Never have we so tired ourselves; never have we been so far behind in communications. Instead of making excuses, we simply want to give you the Cliff Notes® version of our last few months, and mention current prayer needs. As Ivorian Free Will Baptist (FWB) women love to sing, "Come and see . . . come and see . . . come and see what God has done!" Since our last newsletter, we have "seen:"
- Our daughter Cara graduate from nursing school and daughter-in-law Suzanne graduate from FWBBC;
- Verlin continue 3-day weekend visits to churches that bring multi-faceted blessings (see Anderson Update blogs), as well as numerous hours in committee meetings, the yearly pastor´s retreat, and the National Association meeting;
- Good News that missionaries held stateside because of International Mission´s (IM) funding crisis were released "home" to their various mission fields;
- A week-long visit from General Director Clint Morgan and Director of Field Operations Jeff Turnbough; beyond the helpful dialogue concerning ministry and future field strategy, Verlin drove them 9 hours north, then returned south, as 9 meetings with more than 40 church leaders in 6 days allowed Jeff the opportunity to familiarize himself with the country and the breadth of existing FWB ministries;
- Immediately after the IM leadership visit, the Hanna Project (THP) successfully partner in the seventh ´Save-a-Life´ week-long outreach in our region where Ivorians provided the vision for team activities and projects as we assisted less visibly (Video Images);
- A two-year-old Nissan South African made truck replace our failing 16-year-old Toyota 4 x 4! Another mission´s retiring couple sold it to us at a good price. It is a pleasure to take trips in a vehicle in which the shocks and air-conditioner work well, the steering is not stiff, the chassis is not cracked and collapsing, and water does not drip down and soak our clothes during a heavy rain. How we thank the Lord for this provision.
Most recently, several events have impacted our lives. Verlin and two Ivorians attended a four day conference sponsored by the organization ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) that testified to CHE´s ability to be a blessing in the realm of agriculture. One speaker shared testimony of the Lord giving insight to commercially use no-till farming for corn crops in Zimbabwe. The production of corn alone jumped from 1.5 – 2 tons per hectare to 10 – 13.9 tons per hectare. Agricultural production is highest when transformed believers work 1 – 2 hectare plots by hand. If adopted, this will allow Ivorian believers to escape generations of subsistent planting. They could not only abundantly provide for their families, but also run successful farms to bless their churches and their nation. That was one of many divine blessings shared in the meetings where West African state ministers also participated.
On a personal level, our family experienced the upheaval in September of moving from our home in Bondoukou in one week´s time and of putting our belongings in storage in Abidjan, 7 hours south. In brief, our landlord has for years refused to pay the taxes on the property we rent, although we have provided "advanced" rental funds adequate for him to pay them three times, demanding he sign legally binding and witnessed documents twice that obliged him to do so. In late August, the tax office delivered paperwork to the house via gendarmes indicating they could close the property and seize the belongings in it to pay the owner´s taxes. After legal counsel and conferring with IM, we moved so that family and church would not be caught in the fight between the owner and the government.
The decision shelters our family and belongings from most risks. It was a hard decision. It cost us physically and emotionally as well as posing ministry delays (not to mention the financial cost), but we are convinced that we took the appropriate moral act to help these people escape Satan´s deceptions. Our landlord has been given until the end of October to handle his back taxes as pledged. If he does not, we will pursue processes to extricate ourselves from the broken rental contract and cut losses to preserve the gains realized.How we need your prayers for this and for physical strength to finish this term with excellence! Our stateside assignment is scheduled for next summer (2013). Verlin expects to visit many churches before then. His workload in finishing legal paperwork and other projects is heavy. Debbie´s most important CHE document project is at a standstill because her assistant is in Bondoukou. Corbin is behind in school because of the unexpected move and Internet difficulties the prior 3 weeks. From an earthly perspective, things appear to be a mess. However, we serve a faithful Lord who accomplishes His purposes, despite the difficulties we sense encountered.
Thank you for partnering with us in this needy place. Be encouraged with us that our labor is never in vain in the Lord.
In His care,
Verlin, Debbie, and Corbin Anderson
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