Unexpected

PDF Version: AWA_Update_180630

The term “unexpected” can have such a wonderful or heart-rending connotation. Some of our ministry partners and we ourselves have had some unexpected events recently. In mid-June, the megacity of Abidjan experienced torrential rainfall and flooding all over the city. Thousands of people were affected, including our dear Christian friends, the team leader of the Community Health Engagement (CHE) at the university, Dr. Luc, and his wife, Deborah Kouadio. The rising waters were so dangerous in their neighborhood that they had to clamber onto the roof of their house for safety. They are displaced to the site of their marriage renewal ministry until the house is made habitable again.

Our Ivorian brother M. who leads DMM Bible studies and works with us in the agricultural project at Bondoukou had a great week. He held a moringa exposition at the market for the first time and was stunned at the eager response of people. One contact which may have future ministry impact was with the newly arrived prefet (similar to a territorial governor). The Lord seemed to open numerous doors by this event.

Debbie has been unexpectedly graced with great progress after the knee replacement. She uses a cane now and is advancing rapidly in therapy. Healing will take months, of course, but the first two weeks have gone extremely well.

Last Sunday Verlin met with two more churches in Bondoukou, back-to-back, to share about the great potential to reach the lost through home-led Discovery Bible Studies. Instead of 10 to 20 people signing up, which would have been a good number, he unexpectedly had over 60 people commit to be trained at the second! This will positively challenge DMM trainers.

Prayer & Praise:

• Pray for the many people affected by the flooding in Abidjan, including our friends Dr. Luc and his family.
• Thank the Lord that our DMM partner who teaches the children has found a young person to train to be his assistant.
• Pray for the over 60 people who recently committed to be trained to lead Discovery Bible Studies! More than 10 studies are meeting around Bondoukou. We rejoice to think of the many souls that the newly trained believers are touching.

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to maintain support as we resume residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Wineskin Care 180623.PDF
Last Video:Stories of Transformation
                         - Wineskin Care PDF
2018 Q1 Report: Tooling UP
          -  Anderson Report 180602 PDF

2018 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2018-Budget.pdf

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries: www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page



Verlin's Facebook Page

Wineskin Care

PDF Version: AWA_Update_180623

Verlin started this note as an Assembly of God meeting of 30 churches in Bondoukou finished this morning. They heard our team’s vision of disciple making movements and our offer to mentor them in using the principal tool of Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). There's agreement that we continue in the manner that we’ve set out here. Those outside of town plan to follow the training of those we train in town, then multiply it elsewhere after the planned December training with Jean-Marc F.

This is the last group of leaders of six movements with which Verlin met this week. It was the larger assembly as it was not just an executive committee or a sole leader with witnesses as done with others. Those kinds of meetings happened previously with this group. Combined, these churches with which coordination develops, represent more than half the nation’s Evangelical Christian population. Those with whom Verlin spoke seem convicted that the Spirit of God is creating new church movements among them, new "wineskins" of Mt.9:17 if you will, to birth and disciple new believers from among their fellow citizens. They are grasping that Discovery Bible Studies are one tool within the tool box of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) useful to begin church planting efforts and movements such as their own that began as other "wineskins". The idea is to keep the old church movements growing while adding some new ones.

To illustrate our anticipations, we share this CHE Global Network YouTube channel video, Stories of Transformation (click link or image). Terry Dalrymple, who presides over the service team of the CHE Global Network that consists of over 600 Christian organizations, put this together several years ago. (He has penciled into his calendar to join us for the November 13-16 Million Village Challenge to promote the spread of CHE here.) We now use a translated PowerPoint presentation of the same during the first CHE training of trainers (TOT1) as people decide to join up with God and us in this effort, or to continue doing what they already know of the Lord to do. This reflects the hopes and expectations being nursed of the Holy Spirit as those with us see their own lives, and those of their families and communities transformed until hopefully the entire nation is further changed through CHE ministries. Since adding it to our training routines, these histories give a more concrete vision of the possibilities to those trained. If you will, make time available, or exchange time with that of another program, news, or activity, in order to watch this sometime during your week. The stories communicate clearly what only God could be doing in our days through His called ones as the One who creates new skins for growth of His church through movements. We believe He’s at work to get the human race past the 1/3 mark of world occupants living as confessors of Jesus-Christ as Lord. That’s been the same percentage for about a century now. Our Creator has never changed His desire to see 100% of humanity saved from themselves and our sins (1 Timothy 2:3-5). That's probably going to take more of everyone's combined efforts. Let’s keep praying, thinking, encouraging, and acting to see His will get done on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer & Praise:

• Pray using Jesus’ model for disciple’s prayers (a.k.a. The Lord’s Prayer – Mt.6:9-13) for all of us.
• Pray the continued good coordination among family and friends helping Debbie with her aftercare and physical therapy visits. She seems ahead of recovery benchmarks so far!
• Pray Verlin get the important tasks appointed to be done this week and that he find a home, or figure out a lasting solution, for a former alpha male dog that does not recognize he’s lost dominance to a younger, larger male. He’s not getting along these days, bringing harm to himself and others.

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to maintain support as we resume residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Travel Bits 180616.PDF
Last Video: Backwards Bicycle Link(s)
                         - Backwards Bike PDF
2018 Q1 Report: Tooling UP
          -  Anderson Report 180602 PDF

2018 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2018-Budget.pdf

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries: www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page



Verlin's Facebook Page

Travel Bits

PDF Version: AWA_Update_180616

As I began this trip, Deb said I should share a story if I could. At first I thought it would be another from the growing Children’s Disciple Making Movement (DMM) Discovery Bible Study (DBS) Saturday where a generation of children and I exchanged about Moses and his importance to their lives, but we’ve reported on that kind of Holy Spirit moving often enough.

Last Sunday I preached a communion service in Bouaké while sharing in-country developments of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) and plans to host a Million Village Challenge (MVC). I thought maybe that day’s calling of a Roman Catholic to trust God’s Word rather than in her works of religion for salvation would be the story. The experienced explanation of communion as a symbolic recall of saving faith is what we labor to see multiplied here. However, you know people respond to our preaching already. Besides, Easter is coming. Most of our readers will then be reminded that our Christ suffered in the flesh to the point of giving his life’s blood so that by faith we no longer die separate from God. His sacrifice provides us the example of what each believer lives vicariously in some way so others too can find abundant life.

Then, as I started to write, I thought that perhaps one of the stories from the growing village ministries out of Bougou would work. Midweek we set plans for my return in July to where . . .

• The locations for worship have grown from 14 to 17 meeting spots since being challenged;
• Some former drunks have become exemplary citizens and one fervently thanked me for what he learned himself and from others after the initial CHE trainings in 2016 and 2017;
• 11 of 17 illiterates learning to read and write Lobi committed to sharing their developing knowledge with friends and family as they learn the habit of home-visits so that all in the community grow accustomed to the means that can be used so that all may come to recognize Christ as Lord (1 Ti.2:4-5) and Savior as CHE ramps up;

• 17 leaders gathered to review, learn, and priority plan to increase both drinking water availability and food security, to augment school classrooms and teachers; and encourage better health practices as they tackle illiteracy . . . but we’ve shared previously of such also in the past.

Yet, what stood out as different to me this week is a beginning story. The Holy Spirit re-sparked the vision of a former French missionary who now runs a hotel restaurant. His wife confirmed that my Monday and Thursday sharing of DMM and the integration with CHE resonates within his soul. He’s been sitting out of church as he’s felt that he knows more than others sharing. He’s not found a place to speak usefully without possibly supplanting others. Working alongside as do we seems to be a great fit for his gifting. I do not know where this developing story will lead, but ask the Lord to guide this French believer’s return to share fervent public testimony of our Lord.

Then there’s the story of God preserving Debbie with an uncomplicated surgical start to life with a replacement knee and how our Lord is helping her through ministering friends.

As I considered these and others, I decided to just leave you with these tidbits. It’s a snapshot of what a week of travel that renews contact among those practicing CHE is like. I did not even mention the called in reports. God is at work here. Thank you for letting us share with you some of His activity here.

Prayer & Praise:

• Pray the knowledge of the Lord covers the nation here as the waters cover the seas.
• Pray the continued good coordination among the many family and friends helping Debbie with her aftercare and physical therapy visits.

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to maintain support as we resume residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Marathons 180609.PDF
Last Video: Backwards Bicycle Link(s)
                         - Backwards Bike PDF
2018 Q1 Report: Tooling UP
          -  Anderson Report 180602 PDF

2018 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2018-Budget.pdf

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries: www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page



Verlin's Facebook Page

Marathons

PDF Version: AWA_Update_180609

Verlin seems to be in a marathon of meetings in person and on Skype since returning to Cote d’Ivoire.

After a day of passing information to others in Abengourou during scheduled vehicle maintenance, during a stop in route to Bondoukou, a Muslim friend rejoiced that some of Verlin’s nutritional advice seems to have brought him total healing without a surgery (Verlin told him to have a scan done). In Bondoukou, there was the very good news that during our short absence, three people dedicated their lives to Jesus during three Discovery Bible Studies near our home in Bondoukou! (Other location results remain unknown to us still). Thursday, he met with the pictured group after being with three different pastors in Bondoukou in consecutive two-hour conversations to further schedule times to complete or begin training their congregations. These leaders now nurse the sense that it is possible to reach into every neighborhood, sharing the Gospel in household Bible studies. Next week, Verlin and Emmanuel, president of the Ivorian CHE network, travel to central Cote d’Ivoire for a full week of planning the Million Village Challenge (MVC) conference and meeting with people starting Community Health Evangelism (CHE) ministries.

Debbie experienced a different kind of meeting marathon as she planned for her knee replacement surgery on Thursday, June 14. She took a two-hour class to prepare for surgery, completed the pre-op testing, visited her dermatologist, chose and scheduled appointments for her physical therapy post-op, purchased suggested supplies, began preparing one house to address hygiene and safety issues after surgery, and coordinated with numerous people who will tag-team to take care of her when she returns home. The icing on the cake was the joy of having Grandma-time with our granddaughter Chelsea all week long.

We think Debbie will probably not be in mental or physical shape to write an update next weekend. It is possible that Verlin will not have Internet access for several days during travel as well. So if you do not hear from us next Saturday, it means we did not get something put together by Wednesday that would be as ‘fresh’ as this share anyway. We appreciate your faithfulness in prayer even if our contact lapses by lack of early preparation.

Prayer & Praise:

• Praise the Lord with us for the three souls saved in Discovery Studies closest to us during the month Verlin was in the States! Pray for others unknown and all to grow in the Lord.
• Ask for a good result to Debbie’s complete knee replacement this coming Thursday morning at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital. Pray for good coordination among the many family and friends who will help with her aftercare and physical therapy visits.
• Pray for the week-long trip Verlin will take this week to central Cote d’Ivoire to continue planning the Million Village Challenge conference and visit some ministering in CHE.

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to maintain support as we resume residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Dream Destinations 180526.PDF
Last Video: Backwards Bicycle Link(s)
                         - Backwards Bike PDF
2018 Q1 Report: Tooling UP
          -  Anderson Report 180602 PDF

2018 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2018-Budget.pdf

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries: www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page



Verlin's Facebook Page

Tooling Up

PDF Version: Anderson_Report_18_06_02.pdf

TOOLING UP

So much of our ministry and lives consists of long weeks (and sometimes years!) of preparation and training for key events and opportunities that the Lord opens before us. Learning to be patient and faithful during the ongoing “equipping phases” is always the challenge, but the rewards are worth it. From the spiritual and educational, to the judicial and physical, the Lord keeps us busy in His schoolroom to improve our usefulness, and that of others. This update is late in part because of some of the time-consuming “homework” He gave to make our team more effective, but good things have resulted, and so we rejoice. Our Father can make us all “perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.” (see Heb. 13:20-21).


Spiritual Tools (Underlines link to prior updates.)

Since our last quarterly update, an Abidjan group, two churches in Bondoukou, a Bible Institute in the north, and a group of churches in the west received new training or further equipping to begin Community Health Evangelism (CHE) ministries and lead Discovery Bible Studies. Other CHE teams not directly related to our ministry also advanced in beginning new outreach groups.

Ivorians will have a great opportunity to expand their spiritual “tool box” at the Million Village Challenge conference that the Ivorian CHE network is hosting this year in November. Visitors from the States and other African nations will gather to offer their experiences and training to what we hope will be several hundred people from various evangelical groups and NGOs. Verlin and Emmanuel (the Ivorian CHE network president) are the point people in planning and spreading the word. Ask the Lord for special wisdom and strength as, during June, they finalize the location for meetings, lodging, and food.


Educational Tools

Corbin, our youngest, walked the graduation stage on May 19 at Union University as an expected summer graduate. He has one final class to take in June and July to complete his engineering degree. We are so proud of him, and grateful for his perseverance through some difficult times to achieve this important milestone! Of course, he asks for prayer to find a steady job in a timely way this fall.

Verlin also honed his educational skillset at the two-week continuing medical education conference that we attended in March. He now has the certifications and continuing nursing credits he needs for his RN license into 2020.

At that conference and the Global CHE meeting during the first week of May, the Lord also gave us some wonderful connections. For several years we have prayed for doctoral level U.S. contacts who have the credentials and the heart to help us get the Community Health Engagement program integrated with curriculum at the university in Abidjan and off the ground. Besides the distance learning now being provided by Dr. Terry Dwelle and the North Dakota Public Health Training Network, a technologically appropriate curriculum that should work, we also need one or more American institutions to help guide the Ivorian university in developing a curriculum that bridges the differences between the English and French speaking worlds. That prayer is much closer to being answered positively. The spiritual implications this could have in Cote d’Ivoire and beyond are astounding. Doors previously closed open to hear witness because of the number of lives that are changed physically when health programs integrate spiritual awareness based on God’s Word.

Judicial Tools

The Bondoukou area agricultural moringa and corn project of Farming God’s Way came to a skidding halt a few months ago. Unauthorized leaders seeking personal profit in the village signed an agreement with Indians to use our brother’s land, without our brother’s consent and for an entirely separate farming purpose. After three months, as a legal complaint is registered and pursued, the Lord seems to be answering prayer in a great way. We believe that by October, or November, our brother will have the legal documentation needed to guarantee that he is not defrauded again in this way. Hopefully he will receive restitution for some property damage and lost income. Early in the process, we considered forcing the issue by continuing to work in the fields. Under advisement, we chose to wait for a judicial judgment that publicly illustrates the importance of possessing definitive legal paperwork for land use. This was after the words of a mediator, the traditional chief, and a sous-prefet, were disregarded by the interlopers who, apparently to us, hope to mitigate their losses while they can. In the process, our CHE colleague has continued to share the Gospel with the villagers and we have been permitted by the Lord to dedicate time to other initiatives. Fortunately, the agricultural demonstration gardens in our yard and to the south continue to develop.


Physical Tools (Links to video article.)

For several years Debbie has been hampered in ministry by bone-on-bone pain and the poor mobility of her right knee. (The photo shows a tool she fabricated to press a high button since a ladder was not a viable option.) Since other health issues have been nicely resolved, she is taking the total knee replacement off “hold” and having the surgery this summer. Her surgeon recommended an improved physical tool, an implant specialized to her specific knee measurements, which seems to provide better results. However, the special implants take 6 weeks to make and required a specific scan that could not be done in Cote d’Ivoire. So, she will be in the States most of the summer rather than having had the surgery in May and been ready to return in late July. The surgery is planned for June 14. Physical therapy will continue afterward for 6 to 8 weeks. She insisted that Verlin return to ministry so that several large commitments in Africa are not delayed. We are both grateful for family and friends who have stepped up to help with her care and transport after surgery.
On the field, another physical tool helps our team keep up with Bible study groups and the agricultural project in a more cost-effective and speedy way. We purchased a 50 cc motorcycle to diminish our automotive expenses and have left it for team members to use in our absence.


Financial Tools

The CHE progress and transformation of lives and villages is happening because you provide the financial tools for us to continue. We strive daily to be wise stewards of the resources God has provided through you and others so that the impact will be as far-flung as possible! Thank you for being committed ministry partners in every way. As usual, our quarterly financial summary follows the donation report covering January through March of 2018.


PRAY ALWAYS

• Pray for preparations of the Million Village
  
  Challenge (MVC) in November. Taking on the planning for this conference of nation-wide invitations has stretches the existing Ivorian CHE network to the limit. Ask that leaders from multiple evangelical groups and NGOs respond to the invitations. Pray that as a result of their participation, many unreached, unengaged people groups in Cote d’Ivoire will hear the Gospel and receive much-needed help to engage in Christ’s work of local transformation and dominion.
• Pray with us that the legal steps to protect the agricultural project will proceed quickly and continue to uphold the rightful land owner.
• Ask the Lord to clearly lead the believers recently
  
  trained to lead Discovery Bible studies in several churches. Pray that they will be effective in reaching their families, neighbors, and coworkers for Christ while being strengthened in their own faith.
• Thank you for praying for Corbin’s last class this summer and that he smoothly transition into the workforce in engineering, able to begin paying his student loans.
• Pray that Debbie’s surgery on June 14 goes well. Ask for successful weeks of physical therapy to regain her physical mobility which will increase her effective ministry on the field.

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin and Debbie


Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to maintain support as we resume residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Dream Destinations 180526.PDF
Last Video: Backwards Bicycle Link(s)
                         - Backwards Bike PDF
2017 Q4 Report: All "Fixed" up
          -  Anderson Report 180127 PDF

2018 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2018-Budget.pdf

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries: www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page



Verlin's Facebook Page