Coming Storm

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 260124 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Day one snow

Empty store shelves and preparations for winter storms brought to mind Biblical concepts this week. Advanced weather-tracking equipment has certainly increased the ability to predict severe weather and disasters. Other plans take a back seat when a potential life-threatening event looms. Did you find yourself checking with family and friends to see if they were prepared? Perhaps you invested time and money in a generator or other equipment to prepare for possible inconveniences. Debbie and her sister felt an extra measure of concern with an incapacitated parent at home in hospice; Verlin took one day to cover all the outdoor tools and wood awaiting scarfing or lap joining into joists. Hopefully, we will not hear many stories of death concerning people who did not heed the avalanche of warnings, such as those that occur during annual heavy rains in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The parallels to the second coming of Christ are uncanny. Unlike the weathermen and equipment that can make imperfect predictions, the Biblical description of Jesus’ return remains an accurate, guaranteed warning of a worldwide event yet to come. We have reason to warn family and friends, such as neighbors with young children whom Verlin welcomed back from Florida during a Friday walk with an invitation to take shelter at our place, should ice storms cut electrical service. Helping Deb’s dad and our neighbors pales in importance to preparing time and money to ensure others can be equally prepared to be accepted by Jesus Christ when the unknown hour arrives. Our Heavenly Father is kind and compassionate, miraculously revealing everything we need to know through Biblical prophecy and preparing us so that His Second Coming is the greatest joy of our lives, rather than a feared day of unimaginable judgment.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Much of our week, like many of you, was spent preparing for the first winter storm in Middle Tennessee. Verlin completed the nursing credit units to renew his nursing license and spent a day renewing his Basic Life Support credentials. At this hour, it appears the sermon prepared for tomorrow’s service will not be shared since local services have been cancelled this evening due to the icy rain following a morning of powdery snow. Debbie praises the Lord that the hospice company delivered a hospital bed for her dad before the bad weather hit.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for people who are in danger as you read this update. Lift up emergency and medical workers who continue to perform their jobs no matter the weather. Debbie’s sister, who drives an hour to her nursing job, does not expect to return home for three days.
   
• 🙏 The beginning of the CHE Internship in Ghana is days away. Thank the Lord for a special donation to our account in January that will allow us to help that project more than expected.
   
• 🙏 Pray for CHE leaders reaching out in settings closed to a Gospel witness.
  

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: Hope to Heal
        - 260117 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2024 Q1 Q2 Report: First Resort
  -  2024 Q1 Q2 Report 250906 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

Hope to Heal

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 260117 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Confessions of sin by popular Christian authors, pastors, and musicians rock social media news. Heartbreaks for the involved family and communities show the stains of sin still visible within the worldwide witness for Christ. Some wonder whether every Christian lives in a lie or question the sincerity of those who confess sin. Others believe that few details get shared; some believe that too many are. Bloggers argue that Christians are too hard on fallen believers; others bemoan how lightly the Church treats sin. Truly, sin’s shockwaves can be seismic. Verlin sees the fallout as the unintended consequence of treating the church as a business. The church is about overcoming the sins that commonly affect individuals and communities, not about hiding them to preserve marketable viability.

Healing Hope

Only the Lord knows the motives of a person who openly confesses sin, but let's recognize the glimmer of hope. Confession is to be a daily part of the believer’s life. It begins with salvation as we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9). Confession continues regularly, as James 5:16 witnesses, as we confess our faults (sins) to one another and pray for one another to be healed. Today’s Evangelical church does well to emphasize confession for salvation, but typically fails miserably to accommodate post-conversion confession. It is as if we have forgotten that all need a Savior-friend as much every day AFTER we are saved as before. Let’s trust that the recent confessions of popular figures are sincere first steps toward restoration and healing. May more of us choose to be examples in our local churches by regularly confessing in family or accountability groups for the good of hearers. This enables the forsaking of sin in millennia-old group-therapy contexts, offering hope to people who struggle with sin or habits they want to break.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

At a recent regional CHE meeting in Côte d’Ivoire, a trainer confessed that he needed greater faith and encouragement. His group, accustomed to receiving funds from outside organizations, must adjust to serving as volunteers on a project that will bless the entire community. Another trainer chimed in to encourage him from Scripture and experience. Often, simply confessing a struggle in life is enough to redirect someone onto a better path.

Requirements to renew a nursing license in Tennessee have changed from requiring two of eleven options to insisting on five or ten continuing education credits as one of the options: five if practicing in the compact states and ten if not. The state-recommended option for registering continuing education requires Verlin to devote, on average, 1.5 to 2 hours of attention per credit. The years of COVID disrupted or changed longstanding habits, so Verlin has established a new routine of reminders to complete the computer registration for CE annually by his birthday, while delaying deck and ramp construction for now. Debbie was at home two nights this week because her sister had a long weekend off. Eddie, their dad, is sleeping about 22 hours a day and no longer eats or drinks much.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for the CHE trainers at hard points in ministry where they are tempted to give up, or do not know what to do next. Ask the Lord to call and develop more experienced CHE workers to pray, encourage, and assist.
   
• 🙏 Debbie and her sister continue to covet your prayers as their father’s health declines steadily each week. Caregiving makes for exhausting but blessed days as our families keep him in our homes.
   
• 🙏 Pray for uninterrupted hours for Verlin to complete the longer nursing education requirements and make ramp progress.
  

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: Seed Sowing
        - 260110 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2024 Q1 Q2 Report: First Resort
  -  2024 Q1 Q2 Report 250906 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

Seed Sowing

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 260110 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Perhaps no group in the Bible is more frequently portrayed or used as examples than those involved in agriculture or husbandry. From the Dominion Mandate in Genesis 1:26-28 to the Tree of Life in Revelation 22:1-2, references to nature and animals abound. Remember the parables of Jesus, rife with sowers and seeds? Or consider the fact that God describes Himself with husbandry metaphors to help our finite minds grasp some aspects of His character: the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Lion of Judah, and the Lamb of God. These word pictures resonate across all centuries and cultures. They also create a bridge of witness about our marvelous Creator and Savior to an unsaved but curious world.

Faith and Farming

Agricultural and husbandry skills provide great outreach opportunities in Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Just in the past year, we heard testimony from our CHE co-laborers in Cote d’Ivoire related to these topics: using expertise in beekeeping for a pastor retiring to his home village, teaching neighbors and friends how to raise ducks in a Muslim community, learning hydroponics in areas where acres of land are not available, rooftop gardening in urban places, exploring pig farming to provide income for African pastors and missionaries, digging wells in needy villages, and using multiple agricultural techniques to improve crop production. One CHE trainer alone has experimented and trained others in the following techniques after receiving several Foundations for Farming trainings that you helped us help him attend: using sawdust to fertilize eggplant and tomatoes, perfecting the process of growing mushrooms, developing a hybrid cassava plant by using chicken waste, and using moringa olifera awareness to heal fibroids. It is no small thing when ECHO offers training in West Africa, as they will during this month in Burkina Faso. Several Ivorians hope to attend the “Faith and Farming” training happening on Jan. 20-23.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

This week, Verlin was pleased to finish one part of the outdoor project with the help of a local landscaping company. He also continued pursuing nursing credits and budget work for our mission, as well as filling the pulpit at a local church seeking a pastor. Debbie did not come home this week. She stayed at her sister’s house full-time, helping with their father. Despite 24-hour supervision, he still fell one night and gets confused about where he is. Thankfully, his jovial spirit remains intact.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Pray for the many agricultural and husbandry projects in development to improve community income and health or provide countless opportunities to share the Gospel.
   
• 🙏 Praise the Lord for end-of-year giving that will help us stay funded in 2026!
   
• 🙏 Continue to pray for the upcoming West African CHE Internship in Ghana. The logistics for getting students and trainers there each year is a challenge. Ask for safe travels and Spirit-led training sessions.
  

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: Beyond Time
        - 260103 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2024 Q1 Q2 Report: First Resort
  -  2024 Q1 Q2 Report 250906 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

Beyond Time

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 260103 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God (El Olam), the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.—Isa.40:28-29, ESV

Beyond Time

Following a Bible study titled "Praying the Names of God," Debbie learned that we interact with El Olam, the Everlasting God. Abraham first used the title for our God in Genesis 21 after making a treaty with Abimelech at Beersheba. Perhaps wondering if Abimelech would keep the treaty caused Abraham to worship the Lord, who forever keeps His promises! This characteristic of our Lord comforts the faithful in a world of instability, constant change, and human caprice. The Bible Analysis site added this encouraging thought on El Olam:

The concept of God's eternal nature also speaks to divine reliability. Human promises, no matter how sincere, are limited by the lifespan and circumstances of those who make them. Governments change, leaders pass away, and even the most stable institutions eventually crumble. El Olam, however, represents promises and covenants that extend beyond these limitations. The faithfulness of the Everlasting God is not subject to the changes that affect all created things.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Verlin’s time worshipping El Olam continued with refrains of communication, physical labor, and our financial balancing act. Communications with the mission agency and Ivorians focused on adapting plans to the coming New Year. A low-on-work landscaping team completed in days what had been more than two weeks of anticipated work: the hillside upon which the deck and ramps create a handicap-accessible entrance was terraced with gravel; the driveway was widened and readied for gravel to accommodate more than two parked cars should any emergencies requiring transport arise. Saved hours were devoted to rearranging budget categories and completing RN continuing education requirements for his bi-annual license renewal. As he continues to visit churches or occasionally fill a pulpit, he also meditates on thoughts for a series of messages to preach, filling in between visiting preachers who try out at a local FWB church seeking a new pastor. We arrange our stateside pattern of life to support Debbie’s staying most of the time with her sister, starting this week, as their dad’s health steadily declines. One family member who faithfully helped care for Eddie has been blessed with work training in preparation for a new job, so he can no longer assist.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Ask our Everlasting God to give strength and comfort to His people reeling from change and broken commitments. Pray for populations worldwide in chaos because of selfish leaders.
   
• 🙏 Continue to pray for Debbie and her sister as they care for their dad.
   
• 🙏 Pray that the interim preaching and teaching at a local FWB church encourage and equip the congregation, which seeks a new pastor, while Verlin revamps or adds sermons applicable to African and American hearers.
  

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: New Things
        - 251227 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2024 Q1 Q2 Report: First Resort
  -  2024 Q1 Q2 Report 250906 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