We want to thank you, first of all, for all of the prayers you continue to offer on our behalves as well as the interests you show in our lives here in Togo. Although we have been back from furlough in the states now for five months, in many ways we've just gotten back into the routine of living here.

Marty was considering the comfort of things on Sunday morning as we sat in on our wooden benches in the mud walled and thatched church building of Togbonou Kope. Ironically it hit him how comfortable that whole scene has become to us. The boys as well have experienced a new level of comfort here. We started baseball again two weeks ago and we have more Togolese players this year than the last time. Several of them are those Tucker and Taylor would now consider their good or maybe even best friends. They venture out many days riding their bikes in the neighborhoods surrounding our house and we have all grown comfortable with that even though the whole time they are being called out to by all the Togolese they pass. It has just become more normal. I guess the bottom line of all this is to praise God with us for this level of comfort, especially for the kids. It has been a long time coming for them. For the work, please continue praying for the churches on the weak list: Tabligbo, Ahepe, Afakomi, Togbonou, Hompou, Amouzouglita, and Atitogon.

Please also pray for the training of leaders in the clusters of Atitogon, Tabligbo, and Vogan. We did find out a couple of weeks ago and forget to tell all of you that a dear lady of around 90 was brought to Christ out in Togbonou Kope. She is one of the leader's, Jerome's, mother. We have been praying for her for five years. It has been great watching her idols fall into disrepair over the years as we have prayed, and now their undoing is complete in her life with her new birth in Christ. Thank you for your love and prayers. The Koonces

Last weekend we spent a night in Lomé to see off Shannon Sexton, who had been visiting her sister Stacey. Sunday morning, we visited an English-speaking international church in Lomé composed mainly of African foreigners living in Togo. The boys really enjoyed their Bible class and have been singing the song they learned all week. It was nice to worship in English, but I was reminded how difficult it is to walk in as a stranger into any church service. Maybe this will help me to be more sensitive to visitors, and also to look for more natural ways to introduce people to Christian fellowship.

Anthony completed a study on Life in the Body of Christ with the Tabligbo elders this week, which he hopes will help them better equip the church for ministry. Plans are being made for the annual men's meeting to be held in Tabligbo in February. Maureen has gotten quite a bit of packing done. Although we will not be leaving Togo until May, most of the things that we will send to the States will be shipped in March, so that we and the Hollands can combine our shipment with the Neals, who are leaving the work in northern Togo at the end of February.

We appreciate your prayers for our last few months here in Togo as well as for our move and adjustment to life in the States. Thanks to those who sent Christmas cards. Most of them arrived this week!

Friends, family, and those that I don't know but will meet someday...can I just say that I love you all very much. Thank you for your interests in my life, for your encouragement and devout love for me. God is still hearing your prayers and blessing me with true happiness. May he bless you for blessing me.

As you have heard my sister came down to see me for a month. Well...she left on the 14th. Very sad...I know. While she was here we got together and came up with a list of things that we look forward to when returning back to the States. It might give you a little of an idea of what Africa is like for those who are new and for those who have been here for years. Let me share them with you and sorry for those who may have already gotten the list.

1. ENGLISH as the primary form of communication (Charades...is getting OLD)
2. Central heat and air... mostly the air part!
3. Electricity that doesn't go off for two to three hours.....with uncontrollable sweating!!!!
4. Having a real alarm clock that doesn't make the sounds of roosters, goats, sheep, dishes, and crying babies.
5. Warm water.... not even hot, just warm. It just takes your breath away to step under the cold water no matter how hot it is outside.
6. Not worrying whether that buzzing next to your ear is going to give you malaria.
7. Orderly transportation... I can not tell you how many times I thought we were going to run over a bicycle or kill a moto driver with the rearview mirror.
8. Clearly marked, paved roads... without potholes big enough to swallow a jetta.
9. A grocery store closer than an hour away.
10. Rainy days
11. Being able to see a white person and not feel like I need to run up and hug them.
12. Being able to get around on my own.
13. Being able to read the menu or anything else for that matter.
14. Take out....ooh Delivery
15. Automatic transmissions
16. Farm animals behind fences and not roaming around the street.
17. Not being hissed at and accosted by vendors.
18. Paying the list price and not having to haggle a price down.
19. Dr Pepper (thank goodness for coke but I miss DP and the Sprite here tastes funny).
20. A full nights rest

Believe me there's more, but there's the top 20 we could come up with. Maybe next time I'll give you the list of things that I will miss. To tell you the truth....I will probably miss a lot of those above.

Thank you again for your prayers. May you have a wonderful and glorious week. With all my love...

Stacey and I spent this past weekend in Lomé, and on Sunday we got to worship with an international church IN ENGLISH! I just cannot describe how wonderful and emotional it was for me to worship in my heart language. I love going to church in the villages, but being able to sing, listen to a sermon, and then fellowship in English was just so refreshing to my soul. It has been five months since I’ve been able to do that, and it was yet another reminder of how I so take for granted what I have back in the States.

School is flying—literally!—and going wonderfully. The boys are a constant source of delight and humor, and never cease to amaze me with the things they come up with and say. I can only imagine the joy God gets out of watching us learn—and enjoy what we’re learning—as I watch the boys. And already, next week is the end of our SECOND grading period!

Thank you for your prayers and your support. You bless me in a way that I will never be able to put into words. I love you all!

Sendome children singing as they walk to the front for their song and Scripture presentation.

As of this past Tuesday, Tonn had been straight for 11 days! He said that he can't remember a time when he went without getting drunk for that long. Let's keep praying, God is answering. I don't have anything new to report on Kossi and his wife. Keep praying for them, that the Lord would save their marriage.

Also, we ask you to pray for the evangelism efforts in three villages: Kpokede (Kpo-kay-dae), Vegodi (Vay-go-dee) and Lakata (La-ka-ta). Pray that the Lord will use Christians evangelizing those areas to shine the light and bring people to Jesus.

The social worker for our Home Study, Randy Barlow, is coming February 2-5 to be with our family. We are so thankful to the Lord for leading us to him. We're also getting our paper work done to fulfill the Chinese requirements a little each day. Pray that the Lord would smooth out the road ahead so that we can provide a loving home for a precious Chinese orphan.

Praise God for his grace and mercy. The Gbleta church plant is still in the early phases of evangelization and organization. The men have worked very hard and ride their bikes the long distance 2 or 3 times a week. They had a couple of set-backs when a local man caused some trouble to keep them from meeting on another man’s land. The chief resolved the problem and things look set to advance soon. Pray also for the church planting plans for Veme, Akumape, and possibly Amengran. Also pray for the continued evangelism in Dzo Kope and Atetsi.

Two churches have been rocked by leadership scandals recently. The small struggling church of Gafeme had a leader who was accused of adultery. The church didn’t handle the situation well and the church is presently split. The Kpetsou congregation has stepped in to help resolve the issues. The Asso congregation also had a young leader fall into sexual sin. The church has responded well and the leader has repented; however, there may be some fall-out. Pray for theses two churches.

The Nyinoume church had a seminar on elders, deacons, and the involvement of every member in ministry. The elders should be ordained later this month. Ministries and deacons will be announced in February. Then the elders will train the deacons and help all of the members to plug into various ministries.

Our family is doing well. We appreciate your prayers.