PROZAC FOR THE SOUL
It amazes us what can happen in a mind, a life, a family, or a meeting place when people sing to the Lord. A holy hush, a joyful crescendo, a grateful chorus — it changes life experiences when we obey the Lord's command!! In a world filled with anxiety, cruelty, illness, and strife, isn't it time to fill the atmosphere with truth and praise? Some people mistakenly believe that songs of faith only belong in church services. Not so. Instead, let's keep a songbook with our Bible, at the bedside, in the kitchen, or on the car seat. Any time the Great Deceiver or his minions start to whisper lies, drown out the voices with Biblical truth. Listening to a person praise the Lord is an encouragement. However, the best remedy is to lift our own voices in song. We plan to renew old family habits by singing aloud every day for a month. Would you care to join us? Experience how the practice can impact your thoughts and home. Scattered throughout this quarterly report are verses from selected hymns that we sing and which seem appropriate.
Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you; take it, then, where'er you go.
Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav'n
Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav'n.
The past quarter became unusually laden with health concerns in our family. Debbie's mother spent a three-day stint in the hospital with a TIA. Verlin's mother visited urgent care due to an abdominal wound first diagnosed as sepsis. Verlin's ear infection returned for a third time with enough pain that turning his head was a challenge. One of our sons had COVID but with pretty mild symptoms. Debbie pulled a muscle in her lower back enough to seize, affecting her capacity to work for a week. Verlin recently experienced a robust immune system response to the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, the only one available in Bondoukou. Inconvenient symptoms lasted two weeks. The most troublesome chest pangs and abdominal distress passed within five days. Still, the extreme fatigue and weakness continued for more than fourteen days. In 35+ years of marriage, Debbie had never seen him sleep so much!
The great Physician now is near, The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer, Oh, hear the voice of Jesus.
Sweetest note in seraph song, Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung, Jesus, blessed Jesus.
Thankfully, the Lord graciously chose to intervene with healing or manageable results, although recently, Verlin's mother experienced a setback. Primarily, our best option was to persevere while waiting for prayers, medicines, and nutritional remedies to take effect. Thank you for encouraging us through the process. Please continue to lift up Elsie, Verlin's mother.
We received another excellent response to prayer after longer than three years of waiting. Late last December, we met in person with our landlady's son, who now oversees all property issues for his mother. He verbally agreed for us to proceed little by little in repairing the sixty-year-old house that we rent. After his agent confirms the repairs needed in a visit, we will prepare the written document to legalize and complete a long-term lease. The roof needs replacement, and plumbing and septic problems demand renewal. Besides changing rotted wood and painting everything, certain structural modernizations are also required. Nevertheless, it is a relief to not have to find another place to live. Eventually, we will unpack barrels that have waited in storage since 2016 rather than opening each on need.
SING & WORK
(see Tweak)
Scattering precious seed, doubting never,
Scattering precious seed, trusting ever,
Sowing the word with prayer and endeavor,
Trusting the Lord for growth and for yield.
January gave Verlin the great joy to return to the agricultural site close to Bondoukou with an Ivorian brother who now holds title to the 30+ hectares of land. Since most of the legal paperwork is now in place to prove possession, M. prepares step-by-step with us to organize the site. The effort will demonstrate the profitability of farming and forestry management concepts taught using Community Health Evangelism (CHE) strategies. The first steps include creating compost piles while prepping the site. In upcoming months interested village Ivoirians will learn the Farming God's Way processes to increase corn production. The model is expected to inform other demonstration farms in the country so that even more people can observe and learn methods for transformative farming. Pray that the results will nourish families, multiply churches, and lead many new believers to obey God's Word!
Verlin accepted the privilege to participate as one of numerous trainers at the CHE Internship held in Ghana in February. Ghana mandates COVID vaccination for entry into the country, so that is why he hurriedly accepted the vaccine two weeks ago. We hope that a false positive during a COVID test before or after flights will not hinder Verlin's travel plans. Also, pray that his fatigue continues to fade so that he can engage vigorously and joyfully with CHE interns.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well. It is well with my soul.
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| Video by Benjamin A., subtitles by us |
Our Ivoirian CHE community lost two CHE trainers whom the Lord called Home much earlier than anyone dreamed in the past six months. Pray for these two dear men's families, friends, and ministry partners. One remains unmentioned by name because of the sensitive nature of his work. The other brother, Pastor Tra-Bi, began CHE ministries in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire, which we first reported in 2020. (See Normal is Nice, the Two-Way Street). Unfortunately, the number of highly experienced CHE trainers remains too few for the demand in Cote d'Ivoire. As a result, all teams mourn the loss of those who dedicate ministry efforts to promulgate CHE.SING IN WONDER
The Lord abundantly provided for our continuing residential ministry through you, our faithful ministry partners! The 2021 fourth quarter giving fulfilled our budget needs for the year. It even added a small reserve so our operating balance can hopefully cover any lower ebbs of giving in 2022. Despite difficult financial times for many people in our nation, you still gave generously! We are grateful for the ability to continue ministry unfettered. Find attached the fourth-quarter report for your examination. Contact us if something seems amiss.PRAYER AND PRAISE
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
- 🙏 Thank the Lord with us for healings or improvements He brought to our various family members: Debbie's mother, a son's mild COVID experience, Verlin's ear infection and reaction to the vaccine, and Debbie's lower back issue.
- 🙏 Verlin's mother still endures issues with old surgical wounds. Pray with us for complete healing.
- 🙏 Keep praying that our Ivorian pastor's wife patiently pursues healing for her severe, incompletely healed stomach ulcers. After discontinuing nutritional remedies for maintenance, her symptoms rebounded with a vengeance. So a few weeks ago, she was taken south for the second time to better-equipped hospitals in the hope of finding lasting relief.
- 🙏 Pray that the grieving Ivorian families who recently lost loved ones, especially the family of Pastor Tra-Bi and the second unnamed brother, retain their eternal hope. Ask that financial resources develop to adequately sustain the families. Finally, pray that the CHE efforts they started and helped multiply will disperse widely through other servants of Jesus.
- 🙏 Ask the Lord to remain the blessed Planner and Guide who initiates collaborators and us at the agricultural site using Farming God's Way. Praise Him for granting the legal papers to our Ivorian co-worker, which prove his ownership of the land!
- 🙏 Please cover the month-long CHE Internship being hosted in Ghana through February. People from all over West Africa and beyond attend for greater familiarization with CHE ministries. Travel across borders during COVID restrictions remains hard.
- Pray everyone arrives safely without a problem.
- Ask that Spirit-filled meetings provide strength and wisdom to trainers from various places.
For us, the immediate need is that Verlin escapes false positives when testing for COVID next week.
| Your Partners in the Gospel, |
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| Verlin and Debbie |
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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).
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Family pics taken since choosing to serve as missionaries.
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