This past month has been quite busy. As many of you know I was working on my final essay for my French programme the end of April and beginning of May and completed it, on time and was very satisfied with it. Thank you SO much for all of your prayers ! It was clearly obvious that people were going before God on my behalf because after the first day writing, thoughts and material were flowing and the work progressed steadily until its end. Praise God !!! I am not certaine of my note but a fellow student got a peak at the grades for the essaies and I received a 32/40 or 34/40 ! Besides this being a great mark, it is also what I was praying for or better !!! God is so good !!!
The 13th of May I left for the Ivory Coast with the team and we arrived in Abidjan safe and sound. That same night we drove up to an old international school compound in Bouaké where we stayed together for a couple days. Later on the guys drove further north to Korhogo near the border of Mali. Since the country is divided between the rebel forces in the north and the government forces in the south we had to pass through many road blocks. It was smooth sailing going north because we were with a missionary, Rod Ragsdale, who knew well what to do. However from Korhogo to Abidjan on our way to the airport it was a bit more difficult. But God was watching over us and we made it to the airport with little probleme. The men helped dig foundation holes for a new building being built at the Bible school, installed two new computer towers and a flat screen for their computer lab, built a jungle-jym for the 30 or 40 kids at the Bible school and handed over school material to the students. When we met up with the ladies we also visited the orphanage. In the south, the women went to a school where they presented school material and helped at an orphanage.
My experience was much different than expected... or hoped. Just four days into our stay I fell sick with a fever (I was wearing a coat :s), a massive migraine, diarrhea and vomiting. For three days I was essentially bed ridden... or more correctly, toilette ridden, haha. It was very scary ! But God used this to show me yet again the power of prayer as people from Rocky Mountain Bible Church and others were on their knees on my behalf. The fourth day I was up and about and able to go to the Bible School's chapel service. Friday the 21st I again went to chapel and also ate with the students and was greatly blessed. That afternoon God held me together for the entire three hour journey south to Bouaké to meet up with the ladies and the following day I had the strength to go to the market and help at an orphanage. A hidden blessing was the conversations I had while I was sick with the woman who cleaned the house. May God bless her and keep her !
Please pray for French speaking Africa ! English speaking Africa is riddled with missionaries while the other countries still have great need. Yet God be praised because the was in the Ivory Coast forced the church to stand on its own apart from missionaries and foreign aide. Today it is small but growing and healthy. There are 400 Baptiste churches alone in the Ivory Coast and the church in French speaking Africa is having a growing influence on the French church.
Currently I am in between projects. School has finished for me and summer is gearing up, which means that ministries are gearing down as people begin to go away on vacation. On the 28th I will take a three day trip south to Nice and visit a couple who were on the Ivory Coast mission team. From there I go to Camp des Cimes, where I worked last summer, for the entire month of July and come back to Paris the beginning of August just to fly back to the States.
I can't believe my two years is nearly finished ! What a privilege and honor it has been to learn from God and the French, to serve God and the French people, to share life with these wonderful people ! While I am anxious to see family and friends again, I will miss France and my friends enormously and will wait with an eager patience for my return. God willing that will only be 1-2 years.
Prayer Requests : 1. Complete healing from my sickness 2. Preparation for camp 3. Preparation for my return Stateside 4. Somewhere to store my belongings while I am in the States 5. A cheap ticket to the Denver, CO 6. A quick return to France 7. Deepening of the French speaking African church 8. A job Stateside (sorry for the number of prayer requests this time)
Praises : 1. God's goodness in Africa 2. My healing 3. My teammates 4. The countless souls that pray for me 5. Opportunity to go to camp again 6. Reuniting with my family soon 7. Opportunities to minister Stateside 7. Family, especially my two nieces who are so precious 8. God's love for us
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