On our way back from Accra on Friday I picked up my vehicle with the overhauled engine. So far so good! The real test will be our journey to northern Benin this Friday. Thank you for your prayers for the mechanic and his work on our vehicle.

We were also encouraged this week to learn that there have been no new episodes of chronic dysentery in the village and surrounding areas of Didokpo. Nukunu's wife, the woman we prayed for last week, has been completely healed and has returned to her normal family and farming activities! We praise God for listing to our prayers and working in such a powerful way to bring healing to this area.

We have another testimony of God's provision. In January we received a check for $100 with a note saying "use this to buy medicine". The cholera/chronic dysentery began in February and because of God's provision we already had the money to buy all the medicine that the village needed! He knew our need before we asked! Praise His Name! To the one who gave those funds, thank you for letting God move your heart to give at just the right time.

From Christine - We praise God for a good week. The boys are doing great and Murphy is safely back from Accra. We are looking forward to the arrival of Bill and Barb Shaffer, Amy's parents. They have a long connection with God's work in southern Togo and are eager to see and experience what God is doing here. Pray for their safety as they travel. We are also so thankful that the dysentery problems in the Didokpo area are over. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Monday was an eventful school day. It all began during morning read aloud time(we are reading Wind in the Willows) when we heard an explosion that was coming from our yard. I went out side and Da Emily came out of the house looking all around for what might have made the sound. About 30 minutes later Da Emily discovered that it had been Taylor's bike tire! And it had completely pulled away from the frame. As Taylor and Tucker came outside to examine the bike Amy turned to see a big white rooster standing behind her! Toby took off after it! We were all sure he would scare it into jumping over the wall, but no he chased it all over the front yard pulling off three giant clumps of feathers. All of the boys came out of school and were trying to help us catch Toby as he chased the chicken in between all of our legs. Feathers were flying everywhere as the chase continued. Finally Toby cornered the chicken on the front porch and BIT it! Da Emily picked Toby up and he still had the rooster in his mouth! Amy then proceeded to pry the rooster out of Toby's mouth. Finally Amy held Toby while Da Emily carried the Rooster back out the gate. It is really amazing we got any work done at school on Monday!

From Marty - After cramming all of my teaching sessions into the first part of the week, Murphy and I, on Wednesday, headed for Accra, Ghana to purchase our tickets for the trip to Rwanda in May. As usual, a very simple endeavor in America, can be rather inefficient even in Ghana and it took us until Friday morning to actually get the tickets in hand. That was fine for Murphy and I as we have learned a lot of patience waiting and usually carry extensive libraries with us wherever we go to provide for constructive pursuits during the waits. I have been deeply inspired in recent weeks after happening upon the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and I was provided with plenty of opportunity for study while in Ghana. Our vehicle received some needed repairs while we were there as well. The amazing thing about all of this is that just seven weeks ago, these two things would not have occurred as our extra funds had been depleted, but through God's love, he has answered our prayers through some of you and we have now received enough for those repairs and for the tickets to Rwanda. Thank you for your love and your prayers for us.

Speaking of prayers, please pray for a leader from the Nyinoume cluster, as there has been ample evidence presented in these last weeks of adultery and voodoo worship in his life. Leaders from other churches have been counseling with him this last week, but in a rage he sought to run them off. After some settling down on his part and with great patience on their part he at least heard them out, all the while refusing the accusations even though the evidence includes several eye witnesses. Please pray for all of this to be sorted out as it has been very damaging to the churches of Fiove, Kpessou, and Nyinoume. Pray for the leader as well that he will humble himself and be truthful and also pray for the other leaders as they meet with him more this week. Thank you for your prayers and the grace of your love.

From Louise - As Marty was in Accra the latter half of this week, the boys and I carried on business as usual at home. The temperatures are continuing to climb. We are looking forward to the arrival of Amy's parents this week. The Shaffer family has been prayerfully involved in this work through the Vancouver, WA. church since Edwin and Patty Slack's original commitment to the team many years ago. It is always a privilege to see the work through the eyes of others when they visit. Please pray for their safety and health during their travels.

Emily and I have a new record of consecutive hours without electricity. On Wednesday our power went off at 2:45 and it didn't come back until 1 o'clock Thursday afternoon. That was definitely an adventure. I think it was the first time we've had to spend an entire night without power. Oh and the downside of the whole thing was that the power was only out in our neighborhood so we were the only ones in the dark. We took everything in our freezer to the Crowsons before school on Thursday morning so nothing spoiled.

We spent our free time this week getting ready for my parent's arrival on the 25th. They'll be here for a little over two weeks and I'm looking forward to showing them our life in Togo. :)