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

What a week of incredible change for our family! We had our big garage sale last Saturday and managed to get rid of our remaining "stuff." Sunday we relished our worship time with the Tablibo church and the whole team enjoyed a fellowship meal with them (though the sauce was to hot for some!). Sunday evening the women on the team had a one-night get-away and discovered a nice, new hotel.

The next few days were a blur as we handled business details, said more goodbyes, and spent time with the team. Anthony turned 45 on Tuesday. A surprise party that evening celebrated both his day and Maureen's upcoming birthday (May 20).

Thursday was our departure day and also Jeremy's birthday. We had a pool party at the recently discovered get-away spot, before going on into Lome.
Before our departure, the team blessed us with a time of singing, prayer, and a book of beautiful testimonials by many who have touched our lives in West Africa.

We're now at our first stop--Paris. We had a good day of sightseeing yesterday. God answered prayers and we had beautiful weather despite the predictions of rain.

Thank you all for your prayers for our transition. Please continue to lift us, the team, and the Watchi people before the Father.

UPDATEThe Parkers had a fun time in Paris and traveled safely to Singapore this week where they are visiting with Maureen's family.

Anthony speaking @ Tabligbo

Field Day @ school

Graduation Puppet Show

Jenna and Stacey saying goodbyes

Josiah receiving his Graduation Certificate from the Principle

Goodbye hugs for the teachers

Graduation Day!

Tabligbo MK School 2006 Students

~ Stacey Sexton ~

The Crowsons dropped Stacey off at the airport Friday afternoon for her return trip to the States.

~ Jenna Stephens ~

The Crowsons also took Jenna to the airport Friday for her return trip to the States but she wasn't able to leave Friday night. There was a problem with her ticket. Saturday morning and afternoon were spent talking with Lufthansa reps and travel agents in the States. Late Saturday afternoon the problem was solved and she was able to fly out Saturday night.

~ Murphy and Christine Crowson ~ Crowson's Blog

The last 10 days were packed with activity and transitions. Sunday began with the Parker's last Sunday in Watchi land, a send-off and church meal. Sunday afternoon through Monday evening the ladies had their last "women's" gettaway. Tuesday we moved the Teacher house and school to the new location (the Parker's house). Tuesday night we celebrated Anthony's birthday (and Maureen's a little early as well). Wednesday was graduation for the school and a sendoff lunch/blessing for the teachers. Thursday was filled with last minutes errands and a birthday party for Jeremy. Thursday night we said goodbye to the Parkers. Friday, our family drove to Accra, Ghana with the teachers to take them to the airport. Stacey got off okay, but Jenna ended up spending one more night in Accra. All day Saturday was spent getting her ticket worked out. She was able to leave Saturday night.

Sunday, the Crowson family rested at the guest house in Accra.

Today, I had an appointment with the USCIS office in Accra to check on our adoption paperwork status. I was able to meet with both Linda and Adeline. Linda told us that she has been checking for our FBI fingerprint approval EVERYDAY for the past month! She also said that all of our paperwork was in order. All we are waiting on is the FBI approval. Praise God for answering our prayers and keeping our names and paperwork in their memory.

This afternoon, on our way out of town we had car trouble and decided to stay another night in Accra to get the problem fixed. This gave us opportunity to call the FBI in the States to find out the status of our fingerprint clearance. This is when we found out that our fingerprints that were sent to the States for the FBI check never arrived. We submitted them over 6 weeks ago! No one knows what happened to them!

I asked you to pray for Linda and Adiline, and God answered those prayers. I forgot to ask you to pray about our fingerprint processing! It's not too late. Let's pray that those fingerprints are found and processed. Just to be safe, we are going to redo our fingerprints cards and FedEx them tomorrow to Nebraska. Pray that they will be received, processed and that our application to bring an orphan into the US will be approved!

Wow, how was that for a week:) Christine and I are exhausted, but the Lord is sustaining us by His mighty, loving and gracious hand. We do ask for your prayers for all of our families these next few months as the Parkers and Hollands transition back to the States and the our family along with the Koonces adjust to having just our two families.

~ Jeff and Brenda Holland ~

The transitions continue. Josiah was telling us on Friday that he is feeling anxious. We asked what was causing it. He proceeded to list off the following: his end of the year social studies oral report, the packing up and moving of the teachers' house and all of the school and office items on Tuesday, his graduation ceremony and the end of school on Wednesday, the departure of the Parkers on Thursday, the departure of the teachers on Friday and the fact that we are selling the rest of our things and are about to move thousands of miles away to a continent where he has never stayed for more than a few weeks on a handful of occasions. Wow! That's a lot to deal with as an adult much less as a nine-year old. Keep us all in your prayers as the transitions are really sinking in.

It was hard to let go of the Parkers this week. Their five years of service in Togo was a great help to our team's work and morale. We will miss them greatly. We all accompanied them to Lome for their departure on Thursday. It was also Jeremy's birthday, so it was a day packed with a full range of emotions. Friday morning, the Crowsons took the teachers, Jenna Stephens and Stacey Sexton, to Ghana for their departure. They were excellent teachers and became wonderful friends. We will all miss them also.

We are about one month from our departure. Our to-do list seems to be getting longer instead of shorter, but things look manageable. We have been enjoying our visits to the various church clusters throughout the Watchi area. Our last few visits will be to the areas where we worked most and had our deepest relationships.

~ Marty and Louise Koonce ~

In the meantime, Marty had a great meeting with Tabligbo on Tuesday and was able, by God's grace and leading, to help them reconcile some differences from the past. Then his big event on Wednesday was a meeting with the elders and deacons in Vogan where they began the process of reconciling their problems. It looks like that reconciliation will take some time. Please pray for them in this. Please pray for the new church in Angasigle and also for the weaker churches of Afakomi, Amouzouglita, Atitogon, Hompou, Ahepe, and Togbonou.

Our friend Hammer is in Ghana for the operation we've all been waiting for for Tabitha, the young girl who was paralyzed by scoliosis and tuberculosis two years ago and was left to die in her family's home in the village of Vo Asso. This has been quite a journey for all of us. She has gone through the discomfort of having her legs broken and reset on three separate occasions and now she is ready for her spinal surgery. We had planned to try and get her to the states for this delicate procedure, but due to costs and visa issues it seemed impossible. In March we prayed that God would send a surgeon to Ghana who would be able to do this. In April we found out that this would happen exactly as we had asked. The surgical team is here right now. They are from Maryland and they arrived in Ghana last week to operate on Tabitha. They ask for donations to offset the costs of the team's travel. God has already provided $3000. We need an additional $4000 for those costs and for Tabitha's post-operative care.

If you would like to give a donation for this we ask you to send it to:

Warrenton Church of Christ
c/o Angie Ashley
6398 Lee Hwy Access Rd
Warrenton, VA 20186

Please pray for the success of the surgery so that Tabitha can walk again and for the remainder of the funds to be raised. God bless you all for your love and support. The Koonces