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
 
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