As summer ends, we look back thankfully! Having our two college-age children home for the summer was fabulous. Cason and Cara helped resolve computer problems, copy and systematize CHE lessons, work the garden, tutor Corbin to improve his writing skills, decorate wedding
cakes, animate family talks, and provide countless other blessings. Cara finished a painting of foot washing just hours before they left. We love it! Guests have already been stimulated to interesting conversation by it.The busyness of August 16-21 capped a fruitful time of activity. A Pastor’s Retreat, then the National Association, took place in our town of Bondoukou. Three pastors stayed with us during the retreat. We added a fourth guest during the National. Verlin participated in numerous meetings and presented our report. Alice Smith, our dear coworker in CHE, announced her 2011 retirement from Cote d’Ivoire. The Ivorian church heard reports, discussed a revision of rules and by-laws, and resolved to try envelope giving to encourage tithing. They also authorized a feasibility study about building a Christian school in Bondoukou after getting it approved as a national project.
For 3 days afterward, we entertained a candidate for ordination shared in our last update. Years ago, he left our church to be trained as a pastor elsewhere. He and Verlin spent hours together in praying and discussing his ordination exam. Often, it proved pivotal to give simple explanations of his worldview differences from that which Free Will Baptist doctrine and church polity are built. It was a positive exchange. Hopefully the time will help him to more accurately evaluate whether he shares our beliefs, and, if not, let him understand that a rejection of ordination is not rejection as a brother.
August 28th found Corbin and Verlin at the dedication of a new FWB church in Kouafo, a village about an hour 
from Bondoukou. The construction, funded by one Ivorian man, represented a community effort. Believers from many FWB churches attended the Saturday celebration which followed an evangelistic outreach on Friday. Many hope it is a pattern of things to come.Alice joined Debbie in August as the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) training of the Goumere FWB Church women continues. It is a great joy to work with these 13 to 25 hard-working ladies every Sunday afternoon, as they begin to learn how to improve conditions in their families spiritually, physically, and relationally, as well as think about how to share these truths with their neighbors.
Another big project was planting the FAITH garden (Food Always In The Home--published by ECHO, Inc). The pilot project is in our yard, as we are learning to provide the year-round vegetable needs for a 6-member family, using 96 to 100 square meters of space. Malnutrition is rampant here. We hope that, after 4 or 5 plantings, we will be able to teach this method to many Ivorians, including our pastors, some who have not been paid for months. Right now Verlin is ironing out pest problems, and learning which home-made pesticides work in the region.
The GO10 walk for missions leading up to the National in Oklahoma surpassed its million-dollar goal! Thank the Lord and all who participated. We pray that International Missions will finish the year with plenty of resources to fund, even expand, the ministries worldwide the Lord has given us. You are helping make that possible.
Eager to hear of His blessings in your world as well,
Verlin, Debbie, and Corbin Anderson
Prayer Points
*A CHE networking meeting in Abidjan—Sept. 11
*Doropo clinic meeting about CHE ministry to AIDS patients—1st week Oct.
*Protection for Verlin, as he travels to many villages, often on motorbike
*Ladies’ classes on Sunday afternoons
*Wisdom for Ivorian church leaders and your missionaries
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