SOS

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240831 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

240831-Setting-up-classroom-for-CHE
Setting up CHE classroom
SOS seems to be the most appropriate word to share this week—an SOS for prayer. Next week (Sept. 2-6) is the Community Health Engagement (CHE) university training. Late this week, Verlin discovered that two more trainers cannot come for legitimate reasons. As a result, the trainers of Levels 1 and 3 must shift quickly at the last minute. Also, Verlin’s most experienced co-trainer in Level 2 will not be there because his son has been hospitalized and seriously ill for over a week. Verlin needs more help, or he will have to facilitate 23 of 29 lessons at Level 2. That is not okay (Debbie’s comment!). Pray that a few people can be diverted for a few lessons at Level 2 with Verlin. Also, several trainers will not arrive until late Sunday night, which leaves no planning time as a complete team before training begins Monday morning. On a positive note, 75 people have already signed up for training!

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

Debbie has a less stressful but important version of SOS, too. She needs responses from government organizations this upcoming week to help her make wise choices for her parents. There are a few complicating factors that she needs expert advice to navigate. Our family prays that this housing change will be the last move the Paynes will make until possible medical help right before they are promoted to Heaven. Both are in stable health now. Also, please note that we may not have next week’s update ready on Saturday because of the upcoming week of CHE training. We will do the best we can from two different continents!

Prayer & Praise

  • 🙏 Pray for the CHE university training happening Monday through Friday, Sept. 2-6. Illness and death in families or ministries subtracted two more trainers at the last moment. The remaining facilitators will be stretched to the limit, so pray for grace, strength, and clear thinking to facilitate lessons that may change daily. Pray that the moral and spiritual values shared in the lessons in this secular university context will penetrate many hearts, in addition to each student learning the wholistic approach of community transformation.
     
  • 🙏 Thank the Lord that one of the trainer’s daughters came to help with the abundant secretarial work. Verlin began showing her the ropes on Thursday. She will help pack up the materials after the training as well. Also, we praise the Lord that an American and French trainer arrived safely.
     
  • 🙏 Pray for the CHE trainer’s young son, who was hospitalized and could not eat. They thought he was better and then had to return to the hospital a second time.
Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie
TN_Homestead-VerlinDeb-20191214_103927.jpg
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: Scramble
        - 240824 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 
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
No comments:

Scramble

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240824 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Do you remember the scramble when you played musical chairs as a child? Players rush to beat each other to a chair when the music stops. You cannot sit two in the same chair, and a chair gets removed in each round. It can become disorienting as you hop from place to place. Preparing for a W. African CHE conference seems sometimes similar, although in an inverted way. Imagine the chairs as the trainers available to teach and the tasks to be done as those standing, needing to find a chair. It is always a scramble when a chair or two (trainer) leave the circle, but the tasks to be done remain unchanged! Every year, we have last-minute changes in the CHE trainers available, even days and hours before the training starts. When trainers disappear, more tasks fall on those who remain. This year, Verlin and other leaders needed to scramble Friday and Saturday to replace the master trainer who typically facilitates the Level 3 Micro-Enterprise Development (MED) training. A family member of our dear brother died, preventing him from coming to Abidjan. Thankfully, we know that although we may have to make many adjustments, the Lord’s purpose (counsel, plan) will stand (Prov. 19:21)!

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

240824_AFFICHE 2022_0
CHE training flyer

In addition to verifying and checking on each university trainer and working to fill this Level 3 void, Verlin got our international CHE trainer the paperwork to receive an e-visa to Cote d’Ivoire in 24-48 hours after submitting his papers. Getting them took all day Monday and most of Tuesday, but it was successful! Our American brother, who works with Medical Ambassadors International and trained us in CHE, will join us and see some of the spiritual fruit in others lives developed from his years of vision sharing! Debbie continued her scramble to accumulate information and speak with people advocating for Tennessee senior adults. She is looking for another place for them to live that will better fit their budget and take into account probable future physical needs. Thankfully, the Lord regularly puts helpful people in her path. She hopes to help them move before the end of the year.

Prayer & Praise

  • 🙏 Thank the Lord that the international CHE trainer we asked you to pray for last week was given an e-visa to Cote d’Ivoire in record time!
     
  • 🙏 Pray for the right combination of CHE trainers at Level 3 to replace the master trainer who cannot come because of a family funeral. Pray for our brother during his family’s grief. Lift up the hundreds of details the university CHE team is working on to make the training week run smoothly
     
  • 🙏 Ask the Lord to give Debbie wisdom and necessary connections as she seeks a better living situation for her parents.
Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie
TN_Homestead-VerlinDeb-20191214_103927.jpg
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: Sharpening the Axe
        - 240817 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 
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
No comments:

Sharpening the Axe

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240817 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
— Abraham Lincoln


Abe Lincoln's quote relates to anyone preparing and planning a Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training or ministry. "Sharpening the axe" requires dedication and much time before the week-long sessions of over 35 hours each begin, especially when the experience involves more than one classroom. Every year, more than ten people each spend hundreds of hours organizing the week-long CHE efforts at the university over months, not to mention the 75+ individuals who support the effort during the training. Together, each learns to model key CHE principles, such as how to best sharpen the axe to overcome the "problem tree" in their workplace, communities, and spheres of influence.


This "sharpening the axe" principle applies to all domains of life, like sermon preparation, teaching, and even good play! It is not unusual for pastors to study and pray 15-30, even 60+ hours or more over months to prep Sunday morning sermons. They, as all believers, are learners. The Holy Spirit transforms His own. The Lord Jesus prayed all night before choosing the disciples or going to the cross. He prepared His disciples with clear instructions before sending them out. Learning to bear a cross coincides with "sharpening the axe" for every believer as the Lord transforms us.

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

240817-Packing-for-Abidjan
Packing for Abidjan
Verlin remained in the throes of sharpening the axe for the CHE university exposition all week. One detail among the many taking an unexpected chunk of time for him and two others involves ensuring that trainers receive(d) invitation letters to show their bosses or to obtain travel visas. He prepped equipment for the training and dealt with some lost time when local Internet service was interrupted for a day. He leaves for Abidjan on Sunday after joining in a local worship service. Once there, he will begin many more hours of preparation and training for others on-site, dropping off foodstuffs, papers, and other materials besides those in the image. On Friday, he also popped in for a few hours at the Ivorian National Association of FWB meeting. There, he witnessed the finish of an ordination service for a minister who developed skills alongside us between 2000 and 2009.


Debbie also lives through a period of intense information-gathering and improving skills to help the family. Assisting her parents at this juncture includes acquiring some "axes" she has never picked up before, besides learning how to wield them properly! We both need wisdom and stamina on separate continents as we flex and hold individual crosses while supporting one another from afar during this age of marvelous electronic communication.

Prayer & Praise

  • 🙏 Pray that the legalized invitation and the subsequent visa application are submitted and completed in time for an international CHE trainer to arrive in Cote d'Ivoire on August 29th.
     
  • 🙏 Continue to pray for university preparations. Verlin connects with people to help organize the CHE trainer resource room before, during, and after the training. Debbie, almost alone, has managed this task for the last few years. It requires effort when 4 or 5 trainings co-occur with 20 trainers.
     
  • 🙏 Ask for an excellent location in Abidjan to host the CHE regional meeting scheduled for September 11-12 after the university training.
Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie
TN_Homestead-VerlinDeb-20191214_103927.jpg
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: Break Bread
        - 240810 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 
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
No comments:

Break Bread

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240810 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

240810-Break-bread
Breaking bread at home
Anyone who has lived in French-speaking West Africa or France knows what a pleasure it is to break open a fresh baguette (a loaf of French bread) or butter croissant. Truly a mouth-watering experience! Earlier this week, Verlin sent an Ivorian coworker for baguettes to break open with his family. On return from buying the bread, K. reported a prior experience of mentioning to a reseller that Verlin and he personally did not eat bread frequently because the eating of refined carbohydrates encourages the development of cancers. K. was startled when the lady immediately began crying. It turned out that she was fighting cancer and wanted to know what to eat and anything else she could do in her condition. K. shared words of hope from what he has learned with us. Later, she called him and thanked him profusely for sharing Jesus's hope with her. K. asked permission to connect her with Verlin and knowledgeable Ivorian medical professionals in our circles for nutritional counsel as she pursues cancer treatment.

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

When Verlin arrived home in Bondoukou on Tuesday, he found everything well except for minor electrical and plumbing issues. (He enjoys cool showers boosting brown fat, "feel good" dopamine, and other hormetic benefits!) One awaited answer to prayer is the arrival of fiber optic Internet to town. The least expensive subscription service now available cuts our former household service cost to less than half yet provides speeds close to what we enjoy when in rural Tennessee as fewer devices are connected here. It makes video conferencing and other communications much more effortless. Even the work to update the 2013 laptop, unused for nine months, and make it operational for University CHE team trainers was easy. It only took a night and day to prep the old unit with sufficient drive space to print CHE lessons and handouts offline during the upcoming UFHB training. Debbie made good progress on a few projects related to helping her parents, in addition to taking them to the doctor and observing their first physical therapy home visit.


Verlin received a visit from the Ivorian brother who seeks to share Biblical moral lessons, micro-enterprise, and agricultural know-how with Muslims in our area. The Ivorian is to check with the head imam (Muslim cleric) in town to confirm what he considers ideal for life and dress to let us meaningfully engage in teaching CHE household to household and break open God's truth for life.

Prayer & Praise

  • 🙏 Thank the Lord that Verlin arrived safely home to Bondoukou. We are also grateful for fiber optic Internet, which will help speed up our communications across continents. (The photo for this update uploaded in 2 seconds rather than half a minute or longer!)
     
  • 🙏 Rejoice with us! Our son Cason and daughter-in-law Suzanne expect their first biological child in March. Chelsea is delighted she will be an older sister! We look forward to being Grandma and Grandpa for the second time!
     
  • 🙏 Pray for the Muslim bread vendor with cancer. May our coworker and Verlin have opportunities to speak words of salvation to her, as well as practical nutritional advice to assist treatment.
Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie
TN_Homestead-VerlinDeb-20191214_103927.jpg
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: Paid the Price
        - 240803 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 
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
No comments:

Paid the Price

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240803 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Stories abound in Paris of athletes who gladly paid the price to win an Olympic medal. Léon Marchand wowed French compatriots and the world, winning four gold medals in swimming. (He trains in Florida with Michael Phelps’ renowned coach.) Another athlete, Grant Fisher, moved to a high-altitude town in Utah to develop his lung capacity and stamina to compete with the East Africans who normally monopolize the victories. (He is only the second American man to ever medal in the 10,000-meter race.) Some families live apart for months at a time, so their athletes have the best conditions for training. Others, like Simone Biles and Caeleb Dressel, candidly share personal stories of mental turmoil and years of counseling pursued to persevere as Olympians.


Considering how willingly and to what extent these men and women paid the price to compete for earthly prizes gives food for thought. Athletes and their families expected great sacrifice to achieve lofty goals. No wonder Paul used examples from Olympic and Isthmian games to describe our walk of faith. We run for much greater imperishable crowns to lay at Jesus’ feet.

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

240803-Verlin-at-guesthouse
Help at guesthouse who desires a
risk/benefit analysis concerning
the repair of an adult cleft palate.
.
Verlin arrived safely in Cote d’Ivoire with all his bags intact. On Thursday, our Ivorian mechanic friend brought him our HiLux. Immediately, he plunged into conversations and meetings with CHE trainers and the university planning team, catalyzing planning and checking alternative lodging possibilities for the CHE trainers who come later this month. In addition, when he visited the university campus, he learned details about why students demonstrated and shut down the campus the prior day. Two students remain arrested from months ago for what Ivorian youth with whom Verlin spoke considered invalid reasons. Demonstrations continue because of those arrests; unresolved conflicts now serve as fodder to feed an explanatory void. Verlin plans to head to Bondoukou on Tuesday, where a co-worker says four puppies wait to greet him, in addition to our adult dogs!

Prayer & Praise

  • 🙏 Thank the Lord for Verlin’s safe arrival in Cote d’Ivoire. He has begun meetings with the CHE university teammates and checks on lodging arrangements for soon-arriving international visitors. Pray the many details left unattended for two months are completed before the sessions begin.
     
  • 🙏 A CHE meeting, which was canceled at the university on Friday because of campus demonstrations, was held by Zoom instead. Students protest the arrest and imprisonment of two university students who may have been wrongly detained. Pray that campus life stabilizes and that protests do not damage people and the property that was refurbished in the last decade.
     
  • 🙏 Pray for the outreach of the university CHE team in villages surrounding Abidjan. Ask the Lord to guide their effective training of village leaders that enable community transformations so they are duplicated, and their models again stimulate copycats while they complete research objectives.
Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie
TN_Homestead-VerlinDeb-20191214_103927.jpg
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: Run Toward
        - 240727 PDF
Prior Videos: Simple Servants
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 
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
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