This week has been like no other. I was all pumped about going on this exciting trip with Jenna, Brenda, and Glenda to go see the hippos on Monday and then that morning I was too sick to give a care. Later I found out that the creepy mosquito bug got me....down with Malaria. First time for me and I am some what glad that I have gotten to experience it. Now I can sympathize with those who get it or have already gotten it. I have never spent so much time in bed in my life and that's a lot because I am one who likes to sleep.
There was no school for me on Tuesday and that just didn't feel right.

Tanner said he enjoyed being at home watching movies with Trevor. Stephen, Jeremy, Matthew, and Jonathan had a day of all fun with each other. Wednesday, we were back to school (for a half a day). Then Thursday we were back to the same schedule.

Being that I have had malaria all week I don't have much to report. I'm feeling a whole lot better and praying that it will stay away. Thank you for your prayers. With all my love......

I visited Kodzo in the hospital two times this past week. He is recovering well from his hernia surgery and went home this weekend. We prayed together thanking the Lord for hearing our prayers and taking away his pain.

Pray for Enyona. She has a tropical ulcer the size of a grapefruit on her left ancle. I visited her this past Wednesday to see how the wound is healing. There is some new skin growth, but the wound has a long way to go before it's healed. Pray that the Lord will heal her completely.

Continue to pray for Tonn, that the Lord would grant him victory from drunkenness. He has a long battle ahead of him if he is to leave this bondage behind.

Please continue to pray for Kossi and his wife, that the Lord would bless her with the heart of Jesus and that their marriage would be filled with the joy of the Lord.

Pray also for the Sedome church, that the Lord would raise up several strong families to solidify their body as well as leaders to shepherd the Christians.

We had a fun party Sunday with the team. We are very thankful for the years that the Lord has blessed us to serve alongside the Parkers and Hollands. Pray for them as they begin new adventures in service to the King!

Next week is a HUGE paperwork week for our China adoption. Everything is ready to begin the authentication process. We will also be submitting our I-600a applicaion to the USCIS in Accra (A petition to bring an adopted orphan into the United States). We must have the USCIS's permission to adopt a child before we can proceed. God has been so faithful to bring us this far. Pray that every hand that touches our paper work will be blessed and everything will go smoothly!

Boy do things look different around our house. Because our container ships out on Wednesday, we have packed up the house. We are still using some furniture which we will eventually sell as well as some furniture we borrowed from the team We had to laugh a little the other day when our shipping agent let us know that we had to change our container packing day from Wednesday to Tuesday because of a solar eclipse on Wednesday morning. The government wanted to warn people not to look at the sun and went a little overboard in their warnings. There are also some spiritual dimensions to the eclipse. All of that added up to school being out and workers refusing to go to work in the morning. So we couldn’t get a truck driver to come out with the container on Wednesday. Oh, the things we will miss (and not miss) about Togo.

Glenda, Brenda’s sister returned home safely this week. We had a great time with her here. The kids are doing well. We all enjoyed a team party on Sunday. Our family and the Parkers received wonderful parting gifts as souvenirs of our time in Togo. Although those of us who are leaving will experience a big transition, we ask you to also remember the Koonces and Crowsons in your prayers. Even thought they are not moving, they, too, will experience a lot of team and work transition.

We also ask for prayers for the VoAsso church. They have begun reconciliation meetings, but there are some hurt feelings keeping a few from reunifying. Also pray for the Gbleta and Amengnran. These two church plantings in the towns are still in the evangelism and relationship building stage; however, it should not be long before each church starts more formal meetings. Hopefully from there, the two places will have conversions and start meeting as churches.

We have had another good week here serving among the Watchi. It began with quite a celebration in Atitogon after great lessons from Anthony and Jeff. They had us all for lunch, as Atitogon is always wanting to celebrate with food. Their generosity is a bit overwhelming. Afterwards we had the Crowson cookout for the departing families (Parkers and Hollands) and got to give them their gifts. Then, on Monday, we had Taylor's long awaited birthday party at the golf course. It went well although he lost by one stroke in the alternate shot two man tournament. Tucker and Jeremy Parker won with a beautiful fifteen foot putt. The party even included a custom made (by Louise of course) golf course cake of nine holes being that it was his ninth birthday. It was back to the normal routine on Tuesday. The boys are enjoying school and are excited to have only one month to go. Marty spent the week meeting with Tabligbo, Hammer from Vogan, and Ahepe leaders.

It was a week of trying to get the churches to focus on the basics and the leaders to lead by example. Anasigle is the new church in the Atitogon cluster. Please pray for the many who did not convert to make the step of faith there. Continue, please, to pray for the following on the "weak" list: Topeglo, Afakomi Kope, Togbonou Kope, Hompou, Amouzouglita Kope, and Ahepe. Pray for the elders and deacons in Vogan to be workers for Jesus there and to accept their need for training. Thank you for your love and prayers.

This week started off with a Sunday of partying. Our family and the Hollands went to say our goodbyes to the Attitogon cluster. Marty works in this area, so the Koonces were present as well. We had a joyful worship service and afterwards they fed us a wonderful African meal of rice, beans, eggs, chicken. Of course, the secret is always in the sauce, which was delicious. Then on Sunday afternoon, the Koonces and Crowsons again honored us by hosting a team good-bye cookout. This is a little early, but they gave us some beautiful, sentimental gifts in time to be put on our shipping container. We were greatly honored, but also realize that there will be no other teammates here to honor the Crowsons and the Koonces when they leave in 2 years. SO, let us remind all of their friends, family, and supporters to show them special honor on their next furloughs as well as when they return to the States.

The party continued on Monday as the boys got to play golf at Taylor’s birthday party. It seems that the rest of the week has been consumed with packing. We have so much stuff, it’s embarrassing. Since we are able to combine a shipment with the Hollands and Neals (from Kara), it makes more sense to send much of it back to the States instead of trying to replace everything. Of course, a lot of what we get by with in Africa wouldn’t be appropriate in the States, so we’ll still have our share of restocking to do once we find a place to settle.

We had planned to pack our shipping container this coming Wednesday. However, our shipping agent has notified us that it will have to be on Tuesday. The reason? There is an eclipse of the sun that is supposed to occur on Wednesday. It seems that everyone is afraid of what could happen and the truck drivers do not want to be on the road on that day. Thanks for your prayers for the sale of the car. We have a couple of good possibilities, including selling it to an American missionary. Continue to pray that something will be firmed up soon.