Au Secours!

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230930 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

“Au secours!” is the phrase used in French to call for help in an urgent situation. It can apply to being a help to someone in general, too. A significant part of our life consists of responding to varying degrees of cries for help in various settings. One great joy we have in promoting Community Health Evangelism (CHE) around the country is being able to respond to calls of au secours with more lasting solutions than what a temporary gift like money or material provides. Sometimes, a simple conversation about lifestyle changes and resources available brings significant healing to the hearer and those they tell. Even better is when CHE training and Biblical mentoring enable Ivorians to find solutions for themselves! Another way we are a secours (help) is by connecting experienced Ivorian CHE trainers who have already walked through troubles to a person or trainer in need. Their combined solutions will often surpass what we have to offer and engender habits of righteousness that get passed along. This week was replete with opportunities to listen to au secours cries and offer prayers to begin solutions.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

We drove home Sunday, and Verlin returned to Abidjan the next day. He checked on two orphan ministries which asked for secours. In the future, they plan to receive CHE training(s). He delivered 25 liters of honey from a CHE-impacted producer to a cocoa industry consultant. He contacted two Lebanese merchants who believe in Jesus, confirming plans to connect them with missionaries in Abidjan who have a heart to reach the over 600,000 Lebanese in this nation with the Gospel. Verlin also met with a pastor interested in training congregants of four assemblies to use CHE. Another six hours were spent encouraging the director of a Bible Institute where we have provided CHE training for three classes of students. This faithful leader has hypertension issues after hospital treatments, for which Verlin explained the genesis and offered advice about lifestyle changes to evade further complications. Plans were made to meet with leaders of a regional pastoral training location in the north to provide annual CHE training for those in the interior. Other opportunities to be a secours arose such that he did not even start financial reports for August or September and made no progress recording UFHB CHE contacts or sending corrected lessons for some of them to review and begin as hoped!

One of the puppies

 

 

Debbie happily remained home and began socializing the three puppies born during our five weeks in Abidjan. They are a playful four weeks old now! She was also busy addressing home issues: a sick dog, materials damaged by rain, cleaning projects, scheduling medical appointments for our next US visit, correspondence with ministry partners, and making sauerkraut and bone broth, to name a few.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for the good connections made with groups desiring future CHE training and the numerous opportunities to be a secours to people needing encouragement and help. Your ministry partnership with us impacted hundreds of people just this past month!
   
• 🙏 Pray for our Ivorian friend C., who directs a Baptist Bible Institute in Abidjan, where we provide CHE training. Her health has been precarious, and she needs solutions to several issues to continue energetically leading the institute that sends out missionaries.
   
• 🙏 Thank the Lord for our complete recovery from malaria and one safe round trip home. Also, pray that Verlin can finish essentials in Abidjan and return home on Monday or Tuesday next week.
   

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: Drumbeats
        - 230923 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2023 Q2 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
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

Drumbeats

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230923 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Life has changed. Gone are the days of yesteryear when information passed slowly from one community to another. Consider the limits of smoke signals, drumbeats, the Pony Express, and boat mail in past centuries. The Internet offers instant access to news and knowledge in very remote locations! On the African continent, the transfer of news previously happened (and still does, at times) with different drumbeats announcing innumerable communications like births, deaths, marriages, and calls to meet or battle. Life moved at a snail's pace compared to now. In addition, people living close to the Equator did not worry about the advent of winter or have need to store crops for long months with no food available. Such lack of planning is deadly in colder cultures. Interestingly, these factors still affect the economy of nations, and even the methods and pace people use to share the Gospel today (see the book Foreign to Familiar for an interesting treatment of this subject.). When these planning worldviews collide, misunderstanding and confusion are normal.

Now, imagine teaching long-term project planning with defined steps and tasks to people with little or no reason to think much beyond the day's needs. With that picture in mind, you have exposed one of the great frustrations of many Americans who work or minister in Africa. But the Western adage remains true: "Necessity is the mother of invention." When Africans encounter situations requiring long-term step-planning, they learn to do it and apply it better in their context than Americans usually do. This is the situation we face in mentoring the university's CHE team. Their expertise in many fields far exceeds ours, and we gladly glean many truths working with them. Still, planning years in advance is one area where American experience and advice are valuable. It is also why there is a step-planning lesson at all three CHE university training levels.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

UFHB team gifts to
conference planners

Verlin participated with the university CHE team on Friday in evaluating the Scientific Congress and week-long CHE trainings. He rejoiced in their progress of managing this since beginning 8 years ago. In the first few years, they scrambled to plan three months in advance, very much a drumbeat approach. Now, they begin thinking ahead to 2025 and the steps needed to make the training successful. Repeated errors will get corrected to smooth future events, including the need to get invitations to Ivorian CHE trainers at least three months in advance to give their employers. That will limit the last-minute questions of whether trainers can come or not. As all advance professionally, the team recently began using Zoom when members travel. They hone in on communication tools like WhatsApp that work better than email for dispensing information. (One was running the regional polio vaccine encompassing more than 110 districts.) With the phenomenal progress, a few areas need work. These include hands-on practice for team members in village settings. We seek that some dedicate themselves to set up and tear down the CHE trainer room to do it elsewhere. This task now takes 30+ hours before and 30+ hours after the week-long training.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for progress in turning over CHE projects and ministries to Ivorians! Pray for the steps still needed to complete the transfer. Pray for choices in new ministry opportunities, including the university's CHE team possible decision to duplicate the CHE training at other university locations in future years.
   
• 🙏 We expect to return home this week in two trips. Verlin will take new appliances, supplies, and Debbie on the first trip. Then he will return for a speedy second trip to Abidjan to finish obligations and carry the final goods. Ask the Lord for safe travels.
   
• 🙏 As happens frequently after the university training, we both are recovering from mild malaria cases. Pray for full strength to return.
   

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: Hold Loosely
        - 230916 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2023 Q2 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
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

Hold Loosely

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230916 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

One reality that intrigues people observing the faithful who obey God’s Word for life is their ability to hold loosely to possessions. People of faith trust God to provide them with means to rebound when a loss occurs. The errant or unfaithful do not live with habits that let them discover how the Lord can supply their needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Prov. 24:16; Phil. 4:19). We recently noted several reminders of this truth.

Last week, one example occurred when a young lady broke a snap ball tea strainer that Debbie used daily to steep hibiscus tea. (Hibiscus tea helps keep blood pressuring from spiking.) With trepidation, the girl brought the broken pieces to Debbie. Her relief was observable, and her spirit of service renewed when Debbie assured her fellow believer it was not a problem. In a separate event, Debbie received a call from a woman in Ghana on Friday asking to speak to Verlin, who was unavailable. She was the gas attendant who mistakenly put gasoline instead of diesel fuel in the HiLux last March. Being forgiven and not blamed solely for the fiasco gave her spirit rest. (Verlin missed her error, too, at first!) Holding loosely to belongings gives opportunities to be or share a testimony of God’s faithfulness in life’s moments of loss. We can’t take what we have beyond the grave, anyway. All belongs to the Lord for management as He designed. Any mismanagement on our parts results in undesired consequences that we, or those who follow us, must fix to live better.

Sadly, during the CHE training, we heard the news of an Ivorian couple with three children who lost much in a house fire. Verlin took the family to lunch last Sunday while Debbie rested to overcome a stomach illness. Ivorian believers and US friends rallied to the family’s aid. They helped the family replace lost goods to the extent that the father seemed embarrassed by the generosity. He knows other families who have endured loss and did not receive such apparent grace. Nevertheless, the provision testifies that the Lord’s grace develops in human responses when families serve Jesus. Pray the family maintains faith in our Father’s love as the assurance of their care, and does not confound God’s work with measurable human responses.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Science Center, awarding certificate

In addition, hold loosely has another context in our ministry. Figuring out how to multiply aspects of this and future university training events is complicated but necessary. One atypical challenge for us is the number of simultaneous CHE trainings this team manages. That stressor adds hours of prep time before, during, and after such a week. The UFHB team assumes more responsibility yearly as our exit strategy proceeds. However, significant steps remain. Pray we surpass some remaining hi-hurdles related to lesson editing, field experience, and data safeguarding to improve the phases of annual preparations. This week, we facilitate CHE-taught controlling in management to enhance volunteer participation and economic volunteerism that develops here. In the process, we’ll continue to mentor others in perceiving how human faithfulness in the accurate application of God’s Word achieves better life outcomes – even eternal ones.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for our follow-up work with the UFHB CHE team. The meeting to debrief and plan was delayed yesterday until this coming week. Several related ‘controls’ are best finished before we return to Bondoukou.
   
• 🙏 Pray for faith development from the many material losses endured by the young family in a house fire.
   
• 🙏 One of the CHE trainers could not participate this year at the university because of cardiac testing. Please pray that his serious health problems are accurately identified and treated. He’s been weak for several years.
   
• 🙏 Thank the Lord that political elections which occurred right before the CHE training happened in relative peace. A few areas contested results with demonstrations, but inappropriate violence was contained quickly.
   

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: Simple Servants
        - 230909 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2023 Q2 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
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

>

Simple Servants

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230909 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

This year's week of four classroom courses particularly challenged our team(s). Besides lower than expected attendance blamed upon an election date change,

 ☝ two trainers' health prevented their arrival;
 ☝ a third's work responsibilities stopped his participation;
 ☝ a fourth trainer missed Monday and Tuesday;
 ☝ two university trainers developed conflicts that affected the classroom schedules.

Every night, the remaining and available trainers rearranged programs for the level one courses, seeing who could fill the sessions with little time to study. On Tuesday, Debbie covered a lesson with only ten minutes to prepare! Other trainers were also stretched beyond their comfort zones; the more experienced had to make many adjustments as well.

With such uncertainty, you would think that the situation might be chaotic and tense. Instead, since all the trainers came intending to be simple servants, we enjoyed a week of excellent interactions. Class sizes were smaller. That helped. After the photo-video link follows some of the participants' specific comments about the CHE trainers:

A church & community leader in Verlin's
Level 2 classroom of the UFHB training.
The image and this text link to a
video event record of the 2023
UFHB CHE Exposition event.

• ● I loved the approach of the trainers because they were nice and open with us.
  
  
• ● I am astonished at the simplicity of the trainers with each subject studied.
  
  
• ● I am happy about the interaction of the trainers with the participants.
  
  
• ● I am thankful for the trainers' lives, experience, and humility.
  
  
• ● I am astonished that, each day, our trainers tell us essential things which really help our learning.
  
  
• ● I am happy the trainers are competent and show us errors to avoid.
  
  
• ● Today I am happy about the conviviality of the training and that it is easy to understand.
  
  
• ● I loved the simplicity of the trainers, yet the depth of the lessons.
  
  
• ● It felt like we were family, interacting with love.
  
  
• ● I really liked the attitude of the trainers. They taught with lots of humility.
  
  
• ● I liked the teaching method and the humility of the trainers.
  
  
• ● The training far exceeded my expectations — I am beyond happy!
  
  
• ● I really liked the trainers' teaching method, pertinent lessons, and humility. I thank Allah that we could be here. Thanks to the initiators and trainers. In brief, it was super!
  

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

In addition to the opportunity to be simple servants to the Ivorian people, other CHE opportunities clearly open because of the training held annually at the university. One man from Mali who adheres to the other major religion of Cote d'Ivoire sought a way with Verlin to implement CHE there and bring healing to communities after their war. Also, our UFHB partners pursue additional means to ensure that master's level public health students take CHE training as part of their coursework. Some pastors and Bible school leaders participated also. We just recognize that through all this activity and modern buzz, God reveals Himself, still.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for giving the CHE trainers strength, wisdom, and the opportunity to be a witness to all the participants. Pray for everyone's safe arrival home.
   
• 🙏 Pray for the participants to find ways to powerfully put the training into practice.
  
  
• 🙏 Follow-up meetings and preparations for next year will keep us busy in Abidjan for about two weeks. Thank you for praying that we finish well. We are eager to see three new puppies when we get home!
   

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: Freedom to Fail
        - 230902 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story
 

2023 Q2 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
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

Freedom to Fail

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 230902 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

It takes a wise person to let a child, co-worker, employee, or friend have the freedom to fail. By that, we do not mean to fail morally. We suggest the permission to try new endeavors and test limits for the glory of God. The founder of Community Health Evangelism, Stan Rowland, was known to give those he trained this precious gift. He methodically shared Biblical principles, collaborated to develop fascinating examples, and produced standardized strategies that now transform thousands of communities. However, he did this with the humble expectation that others would do things differently. He knew that for every hair-brained idea that failed, others would likely develop into 'gold mines' enriching multitudes of people worldwide. Many families, churches, and organizations would do well to consider who in their circle of influence needs the freedom to fail.

Dayo Obaweya, the Nigerian master CHE trainer and international leader who co-shepherds the university training with us, knows Stan better than we do. This week, our thoughts turned to Stan as Dayo shared stories of his mentor and former co-worker at Medical Ambassadors International. Stan often evaded cookie-cutter projects and the giving of advice by simply encouraging others to "Go do it!" Nearly every process of Community Health Evangelism (or Engagement or Education as used in other contexts) is imbued with the necessary freedom to fail in order to find success!

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

The Scientific Congress held Thursday and Friday of this week allowed UFHB researchers and CHE practitioners to explain their freedom to fail efforts and measures of success. Around sixty people participated, with 48 presenting. Interestingly, researchers from other sub-Saharan nations gave about a quarter of those presentations remotely. This effort continues to expand the CHE strategies' influence on regional public health practices. It is worth our time to develop God's Kingdom. Verlin also rejoiced to meet a fellow CHE-trained French lady, M. Benedict. She oversees Raoul Follereau projects and checks upon the works they fund to see lepers healed in Cote d'Ivoire. In the future, we look forward to her joining us on occasion during CHE trainings at the university.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for an influential Scientific Congress event on Thursday and Friday and the training to raise Black Soldier Flies for feed on Saturday.
   
• 🙏 This week of Sept. 4-8 is the yearly 5-day training at the university with at least four classes and possibly a fifth. We are also short 3 trainers, besides one who will miss two days. Pray that the participants will grasp how to use CHE strategies to enable transformation in their various settings, which endures. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill every trainer with love, patience, strength, and wisdom to meet every need encountered as the Lord would have it satisfied.
  
  
• 🙏 Keep praying that Verlin's foot heals throughout all the university activities. His injury continues to improve bit by bit, so he trusts that he manages the balance of exercise and rest correctly.
  
  
• 🙏 Thank the Lord that the Moh's cancer surgery of Sandra Payne (Debbie's mom) was successful. The doctor was able to remove all the cancerous tissue.
   

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: Soldiering on
        - 230826 PDF
Prior Videos: Reflect and Rejoice
        - The Great Story
 

2023 Q1 Report: Pruning Priorities
  -  2nd Q 2023 Report 230722 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