First Term Updates – Cote d’Ivoire/Senegal

First, we have cause to praise. All our staff has arrived. Thank you for your prayers in this area.

However, many are not feeling well. A ‘flu’ is making its rounds, hitting teachers more than students at this point. But we know it’s just a matter of time before our students are also getting sick. Unfortunately, when the body’s defenses are down, malaria sometimes kicks in. Please pray for the health of our students and staff.

I’ve received some wonderful e-mails from some of you and I love the news. I hope soon to have a moment to catch up in answering all my e-mails. Thank you for your patience and, again, for your prayers.

Today is the first day of school for the new year. Students seem excited to be back, and parents seem reluctant to leave. Some families have just returned from furlough, so those students are especially glad to be back and see their friends.

We have a few staff members who are still traveling, as well as parents who are returning home; please pray for their safety. Also pray that the sweet unity we are sensing among the staff will not only continue, but will be felt by the students. 

This Saturday, our director and a few other staff and students from ICA, will attend a memorial service for Zoro (the guard who was recently killed here at ICA) in his home village about 3 hours north of Bouake. Please pray that they will be a testimony of God’s love to his family and friends who do not know Him.

And thanks again for your prayers.

As we sit in sessions during our first day of orientation, our hearts are saddened by the news from Murree Christian Academy in Pakistan. We urge you to pray for them as you prayed for us and to e-mail them with your encouragements. (Their e-mail address can be found on the website for Association for Christian Schools International.) These things mean so much during times of fear and reaffirmations of trust.

Today, our director has outlined new security measures that are and will be in place. Some are the same ones that kept the children at Murree safe during their recent terrorism. We pray they will never be necessary here, but we are putting them into place even so. We are as determined as Daniel’s 3 friends to stand firm and to believe that God can deliver us, but to continue to trust even if He doesn’t.

Staff members are still arriving. There have been delays in transportation and other discouragements, but all who were planning to come before July 17th are still coming. For this we are thanking and praising the Lord. Please pray that all these frustrations will be overcome and that the remainder of our staff will soon be with us.

Bob is enjoying his newly refurnished classroom; I even made curtains (OK – I started them and had them finished by a local seamstress.). He has been asked to ‘mentor’ a new teacher, which makes us feel like old timers. As always, I’m in the middle of network and internet improvements; we hope the end result will give us more dependable e-mail and internet access.

We love knowing that you will be praying for us tonight. More and more we understand Paul’s warm feelings as he thought of those who were praying for him. Please know that we are joyfully thanking God for you.