To God Be The Glory!

Today is Wednesday and we are back in Bangui. Tom and I finished a couple things on the orphan care center door. Today is a day to finish some little things before heading home tomorrow.

This will probably be my last blog entry, so I thought I would say thanks to God and all who have prayed for Rick, Tom, and me. This trip at times seemed like an episode from "Survivor." With Rick's sickness and my broken finger, Satan has tried to discourage us and take our eyes off Jesus. But greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world!!!

I thought I would share from God's Word to close out our time here. Ephesians 2:8-10: "For it by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not of yourselves it is gift of God not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship created in Christ to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do."

This passage teaches us that it is all about God, so all glory is His. We all are beneficiaries of God's grace through Jesus' death and resurrection. The good things we do are not to earn our salvation but to fulfill God's purpose. This is the legacy I want to leave -- to be faithful, persevere and give all glory to God. Are you fulfilling God's plans for your life? It takes all of us.

I want to wish all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Tom and I are going to eat at the US Ambassador's house for our meal. Then I depart Thursday evening. Tonight Tom and I plan to visit Dr. Paul Yalipende and his wife, Susan. I will have him re-wrap my finger before heading home. We also want to maintain our relationship with them. Pray that we can encourage them. Sorry, my camera battery is dead so I used a picture from a previous trip.

In His Service,

Tim

[Blogger's note: Please, pray for Jeana and the children, who will spend Thanksgiving without Tim. And pray for a safe return and happy reunion of Tim with his family].

Heading Back to Bangui

Today is my last day here in Berberati. Tomorrow (Tuesday) Tom and I will make the long journey back to Bangui. It usually takes around 10 hours but we got a lot of rain today so we will see how bad the "roads" will be. Please, be in prayer for a safe journey.

Today we finished the digging project for new water lines and electric lines between the shop and the houses. We dug approximately 800-900 ft. of ditches. My new trainees did most of the digging and they did very well. We worked in very hot conditions (over 100 degrees) and today we worked in rain. My prayer is that God will use this machine for His glory. I also pray that my impact goes farther than a machine, but impacts the lives of those I worked with.

Yesterday was a day of much needed rest and worship. In the afternoon we visited the orphanage where Jeana met a precious little girl in 2006 whose mom died from AIDS. Unfortunately, we did not find her and all indication is she is now a permanent resident of Heaven. The conditions of this orphanage are actually worse than before. The corruption is breathtaking, they held food back and sold clothes given to them by ICDI. The only hope for these kids is your prayers. This again shows the huge impact of ICDI and its care of orphans.

I got a check up on my finger and it is doing well, although it is a little painful each time when my finger is tugged and poked. Thanks for your prayers!!

In His Service

Tim

[Blogger's note: though I have not seen or talked to him, I heard it from reliable sources that Rick is back in the U.S. and doing well. Welcome home, Rick!].

God is Using Tim

Today is Saturday and I am sure many of you are watching the big Ohio State game. Go Bucks!!

Sorry for the delay in info but the last couple of days have been very busy. So let me get you caught up.

Thank you for your prayers, the devotions went very well on Friday morning. I asked Jesus to help me use my being here to help them understand why I would come here. This gave me the opportunity to share a little of my testimony. My main points were: purpose (Eph.2:8-10), sacrifice and perspective. I wanted them to know that many in the USA are sacrificing to help their country.

Sometimes they assume ICDI has a lot of money so they should pay the employees more. I wanted them to consider how they could sacrifice for the Lord through ICDI. The night before I prayed that God would help me use my injury to impact the men. I am going to share with you what God gave me to share, maybe it will encourage you as well.

I began by asking them, "When I hurt my finger where did I go for help? Did I go to the welding shop and ask someone to weld my finger back together? Did I have Jim Hocking take me to a cell phone store? Did I ask to go to a Dentist office? Of course not! I went to the hospital to see a doctor who is specifically trained to take care of my wound so I could eventually heal. But even though I went to the right person I still had to surrender my finger and trust the doctor. But what if when the painful shots started coming I told the doctor to stop, I will go back the house this is too painful. That would only lead to even more pain associated to more infection. The pain from the disinfection process and numbing shots were for my benefit and would lead to eventual healing.

This is the way our lives are. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We all have pain in our lives, where do we go to help with our injuries? Do we go the bar and drink our sorrows away? Do we think if only I made more money then the pain would go away? Or what if I got a new wife would that take the pain away? Or what if I moved to another country? None of these or endless others will take care of our injuries. Jesus is the expert who knows exactly how to address our life's pain. We must surrender our lives to Him and trust that He can repair our lives. But just like in the hospital, repairing first requires necessary pain to prepare for healing. But Jesus has our best interest in mind; healing and restoration!"

Since that devotional, many comments were made of how God had challenged them. It has been especially good with the guys whom I am training. We have had some great discussions and I believe our relationship is strengthening. Bruno, (he is the one who helped me hurt my finger...), has really seemed to open up and he even brought his pet monkey to show me today. Another way my injury has helped is because they see me still working( don't tell Jeana!!). They told me that they felt bad when they saw me working late so from now on they would stay after hours to be with me. Today they came on their day off and they stayed late to help me. My prayer is that my true impact will be in people not just a machine and projects accomplished.

Finger update: On Friday, I went back for a check up and all look well. No infections, Praise God!! Keep praying that the healing will continue. I am also hoping my swelling goes down so I don't have to cut my wedding ring off.

In the picture is Bruno, Bernard, and my translator Alexia and their new Harley Drilling hats and OSU balls for their kids.

In His service
Tim

[Blogger's note: I heard from Jeana yesterday that Tim finally relented and had his wedding ring cut off. Apparently it was "doctor" Tom who performed the procedure].

Going to the 'Zoo' in PAMA

While in Pama, of course, we were the main attraction. Everyone came to see the white man and where he sleeps. Kind of like going to the Zoo to see how the animals live. One little girl and her friends came around every day to see the white men. She liked to shake my hand and then just watch. The last day I gave her a ball, it was fun to spend time with her teaching her how to catch this funny looking ball we call a footbal. Over the course of a half an hour she went from not being able to catch it to catching anything I threw at her. She was queen for that night because of a little Ohio State football she would take home. She came back the next morning to see us leave so I thought we could pray for this girl. I know her family is of the Muslim faith but I pray that God will use her interaction with me as a seed for the gospel.

Tim

A 'Fun' Day in Berberati

[Blogger's note: I had a conversation on the phone with Jeana before I got the following note from Tim. It seems like the enemy is not happy with the work we're doing in the CAR... What Tim is not telling us, because of his gentle heart par excellence, is that it was one of the guys he was training who caused the accident. Now I know some of you will be quick to blame the teacher... just kidding, but seriously, we all need to pray not only for healing for Tim but that he will be able to reach out to the guy who caused the accident and that their relationship will not be affected by it. And continue to pray for Jeana and the kids too!].

I hope all is well back in Wooster. I understand you have some snow. It has been pretty hot here, dry season has started so I am sure temps are near or over 100.

I talked to Tom last night and he said that he and Rick were working at the orphan care center. Rick is much better and working hard before he leaves tomorrow. Please pray for his safe return.

Today I continued the training on the machine but I got to experience the Berberati hospital. About mid-morning I got my finger between the machine and another piece of metal. Not a good combination! It turned out my finger was broken and cut. The doctor did a good job fixing me up.

This was not part of my plan for my time here. Today has been a painful day but as I try to type this with a broken finger I am listening to a song on my headphones that reminds me that God's Grace is enough for me! God knows how to send the right message when I sure need it. I would appreciate your prayers for good healing and no infections.

Tomorrow morning I am sharing in the morning devotions with all the employees so I am praying for God to use me and this situation for His glory. That will be at 7am (11:00 p.m. our time tonight) so please pray for me.

On the lighter side, as you can see from my picture I am cheering for the Buckeyes, go Bucks #1 at least a broken finger is good for some things.

God Bless,

Tim

Double [Good] Whammy

[Blogger's note: it's not every day that we get a glimpse of how God works by hearing two sides of the same story the way these two notes from Tim & Jeana Harley do. I asked permission to post Jeana's note here because it touches our heart in a way that only a wife who loves her husband and wants nothing but see him totally fulfilled in God's purpose can do. I hopy you will be blessed by reading this as I was].

Tim's note:

Hello to all.

I have been busy the last two days training 3 guys to operate the John Deere skid steer machine and all it various functions.

They are excited to learn and at times it is hard for me to get them off because they are enjoying themselves so much. One guy told me it was like getting a new bike -- you don't want to stop because it is so much fun. Another one thanked God for bringing me here with the machine to teach them.

I think after two days of training they are beginning to see how this machine will help them help their country.

There is always a lot of activity here at ICDI. Every morning before work 50-60 employees start their day singing to the Lord and having a Bible Study. After that they all scatter to various projects around the garage.

The dry season is just starting so they are preparing all the trucks to head out to start drilling more water wells. Along with the water well drilling, ICDI also has an orphan care center here for the orphan care groups in Berberti. Then there is another department that is devoted to Agricultural work. Their goal is to develop highly nutritional crops that can be taken to villages to become a source of food for desperatly hungry people. They have different kinds of beans, corn, tropical fruit, banannas, and many other things. It exciting to partner with an organization that is meeting essential needs, including spiritual ones, of people in this struggling country.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

In His Service

Tim

Jeana's note:

Ivanildo,

I couldn't help but cry as I read Tim's email and saw the pictures of him instructing the Africans about the skid steer. If you only knew how far Tim has come and how so very proud I am of him and how he is serving the Lord in Africa. Going to Africa was my thing. Tim wasn't sure at first, but he was open to whatever the Lord had for him.

I knew the first meeting between Tim and Jim Hocking was certainly arranged by God. I have watched over the last three years how Africa has become "his" thing. It has become his dream and his passion. He gets so excited talking to his suppliers here and arranging for supplies to be sent to the drill team in the CAR. To finally be with them and using his area of expertise, I know thrills his heart. He often wondered how God could use him. It is so cool to see him realize it now.

This experience Tim is having today comes through his desire to be used by God however and whenever He so chooses. He is living proof that God will use whatever we give Him to further His kingdom. It makes me want to give Him more and more.

Thank you for investing in us so we can invest in others. I so dearly pray that many many people will come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ through this ministry and any ministry He may have for us in the future.

Jeana

'Home Sweet Home" in PAMA

[Blogger's note: This was written by Tim after they left PAMA. Sorry that these entries are not in any chronological order, but I am sure you will still be able to enjoy them].

As you know Rick was sick the last couple of days. Pama is a tough place to live for anyone but for us who aren't used to all the different elements it is really challenging.

The last night in Pama Sampson shared that he thanked us for leaving our homes and sharing our lives with them. He encouraged Rick that even though he was sick he was an encouragement to the other workers. We praise God for the opportunity to partner with them. They know their country is struggling and they appreciate the help.

Keep praying, the struggle is every day

In His Service

Tim

Trading Stories in PAMA

Our main project has been the school. Everyday we worked alongside guys like Sampson Nathan, Pascal, Earnest, and several others.

We all endured the heat and hard strenuous work. Please pray for these men because they will stay behind and finish the things we could not get to during our week there. These men are away from their families, sometimes for months, working at different projects.

When I asked how long it had been since Sampson had seen his family, very quickly, he said: "August 8." Wow. I realized it has been three months. Hopefully, after they finish in Pama and Seyere, they can go home for a while.

Each day we would sit around after work and just talk with the men. It was great to hear them share about their lives.

One conversation was especially interesting. Sampson said from their perspective, they hear about all the medical advances we have and all the technology and the Africans think we Americans should live forever but we don't, we die just the same as they do. We also had a cultural experiment, we showed the guys the movie "Zorro". I know, it is not a spiritual movie by any stretch, but it was fun to help the guys relax and watch them laugh and respond to different aspects of the movie.

Tim "Zorro" Harley.

Behold, a Change for Good!

Life in Pama is very hard but it is changed because of our church.

The new water well that was drilled by our church is constantly in use, pumping the much needed water into any and all containers.

The well is near the school so I watched as children carried water containers on their heads. Back and forth they would go carrying different size containers according to their size. It was fun for me to watch little girls walk by with small bowls of water on their heads and I would wave and smile at them, they would giggle and take one hand from balancing the water to wave back. They made several trips and each time giggling almost before I would wave. It is amazing what a little wave and smile can do.

Another difference our church has made is with latrines. Something that is basic to us is not here. There are now three more available for use in helping with the sanitation problems.

Thanks for your support,

Tim

Hello From the Heart of Africa

We arrived in Pama last night to a hero's welcome. On our way through Sayere (the neighboring village), we were welcomed the same way because a team from Florida did a project including a water well there.

Everyone wanted to shake our hands and some wanted to show off their English skills they must have learned from the other team. These included “ok” and “goodbye.” We met with the regional mayor to let him know of our plans in Pama and he was very excited. Our trip yesterday was an adventure in “highway” travel, some roads nicely paved but you had to watch out for the people walking beside the road.

Then there was the paved road with huge pot holes (some places it was better to drive off the road), and still avoid pedestrians. One of these pot holes flattened one of our tires, so we did a roadside tire change(AAA was not available). Then we arrived in Yaloke to drop off Pastor Tolozombo at his house while our tire was being repaired. This gave us time to have some fellowship with Pastor T’s family. I played ball with the little children while Tom and Rick walked around the old Grace Brethren Mission Station.

Then another friend of Tom’s invited us to her house where she had made a meal for us, so we ate again after being fed at Pastor T’s house. Finally the tire was fixed so off we went down the road to Pama.

Calling it a road is too generous. Miles and miles of washed out road way and bridges lay ahead. By now it was dark so this made our travelling more difficult. Praise the Lord we made it!

Now back to that hero's welcome: From the edge of the village cheers broke out as we entered the village. By the time we stopped at the school building a large crowd had gathered. Like a presidential candidate, we shook hands making sure to get everyone. Then the men of the village chased the kids away to give us some privacy. We set up our accommodations, then sat under the stars. The moon had a halo around it so we took it as a sign of God’s protection.

Today we worked very hard pouring concrete in one of the school rooms. We were glad to see the villagers coming to help. The children carried water from the well (paid for by our church) to fill water containers used to mix the concrete. I have some pretty cute pictures I will send when I get better Internet signal. Several men from the village helped in many ways which was an answer to prayer because the last time our group from our church was here nobody wanted to help.

Rick went to help get gravel out of a local river bed. They had to cut a path down to the river bed. On the way out they ran over a tree stump and punctured a tire. Rick said it was an adventure getting the tire changed. We also got a big rain storm that came through but thankfully we were able to keep working inside.

Thank you all for your prayers and support as we minister on your behalf in the CAR.

In His Service

Tim
P.S. I have an audience watching me look at this funny looking box we call a lap top computer...

Comfort Finally Arrives in PAMA

[Blogger's note: from different sources, including Sue Peters (by way of Rob Miller) and Rick himself, who updated his Facebook saying that he was "relaxing" in Bangui, I have heard that Rick is doing much better. I also heard that Nikesi is doing better. He had some kind of bacteria but has received treatment and is reacting well to it. Please, continue to pray for these guys and our continued work in the C.A.R.]

This was written by Tim while he was still in PAMA:

Hello. Today we continued our work on the school building. All the concrete is mixed by hand so it requires many to accomplish this. Rick has been doing a lot of shoveling filling the wheel barrow over and over. They have been mixing sand and gravel all moved by hand. Then the water is added and then mixed with shovels. The concrete is then hauled to its final destination. I have been on the finishing crew most of the time smoothing the concrete. We all jump in where needed. It is great to work with our African brothers to accomplish a shared goal. There is much laughter to go along with the hard work to make for a wonderful environment.

Tom, as usual spends a lot of time making jokes and working the crowd to achieve the most laughs possible.

Today we improved our 5 star hotel by adding filtered water and a warm fully automatic shower. Today I got the water filter working which can give us safe water to drink. We get the water from the water well and then we have a 12 volt pump to pump the water through a filter and u-v light to disinfect. Then we set up our shower tent and used the pump to pressurize our shower head (a nozzle used for watering plants in the US). We use the power of the truck battery to power our pump and then an inverter to give us 110 volt power. We then have a solar panel to charge the truck battery so we don’t have to run the truck to charge the battery. Kind of technical there but I thought some may enjoy our effort to have the basics here in the middle of Africa.

As we continue our projects here, our prayer is that God uses us to be an encouragement to those around us. As important as doing projects, we want to build relationships which will last forever. Here are some of the guys we are working with.

Sampson is the master builder here, he is the expert in African construction. He is very willing to teach us and to include us in the work. He also is a very Godly man who has given his life to building things for God. He can out work anyone half his age, but he is a very gentile and humble man.

Nathan is Sampson’s son and has learned well from his dad. Nathan is 26 and married and has two children but he looks barely 15. Nathan is also a hard worker who can do anything. When Tom gets him laughing his whole face lights up with a huge smile.

Most of the time Rick and I have no idea what Tom’s joke is but all the Africans get the punch line and it results it uncontrolled laughter. Tom has a great ministry here. I will share more of the names in future emails.

In His Service,

Tim

Tim Arrived in Berberati

Hello from the second largest city in the CAR. I arrived yesterday evening to the ICDI compound in Berberti. I cannot tell you how nice it was to see a house with a bed and a toilet!!! Electricity is a nice improvement as well. The generator gets shut off but a least I know when.

Saturday morning we left Pama, Tom and Rick headed for Bangui and I along with my driver, Gerrard, and Tekundo, who is ICDI's agricultural trainer, headed for Berberti. It was an all day trip covering some of CAR's finest roads. The added challenge for me was my fellow travelers did not speak English. This made for a quiet trip. Tekundo spoke limited English to match my limited Sango but he rode on the back of the truck because there was only room for two in the cab.

I did have one interesting situation sitting at a check point while Gerrard went to get some food. A military guy started speaking to me and I obviously did not understand him so he called another guy over who could speak some English. He asked me questions that did not make much sense but I answered no each time and then that satisfied them and they left me alone. I figured playing dumb was my best option which isn't too hard (laugh). I will try to get caught up on emails and pictures now that I have Internet.

Today I went to church with the Hockings and Doug Murtoff. We went to church with one of Jim Hocking (ICDI executive director)'s employees so it was different than previous experiences but good. Tomorrow I start training some ICDI guys about equipment . Talk to you soon. Keep praying.

Tim

Our Connection is Still Prayer!

Hello everyone:

Yesterday I got word that Rick Ratzel was sick. We were very concerned for him and many of us have been praying for him. Today he is feeling better but we need to continue to pray for him and the rest of the team.

Apparently, the enemy is not too happy that Rick and the others who are working in the CAR right now. The same day Rick arrived in Bangui, he heard that his dog died and his son had had a car accident.

Another one of the team members, Nikesi, a Central African and a member of ICDI staff, who was working with the guys in PAMA, had to be taken back to Bangui because his health was not good. He is still not doing well and needs our prayers. He has a wife and small children. Please, pray for Nikesi.

As far as work goes, they have only a small section of the school to finish and are planning to work on the latrines the next two days. Unfortunately, they were not able to hook their computer up to their sat phone, so we are not able to get regular updates and/or pictures. But Tim is hoping to send pictures when he gets to Berberati.

Thanks for your prayers and concerns for our CAR team!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Our Team is Busy Working in PAMA!

[Blogger's note: below you will find a summary of a conversation Jeana Harley just had with Tim on the sat phone. Please, continue to pray for our team in the CAR.]

I just got off the phone with Tim. They have been in Pama since Sunday afternoon. The trip up was typical Central African style. If you don’t know what that is, ask one of them when they return. It’s sort of like a VERY LONG ride at the fair. They are still working at getting a computer link with the SAT phone so they can email us pictures and more info about the trip.

As Tim was speaking, he said there was a large group of kids around him watching him talk into that black box. They were also very curious about his laptop too when he was working on it. In Bangui there are cell phones, but up country kids really wouldn’t see people using them. You can imagine the kids trying to figure that one out. The connection broke up from time to time because there was a storm going around them as we spoke. Otherwise, the weather has been good. There was a hard rain yesterday.

The team has been pouring concrete for the last two days. Tom went to the riverbed to get rocks and sand. They had a flat tire on one of their trips to the river. Tim said the people in PAMA are helping out a lot this time, which is a great improvement from the last trip. Rick, Tim and Tom are all doing well and feeling well. They will be in Pama until Sunday. Then they part ways, as Tom and Rick return to Bangui, and Tim goes on to Beberati to work with the well drilling team.


Jeana Harley

"Shopping" in Bangui

[Blogger's note: this is another quick e-mail from Tim. I hope you appreciate his efforts in sending us these updates. Let's pray that the phone thing will work in PAMA!].

Greetings from Bangui.

Today was one of those days that are good days but you don't feel like you accomplished much. Can anyone relate? We got to experience some African culture by going to a cell phone store to purchase a sat phone for our trip up country. It was a much longer process than anything in the States. Even the other Africans in the store were getting impatient waiting for the clerks to process the purchases. We all went along because we thought they would have to set up our laptops to work through the sat phone to send emails but it turned out we didn't. So we waited and waited and waited and waited then finally we had it in our hands, our connection to the world. Hopefully we will be able to email you from Pama using this phone so we will give it a try.


Tonight we had the opportunity to visit the family of the orphan girl who died. It was a good opportunity to encourage many by just our presence. When we arrived the orphan care group was singing songs at the top of their lungs to the Lord. It was dark when we arrived so it was a great sound to hear these voices as we approached. Tom Peters spoke to the group, including the mother and sister of the girl and encouraged them through his words and by praying with them. The group then continued to sing songs -- just being there for one of their own who is now with Jesus. Tom said the leader shared that this is the fourth child to die in two years from this group, so they are taking this hard, wondering why this has to happen. It was a humbling experience to be there but I am glad we went. Please keep praying for the family and for the orphan care family that God will lift them up.

I am glad that so many in our church are investing in these precious lives through sponsoring kids and praying for them. The impact on these kids is incredible. We are impacting kids for eternity!

I hope the Second Saturday ministry went well today we prayed for you all last night that God would use you in the lives of many in Wooster.


This will be the last email from Bangui so hopefully I will email when we get to Pama.

In His Service,

Tim

Life and Death in Bangui

[Blogger's note: Tim sent me another update from Bangui. There is some hard sadness in this, but I have to let you read it so you are aware of the reality of life in that part of the world and why it is that our church keeps sending teams there. Read on.]

I hope things are going well in Wooster, we are doing well in Bangui. Everyone is healthy and getting over jet lag. We spent part of our day preparing to go up country by going through many trunks taking inventory of supplies we will need. It is a challenge to think of everything we might need and make sure everything works. We also started working on a door for the Orphan care center wood shop. We took measurements and started cutting and welding the steel frame. We took a break for lunch but the power went out so we couldn't do anymore welding for the rest of the day. Welcome to life in Bangui!!!

We learned today that one of the orphans died. The child's name was N. She was sponsored by someone in North Carolina. Her story is too typical but painful nevertheless. She and her sister are in the ICDI orphan care system but were cared for by her biological mother because the father had died. Evidently, N has been sick for a couple weeks but her mother refused to take Nancy to the hospital because she said she couldn't afford the taxi ride(it probably would cost her under a dollar, maybe even thirty cents).

The staff from ICDI pleaded with her to take the child in offering to pay for her ride but she refused. They made repeated attempts but were rejected each time. If you are wondering, they can't force her. The ICDI staff is devastated by this news and are grieving themselves. They pour their lives into these kids and it hurts that they couldn't save N. Please pray for this situation, and for the notification of the sponsor. This gives you a glimpse of the struggles of life and ministry here. The good news is that even in the face of such a human tragedy, we know that N. is with Jesus today because of this ministry.

We will be leaving to go to Pama on Sunday so I will try to get another email out before we leave.

Hey Ivanildo, I am using a wireless Internet connection which I can access from the Baptist compound. It is a great improvement!!!


Thank you for all your support.

God Bless,

Tim

In Bangui With a Big Bang

[Blogger's Note: Below you will find a note from Tim. We praise God that they arrived safely and that He even protected their luggage!]

We made it!! And a very important extra, we got all of our luggage. We praise God for having mercy on us. We waited until one of the last luggage transports to see our bags come down the belt. What a beautiful site, after a long wait, I admit I was starting to doubt, but I kept praying.
We spent most of the day resting and sorting out our supplies for our various projects. We also started getting out the camping gear getting it ready for our adventure up country. We also met with the ICDI staff to plan for our time here. It was good to reconnect and pray for God to use our time here.

In His Service
Tim

Paris the Thought

[Blogger's note: I just heard from Tim Harley. Please read the brief summary from him and continue to pray for our team as they start their trip to Bangui later today. Thanks for praying!]

"We made it to Paris!! We are now resting at the Plasters. We dealt with many flight changes on the way over. We were supposed to go from Cleveland to Atlanta to Paris but it changed to Cleveland to Cincinnati to Paris the Tuesday morning it changed back to Cleveland to Atlanta to Paris. Then when we got to the airport and checked in they gave us a new route Cleveland to New York to Paris wow what fun. All of these changes to our flight plans put us in a category that caused us to go through extra inspections to get through security. Praise God we made it. Thanks for your prayers."

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

They are off!

This morning, at about 9:00 a.m., Pastor Daron and I had the honor of praying for our team that just left to the Central African Republic. Though their flight had already changed three times, they were in good spirits. I was so proud of those guys for the sacrifice they are making to serve some of the "least of these."

Tim Harley, Rick Ratzel and Tom Peters will be in the C.A.R. from through November 28 (Rick returns a week earlier).

PRAY for safety for the team on their flights and on the ground and for their families at home.

PRAY for effective work with orphans as the team:

- builds a latrine for the village

- installs doors and windows for the PAMA school

- finishes the work we started in the Orphan care center in Bangui

- shares the gospel

PRAY for the work the team will do in the AIDS clinic.

PRAY for relationships to be built.

PRAY for the village of PAMA. Pray for their safety in light of recent threats.

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for our team in the C.A.R. They are counting on you!

Feel free to leave comments here for them as well.

I will post here as often as they send me material.

Thanks,

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Blogging from Asia

I will be in Asia from May 20 through June 5. I will try to blog from there as often as I can, including posting pictures, if I am able. You may find me at my blog. Or click on the link to the right of this page.

I am going on a fact-finding mission to Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam. We have a great partnership with an organization called Asia's Hope, directed by my good friend, Pastor Dave Atkins. I will be traveling with him. I am familiar with their ministry in Cambodia, but not with the one in Thailand. So I am really looking forward to this opportunity. Asia's Hope focus on university students and orphans. Their work rescuing orphans and encouraging widows is commendable.

In Burma and Vietnam I will be checking on possible short-term mission opportunities for our church. I have always had an interest in Burma and am really excited to have a chance to get inside the country, hopefully, this time. There is some openness in Vietnam for teaching English at universities and I want to check that out as well.

Your prayers will be greatly appreciated. And please, pray for Naza and Joshua who are being left behind. Pray that the peace of God will be absolute in their hearts and in our house. Pray that Naza will feel relief from the physical pain she has been enduring lately. Pray for God's Spirit to lead my son, for His glory. And pray for decisions, very important ones, both my daughters will have to make soon. And for jobs too!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

A Message to "The Last of These"

As I have looked though the pictures taken by our team in Africa, I noticed that virtually every one of us has a picture with a child. I think Rob Miller was probably the champion when it came to making an instant connection with kids, but we all did in one way or another.

It's impossible not to in Africa. In some ways it's like playing a little dance. You first wave at a child, she/he looks at you, a bit surprised, then looks back to confirm that you are really waving at them (the typical gesture of those who are accustomed to being put last), then, once they realize you are actually occupying your mind with them, it's like the sunshine of their smile fills the atmosphere all around and both hands go up waiving frantically, wishing that moment would last forever.

The C.A.R. as a whole is not kind to children. Everywhere we go we see children being scolded for the littlest of offenses. If they crowd around foreigners too close, an adult usually comes and shews them away. If they are being noisy, somebody tells them to be quiet. If they are stepping out of line in church, sometimes men with sticks will hit them (not hard) and make them get in line. I saw this with my own eyes outside one of the churches, as people were lining up to participate in a baptismal service and I saw the fear on the faces of children as the tall African man lifted his stick.

Children are truly "the last of these" in a country like the C.A.R. Schools are completely bankrupt. Teachers, who go months without being paid by the government, often extort money from parents, so their children can continue in school. There are virtually no parks and playgrounds where kids can go to have fun. Close to where we stayed, a couple of times I saw school children playing with an old basketball and a flat soccer ball.

Now, I am not saying that there are no parks period and no schools that offer some decent education in the C.A.R. There are a few but the schools that do this are for people who have money, which is not the case for the vast majority of the population of this country. The three best schools in the Capital, two one run by a Muslim group and one by a Catholic group. They are private schools that charge more than what the average person makes in a year.

The children in Jesus' day faced the same kind of cultural prejudice and economical blockade. Jesus knew this. He came from a family of several children and they were not wealthy. He saw children being excluded from the good things of life from the time he was growing up and He knew the pain of being always considered a nobody.

And because he knew Jesus would not put up with adults around him who would bar children from coming to Him. Not that the disciples didn't try. I don't know if they had sticks, but they were probably being physical with the little children. Jesus said in no uncertain terms: "Let the little children come to me for to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven."

What a rebuke to a bunch of of big shot big people who thought that the "Jesus thing" was only for people 18 and older. Jesus said: "Don't exclude the little ones, I am planning to spend time with them in eternity." End of conversation.

And as we smile and hold little children from Africa, our goal is to convey to them, even if for a brief moment, the same message: "Even if the whole world rejects you, Jesus loves you." I know that I was not the only one who did this as we picked up little children in Bangui. You can't help but look at their eyes and think: "Jesus loves you." Sometimes you even mouth the words even though you know they don't understand a word of what you said. But you smile, you giggle, you look silly, and you pray for them, softly, that Jesus would protect them, that they would have enough to eat, that they would not succumb to opportunistic diseases, that they would grow up to love Jesus and to serve Him with all their hearts.

How can I describe the emotions that come over you as you hold one of these children on your arms? Some skeptical soul looking at these pictures might get the wrong idea that this is just a photo op. Maybe someone might suspect that, though we are letting children come to us, we are doing it for the wrong reason. "You just want to evoke an emotional response," they might say.


You couldn't be more wrong, my friend, if you thought that. I want you to hear me: I am most honored to have had the privilege to hold one of these little ones in my arms. I am a better person for having done that and I hope that whether you go overseas or across town you will also find someone who is among the "last of these" to communicate unequivocally this most liberating message that people who are accustomed to being last need to hear: "Jesus loves you."


Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Addressing An Injustice

Today I depart from my posts regarding Africa to talk about something that just happened to my parents and my sister in Brazil. Instead of telling you the whole story, I will post here a letter I just composed to be sent to the American Ambassador in Brazil. I post it here to ask you to pray for my family in Brazil as they are very saddened by this. I also ask you to pray for me and my sister who lives here as we are so far from my folks and very much wish we could simply give them a big hug today.

I apologize if you don't feel this is appropriate for me to post here, but will return to the Africa reporting tomorrow, Lord willing. Here we go:
Ambassador Clifford M. Sobel
U.S. Embassy
SES - Av. das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 0370403-900
Brasilia, DF Brasil

April 30, 2008

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

Today an injustice was committed at your Embassy. My sister and her three children, (Loide Cristina, Patricia, and Daniel Trindade) together with my parents (Eulalio & Jacira Trindade) were denied entry visas to the United States, after they traveled from Northern Brazil (Macapa) to do an interview with one of your consular officials in Brasilia. Their interview was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and they were seen by a female employee whose name they didn’t get.

The injustice was not so much the fact that they were denied entry visas. It has to do more with the fact that your employee didn’t even bother to open the envelope with the documentation proving that my sister and my dad both have stable jobs which pay them very well and that they were simply trying to pay me and my sister a visit.

Your employee set her eyes on members of my family and declared: “You intend to stay in the United States; therefore, I am denying you visas.” My sister tried to insist that they only wanted to visit me and my sister, but the lady replied: “Your brother and your sister stayed there and you want to do the same.” She tried to show her the letter I had written, explaining that I am a pastor here, and she encouraged her to look at supporting documents containing bank statements, pay stubs, etc. but all she got was: “I don’t need to hear any more and I don’t need to give you any explanation. As you can see, I am busy here and I have other people to see.” My sister, then, politely, said: “Thank you very much,” and left.

I would like to say: “shame on you and on your selection process.” What your employee did is outrageous and I would like to protest it. I know it is not going to change the outcome of the decision, but I must communicate this to you because it is simply not right.

Now, I know you don’t deal with the day-to-day operations of your Embassy, but just so you know, members of my family, including my elderly parents and my seven month old nephew, (who didn't need to go but went because my sister is still breast feeding him), traveled all the way from Macapa to Brasilia, at great expense to them, and paid all the expensive fees you require, because they had been promised an interview. But in fact they didn’t get an interview. They had a lady who had formed an opinion about them before she even saw their documents tell them “you don’t have a chance” and that was the end of the story. That is so wrong and so messed up. I don’t even have words to describe it. It is, fundamentally, a type of malpractice that should not to be tolerated in any place of business, let alone am Embassy of the most powerful nation in the world.

For the record, my sister married a missionary kid she knew from her childhood and she came to the United States legally when he decided to take a job here. I was hired by the Wooster Grace Brethren Church, where I still work, while I still lived in Brazil, and came to the U.S. as a legal immigrant in 1993. We both came to this country legally and because of our firm convictions as followers of Jesus Christ we would never break the laws of this or any other country, nor would we ever encourage anyone else to do so.

My sister has no intention of living in the U.S. (had your employee checked, she would see that her husband was staying back in Brazil), and my mom and my dad are too old to have any plans to move anywhere, including within Brazil. My dad will be 81 this year and he is still the senior pastor of a church in Macapa, where he has been a pastor for 42 years.

I know it might be hard for you to believe it but let me assure you: there are still people in this world who have no desire to live in the United States. Your employee couldn’t have been more wrong about my sister and my parents, and I am outraged that an employee of this country which I have grown to love so much in my 15+ years as an immigrant here, could have been so arrogant, so pathetically groundless in her denial of visas to my family.

I wish you could see the wrong that was done and use your influence to correct it, but am afraid that my letter may only fall on deaf ears. I hope you understand the hurt that this kind of arbitrary decision causes on people. I have two daughters who are graduating in June and my mom and my dad were very much looking forward to being here for their graduation. But such is life for those whose only 'sin' is to raise suspicions in the mind of someone who obviously is too misinformed or clueless. You ought to check the training you provide your employees, because you certainly couldn’t get it more wrong in this case. Or maybe you just don’t care. In either case, it makes this country look really bad.

I don't expect you will, but if you wish to contact me, you may do so at the address on the bottom of this page and my sister may be reached at 291 South Milton Street. Smithville, OH 44677. Phone: 330-669-9106.

Sincerely Yours,


Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
Associate Pastor of Outreach
The Wooster Grace Brethren Church
Cc.: Representative Ralph Regula, Representative Deborah Pryce, Senator George Voinovich, Senator Sherrod Brown.

Connection Without Words

There are times when an emotion arrests you. I am not one who likes to take pictures of suffering. In fact, though I took lots of pictures while I was in the C.A.R., it's as if my camera went on strike as we arrived at the Pygmy village. Since the first day I set foot in this little village, I was struck with the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that seemed to assail a small band of people whose only "sin" was to be born Pygmies.

I asked Pastor Tom to snap this picture because this boy, one of the quietest ones in the village, kept appearing around me after time I turned around. He looked a little scared, but at the same time he looked like he could be a lot of fun if you were able to get to know him.

I wanted that picture also because we estimated that he is about the age of my son, Joshua, who is 14. Yes, he is a Pygmy and thus has a small stature, but his story goes beyond facts of genetics. This boy's growth has been severely stunted. Fact is, I don't even know how well he can speak. I saw other kids playing and talking, but this one was always by himself. I could tell that he had some serious developmental problems. Looking at him made me so sad. I was arrested by an emotion, a feeling that even though this boy was about the same age of my son, there couldn't be two people in this universe whose lives would be as radically different as his and my son's.

But in spite of all of this, I felt a connection with him. We didn't have to say a word to each other but we knew we shared a moment together. I wish I could have just sat down with him and heard his story. I would have loved to take him to the village and buy him a new set of clothes. I would have been so glad to share with him about my family. I would love to ask him whether he has any thoughts about what he would like to do with his life.

But instead all I have is this picture to remember him by. Don't get me wrong, it's not necessarily a bad memory to have. I look at him and I can see that he even managed to smile. But I can't get over the fact that this boy is about the age of my son. Had I been a Pygmy, had I been born to that clan, I could possibly have a son just like him. He would be left wandering alone in the village, while I would be in the jungle hunting, trying to help the family survive another day. He would never have a chance to go to school and I would probably never reach 5o, my age this year on November 10th.

Why God chose another life for me and my son is a mystery I will never understand this side of eternity. And I don't have to. All I have to have clear in my mind is that God put me this side of the earth for a reason. And after meeting a boy like this one, I have to redouble my efforts to make sure that people like him have an opportunity to beat the odds against them.

Already there is a ray of light shinning in that village. Not only do they have a well with clean water and a couple of latrines, but they now have a little church building, shown here on the background of my picture with my new friend. A pastor comes to the village periodically and shares with the people there about the hope of Christ. I hope and pray that this boy will have a chance to comprehend clearly that Jesus Christ also died and rose for people like him. And that he will be able to surrender to Christ and enter eternity one day in the company of our beloved Messiah who loves him so much.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Questions Google Cannot Answer...

As I reflect back on my experience in Africa recently, there are so many questions I have that for now have to go unanswered. I call these "Questions Google Cannot Answer." Here is just a sample for you:

1. Why is it that in spite of such severe trials, with the weight of the world on their shoulders, people from the C.A.R., and particularly the women, conduct themselves with an air of nobility, a sense of presence that speaks of so much pride for who they are? Why do they look so exquisitely stoic as they go about their daily tasks?

You see this even among those who have to work close to the ground, like the ladies who lower themselves to serve a sweet that they carry on a tray and walk all over town to sell in order to make a couple of bucks, if they are lucky. You see this in the way people dress up to church. You see this among the people who have to conduct any kind of business with the government. I never saw so many people dressed up in full suits and fancy dresses as I did in the two weeks that I was there.

And this happens whether it was early in the morning, when there is a little breeze and the cool air fools you into thinking that perhaps you are in a Mediterranean country, as well as mid-afternoon when all your hopes of a mild weather day have vanished. Obviously, you see lots of people who are wearing tattered clothes, but even them don't have the look of soldiers who have surrendered the battle. There is something about these people's resolve to fight against their odds that ought to be studied and taught in our schools of learning. I wish my children and their children would grow up with this kind of resolve. But I wish they would learn to smile so quickly as so many in that impoverished nation are pronged to do.

2. Why would this boy who was selling goodies in a makeshift marked on the side of the road refused to smile while I took his picture. I tried to interact with him but while all the other children were having a blast as I took their picture and then showed to them, he just sat there, impassive, looking like a tough kid. If you notice, his right hand is touching a little container, which I believe may contain sugar, as if indicating that he was protecting his property. He seemed to be very uncomfortable with adults, or maybe with foreigners.

Even now I close my eyes and think of him and what his story might be. Tears come to my eyes as I go through this in my mind. I estimated that he could be 15-17. Who knows whether he was robbed of a childhood because some relative may have forced him to sit by that stand every day to sell those kids. Perhaps he resented the fact that I was just a foreigner, a passerby who was aloof about his real plight and that of his family. Maybe he was an orphan or perhaps someone near him was nearing death. Oh if he only knew how much I wish I could know and how much I wish I could help him. If he only guessed that if I knew how there is nothing more I would want to do than to care. Perhaps I will have a chance to see him again.

Some other questions have to do with injustice:

1. So many incredibly smart and competent people in the C.A.R. will never be given a chance to show the world what they are capable of. They could help dispel the notion that some ignorant people have that Africans are simply not as smart as we are. If people only knew how wrong this is...

2. Families with 8 or more kids of their own one day find themselves with an equal number of kids living in the same household. This is happening due to kids being orphaned by AIDS. It is the poorest of the poor that inherit this burden, not the wealthiest of the wealth.

Some questions have to do with the practical side of life:

1. Why do people chose to overdress in a country where humidity is almost always at 100% and the scorching sun never seems to go down even at night? I admire the fact that women in general are not going around showing their bodies, but in general they use so much fabric to cover themselves with, in some cases the dresses are so elaborate, so full of intricate details, and the headdress (not to speak of the hair) so meticulously matched with the outfit.

I watched men on Sunday morning services with their suit drenched in sweat. A few fans all the way up in the ceilings were not enough to keep the buildings cool. The men looked like they just got out of the shower. They think nothing of it, yet what a scandal it would be if a pastor showed up to preach in shorts... Men walk around in full suits any time of the day and they don't seem to mind. If this suit-crazed society inherited this from the Europeans or the Americans, I should add that to the list of ways in which we've messed up countries in this world -- not to mention the fact that we made their wardrobe budget a lot higher than what it should be!

I was also amused by the music played in the churches we visited. I had observed this in 2006. A long time ago there were drums and sticks in the church services and more traditional music was played. I have heard stories about how at the time of the offering the Africans sang and danced at the sound of their drums until missionaries started complaining that the whole thing was getting out of hand. Now I was not there so I can't speak for certain about this, but the fact is that at least in the churches we visited this year and in 2006, there were no traditional instruments or traditional music. All you get is this sort of modified Caribbean-like sound that anybody can generate out of an electronic keyboard. In fact, if missionaries were still in charge, they might ban this kind of sound from the church too!

Well, I could go on and on, but you get the idea. If anybody has any thoughts on these questions, please, send them my way.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

All Too Human...

Our team, after our African meal with our new friends

I have been back from Africa for a few days and during this brief period of time I have noticed that some people, as they welcome you back and ask about your trip, have that look on their face that betrays a sense of awe at the fact that we were in Africa. Well, at the risk of disappointing some folks, I decided to post this entry here to remind us that we are all too human, especially the seven of us who went on this trip.

a rare moment of relaxation, with Andre, our chef extraordinaire

To begin with, let me remind you that this team was originally going to go to Pama, in the interior of the C.A.R. That's the village we are partnering with and that's where our four-14 team went last summer. Well, all of that changed when the village was attacked by bandits and two villagers were killed about two weeks before our scheduled departure.

As a resulted of that, we ended up spending all of our time in the Capital city of Bangui. Why is that important? Let me list a few reasons here: 1. We had electricity most of the time; 2. We were staying in an actual guest house and not in tents; 3. We had privacy once we were inside the guest house; 4. We had someone who cooked almost all of our meals, using a lot of the foods and ingredients we had brought. For example, he made pizza and bread from scratch. He also did laundry every day; 5. Though it took some creative prodding and persistent attitude (leaving modesty aside), we did have Internet access and that is the reason you got to read this blog almost every day. Hey, the list could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Andre, our outstanding and gracious chef

Sure, the work was brutal, the conditions less than ideal, and the heat was suffocating at times (though in general it was not that bad). One day, when we did take measurements, we fond out that we were enjoying a balmy 123 degree F day, and we never slowed down the work on that day. Who knows what the temperature may have been on some other days?

Not knowing the language and the culture is also a huge handicap. After a while it starts corroding your mood a little. I observed Beth at the Minneapolis airport, soon after we arrived, saying out loud: "We are back home again. And all the signs are in English. I can understand everything." Only one who has been deprived of that which is familiar can truly appreciate the significance of that statement.

But aside from all that and missing our loved ones back home, there was nothing out of the ordinary that we had to endure. Sure we had our share of sickness. We are only too human. Rick got sick and for a whole day was not able to work, though he tried, as you can see in the picture. Beth arrived with a cough in Bangui, struggled for a few days, got better, then worse, then better, then was greeted by the same cough again on the plane trip back to Paris. I had my own bout with a stomach thing which made me feel like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and for about 24 hours I walked around as though a whole civilization of little creatures was settling down inside my belly.

Humans also are silly sometimes, as you can see from these pictures. I don't know what Pastor Tom intends to do with this picture, but I am sure that Sue will not allow him to put it on the wall of their home. Rick seemed to have found his long lost African brother. They are truly a "brand" of brothers. Too bad Rob never found his brother in Africa but he was picked on enough after the owner of the Moroccan restaurant in Paris asked to have his picture taken "with lightbulb here," as he put it, pointing to Rob.

My IT man reporting for duty

All joking aside, Rob is one of the reasons you could enjoy so many pictures on this blog. Almost every night he would grab my computer and upload the pictures of the day from the different team members. I nicknamed him "my IT man" and he learned quite a few of the corks of my old Dell, which to him seemed like a dinosaur since he was sporting a shiny new HP that pretty much sat on a desk the whole time we were there.

Rob missed the Internet a lot, but refused to try the slow connections in Bangui. He kept saying "let's Google it" whenever a question came up, knowing that we couldn't do it where we were. Rob says that when it comes to the Internet, he can never "regress," meaning, he can't go back to a slow connection. He was willing to regress in a lot of other areas, though, like showering under the light of a lamp, using water out of a bottle to brush your teeth with, riding in a mini-bus that smelled of horse manure, etc., etc. We may never get Rob back to civilization again but he is back on the 5th generation Internet connectivity hub, I am sure.

Humans also have this thing called vanity. I got my hair done on Wednesday before we left. It took two hours and two ladies to do it. Beth and Jeana got theirs done on the day we were leaving. They started at 2:00 p.m. and the two ladies were still working on them at 7:30 when we were supposed to leave for the airport. They ate their last supper (fresh pizza) while seated under artificial light, because electricity had gone out by then. But as you can see, it was all worth the effort and they were ready to board the bus on time.

I came home and my son commented on my hair. He said: "I wonder if Dad is going to be this way when he is 75 years old." I said: "Joshua, as far as I know, there is no statute of limitation on vanity." He just laughed.

Vanity can be dangerous sometimes, though. As we arrived at the airport to catch our plane back to Paris, our friends, Paul & Susan Yalipendi, were there to say good-bye to us. This is the second time they go to the airport to see us off. We were caught by the euphoria of the moment and agreed to have our picture taken right there. Susan had been sporting a different hair style too just a few days earlier and she wanted a picture of the "hair club." We snapped a quick one without thinking, only to be reminded right away that it is generally not a good idea to take a picture at the airport. Thankfully, we all escaped unharmed. Hey, we are only human.

My human side showed itself with a vengeance when I collapsed on the carpet at the airport in Paris. After the ride from Bangui, it was nice just to lie on a horizontal position. It was just a precursor of better things to come, as I dreamed of my own comfortable waterbed, which I had sorely missed (pun intended) since I left home.

I came home and my wife had some wonderful fish waiting for me. Even though it was past midnight, I feasted myself with the "food of the gods," and had no trouble sleeping through on my first night back to my normal human self.

I am so glad that God uses ordinary humans just like me to make a significant difference in the lives of people who live so far away from me. They are humans too.

And being all too human is not such a bad thing after all. Asaph, speaking of the arrogant and prideful in Psalm 73, describes them as people who "have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills." (verses 4-5).

For a moment the Psalmist envies the wicked and admires their super human qualities. It's almost as if he despises the mere humanness of humans. But then, he had a wake up call as he "entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies." (verses 17-20).

The Psalmist had nothing short of a revelation. He discovered that only mere humans can cry out to God and say: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." (verse 25).

Mere humans can mess up badly sometimes. That's why we can say with the Psalmist: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (verse 26).

God forbid us if we try to be any less than too human. I am so glad to be perfectly positioned in that humble place reserved to the creature, for it is there that my Creator will take pleasure in taking care of me.

Mere humans invited to Africa. Takers, anyone?

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org