This Week

Jonathan and I are happy that it is almost Sabbath. It has been such a
busy week and Jonathan is feeling sick again. He is so tired. I hope he
doesn't have malaria or something.

It's really hot here now. Today it was 105F in the house! That's fast
becoming normal as this hot season is really here now.

Joanne broke her ankle falling off a bad horse. In her words, "he just
wouldn't stop!" She is in a lot of pain. I helped her this morning with
things.

Tomorrow we start church in Bendele for the first time! We put up the
One-Day-Church this week! We are so excited to have this done and start
church there. We will still continue church in Dabgue.

New Church

This week the land papers were finalized for the new Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Nergue Anna (a section of Bere like a "suburb"). The
location is within a five-minute walk of our compound and is well
placed, surrounded by population. A big tree near the church will also
serve as a nice shade shelter under which to do Sabbath School programs
for the kids.

Construction began Monday. Because of the intense heat and sun mid-day,
we decided to break the work up into three half-days: foundation, main
structure, and roofing. People are amazed when they walk by and see a
church structure where there was only a rough field a few days before.
We thank God for the blessing of safety during the construction. And for
the mangoes that gave us energy as we worked.

The days have been hot, about 105 degrees in the shade in the house. Out
in the sun, it is considerably hotter than that, especially when
roofing. But our crew worked well and happily together. Pierre is
especially happy.

I'll try get some pictures and post them soon. Brick walls should start
next week. Matthew is working on getting some benches ordered.

Grounded!

Our Cessna 172 has been working hard. We've been treating the engine as
best we know how. The plane was booked full of flights for the next
three weeks, some of them even international flights. But now the engine
oil temperature sensor is telling us some bad news: oil temperatures are
running abnormally high. The oil filter is also telling us bad news: it
has caught a small pile of magnetic metal shavings. Metal shavings tell
us that something is being slowly chewed to shreds in the engine. Gary
suspects it is a spun bearing.

Now we are grounded. We do not know the final solution, but it will
eventually involve shipping this engine back to the States and ordering
a newly rebuilt one to install here.

What is God's plan in this? Why did this have to happen just at the
point where we are beginning to depend more heavily on the airplane?
When will we be flying again - in four months? in six months? next year?
God knows. And He cares.

We choose to continue work with what resources we have. Please pray for
the ministry here as we face this challenge and continue seeking God's
wisdom for the unknown future. The devil is attempting to discourage us,
but we choose not to become discouraged. "I press toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14

Dental Work and Health Talks

Lately I have been more involved with medical work. I have decided to go
to the hospital every Monday morning to listen to the consultations in
the ER. This will help me learn more French and learn more about the
diseases in Chad. It is quite a challenge sometimes though. Only a third
of the time are they even speaking French and often the patients mumble
the words out. I can hardly make out what they are saying sometimes. But
it's good for me and I am slowly learning.

Around 12:15pm I leave and eat lunch, do a few things around the house
and then I'm off again. I'm doing a charcoal health talk every week.
Each week I do it in a different location. A bunch of the SM's at the
hospital have decided to help on a project called, "Project 21". Monday
through Thursday every week we are teaching basic health to the locals.
I have decided to help with this project so my health talk on Monday's
is just one of many health talks that are being presented.

On Wednesday mornings every week we (Project 21) offer free dental
service. I'm helping with this also. 15 or more locals come each
Wednesday to get their teeth pulled. I'm not a dentist of course but
back in December 2009 a dentist trained me how to pull teeth and so I'm
happy to have this opportunity to get comfortable doing this again.

Frederick's First Sermon

I have asked Frederick a number of times if he would present a sermon,
but each time he declined saying that he does not know enough. Well, the
other day, I loaned him one of my two French concordances and explained
to him how to use it. I told him that this is what pastors use to
prepare sermons and Bible studies. Then I asked him if he would present
the sermon the next Sabbath. He accepted.

Today 17.March.2012 Frederick preached his first sermon! The topic of
his choice: The Two Covenants. His presentation was well studied through
and well delivered. It was a moment of joy for me to see how far he has
come in the last couple of years - from being baptized to preaching his
first sermon on the two covenants! I'm sure I'm a little biased, but it
was probably the best sermon I have ever heard from a Chadian.

His closing remarks at the end of the services were: "People will mock
us when we chose to accept the New Covenant. Absolutely, our friends
will mock us because we are Christians. Our families will mock us. But
keep your courage. Be strong. Be persistent. What matters is our loyalty
to God and heart obedience to truth. Maranatha!"

Thursday Tourne

We awoke early and I departed solo just about sunrise to verify the
strip at our next destination. Upon arrival, I circle the strip and note
the location of a few things to avoid: truck ruts at one end, a hole
near the same end, and a few rocks sprinkled around. Determining that I
could land safely with plenty of room, I descended to a smooth touchdown.

Crowds of children and adults came running toward the plane as I quickly
make a radio call and shut down. Walking the runway, I found quite a
number of rocks ranging in size from a few inches to a few about a foot
in diameter. These are not friendly to airplanes. So a whole team of
children lined up across the runway and together we "swept" it clean of
rocks. Rocks and sticks were flying everywhere, almost hitting several
kids. But all went well and a big job was made light and happy by
cheerful volunteering children.

I returned to Bere, fueled up, and picked up my passengers - this time
including Melody! We rolled to a stop, parked the plane, and began
walking toward the big lake, about a mile distant. The health clinic is
in a village on the other side of this lake. Arriving at the beach,
Melody and I are excited to see a large, wooden boat with a motor on the
end. We pile in and wait for our guide to start the motor. We talk about
the hippos and crocodiles that live in this lake. Later we hear about
the mystery monster fish that gives milk to it's babies. Huh?

On the other side, Melody and I meet the people at the clinic and are
offered the usual tea and gato snack. "No tea? How about Coke? What? You
just drink water?" This is the usual response wherever we travel and it
gives us an opportunity to teach these "health professionals" a bit of
simple health concepts.

When they start their meeting, Melody and I go explore a gully/wash and
eat some lunch. Dried bean flakes re-hydrated on bread that Melody made.
Then we walk down to the lake where there is vivid green grass. We
haven't seen such green for months, and it was quite refreshing. The
village children came in large numbers to surround us and to sing and
chant and be happy.

Finally, it is time to go. I had given our passengers a strict time
limit. If we are not at the plane by this time, we can't go home. We
have to stay in this village. Pressed for time, they opted to eat a
rushed rice-and-meat meal in the boat on the way back.

On the way to our their final stop, the pastor again picked up the
French Steps to Christ from the seat pocket. He was always either
reading 1 Samuel or Steps to Christ in the plane. I gave him a copy, and
gave one to the doctor as well.

We part ways with our health team and hope to meet up again in a couple
weeks to finish some more work. But for now, Melody and I need to find a
place to stay in Mondou for the night. It is too late to fly back to
Bere today. Dr. James and Sarah host us wonderfully. We enjoy the luxury
of a shower with running water!

Thank God for safe travels this far. We pray for all the literature left
behind and the influence of conversations and life in the various villages.

Wednesday Tourne

This morning I was served a breakfast with the group. They had rice and
sauce "with eyes" and I had my own little dish of seasoned rice "without
eyes." I was grateful for this meal. The rice was seasoned nicely with
onion and tomato.

I found a tub of half-icky water in the room where we bathed, so I got
my water filter and filled my bottles for the day. I am so grateful for
this little water filter.

The pickup truck for the local government officials arrived and we piled
in. After a quick stop to say hi to the government people, we were off
to the airstrip, maybe 5 kilometers distant. As I did preflight and
verified fuel and oil and security of various components, my passengers
were getting a little impatient about how long this process was taking.
I assured them that this option was better than dying in the bush after
a crash, and they calmed down.

I tried to contact base on the radio, but got no response. I try to
contact the people at our next destination, but no response. Cell phones
aren't working for now. So I take off anyway and head to Tchaguine. We
make good time with tailwinds and find the strip nicely cleared, but a
bit sandy.

While the doctor and pastor do their activities, I walk the runway and
get the GPS point for a newly erected cell tower near the runway. Then I
spend a pleasant few hours with a missionary couple based here. They
show me their solar-powered radio station and their house, designed to
catch and funnel cooling wind from any direction into the central living
area. We share a meal of local beans and rice and then head back to the
airplane.

Now we are bound for Bere, where my wife is eagerly waiting for me. It
was really good to get back home and eat a home-cooked meal. Melody and
I fuel the plane in preparation for tomorrow's travels, then crawl into
bed for some well-needed sleep.

Tuesday Tourne

I wake up during the night here in Bailli. Melody is not with me. I miss
her.

I do not hear any sounds. Must be around mid-night.

Later I wake up and hear roosters. I know it is after 4am, but not light
yet. Later, I hear bees humming in the trees. I know that dawn had
arrived; bees awaken with light. I read, pray, eat a few munchies
(including some dried apples), call Melody, filter some water, pack my
backpack, and walk out to the runway.

A man comes on a moto and insists that I must have some coffee. On the
way, I explain to him that plain water will be fine. Not tea? No coffee?
What? How do you find "la force" with just water? I sit down in a
plastic chair in front of a little table under a sticks-and-grass
shelter. The others arrive shortly. More food arrives, but I'm told that
this food has eyes in it. More hearty laughs.

I see my same platter. White bread, mayonnaise, and this tub of strange
stuff. At least I get a look at this strange stuff. Is it some sort of
sesame thing? I think so. I sort of like it. I sort of don't.

Back at the airplane, I do preflight and prepare to leave. I leave a
French book with the guard. He slept by the airplane on a couple of
cement sacks sewn together. He mumbled something about a disturbance at
three in the morning, but it was mostly Arabic and I didn't understand
everything.

Finally it is time to leave Bailli for Kourno. I talk to the runway
maintainer and tell him he has done a good job. Then I complain about
the bicycle man who drove out onto the runway. "That was me," said the
guard with a big grin on his face. "I was trying to get to the parking
spot before you got there." I told him that the airplane is very
dangerous and that it has a large knife spinning around in front. He
wasn't impressed.

After departure, I radio base with flight info and estimated arrival
time. It is nice to have radio following when flying out over the bush.
We cross miles and miles of vehicle tracks from the oil company. Here
and there are oil wells dug but capped off.

After landing at Kourno, I help the guys for almost three hours to fill
in holes in the runway. Some animals dug burrows under the runway and
they have collapsed, leaving some pretty big pits. Thankfully, they are
off the center. That done, I am escorted on moto about 5km to another
village nearby.

As I sit here typing on the porch area of an uninhabited former
missionary house, curious kids pop their heads around the corner to peek
at this stranger white man. As I turn my head to look at them, they duck
back behind the corner and giggle. Finally some of them get up the
courage to greet me. I invite them over and show them some pictures of
American animals.

I am served a nice salad with onions, lettuce, and tomato. A lady comes
and gives me a Pepsi. I reply that I prefer water. I tell her why, and
she is interested. She wanted to know what I eat. She somehow heard that
I don't eat anything with eyes. She said she would take a portion of the
rice and put just tomato and oil in it. I told her that would be fine.

She asked about our mission with GMI. She asked about my family and
children. I asked about hers. I said, "In my village, sometimes the
girls get married at 13 or 14 years old." She said such an age is too
young and not good. "You should be at least 15 years old before getting
married." I told her that I waited until I was 27 years old and my wife
was 23. "You were wise..."

The day is cooling off. They tell me my bath water is ready. Then we
will probably eat.

Tonight I will share a room with the two other guys I'm flying around.
We each get a thin foam mattress about 2 feet wide. Luxury.

Monday Tourne

Monday I picked up a Chadian doctor and pastor to start a medical
tourne. The plan is to go from village to village to check up on the
medical clinics already existing and to do administrative stuff.

From Ndjamena, our first stop was the village of Bailli. As I was on
short final, I saw a man racing toward the runway on his bicycle. I
thought that surely he should stop but that surely he wouldn't stop
before crossing the runway, so was prepared to do a go-around. Sure
enough. He looked up, saw the airplane coming, and pedaled even faster
as he entered the runway just about the same time and place I would have
touched down. I just extended my touch-down point to beyond where he was
and landed safely with plenty of time.

Shortly after shutdown, hundreds of curious people came to see the
airplane. We unloaded the packages and the doctor and pastor went off to
work while I stayed behind with the airplane. Once finished, I walked
the runway and got the GPS points for ends and center. Then a man took
me by moto to the health center.

After a while, we had boule to eat. The sauce looked even more real than
snot itself, and it was very long (up to a meter). Chunks of bone and
tendons and veins protruded. The rice boule and the millet boule were ok
and I ate a bit of each. Then I went with one of the EET church
officials and got GPS points for two new cell phone towers in the village.

Next we visited the large church of 300+ members. The church building
was of course mud-brick and dirt floor, but quite large. Inside were
several benches and a termite-eaten pulpit supported by a brick on one
side. Then I visited with this man's family at his home. He wanted me to
pray for his mother-in-law who has been ill for 8 years.

Then we visited another home where a "doctor" operates a clinic. We
discussed snake bite and scorpion sting. I explained to him how to apply
moto shock and charcoal. He was quite interested and willing to learn.

I was served another boule meal. This time the sauce was not quite as
long, but full of bones and fish meat. I opted for the rice part, which
was better than the first time.

At the end of the day, I relaxed back at the house by the clinic and
talked with the family there. The boy wants to be a pilot someday. I
told him he needed to know mathematics and physics and geography and
climate and other things to be a good pilot. We talked about praying
that God would direct him in his studies.

The girl came and knelt beside me and said, "Your bathing water is
ready." Before, they had asked me if I wanted warm water or not. I
assured them that I was used to cold water. I'm not that whimpy.

I'm ready for bed. But the last meal has yet to be served. They finally
realize that I am not a meat-eater. They give me a special platter of
white bread, mayonnaise, and a small tub of something off-white, hard,
crunchy, stringy, sort of sweet-tasting, sort-of-good-but-strange. The
writing is in Arabic I think, but it is so dark I can't tell for sure
what it is. I decide to put that on my bread rather than the mayonnaise.
The chemical content is probably less. I determined that the substance
was probably a sesame derivative.

We talk about diet. "You don't even eat fish?" they ask. "Nothing with
eyes," I reply. They all thought that was hilarious. Then out came the
salad, which contained tomatoes. I had to ask them if the slimy things
inside the tomato were eyes. "Ha ha ha ha." Funny.

Finally, I get a moto ride to where I will sleep. I am prepared to sleep
under the plane. But I get to sleep in a former missionary's house with
tin roof, mattress, mosquito net, and even an outhouse with a sit-down
toilet (gross)! Inside my own room, I sneak some homemade crackers,
dried fruit, and a couple biscuits Melody had packed for me to bring
along. I drift of to sleep.

RIP Ella

Ella has been sick for several weeks now. She is the baby "sister" of
Matt, one of our SMs. The baby was perhaps about a year old and has been
somewhat malnourished, and came down with malaria and other issues. She
was at the hospital for a long time until the doctor said, "There's
nothing more we can do. Just take her home." Soon thereafter, she died.

Pierre came to find me, but I was out working at the Nutrition Center.
When I came back, I heard the news. "Ella is dead." I finish up a few
things and head over to Pierre's house. Melody is still not well enough
to accompany me, so remains behind to rest.

Upon arrival, I see the usual groups of men and women wailing and
carrying on. The women are all surrounding the little body of Ella on a
big mat. I join Matthew and Pierre on another mat and say a few words. A
little later Ella's uncle returns from a trip to the market with a small
plastic bag. He kneels down in front of Ella and unfolds a white cloth
which which he covers her. Then he breaks down and weeps.

Several people dig a small hole. It is next to another tiny grave.

I go get Noel and we do a short funeral service. Pierre speaks a few words.

Then the wailing picks up again as the little body is carried just about
ten meters to the hole. They sprinkle some perfume on her, cover her
with a piece of a mat and fill the hole back in. The mound is rounded
and covered with bricks. Then they wash hands and pour the water over
the top of the new grave.

It all seems like a routine now. Another death. Another funeral. Another
person who escapes further suffering and hardship to await Jesus' soon
return in peace.

Some people morn and wail hopelessly as if this was the final time they
will see Ella. The depth of others seems to be more shallow - as if they
know that this is not the final end. There is hope and life beyond the
grave.

I can hardly wait for Jesus to return. I must be faithful to share Jesus
with as many people as possible.

Culture Disconnect

Before we begin our Bible study, I sometimes ask if anybody has a
question on their mind that they would like to study. We now have two
French concordances, so the people who come are learning how to use
those. Thursday evening somebody asked for Bible responses to three
questions:
1) Can I find eternal life after I have sinned and asked for forgiveness?
2) If I kill somebody accidentally (as in a moto accident), is that
something God can forgive?
3) If I kill somebody intentionally, is that something God can forgive?

So we looked up verses like:
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his
thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And
to our God, For He will abundantly pardon."

God cleanses us from _all_ unrighteousness. He will _abundantly_ pardon.
And so on. The Bible is clear that God forgives sins - all sins that we
ask forgiveness for.

"But what about big sins? Can God forgive those?" somebody asked.

Sometimes we tend to judge the badness of a sin by it's immediate
consequence. When a person commits murder, he is thrown in jail and
fined. "Big sin." When a person tells a lie, it is not likely that he
will face any immediate consequence. "Little sin." But God defines sin
as the transgression of His law (1 John 3:4). That means in God's eyes,
sin is sin, "big" or "little."

We continued with our discussion. "Can God forgive intentional murder?"
I asked in an effort to test their understanding. "Yes." "No." "Yes."
There was a bit of disagreement. Jesus prayed for those who were killing
Him, "Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." David prayed
for and found forgiveness even after intentional murder and adultery
combined.

Everybody agreed that yes, God can forgive all sins. So I give another
question to test their understanding: "Is there any sin that God can not
forgive?"

"Well, in our culture, it is a terrible thing to sleep with one of your
parents. That is so horrible that God cannot forgive you if you do that.
Also, if I plan to kill somebody and go out and kill him, that is
something too horrible for God to forgive."

I can hardly believe my ears. But here is somebody who knows clearly
what the Bible says, but chooses to believe his culture instead. For
many, even among churched people and pastors, culture is a higher
priority than God and His Word. I am continuing to better understand an
important key to the work here. Brain knowledge does a person zero good
without heart acceptance. People can know the truth and yet its power is
ineffective for change in their lives. "Yes, that's what the Bible says.
I agree with you. 100% BUT... my culture says..." It is no wonder with
this attitude why the majority of "Christians" here are only half committed.

How can I lead a person from brain knowledge to a deep-seated love of
the truth? Only through the work of the Holy Spirit is this possible.
Please pray for wisdom for me to know how to lead people to a true, deep
level of commitment. Pray for this work to take place in your heart and
in my heart. Are you committed to truth as it is in God's Word above
anything else, even above your culture?