Seasons

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 250111 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Our first TN snow

Watching the first beautiful snow of this wintry season brings to mind Biblical principles about dormancy and fruitfulness in the Christian life. In TV or performance land, many mistakenly believe or give others the impression that the Christian walk is a non-stop season of harvest and sunshine. Just choosing to follow the Christ requires breaking up fallow and unpliable ground, planting the Gospel seed of Truth, and watering that seed with habit until the fruit of salvation appears. Pulling weeds and roots of sinful habits from our lives that hinder growth takes time, effort, and even struggle; not to mention the added hindrances posed by the tares of false believers that grow in our midst and further impede progress. God works in every season of life, whether we see Him or not.

Our pruned RCI mango

A most encouraging passage about personal growth as a believer is Psalm 1. It provides a good reminder as we start 2025. If we delight in God's law while we meditate on it day and night, accompanied by obedience, we grow like trees planted by streams of water. We bear fruit in season, maintaining nutritious leaves that do not wither. Let that sink in, like melting snow. The mango and avocado trees in our yard in Bondoukou do not yield fruit all year long, nor do apple and peach trees in the US! There are months of pruning, watering, disease treatment, and other steps completed to ensure a bountiful harvest. Other changes happen underground, invisible to the eye. So it is in our walk with Jesus and our efforts to lead others to Him. It is a process requiring many seasons of change.

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

A comfort during Debbie's mother's passing into Eternity was the stories the family heard about how Sandra encouraged people. One friend shared with Debbie a favorite occasion she never forgot when she was a young pastor's wife with little children. Having taught a Sunday School class, she confessed feeling that her devotion time and prayer life were not as strong as needed. After class, Sandra pulled her aside and gently encouraged her to remember that there are seasons in a mother's life, some with more free time than others. When the little ones were older, she would have more hours to devote to Bible study and prayer. The advice brought welcome relief to an earnest mother who, as the decades passed, has blessed many people with her part in creating and editing Bible curriculums.

As Verlin works to maintain connection, he uses time here to assist, resupply, reconnect, and catch up. Debbie maintains spending half-weeks with her father, helping handle emergent details from her mother's passing. The present, pressing challenge is to find an appropriate place for her father to live and downsize belongings. It is an exhausting season, but it is just that, a season that will pass.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for His help during this season of grief and change from the Payne side of our family. Pray that Debbie's father and we will soon find an acceptable, near-to-extended family living situation. His now unaffordable apartment lease ends in late February.
   
• 🙏 Continue praying for the final paperwork, team building, and preparations needed for ongoing ministries using CHE. This includes the many seasons to develop a CHE (Community Health Evangelism) agricultural outreach near Bondoukou. Verlin connects with fellow servants in Cote d'Ivoire several times a week.
   
• 🙏 Praise God with us for the good end-of-year giving that will allow our ministry to continue demonstrating uses of CHE strategies to build our Lord's Kingdom! We remain constantly aware and blessed by the sacrifices of ministry partners to make that possible. Thank you!
  

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie

Verlin and Debbie

 

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

 

Prior: Markers
        - 250104 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2023 Q2 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

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