Patient Waiting

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230128 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Waiting exposes our idols and throws a wrench into our coping mechanisms. It brings us to the end of what we can control and forces us to cry out to God. God doesn't waste our waiting. He uses it to conform us to the image of his son.

— Betsey Childs Howard, from Seasons of Waiting

During a hectic yet enjoyable week in Texas, Debbie heard several interesting testimonies of patient waiting on the Lord. One story bubbled from a female doctor during missionary orientation who did not marry until her late thirties. She could write a comedy routine of the unfortunate comments people made about her singleness over the years or the many "frogs" who waded past before she found her "prince." Another couple, having given up hope of having children as decades passed, were surprised by pregnancy as they prepared for missionary service! Currently, a new CHSC mission staff support team leader vibrantly lives the needed patient waiting of having left her mission field due to long-COVID symptoms. Earnest patient waiting on the Lord does not happen in vacuums of inactivity. Instead, the heart attitude and mindset exhibit trust in our Father's decisions that sustain other life-giving acts. We busy ourselves obeying what we know to do of the Lord's will, walking the ways opened to us.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

CHE lesson in process with Deb

Beginning an enduring Community Health Evangelism ministry (CHE) often has its fair share of patient waiting. Choosing a location usually takes three months to two years of analysis. Since CHE outsiders selecting priorities signals an eventual death knell for any effort, structured times must be created for community stakeholders and inhabitants to choose and enact their plans. Woven into each step of the process is a need for patient waiting. Parts of the training that Debbie led this week focused on the toolkit CHE trainers use while practicing this vital concept.

Verlin continues his version of patient waiting with symptoms that abruptly became apparent after accepting a COVID vaccine in February 2022. Infrequent chest pains troubled him until six weeks ago. His stamina, measured in the distance walked before weariness impedes progress, is half his 2019 level. However, two abdominal surgeries and three oral surgeries accompanied by minor knee and ankle injuries since 2019 probably play their parts, too! We appreciate your prayers as we adapt to our age-related realities. Verlin increased his exercise walking distances while adding some crawling, jumping on gravel, and stretch routines in the last few weeks. Staying home a bit also lets him schedule the repair of inconveniences and test a furniture oil substitute he developed as he completes some personal and mission finances. (It's tax season!) Increased exercise and sleep let him sense some returning strength.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for Debbie's safe trip to and from Texas for ministry opportunities during missionary orientation. Her voice held up for the CHE training portion of the week, as requested for prayer last week! Keep praying for Verlin's recovery of stamina so agricultural field work can take place or be reviewed.
  
  

• 🙏 Praise God that our youngest son Corbin was offered a patiently sought engineering job in Tennessee. He anticipates signing a contract next week. Please pray for all the adjustments related to his new position, like finding an apartment and establishing new friend-finding and personal routines.
  
  

• 🙏 Verlin has had difficulties communicating with a CHE trainer approved to go to the CHE Internship in Ghana. It's likely related to his rural travels and activities. Pray they can connect to finalize plans for his training. Also, pray for leaders and trainers investing many hours of preparation for the internship.

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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 - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

Prior: Goodbye Grief
        - 230114 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story

2022 Q3 & Q4 Reports: Reckon
  -  3Q|4Q 2022 Report 230121 PDF

2022 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

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

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Reckon

PDF Version:

Anderson Report 230121

RECKON

Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them. — Hudson Taylor

Debbie recently read the above Hudson Taylor quote in the dedication of an autobiography. The book chronicled the ministries established or strengthened in Africa, Nepal, and India by one of our dear college friends. She decided to act and intervene after turning forty and with the encouragement of her husband. She had to reckon on our Lord's power and presence to accomplish many exploits in partnership with national believers in those countries.

As a new year gets underway, we all would do well to pause and consider life within the wonderful presence of our Lord. When reckoning His provision for obedient servants, we will ourselves be more than conquerors no matter what 2023 holds! No effort remains daunting when God is in it (hymn).

RECKON THAT HIS TEACHING PERMEATES
    (see Bread and Outside)

W.Africans trained to reach
their unreached neighbors.

November 7-11, along with two other Ivorian CHE trainers, we trained more than 20 W. African missionaries and a few local church leaders in Abidjan. These spent the entire week preparing to integrate Community Health Evangelism (CHE) and Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) into their ministries. Most of these brothers and sisters begin their missionary careers in varied locations starting in January 2023. Their eager participation, questions, warm hospitality, and evident desire to be effective for the Lord gave us cause to rejoice.

After the training, over a quarter of participants approached with nutrition and health questions. Verlin counseled and helped one lady who had suffered from a skin ailment for years. Within days, significant improvements were made using the products and processes that Verlin recommended. Others eagerly learned to make papaya leaf tea to prevent malaria and began understanding the many benefits of integrating moringa leaves into their diet. As the week concluded, we had excellent discussions with the director and founder about the possibility of regularly hosting CHE trainings at the center. The staff and their mission plan to overcome their known logistical and financial barriers.

RECKON THAT HIS TIMING PREPARES
    (see Counting Costs)

Deb's new CPAP machine

A recent weekly post at https://awaupdates.blogspot.com mentioned Debbie's CPAP machine getting stolen from an African taxi and the subsequent hassles we encountered trying to replace it. We had anticipated that once the new machine reached the hands of family in Tennessee, we would have it shipped by UPS or DHL to Abidjan. However, on verifying shipping options, several red flags popped up. First, even if the machine arrived within a week, none could assure that customs would not hold the equipment for days or months. Such happens with rarely-seen equipment requiring special documentation. Secondly, insurance regulations now require that users rent their CPAP for the first three months. If the unit got lost or damaged in transport, we would obligingly pay personally for the machine and a replacement. Thirdly, the minimal cost for shipping was within $100 of Debbie traveling to and from the States with the device!

Therefore, we opted for her to return to Tennessee on December 10. Since there, she has seen family for Christmas, had COVID, and now assists at the CHSC orientation of new missionaries in Texas, January 15-25. She expects to visit ministry partners and family in Michigan in February and arrive in Cote d'Ivoire at March's end. However, her planned return may be delayed to early April as Verlin will likely spend March in Ghana for the CHE Internship training. Debbie also expects to spend days with her parents, who endured a physically challenging 2022.

RECKON THAT TRUSTING IN HIM PREVAILS
    (see In & Out and Under the Wire)

The cited ministry reports reveal that Christ keeps getting lifted up in public settings like universities and that denominational efforts continue to gain traction and footing.

RECKON THAT HIS TREASURES PROVIDE
    (see Hidden Team)

One marvel of missional living is watching the Lord provide through other servants. Thank you to the many who have spent 24 years partnering with us to bring salvation in Christ and His abundant life to people living in Cote d'Ivoire!

Because our financial reporting got mismatched to last year's news, this shorter newsletter provides information for two quarters of 2022. Your generous provision in tough times helps us start 2023 in a position to share documentation more and further facilitate church planting movements. It also makes possible repairs or changes related to our housing.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

• 🙏 Praise the Lord that we can reckon upon His character and resources as sufficient to meet daily needs!

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for the W. African missionaries trained to use Community Health Evangelism strategies. Most go to their places of service this month. Pray as they settle into locations and reconnoiter the Lord's direction.

• 🙏 Thank the Lord that Deb's replacement CPAP works well and that she and Corbin recovered from COVID easily. Continue praying they and Verlin recover full strength.

• 🙏 Several Ivorian CHE trainers are preparing to attend the CHE internship training in Ghana in March. However, before crossing the border, they must complete some studies together in Cote d'Ivoire. Verlin will spend days in the coming weeks helping candidates prepare.

• 🙏 The lady for whom we requested prayer due to her kidney insufficiency died recently. Many in her extended family remain unsaved. Pray they will come to Christ.

• 🙏 Thank the Lord that we were given our 5-year residence papers in record time. It was a better experience, despite the price inflating from about $70 to over $550 each!

 

Your Partners in the Gospel,

Verlin and Debbie

Check out the 3Q 2022 JPG and the 4Q 2022 JPG of the Anderson Report 230121 if you wish to review contributions and the ministry's 3Q & 4Q, 2022 expense summaries.

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 - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

 

Prior Weekly: Goodbye Grief - 230114 PDF
Prior Videos: Rejoice and Reflect
        - The Great Story

 

2022 Q2 Report: Someone Greater
  -  2022 2Q Anderson Report 220521 PDF

2022 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf

Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

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

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

 

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Family pics taken since choosing to serve as missionaries.

Goodbye Grief

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230114 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Our 1998 Commissioning
Prayer at TDF, a formal
goodbye process

Missionaries say hundreds if not thousands of goodbyes, but practice does not perfect the process. In fact, adult MKs (missionary kids) list "goodbye grief" as a difficulty with which they later struggle as adults. Regularly saying goodbyes takes a toll. In addition, a child may make a good friend in the culture new to them and then move again shortly after that! The constant nomadic lifestyle lived apart from extended family and long, continuous childhood friendships encourages two known responses. Some MKs make friends quickly and engage in frenetic activity but do not allow a relationship to dive deep. Other MKs prefer to seclude themselves, thinking, "Why bother making friends? We leave in a few months." Both reactions develop problems and can ring true of missionary parents, too! If this topic interests you further, find here, by link, an excellent article written by an adult TCK (Third Culture Kid) who helps missionary families process grief. The article exposes you to yet another area where missionaries you know and love besides us need understanding and faithful prayer!

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

The bleach ratios taught 5 others
to sanitize yard surfaces, their
produce for eating, and drinking
water due to care given the pups.

This week, a different goodbye grief affected us as the remaining six of seven pups expired from parvovirus. Despite having none of the recommended palliative care veterinary drugs, Verlin's efforts of using saline solution and injectable meds gave hope for finding a local solution. But, unfortunately, the actions only extended their lives from about 36 hours to four, even up to seven days, once the infection gained traction in our courtyard.

A different kind of goodbye grief proceeds for the family of the Ivorian friend of two decades, now a Pastor, whose wife emotionally submitted to a spouse poacher. Verlin drove south to assist as our friend conversed with the wife's family directly rather than waiting beyond the months passed being patient for a culturally selected intermediary to intervene. Unfortunately, she missed the meeting. Considering the circumstances, attendees' words indicated that a practical first step in a good faith process to find a resolution occurred. Of course, the best solution would seem to be repentance and reconciliation. We pray for that but trust for the best (Ro. 8:28) as contingency steps continue to get taken.

Debbie leaves Tennessee for Texas today, Saturday, January 14. She will assist during the new missionary orientation meetings of Jan. 15-25. Primarily, she will help facilitate Community Health Evangelism (CHE) lessons and chat with the soon-to-depart missionaries about what CHE looks like in action in the field.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Continue to pray for the Ivorian Pastor's wisdom and love in excruciating development. None of us suffers except to assist others (2 Co. 1). The wife has been unfaithful for years in the company of a younger man. Unfortunately, she missed the meeting where her behavior got clarified and discussed for intervention by the family. She may not have known of the reunion. Family sharing revealed that she appears to hide from them too intentionally. Her four sons grow affected and show varied signs of feeling rejection. Shame emerges as the likeliest culprit hurting all. Verlin counseled the brother on helping them deal with their feelings and grief.
  
  

• 🙏 Pray for the Christian Health Service Corps' missionary orientation and developing MK care (CT article). Also, pray that Debbie's voice holds up during the CHE portion of the training, as she still deals with a cough related to having COVID last month.
  
  

• 🙏 Goodbye grief comes in many forms for all. Praise the Lord that there comes a day when the griefs and goodbyes of this earth will be no more. What a glorious hope we have in that truth for encouraging one another! (1 Th. 4).

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 - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

Prior: Intervene
        - 230107 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story

2022 Q2 Report: Someone Greater
  -  2022 2Q Anderson Report 220521 PDF

2022 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

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

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Intervene

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230107 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

We all have occasions in our lives when we wonder if, when, and how we should intervene in situations. Maybe an altercation is happening in a public setting, a company promoting ungodly behaviors, a friend choosing a destructive lifestyle, a government hindering our Christian liberty, or an employer exceeding his bounds of authority. Thank the Lord for people who dare to intervene, despite personal consequences, when they know to accomplish the law of the Lord! It is up to us to conscientiously prepare and join the fray as exemplified by the Lord, who made the most remarkable intervention on our behalf. “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation…” (Isaiah 59:16).

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

This week we had hoped to bring you a quarterly report, but life circumstances led us to choose otherwise. First, our puppies fell ill with the parvovirus; the first died on Monday. Verlin realized he would have to intervene to give the others a chance to live. By Friday, the remaining six are isolated by washtub in the house, getting saline IVs and an injectable med to stay hydrated. Oral intake and parenteral nutrition have proven to not exist as options. Time seems more precious. He does not get much sleep, but two seem to be on the mend today.

In two graver situations, our Ivorian colaborer’s sister-in-law (the one with kidney failure) died last weekend. As a result, K. was gone for many hours helping the family with funeral responsibilities. Also, Verlin received contact from a dear Ivorian pastor friend whose wife has been repeatedly unfaithful. They have four sons. The pastor asked Verlin to accompany him as a witness when meeting with the erring woman and her family. The date to intervene is next Thursday.

Debbie worked this week with what is called “prevention intervention.” Crises are avoidable with wise prevention in all areas of life. She coordinates with our mission’s Missionary Care Facilitator to offer a once-a-month online session for missionary parents. The effort is called “MK Moments.” The meeting’s purpose is to provide a safe place where parents can discuss issues they face with their children. In addition, we intend to offer information and encouragement for the joys and challenges of rearing children in foreign cultures. Pray that the Lord will use this new effort to assist missionary families.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 The young woman with kidney failure died last weekend. Most of the family members are not believers, so pray that in these days of grief, they will turn to Christ for salvation.
  
  

• 🙏 Pray for the “MK Moments” Zoom meetings occurring tomorrow (Dec. 7) and once a month in the future. The effort seeks to encourage and equip missionaries to help their children adjust to life on the mission field.
  
  

• 🙏 Pray for our Ivorian pastoral friend who sets in place the process for possibly divorcing an unfaithful wife. After years of seeking reconciliation, he sees no other solution as likely. Pray that the Christian community will help him, the children, and the errant during these sorrowful days.

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 - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

Prior: Atlas
        - 221231 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story

2022 Q2 Report: Someone Greater
  -  2022 2Q Anderson Report 220521 PDF

2022 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

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

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page