Hello friends and family. It’s November and we have entered the second season of the year, Harmatten season. The rains have ended and vegetation is drying up and everything is turning brown. There is fine dust or dirt in the air and the temperatures are HOT and cool in the evenings. We totally miss FALL and SPRING and even WINTER—Togo does NOT have these seasons.
So needless to say, Togo does not celebrate Thanksgiving like Americans, and only some Togolese people celebrate Christmas. I have not seen any Christmas decorations here in Atakpame but I’m told you can find it in Lomé. I tried making a Christmas tree out of toilet paper rolls and that was a waste of time. It looked more like a rocket with lots of fins. I am going to have to be MORE creative to come up with something to make it feel like Christmas around here.
Sight.org has served in the Plateau region for a year now ending in December and will be moving to another region for a year. The government wants us to minister in Elavagnon, northeast of Atakpame. We are saddened by this as the Plateau region is very beautiful and full of mountains and we have made many friends in the villages we have visited. We could possibly be back in four years to see them again. We will be going to a flat, plains area. I will be able to tell you much more about it in January when we go to check it out.
We will especially miss one village, Adjahon. It’s a very small village but we have built beautiful relationships with these people. They have been growing in God’s Word as they have an audio Bible to listen to each week. There have been around twenty adults who attend consistently. We got to study, pray, and worship with them this last week. God has been moving in their midst according to their testimonies! They are excited to see what GOD is going to do in the days to come. Malibow (the woman with epilepsy who fell in the fire) lives in this village.
We also met Afowa in August, a 30 year old woman who became a believer when our ministry team was in her village. We also prayed for her distended stomach as we thought she had a tumor. We revisited the village later and found that Afowa had worsened and we were asked to pray again for her. I can’t explain what happened but we certainly “felt” the kingdom of God come into her little room as we prayed for her. We felt lead to take her to the hospital in Tsiko. She had never been to the doctor.
After several tests, they found that her liver was not functioning and prescribed some medications for her to take. One day in October, she had asked about our ministry team that had traveled with her. Her husband happily professed that she was very thankful that we had taken the time to care for her.
The very next evening, we received word that she had gone home to be with the Lord. We are thankful that she does not have to suffer anymore but ask that you pray for her husband and three children, the youngest is a four-month-old boy. Please pray for her family and the village as they continue to mourn.
We have become close to these families. We will have to go visit them on our “off” weeks to keep in contact. Missions is all about relationships.
We had fifty-one children in this village for our children’s ministry. They loved coloring their pages.
We are hoping to return to the US in February 2017 for a short furlough to visit our children, grandkids, and friends. We can’t wait to meet our two new grandbaby boys who were born in May and July of this year. Lord willing with your help we can purchase our tickets to come home and return to TOGO for another year.
May God Bless your families and increase your faith in the work he is doing in your life! If God moves upon your heart to give toward our flights, please check our FB page to sign up for a “spot.” No gift is too small! Also, if you give between now and November 29, you will entered into a drawing for a giveaway of a handmade patchwork bag from Togo. We appreciate your giving hearts to make this possible for us!! GOD Bless You!!