PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230527 PDF
AWA Weekly 230527 PDF
Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)
African and American cultures where we live and minister embrace the concept that "bigger is better." While the idea rings true in certain human and plant development aspects, the mantra is regularly misapplied. For example, "bigger is better" remains typically true for a 9-month-old infant or younger that is small, lethargic, weak, and inactive. (Further detail in William Li interview at 14'41" mark.) Conversely, childhood obesity developed from insulin resistance brings many serious problems. For meals, cooks want plump chickens to serve for dinner. But we prefer not to eat such food if growth hormones and antibiotics cause the extra size without sufficient nutritious feed given to the animal to eliminate the additives' adverse effects.
 |
| Beginning small with Noni fruit like with Moringa 18 years ago |
Putting Community Health Evangelism (CHE) into practice requires letting go of the bigger is better mentality. CHE trainers who hope to begin with huge numbers or projects regularly fail to see the practical and transformational opportunities immediately before their eyes. We think of one trainer who has awaited outside help for over twenty years to build a medical clinic in his small town. Compare that to the smaller village of Boutoubre that worked together in their community. Pooling their resources, including ferry fees, they built a small clinic, church, and school in less than two years with no outside funds! For over five years, a different CHE-trained brother has sought to develop a sizeable agricultural farm that requires significant start-up money. With numerous delays, over time, he wisely chose to focus on smaller, collaborative projects that put over 200 people around him. His friends are spiritually impacted by Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). The dream of the farm remains a motivation and will likely come to fruition one day. However, even if not, he uses the material goods and skills he currently possesses to share the Gospel and care for personal needs.
Ivory Coast Training of Trainers(TOT) sessions often include a lesson entitled Step Planning to introduce participants to using SMART goals. (Cliquer l’image du monde dans l’article pour le lire en FR.) Even in church planting, grandiose growth ideas can be detached from "specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-conscious" (SMART) goals. We teach that Jesus encouraged prayerful planning with His disciples, including counting the costs to follow Him. In addition, we live in a world where much was turned upside down by His investing heavily in just 12 disciples. Jesus certainly did not succumb to the bigger is better mantra.
Come and See (Psalm 66:5)
Mundane duties like monthly financial reporting and editing CHE lessons filled our week. As a result, we welcomed visits and conversations that interrupted those priorities! Verlin spent a couple of hours counseling our Ivorian CHE friend who faces legal challenges to land ownership. Next week Verlin will likely attend a meeting with government and religious authorities as an encouraging witness for our brother.
Prayer & Praise
- 🙏 Pray none of us thoughtlessly fall prey to the bigger is better mentality. Zealously doing the work that the Lord has placed in our hands, whether small or great, always yields the more significant, enduring result.
- 🙏 Pray for legal and just resolution(s) to the property dispute(s) of our Ivorian brother(s).
- 🙏 Ask for Debbie to experience clear thinking in her hours editing CHE lessons for use at the university. She had made a good start this month but expects to expend more than 200 additional work hours on the task. Verlin will then check her compilation of edits from the last 9 expositions, during which we tested the adaptations of the lessons for the university context.
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.
2023 Q1 Report: Go, Stay, Give
- 1st 2023 Report 230513 PDF
- 1st 2023 Report 230513 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
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
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment