Please continue to ask the Lord to bless the well digging in Kpotonou. They're at 13 meters (around 39 feet) and just now getting to moist dirt. Maybe another two or three meters to go before we tap into the water. Pray that they will find water soon and be able to complete the well before the heavy rains come in April! Pray also that this well will be a blessing to hundreds of people and that they will come to know the True Water that gives Life!

My vehicle is at the mechanic's again. The steering was feeling a little funny last Thursday on our way home from Lome so I hired a driver to take it back to the mechanic. Just as he arrived in Lome the right tire completely fell off, this time busting the 4x4 transmission as well as breaking several other parts. I called a mechanic in Accra and he came over Monday, looked at the damage, wrote down the parts that were needed and then returned to Accra to try and find everything. Hopefully he will be back Friday and we can get the vehicle running again.

In answer to prayer God has moved the heart of a prayerful man to give a generous amount towards the purchase of a "newer" vehicle. So, this week I have some men in Lome hunting down a used 4x4 pickup that's in our price range. Pray that God will help us find a good vehicle at a good price.

This past Sunday was the third Sunday in a row that we have visited a new church. New in the sense that it was planted within the past year. Last year six new churches were planted completely by the nationals. This is a significant event in light of the fact that God did this in the same year that two missionaries families left the field. A sure sign that the Kingdom is growing by the Spirit's power. Pray for these baby churches and those that planted them. That the Lord would use those mature in the faith to strengthen their new brothers and sisters in Christ.

From Christine - It has been a busy but good couple of weeks. I had good meetings in Kpotonou and Sedome. The women are all doing well. As the time for our furlough quickly approaches, I tired to encourage the women that they need to continue meeting without me. The Sedome women feel like their inability to read prevents them from meeting. I talked with them about the need to pray together and encourage one another even if they can't study the bible together. I also tried to encourage them to tell other people the stories that they know about Jesus and share their own stories of God's faithfulness. Pray that they will not let their inability to read inhibit them from sharing their faith.

Last week we enjoyed fun fellowship and work with the Batoe Christians as they helped Daniel and his wife build a new hut. Stephen and Matthew loved stomping in the thick, squishy mud. They both helped carry mud balls from the mud pit to the the walls of the hut. After the work was finished, we enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Jackino (Daniel's wife) and Popono (Daniel's sister-in-law).

Blessings to all of you! Thank you for your prayers!

Last Saturday we went out to Batoe to help one of the families build a new hut. Hut building takes several months here because they can only add a layer (a little over 1ft. high of mud) every 4-7 days. We were putting on the 4th layer of a three room hut. Some men/women were mixing the mud in a pit, most of us (age 3 and up) were carrying balls of mud from the pit over to, two men who were sitting on the wall and shapping our mud balls into the new layer, 2 other men had machetes and walked around cutting the wall to make it smooth and even. My hands and feet were covered with mud (we went bare foot). They started earlier in the morning, but we left Tabligbo at 8:30 so we got out there at 9:45. It was so wonderful to really feel apart of their lives and to have people try to communicate with us.

Several of the women spent their morning cooking for everyone, they even let me help stir the akoume (it is harder than it looks). We had a feast for lunch! It was the best food I have had yet! We had akoume with greens and fish in a red oil which I have learned to like and was eating up .Then they brought us bowls of veyi! They made amazing veyi! The served it with red oil, gali, and a mixture of ground tomatoes, onions, salt and hot peppers over the top ( of the beans). It was wonderful! And we had brought cold beesap sacets of juice to share so that added a yummy sweet flavor. We ate the most we could so hopefully we were appreciative guests. It is by far the most african food I have ever eaten in one sitting! I think I am going to miss veyi when I come home.

This Saturday we had a fun time shopping in Lome with Lauren and Louise. I got to eat Al Donalds for the first time and I really enjoyed it! (and for those of you who have never been-it has a golden arch and everything!) Today we had the most amazing rain and the best part was that it cooled things down! Last week it was over 120 several days and today it was 80 something!! I put on socks and turned off the fans and all of the boys wore jackets it was great!

From Marty -

As for the other areas we are facing some up hill battles in Afakomi Kope against apathy. Their chief died a few weeks ago and the church as a whole is a bit confused as to how they should act. In fact the whole village is in a way paralyzed by his death. Pray for God to give them clarity to see that Jesus is their only hope. Pray that the new leader will lead them as a village to Christ.

Topeglo is facing some challenges currently as they want to grow. Many here put their hopes of being legitimate churches in having nice buildings (obviously a universal problem). Topeglo is no different. They want to build a permanent structure, which would be a blessing. Please, though, pray that the church there will put their hopes for legitimacy in their "Christlikeness" and their love for each other. Also pray that they will deepen in their faith.

For the Atitogon area the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few. Please pray that the believers there, as a whole, will share Jesus and mentor new believers in His ways. In Tabligbo we ask you to pray that the church here grow spiritually. They have been infantile in their understandings of righteousness and self-sacrifice. Pray that they will grow up.

Thank you for your prayers for my health. I am feeling better and am getting back up to speed. This weekend we will be hosting a Togolese government official (with the department of Commerce) in our home. Pray for this as we will be showing him some of the farming projects we have going and hoping to build relationships with him on behalf of the farmers in our churches. He has many contacts and exportation projects that he is involved in that could be a blessing to the believers here. Thank you for your continued love for us and the Watchi that you express in your prayers and sacrificial gifts.

From Louise -

The boys and Marty are well again after a few bouts of Malaria and stomach bugs. The boys are buckling down for the last few weeks of school. Their teachers are such whizzes that we will be finished with all lessons early. Tucker also got to play in a real soccer game last weekend. The whole family, including the dog went out to the high school field to watch. I am not sure if more people came to watch the game or to watch us, watch the game. Ah, the celebrity life.

Another highlight of our week was the birth of Josephine Grace Atchou. Our househelper, Fofo Koffi and his wife are the proud parents of a fourth baby girl. The boys were delighted to go and visit them at home and take her a dress I had made.

In addition to hut building we've had several other fun cultural experiences in the last few weeks. We had our first experience with "alternative" seating at church. We went out to one small church that used branches laid across forked sticks as their pews. The branches were small enough that I could make a circle around them with my thumb and middle finger. It's not only uncomfortable to sit on such little branches, but it's also possible for them to break. It happened toward the end of the service that the branch holding Murphy, Christine, Emily, Stephen and Matthew broke and dumped them all into the dirt!

Later that same day we attended Tucker's soccer game in Tabligbo. The team that practices at the Koonces house on Sundays was challenged by another local team and they played at a field here in town. Emily and I parked across the field from the cheering section for our team so we had to walk along the sidelines to get over there. We felt like normal supportive teachers attending a student's athletic event. It was a fun game and really fun to see Tucker playing.

Today we spent most of the school day in our house instead of out at school due to rain. I guess the boys really like to be inside because they flew through their school work. Emily and I were trying to figure out ways to make their work last longer and we decided to have a special snack time. We spread a blanket out on the floor of the living room and served mugs of tea and chocolate chip muffins. While they drank their tea I read from our read aloud book. It was our equivalent of curling up with tea and a good book on a rainy day. :)