We're Still Here!

We know we're not the best bloggers in the blogosphere but our silence over the past month wasn't exactly our fault. We were somehow locked out of our blog and had a hard time getting logged in and posting. I think (i sure hope!) that the problem is solved and we can keep posting without a huge hassle everytime.

A quick run down of the past month:

Our crank shaft was resurfaced and put back into our car in Burkina Faso the week before Easter. Therefore, Damon flew to Burkina on Friday the 21st to pick it up. He arrived just in time because Tabitha Hauser had her baby, Anastasia Joy (means Resurrection Joy) on the 22nd. He was glad to be able to celebrate with them and welcome Ana into the world, and he was also able to help take care of Will and Sam so Brian could be with Tab. Damon headed back to Ivory Coast on Easter morning (our third Easter in a row to not be together as a family, but we were able to celebrate together today 2 weeks later) and made it back Monday around noon. The car then immediately went into the shop to have a pulley replaced then a few days later when in for a starter problem. We have it back now but are wondering what will happen next....Ü

On Easter Sunday the kids and i along with our teammates, the Bledsoe's, Buregea's and Elizabeth Sorenson, took a badjan out to the village of Kodjina to celebrate at the regional church convention which had been going on there since the 20th. For the first time, the 16 churches decided to forego a big mission wide annual convention as they have in the past, and instead held 3 regional ones to make it easier and less expensive for people to attend. The verdict is still out on whether or not it was better than the one huge convention but we do know that things went well in Kodjina and we were glad to be able to celebrate Christ's resurrection with our brothers and sisters there.

On the 26th, we were honored to host Dr Suzie Snyder from CMF along with 2 missions pastors and a missions committee chairman from Highland Meadows Christian Church in Irving, TX and Hazeldell Church of Christ in Indianapolis, IN, for a week. They came to Ivory Coast to visit the HIV ministry and see how their churches could be involved in ministering to people with HIV/AIDS in Ivory Coast. We truly enjoyed their visit and their interest in the work. Please pray for them as they see where God is leading them as far as involvement in this ministry.

The Bible storytelling sessions at the car wash continue when possible. Damon has been encouraged by his lessons with Salifou and others who have started attending regularly. He's better placed to tell you all that has been happening there so i'll save that for him for another day. In the mean time please remember to pray for Salifou and others as well as those studying the Bible through the HIV support group, especially in our absence over the next month. Pray that God will continue to reveal Himself to them in many ways.

Speaking of our "absence" the time has come to move to Ghana. Baby is due in about 3 1/2 weeks so our family will be moving to Accra, Ghana for a month to await his or her arrival and then to attend the West African Missionary Retreat on May 10th. Damon is the president of the Association of Christian Church Missionaries in West Africa so his attendance is pretty important. The kids and i will enjoy getting to tag along. Ü While we're in Accra, besides having a baby, we'll continue homeschooling and Damon will have time to work on the mounds of paperwork, e-mails and office things that pile up and stay untended-to while we're here in Abengourou. We'll have e-mail access, Lord willing, so feel free to drop us a note any time! We'd love to hear from you.