February 4, 2002
Dear Ministry & Prayer Partners,
MAIL GUIDELINES
We have some guidelines to share with you
concerning communication. We cannot receive
any "forwards" or photos through
emails. Internet access is costly and these
take longer to download; so we ask you not
to send them. It also puts our computer at
a higher risk for viruses and worms. We thank
you for your cooperation in this. Our pastor
in the US., Bro. Marvin Howard, has graciously
created a web page for us. It can be viewed
by going to http://www.telapex.com/~mtzion2
then click on OUR MISSIONARY FAMILY. Updates
and general information will be placed on
this site in addition to the newsletters
that will be sent out monthly.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
As some of you know, Erin had malaria a couple
of weeks ago. Many of you prayed for her,
God heard those prayers answered them, and
she was healed. We appreciate your prayers
more than you know. Most people in America
don't realize how serious the disease can
be. In West Africa it can range from flu-like
symptoms to death --and many do die each
year with malaria. We appreciate you taking
our prayer concerns seriously.
ISSUES TODAY
In our last letter we told you we would be
in our house in Tabou by March. Well, we'll
be doing good to get there by April. However,
God has given us opportunities and time to
do other things. Guy has made two trips to
the airport and feels confident on this trail.
So when you come down here for a trip or
visit we can accommodate. We know some good
restaurants. Cindy knows where to take the
ladies to get fabric, good souvenirs, and
she's found her way to the mall several times.
We've been stopped by the police several
times without any arrest, tickets, or giving
in to a bribe. HA. So we feel more comfortable
driving in this city. In some ways we feel
as if we are "spinning our wheels"
here. You know, Joseph was in prison for
years before he was second in command in
Egypt. Paul was sent back to Tarsus, some
theologians say 4 to 6 years, before he ever
came back on the scene. Were these two men
"spinning their wheels" or was
God preparing them for something? We believe
God was preparing them for what was to come.
As we spend our days and weeks in this apartment
in Abidjan, we are trying to stay focused
and believing that God is using this time
for what lies ahead of us, preparing us,
even as unproductive as we feel at times.
In the states we believe that if we are not
being productive it is a sin (not literally
but you know what I mean). We want to DO
but God wants us to BE. We need to be more
concerned about being who God wants us to
be rather than doing. So we are taking it
one day at a time; trusting God with His
timing and His ways and learning this city's
culture and the people, so that we can facilitate
what needs to be done in Tabou-- which is
mobilization.
PRAYER NEEDS
1. Most homes here have house help/guards/etc.
who are responsible for protecting the family
for which they work and the property, aiding
in yard work and house hold chores. There
are people bending over backwards for these
positions as West Africa has a high unemployment
rate. We as a family will be traveling often,
possibly being away from the house 1 week
or longer. At times Guy will be traveling
sometimes up to a week. We need prayer for
DISCERNMENT and WISDOM for HIRING the right
people who will look out for us and our best
interest, our children and our property.
2. Pray that we will learn all the LANGUAGE
we possibly can in French the next month.
We will only be able to get the basics, then
move onto learning Grebo, the heart language
of the people group we are working with.
3. Another job we recently learned that we
will be responsible for is acquiring prayer
advocacy for the Grebo. Pray that God will
LEAD us in the right directions and He will
BURDEN people and churches to adopt the Grebo
people group. Many are praying for our family,
but people need to also be praying for the
Grebo.
4. Pray that we will GROW IN CHRIST and that
God would continue to CULTIVATE a LOVE in
us for the people.