about remaining faithful to the person that they have married, all wrapped in strong Scriptural teaching and recognizing that it takes more than just a strong will to follow this plan, it takes Jesus Christ living inside of you. I guess you've got to start someplace and being a youth pastor at heart, I'm all for doing it beginning with the children.

"Oh, come on RAD, aren't you perhaps exaggerating just a bit?" "No, not really." Another staggering statistic the ICDI leader shared with me was tied to the "True Love Waits" curriculum. Let me explain. As part of the program, before they begin teaching about abstinence they do a survey with the group they are speaking to and one of the latest groups to be targeted with "True Love Waits" principles is none other than the village of Pama, the very place our church is beginning a partnership with through this trip. We leave for Pama on Monday.
Here are the results of their survey to see for yourself.

Question #1: Asked of the girls participating, "At what age do girls begin sexual activity?" The answer, 9 years old.
Question #2: Asked of the boys participating, "At what age do boys begin sexual activity?" The answer, 11 years old.
Question #3: Asked again of the girls, "How many sexual partners do you have in a month?" The answer, 2-3
Question #4: Asked of the boys, "How many sexual partners do you have in a month?" The answer, 1-2, which seems a bit suspect according to local leaders.
And the final question, asked of both groups, "At what age do you get married?" The answer? For girls it's 16 and for the boys age 20.

I'm not all that great at math but that translates somewhere to about 238 partners for girls and about 216 for boys. That's what people of faith are up against in a battle for this land. No doubt it's a battle, but thankfully it's not a battle without hope.

So my prayer request for today? Pretty simple. Pray for those who teach and live "True Love Waits" amongst many who are without hope. Pray that the African people will be enlightened to the truth that AIDS is not "something that America made up to steal our fun" a quote given to me today. And pray that in big or small ways our team will be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all those that we are meeting. It is a beautiful feeling to know that even though the odds seem overwhelming, we serve a God who is all about overwhelming the odds. Thank-you Jesus, Thank-you Lord.

As far as the team goes, I think spirits are running high, we had a great time of teaching last night about angels, we were full on singing when the entire city experienced a black-out and so we just kept right on singing. It was really pretty cool.

Our work projects for today included digging a drainage ditch to help keep water from collecting in places it shouldn't, serving the medical needs of children here in the clinic at the Orphan Care Center and then participating in the afternoon orphan programs at two different locations. We were almost able to finish a special project we had been working on, putting a basketball court in for the Orphan Care Center, but as the last welds were being layed, the power once again ceased and so the project came to a stop.

Tomorrow will be our first morning in church which we are all looking forward to. By the way, thanks for the comments/posts that many of you have left, I have shared them with our team around our evening dinner hour and just to hear that people at home are praying and missing us means a whole heck of a lot.

Thanks for reading and as you can see from the picture, I've got more than a few blog writing admirers, RAD.

Blogger's Note: This message was received Saturday night and posted sometime after 11:30 p.m. RAD sent the following note:

"Ivanildo. I sent you a couple of extra pictures this time as soon we won't be able to get any off to you. The SAT phone is still not working and I'm a bit panicked as we leave on Monday, no phone, no blog. We are trying to get it working. If you read the blog you can most likely figure out where the pictures I sent you fit in. Thanks for keeping a voice for us back in the states, RAD." Notice that though the team is not able to access the Internet, I collect all the comments and send them to Africa in the form of an e-mail. So, if you were wondering whether they are reading your comments, the answer is: YES! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and post your comments!

If you are wondering what the sign in front of the orphan center says, here it goes: to the left are the words of James 1:27. The big yellow and red letters in the center say "Mercy Center," then it contains the names of the partnering organizations: Vision Trust, ICDI, and World Food Organization. On the bottom it says "assistance to orphans." Pastor Ivanildo Trindade.

Driving As a "Spiritual" Exercise

click on picture to enlarge
08-03
Driving in Bangui is a whole new experience. People line the roads, walking, riding "motos" (motor scooters), pushing push carts, getting in and out of old Toyota minivans that are marked "bus" and are completely stacked to the roof. Take all of that and then pave the road between all of the people on the sides of the road, incorporate no stop signs, speed limits, or lane lines, add in about a gazillion deep pot holes that everyone is trying to avoid and you are in for some kind of ride. Sometimes the traffic on the road acts like it is a two lane road, at other times it's a three lane and every now and then it becomes a four lane road determined by lots of horn honking and some Sango words I decided to not ask Tom to translate.

All of that serves as a backdrop for my morning today in Bangui. This morning I was invited by the ICDI staff to come to a retreat they were having to address some recent developments as of late. Allow me to explain. If you can picture all that I described for you above and then add in the final element for driving gone wild, namely, darkness, and you'll have a bit of an idea of the danger being on the streets of Bangui entails. And that is exactly what fostered the retreat that I was invited to.


In the last couple of months ICDI staff have been involved in three accidents, two of which were fatal. One time, driving along, at night, pitch black because there is no electricity, a man was drunk and had fallen asleep in the middle of road and the ICDI driver simply did not see him and ran over him killing him instantly. A second incident occurred not long after the first with very similar circumstances, again leaving a fatality in it's wake. The third incident was just in the last couple of weeks where a boy was hit, thankfully only a bit scraped up, but none-the-less, struck by an automobile belonging to ICDI.

It is these recent tragedies that have moved the ICDI leaders to come together to ask for spiritual cleansing, and protection for Bangui people and for the missions staff as well. You see in Africa, for example, if you were to hit someone with your car, the one thing you don't do is stop and see if they are okay. In my western thinking that just seemed wrong but then it was explained to me. If you by accident were to strike someone with an automobile and kill them, any family member of the person who was killed that was in the area would be perfectly in the right to come to the vehicle and then admnister the same punishment on you, namely, they could in turn kill you. I'm pretty sure I'm not in Wooster any longer. Instead what the driver would do is drive to a safe distance, get out of their vehicle, listen for wailing that would accompany a death or if none was heard, determine that most likely the accident victim was only injured and then report to the authorities in the next town what had happened. There would then be court proceedings and justice would be served through the judicial system.


Enter in the retreat that I attended today. I sat around the table with ICDI drivers, administrators, financial officers, micro-enterprise leaders, the ICDI representative for the country of the CAR, nurses and staff from the orphanage. As we gathered there was sharing, prayer, singing, and broken hearts before the Lord for the families of those injured and a pouring of emotion in regardless to how these events might possibly inhibit the work of ICDI and the gospel message in the region. It was a powerful time in the presence of the Lord and the deep concern was clearly felt throughout the room. At the end of about two and a half hours we came to a break in which Tom and I had to excuse ourselves as the rest of the team was waiting back at the villa for direction as to the day's events.


How to pray today? Pray along with us as we have prayed today. For the families of those injured, for the hearts and emotions of those who were doing the driving, good and honest God fearing men, and for the ministry presence here in Bangui and the continuing work of ICDI in the future. Thanks for your faithfulness to pray.


Team update: I realize that this blog is the only communication back to the States while we are here so let me give you just a bit of a catch up on the team overall. Today the team went to the local market for groceries where they learned quickly about the African way of life and saw first hand the extreme poverty that besets so very many people. The smells and sights were a bit overwhelming to many within our group.

As team leader that would be my second prayer request that somehow we would not lose heart in what seems to be such totally overwhelming needs all around us. That we would not quickly slip into a closing of our hearts toward the plight of the poor simply because our emotions cannot handle anymore.

We also learned in our crash course of speaking Sango that some words mean two different things depending on your voice inflection. Did you know that the word "ear" and the word "breast" are the same word in Sango? Yeah, neither did we. But we do now!

This afternoon we had the rare privilege of canoeing on the Ubanga river. Not canoeing like you would do at some canoe livery in Loudonville, but canoeing in a dug out canoe crafted from a hollowed out log. It was totally cool, at least until Tom tried to reassure us that the crocodile sightings were at an all time low in this region and that really it's the Hippopotamuses that cause more fatalities than any crocodiles. Did I mention that Hippos swim just down the river a ways from where we were canoeing?

The protection and care that each of us have felt and experienced on this team from the Lord simply cannot be put into words. It is such a blessing for me to know that so many friends back home have joined with and continue to go before the throne of Grace on behalf of our team and the people of the CAR.

Thank-you.
RAD
Blogger's note: This entry was received as an e-mail on Saturday, August 4, with the following note from RAD: "Bro, Sorry I'm getting this off to you late, we had a power black out and hence since the SAT phone is not yet working I couldn't email the blog to you.
Thanks for posting stuff up for us, RAD." Please, remember that from now on, as the team has traveled to the village of PAMA, communication may be a little slower as they will have to rely on a sat phone. They will not be able to e-mail pictures either. Keep them in your prayers!

Meet the Team - 2

Dave & Jana Slater

This is Dave & Jana's second trip to the Central African Republic. They were part of our exploratory trip in the fall of 2006. Dave and Jana made a profession to dedicate their lives to Christ a little over three years ago. They say that they grew up going to church, but it wasn't until someone explained to them how they could have their sins forgiven that they clearly understood the gospel and a light came on inside their heart.

Dave works for Seaman Corporation in Wooster and Jana works for the Wooster Community Hospital. Their full time jobs, however, have not hindered them to serve in many different outreach projects at our church and last year someone got closer to them and challenged them to consider what the next step for them was. They agreed to serve on the Global Task Force (missions committee) and the next thing we knew they were headed to Africa. They both love children and their hearts break for those who are less fortunate than we are. Dave and Jana are salt of the earth people who are willing to sacrifice their vacation and finances to bring hope to some of the "least of these," as the Lord put it.

We thank the Lord for Dave and Jana's example and pray that the Lord will use them in a mighty way during this trip.

Meet the Team

Pastor Bob Doerr

You've already met Bob (affectionately known to us as RAD). He has been doing the writing for this blog over the last couple of days. Born in 1961 in Cincinnati, OH. Married to Debbie since 1985. Has 2 children: Austin (1989) and Lindsay (1991). Saved since 1979. On staff since 2001. Previously worked as a Youth Pastor. Hobbies are hanging with his family, hiking, and camping. His main ministries include four14, coordinating New Direction ABF, coaching Junior High Intern, and leading the Motorcylce Club.

RAD is one of those guys who talks fast, though he never looks like he is in a hurry. If you hear RAD long enough you will start hearing phrases such as "God being in your space," "Yo," and "What's going on fellas?" You will also hear his heart beat for God and for people and you will learn to respect his tireless work on behalf of young adults. RAD is the man.

We Didn't Hit the Ground Running...

What day is it? That’s sort of the thoughts that are running through my mind at the moment. It is Thursday and for each night thus far we've been riding on a plane. Did you know that they don't have showers on planes? All the people around me know it:)

Our arrival in Bangui started out stressful. We hit one bout of turbulence that everyone on the team confessed: "It really scared me." And then several hours later we hit a second even greater pocket that left our team running for the bathrooms and grabbing the “comfort” bags "on the back of the seat pocket in front of you."

Well, needless to say, everyone was very much looking forward to just finally getting their feet on the ground. As time approached for the plane to land, we started the descent, it was dark out, so we couldn’t really see anything out the window, but at what seemed like the absolute last minute, our plane did a major pull up and shoved us back in our seats as the thrust of the engines took us strongly skyward. “Now what?” Was the summation of my thoughts, as I felt the plane begin to circle back around, when the voice of the captain came over the intercom: “We’ve encountered some dense fog and will not be able to land at this time.” Thoughts ran through my mind about a recent plane crash in Africa where the pilot tried to land in a really dense fog and everyone on board was killed. Needless to say, prayers were being sent heavenward as the plane continued in its circling pattern.

Over the next 1 ½ to 2 hours the plane circled, would make a dive toward the ground trying to make out the runway and then at the last minute pull out hard. “How much gas does this thing hold?” I wondered as the cycle continued to repeat itself over and over. By this time people on board were talking in loud voices, some inciting panic amongst those on board, causing flight attendants to physically get in the space of these people just to keep the plane from going bonkers. Finally, the plane landed, cheers and applause reverberated throughout the entire plane as a sigh of relief from all was easy to detect. And all that before 10:00 in the morning.

The remainder of the morning was spent waiting to clear our luggage through customs -- twenty-two trunks each packed with vital stuff, of which only eighteen actually survived the journey. Which really wouldn’t be that big of a deal, except that there is only one plane a week into Bangui, which means the earliest people would be able to secure their belongings would be next week at this time, which by the way, we’ll be 4-6 hours back into the bush and most likely unable to make it back to Bangui to pick them up when they arrive. Talk about a rough landing…

The trunks that were lost: one belongs to the Koehler’s, which held all of their camping gear, video equipment, and other necessities. One trunk belonging to the Carters, which likewise held their camping gear, along with half the clothes they were planning on wearing, and finally the Slaters, who lost two of their trunks which most notably contained the PA equipment we were going to be using to show the “Jesus” film once we arrive in the back country. A clear reminder to me that the battle we face is “not against flesh and blood.” There was marked discouragement on the faces of those who will now be trying to camp in a bug infested climate with no tents, not lights, no sleeping pads, along with the general disappointment of the team regarding some of the outreach that we had been planning. Pray for encouragement for the team as we attempt to process all of this day’s happenings on basically little or no sleep since Monday evening.

The rest of our day today will be spent trying to get a jump on the jet lag, registering at the American Embassy, seeing the capital city of Bangui, (which I snuck a couple of pictures for you as you are not allowed to take pictures in the city), closed out with a special treat, a dip in the Ambassador’s pool.

I’m reminded of the Scripture in Psalm 30, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” “Lord, may tomorrow be a day filled with joy for each of us here.”

I’d like to share more, but I hear the splash of pool water calling me!
Thanks again for reading and journeying with us,

RAD
P.S.: Dearest Debbie, Happy Anniversary tomorrow. Thanks for allowing me the privilege of walking the road of life and ministry with you all these years. I love you.

Half Awake in Paris

Day two, Paris with the natives.  Natives in Paris?  Not African  

natives, but French placed natives by the name of Rob and Nicole  

Plaster.

It was an all night, I guess that's what you can call it when your  

time zone leaps ahead about 6 hours, flight complete with lots of  

people, in flight movies and more carbohydrates than probably a man  

my age should be eating:)  Anyone, thankfully the flight was mostly  

uneventful, a bit of a delay, got us into Paris a little behind  

schedule but considering we had about a twelve hour layover, it  

really didn't matter.

Once in Paris the Plasters were superior hosts as we dined in some  

fine, yet affordable cuisine, saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and  

closed out our time with some delicious ice cream.  I am thankful for  

the chance to see and hear first hand the ministry that Plasters have  

endeavored to do under the Lord's guidance.  Yet another way that a  

bunch of Wooster Jesus people who reside at 4599 Burbank Road are  

making a difference by giving back to the Plasters and the people of  

France.  What a joy to be serving on the front lines representing  

Jesus and all the folks back home.  Thanks again today for your  

prayers for our team.

Tonight we will be flying out from Paris about 11:00 p.m., which will  

land us in Bangui, Africa, early tomorrow morning. Pray for contacts  

on the plane, along with adequate rest for the team because so far  

it's been an hour here and there of sleep we've been able to grab  

since leaving Wooster yesterday morning.

Tomorrow we will be acclimating in Bangui and then it's off to the  

village we go!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and I look forward to chatting  

together again soon!

RAD

Read RAD's Heart

On the plane, that’s where you will find the Africa team today. First stop, New York’s JFK for about a four hour lay over and then it’s off to Paris! Once in Paris, sometime tomorrow morning, the team will be meeting up with Rob and Nicole Plaster, our missionaries there, who recently visited our church and spoke at Four-14, and will be spending our twelve-hour layover seeing the sites of Paris. We are hoping to be able to encourage the Plasters in the work that God has called them to.

Thanks in advance for your prayers for our team and the success of this, our first church partnership effort with the village of Pama.

On a more personal note, I wanted to share my heart about some news that I received this morning. While we were at the church loading up the luggage trunks I received a phone call that a homeless man that I had recently had a chance to minister to and with was killed this morning in a motorcycle accident. The man’s name is Billy Walker and if you haven’t heard his story, it’s a powerful one. Billy was living on the streets of New York for the last years and when the Lord led four14 to the city earlier this month, our paths crossed and my heart for this Vietnam Vet was born.

Long story short, we ended up bringing Billy back to Ohio with us from New York, in an effort to help him reconnect with his family out in Arizona. To my knowledge Billy was not a believer; however, in the long ride back to Ohio and the night he spent at my house, afforded me the opportunity to share with him about Christ and the hope He offers for those who have lost all hope. We spoke openly and I don’t know at this juncture if Billy knew Christ for sure or not, but he did call me just two days ago to let me know how much he had appreciated our ministry in his life and that he would be praying for me, as he knew I was leaving out for Africa today.

HOW can you pray? Simply put, that Billy would have a burial that is honoring for one of God’s children, something homeless people are unaccustomed to, and that our church would continue to be a church that values the lives of people regardless of their station in life. Pray that we will spare no effort to bring everyone to the knowledge of Jesus.

If you wouldn’t mind, I as well am feeling a bit on the broken hearted side with the loss of this man and yet leading out the four14 Africa team is where the Lord would have me be. Thanks again for taking the time to read our blog and for caring enough to tie your hearts to ours as we serve the world that God so dearly loves.

Until I wake up tomorrow in Paris,

RAD

We are not ignorant of his schemes...

"The Team" -- looking good at the beginning of their trip

This morning at about 10:30, we surrounded our Four-14 Africa Team and prayed for them before they started their trip. We took a break from our staff meeting to do this because we know how important prayer is for the success of this endeavor.

"Saying good-byes"
No sooner had we finished praying the enemy of our souls was up to his old tricks. Pastor RAD came into the room where we were meeting to inform us that he had just received a phone call saying that his "homeless friend," Billy, had died in a motorcycle accident.

Our jaws dropped almost in unison as we heard the news. To understand the impact of this you simply need to know that while in a recent mission trip to New York City, God really moved

RAD's heart and broke him to the point that he gave a homeless guy a ride on the church bus,

housed him in his house, bought him new clothes, and fed him before this man, Billy, went on to his next destination. No one realized that this would be the last time RAD would see Billy alive.

We could not believe the time of this news that dropped on us, and especially on RAD, like those metal balls that are used in huge demolition jobs. We were astounded at the attempt of the enemy to sap the energy out of this team even before they stepped onto the plane that would carry them on the first leg of their journey.

Jana, checking last minute details -- got prayer??

So we ask you to pray that God will protect RAD and the rest of the team against discouragement. Pray that the enemy will not succeed in his efforts to frustrate what God has in store for this team in the CAR.

Praise God that Billy experienced outrageous love that is only possible through Christ. I pray that all of us will have the courage to follow RAD's example in reaching out to "the least of these."

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade

It's time to pray for our CAR team

Team (from left): Chad Kohler, Natalie Kohler, Matt Carter, Sarah Carter, Jillian Moomaw, Pastor RAD, Sonia Spires, Jim Roe, Sue Peters, Jana Slater, Dave Slater, Pastor Tom Peters)

Picture in your mind a village of 4,000 people with no hospital, no adequate school facility, no sanitation, no t.v., no Internet connection. Now imagine hundreds of little kids running through the dusty roads, coughing, sneezing, their skins covered with sores, their bellies bloated from malnutrition, their hair turning orange, many of their Moms and Dads gone from AIDS.

Welcome to PAMA, Central Africa Republic, where our young adult team will be serving from July 31-August 17.

The reason this trip is so important is that it will be the first team we are sending to the actual village our church is partnering with in this three year partnership that we started this year. Our goal is to be Christ's light in the midst of a place covered to despair as thick as the red dust that sticks to your body in that part of the world. We go as servants of the Risen Lord to bring the hope of Christ into the lives of "the least of these."

Would you pray for our team?

That God will protect them and give them complete unity as a team;
That they will not hesitate to serve the people of the village of PAMA and go out of their way to bless them;
That the weather will cooperate so they can finish the school building in the village;
That God will change their lives in a radical way for the Kingdom and that it will reverberate throughout our whole church;
That relationships will be built that will result in people coming to Christ.

Over the next several weeks, I will be posting entries in this blog. I hope you will check in daily, but please, don't be disappointed if you don't find something new every time. Remember the description of the village above. I can only put in what the team sends me and they are relying on a satellite phone, and will be very busy. They have, however, been warned, to send those stories daily, or else... Smile!

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade

A Laugh That Could Heal All of Africa

That is the best way I can describe it. This little human with skinny little apendages and a swollen belly and the orangish tinted hair that comes from severe malnutrition. Laughing. HYSTERICALLY!

Not more than 3 or 4 years of age, she walked up to me with the confidence that only an extrovert of extroverts can have. I held out my arms and she held out hers and she was up in my arms. And then she started talking in Sango faster than even a Central African could comprehend. She mimicked my English with perfect intonation and pronunciation.

Her smile melted me as I held her. She attracted an audience of 50 or more in a matter of minutes. And then I began to tickle her....and her LAUGH, oh if you could hear her laugh! In those moments, all was well with Africa and her audience knew nothing but the joy of a little girl and her laughter that seemed to say " Life, what a gift and how fun it is!" She brought joy to her community for 10 minutes simply by laughing and taking in the joy offered to her in those moments.

And the most incredible thing: I GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT JOY! That's what happens when you go where God sends you. And that joy is especially apparent when you have it to contrast with the poverty and despair of a place like Africa. I know many of you probably think, " I could never go to Africa. I could never see that kind of sickness, tragedy, and poverty. I couldn't handle it!" That is a natural reaction. But my friends, speaking from experience can I humbly say, "YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!!" God equips you to go where He sends you, and more than that He BLESSES you in ways you will never know if you stay within your own comfort zone. Sometimes He blesses you so deeply that you get to hear a laugh that could heal all of Africa. And that, my friends, is an irreplacable gift. Is He calling you to go? Let God give you a gift like the laugh that could heal all of Africa.

Laura Gibson

A Trip to Make

We have a trip to make today. Although it will be a long trip, at least it won’t be on one of the available means of transportation shown below.

No, this trip is to return to the U.S. for Barb Teach, J.P. and me, so we decided on going with this option instead!

It’s been a great trip. We got a lot of work done with the team that was here the first two weeks. And this last week has been focused on building relationships. As you can tell from previous entries, Barb has really worked hard at building a deeper relationship with Sue, Dr. Y’s wife. As I write this, she is over at the clinic right now wrapping up her time with Sue.

J.P. and I were able to work on relationships this week too, with our visit to Pama and Sayéré, as well as building relationships with ICDI staff here in Bangui. Although it is a time of much grief when a relative dies, it is also a time of renewing and strengthening relationships. The C.A.R. Representative for ICDI, Mr. David Zokwe, lost his brother last Saturday after an extended illness. We were able to go to the village where his brother lived last Sunday and share from the Word some thoughts on how God is our Fortress in times of trouble and grief (Psalm 62). Then after we returned from Pama, we were also able to sit with the Zokwe family as a way to “kangbi mawa”, or “divide up the grief” with them. So this last week has been significant in terms of opportunities to minister in relevant ways here in Africa.

Thanks again so much for all your prayers for our team over the last three weeks. Our hope and prayer is that we will come back to you changed and that we will be able to serve the Lord even better in the time that He allows us to serve there at Wooster GBC!

Grateful for His Grace,

Pastor Tom

Saturday, March 10

Spiritual Encounter at the Clinic

Barb & Sue

“That ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10).

It was bittersweet seeing the team off at the airport last Saturday. But I rejoice at what had been accomplished in such a short time by so many energetic, dedicated people. The guest house was so quiet after everyone left. I miss our team devotions – they were very special.

I have been working at the clinic this week

helping Dr. Y’s wife, Sue. There is an African nurse, Emilie, who works in the clinic also. The operation here at the clinic is a little different from that in the U.S. The patient sees the doctor and each person has a health book. The doctor writes his orders out for treatments, medications, IVs or lab work. The next stop is the pharmacy where I help Sue. Sue reads and explains each order to the patient because many can’t read. She then gets a basket and fills it with everything they need, like gloves, bandages, wipes, medications, syringes, lab slides and specimen containers. These supplies are only kept in the pharmacy.

The clinic

In the mornings we are so busy we don't have much time to talk. But I am a servant for Jesus Christ disguised as a nurse. I will find a way to turn Pharmacy work into Kingdom work!

When I received all the medications that were generously donated back in Ohio, little did I know that I would be the one to thoroughly count bottles of 1,000 Vitamin C, iron tablets, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen and pack them in small plastic bags. It took some time to count them out by tens and twenties and package them. That was my afternoon job. “Diko yoro” – count medications in Sango! Col. 3:23 “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto man.” Counting medicines may seem like a mundane, uninspiring task, but I prayed about how I could make this task honor Jesus. So I decided: When I count pills, I will pray for those needy people who will receive the medicines. And that's what I did! More importantly, though, I pray that they will see Jesus in the Doctor and Sue.
Barb, counting medicine

In the afternoons, the other nurse leaves so it was just Sue and I are together in the pharmacy. This had to be God’s planning because this was the time we could have girl talk and some really deep conversations about God, the Bible, and Jesus. When Sue talks about God, she says, “I am a Christian. I pray before meals and at bed time.” Her desire is to make time to read her Bible and pray and go to church, but she says her schedule is too full. I did encourage her to start the day in the Word and gave her a daily devotional book. Pray she will discipline herself to take the time to be renewed. Pray that through the remainder of my time I would be able to clarify what a “Christian” is to her.

This trip has been a life-changing experience. I will never forget what I have seen and done. I just want to thank everyone at Wooster Grace for making this mission trip possible. Also, all those prayer warriors – may God bless you!

Barb Teach
Friday, March 9

"For Whatever Will Help"

Before I left for Africa my seven year old granddaughter, Lauren, gave me money she had saved in her bank. She said it was "for whatever will help." After going with Dr. Paul Y to do home visits with AIDS patients and seeing the devastating need for medicine and food, it was an easy decision where to use Lauren's gift of love. Because of an unselfish act of a seven year old, one AIDS patient will receive the needed anti-retroviral drugs (ARV's) for ONE year!! I can't wait to get back and thank her for that special gift.

Barb Teach

The Village Connection

Meeting with the Sayéré village leadership

Greetings again from the Central African Republic! Thanks again for all your prayers for us this week! J.P. and I got back late yesterday from our trip into the villages up north. It was a very profitable trip.

We also took with us Edmond, who is employed here with ICDI to do training in "True Love Waits." We were able to introduce to two villages, Pama & Sayéré, the basic principles of village partnerships, where churches, groups, or individuals in the U.S. partner with villages to see community and spiritual development happen. We had very good meetings with village leaders there about the partnerships. In asking them what their basic needs for their villages are, both at Pama and Sayéré the first thing out of their mouths was education of their children.

Pama

For example, here is a picture of the current school building at Pama. The Director of the school told me that he and the other teacher instruct 280 students each day in six grade levels. Because of the lack of space, they cycle through the day bringing different grades in at different times.

Also included here is the school "building" at Sayéré. It was interesting to me that both villages saw education as a greater need than clean water, or health care, or agricultural projects, although all of those needs were mentioned also later in our times together. We hope to have Edmond do some follow up meetings with the two villages so that they can ask any questions that may have come up since our meetings about what the partnerships will look like...

Another great thing that happened on the trip is that Edmond and Pastor Tolzombo were able to do two presentations of "True Love Waits", a biblically-based AIDS initiative that has been promoted by GBIM and ICDI ove the last year or so. It’s very interesting what you learn when you go into these villages.

Edmond (in purple shirt) using an illustration in the "True Love Waits" presentation

For example, at the beginning of the presentation, Edmond asked some diagnostic questions about sexual activity in the villages. In Sayéré, a village of about 500 people, he asked them, "At what age do boys and girls begin sexual encounters?" The response was incredible. They said that for boys it is about 10 years old, and for girls it is 9 years old! OK, get this picture. We’re talkin’ real bush here! I mean, the road has one truck that does commercial ventures on it regularly every other day! Occasionally, another truck comes along, but obviously it’s not a very high traffic area.

Pastor Tolzombo shares a point in TLW at Sayéré

And yet in a small bush village, sexual activity for boys and girls starts at or before the age of 10! Is it any wonder that AIDS is a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa?! In Pama, a much larger village of just under 5,000, the stats were about the same. Another question was, "How many sexual partners does a boy or a girl have on a regular basis before they are married?" In Sayéré, they said the average was about one a month. In Pama, they said that boys probably had three a month, and girls two a month! "True Love Waits" is designed for these kinds of places. Edmond & Pastor Tolzombo did a great job of presenting the case against this kind of sexual activity and the case for abstinence until marriage.

You could tell that in both villages, the presentation was very effective. Pastor Tolzombo will do follow up with clubs for those who are interested in staying pure until marriage. Please pray for a strong commitment from those who indicated a need to stay pure, and for the Lord to strengthen them against temptation and the obviously dangerous trends of their culture.

Thanks again for praying! - Pastor Tom
Thursday, March 8