Ministry Update from 4/14/06

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

During this most joyous of weeks as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we have many other things for which to thank the Lord, too. Rejoice with us!

• It is an immeasurable blessing that our 3 children know the Lord Jesus as Savior, and understand that Easter is not about bunnies and eggs, but about His great love and the power of His resurrection in our lives. We never want to neglect the important ministry of helping them grow in their faith year by year.

• Our coworker Alice Smith made it safely back to Cote d'Ivoire . We met her in Abidjan on March 29, and this week she was able to come to Bondoukou to see the house we had put on hold for her. She will take the house, and after Verlin supervises the workers who will repair it, we hope she can move in just a few hundred yards from us in 6 to 8 weeks.

• Romeo (yes, you read that name right!), the young man who tutors Corbin in French 6 days a week, is deeply interested in spiritual matters. Verlin has begun the Bible study “Experiencing God” with him, and he already has had many questions and expressed a hunger to know God personally. Pray that he will clearly understand what it means to receive Christ as Savior and walk by faith.

• The CHE (Community Health Evangelism) team continues to work hard collecting information and nears the point of being able to choose their village. They have eliminated 2 of the 5 potential villages, and feel drawn to a particular one. Pray that they will follow the Lord's leadership during this critical phase. Their work is on pause during Easter week.

• In late March our African pastors had their first pastoral retreat since 2001, before the political crisis. Verlin spoke once, and Samuel, who pastors in Abidjan , spoke the second time. It was encouraging to hear the ministry report of each pastor, Verlin noted. Particularly it was touching to know the depth of hardship of many pastors, especially those behind rebel lines, and yet see their continued perseverance.

• Cara lacks only about $1,200 in funds for the E-Team trip this summer. She has everything necessary for the trip to France and the training in Nashville , but is still raising funds for the ticket to and from Cote d'Ivoire . Thanks to so many of you who helped!

Please pray for:

• Stamina. Our family is tired. Because of our evacuation last fall, we missed a long vacation planned for October, and changing continents twice during one school year has taken its toll. We need supernatural strength to continue this pace during the next two months, and extra patience with one another.

• In addition to Romeo, pray for Nasir, a young Lebanese Muslim, who has openly spoken with Verlin. He is trying to break an addictive habit in his life, and has allowed Verlin to share about Christ.

• Madame Adou, the pastor's wife here in Bondoukou, had an appendectomy last Saturday. Pray that she will recover quickly with no infections. If you could see the dirty conditions of the hospital, you would believe with us that it is practically a miracle every time an African recovers from surgery without complications.

• Join us in asking the Lord to bless Free Will Baptist International Missions with an offering this April that will surpass the many needs that it must cover. Pray that ministries will not have to be curtailed from lacking funds, but that we all can move forward together to accomplish even more for His sake this upcoming year.

From all of our family to each of you, a very blessed Easter! After our signature is a sonnet appropriate for this season that Cara wrote for 10 th grade English. May Jesus always have the exalted place in our lives!

Verlin, Debbie, Cason, Cara, and Corbin Anderson

Love Hated
by Cara Anderson

From the ancient time of Cain and Abel
This truth has been shown: those who deeply love
Are, by those entirely incapable,
Hated, though they are just like harmless doves.
Sad was the mighty suffering that chased
The star-crossed lovers of Verona , or
Caught the resolute patriot who faced
Death, that liberty ring forevermore.
Steadfastly these loves admonish us, yet
May Christ's passion exalted ever be.
Dear Lamb of God, in blood and sweat You kept
The covenant to save sinners like me.
Hate does not accept true love as it grows,
But hate cannot sway the Best Love we know.