Dear Prayer & Ministry Partners,
These remain difficult days in Cote d'Ivoire. For the moment, the best we can do is pray. I provide you the following note with the permission of Steve & Carol Smith, General Baptist missionaries called to serve in Cote d’Ivoire. We received it Friday. It is an excellent summation and reference for events happening these days and describes what is impacting those for whom many in our ranks have given their working careers to reach for Christ. It should inform your prayers for the moment in asking that Love and Wisdom be evident in our individual and corporate responses to our brothers' needs.
In Eternal service together with you, Verlin & Debbie
********Dear friends,
Thank you for your prayers. God is answering them by in many cases protecting his children and providing for them in the midst of chaos and danger. Yesterday I talked with a dear pastor friend who lives on a large church compound a kilometer from our home in Abidjan. He said that on Sunday night when the French and UN attacked the various military installations of the government forces, there were 12 hours of shelling and sustained heavy weapons fire all around them and they could hear the bullets whizzing by and shells hitting around the campus. When they came out of hiding in the morning, they found a bullet on their dining room table, a palm tree laying in their front yard and various buildings and cars hit by shells and bullets. However, as they walked around and spoke with residents, not one person was injured. They were so touched by God's powerful protection that they got together that day for a service of worship and thanksgiving. I just now talked with a medical doctor from our health center who said that a shell completely destroyed the house next to them (the neighbors had just left the city hours before). He asked me, as have many others, to specifically thank you for your prayers. I talk to several people every day and tell them you are praying and all of them are so encouraged by this news and ask me to thank you. Another point of thanksgiving is that up to this moment, the health center has not been attacked or looted. This is remarkable given the current state of affairs.The political situation is that Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president, is holed up in his presidential palace, is unwilling to surrender, and the armed forces of Mr. Ouattara, the other man claiming he is president, have been unable to dislodge him, though they control most of the rest of the city and strategic military installations. There is a complete vacuum of police and security forces in the city, and there are many groups of young men with weapons roaming the streets, looting, killing and raping. Vengeance killings and massacres have happened in different parts of the country as security has broken down. How long this terrible situation will continue no one knows. Refugees who have fled to Liberia have been victims of violence as well. There is still much to pray about. Here are some of the issues and problems:
- There are over three million people in Abidjan, many of whom have no food, water or electricity right now. They are forced to risk their lives to look for water and food, which is often not available. (The following article expressed by a Catholic priest will help you understand the conditions better http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13013152).• There are few or no medicines in the pharmacies that are open. HIV+, Diabetes and other at risk patients are not able to get their medicines. Pregnant women, are often unable to give birth in clinics or hospitals. Wounded and sick people are often unable to get medical care.
- Everyone in the city is traumatized after over a week of fighting and danger. Following are the comments of a dear friend (widowed a year ago with three young children) : (Sunday night) "French helicopters positioned themselves two houses away from ours to bombard a nearby military camp. I don't know how to describe the terror. Awful, indescribable, the sound of missiles flying over, like the sound of a terrible thunder. Unbearable. For two hours my children and I thought we were going to die of terror and we are still in shock. Glory be to the God of Israel, our certain shelter, our refuge and fortress. He delivered us again. But, it's not yet finished. The population suffers terribly. We are sharing but we totally lack water, electricity (comes and goes), and medicines. We were terrorized by the bombardments and we still haven't recovered. The children (ages 10, 7, 4) still suffer from this awful fright. We are still forced to run sometimes in the middle of the night when we hear the shooting do find shelter underneath the table. But nowhere is there a safe place. Only God is a safe shelter. Thank you for praying for us that God strengthens our inner person and restores us, that he continues to protect us. We have seen his hand. Pray that God strengthens our faith and that his will be done in Côte d'Ivoire."
- The aftermath politically is very uncertain. The hatred and fear that remains between the two sides is very great and there is already a vicious cycle of violence taking place. Following is an article that brings out the complicated task ahead of Mr. Ouattarra who is now transitioning into power: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12981300
I don't want to overburden you with heaviness, but I think it is important for you to know how hard it is for your brothers and sisters and many, many who don't know the Lord. I encourage all of us to look up and know that the Lord is God. Let his Spirit direct your prayers.
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." Psalm 68:19-20
Bless you for your help in prayer,
Steve and Carol Smith, friends of the Andersons
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