FREE THE PEN!

I am on strike. (Not really) FREE THE PEN!

If you can’t tell my strike slogan is FREE THE PEN! Chant it with me. FREE THE PEN! FREE THE PEN! FREE THE PEN!

I had a moment of mental block and started chatting with a friend from Mali, Lori. Lori is awesome and we pretty much get into some kind of trouble anytime we are together or on the same continent.

She came up with the slogan, creative genius that she is. If you listen hard enough you can hear her chanting FREE THE PEN in Mali too…

I think this got started because she wants me to come visit her in Mali and I can’t right now. So, we went on strike until such a day the pen is freed and I can go visit her!

See what semi-creative minds can do during a break. Just imagine what I could do during work hours!

Children's Material

Well, during work hours I (along with my beautiful co-worker, Laura) have created material for children (lessons and activities), West African recipes and put together websites for those and language resources that Emily has pulled together.

It was a very happy day when it was all completed and uploaded to the internet. A lot of time, over-time, weekends, late nights and computer time went into this project.

The lessons are about each country the IMB currently has personnel or an SBC church is currently or will soon have work among a people group. That is 11 West African countries. Each lesson contains an intro language activity, a missionary kid story, fact finding and prayer activities. The hope is that children will become just as involved in reaching West African people groups as their parents pray, give and go to West Africa as volunteers, partnering churches or engaging churches.


Maybe one day the kids who learned about West Africa through these lessons will come to West Africa to spread the Gospel!

To view and download these products go to www.gowestafrica.org/media. (click on Children's Materials, West Africa Recipes or Learning Lanuages)

My next big project is working on Lottie Moon Christmas Offering promotion for West Africa! It’s due at the end of the month. Wish me many more long hours at the office!

Ramadan

Tonight marks the beginning of the Muslim holy month, Ramadan. For 30 days Muslims around the world will fast from sun up to sun down, breaking their fast in the evening with a large meal.

Many Muslims see the months of Ramadan as a time to be closer to Allah. Much of their faith is taken more seriously during this time. They try to be more devout followers of Allah.

So devout that they will not let any food, water or even spit go down their throat.

Many Muslim background believers tell us that it is during this time that God spoke to them through dreams and visions. Telling them His Truth!

I ask that you petition on behalf of those who celebrate this holy month, a little more than 50% of the population of West Africa, that God will send the dreams and visions of His Son and His saving grace.
Also, petition the behalf of those of us serving in Muslim populations, to be sensitive to God's movement and to give us the right words to convey His message.

Sedou's Wedding

Sedou, our night guard got married!

He went on vacation for two weeks last month and when he returned, he was married. His wife, Janaba had a wedding in Burkina Faso (the country Sedou is from north of Cote D’Ivoire) and came down by bus to live with Sedou.

(Emily and I with Sedou)

Janaba has lived in Abidjan her whole life, but returned to her family’s village in Burkina Faso for the wedding traditions.

(Janaba)

Sedou invited Emily and I to attend the wedding party here in Abidjan last Sunday night. And I mean an ALL night party. (We opted to stay for about 5 hours.)

We arrived and were seated in the “living room,” then about 10 minutes later we were ushered into a back room that turned out to be Sedou and Janaba’s bedroom!

We sat with Janaba and she said, “Now is the time to wait.” So, wait we did. We chatted a little with her family and watched some TV. Then the wordrobe changes started. Janaba had about 10 different outfits to wear!

Then all the married women in her family came into the room and Emily and I got to experience some African culture. (I think this was the time all the married women picked on her and other stuff I won’t write!)

(me eating with all the women)

Food was served in the room and we again ate with our hands some rice and sauce, then Emily and I went with Sedou to the house of Janaba’s sister, Fatiatu. Fatiatu made us salad.

(Emily and I with Fatiatu)

Now this was really sweet and all, but she added liver and intestines as a meat topping!!!
We ate it anyway!

After this we went back to the party and watched as the women paraded from the house to the street where a big tent was set up for the dancing!

Only the women partook in this activity. The only bad thing was the video cameria that kept searching out Emily and I. We only did one jaunt around the tent and then said our good-byes to the bride and family to let them really party into the night!

Please pray for Sedou and his new wife Janaba. Sedou has helped us with our French and he is a trustworthy night guard. He has worked for the mission for about 8 years and is still a Muslim. He listens to Bible stories in his heart language, yet is still resistant to a relationship with Jesus.

Job's Baptism

One of my friend’s at church (he attends the English Bible study on Sunday nights) got baptized last Friday. So, he invited us to his baptism party at his family’s home.

Job is quite the character. He used to be a student at the university near the church, but in now in training to work in the film industry. We have only heard parts of his testimony and it is extreme. He was involved in some things during the war as a student, but is now a follower of Jesus and has turned to being involved with the things of God.

(Job)

Emily and I were honored to be invited to his home for the party and excited that it was such a big deal for the family.

We arranged to drive some other friends from the study to Job’s home. Well, Job’s home is on the other side of town, by the other side of town I mean a good 45 min. drive.

We drove to our friend Olivier’s house to pick him up, then when to the church to get the guy who actually knew where Job’s house is (but he wasn’t there so Olivier walked two blocks away to find him) and then we went to pick up Glorious (she lives a little further away, but was still getting ready so we went into the apartment to greet her family).

Finally, we got on the road. Well, we got to Job’s neighborhood, but the guy who was supposed to know where to go, really didn’t know the turnoff! So, he called Job and Job met us on the street.

Job tried to climb into are tiny car (already full), but couldn’t fit in the front. So, Emily scrunched up with three African’s in the back seat! Fun times in Africa.

Or as Emily would say, “We had to call a guy, who had to find a guy, who had to call another guy to find Job!”

It was a great time of fellowship and worship with Job’s family. They were very welcoming and served us some great African food.

(Just a few of the guests, Me, Olivier, Ashil, Emily, Glorious,

another member of the church and some guys I don't know!)

(Me eating with my HANDS! Olivier eating with a fork, his was soupy)

(Emily and I with the women of Job's family)

Rejoice with us in Job’s baptism and pray for him in his life with Christ!

(Me, Job and Olivier)

HandsOn

www.hands-on-africa.com

If you know anyone who might be willing to take some time to spend in missions in West Africa. Let them know about HandsOn.

We're looking for people age 18-29 to spend 4-5 months serving as missionaries in West Africa. Our goal is to recruit 20 people for next spring. That doesn't sound like a whole lot, but here's the catch -- people who want to come in January have to apply by Sept. 1.

There are a variety of positions -- sports, mechanics, university ministry, community development, ethnographic research, evangelism, discipleship -- even four positions to come serve on our media team! We're looking for a graphic designer, videographer, illustrator, and web developer.

Mary Beth, Emily and I developed the website, so take a look and pass it on.

My FUNNY Birthday

My Abidjan family did a good job of making my birthday a special day.

It started...

With a 6.30 a.m. knock on my door from Emily singing happy birthday and presents.

This is a toy Emily gave me that we put together right away on my bed, we think it is a flamingo. It is now the official office toy.

When I walked into my office, my friends had lovingly decorated it with signs, streamers and stuff for me to wear!


Then there was cheese cake. (Made from scratch by Mary Beth, my supervisor and friend.) All the regional leadership gathered in my small office to eat and talk about what they were doing when they were 24.

The day was not done.

In the afternoon the girls went Africa-Karting!

That’s me taking the turn and then passing Mary Beth! At the end, the French man who owned the place asked if we had funny! (not fun, but funny!)

We then went out to dinner where the whole crew sang Happy Birthday. It was a great and special day.

So, to all of you who sent special birthday wishes, a BIG THANK YOU! You also made me feel loved and special.

To see more pictures click here.

To add to the day, comment and let me know what you were doing at 24. So far, I have a lot to live up to!

AVANCE 07

Yeah, for getting to hang out with other singles!

Senegal was a blast. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but then I had a lot of fun. (an average of about 5 hours a night for 10 nights) I have kind of taken a vow to not really sleep again until the middle of September!

When I arrived at the hotel for our regional wide meeting, Emily and I immediately went and put on our bathing suits and jumped in the pool. We laid out for about an hour or so then went and ate fried chicken. That’s right FRIED chicken, a luxury here.

The next two days were spent “hanging out” with missionary kids while their parents were in some before the meeting, meetings. We had a hotel photo scavenger hunt, swam and watched movies.

Saturday all the singles went to this awesome ropes course outside of town. It was up in some trees that are called Baobab trees. It is been a long time since I have tested my body like that. But, the pain was worth it.

The rest of the week was all business. I attended worship (it was great to sing and hear worship in ENGLISH), sessions, team meetings and spent the majority of the time talking our great personnel into sitting down in front of a video camera for me! I spent a lot of time getting prayer request, thank you's and God stories on film.

I also worked on interviews and gather photos for next year’s prayer calendar. Oh and the most important thing, meeting all the new personnel and hearing the great God stories from around the region. He is doing such great works out here right now.

At the end of each day the singles had an activity. I did them all. A luau, movie night, basketball in the dark (the power had went out), worship, game night (I actually won my first game of “hearts”).

Got a hair cut, pedicure and my teeth cleaned!

Though I didn’t get refreshed by sleep I was refreshed to spend time with some great people that God is using in this region. Can’t wait until the next time.

My unborn Nephew

My older brother Jeff and his wife Erin, found out this last
week that their baby has a hole in his skull and some of
the brain is outside in the sac. The baby will not make it.
Please life up my family as we process this. Lift me up as
I am so far away and can do nothing. They will induce
labor at 36 weeks, which is about 4-5 weeks away. Then
there will be a service for the baby. Our Father knows
what he wants to happen in all of this.

Market visits

About a month ago I started visiting a local market once a week. The reason: to meet African women to tell them about Jesus.

It is very difficult to meet African women in my neighborhood, Marcery. I was invited to go with another missionary woman, Stephanie after her original partner, Bobbie, had to return to the states.


At first I dreaded it. But, I knew I had to do it. Stephanie wanted someone to go with her. (Two people who can barely speak and understand French is better than one.) So, I spend most Mondays talking myself into going on Tuesday morning!

We meet with several women, who know who Jesus is. Most of them attend a local church –Catholic, Evangelic, Lutheran, and Assembly of God. Our idea is to get them to be the missionaries of the market. Inspire them to reach out to the women in the stalls next to them.

Because I am new to the visits, I am still getting to know the women, most who are 20+ years older than I am. We talk mostly about their families and work. Their work ranges from selling baby products, a tailor, owner of a nail solon, to selling hair products.

Some want us to pray for them. And we do.

We slowly plod on hoping for a chance to introduce a story, “Creation to Christ,” which tells the main stories of the Old Testament leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. I know it somewhat in English. We are trying to learn it in French.

I know I can never accomplish this on my own. I know it is only by the will, grace and help of God that I will be able to learn this story.

Happy 4th

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I know I did. The mission got together to celebrate. We ate hamburgers, potato salad, fruit and cake. We talked and it rained, all day.

Our original plan had been to play badminton, and the rain did not stop us. We played several rounds and got soaking wet.

The rain has been slow to come and not as much as we need. I think the 4th of July party has changed all that. It has rained off and on since then. And it has been cold here, as low as 75 degrees. We need a whole lot more than we are getting.

But, most of the other West Africa countries are still in need of a lot more rain. Some haven’t gotten any. For them, it has been excruciatingly hot.