Dear friends,
time again for a little update. Our internet stick lapsed and so we have been without internet for a little while, so I’ve been unable to post until now.
The hospital work is improving for us as we are getting the handle of things- IV starts that were once impossible for me I can now almost always get on my first try (which is great because I usually have to do at least 4 a day)! Our French is also getting better and better and we are able to communicate with our colleagues more easily.
Amy and I have also joined the hospital chorale, it is called “Shalom”. There are about twelve members, and so far it is a lot of fun! We are learning African songs or familiar songs with African rhythms, and we might teach them one of our own English Christmas carols next week. We will have a concert at the end of December.
The SLC conference was a wonderful time meeting such interesting, amazing people and being able to intensively study the word. Steve Schmidt (a Canadian/American), the SIM director in Niamey, Niger was the speaker for the conference. He preached on Romans 12 and he did an excellent job. He is such a humble man, and it is so evident that he is a lover of God’s word. I helped with worship with Walter and Bonnie Aebi (he is Swiss and she is American); throughout the week it was a mix of French and English! At the conference there were 40 adults and 15 children (all boys- only one was a girl!) coming from Togo, Benin and Niger.
We also had a lot of fun activities: for example one day we played a big game of baseball, one night there was a campfire, and one day we went to visit widows in the community with groceries and gifts. It was such a blessing to see the church meeting the needs of these widows as the bible so clearly instructs!
The death of Christopher Cherry, the 10 year old son of one family of missionaries, was still very fresh on everyone’s minds. He passed away from cerebral malaria just this past September. The Cherry’s have gone home for 6 weeks to be with family but will be returning soon. Their cousins, the Kauffman’s (they have 4 children), were at the conference and the loss has weighed heavily on them. The Cherry’s and the Kauffman’s work with the Dendi people in northern Benin, a very closed and as-yet unreached group of Muslims with in translation and evangelism. Please pray for them, for encouragement and for peace.
One night the group had an extended worship night and the opportunity to share songs. Paul Kauffman arranged a men’s quartet to sing an old hymn that had spoken to him, and he shared a story of missionaries who had been 40 years on the mission field and returned home on a ship. Theodore Roosevelt, who enjoyed very much to hunt, was returning home after a hunting expedition and when they arrived at the harbour the red carpet was rolled out and many people were celebrating his arrival. The missionaries arrived and found that no one had come to meet them, and the man said to his wife, “It’s not fair. He has gone hunting for a few weeks and the whole city comes to welcome him home, while we have given forty years in service and not even one is here to see us home.” His wife turned to her husband and said, “Dear, we are not home yet.”
Some words from the hymn that they sang:
“He bears from the fetters of darkness... Resplendant in glory to live and to save... Jesus hath risen and made us immortal to heaven ascend. Lift then your voices in triumph on high, for Jesus hath risen and man shall not die.”
What was really impressed on my heart throughout the conference was the incredible blessing it is to be a part of the family of God. To see the missionaries and their families who each have made great sacrifices of comfort and safety in order that they might bring the gospel to people who have never heard or understood the message of Jesus- how incredible to share in their lives! To be able to be challenged and strengthened by them, and also to pray for them and encourage them... that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The earnestness and the beauty of believers holding fast to Christ in the midst of suffering profoundly touched my heart. What a blessing, praise be to God.
For now we are back in Bembéréké. The Hegemans left this Thursday for New York and we are preparing for the parting of Anja on December 9th and Manassé and Béatrice on the 21st. Many goodbyes, but God will be faithful in providing many friends and things to be involved in for us, I am sure.
Thank you for your continued prayers, I need them! And also send me your prayer requests, I love to pray for everyone at home.
With lots of love,
Charity
