Kouassi or Akoua

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230624 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Do you know what day of the week you were born? After our Ivorian pastor’s announcements this week, we reviewed a computer calendar to know. (Verlin is a Sunday baby, and Debbie is a Wednesday one.) You may wonder why we care. The local FWB church we mostly attend for fellowship and friendship soon begins a month-long period of prayer and fasting. No, none will go that long without food. (Even though Verlin continues experimenting on his own body so that those insisting on doing long fasts can learn how to evade accidentally welcoming the Angel of Death like Philippe and others we have known.)

The congregation will divide the time dedicated to seeking God’s will according to the weekday each member was born. In other words, people born Sunday will fast Sunday, and so on. This is easy to figure out for members of Koulango-speaking tribes because one of the names given to their children is always the day of the week they were born. Hence, Verlin is a ‘Kouassi,’ and Debbie is an ‘Akoua.’ We know the time we set apart for the discipline provides physical and spiritual benefits. May it spark a time of renewal and reflection amidst the church rather than another empty and unfruitful act of ‘going through the motions.’ (See Is. 28:8-29; Rev.3:14-21.)

We also are big believers in intermittent fasting for physical reasons. Both of us have experienced significant health benefits using the practice for several years, like diminishing blood pressure and eliminating hand tremors or fatty liver. Most days, we eat all our food within a 4 to 8 hour window. Akoua has learned to fast longer by safely completing 3-day water fasts a couple of times with Kouassi’s oversight as an RN. Her blood sugar levels now stay within normal limits by fasting and cutting carbs, but she reached a plateau where her weight stopped dropping. Recently she read Dr. Mindy Pelz’s book called Fast Like a Girl. The book gives good advice about alternating fasting times and duration precisely written for women. Since then, Akoua has noticed her weight slowly coming off again. Our fasting for physical health also frees time for additional spiritual pursuits.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Our Rottweilers were put on a modified 48-hour fast this week, too. Kouassi had fed them avocados daily from a tree in the yard for a month. They sat at his feet and begged while he ate a couple, then finished 1-3 themselves. We then noticed our female dog, Luna, no longer wanted to eat dog food—very unusual! She had eaten 5 avocados the prior day! With Internet research, we discovered that eating avocados daily could give dogs pancreatitis! They act recovered after a 24-hour fast followed by meals of rice and leaves.

Kouassi continued coordination for CHE training sessions interrupted by repairing our water delivery system and increasing his time dedicated to cardiovascular exercise. Akoua began editing lessons for the second level of university trainings. Since Kouassi edited lessons while teaching that level for the last three years, this set of teaching plans is progressing more quickly.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for CHE trainers who develop efforts to win people of other major religions here. Also, pray the trainers and committees using CHE to reach lepers in Cote d’Ivoire mentor disciples of Jesus.
   
• 🙏 Continue to pray we find another internationally experienced CHE trainer for the UFHB program.
   
• 🙏 Ask the Lord to preserve monthly giving to our mission account during the slower summer months since the dollar’s status as a reserve currency weakens. Thank our Father for faithful ministry partners who have invested in these Ivorian CHE ministries for 25 years! We are grateful.
  

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: Bitter Water
        - 230617 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story
 

2023 Q1 Report: Go, Stay, Give
  -  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

Debbie's Facebook Page

 

Verlin's Facebook Page

Bitter Water

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230617 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

We have sympathized with Israel's circumstances in Exodus 15 for the past two weeks. After the Lord's amazing deliverance at the Red Sea, the Israelites arrived at Marah, where only bitter water was available. The people complained. Moses cried out to the Lord for help. God's remedy consisted of throwing a tree into the water, transforming the bitter water into sweet!

Over the centuries, people have wondered which tree had such a transformative property. A comment left by the editor of a study Bible Verlin reads through occasionally speculated that the tree was a matured moringa since moringa seed cakes are known to purify surface water like alum. What an interesting thought for those with moringa trees growing in their yards, even in colder climates. More encouraging is that in the chapter, God identified Himself to His people as Jehovah Rapha, 'the Lord Who Heals.' He also promised that if they obeyed His commands, none of the diseases that ravaged the Egyptians would be their destiny. Today, in locations where CHE strategies get used worldwide, the Lord continues to heal His people through the plethora of remedies furnished from His creation.

Tree and drying seed pods

The story of Marah's bitter water resonates today in Bondoukou. Our city has added water sources to prepare for the university expected to open in 2024. Until this month, we enjoyed the terrific tasting, deep well, or aquifer water. Sadly, those sources are insufficient for the demands. For years, boreholes for water were drilled. In the last two years, pipes were laid to carry water from a barrage of runoff rain or surface water. Now, many complain about the bitter water. Even passing through our three-filter system in the kitchen, the bitterness remains strong. Debbie uses moringa seeds to soften the taste. They help a little. In time, we expect water specialists will find additional ways, like moringa seed cakes, to make the water palatable.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

This week, Verlin traveled to Abidjan to meet with the CHE university planning team and to obtain supplies. The team is progressing in preparing for September's congress and training. Debbie completed the first several-stage process to assemble CHE lessons into single-hour formats for the university's level one training. Verlin expects to check the content. Then, a second round of edits will begin, followed by a third and possibly a fourth. We also enjoyed introducing CHE to a single mother who seems interested in getting involved. On a national scale, we were pleased to know that the dedicated Ivorian CHE trainer with whom we regularly collaborate has been recommended to serve as RESCOF's West African Representative Council Member of the Global CHE Network.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray the bitter water in Bondoukou provides good witnessing opportunities for the discerning.
   
• 🙏 Thank the Lord for Debbie completing the first editing stage and combining CHE lessons for the university programs. Pray we manage to make speedy progress in the subsequent steps.
   
• 🙏 Pray for newly appointed deacons and elders at the FWB church we frequent when here. They are the first to serve so at that location. Also, as money comes in, the congregation builds a parsonage beside the church. Church members anticipate expanding their neighborhood ministry.
  

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: On the Way
        - 230610 PDF
Prior Videos: The Great Story
     - Reflect and Rejoice
 

2023 Q1 Report: Go, Stay, Give
  -  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

Debbie's Facebook Page

 

Verlin's Facebook Page

On the Way

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230610 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Frequently the miracles and spiritual encounters that Jesus completed during his earthly ministry were done while He was “on the way” from one place to another. At times, the Scriptures tell little news about the main event for which He traveled to announce the Kingdom of God but much detail concerning the amazing acts done while on the way. Consider His meeting with the woman at the well. He was on the way from Judea to Galilee (John 4). The cleansing of 10 lepers occurred while He was on the way to Jerusalem (Luke 17).
 

At other times, the person soon to receive a blessing was the one on the way. A prominent example is the story of Phillip sent into the desert by the Lord. Once there, he met an Ethiopian eunuch on the way home and introduced him to our Savior (Acts 8). These examples encourage us to pray that our spiritual eyes and ears remain discerning. What appears to be the main event of a day may not be. Our main event may be secondary or tertiary to the Lord’s agenda for us, setting the stage for an encounter we meet on the way!

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Thankfully, we have experienced numerous on-the-way moments in our missionary journey. Opportunities have developed from witnessing on airplanes, at checkpoints, in restaurants, or in bank lines. Sometimes, the Lord provides a resource or contact in a mundane meeting. This week Verlin stayed up late enough refreshing a computer to join a CHE Global Service Team meeting with international workers at 6 PM, Arizona time. News of concerted efforts to get CHE lessons in foreign languages (including French) shared via the CHE Global Network blessed him. Secondly, a cell phone app to enable CHE reporting on the go has been beta tested for refinement and will soon roll out. We anticipate sharing the opportunities the Lord develops through this capacity in the future. Verlin also learned of two experienced CHE trainers who speak French that he considers qualified to share in the training rotation at the UFHB. This was terrific news since we are on a time-sensitive search for more experienced international CHE trainers at the university in September.
 

Deb with sauerkraut
and frozen avocado

Debbie persevered and is about halfway through the first run of collating CHE lesson ideas into a single lesson format, as sought since 2017. This week, on the way to that goal, she improved her skills to keep our temples (i.e., bodies) healthier: she made sauerkraut to increase our probiotic consumption. We use it to share how diet develops defenses that prevent ulcers and simultaneously address Vitamin K2 deficiencies that raise blood pressure. She also practiced freezing our yard’s abundant avocados for later use.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Praise the Lord with us that Corbin found an apartment closer to work!
   
• 🙏 Debbie’s dad recently had an experience alerting us to signs of declining health. Pray for restored strength to handle daily activities.
   
• 🙏 We desire one more experienced international CHE trainer who speaks French for late August and early September university events. Ask the Lord to fill this need quickly so we can address travel plans and expenses with the different planning committees enabling the joint effort
  

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: Integral Disciple
        - 230603 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story
 

2023 Q1 Report: Go, Stay, Give
  -  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

Debbie's Facebook Page

 

Verlin's Facebook Page

Integral Disciple

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230603 PDF

In recent years, banter about 'discipleship' has again become the rage in church circles. As Verlin's Father drove home, "What goes around, comes around." (See Ecclesiastes 1:9, 3:1, & 12:1.) Our sharing that statement is not meant to minimize the importance of discipling others. We do that! Instead, it relates the cyclical nature of how God's Kingdom spreads truth across generations: He initiates organized churches through the families of any given culture.
 

The cycle (like the circle) has remained unbroken since Israel left Egypt as it commenced with the Tabernacle. A more detailed explanation of the cycle explains the reforms Jesus began in synagogue worship that evolved into the many denominations we have today. The reforms reinforced the basic D6 principle for their and future generations: consider and apply God's Word in every action of life you take and word you speak. (See Deuteronomy 6; Romans 8:4.) The God-initiated cycle of discipleship assures that truth for life gets passed generationally within homes by God-collaborating parents to their participating heirs. As Protestant Reformers recognized, God ordained an institutional triad of home, state, and church that cooperates for the end of heartfelt obedience in all of a nation. (See the linked Researched Example.) The problem with the banter is that many doing the talking today need to learn how to walk the walk in our time. For God, ignorance is not really a problem hindering His plans. Our creative Creator made it so circumstance forces that His word and our deeds eventually come to match in our world. The wise follow His narrow way in their time while leading others to evade heartaches during the cycles that collapse and renew families until Jesus' rule in-person returns.
 

For any dedicated believer wanting to evade the fad and produce the consistent staying power of a practice that maintains cross-generational discipleship, that person must distinguish the 'fad' from the 'faith.' To do that, a believer must meet people who walk the talk today. Discipleship remains 'caught more than taught.' It's more personal and regular than the fad movements that Malcolm Gladwell traced in The Tipping Point.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

We count Pastor Jean-Marc and Dr. Martine Fritsch as friends similarly "caught" through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). They are among many using CHE to start new churches and church-planting movements from scratch while assisting other groups to revitalize or revive.

They recently added several videos to the "Il l'a dit" (FR) Youtube (EN) site to ease distribution while instructing others directly. This humble and unassuming French couple has led and championed CHE with Disciple-Making Movements (DMM) for decades, seeing remarkable results in Africa, France, and other European nations. Each "Il l'a dit" video gets posted in French, then dubbed into English and German (DE) to bless others they train. "The Integral Disciple (EN) is one of their newer offerings. (Click this link or the image to view the English version.)
 

As one beggar tells another where to find bread, we pass to you helpful material imbued with life-changing principles from CHE and DMM movements that integrate approaches that pass enduring faith through every generation. The videos contain little 'faddish' instruction and pass along bedrock understandings. Being an integral disciple of Jesus remains essential for all believers in all places at all times. Families who personally know the Truth for life navigate the rise and fall of church movements that grow irrelevant for lack of basic obedience to God. This obedience is what CHE strategies mentor. Every believer needs reminders of our role as pilgrims making progress. May the three imperatives of being an integral disciple help you refocus, too.
 

On the news from last week, our Ivorian brother, who pursues appointments with officials to rectify the registration of private lands, continues to get the runaround. He and Verlin did not meet with the regional prefect this week. Continue to pray for timely appointments and progress for him in proving his land rights. Debbie made good progress on the university CHE lessons this week. Plodding is the essence of the process. Verlin continued trainer preparations for the CHE university training and handled some computer issues and finances.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for a CHE trainer who has not been paid for work for nearly six months. He expects a contract to continue the work soon but also needs reimbursement for work completed at his own expense:
   
• 🙏 Ask our Father to intervene for our Ivorian brother needing government appointments for property rights.
   
• 🙏 Pray again for Corbin, our youngest offspring, to find housing near his new engineering job.
  

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: Is Bigger Better?
        - 230527 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story
 

2023 Q1 Report: Go, Stay, Give
  -  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

Debbie's Facebook Page

 

Verlin's Facebook Page