From Marty - Wow, what an incredible week we have had complete with all the ups and downs that can fill our lives in Togo so quickly. The week began with bad news about the truck. The damage to the front end was a bit more extensive than we first thought as this was the second time that the wheel had snapped off. Please pray for provision for the repair and that the car will last out the year.

Beyond that, it was a great week with the men out in Afagnan Gbleta where the men’s conference was held. Murphy and I enjoyed the 20 km. walk out to the conference (pictured left). We were thrilled that one of the voodoo houses we had prayed about 18 months ago had been destroyed. We were encouraged by the maturity of the leaders as they dealt with several issues. Murphy and I were given time at the end of the leaders portion to encourage them. One of the challenges of being out for meetings like this is sleep. An eleven dollar hammock afforded me the best nights of rest in the village in ten years. We were joined by Papa Antoine for our walk back to Tabligbo. Older, tougher, and stronger than us, he made an easy stroll in his flip flops while we fiddled with i-pods and hydration packs trying to keep a decent pace. He must have pushed us along a bit since we made it back about forty minutes faster.

We were thrilled to get to visit Adankonou Kope this Sunday for worship. It always amazes us what God does in the lives of those who really love him. This church is full of them. We will miss them deeply. Thanks be to Edwin Slack who planted this church several years ago, as it has now planted five others, number six is coming shortly.

As for prayers, beyond the car, please pray for us to be less resistant to God’s uses and more spiritual in our work. Pray also that we would be disciplined and deeply passionate in our pursuit of God; that nothing would stand in our way. Pray also for us to be able to focus not only on the now of Togo, but to somehow look beyond to Rwanda.

From Louise - Marty mentioned the highs and lows of living this week. The water rationing continues to be the overriding low. Today marks the fourth day with only an occasional trickle. We have almost depleted our reserve water for bathing and are buying bottled water. Perhaps we should have dug one of those wells ourselves! Please pray for relief soon. One high point in my week was a visit from the purse seller in Lome’ that I have built a friendship with. She came to Tabligbo to deliver my birthday gift from Marty, but I think she may have been in search of a friend. Over lunch, she poured out some of the details of her life: an unwed mother struggling to make ends meet in a large city. Please pray that I can encourage her to a strong relationship with the true Lover of her soul in the few months we have left.

The real high of the week was Sunday . Seeing the faces of my brothers and sisters in Adakonu welled up emotions in me that I didn’t know were there. During the service (pictured right), the thought of leaving this place was almost more than I could bear. Please pray for the roller coaster of emotions we are all on during this last year. There are many things that we will not be sorry to leave behind, like water and electricity rationing, but the living water and energy supplied by the joy of worshiping with our family here will be hard to bid farewell.

This week was our week to go to church with the Crowsons. We went to the village Vo Asso (pictured left). The drive out to the village was great, like usual, except the drive wasn’t near as bumpy! I think the drive to and from the villages are one of my favorite parts of Sundays. We always pass so many people and the scenery is beautiful. Today you could see so far in the distance and it was breathtaking! On our way home from church we passed what seemed like the entire village doing their laundry in just a small stream. There washed clothes were strewn all over the bushes and grass to dry and everyone was down in the creek scrubbing the rest of their clothing. Church this morning was special. Since coming to Tabligbo and visiting the area churches, Murphy and Marty both are always introducing their families and/or Emily and I. Well, this morning, the church wanted to pray for all of us and for the Crowson’s upcoming year in Rwanda. Even though I had no clue what their prayer was, sitting at the front of the church in front of the twenty or so people attending, I felt moved just knowing that they were praying for us! This is a special place.

School is always exciting. I’m learning more about each of the boys every day. This week I learned that Taylor is an excellent lizard catcher. All I had to do was mention that a lizard was on the porch of my house and within two minutes he captured it and carried it in and out of the school to show the other boys. I also learned that Stephen is a future track star! I tried multiple times to catch his “jumping abilities” in action but he was just too good to catch on film – all the pictures are just a blur! The boys are so great about playing together and each week they are playing a different sport. Tuesdays I walk out to recess just wondering what they’ll think up next.

There are things I’m really starting to like her in Togo: riding on JimmyJohns, Dr. Peppers made in Dallas rather than the Netherlands, cold showers, pagne shopping, and my house worker Da Emily.

From Murphy - Tuesday, I took Christine out to lunch at her favorite restaurant in Lome to celebrate her birthday and Valentine's Day. We had a very special treat for dessert, strawberries with cream. Yummmmm. Happy Birthday honey! I love you! What a blessed man I am!

The Batoe well is nearing completion (pictured left). Last Thursday they hit water. This week they will fortify the walls of the well. Late's report is below (he wanted to begin writing a short update each week). Also, the Sedome cluster put up a temporary shelter in the Sedome church building last Thursday. They are currently looking for land to purchase to begin constructing a more permanent building. Pray that God would help them find a good piece of land at a good price.

Wednesday was our 20 kilometer trek to the men's meeting. As we passed by a dozen or so idols, we prayed that God would destroy them physically and spiritually. That those who bowed down to them would willing bow down to Jesus. May God use those prayers to usher in His Kingdom.

As I listened to the lessons and participated in the worship times at the men's meeting, I was filled with joy and thanksgiving. God's Spirit and Zeal were evident in their lives, hopes and dreams. Even in the way that they tackled a leadership problem, their desire for unity and growth was displayed. God has laid a good foundation of faith over the past 14 years among the Watchi. Let us pray fervently that a strong spiritual house will be built on this foundation that will change the entire nation!

Sunday we worshipped with the Vo Asso church. They are doing well and greet all of their brothers and sisters in America! Abraham rides his bike to this village every Sunday morning to lead them in worship then leads his own church in Ahonkpe in the afternoons. May the Lord bless and establish the work of his hands by blessing these two churches with faith and growth.

From Christine - This has been a great week. On my birthday I went to Batoe to meet with the christian women there. Eighteen women came and we had a great time of worship and prayer together. Afterwards we shared a meal of akpan (a cormeal mush) and ademedetsi, a stew made with a locally grown leafy vegetable. What a fun way to spend my last birthday in Togo. I loved looking around the room at the bright faces of these women I have grown to love so much. Please continue to pray for them. They want to choose a woman to be a leader among them. Pray that God will give them wisdom and that he will place it on the heart of one or more women to rise up to lead and encourage the others. Pray that God will use me to encourage these women in their faith. For our remaining time in Togo, I am going to go monthly to visit these women house to house rather than having group meetings. Pray that they will continue to meet regularly without me.

Sometimes living in Togo feels like living in two different worlds. After my day out in the village I spent the evening with Louise, Emily, Rachel and Lauren having a girl's night out. We watched a chick flick and Louise treated us all to a pedicure. She also made us very yummy blueberry tarts. Thank you Louise! Thank you all for your prayers for the work among the Watchi.

Tuesday we rode zimidzans (jimmy johns) (moto taxis) to the Koonces for dinner again because their car was still in the shop. It is still a little scary to me and I think it is a little tricky to get on when wearing a skirt, but it is so much better than walking.

Thursday- Valentines Day- was the peak of a new recess sport, inspired by Mario and Sonic at the Olympics Wii game- the running long jump. The boys arranged jump ropes as the running lanes, and then connected all of the hula hopes to create the pit. The neatest thing about this sport is that age doesn't determine skill. Stephen beat everybody everytime by at least a foot! We have discovered jumping as his great athletic skill. Taylor came in second then Matthew, Tucker, Tanner, and Trevor. Trevor has trouble jumping rather than running across the pit.

That afternoon we decorated lunch sacks as our treat and valentine bags during science time. Then Lauren, Christine,and Louise came over for our party. We played some great games. One was "find your match" Rachel handed everyone a paper heart with an animal name on it. When she said "go" you had to start making your noise until you found someone else making the same noise. It was great fun and we did one round of wild animal noises and one round of barnyard animal noises! The funniest part was watching Christine and Stephen trying to make a giraffe noise. Then back to the porch for HEART -bingo- which was really funny because I created the boards at random and Trevor kept winning everytime. Next we ate the cookies and snacks the moms brought with pink koolaid provided by the teachers. The boys took turns passing out the valentines they made for each other last week and they really had a great time.

Saturday we spent most of the afternoon working on our botany study in science. The younger five boys planted bean seeds by two different methods and in four different locations. They will start tracking the growth of their plants next week. I am so amazed at their ability to learn the vocabulary that the curriculum introduces. Their favorite word is hilum because it is the seeds "belly button" and of course they have to sing the Veggie Tales belly-button song every day.

A dream - Batoè is a small village situated near the Mono River. The populations of this village take bath, wash clothes and dishes and drink the water of this river. This situation causes diseases like diarrhea, bilharzias, onchocercose…The aim of this project is to give opportunity to people to have access to pure water and preserve them against diseases. When I let the people know that we will dig a well nobody could believe me because this kind of things never happens before. But Thursday the pure water was found after 10 meters deep.

(Laté is our Agricultural Missionary among the Watchi. He works with Christians and Churches to develop better farming techniques and to improve life skills and living conditions. Our goal: Christians thriving in body and spirit!)