Mind Games

CHSC LINK: Mind Games

PDF Version: AWA Weekly 200926.PDF

Vain Imagination

Mind games lead to unnecessary worry. Have you had an occasion when your imagination ran away with you before knowing all the facts of a situation? We were tempted to do that this week. We tried over months without success to reach an Ivorian Community Health Evangelism (CHE), and Discovery Bible Study (DBS) trained pastor who lives in a remote area. To our surprise, he left Verlin a brief and unclear message recently that we received Monday. His quiet, low voice gave us the impression that something was wrong. Our thoughts raced. Was there a serious problem? Political violence? Deterioration of his wife's health? A death? After three phone call attempts failed, Verlin responded by text messaging him to say we did not understand the message.

 

Imagine our relief to hear back from him within a couple of days. There was no crisis. Instead, he shared great news. Despite COVID-19 hindrances to church planting and being in the area less than a year, his family sees good progress for their labor of love. Thirteen faithfully follow the Lord with him where he lives. Another twenty follow in the village to which he had sensed the Lord leading him.

 

Perhaps the Apostle Paul was thinking of mind games with which we torture ourselves when he prayed for the Thessalonians, "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means." Since each day has enough trouble of its own, join us in practicing the commitment of anxieties to Jesus so that mind games do not hamper ministry progress or our mental well-being.

Valid Input

Conversely, mind games lead to dismissing vital information. When scared or over-confident, we miss essential warnings and crucial info that others offer to us. We are thankful that a friend mentioned last month that the way we had set up a living trust to handle family inheritance issues could produce some harmful outcomes. After researching additional and relevant tax-law changes, we discovered that he was right to caution us. It is a blessing to spend some time still in the U.S. to correct the planning for family heritage issues as we enjoy benefits from faith-walking in covenant with God.

Four trainings done by one of 7
denominations whose churches
now use CHE in Cote d'Ivoire
 during July and August 2020

Similarly, besides the above news, other Ivorians recently called to affirm our expected return and stay linked by communication. We help them apply CHE strategies and keep our household there intact. Hurrah for faithful friends refusing to let their and our mind games shut down God's workmanship in our lives!

Prayer and Praise

• 🙏 Pray for our faithful pastor and public health worker friends as they work in difficult areas. Please continue to pray for all Ivorian believers who share the Gospel in less-than-desirable circumstances. Pray that they will vote on the last day of October without interference or fear.
• 🙏 Thank the Lord for the information we received to repair our revocable living trust plan. Ask Him to guide the fix so our earthly possessions can be distributed without probate while planning for the best before we return to Cote d'Ivoire. God graciously reminds each of us to be ready to meet Him, our Maker, at any time.
• 🙏 Pray for our daughter Cara who is immersed in master's level studies while working full-time as a RN. Also, please think of our granddaughter Chelsea who will return to the classroom next week.

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 provide support as we maintain 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: No Retreat - 200919 PDF
Prior ministry Video: Among Us
          - 200815 PDF

2020 Q2 Report: The "C" Continuum
          -  AWA Report 20_08_01 PDF

2020 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2020- Budget.pdf

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

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