~ Marty and Louise Koonce ~

It saddens us as we see the Parker family's time winding down here in Togo. With less than a week to go, we are surprised once again by the speed at which time has passed. With these looming departures, as well as our own departure from Togo in 2008, we are seeking to "count the days, and to make the days count". Pray that we would be able to do this to God's glory in every facet of our lives, because our time is so short.

Things erupted in Vogan this last week between the old provisional leaders, the new elders and deacons, and Hammer. Jeff and Marty were able to attend a six hour meeting on Wednesday afternoon about this where grievances were shared. Many times it got very personal with vicious attacks and both Jeff and Marty despaired that all was lost and division was inevitable. By the end, though, everyone accepted a suggestion by Jeff that new provisional leaders be established while the deacons and elders devote three months to reconciliation and prayer meetings led by Marty.

Beyond that, not much work has happened for Marty this week except his recovering from malaria and some time spent in personal evangelism. God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

Solar Elipse (March 29, 2006)

Parker's and Holland's Container

Eating beans and gali after worship in Adangbe

Jeff saying "goodbye" to the Adangbe Christians

Pray for rain! This is the Mono river bed which should be filling up this time of year

Pray for Giyom, the little boy with the chickpox type virus. He's pictured with his father Joe

Matthew's lost tooth!

~ Anthony and Maureen Parker ~ Anthony's Blog ~ Maureen's Blog

As we write our last entry from Tabligbo for the "Times," we are so thankful for the blessing of being able to participate in God's work here. The Watchi people have enriched our lives immeasurably and it has been an honor to serve among them. We cannot say enough to commend this team to you. Every person on the team is wholeheartedly dedicated to God's mission here and to one another. We have been humbled by the amount of support that we have received as we prepare to leave—this week the team is providing us with housing (the Crowson's guest-plex), meals, and help in organizing today’s big garage sale.

It seems that Satan has been trying to send discouragement to the team during this time of transition, and we urge you to remain faithful in battling against him in prayer. Sicknesses abound, as this is the "high season" for malaria. Some previously strong churches are struggling to maintain unity. Some areas are not getting the rain they need and people are having difficulty finding drinking water, not to mention what is needed for their crops.

Last Sunday we said goodbye to the Dagbati Christians and were again touched by their prayers for and generosity toward us. This Sunday will be our final goodbye to the church in Tabligbo. Thanks for all your prayers for the sale of the car. We received the first half of the payment this week and even get to keep our car until the day we leave! So many aspects of our departure have been faith-building experiences as we have watched God work out things that we could not.

This week we will celebrate Jeremy's birthday with the team on Thursday before flying out that night. We've scheduled a two-night stopover in Paris to give our family a little time together before continuing on to Singapore, where we arrive Monday evening, May 8. For those in the States, we are scheduled to fly into Birmingham on June 1. Please continue to remember our family, the Hollands, Jenna and Stacey during this time of transition, and pray particularly for the Koonces, the Crowsons, and the Watchi Christians as they faithfully continue the work here. Thank you all for the vital role that you play in interceding on behalf of this small outpost of God's kingdom.

~ Stacey Sexton ~

Another week with Malaria. My body seems to be enjoying it a little too much this month. It has been a very hard week. I canceled school on Thursday because I felt so weak and sick. It is very discouraging to be feeling this way so close to the end of my stay here. Please pray that I will regain my energy and that I may finish strong.

Sunday was a very long day in the village. Oh how I will enjoy the air conditioning in Church services when I return home. We spent about 5 hours in the heat of the day. Having not enough chairs for everyone Christine, the boys, and I had to sit on a mat under the tree. It was again an experience that I will remember and one that will help me to be thankful for how good I have it in America. May God bless these families for giving up all the conveniences in life to serve him. It would be different if they had never tasted life in the States and went in the mission field. They truely are amazing!

I love you all and I am so blest by you. Thank you.....

~ Jenna Stephens ~

This week at school has been . . . kind of boring :) There's been so little to do work wise, so while the boys have been finishing their final assignments I've begun to pack up the school. Those of you who know me know that I'm really enjoying this--I love organizing and packing and that sense of accomplishment when everything's ready to go!

Honestly, I am just very ready to be home. My family celebrated my nephew's second birthday this week, and I'm ready to not miss any more important events like that. That's definitely been the hardest part about being away from home.

This next week is packed full of things . . . our ladies' get-away this weekend, end of school celebrations, our last team party in Lome . . . I know time will fly, and am glad for the opportunity to make some final memories. Thank you for your prayers and love--my blessings to you!

~ Murphy and Christine Crowson ~ Crowson's Blog

Contrary to the joy of Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday were extremely frustrating days for me as I discovered that two of the leaders that I work with lied to me about a serious matter and then lied about lying. I'm not really concerned about whether or not I will forgive them, that is a given. It's more a matter that I'm hurt because these are not just leaders that I work with, they're my friends. Please ask the Lord to help us work this out and to restore the trust between us.

The Parkers departure continues to draw nearer. This week they moved into our guest house for their final week in Togo. The boys are having a great time having two extra brothers to play with :-) The school is also packed up and ready to be moved into the Parkers old house. Tomorrow (Sunday) the whole team is going to the sendoff worship for the Parkers at the Tabligbo church. Please pray that God will bless them in their transition to the States.

This week I ask you to pray for a little boy named Giyom. He has a chickenpox type virus all over his body and his parents are very concerned. I took him to the hospital yesterday where Christine and Maureen later visited him and his mother. We pray that God will heal him.

We also asked that you continue to pray for Linda Hartman and Adeline Aidoo. Our paper work has been in Ghana now for over one month and we have had no word from them concerning our application. We have called almost 50 times over the past four weeks without any success in speaking with them. We are praying that God will send his angels to whisper our names in their ears so that they will remember us and approve our request to bring an orphan into the United States. I am confident that God is hearing our prayers and is answering. Let's keep praying!

~ Jeff and Brenda Holland ~