First Term Updates – Cote d’Ivoire/Senegal

Thanks so much to those of you who prayed for our 4th of July picnic and for our trip to Abidjan to pick up our co-workers. Our trip was blessedly uneventful, and we’re very glad to have Dave, Anora and Ereina here at ICA with us.

When last we wrote, we were busy preparing for our ‘fete nationale’ to which we had invited the french military who are on our campus. We are very pleased with how the day turned out. Our picnic started with a welcome, followed by the flag-raising and national anthem and then a prayer for our meal. Next we all enjoyed grilled ‘american’ hot dogs, various salads, boston baked beans and texas sheet cake while american oldies played from a sound system. After the meal, we played a few games (balloon toss, 3-legged race) before the highlight of the day – BASEBALL. We (both french and american) had lots of laughs as we tried to explain things we didn’t know needed explaining (like not running on a fly ball, advancing bases, etc.). Throughout the day, throughout all the activities, there were little conversation groups between ‘them’ and ‘us’. One question that seems to come up a lot: “Why are we here?!” We like that question; it gives us a chance to explain who we are and why we do what we do.

But that was only one day of our busy time here. Most days are more mundane, filled with cleaning, repairing, sorting through pilfered belongings, discovering new ways of doing things, etc. Lois was blessed last week to have an alumni show up and offer to help her with the network and computers. They are creatively combining parts from computers to come up with working systems.

We’re anticipating a visit from a workteam of 7 from our sending church. Please pray for them as they prepare to come, collecting all the things we’re asking them to bring (for us and for the school). Pray for safety as they travel, both to and within C?te d’Ivoire, and for no confusions with their luggage. What a blessing they will be to us and others here at ICA!

As we begin to return to ICA, all of us are coming back with a desire to live and share Christ with those around us. In our immediate vicinity, this is the French military who are living on campus. We begin with relationship building. This week, we are busily making plans for our ‘Fete Nationale’ (4th of July) to which we have invited them, and they have happily accepted. We are told to plan for 100 at our celebration on Sunday, so the 5 staff ladies on campus have our work cut out for us. We have no caterers in town from whom we can order cold-cut trays or fruit salad. As an example of the good relationships between the Americans and the French here at ICA, they have requested that we raise the ‘colors’ – that we salute our flag. We plan to do so – with a staff member playing our national anthem on her trumpet. Pray for this opportunity, that they may not see only proud Americans. We want them to wonder and begin to ask why we are here so that we can eventually share why we do what we do.

Next Wednesday we will travel to Abidjan to greet our new co-workers, Dave, Anora and Ereina Totman. We are looking forward to being re-united with this special family with whom we shared the joys of language school in Quebec. Pray for them this week as they are spending precious time with family and friends. Pray for safety as they travel here to Africa and that their luggage all arrives! Pray for the safety of all of us as we travel to and from Abidjan.

And as you pray, please thank the Lord for a new church who has been added to our team of financial supporters!

It feels wonderful to be back on campus. We?ve enjoyed reunions with some of our African friends and our co-workers. The campus is beautifully green right now, and we?re eating delicious fruit from the many different trees. As we are some of the first ones to return, we?re even enjoying being part of the welcoming party. This can involve arranging for/helping with the cleaning of the house of returning staff members, picking them up at the airport in Abidjan, helping them figure out where to buy supplies, or driving north to Bouak? with them.

Many of you already know some of the saga of our lost luggage, but for those who don?t, here?s the story. Because our flight to C?te d?Ivoire was re-routed due to weather problems, we were not surprised when we arrived in Abidjan without any of our luggage. However, as the days passed and it still didn?t arrive, we were growing most frustrated. Bob spent several mornings at the airport, talking to claims handlers and searching through their lost-luggage rooms. It didn’t show up for a week, and then only after we had called and e-mailed all four airlines involved.

After six days of this, we sat down and made a detailed list of everything in our luggage, getting ready to file a claim. We had decided that there wasn’t anything else we could do. We were very aware that it was Wednesday night prayer meeting in the states, and we wondered what the Lord might do through the prayers of our supporters. Thursday morning, we received a call from the airport in Abidjan saying our luggage had arrived. We are once again in awe of our God and how he works through the prayers of His saints!

“It is of the LORD?S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21-25)

We quickly saw that God may have delayed our luggage so that we would still be in Abidjan when another missionary couple who was passing through Abidjan was attacked by young ?patriots? and needed ?a touch from home?. We were certainly blessed to be there for them, and even more blessed when we realized that we had been God?s special messengers for that time of need. We once again were reminded that we have a God Who lovingly directs our lives, and that we can trust Him even when things don?t look good.

Additional Blessings Received:

? Support – two months ago, our support was in the deficit by $450/month. When we left the states on June 1st, we were lacking only $60/month, but we?re confident that even that amount has come in by now. We?re just waiting to hear how God worked.

? Safety ? our trip north was blessedly uneventful. After being in Abidjan for a week longer than planned, we wanted to get ?home? so badly that we traveled up alone instead of waiting four more days to travel with another family.

? Ability to Communicate ? we are blessed to be able to communicate more fluently at the barriers on the way north as well as our African friends.

Challenges and Prayer Concerns:

? Safety ? for workteams who are coming to help with the ?ton? of work that needs to be done to reclaim our campus

? Wisdom ? for everyone as we decide what of the old way of doing things should be kept and what should be changed to better support the educational needs of Third-Culture Kids (MKs) in West Africa

? Communication ? no phone lines out to campus, therefore no e-mail from campus; extremely limited access in Bouak? (shared phone line connection); no post office (mail is delivered to missions in Abidjan and brought north when someone comes); BUT cellphones do work.

Again, we want to thank all of you for your part in helping us get back to the field here at International Christian Academy in C?te d?Ivoire, West Africa. Please know that we highly treasure your care for us as you pray and give.