Getting Beyond the Beginning . . .

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 “Nothing has impacted my professional life as what you have shared these two years. It’s changed everything I am as a believer and in Public Health service.” – Professor

“When you see your teacher sit down to learn from someone else, you do not question whether or not you need to participate. You go yourself to learn.” – Regional Doctor from North

Trip to Côte d’Ivoire

Verlin’s trip to teach CHE at the university and to handle other ministry responsibilities far exceeded our greatest hopes. This Thanksgiving gives angels and us many reasons to rejoice. Below are a few highlights of his six weeks there:

• All began smoothly in getting residency papers for our next term. We were invited to live and minister in Cote d’Ivoire by a group representing multiple Christian organizations.
• The second year of CHE training at the University of Abidjan was an overwhelming success. The dates, program, and location for 2015’s training are already set. Level 1 and Level 2 trainings were done simultaneously with 4 Ivorians, 1 Nigerian, 1 Togolese, 1 Frenchman, and an American (Verlin) serving as trainers. 26 medical or government leaders from throughout the country received the first level; 11 of the 17 university leaders from last year continued to the second level of training. Verlin passed on much more organizational responsibility this year. University staff arranged that all expenses for lodging, transportation, and materials were paid. Every graduate student of public health is already being exposed to use CHE and how to coordinate with a growing number of Christian clinic and church-based teams. All anticipate much improved health – good relations with Creator God, others, themselves, and the creation. Local workers know new churches will be planted as the gospel is shared, as well.
• The weeks before, during, and after training, Verlin met with individuals to hear reports of CHE projects already in progress and to provide encouragement or sought advice. One doctor has initiated two programs in the last year. A second leader works to develop a project for use nation-wide that targets reducing early childhood illness and mortality. A Bible Institute in the northwest now plans to train all their students to use CHE; another denomination seeks regular training to use CHE everywhere. One successful agricultural CHE outreach had grown from 5 to 7 locations in the past year. A sister project will soon add to the 3 churches planted. Groups of women who successfully created individual micro-enterprises through CHE Bible studies now focus on evangelism. A village CHE leader evangelizing among Muslims received help troubleshooting and planning the next stage of outreach
• In repeated settings, the questioning plea was made, “When will you be back to help us better coordinate, spread, and understand ministry through CHE?”
• The only negative bit of news was the sale of our rented home to a new owner who wants to live on the property instead of rent it.  Downsizing to a smaller location is a good move for us. The Lord quickly provided a temporary location for our belongings until we return and negotiate rental of a new home.

Stateside Activities

Since Verlin’s return, it has been our privilege to speak in Michigan, Tennessee, and North Carolina. In early November we participated in the Global Health Missions Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Ebola survivors, including Dr. Kent Brantly, and missionaries who cared for Ebola patients shared their testimonies and expertise. That same week Collaborative for Neighborhood Transformation (CNT) members gave a two-day seminar which we attended with 5 other FWB friends. The training introduced how to use CHE in the American context, where it is active in 15 cities nationwide. CNT’s and our goal is to teach others the essentials of how to organize communities by obeying God with healthy interaction.

Plans to Return

The end of March 2015 is our target date to return to Cote d’Ivoire for our next term. This is now a bold goal made in faith of God’s people, trusting the Lord to call those who will complete our ministry partner team.  Around 40% of our monthly support is pledged, with four new supporters in recent days. Scheduling services in advance has been complicated by following up on continuing CHE ministries which made returning to Cote d’Ivoire necessary and the need to establish a permanent U.S. address. We’d like to see our ministry funds arrive in ways that Africans can imitate to raise their own funds for spreading the gospel – from friends and churches who share a similar vision of outreach.

Pray for...

• Ivorian pastor Théophile Behi and family, as their son Emmanuel died in early November of typhoid fever, complicated by sickle cell anemia. Pray a CHE program develops. He lived longer and better because of information given, but typhoid is overcome primarily by community effort with medical intervention.
• The CHE Africa teen program’s need for house parents of orphans in Kortorkor, Ghana.
• Debbie to successfully schedule surgery on her right knee prior to the end of 2014.
• Corbin’s maturing as a godly young man while at Union University.
• Verlin’s CDC training in early January to work in and use Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs).
• Spirit-led services as we continue travels to share our burden for Cote d’Ivoire.
• The remaining financial pledges so that we can return to ministry the end of March 2015. U.S. housing and residency issues have unexpectedly cost us weeks of time since returning.

Thank you for your prayerful and loving support.

Sincerely,

Verlin & Debbie Anderson
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Bumping Along the Way !

A new Islamic head of family shared with me his distaste of what I.S. (Islamic State) is doing in the Middle East. We were traveling together in the discomfort of common transport in Cote d’Ivoire. It was a seven hour bumpy ride with stops for oil or water from Abidjan to Bondoukou . . . lots of time to talk even though both of us wanted the impossible after a busy week of encouraging development here – a nap on the way! My bench seat partner stated his dislike for the beheading of two Americans by I.S. sympathizers. He then asked if I agreed with him that only force truly brings good into this world to correct such acts - a commonly expressed Islamic worldview opinion here.

I shared that my greater concern than the reporters' lost lives was the mindset that placed bombs among women and children to protect the arms! Citing commonly accepted Biblical history, resorting to force was shown as not being our God’s first response. Roughly sketching the image of a fruit bearing tree from Darrow Miller and Disciple Nations Alliance, my hope of abundant life in Christ was explained. The visual aid helps explain how individuals and whole cultures miss out on our Creator’s blessings when they mistakenly accept lies as truths. With evident interest, he listened as I shared various consequences that stemmed from beliefs . . . and that armed violence is our Creator’s last ditch response to correct wrong ones. In this life, it is only authorized for civil governance when all other efforts to protect and sustain life fail and it’s never effective through generations to impose a particular way among men. The process simply affirms God’s eternal rules that allow life to flourish. Abundant living requires first a willingness to sacrifice self-interest, a willingness to suffer to do good, if progress it to be made for all. Jesus life modeled this for us. He did not agree, but more importantly, he did not disagree. He then told me of some Pakistanis that had recently visited in his home who appeared to be supportive of I.S. is doing. He had reported them to local police for investigation. We are to share again. You never know what can be learned and shared from traveling in the discomfort of a UPS like van with windows! I am personally aware of travelers becoming Christians, answering calls to ministry, and others considering Christ’s claims on their allegiance.

This story is an appropriate cap for the CHE (Community Health Evangelism/Education/Engagement) trainings recently completed in Abidjan. They enable practical plans to improve the public health for all participants via the government ruling over all, whether they consider themselves Muslim or Christian. The carefully shared Christian worldview equipped participants to move forward together, embracing common beliefs yet allows for public divergence of opinion. On the ground, Christians are energized to share their faith more vibrantly as one that can lead all to peace. To express the Living Hope active in this outreach, next week I will share with you a translated follow-up note that came today. It's indicative of the several written hopes and the many others orally shared by this year’s thirty-seven enrolled participants - most who were heads of departments or part of national agencies – none of whom were professed secularists or atheists.

Today I met with the nurse who leads the CHE team that was trained to reach in a Muslim village in June 2013. We discussed their progress and trouble-shot together what had slowed it. They were just a little uncertain of themselves. In looking over the list of participants at Abidjan training, he identified his boss and a leading co-worker, both of whom are Muslim. The higher-up had stated his very clear intention to facilitate CHE training in his region. Is it not amazing how God can plan all of our steps!

 Next week as I travel, I'll try to get out a short wrap-up of the knowledgeable Christian zeal breaking into gospel sharing health care as I visit the West African CHE Internship center before boarding a flight from Accra. In the mean time, please...

1. Pray for those trained in CHE in Bondoukou to regroup and prepare for the opportunities of evangelistic outreach that the Abidjan training is forwarding their way. I met with the head of the pastoral community and shared with another to the praise of God's glory.

2. Pray encouragement for the community of FWB leaders in the region. One recently suffered a break-in and theft. Prayer given that day focused on leading their community to Christ to minimize thefts. 

3. Pray for the 1000+ attended church in Abidjan which reaches much of the interior as the consider jump starting their denomination's CHE program to follow-up on the open doors of ministry resulting from the campus efforts.

4. Pray that Christians will find a way to keep Bibles regularly delivered at low cost to the area. It is expected that the 48 in two boxes that were opened today will be gone tomorrow. Thirst for God's Word remains high. It is more underreported than the violent clashes that still happen on occasion between militant groups. 

5. Pray for the Muslim seekers of truth to hear from Jesus in their sleep and in their waking prayers, including the fellow I witnessed to during Saturday's drive. 6. Pray for our worker and his bride. They welcomed ATTA Kobenan Ezekias (that's Hezekiah) into their family yesterday at 5:30 AM GST. He's a well nourished, content one that profited from his mother's consuming moringa oleifera leaf powder prior to discovering she was pregnant. Father, mother, child and in-laws are all happy.

Gladly serving Him,

Verlin and Debbie

Beyond what was asked or thought !

As I write, nurse Eugene finishes teaching the last lesson of Wednesday’s Training of Trainers 2 (TOT2), with eleven of last year’s seventeen participants. He is one of four experienced Ivorian believers and trainers who have helped us occasionally since 2006. At the same time, a Training of
Trainers 1 (TOT1) is in session for 31 doctors, health department leaders, and a few pastors. In all, two people we trained, combined with six other Christian trainers representing five denominational groups, offer hope to a nation.

The response remains overwhelmingly positive. The organizer of the meeting affirmed yesterday that we are to keep the second week of September fee every year to repeat the training. Each participant paid around $150.00. They learn how to apply God’s Word in such a way that their lives and those of their neighbors can be transformed. Biblical principles are shared like confession of error, how Jesus taught, and health being defined as living right with Creator God, oneself, others, and the creation. Judeo-Christian values are rediscovered as the foundation for the delivery of health care and scientific investigation to problems of daily Ivorian life. Depending upon the community being targeted for public health intervention, either Community Health Engagement or Education or Evangelism (CHE) is developed in local programs. As the participating French collaborator shared from his experience in an Asian nation where missionaries cannot obtain visas to plant churches, the CHE approach opens the door for people to ask why we live differently. The same proves true here where people in some locations seem initially ‘closed’ to the Gospel message.

There’s much more to share. I cannot keep the news coming out fast enough while I am busy in it and with some cell phone limitations. Briefly, here are some bullets of good news:

1. The University Community Health Engagement (CHE) team is at work in two locations.
2. The response remains so positive from so many that we are invited annually to return at the expense of participants. The university withdrew subsidization for budget purposes, but participant fees will cover the costs including flight, travel, and material expense of the training.
3. The UEESO and the General Baptist program shifts their women’s micro-enterprise groups to have more evangelism training
4. A UEESO leader plans that their Bible Institute students study CHE and a create a local model project for launch in Northwestern Cote d'Ivoire.
5. The cocoa project in the nation's southeastern region now has seven active committees. Two more have been trained since when I was here last.

In common service with you to the King of Kings,
Verlin & Debbie Anderson

  **photo uploads failed over 45 minutes; prior newsletters have some photos of last year** Download a PDF of August Newsletter with June financial report, click '2014 August'
Download a PDF of May Newsletter with March financial report, click '2014 May'

Verlin back in West Africa

Dear Friends,

We can thankfully report that Verlin made it safely to Cote d'Ivoire for his six week stay, after a one-day detour at the Ghanaian embassy in New York. All along the way the Lord opened doors to witness. Remember especially a young couple from Los Angeles with whom he spoke at length in the airport, encouraging them to return to belief in Christ after they had dabbled in Buddhism and Islam. The Lord provided a free night in a NY hotel and ease at the embassy to deal with a visa issue. Also, the lady at Delta arranged seating so that he had the whole middle section to himself and was able to sleep almost the entire flight--so wonderful after 2 previous nights of 3 hours sleep each! Although his bags preceded him on an earlier flight, they were waiting for him unharmed in Accra. It was almost a $500 savings to fly into Ghana instead of Cote d'Ivoire, and he took public transport across.

Verlin has already had various meetings with CHE trainers who will assist him in teaching at the University of Abidjan in two weeks. Other CHE trainers will join him from Togo, Nigeria, and France. What blessings and answers to prayer already. We eagerly anticipate what the Lord has in store this year at the University of Abidjan that will impact His Kingdom in days to come!

PRAYER POINTS:

Lift up the Sept 16-20 CHE trainings at the University of Abidjan. With two training session going on at the same time, it will be a very taxing workload for Verlin and the CHE teachers helping him. Ask the Lord for strength and good coordination with the University which is providing travel and lodging for the first time. May the Spirit have full reign in all that is done.

Ebola continues to ravage West Africa. Already, CHE teams have been sent lessons about Ebola to share in their local contexts. We are unaware of any cases in Cote d'Ivoire, but the deadly outbreak continues to spread. Pray for people who have suffered loss--sometimes 5 or 10 members in the same family. Pray for workers and particularly Christians who minister and offer hope in dangerous situations; pray for the disease to be contained.

Verlin has many details to arrange regarding our return to Cote d'Ivoire for a 4-year term, which we continue to project for the first trimester of 2015. The vehicle that we thought would be available to him had a breakdown, and so he deals with public transport for now. Ask for the Lord's guidance on many details.

Thank you for continuing in prayer with us in our ministry adventures. Your encouragement and prayerful support mean so much!

Gladly serving Him,

Verlin and Debbie Anderson

Off to the University . . .

We serve with the Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC).
Open or download CHSC for Andersons for donor directions,

Designated Giving via TDF or The Global Foundation possible

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Imagine if the leading secular university of your state invited you and people from your church to come train their professors for a week, even though none of you have doctoral or master’s degrees. They ask because the team of farmers, teachers, nurses, and pastors with whom you work has helped the poorest of the poor in your state turn their communities around spiritually, physically, and economically. The university wants to use the approach in every county of the state, hoping to see lasting transformation happen across the nation. They hope to see happen what they know to have already happened in thousands of communities similar to their own around the world. Can you even imagine that happening in America?

That is exactly the situation as Verlin returns to Côte d’Ivoire during September to teach. Last year, heads of various university departments received the first week of CHE instruction called TOT1 (Training of Trainers 1). This year, two seminars will be conducted at the same time, repeating the seminar for newcomers, and giving the second level of training (TOT2) to last year’s participants. Several projects have already been initiated since last September; research has begun to consider reforming some public health practices. Participation fees will pay the expenses of travel, lodging, food, and materials.

Please pray with us that this training offered September 16-20, 2014, will have its desired effect. Christians, Muslims, and secularists will be exposed to the Gospel, Biblical principles, and cutting edge development practice. Ask for the Lord’s protection as trainers come from the USA, France, and two other African nations, besides those traveling in-country. Verlin is responsible for all oversight and distribution of the lessons, as well as teaching, and counseling. This year university staff will host the trainers.

While there, Verlin will also meet with others not associated with the university who use CHE. These friends are eager to know when we will return to live among them for a four-year term of service, continue binding them together, and give an update on their endeavors. Issues regarding our housing and residency will get attention as well.

Since we last wrote, our mission account surpassed the $25,000 cash base requirement in July. Praise God with us! Included in this update is our financial accounting for the second quarter. In addition, the Lord has provided a used 4x4 vehicle for us to buy from some missionary friends for $6,000. This is great news, but happened some months before we planned to invest in a vehicle. Pray with us that the cash for this purchase will come in quickly.

This month we’ll each move twice. As Verlin attended the national meeting of Free Will Baptists in Fort Worth, Debbie and Corbin returned our things to storage, gave some away, or moved them to our first temporary lodging. On August 15, Corbin began his life of engineering studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. This life transition will free Debbie to travel most of the time with Verlin this fall and winter. She will stay with Verlin’s mother in Michigan while he is in Africa. Please connect with her at (615) 906-3524 if she can share about the CHE ministry in Michigan from September 4-24.

Thank you for joining us in prayer and giving to spread the hope of Christ in West Africa. It is a privilege to partner together and see lives and communities transformed by our Savior who transforms each of His children from the inside out!

SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR PRAYER :

• Pray that the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training of August 11-15 during the Healthcare Christian Fellowship International (HCFI) conference in the capital of Ivory Coast spreads evangelism, discipleship, and church planting via medical practice throughout French speaking sub-Saharan Africa by means of these representatives. 
• Pray that CHE teams throughout West Africa use the information of Ebola lessons and informative picture handouts to limit the deadly disease's spread. We’ve forwarded some made available August 4. While no one has been identified as infected with Ebola in Cote d’Ivoire, friends we have in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea confront it. 
• Pray that God will call us additional supporters so we can train or facilitate the training of additional Ivorian CHE teams. We need $4500 to $5000 more of confirmed monthly support before resuming residential missionary work. 
• Pray for Verlin and Debbie’s strength and focus as they prepare for Verlin’s six weeks in Cote d’Ivoire planned from August 28 through October 8. Besides moving twice, there is much lesson work, advance planning, and financial preparation yet to be done.
• Pray that we as parents adjust to being “empty-nesters” and that Corbin acclimates to the rigors of college life.

What's God up to ?

We serve with the Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC).
Open or download CHSC for Andersons for donor directions,

Designated Giving via TDF or The Global Foundation possible

Download a PDF with March financial report, click 'blog PDF'

God is up to something wonderful in the world. The greatest joys in life come from looking for the way He works and joining in! Life is never about the work we plan to do for God; it’s about discovering what He’s already doing, and how He desires to use us in His process. Since we began living and ministering in this way, doors have flung open that we would have never dreamed possible.

Rubbing shoulders with others who walk the same way encourages us as we share successes and failures. Verlin met with likeminded servants of similar experience in Phoenix at the International Wholistic Missions Conference (IWMC) in May. Others were encouraged to hear what the Lord was doing through us in Community Health Evangelism (CHE - pronounced chay) with public health and churches in Cote d’Ivoire. Others’ news encouraged him. Kim Kargbo RN, a homeschool curriculum writer and director of Women of Hope International, shared how the Lord transformed disabled women using CHE in Sierre Leone, Africa.

These, who had learned CHE for those with disabilities, were so transformed that they were healthier, had better provisions, and were more at peace with God and among themselves than the rest of the community. People began coming and asking these formerly rejected ladies to teach them how to live abundantly. What a testimony in a culture that traditionally kills, ignores, shames, or abandons the disabled!An Alabama pastor reported how he was led of the Lord to stop their church’s many short-term missionary teams for one year and retool them to use CHE. He shared how God achieves His goal with them. They now evade continuing human dependency and minister during consecutive short-term trips as Sudanese and Guatemalans now get self-management tools and training to lift themselves from poverty by God’s grace and learn dependence on Christ.Children’s CHE practitioner in Mexico, Dr. Jody Collinge, explained how school children are taught spiritual and physical lessons in school and serve as God’s Secret Agents. Family relations built this way opened doors of ministry in unreached communities. Pray God sends workers to model these same outreaches in Cote d’Ivoire.

During the trip, Verlin connected several individuals—pastors and leaders—who express interest in doing Community Health Evangelism in the U.S. They inform themselves now about the U.S. network called the Collaborative for Neighborhood Transformation. Active groups are budding, or growing, this year in California, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, and Michigan (where an Islamic outreach begins). Training is planned at our mission’s center in Grand Saline, Texas. Contact us using the information above if you are interested in more details.

News of our expected return spreads as Verlin has traveled for church services in North Carolina, Michigan, Tennessee, Idaho, and Florida. After a Sunday morning service in Florida, the pastor let Verlin know that a man for whom the church had been praying over 20 years prayed the sinner’s prayer as the service closed, informing the pastor only that evening in request of being discipled. In coming days, Verlin visits supporters in the Virginias and Michigan.

Although church visits only began in earnest in March, we thankfully report that our April financial report showed over $15,000 of the $25,000 cash needed as our base, and we know of an extra $3,000 coming on the May report beyond the monthly giving. Our committed monthly support is between $1,500 and $3,000 right now. Several new or renewed monthly commitments just haven’t shown yet. Thank you for praying and giving as together we announce and spread what is real, Biblical, and researched Hope for Africa.

Debbie expects to join in travels this fall. Corbin, our youngest, graduated from high school on May 16. For the next two months, she keeps the household focus on our helping him with driving, work opportunities, calculus, and physics. He prepares to study electrical engineering at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Once he is on campus in mid-August, we intend to be out of our rented apartment in Nashville and become “Voyaging Missionary Vagabonds” (VMV’s) until we return to Cote d’Ivoire.

What would possess an average couple with normal brain power to become VMV’s? It is our firm conviction that God is flicking on beacons of light in Africa, overcoming terrible famine, war, and poverty in many areas. The Lord uses CHE to dispel doubts and fears. He has called us to be daily witnesses there and to train teams who will continue reproducing themselves long after we are gone. Lord, thank you for the over 1,000 communities being transformed by Christ using CHE in West Africa in recent years. May there be tens of thousands more in days to come!

In service to our wonderful Savior,
Verlin and Debbie Anderson

2013 MI Ministry Report: http://1drv.ms/1mThCYg

PRAYER POINTS:

Pray the trainings in Abidjan will boost the national momentum of Community Health Evangelism groups and for the continued protection and Divine oversight for those planning the training. Key points of knowledge for prayer:Pray for continued renewal and addition to our prayer and financial support network. April’s report and a sent envelope bring our account balance to around $18,000. The monthly support average is not as certain, but runs between $1500 and $3000 per month. We need monthly giving to average $8000 while maintaining a cash balance of greater than $25,000. Barring some unforeseen urgency, we'll request reimbursements or salary when income permits the cash balance to stay intact. We estimate that we have about 1/4 to 1/3 of the monthly commitments needed, and prayerfully plan for an EOY 2014 or first quarter 2015 return.
- - level 1 and Level 2 training will happen at the same time, September 15-19;
- - the chancellor, a Muslim, will give the initial greetings - pray for his continued favor, & eventual conversion;
- - 7 to 8 trainers need to be coordinated for arrival and/or daily transportation;

- - lodging needs as the location has changed to an off-campus site of the state dedicated for trainings.
- - Community Health Evangelism trainers who were trained in Bondoukou in May 2012 and May 2013 meet and discuss this May and June how to begin working cooperatively. Each has experienced some false starts, as is typical around the world. It often takes 6-8 years before all the pieces come together for Ivorians. Hopefully this will shorten as they see working examples. Pray for their perseverance in hope.

Ivorian time and travel constraints prevented national CHE groups from meeting in late April to confirm a constitution and by-laws for working together. They remain in regular communication. Pray that the Lord arranges circumstances so that this interdenominational coordinative work is done before Verlin arrives in September. That will be a very strong indicator that they are ready to move forward without our presence being necessary, or the need of a government blessing/carrot pushing them. That's key to overcoming.

We coordinate to develop an initiative so that all pastors participating in a triennial event, in either 2016 or 2019, become familiarized with CHE and notified how they can work similarly together as being done in Rwanda in more than 80 distinct CHE initiatives there. Pray that God allows Verlin quick coordination with additionally needed contacts to see this happen and have the initial planning session in September.

Pray that Corbin, our youngest, will adjust well to college as he begins university

studies this fall for an electrical engineering degree. He finished his first year of classroom studies with many honors.

Equipping Ivorians to Win Ivorians

We serve with the Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC).
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Designated Giving via TDF or The Global Foundation possible

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Two weeks ago, a man saved via our ministry asked us for a reference. He prepares to participate with other youth of The Lausanne Movement and form a National coalition of Christians to reach all of Cote d’Ivoire with the Gospel. He’s already helped start a new church plant and desires to see others saved. He grows to be a Community Health Evangelism leader. Pray for his recent move into a village to minister.

Last week confirmed our plans to provide two more weeks of Community Health Engagement / Evangelism training at Abidjan’s premier university for medical and health care professionals in September 2014. Every program started to date in Cote d’Ivoire plants a church. Pray preparations for the university’s initiative and that a cooperatively planned development outreach proceeds with God’s protection, and blessing of Satan being bound. This is one of several initiatives we assist to aid Ivorians and others overcome the false perception that the nation is largely Christian, so delaying the Gospel’s reach to millions in the north (Operation World, 7thed. 2010).

These are just kernels from two FWB church plants that we were involved with directly during the last five years; another eight we encouraged by infrequent visits. This does not count the assistance given Free Will Baptist works for each to plan reproducing itself once or twice in 10 years, and are separate from works touched by short-term visitors or prior missionaries. Some fellowships grew from less than 20 to over 80 weekly attendees! Pray that those who lead these works are encouraged as they swim counter-current at times to begin some new habits. None of this would have happened without your ministry partnership.

THANK YOU for 16 years of co-laboring with us. The witness of the body of Christ expands around the world while we get to see people saved, discipled, and churches planted in Cote d’Ivoire. Faithful giving, like you and we do, makes it possible. Times are tough; it makes our donor appreciation more profound.

We received counsel last week on how to format a newsletter to include financial donor reports and budget. We hope to provide an accounting through February 2014 after getting taxes done. Thank you for your patience. Through January we have $5,000 of the $25,000 needed in cash before we plan to accept salary and some reimbursements from our account with the Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC). We’re sending received funds there, too.

Before traveling last week for services in Michigan, I learned that numerous people still do not know how to continue supporting our ministry among Free Will Baptists (FWB) and other believers of the Universal Church. For FWB supporters, to assist denominational efforts for which we give thanks, another letter was sent showing how our mutual efforts together through FWBIM launched a movement in Cote d’Ivoire that grew beyond what we could facilitate and stay affiliated with FWBIM! You can download it here: http://1drv.ms/1nAxBeC and use excerpts to support the World Mission Offering campaign. The change we live is more complex than one letter can explain, but it is the reality of our lives and ministry. The prior letter for donors that seems to have been lost in the Christmas shuffle is at http://1drv.ms/1kbVdVL. It describes how to give by mail, or by online with possible 100% matching gifts, to our CHSC account.

With gratitude for your mutual service to the King,
Verlin & Debbie Anderson

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Transitions

We serve with the Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC).
Open or download CHSC for Andersons for donor directions,
or see http://www.verlindeb.org/Links/links.htm

You can give online here to our CHSC ministry, or provide
Designated Giving via the TDF or The Global Foundation

Download a printable PDF of this blog by clicking 'blog PDF'

We’re glad January is behind us. It's been a month of transitions as we've shifted missions. Nursing license renewal and updating Verlin’s knowledge took more than 70 hours, not counting some time dedicated to exploring some Nashville volunteer opportunities to sharpen the RN skill set. We visited some local FWB conferences, figured out a new way to keep our ordination status in good standing, and called to get some other state and association meeting schedules.  We await a second car coming free while getting materials and presentations together before we begin wide ranging travels.

In the meantime, we finally finished signing-up for health insurance in TN via healthcare.gov January 30. It’s about time! Corbin appears to have detached his ACL during the month (it’s a good thing Verlin was not on the road and was able to refresh some sports care nursing ). The insurance process took an entire day speaking with local insurance agents, a couple more getting agency and legal and community and tax advice, and another of 4 online attempts. In the end, the Blue Cross / Blue Shield policy selected will serve all of us well. We selected a plan of premiums that are less than half of what was formerly paid, even if there is no tax subsidy provided - a real risk as our eventual income for 2014 remains uncertain right now. Should we successfully budget our living and ministry expenses and income to retain the entire subsidy, the premium will be $1,344 FOR THE YEAR ! That budget concern depends on support continuing via the Christian Health Service Corps and successfully returning quickly to our need of $8000 monthly support and a $25,000 cash balance. For the time being, we live off some ‘rainy day’ savings in order to build the account and hasten our return.

By the way, you may be able to double your giving. Many employers now match any gift given directly to our ministry. The Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) donor page was updated this month to share possibilities (http://www.healthservicecorps.org/moto/#./page-47) .

In the meantime, we stay busy this month . . .
• completing formal and informal visits with local supporters in the Nashville area;
• recovering lost computer files for access and preparing presentations;
• arranging corrections to a last will & testament for three kids older than 18 years;
• prepping finances for Corbin’s coming college studies;
• renewing Basic Life Support & Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications (Verlin);
• setting up personal accountability network(s) for weekly check-in(s);
• developing Deb’s teaching credentials;
• formatting new communication tools for newsletters, web reports, and scheduling;
• keeping touch with ministry partners on the ground in Cote d’Ivoire via Skype;
• trying to connect people wanting to do Community Health Evangelism with others there while we’re here as the new SEC Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast CHE) national committee forms.
Any travel out of Nashville will most likely happen by bus ‘til transport options improve.

Pray for several Community Health Evangelism/ Education/Engagement developments. Our next update reviews 2013, and will show our January CHSC financial position. Thereafter, we’ll share developments in both Cote d’Ivoire and here. There are stories of provision being made for our return to live among and walk with the poor, finding solutions that breed long-lasting solutions. We’re about modeling dependency upon God.

Thanks to all who read, pray, and keep-up with us. You’re walking alongside us in the Lord.  God proves Himself faithful at all times. If you can, please sign-up or invite your friends to receive e-delivery of our updates at the bottom of this page.