~ Rachel Baker ~

This week Emily and I went back to the Kpotonou church with the Crowsons. It was neat to revisit a church that I had already been to. Being able to recognize faces was a great thing to finally experience. I love the drive out to that village. Christine laughs at how I think that is the village that it feels the most “African” to drive out to. It’s quite the adventure! It’s fun though, because we pick up some of the Christians along the way to the building… well, church site. It’s a small structure made out of just sticks and a thatch roof. It’s so quiet once we get out there, though, you can really feel God’s presence surround you.

It was also fun because I got to see one of the babies that Christine had told us about earlier in the week. One of the Christians in the village had named their new baby girl Jenna after Jenna Bunner. (one of the previous missionaries here in Togo) How cool is that?! She was absolutely precious. (Bea and Jenna pictured left)

After being a little under the weather a couple of weeks ago, this week was my first week to get back out in Tabligbo and go to Market. Emily and I had a great time being out around the town. I convinced her to go with me to find the Tabligbo sign so we could take pictures. We got to it, even though it was a little further walk than either of us had expected. Market is always a highlight for me. I think it’s just being out in the village around all the people. Hearing the sounds of it all just makes me smile. It’s fun to get a chance to practice my greetings and work on understanding some French.

The post office is always involved when we head out into town. We got lucky this week and were greeted by "the nice guy"! When he sees us, he always starts picking up packages off the floor and reading the names to us with his heavy French accent: "Murphy Crowson?" no. "Marty Koonce?" no. "Emily Dunnagan?" YES! "Rachel Baker?" YES! It's always great when we get those surprise packages! Emily received one on Wednesday on our Market outing Wednesday and I got two on Monday. Fun!!!

~ Murphy and Christine Crowson ~ Crowson's Blog

From Murphy - In March, 2004, I began mentoring and training 18 men to be shepherds, evangelists, leaders and teachers of God's body. This past week marked the end of that training series for the elders in the Kpeve church.

One of the illustrations I use in my teaching is that of the "cup" and the "funnel". There are those who receive, receive, receive but never give, much like a cup receives water until it's filled up. There is no outflow. Proverbs 30:15 says "The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry." Many Christians and even churches live by the cup mentality, always receiving, never giving.

However, there are others whose lives are like funnels, they receive and then give, receive-give, receive-give. In giving of their time, wisdom, finances, strength they are open to receive more so that they can then turn around and give more. In Matthew 10:8 Jesus exhorts His disciples "Freely you have received, freely give." We are called to bear fruit, fruit that will last for eternity!

There are four elders in the Kpeve church (Chardey wasn't here this week due to a rough case of malaria). From left to right in the picture stands George, Israel and Emmanuel all holding their "cups." They have received mentoring and training from me these past four years. Their "diploma" was this cup. Their assignment is to change the cup into a funnel. The training and mentoring that they received from me must be passed on to others. As disciples of Jesus they must continue to make other disciples. As a church, they must continue to plant other churches. As elders and leaders they much continue to mentor and train others to carryout the work of the Lord.

The exciting thing is this: They already have five men ready and waiting to be mentored and trained in leadership, evangelism and shepherding God's body! Isn't that awesome! I love it!

2 Timothy 2:2 says "...the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." We invite you to join us as we passionately pray that those we have mentored and trained these past years will indeed be funnels of blessing to other disciples and that the discipleship chain will continue on until the Lord returns!

From Christine - We are so thankful that Matthew is in good health today. He was very sick this past week with malaria and perhaps a virus. He missed three days of school. On Saturday afternoon he finally started to feel better and began to eat again.

After our ladies' meeting in Kpotonou on Wednesday, one of the Christian women pulled me aside. She had just returned from a visit with her family in another village. With tears in her eyes she told me that there was no food for her family that day. Although we get many requests for help, this paticular family would not ask for help unless they were truly desperate. It broke my heart to see the despair in her eyes. This is a difficult time for many Togolese. The dry season is ending and so is their food. They must wait until the next harvest in June before they will have more food for storage. In my lesson that day I had talked with the women about the Kingdom of God being like a treasure buried in a field. Pray for the Togolese Christians that they will seek the Kingdom of God first and trust that he will supply all of their needs.

~ Emily Dunnagan ~

This past week at school was unusual, because we were missing at least one student everyday (illness and travel). I think it is so sweet that the boys miss each others company! They really are more than just classmates or casual school friends; they are each others' second families. We always prayed for whoever was missing and the other boys lamented their absence during recess and lunch time. It is neat to see the sweet caring side of these boys and I hope they carry this bond into adulthood. We are the only house in our neighborhood with running water. Most families in Tabligbo rely on the various pumps across town to buy the water they need to cook, bathe, and drink then the women or little girls carry it back home on their heads. Two weeks ago a new pump opened up right next door to our house. It has been very interesting to watch our street become busier and watch people line up with their tin bowls and yellow jugs. Of course, this means that there are also a few more children to stand behind the school shouting “Bonjour Emily” and “Bonjour Rachel”.

~ Marty and Louise Koonce ~ Blogs: Marty, Louise, 4T's

From Marty - Jacques, one of the elders, looked at me two weeks ago in a training session with Tabligbo and said, "You just need to leave." Now if you didn't know the context of our discussion you might be offended by those words, but they were music to my ears. Since our return to Togo we have continually been wondering about what will happen after our departure. In Jacques' mind things will be better, because according to him as long as we are here, the Watchi will depend on us and put their hope in us, but after we leave the Watchi will only have God to depend on with no restraints, save the limitations of their faith, to grow and love Him as He loves them. How great our hope is, that they will rise to the occasion of faith and deep dependence on God. In the interim, we pray and ask you to join us in prayer that they will grow in the knowledge of his love for them in Christ.

What an incredible trip I had with my eldest son Tucker this last week. We had planned for great adventure to do a tandem parachute jump off of a peak, but that will have to wait for a couple of weeks as we sort out all of the details, in the meantime we had a great two nights of camping in the wilds of Western Togo. We laughed, we prayed, we sang, we studied, we talked, and he cooked and cleaned up. It was a perfect camping trip. Do pray for Louise when we do jump that she will be at peace and that we will be healthy after our landing. As they say, it is not the fall … but the landing.

From Louise - Marty and Tucker had a great camping trip. They had a great time talking about growing up and studying Proverbs. I think Tucker may have come home a little "taller". The rest of us fared well while the 'men' were away. Since the Monday after Easter is a holiday here, we enjoyed being lazy at home while watching movies.

My heart is heavy for a friend here. Kpatanyo (pictured left), a young Christian lady from the village of Afakomi Kope has left her village and the church to be the mistress (not even an official wife) of a witch doctor. She had been one of the most faithful young members of the body there; it is so hard to understand why she would do this. There are many angles to pray for here: that if this was by her choice, that she will repent and return; if she has been coerced by the man, then he will release her; that her family will stand up and fight for her; that this will not discourage the church or lead others away.

~ Agricultural Ministry - Laté Lawson-Simlen ~

Laté (la-tay) is in northern Togo working with the Kabiye team as they begin their well drilling project. He's helping things get started as well as learning their technique of drilling. This is a picture of the first well in process. David Reeves, one of the missionaries among the Kabiye is standing to the right. You can sign up for the Kabiye Team News by visiting harvestfields.net.

Laté is also helping set up a "learning and example" farm in one of the villages where farmers can come and learn new skills and methods.

2008 Watchi Team

"God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them. Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world."
E.M. Bounds

Kpeve elders on their way to visit and pray with Chardey, one of the elders who was sick with malaria.

A yummy lunch of dried cassava, sugar and peanuts after a training session in Kpeve.

Worship @ Kpotonou this past Sunday.

Stephen with "Easter Eggs" that some of our wonderful friends sent us for easter. They were full of yummy chocolate Easter candy. Thank you!

Christine's second kitchen. It's been months since we've been able to find gas bottles. Plan B, cook over a charcoal fire. Buster, our dog, is keeping her company.

Rachel at the Tabligbo sign.

Emily at the Tabligbo sign.

Trevor - minus a few teeth.

Tucker sitting by the campfire on Kloto Mountain.

What is the "Tabligbo" in Tabligbo Times? Tabligbo is the town that we live in:)