Engaged

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230429 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

This week, Verlin and a denominational leader of a sister Baptist group traveled to visit a village in the Sassandra River basin. The small community of Boutoubré has fully engaged with a swift adoption of local transformation strategies. They practically apply scriptural admonition since the pastor began to implement ideas after being exposed to Community Health Evangelism (CHE) in 2019. In some prior updates, we reported results the village enjoys from working together: a dispensary and school built, latrines in use, solar panels on homes, and that almost all the villagers now live harmoniously for Christ as their Lord. Verlin, the pastor, and the visiting denominational leader rejoiced to hear in person the testimony of men who formerly adhered to another religion. One of the newly saved men is the village chief; another, a former drunk transformed by Jesus! Front and center in all the remarkable changes is how the entire population engaged by faith together to use their local resources.

Pastor and leader in front of dispensary
on the road fixed by ladies.

One new story reported to us explained how the women engaged together as a dynamic force to widen and redo their road. Taking courage from the 2004 CHE story of Bébou and using only their Africa dabas (daba means "hoe" in the Dioula language), they fixed and widened a 200+ meter route from the civic center to the new dispensary, church, and school. The effort required hundreds of hours of labor. On Saturdays, they check the route, regularly making repairs. Because it is maintained, the road becomes a thoroughfare for others who seek to board the local ferries. The visiting pastor was so impressed by the villagers' changed worldview and their joint success that he plans to encourage CHE as THE strategy for church planting in rural areas of his denomination's efforts to win others to Christ.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Verlin also re-engaged with the university CHE team in a meeting on Friday. (That's an answer to prayer from last week's requests!) As a result, he has the details needed for planning his part of September's UFHB CHE events. Another aspect of the university training we hope to address in all of May is creating copies of the specialized and combined CHE lessons used. An experienced Ivorian CHE trainer has accepted our invitation to come to Bondoukou next week and will review the work with us to begin the editing. Hopefully, he can stay engaged throughout the process. In addition to these UFHB engagements of our time, we facilitate invitations of Ghanaian and other foreign ethnic community members to see the changes here to copy where they live during this year’s events.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for Verlin's safe and encouraging journey in southwestern Cote d’Ivoire to visit a thriving CHE ministry ready to be multiplied. Pray for continued transformation in that region and for many more churches and NGOs to engage in CHE.
  
  
• 🙏 Pray for the long-delayed lesson editing project we seek to complete in May and June. The lessons used at the yearly CHE seminar of September need to be combined in a single format to clearly present the Education, Evangelism, and Engagement perspectives of CHE. Pray for safe travels and good health of the Ivorian CHE trainer we anticipate seeing next week to discuss the work.
  
  
• 🙏 A planning meeting did take place yesterday with university team members who organize the CHE seminar in September. While added coordination will be required, essential answers were received. We give thanks for this rapid answer to our prayer request of last week and pray we get our parts done!!

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: Carry on
        - 230422 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

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Andersons Witness in Africa.
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