This is the A.M.I Team that we had ministering with us for the month of July. This picture was taken the day Mike and Myra Taylor left and Larry DeArmey arrived. The team was able to meet a lot of different pastors and lay people, and they learned about the different ministries they are involved in. They traveled up country to Yaloke for three days, enjoyed attending the different orphan care groups that meet around the city, attended different Grace Brethren Churches each Sunday, studied the culture, learned some Sango, spent four and a half days living with an African family, helped to plant trees out at the James Gribble Ministry Center and also helped with some different project around the mission. Two of the students, pre-med students, had the opportunity to visit the Dental clinic and also to observe and help women in labor (with the help of one of our medical workers who speaks English). Now join me in praying as they are back in the States and returning to college, that they will be open to God’s leading in their lives. Our prayer is that some of them may feel led to come back and work alongside us. Needless to say, in my role as the Bangui Guest House manager and station hostess I was kept pretty busy making sure they had a clean place to live, clean clothes to wear and food to eat. This was all done with the wonderful help of Ann and Rosalie. These two ladies make my job very enjoyable!
Ginger Hock arrived back from the states and was in Bangui a day and a half before she left to attend the African Charis meetings in Yaounde. She returned and had a day with her husband before he left for a Bayaka village to put the roof on the church he has been helping them to build. Wilfried Dengler was also with him and helped them with their gardens. As I write this update Ginger’s mom is still holding on but is becoming weaker with each passing day. Please pray for God’s comfort and peace throughout this whole situation. Several days after writing this God called Ginger’s mom home to be with Him. We are thankful that she if out of pain and enjoying heaven.
The 4th of July was celebrated at the US Ambassador’s house, where I had the honor of shaking President Bozize’s hand again this year. Three days later I celebrated my 40th Birthday where my birthday was celebrated with emails, cards, song, gifts and phone calls from my family, friends, students and Central African co-workers. The best part was receiving no black balloons!
In August we have Mark Sims and Jeff Gill coming out for one week to continue working with Dr. Ngoumape on the Doctorate of Ministry program that the Bangui Seminary will be partnering with Grace Schools to offer. Then Pastor John Smith and Ryan Aument are coming out for two weeks to do some training with C.I.D.E.L. C.I.D.E.L is Dr. Hibaile’s ministry among government officials teaching ethics and leadership. August won’t be as busy as July has been. I enjoy my role in helping to facilitate these visits. I may not be directly involved in the Bangui Seminary or C.I.D.E.L but my ministry of hospitality has me playing a part of what is going on, which makes it easier on the organizations of the church when they have guests from outside of the Central Africa Republic come.
My English classes and tutoring continue to go well. All of my students are making good progress in English. In fact one of my beginning English students has started to attend the English Club at Bangui University (which I have worked with in the past), and the teacher leading the club told my beginning student that he could tell he was studying English with an American because his pronunciation was very good and he sounded like an American. I’ll take that as a compliment.
Have a good month and enjoy some sweet corn for me!
Heidi
