The month of May flew by very fast with all the different visitors coming and going. Pastor Jason Carmean and Jeff Kemper (Jeff, sorry for spelling your name wrong last month) arrived on May 14 with all their luggage. They had one day to rest up and then started teaching the next day after they arrived. Pastor Jason taught Revelation and Jeff taught the Life of Christ. Then May 28 we welcomed Dave Guiles (Director of GBIM), Frank Puhl (African Regional Director), George Traub (Vice President of GBIM board), and Pastor Jeff Bogue, Pastor Joe Caruso, Dr. Sean Cannone and Jon Hallsten from the Grace Church in Akron Ohio. This is one of my supporting churches so it was an added benefit to get to know them better. Everyone was here to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the James Gribble Ministry Center, where the Seminary will be built. This was scheduled for Saturday, May 23 but, due to the death of the Vice President of the country, Saturday was declared a day of mourning so we held the ground-breaking on Friday, May 22 instead. Friday was a rainy day which made it cooler, especially for all the guys who were wearing suits and ties, but it also made the road getting back to the site very muddy. I was driving the new Land cruiser and got stuck twice in mud! The first time I was able to get out and the second time I had to call Tim Hock to come back and help. He got us out and we arrived at the site of the dedication. It had been raining off and on all morning so it was pure mud. My feet were covered with mud but when I looked around me I realized I wasn’t the only one with this problem. The ceremony lasted about an hour and through it all I feel God’s name was praised by all that was said and done. Below is a picture of Dave Guiles giving his speech on behalf of G.B.I.M.
Dave, Frank, Jeff, Joe, Sean and Jon left Monday for Moundou, Chad via MAF and Jason, Jeff and George stayed on until Thursday, when they flew out on Air France. While the guys were here I was able to help get them around to the different meetings and also helped with translating when needed. On one of our outings we went to the Castor GBC where Pastor Jeff spoke to over five hundred young people. I stood up to introduce myself in Sango and the kids just cheered. I told them I wasn’t a guest but had been living and working in their country and that is why I spoke Sango. I then translated for the other guys as they introduced themselves.
After a busy May I’m glad the month of June will be less so. I am looking forward to seeing Pastor Steve Taylor and several others from the Aiken GBC from Aiken, South Carolina who are coming out to attend graduation at Mbaiki and to teach in Bambari with Pastor Mboi Andre. The Aiken GBC has done a lot for Africa and continues to do so.
Please be praying for my teammate Ginger Hock whose eighty-five year old mother, Betty, has just been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer. As I type this update Ginger is making plans to fly back to the States to be with her mother and family. Pray for all the details that need to come together before she leaves and pray that her mother will not be in a lot of pain. Ginger is thankful that her mother is a believer and she knows where she will be spending eternity. If you are reading my update and you’re not sure where you will be spending eternity when you die, I would love to share God’s gift of eternal life with you. Just email me at hsisson@gbim.org and I’ll answer any questions that you may have.
Have a great start to your summer!
Heidi
