Building up

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240921 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.—Jude 20-21

One beautiful reality of being in Christ is the community that we enjoy, the koinonia. Internally, the Holy Spirit convicts, guides, and comforts us. We are never alone. In communion with the Father and Son, He builds the image of Jesus within us. Responding obediently to the Spirit individually while living in communities with other believers, the Body of Christ gets built into glorious edifices with Christ the Cornerstone. Our regular interaction with others of faith builds each other in the "most holy faith." Incredibly, when remaining in good fellowship, we stay in community and are never alone, even when physically apart in empty rooms. Nonbelievers do not enjoy this grace. When physically alone, they have neither the priceless internal companionship of God nor the extra special tethering with one another that prayer warriors regularly sense with other believers. They do not commune with others in such spiritual interaction except when God displays His power. This is not the case for members within the Body of Christ. As Jesus's followers, we need to ponder again what means this offers us to distinguish our experience from others in the modern world where electronics provide ubiquitous but often deceptive connections.

One very encouraging "building up" moment at the university for believing CHE trainers who spread through the region is seeing the government drawn to encourage CHE strategy use all over Cote d'Ivoire. At the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Health director spoke eloquently to this effect. When first hearing of CHE, he thought it would never work. Over ten years later, having seen the measurable impact of CHE validated by research, the Ministry of Health now joins the university to declare that CHE is the way to build better health for all. They plan to pursue additional CHE-approach health development projects now and into the future. Praise God! May it be so. They prepare paths for the feet of those who bear precious seed, the news of Emmanuel!

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

Stan Rowland

Another delightful and helpful "building up" happened this year, too. One of the two master CHE trainers who trained us in 1998 attended and participated in the university training. His encouragement and insight were priceless. He got communications across that Verlin has tried to communicate over many years. We are blessed that he kept fellowship with us and came! To his knowledge, Cote d'Ivoire is the only country where CHE becomes so thoroughly integrated into the nation's public health system. The second giant of a man who trained us in 1998 was the Campus for Christ trained founder of Community Health Evangelism, Stan Rowland. He moved to heaven this week. We pray for his family and rejoice as two of the hundreds of thousands of people he impacted worldwide who live transformed to build community in Christ.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for advancing follow-up work after the university training. Verlin cleared this year's CHE trainer room and met with some of the university team for follow-up and planning for next year. Pray he can complete Level 1's lesson corrections before returning to the U.S.
   
• 🙏 Continue to pray for our granddaughter Chelsea. She adjusts to having one cochlear implant instead of two. Also, pray that the left of her head fully heals after the faulty implant removal.
   
• 🙏 Pray for Stan Rowland's family and the thousands of communities built up in Christ by his testimony and work around the world.
  

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie

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: Imitation
        - 240914 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

Imitation

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240914 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Do you dare be as bold as the Apostle Paul who told believers in I Corinthians 11:1 to imitate (copy, follow) him as he imitated Christ? As a teenager, Debbie wondered if Paul was too audacious and arrogant when he said that. After all, no one ever imitates Christ perfectly, so how can we ask that others imitate us? Now, a few more decades of experience later, and the principles of imitation in Community Health Evangelism (CHE) vivid in thought, the concept seems more straightforward to understand. Effective CHE multiplication depends on learners who carefully imitate the LePSAS learning process used in training (learner-centered, problem-posing, self-discovery, action-oriented, Spirit-guided). Each lesson put into practice within a community requires careful imitation so the desired changes affect every household. No trainer or committee member or volunteer health agent claims to do everything perfectly. He or she simply demonstrates that there is a correct standard or procedure to follow and encourages everyone to join in striving to perform it better!

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

CHE regional meeting

The two-day CHE regional conference midweek occupying five days of Verlin’s time blessed CHE leaders coming from 8 different countries! (9 if you count the USA.) Participants shared successes and challenges in implementing CHE in their various ministries across French-speaking West Africa.

Verlin served others while gaining insight into their lives and ministries while transporting visitors to and from the airport and bus stations. He commenced editing lessons for next year’s university training, which has been on hold since Debbie did initial edits last year and inventoried the training supplies. He remains in Abidjan through next week to participate in a final summary CHE meeting at the university, finish updating the lessons, follow up on participants, and plan travel. Debbie happily received a retired missionary friend and ministry partner at our place in Tennessee last weekend. She continues spending many hours on issues for her parents, making some progress

In a follow-up from last week on Tuesday, directors of public health education in Benin and Guinee communicated with Ivorian leadership that they desired to imitate the academic program integrated with CHE in Cote d’Ivoire for their respective nations. They schedule coming to learn and observe how to imitate what is done in Cote d’Ivoire next year during the Scientific Congress and the subsequent week of training. Those we have trained will train them. Praise God!

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for an excellent regional CHE meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday after the week-long training at the university. Pray that Verlin sleeps well tonight after carrying people to and from the airport and bus station from early morning to late evening every day but Tuesday.
   
• 🙏 Pray the CHE-trained Ivorians further implement CHE practices in public health arenas, expanding the success in Cote d’Ivoire. Ask the Lord to open the hearts of leaders in two Baptist movements who spoke with Verlin this week about launching meetings to reconsider using CHE to build their faith communities.
   
• 🙏 As the CHE university team and Verlin meet next Friday to discuss the results of this year’s training and plan for next year’s, pray for wisdom, guidance, and good follow-up regarding this event.
  

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie

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: Wet Feet
        - 240907 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

Wet Feet

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 240907 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Most of 2024's CHE trainers

The Lord heard your SOS prayers for the university Community Health Engagement (CHE) training this week! As Aaron and Hur supported Moses of old, you held the Ivorian CHE team’s arms up for victory as they overcame last week's challenges. Three trainers from other nations got their feet wet for the first time at the university (including one of the amazing men who trained us in 1998), while another Western trainer returned after a 4-year absence. We thank the Lord for that additional blessing this week. Since the training ended Friday afternoon, Verlin has yet to read the evaluations for the other classes. However, he’s heard stories from the other three classes every evening when all shared the classroom discussions facilitated. This week, there is only space to select details from the Level 2 class (TOT2) where Verlin taught with two others. He facilitated 19 of the 29 lessons in that class.

Come and See (Psalm 34:8)

On Monday, Verlin successfully memorized the names of 22 people taking Level 2 while getting acquainted with their efforts over one, two, or five years since trained in Level 1. He learned one fact that day that thrilled his soul: twenty of the 22 participants got their feet wet in work or ministries based on the CHE principles that they had learned during Level 1 (TOT1). That is an amazingly high percentage. Verlin is impressed when 50% have done something with what they received! Many of the projects were medical, but one pastor shared a striking testimony, too. The Lord convicted his heart during the training in 2023 that his church was self-focused and ineffective in drawing others in the community to Jesus. The CHE training gave him the courage and tools to start two outreaches during the year that now bless the community and witness for Christ. Most in Level 2 were Christians, with 3 Muslims in the mix. All testified to growing in understanding that while our Creator desires us to enjoy blessings and abundant life, we must live within the norms He designed to receive them. The 23 people of that class alone are responsibly active in various roles, working within or overseeing works in 1,000 communities! Praise God for the transformation becoming possible because of what they learned!

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord for the over 85 professionals and community leaders who attended the CHE training at the university this week! Despite all the last-minute changes of trainers in various classes, all went well. Pray that each attendee learns how to powerfully apply the CHE process in their lives and work.
   
• 🙏 Pray for the regional CHE leadership meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. While it fatigues the body to meet after finishing the week-long CHE training, all are excited. The CHE trainers from other nations are encouraged by Ivorian works. Pray network attendees effectively share the tools that broaden Gospel ministries. Ask the Lord for safe travels and help with many last-minute details. Verlin is not in charge of this meeting as at the beginning, but helps with details in the background.
   
• 🙏 As Ivorian public health leadership observes the impact CHE is having on projects in Cote d’Ivoire, one leader this week posited the need to have CHE teams in each district (like a county in a US state) of Cote d’Ivoire. He works with regional governors and assistant governors (prefects and suprefects) doing research with the World Health Organization. To have him suggest a CHE team in each district is exactly what we have prayed to see since we arrived in the year 2000! May it be so!
  

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie

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: SOS
        - 240831 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