Growing Things

CHSC LINK: Growing Things

PDF Version: AWA_Update_191026.PDF

Growing Pains

Greedy decisions often cause loss instead of gain. You may remember that last year, the Farming God’s Way project of Bondoukou halted when villagers allowed an unauthorized company access to land. Our Ivorian brother M., the owner of the property, had dedicated many acres for Community Health Evangelism (CHE) purposes. Sadly, the Indian company leveled the ground for their project before the government and M. could stop them. They destroyed crops, trees, and a partially working drainage system that had been installed in the past. When the foreign entity was eventually evicted and required to remove their heavy equipment, disgruntled villagers planted their crops on M.’s land, again without permission.

In the past month, heavy rains utterly destroyed every bit of the encroachers’ crops. M. used the occasion to confront the villagers about their behavior. A cascade of effects from their deceit not only hindered a project intended to bless them all and caused M. to suffer, but it boomeranged on them. Their greedy decisions caused loss instead of gain. The bright note in this regrettable story is that the whole village now professes to be on board with M. for the CHE project. Several villagers are also very open to spiritual matters, as M. has made efforts to share the Gospel through an audio Bible and Discovery Bible Study.

Growing Partnership

From a different project, we share a picture of the first fruits from the mushroom project that started this summer. Progress slowed from the lack of mycelium (growth from mushroom spores) that was supposed to be provided by the trainers. Nevertheless, we helped the local team discover ways to grow their own mycelium. As a result, their “home-grown” confidence deepens as they realize that they can find solutions to the problems they face. The two men pictured are training a dozen others who are also becoming disciples to save others or being saved.

Growing Paws

We cannot resist showing off the female Rottweiler that joined our family this week. Luna is the stud fee from our male Rottweiler mating with a local dog this summer. She is a bundle of energy and keeps us on our toes. At only five weeks old, she is not big enough to handle life outside with the two adult dogs, so we have her socializing with us inside for a few weeks.

Prayer and Praise

• Praise the Lord for the increasing spiritual openness in the village that suffered loss from their greed. Pray that the final legal paperwork on the land issue will proceed without delay. Hopefully, the case will be put on the docket before the end of 2019. If it is, when we return in the fall of 2020, the agricultural project will begin to move forward, accelerating as we confirm investors.
• Continue to pray for our preparations to leave on November 19. Please lift up next week’s five-day gathering with four Ivorian CHE practitioners. They will live with us briefly to learn, plan, and share.

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: Haves to Share 191019.PDF

Last prior Video: Contagions
                         - 191012 PDF
2019 Q2 Report: Legacy
          -  AWA Update 190824 PDF

2019 Budget Info:
CHSC-0119_ANDERSON-2019- Budget.pdf

Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Côte d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Haves to Share

CHSC LINK: Haves to Share

PDF Version: AWA_Update_191019.PDF

Have Tickets, Will Fly

We asked you to pray during these last months about when, or if, we should take a stateside assignment. The Lord answered clearly this week when Verlin took the time to verify CHSC guidelines and our third-quarter (3Q) income. Donations were generous in the past three months thanks to you, faithful long-term ministry partners. Also, five friends helped for the first time! The regular giving as some newbies join us needs to continue as we report how our administrative soul-winning gifts and abilities are multiplied here.

Despite the excellent 3Q giving, our ministry balance remains too low for us to stay and work in Cote d’Ivoire through November 2020. Waiting would risk our later being absent during a more critical period of August and September 2020 when additional initiatives will be launched. We take this strategic pause to report and rebuild our available cash base by $20,000. We also need to supplement our partners’ average monthly financial participation with the CHSC by $1,800. This will enable us to confidently assure Ivorian, W. African, and American ministry partners that our skillsets will be available to help them disciple others.

Before returning to Cote d’Ivoire in March 2016 to re-engage as full-time Community Health Evangelism (CHE) missionaries, we estimated what our monthly costs would be. Our work includes more travel and lodging expenses than our previous routine as missionaries. The monthly expense projection turned out to be accurate, but two conferences that did not self-fund themselves surprised us last year. The goal at departure was to invest in the first of two or three, three to four-year terms of ministry. In February of this year, we passed the initial three-year goal! Thank you for all your prayers and sacrificial giving in this partnership that equips and enables ministries to multiply.

Have Stories, Will Share

The Lord has tremendously blessed our partnership over the last three-and-a-half years:

• CHE teams sprout in new regions of Cote d’Ivoire;
• Villages and individuals experience vital transformation as they put the Gospel into practice;
• Opportunities abound to engage in Children’s CHE and developing the HEPFDC program;
• Believers trained to lead Discovery Bible Studies now know the delight of personally sharing Christ and see neighbors and friends become eager to know the Lord.

We have a treasure trove of stories to share with you when we return to the U.S on November 20. For now, we intend to visit, or train, individuals and churches into next summer. We will begin in mid or late January. That lets us set up home, check-in with family, and share during a CHE training after debriefing with the CHSC staff. Our goal is to return to Cote d'Ivoire on August 7, 2020. In the meantime, we expect joy to overflow when we reconnect in person. Words on paper fail to convey the extraordinary work of the Lord in progress here.

Prayer and Praise

• Pray that we prioritize well and have the strength to energetically complete a daunting list of tasks before we leave November 19. Thank the Lord with us. Debbie found tickets from Accra, Ghana, which were $650 cheaper per ticket than if we departed from Cote d’Ivoire.
• Praise the Lord for good news from our missionary co-workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last week we asked prayer for their hospital that had received Ebola patients. They have passed the 21-day marker where those exposed to the Ebola patients might have contracted the deadly disease! Ebola is still a national crisis in the DRC needing regular prayer, but we are grateful that one location has no further cases. The more significant crisis there seems to be the measles!

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: Contagions 191012.PDF

Last prior Video: Key Cutters
                         - 190706 PDF
2019 Q2 Report: Legacy
          -  AWA Update 190824 PDF

2019 Budget Info:
CHSC-0119_ANDERSON-2019- Budget.pdf

Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Côte d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Contagions

CHSC LINK: Contagions

PDF Version: AWA_Update_191012.PDF

Deadly Contagion

Epidemic. Fear. Death. Our video-share for this quarter deals with one of the scariest contagions that afflict Africa: the Ebola virus (7 min - Global Health Media). In many cases where it spreads to epidemic proportions, ignorance, fear, and deception multiply the devastation. Although this video may exaggerate a small girl’s capacity to influence her parents, the story vividly portrays the realities of Ebola. It also brings to light why house-to-house teaching--which Community Health Evangelism (CHE) potentiates and instills--is an asset to increase community-wide impact.

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) also has missionaries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In September, their hospital inadvertently accepted to treat two patients who had been exposed to Ebola. Sadly, as is often the case, these patients did not abide by the guidelines established by their nation’s public health workers after they had been exposed to the disease. This is a regular problem in most African nation-states. Underlying trust issues remain from colonial and apartheid-era deceptions (10 min. video), perceived or actual. As a result, some of the medical staff where our medical missionary co-laborers work came into contact with the deadly contagion. Pray for their protection and wisdom in that situation where ignorance, fear, and deception put more lives at risk.

Life-Giving Contagion

This week we heard from an Ivorian pastor that we have influenced. He recently answered a felt call to move and work in a new town. In his previous church experience, he built a fruitful CHE ministry and established believers’ meetings in surrounding villages using Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). At his new location, with just a few weeks of effort, he leads a DBS with an unbelieving family, works to begin six DBS in each of the large neighborhoods of town, while also holding regular church services at his home. In addition, he mentioned using part of his Farming God’s Way training from May 2019 to teach others how to make good compost. Pray with us that the life-giving contagion of knowing Christ spreads rapidly in his town.

Prayer and Praise

• Pray for the eradication of Ebola in the DRC and other locations. Ask for a hedge of protection around our fellow-missionaries and health workers who risk their lives to serve others. Ask that believers effectively share their hope in Christ.
• Intercede for our CHE pastor friend who recently relocated to the new town. Pray for his family to establish a vibrant CHE ministry touching all neighborhoods.
• While writing about medical professionals in Africa, we give a shout-out to Cara, our daughter, who practices as an RN in the U.S. She recently advanced professionally in her work status. We love to think of and pray for her continual, loving ministry to cancer patients.

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: Genuine Help 191005.PDF

Last prior Video: Key Cutters
                         - 190706 PDF
2019 Q2 Report: Legacy
          -  AWA Update 190824 PDF

2019 Budget Info:
CHSC-0119_ANDERSON-2019- Budget.pdf

Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Côte d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Genuine Help

CHSC LINK: Genuine Help

PDF Version: AWA_Update_191005.PDF

Homegrown Remedies

One of the challenges of living in a third-world culture (or really anywhere) is learning to discern whether a homegrown remedy passed on for generations is beneficial. In other words, does it genuinely help heal, or is it just an old wives’ tale or family tradition? Medical professionals in Africa often wince when they hear that a person has gone home to the village to follow traditional healing practices for an illness or broken bone. In numerous cases, the person later comes to the hospital--after exhausting natural remedies--almost dead or with bones incorrectly set. At other times, though, Ivorians get better results and fewer adverse effects in the village than by taking medicine. Sometimes those village grandmas have learned to use plants for treatments that Americans pay massive amounts to obtain.

A Hurting Friend

We have a neighborhood friend, a master welder, who faces some serious health problems. Verlin befriended this person years ago when we all lived in Bouna, sharing Truth and business practices with him. Over the years, he has expressed thanks for that advice that helped him develop a thriving business here in Bondoukou. When Verlin needed to go to Ghana during a volatile period in 2011, this man accompanied him to the border to make sure that Verlin got across safely. This week he allowed Verlin to pray for him in Jesus’ name (not usually permitted from his religious worldview) as he pursues the natural healing route for treatment. Will those efforts genuinely help heal him? We do not know, but he has agreed to stay connected and listen to advice from Verlin in the days to come. Our prayer is that he will experience complete healing in Christ.

A Healing Yard

L-R: Avocado Tree, Raw Tumeric
Moringa Leaf Powder, Nettle

There is a principle rule that determines whether something gets planted in our yard or not: does it have a practical nutritive or medical purpose? For that reason, we have fruit trees: moringa, mango, papaya, soursop (Graviola), lime, orange, tangelo, avocado, guava, banana, and plantain. Other plants growing for medicinal value include amaranth, nettle, cassava, turmeric, and bougainvillea. All of these have scientific research that indicates they genuinely help heal various ailments.

If we were to buy the curative items from just six of these plants on Amazon in the States, we would pay over $100 per person per month. Debbie checked! Ivorians can make these blessings available in courtyards and on farms for free or sell to others for a profit. Learning to recognize and use the natural treasures with which the Lord has blessed this nation is part of addressing the nutritional and medical needs of the population through Community Health Evangelism (CHE).

Prayer and Praise

• Pray for the needed physical and spiritual salvation of our welder friend.
• Ask the Lord to give us wisdom. We expect to decide with our mid-October financial statement whether we will return to the U.S. in mid-November or not. If we do, we will begin reporting and raising needed funds with individuals. If we do not, it means we will be able to afford staying in Cote d’Ivoire through September 2020, as requested by Ivorian leaders. We will praise God either way.
• Pray that a growing core of Ivorians will mine the riches of Ivorian lands and plant life to bring healing to their family and friends. May they learn to share their knowledge which opens others’ hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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: Diverging Roads 190928.PDF

Last prior Video: Key Cutters
                         - 190706 PDF
2019 Q2 Report: Legacy
          -  AWA Update 190824 PDF

2019 Budget Info:
CHSC-0119_ANDERSON-2019- Budget.pdf

Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Côte d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVE ONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page