Saying Farewell to Africa

Today is our last day here in Bangui, Central African Republic.  We started out this morning doing some shopping at some local shops.  The shopping is fun because the shop keepers will negotiate the price.  The rest of the day was spent meeting with different people.  We visited the Grace Brethren Missionary compound and met with the American missionaries.

We also requested that Andre' our cook would bring his family here so we could meet them.  Andre's family came and we enjoyed meeting them and giving them some gifts.

I guess at this point, it is time to sign off from this blog from Africa, it has been amazing to watch God work to assemble our team, bring us all here, and allow us to accomplish more than we expected. It is humbling to be a part of God's plan and we commit all that we have done to Jesus.

Thanks to all who have supported us, prayed for us, followed our stories.  Please continue to pray for our health and safety as we begin out journey home.  We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, but be patient with us as we have a lot to process as we have seen extreme poverty first hand and sometimes it takes time to make sense of it all.  Reverse culture shock is something we deal with as we readjust to the American lifestyle. 

I challenge all who have read this blog to help spread the gospel around the world as well as your home and hometown. Everyone has something to offer to help others.  Our team theme verse has been 1Peter 4:10-11 which says, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever . Amen" 

I encourage anyone interested to check out ICDI's website and on facebook.

In His Service

Tim

Three pictures, 3,000 words

Three more pictures from New Horizons ABF team in Bangui, Central African Republic.

Relationship Connection: Honor of eating with Central African couple

Today was a day of mixed emotions, we were glad to go work again at PK 22 but we knew today was our last day of work.  Every one worked hard to finish projects so the African guys can finish.  We set the last truss just before the end of the day for the mechanics shop. 

We had a great lunch with Fabian and his wife today.  Fabian invited us which is a huge honor and all of us enjoyed the time with him.  It also gave all the guys the opportunity to be in an African home.  Fabian expressed his appreciation to us for all of our work and for teaching him new skills.  This was awesome because the main purpose of our trip was to build relationships not just a building. 

Bob Belohlavek

We had a special time of dedication of the new barn with all of the top African staff of ICDI and Bob Belohlavek of the American staff.  We had a time of prayer committing the barn to God's work through ICDI. 
At the end of our work day, we also spent some time with all of the workers that had worked with us these last two weeks.  We gave them shirts and other gifts to express our appreciation for their hard work.  We ended our time with prayer and then said our goodbyes.

Now we start turning our attention to heading home, tomorrow is a day for shopping and packing suitcases.  We leave Friday morning to begin our journey home.


Tim

Leverage your skill from work to impact Africa

Today we continued our work at PK 22.  We worked at mounting the trusses onto the containers for the mechanics area.  We are doing it the African way, using two truck frames as our steel support beam.  Dave worked on the M 36 Army truck to get it running, then he worked on the fork lift. 

It is awesome to have such highly skilled guys on this team.  Each guy is using his talents and abilities for the Lord's work.  Josh used his skills in the backhoe to fix the driveway into PK 22, he attracted quite a crowd of kids heading to school.  He gave a couple kids a treat and gave them a ride.  We had a rain storm hit around lunch time, it was nice to be able to take refuge in the new barn.  We are down to one more day for work projects so we are determined to finish as many things as we can, thanks to all who have followed our blog and prayed for us.  You have been part of the team. 

Tim

Pastor Ivanildo & his wife Naza arrive in SE Asia

Just an update: Pastor Ivanildo posted on FB. They have arrived safely in SE Asia for their vacation.  You can follow him on his blog. Post a comment to encourage them. 

Work team continues getting things done in Central Africa

After a great couple days to relax we went back to work at PK 22 today.  We did a multitude of projects from leveling dirt around the new barn to building trusses, putting a fork lift together and get it running, to setting a generator to moving shipping containers into place for storage. 

Craig was able to take a load of corn into the neighboring village with Fabian and other African guys.  He met Fabian's wife and got a tour of their house. Fabian is in charge of PK 22 (photos of PK22 on FB) for ICDI.   Craig also got into a short soccer game with local children, sorry he did not have his camera. 

We also visited the ICDI Orphan Care Center (photos of summer camp here).  We toured the center looking at the woodworking shop used to train the boys as well as the sewing room for the girls (photos of expo).  We met with the directors and learned about the program.

Tim

Woodworking Trade Finished Products

Sewing Products on display

The Sabbath is for all humans

Today we attempted to go to church for the 7am service but on our way we found out that the bridge had been washed out and it would take over a half an hour to get around the bridge so we decided to go back to the guest house and have our own service. 

We used technology and had Pastor Bob preach using the Wooster GBC website.  Our impromptu service turned out to be a very special time.  The message Pastor Bob preached matched very well with our team devotions on Saturday night. 

We enjoyed a time of sharing about how God has worked in all of our lives to allow us to be here to serve Him using our time and talents. We all believe God has brought us here to fulfill His plan in our lives.  The sacrifice of each of us to be away from our loved ones strengthens our faith in God's plan. 

After church we went out for breakfast at the French Cafe' and then we headed out of town to Boali to see the water falls.  It was fun to get out of town and see smaller villages  We got to hold some monkeys at the water falls and see God's handiwork and beauty of the water fall full of water from the rainy season. 

Then the guys walked across a cable walk way that crosses the river just before it goes over the falls.  For lunch we stopped at a roadside grill we called our McDonald's, we bought meat and sodas and headed up to the ICDI radio station to have a picnic.  We toured the radio station and then headed back to Bangui.  It was nice to have some time to relax and see some new things.

Tim

No Speed Limit Racing

After our visit with the farmer, we had some well deserved fun.  We visited the only go cart track in the CAR.  We all had a blast, the track has no rules including bumping and cutting off to prevent a pass so we took aggressive driving to a new level.  We had lots of laughs but it was a great time just letting lose a little. Enjoy the pictures.

Tim

Helping Africa one barn at a time!

Today we finished the barn!!  The guys did a great job figuring everything out.  Like putting a puzzle together, we put the barn together piece by piece.  However, we did have pieces left over but I'm pretty confident they were extras.  Since we worked so hard this week, we decided to only work half a day.  The afternoon we went and visited a farmer who is growing spirulina, bananas, and fish.  We especially were interested in the spirulina growing as it can provide many nutritional  benefits to those who eat it. 

Tim

"Big White Guys Build Big White House" (No prejudice intended)

Storms skirt worksite

Here are some pictures of Rick and Bruce who we have given the name "orange team" because they like to where orange shirts on the same day.  Today they finished building the wagon and took a wagon ride to celebrate, I said it looked like two pumpkins in the wagon smile!!  One picture is of a storm cloud going around us, it has been cool to see how many rain storms have gone around us allowing us to continue our work, we thank God for His grace.  We are starting to attract crowds during the day coming to see the " big house" and the big white guys.

Tim