Time...time....time. Is it that life is all about the right timing or the fact that in order to live in complete peacefulness we have to learn to give up on time? Through scriptures we are told to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry abut itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(Matthew 6:34) Easy said then done. I know that I am more precious then the birds of the air and the birds are always taken care of. When my sister came down we had stayed at this hotel by the beach. During our stay we had met this young African boy. He spends most of his time in the calmness of the ocean, I believe he is a fisherman. He could speak very little English so when I asked him if he was a fisherman he said, "yes". Well, he said yes to pretty much everything, but he looks like a fisherman...whatever that's supposed to mean. We asked him if he was hungry and he said yes so we invited him to eat with us for lunch. He is a boy of faith and trust. He said to us, "I pray every day for the Lord to provide and he always provides." This boy was skin and bones....0% body fat. Our invitation to eat with us was a answer to his daily prayers. Here is a boy who lives everyday hoping to have enough and then there is me having more than enough and wanting more. I am spending most of my time in prayer asking for God to reveal his plans for me 6 months from now. God has to be so annoyed with me.

I do not know why this was placed on my heart this very minute. It just popped into my head and I started typing. I just need to surrender all my worries and thoughts of the future to God. I will always remember Sed, the fisherman, when my worries get the best of me. These people really now how to make your worries look like a small little splinter in the finger while their bodies are held together by safety pins.

All this to say may each and every day of your life be like Sed's. Spent in Faith and Hope of that day.....not to be skin and bones with 0% body fat, but to always trust in the Lord and to be thankful for another day of life.

I love you all so very much and your prayers mean so much to me. Thank you for your precious love and God bless you in all that you do. With all my love.....

This week started off with a wonderful celebration of the Chinese New Year at the Parkers' house on Sunday. That was a really special thing to share with Maureen, not to mention the fabulous food! I have grown to love so much team gatherings like that. I must enjoy them while I can!

The rest of this week has been interesting at the teacher house. We've had kind of a drama with our hedgehogs killing and eating one another, so just let me say that I'm most definitely not going to be having them as pets back in the States :) Still, I'm trying my hardest...

School is still full steam ahead, and at the end of every day I find myself asking, "Where did it go?" The boys are so neat, and make me laugh every day. It has been a joy to build a relationship with them, and to know their interests, strengths, and hearts.

I love it here so much, and thank you for your prayers that have made God's grace to me be in abundance. You are a blessing beyond words to me!

This week the Crowson boys have been recovering from different illnesses. Stephen had a head cold which turned into an ear infection, but he's doing better now. Matthew had a mild case of ringworm. He's also doing better and the ringworm is gone. God continues to bless our family with healing in answer to prayer. Thank you for praying!

Late, the Watchi ministry's agricultural "missionary", couldn't meet this week with the Sendome/Batoe leaders because "they were having a prayer meeting"! I believe that God is stirring their hearts to intercede on behalf of their region. Pray that the Lord would use them in mighty ways to advance his kingdom and shine His light in the darkness surrounding them.

This week we've also been blessed to have Randy Barlow with us. He's an American who has lived in Germany for the past 15+ years. His wife teaches for the Department of Defense Schools and he is an International Adoption expert specializing in Home Studies and Immigration Consulting for Americans living abroad. He is the most "traveled" man that I have ever met! He's been everywhere! Before he came to Togo he spent several days in Mali and Senegal with two other couples who are in the adoption process. He has encouraged us in so many ways and we are getting really excited about the little girl that the Lord is guiding us to! Please continue to pray that the Lord would smooth out the China Adoption road before us.

Please also pray for my father-in-law, Milton Langston, who's in the hospital this week.

Our family is doing well. Brenda is getting around much better and her hip feels better each day. Thank you for your prayers on her behalf. Rebecca has turned out to be allergic to milk products. She is eating more solids and is old enough to have fewer nursings. Pray that we find a way to make sure she has enough protein and calcium in her diet. Ellianna and Josiah are doing well. Brenda’s birthday is this Monday (drop her an email and say “Happy Birthday”). We’ll celebrate by having our team over for a party.

Please pray for one of our church leaders, Mikadodo. He is a great teacher. His mind is like a running concordance. He is an elder in his church and is a hard worker. He has a slow and steady mentality which has given stability to the church. He has been able to convert many people in two congregations he has attended. He has been involved in a few church plantings, but his works have never yielded great fruit. However, he feels evangelism is one of his spiritual gifts. He is setting out to start another church planting. He has two choices before him. He can start a congregation in a town a few miles away or in a village nearby. The village work would be easier. The town work would take a lot of sacrifice. It would be strategic to have a congregation in the town, but it will require Mikadodo and his congregation to really be stretched spiritually and physically. It is also vital in a semi-urban context that the evangelist(s) and the church(es) behind them count the cost. So, pray for Mikadodo and the Dagbati congregation to count the cost, walk by faith, and make a spiritually wise decision.

Happy late Groundhog's Day to all of you. We are still looking for our first week of winter here in Togo and it doesn't seem that we'll have those sub 80 degree temperatures that we so desperately long for. We did have an exciting weekend with Tucker's birthday party. We enjoyed translating everything into Eve for his local friends who attended and got to taste nachos and a birthday cake for the first time. Between hosting the Peek's (refer to last week's times) and having Tucker's party Louise was quite exhausted. We did have a great time at the Parker's for the Chinese New Year (as always) on Sunday night. Monday we had a very low key day at home that even included sprinkler time for the boys and dog. This week has gone well, but has been pretty routine in nature. Marty had a good day of fasting with the Tabligbo elders last Saturday as they began to address the issues facing the church here, beginning with their paralysis as an eldership. Then on Tuesday he got to do some practical planning with them to help them to truly lead the church in Tabligbo. Keep them in your prayers to rise to the occasion of leading and shepherding the church here.

Vogan continues to need your prayers for unity and love. There has been a conspiracy of sorts for several months now against Hammer there and the decision to have elders and deacons. So, even after the selection process they are really struggling to step into their roles because of this undercurrent of division. Please pray for God to resolve this. Please pray that God will use an upcoming day of fasting and prayer for the elders to bring them together. Atitogon cluster is getting ready for growth again.

We have been restudying evangelism and seem to be ready to make more of a continual effort instead of just a periodic campaign of sorts. Please pray also for the Afakomi church as they have suffered a setback because of new member who stole from the church and some of the members. Lastly, please remember the upcoming men's conference here in Tabligbo. Thank you for your prayers. Love, The Koonces

Anthony has continued to push to complete the final editing of the Train & Multiply materials, which has continued to keep him in the office more than he would like. He also spent some time in the kitchen, trying to repair our oven. We received a part that we had ordered from the States, but although the part did need to be replaced, the oven still isn’t working. We hope to get a competent repairman to come up from Lomé to have a look at it.

In follow-up tests after last week’s illnesses, both Jeremy and Jonathan tested positive for malaria. We appreciate your prayers for their complete recovery and for good health for everyone throughout the rest of our stay in Togo. We also invite your prayers for God’s continued leading after we leave here in early May.