- From Marty - This last week had me back out in the villages following the much anticipated arrival of our new teammates on the Kabiye team of Brett, April, and Caden Emerson. We are thrilled that after years of prayer the Emersons are in Togo again. Please pray for them and their transition to life in Togo. Also, please pray for the Kabiye team as they have the pleasure of grafting in the Emerson family to their family in Kara. The meetings are going well as I am near the end of my training for all the men of Tabligbo and out in Atitogon. I had a different sort of meeting in Atitogon on Friday as they had some questions to present to me based on some times of fasting and prayer by the members of that area. These were good questions which I will be making responses to this week. You can pray for wisdom on my part as I try to encourage them and guide them in my replies. My other two groups of trainees are beginning the second year this week and are looking forward to moving along in their maturity as they now begin training others. I was pleased in my visit with Ahepe last Sunday that they had taken me seriously in reaching out to the youth of their area, to the point where they are even taking role on Sunday for those children that are attending. So, there is hope yet. Do pray for Faly, one of the leaders there. Several years ago he contracted the skin form of anthrax. He has treated it intermittently but it has never truly gone away. Please pray for relief for him from this. In addition to this I would like to thank you for your prayers for N'koli, Lydia, and Louis. Their A.I.D.S. has not advanced lately and Louis has made it past his second birthday for which we are very thankful. Please continue to pray for them. Please pray for our family that we will stay strong and persevere even in the difficult times. You can keep our financial support in your prayers as well. We are hoping to be able to survey Rwanda as a family this year, but we are lacking the funds for that as well as being short of funds for our furlough coming up in June. Thank you for your love and prayers.

- From Louise - It was good to see the Emersons make it to Togo. They will be adjusting to their new life in Kara. The boys are doing well at school. We have been blessed with more electricity than before Christmas, though it just went off as I am writing this, reminding me that rationing will continue. Harmatan has not begun to lift and the dust is choking us all. I have struggled with a cold for several weeks now and am having hard time getting rid of it. Trevor had a stomach bug Saturday and I picked Tanner up early from school today due to the same symptoms. Continue to pray for our sister Ablavino as she mourns the loss of her daughter and endures the persecution of her pagan husband.

Our washing machine is broken so this week we've been taking laundry to the Koonces and Crowsons. Tuesday night when I was closing the lid on the washer at the Koonces I noticed a little gecko perched on the edge of the machine. I tried to brush him out of the path of the lid but he dove into the wash water. So I tried to fish him out but then he dove into the pocket of a pair of jeans. All I could see was his tail and back legs as he tried to hide. I knew there was a possibility that he would detach his tail if I grabbed it to pull him out, but I decided to risk it. Thankfully the tail stayed on and I pulled the gecko out of the wash. Laundry saved.

Emily and I were amused with the boys all day on Friday as they puzzled over a riddle. I wrote the riddle "As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St. Ives?" on the concrete wall in our back yard. Tucker spent most of recess working large multiplication problems in the dirt as he tried to figure it out. Stephen (who is just learning the 7s multiplication table) tried to help by giving the answer to 7x4. Taylor tried to figure it out in his head. Every few minutes one of them would suggest a new answer. They were all rather disgusted when I finally told them the answer (one). :) If anyone has a good riddle to suggest for the boys please let me know. We have plenty of concrete walls to fill.

Overheard at school: "That's why they have seasons in America" -Stephen, when we were discussing the rotation of the earth. Trevor-"Once..." Me-"Upon a time" Trevor-"No! I'm not doing upon a time. I'm doing something different."

- From Murphy - My vehicle is working again! Yeah!!! Thanks be to God for timely provision which paid for all of the repairs. It was great to be 'back in the saddle again' this week. In Didokpo/Kpeve/Kpotonou/Gbagu Kope (pictured on left during lunch) we've been talking together about how they can send their own missionaries. The exciting thing is that their confidence in God to send missionaries is growing! Years ago, if you asked them if they could ever send a missionary out to another region or ethnic group, they would've said "No Way!" Now, God is nurting the faith in their hearts and this confidence in His ability to provide! Our vision has always been to 'plant churches that plant churches that plant churches.' God is working not only for this to happen within Watchi land, but I believe that these guys are going to take that vision to other areas and ethnic groups as well! Praise be to His name!

I also praise God for providing the funds to dig a badly needed well in the village of Kpotonou. They've been drinking river and ditch water (see pictures) for years which continues to bring about sickness and poor health. Everything is ready now to begin digging the well: the funds have been provided, the property selected, the workers chosen and materials bought. Pray that things will go well and that the entire communinity can be blessed with clean water and that Jesus will be magnified!

Likewise, the corn grinder in Batoe is up and running! To kick off the 'grand opening' they provided free corn grinding for everyone from several villages for three days to bring in the new year. Now, instead of having to walk six miles to get their corn ground, they just have to walk a few hundred feet! Needless to say, people are very thankful and excited. For those who contributed to this need, thank you! May God receive all the glory as we seek to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Also, please continue to remember Ablavino in your prayers. May God comfort and strengthen her. Our hearts also go out to the Langford family. Adam Langford, a missionary in Uganda was killed this week in an auto accident. Pray that God will send His mighty hand of comfort to heal so many hearts touched by death. You can read more on our blog.

- From Christine - This has been a good week. Our family has enjoyed good health, praise God! The boys are doing great and loving school. I had a good meeting with Kpotonou ladies this week (pictured on left). They are all doing well. We began a short series on disease, what it is and how they can protect themselves. We talked about how diseases can be hidden in the water that we drink.

The people of Kpotonou are currently getting all of their water from a small river in their village. They not only collect their drinking water from this river they also wash their clothes in it while their chidren go swimming. They are very happy that a well will be dug this month in their village! This well will hopefully provide them with a much cleaner source of water. Please continue to pray for the christians in Kpotonou. Pray especially for these women to be encouraged in their faith. One of the women from Kpotonou, Massa who is far right in the photo, asked me to say thank you to all of you who pray for her and the other Watchi christians. She wants all of you to know that she prays that you will stand strong in your faith and be blessed! Thank you all for your prayers!

I think Amy told all of our good stories from this week. I don't have much left to say except: The boys are cute, I love Togo, and Amy makes good potato soup. Hope you all have a great week!