Ministry Update from 1/31/08

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

"Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible,
And He can do what no other power can do."

The words to that simple, old Christian chorus took on a new meaning to Jerry Pinkerton and Verlin in December! When they splashed through 3 rivers that took water over the hoods and up to the windshields, crossed other spots where 2 narrow beams provided the bridge, and disappeared into holes where it seemed impossible to climb out, they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LORD enabled them to deliver the over $20,000.00 gift of medicines and supplies to the Doropo NGO without permanent damage to body, vehicle, or gift. In over 30 years of living in Cote d'Ivoire, Jerry has only seen one other road as bad, years ago, in Ghana. It seems likely that numerous angels worked overtime that day.

Jerry and Verlin traveled to Danané (dah-nah-nay), a town on the western border of Cote d'Ivoire, to pick up the medications at a hospital staffed by Doctors Without Borders. This took them past rebel checkpoints. Although they had paperwork from appropriate authorities in Abidjan, one drugged rebel hinted by word and intimidating tactic that their return trip with the medicines would be a challenge. As a result, Jerry let Verlin lead him to take a dirt road running
roughly parallel to the paved road and bypass the threatening checkpoint. At first, it looked like a good road, recently graded. Then reality hit. It took 6 hours to go 70 kilometers. The whole process (Abidjan, Danané, Doropo) took 5 ½ days. Thank you for praying during those difficult days; thank you, Jerry, for helping Verlin (our transport rather than a truck's saved supporters at least $500, but probably closer to $2000) and thank you, Father, for protecting and preserving as only You can do!

December also found us welcoming Dayo Obaweya, our LifeWind regional coordinator from Nigeria, to Cote d'Ivoire and into our home for the second time. It is always an encouragement to see him and learn from his treasure trove of experience in CHE.

Dayo thanked us (and you vicariously!) for making the translation of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) lessons from English into French a priority. He knows, as do we, that for CHE to explosively grow in French-speaking Africa, as it has in English-speaking parts, teams must have the majority of lessons readily available to them when they need them. The time and resources we have spent in the last 18 months will bless teams in many countries, as well as our own. So many CHE teams and programs are raising up in Africa, that the LifeWind coordinators are overwhelmed with work, and they are beginning to call it a movement, not just a ministry. Dayo asked Alice Smith and us to help host a West African Regional LifeWind meeting in Cote d'Ivoire. The meeting is booked at a center for Christian media training in Abidjan, April 22-25.

Thanks to the supplies from Danané, the Goumeré CHE team is incorporating a check for malaria into their school health screening at Karako. They are coordinating the event with the school teachers now; they'll reset to doctor's objectives in participation next.

January came in with a bang for our family, full of activity. One mundane project that will help the family and our visitors is the construction of a small water tower in our yard. During February, March, and sometimes April we can go for days without city water. This system will help very much (thanks to some wonderful ladies in Florida for helping buy the water tank!).

A highlight of January was ministering to the Bondoukou prisoners on the 29th. We served the 257 inmates, guards, and leadership a meal of fish, rice, and sauce. Seven ladies of the FWB Bondoukou Church cooking and the idea of CHE being used to change prisoner's lives is starting to be fleshed out.

Last year we took up this project because a Christian from our church was in prison, wrongfully accused of stealing a large sum of money. We wanted to encourage him and the small group of believers that he taught each week by giving them a meal. At that time, they were 20 in number. However, the warden said he could not approve a meal for such a small portion of the prison. Through some planning, we fed them all once. This brought several wonderful witnessing opportunities for multiple FWB churches, as well as some hope to the prisoners for many days that some people cared.

This year our Christian brother is released, the believers number around 40, and our churches have a wide open door to minister in numerous ways. Several gospels of John, tracts, and other encouraging material were given Tuesday. It is likely that almost every prisoner (Christian, Muslim, or animist) will read each piece of literature. We took our camera, hoping to send you a picture of Corbin handing out oranges to the prisoners, but the battery died before we got even one picture! The released Christian hopes to establish a self-supporting ministry to transform prisoners' lives throughout the country. He's looking to CHE as a possible means to do it.

These next few months are scary for us. There is so much to do in preparation of the 50th Celebration in March. There will be at least 2, probably 3, new CHE training sessions to complete before we return to the States in June for a one-year stateside assignment, not to mention some review training sessions. The nights get shorter and shorter, and we ask you to pray for special physical stamina and wisdom. As Isaiah put it, we wait on the Lord for those thermal currents to keep us soaring on eagle's wings to accomplish whatever HE has planned for us.

With a new year under way, we want to say how much we love and appreciate you, the most wonderful ministry partners in the world! This fall, we look forward to seeing many of you in person to share what the Lord is doing in Cote d'Ivoire.

Trusting the Lord who makes possible the impossible,
Verlin, Debbie, Cara, and Corbin