Water, Food, and A New Chuch

More exciting news from the country of Chad! Kolpele was recently blessed with funding (through a fellow employee) to drill a third water well! This newest well, in the southern village of Iri, will serve as a local gathering point to nearby villages. As with the first two wells, it will help reduce disease, eliminate long trips to gather water from streams/rivers, and will provide opportunity to reach out to the community. Kolpele quotes “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded (Mark 9:41)”.

Iri Water Well

Neighborhood Feast

At the same time, Kolpele was blessed with funding from another fellow employee to provide a feast for the orphanage in N’Djamena. A large pig and large sheep were both purchased and the entire community, including animists, muslims, athiests and Kolpele’s chuch gathered together to enjoy “the mana from heaven”. When the entire neighborhood must work tirelessly for meager portions, this type of feast is always a major blessing and helps form relationships in the community. According to Kolpele, the orphans sang and played all day long.

Koundoul Church

In a related note, Kolpele has informed me that after three years of working in the Koundoul district of N’Djamena (several miles from the orphanage) a new church “assembly” has been created. For those keeping track, this is the third offshoot assembly created by Kolpele (not counting the original church/orphanage in N’Djamena); there is now one in Iri, one in Tikem, and now one in Koundoul. A missionary is located at each church center to run the assembly and ease the load on Kolpele. To reach their respective communities, these missionaries are in need of some type of transportation. Currently we are working to get funding for three bicycles.

Please continue to support Kolpele and his ministry by spreading the word and by keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. If you feel so inclined, donations can be made to the Chad project via Peace Gospel’s website link on the right.

Why the flame of fire?

When asking Kolpele why he chose the name “The Flames of Fire” for his Chadian ministry, he responded:

The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. Psalm29:7

for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29

He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. Psalm 104:4

In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” Hebrews 1:7

God’s messengers are angels, and His servants are men. So to the Lord, angels are messengers/spirits and (human) servants of the Lord are flames of fire: so the gathering of the church is an assembly of flames of fire (Evangelical Assembly of flame of fire). You too are flames of fire.

Swine fever outbreak

Recently, an outbreak of swine fever has been rampaging through Chad. The fever primarily affects livestock, which is bad news for Kolpele's goat farm in N'Djamena. Please keep him (and the goats) in your thoughts and prayers this week...

The following report was issued last week: 

CHAD - The country's veterinary authorities have reported a new outbreak of African swine fever. The World Organization for Animal Health received an immediate notification on Friday, 22 October. According to the report, the outbreak was first detected on 4 October, and confirmed last week, 21 October. The report states that the outbreak occurred at a village in the Mayo Kebi region. A total of 883 swine were found affected. All affected animals reportedly died as a result of the outbreak. Ilegal movement of animals has been determined as the primary source of the ASF outbreak.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (Gen 1:3)

Due to the generous support that has come in after my last post, Kolpele has been able to purchase a solar panel, inverter & battery for the orphanage! This setup has the capacity to power either a TV, lights, or a computer, while charging cell phones. No longer must the expensive, loud, noxious orphanage generator run to have these “luxuries”. The TV is used in the evenings to provide a gathering point for the orphanage and “children of the street” to keep them out of trouble once it gets dark. Lights are used for the remainder of the night (after the TV is turned off) for security; imagine being in the roughest neighborhoods in big-city America (say the 3rd ward in Houston) with no protection and no lights and you may catch a glimpse of the fear this can cause. As with clean water, it is a great illustration of the Bible.

"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. " - John 3:20

 

Kolpele, with his entrepreneurial spirit, has also been able to start another small business by allowing the community to charge cell phones for a small payment. Money raised from this initiative is being used to support the orphanage.





While the addition of a solar panel is a major blessing, the single panel is insufficient to run the entire orphanage. As I alluded to earlier, only 1 major device can run at any given time due to the low capacity of the system. Kolpele is still raising money for a second panel/system that will allow full time lighting, fans, and will open the door to other possibilities.

Solar Power

It has been some time since I last sent an update about the Chadian orphanage. As many of you know, I have ended my travel to and from Chad. This means I have not had a chance to visit the compound or to speak with Kolpele face-to-face. Nevertheless, I have maintained contact with him and we have continued our efforts to build self sustaining enterprises & improve the local community. We have also been able to bring additional items over through some other employees who continue to travel back and forth.

Activity in the orphanage & in Kolpele’s other churches has been stable over the last several months. The goat farm is maintaining several goats & seamstresses are continuing to sew to raise money. Kolpele has also been raising cattle in the southern part of the country. Orphans keep streaming into the orphanage and most go to school full time. Several of these orphans are being employed by the goat farm to help teach them skills & to raise money for the ministry. Many people are coming to know God through Kolpele & his ministry.

Since my first visit to the orphanage, there have been many needs identified, and many needs met – either through your generous support, support of others visiting Chad, or through Kolpele’s hard work. We have seen large projects accomplished such as the addition of walls and roofs on the orphanage, clean drinking water wells, new church buildings, a large-scale goat farm, bunk beds & a hen house. We have also seen many direct needs met – widows given money to keep their families alive, children given clothing & toothbrushes, orphans able to have medical care, money provided to feed hundreds. These examples all highlight God’s faithfulness to Kolpele & his ministry. Thank you to everyone who has donated, prayed or shared these stories – none of this could be done without you.

I mention all these great examples only to say there are still major needs to be met. First, and foremost is electricity. Have you ever been without power? During Hurricane Ike we were without power for 15 days – 15 days without fans, cold drinks, a working refrigerator, TV, lights, or an electric oven. I felt like a caveman by the time the lines were fixed and I practically hugged the utility man. Now take that feeling and imagine your entire life without any of those luxuries. Chad does not have readily available access to electricity. Kolpele has a very small generator that he runs infrequently due to high cost, pollution, and noise – typically he runs this for A/V equipment for church or for lights from time to time.

One of our “dreams” is to eventually have electricity in the orphanage, full time. The list of reasons is enormous but to name a few; lights can be used after dark if a child is in need, cell phones can be charged (cell phones of locals may be charged for a small fee as another small micro-enterprise), and the TV can be used to show movies to the community. Eventually I foresee water pumps to help with plumbing.

A logical choice for this power is solar panels – no usage fees, readily available power source & no noise or pollution. We have recently been blessed with an opportunity to buy this equipment at a discounted rate – a Chadian gentleman must sell these at a discounted rate to send his kids to school. With that said, we still need additional funding to make this a reality. Please keep this in your thoughts & prayers so that these solar panels can be purchased. If you feel led to donate for this project, please visit the PGI website (below), my blog, or contact me directly.
One last thing to mention, Peace Gospel International (our non-profit partner) is hosting a dessert info session in November that describes the work we are doing in Chad, and in several other projects worldwide. Below is the information if you would like to attend:

Peace Gospel International: Coffee, Chai & Dessert Celebration

Thursday, November 11 at 7:00pm

Location: West University Baptist Church, West University, Texas

Again, thank you all for everything you do. We are all making an impact on an entire community!

Sponsor An Orphan

If it takes a village to raise a child, then what does it take to raise a whole orphanage?

Peace Gospel International has recently setup an orphan sponsorship program for the children in Kolpele's orphanage. For only $24/mo you can provide for the monthly needs of one child. Currently there are 8 children in this program but it is continually growing. Click the link to find out more!

July update

Recently I have ended my rotational travel to Chad and no longer have the to opportunity to visit the orphanage in person or spend face time with Kolpele. Kolpele and I are still in regular contact and he has filled me in on some of the recent developments. He continues to receive some financial support each month to progress the projects, and we are working on ways to bring more donated items to him with other employees travelling to the area. Below are some of the main developments from the last 2 months.

The goat farm has been sustaining through the past few months but has had many challenges. Originally Kolpele started with 106 goats, however, due to illness this number has dwindled to only 42. Unfortunately the government of Chad recently passed a law that bans livestock from pasturing within the city limits of N’Djamena – a seemingly crazy law considering many citizens have goats or cows for income or food. This law has required Kolpele’s goats to remain within the goat farm, rather than grazing in fields during the day, and has resulted in less healthy goats than we hoped. It has also boosted the price of feed since everyone must now feed livestock grain exclusively. Still, of the 42 there are several pregnant goats with babies on the way. Orphans are being employed as shepherds to clean pens, feed goats & provide medicine for sicknesses. To add to the livestock, Kolpele has purchased several cows in southern Chad that will hopefully lead to more income.

Five women, several of them widows, have been taking sewing courses at the church/orphanage and are already seeing a benefit. A tailor is employed to teach the women who are now able to pay for the courses out of their earnings. Kolpele hopes to setup a similar seamstress training center in Fianga, one of the southern churches.

There are always more orphans than orphanages in Africa. Children come and go from Kolpele's orphanage with the last count around 14. There is a big need to create a similar orphanage in the south of Chad (in Fianga) to house orphans displaced by recent events – many have been persecuted because they are Christians. Kolpele is also working on expanding the orphanage in N’Djamena. Some important purchases & donations from the last several months include bunk beds, mattresses & blankets for the orphans. Finally some of the children have personal beds to sleep in – previously all orphans slept on the ground. With these beds & the clean water well drilled earlier this year, we all pray for health for the kids.

In Kolpele’s ministry he has organized 3 very successful evangelical campaigns in Southern Chad (Iri, Tikem and Fianga villages). He has also been able to setup 2 new churches in Tikem and Wourlarigo. There have been many miracles including healing of a paralyzed man and several sick people. Many people from nearby villages are coming to hear Kolpele and he is having great success at sharing the gospel. Below is an excerpt Kolpele wrote me about the experience (abridged version):

 

“It is a great privilege for me to see you after one month of hard tests in the mission fields. The Bible is clear when it says: ‘Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. ‘Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow. will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.’ Psalms 126:5 We knew times of desert because our car got stuck in the mud three times. The first, it took us seven hours of time to come to end. The second time it took one hour, the third time it took two hours. Even our sisters saw themselves plunging in mud to carry us out because they had pity for us. The thing that I can retain is that, more we suffer, the most the harvest is good.”

 

Please continue to keep Kolpele, his family, the orphans & widows, & his churches in your thoughts & prayers. As always, if you feel led to donate financially, you can use the link to the right, or visit the Peace Gospel International Chad page. I also accept checks for Kolpele on behalf of PGI.

Micro-Enterprises Well Under Way

This post finds me at the end of my journey to Chad – I just completed a year of rotating back and forth and am ending with mixed feelings. One thing I will miss most is having face-to-face interactions with Kolpele. This last visit was one of the best since Kolpele was at the base most of the time that I was there. I was able to bring 2 more huge trunks of donated supplies in addition to the money generated by the barbeque in March. I have great news to report from Kolpele, the orphanage and the micro-enterprise projects because of the donations, the work done by PGI, and Kolpele’s efforts.

The goat farm, after almost a year of construction, is finally complete! The farm is located at a property a few blocks from the orphanage, and is solely devoted to raising goats – goats were originally kept within the orphanage compound. Because of the very generous support raised in March & April, Kolpele has also been able to purchase 104 goats in addition to feeding troughs, water dishes, millet & medicine. Three members of the church are being employed as shepherds & to provide security; without security, livestock is frequently stolen in N’Djamena. This has the added benefit of providing employment & training to the local community. Hopefully these goats will continue to grow and will be ready for market in a few months.

The next project completed was a water well drilled in the village of Fianga in Southern Chad. This well is located within the church Kolpele built (see earlier updates) and is the only clean water within many miles. As with the well drilled earlier this year in N’Djamena, it should reduce disease, eliminate long water hauling trips, & provide opportunities to reach out to the community. Because Kolpele continues to setup churches around the country, eventually we would like to have clean water wells in each of these communities.

Over the past few months it has been increasingly evident that Kolpele needs a reliable car for his ministries & the micro-enterprises. Kolpele frequently travels around the country, setting up churches, purchasing goats & supplies, and taking in orphans. I described his old car in previous posts which had some big problems but was still a luxury to have. Rather than spending the limited funding on a car, we appealed to Esso Exploration & Production Company Inc in Chad for one of the used vehicles being auctioned off. Esso very generously donated a Land Cruiser which was a major triumph! The Land Cruiser is large enough to hold several people in addition to supplies & is the ideal transportation for getting around the country, particularly during rainy season.

Other projects that have benefited from the recent influx of donations include the seamstress shop & the orphanage. There are plans to hire a tailor to come teach widows to sew at the sewing shop. Once they learn the craft, the seamstresses will sell their items at market and some of the profits will go to pay for the instruction.

Even though I will not be returning to Chad, I have no plans to let this alter the great progress that we have seen. PGI has setup a Western Union transfer to wire money directly to Kolpele, cutting out the middle man. I will also be asking several coworkers who do travel to Chad to bring supplies over. With all the recent successes, I feel comfortable that I am leaving at the right time and that there is much opportunity in the future. Thank you again to all who donated & prayed for these projects. These successes would not be possible without you.

Brutal Initiation Rites

******* Please note the details in this entry may be disturbing to some readers ********

I recently received an urgent call from Kolpele requesting prayer for a troubling situation in southern Chad. There is a revival of an old Animist tradition that is affecting the southern village where he has a church (Fianga). Boys from the villages are being taken for brutal initiation ceremonies that often result in beatings or death. Several of the boys (8 so far) have refused to go to these ceremonies, claiming they are Christians and would die for their faiths. These boys have been severely beaten but fortunately none have been killed.

Kolpele quickly travelled to the south to intercede in the situation and was able to get the local authorities involved. This has temporarily halted the beatings but they may continue once the authorities are no longer present. As a result, there are now 8 young boys & men who have been outcast from their homes & are being housed by the church. We are looking at ways to provide a more permanent housing arrangement in the future.

These events occurred shortly before I travelled to Chad for my last official work rotation. Once the outcomes became clear & Kopele arrived at the camp, he and I sat down to understand the events. Details of the Animist initiation rites are provided below. Please beware that the initiation rites are disturbing & may offend some readers – do not proceed with this entry if you have trouble reading about violence.

Kolpele is working to setup accomodations for those displaced after refusing the ceremonies (shown below). Please continue to keep Kolpele & the southern villages in your thoughts & prayers.

---------- Initiation rites in Southern Chad ----------




Before African countries were formed and man-made lines were drawn in the dirt showing boundaries, tribes dominated the continent. The tribal mindset still has deep roots in the culture, and most Africans still identify first with a tribe and then a country. Kolpele comes from the Toupouri tribe which originates from the south of Chad, and has planted a church is in this area that supports the Toupouri community.

In the past, Animist tribes in Central Africa (in particular the Massa, Toupouri, Bongar & Kim tribes of Southern Chad, Cameroon & Sudan) performed initiatory rites with young boys to officially convert them to men. The rites were/are incredibly brutal and caused a certain psychosis, or brainwashing, to the initiates during the period. The following is an account of the initiation ceremonies, as relayed to me by Kolpele. He has been told these practices by family members who went through the rites before becoming Christians. Please be advised that the details are disturbing, but are presented to show African realities.

Over the last 35 years there has been a halt to initiation practices, but in spring 2010, the head of these tribes, named Wang-Dore, called for a revival of the practice. Initiations typically occur for 3 sequential years with a different group of initiates each year, then suspended for 7 years before restarting. Since the previous ceremony was 35 years ago, all men who have missed out on initiation are required to go this year. Each initiation lasts about 1-3 months.

Originally the initiation ceremony was mandated by certain African leaders to reject Christianity & Western influences in favor of traditional African mysticism & unity to be developed through difficult trials – similar to secret societies or other fraternal orders. In these initiations however, there is an emphasis on animalistic behavior & brutality that cause the initiates to “forget” their prior lives & take on new identities. This seems akin to gangs formed in the USA.

Initiates are all male and may be as young as 7 years old. The boys are taken into the “bush”, or wilderness, by a group of older boys, or “elders” who have previously been initiated. Occasionally the boys are unwilling to go and are forcefully removed from their homes. If they refuse, then their families may outcast them, they may be beaten, or both. In the worst case, refusal can mean a death sentence. This photo shows a boy in Kolpele's church who refused the inititation and is now living in the church having been kicked out of his family.

During the first night (around 10 pm) of the rite the boys are taken to the river, stripped naked, and made to lay down side by side on the ground. The must not raise their eyes during the entire initiation process – if they do, it is seen as disrespectful and they risk being killed. The only exception to the death punishment is that if an older family member is present, he may defend the offending boy. The older boys take turns jumping over the boys on the ground. Next, boys are forced to drink “milk of a demon” or “mystic water” which seems to be some sort of hallucinogen. According to Kolpele, the drink causes the boys to forget their native tongues and speak in a demon’s tongue. From these stories, it seems that the drink is used to brainwash the boys into submission.

During the next 3 months, the boys survive in the bush off food that is brought by their mothers, and from whatever can be killed – often rats. The families are never allowed to see the boys, and are required to drop food off at a neutral site 3 times a day in proportion to the number of boys they have in the bush. The elders gather the food and then distribute it to the initiates – gathering food is the only time any of the boys are allowed to wear clothing. If a mother happens to see her son during the initiation time, he will be killed.

Throughout the 3 months the boys cause trouble in nearby villages. Animals are killed or stolen, properties destroyed and sometimes villagers are killed. Christians are specifically targeted. The initiates travel in gangs and in this part of the country, wear red shirts when travelling into the villages – anybody caught wearing red that isn’t part of the initiation is beaten. Again a parallel can be drawn to gangs in the USA.

As the Animist name implies, the boys are supposed to live like animals – as such there is emphasis on being unclean. None of the boys/men are allowed to wash their hands during the 3 months or they are beaten. Food and water is mixed with mud and boys are beaten or killed for not eating or drinking.

You may have noticed that many of the punishments involved with initiation are generally beatings or death. Death is treated with little respect during the process. If a boy dies of natural causes he is placed in the fetal position, naked, in a shallow grave. The body is then burned and buried with no surface markings. If, however, someone is killed for being disrespectful, he is killed and his body is tragically eaten by the group. During any death it is forbidden to cry or beatings will follow. As for the family of the deceased, they are given the boy’s clothes on a stick but told no details about the death – this happens after the 3 month initiation, so families must continue to provide food throughout the process.

Part of the ritual includes changing the names of each boy by adding a suffix/prefix to their name (these include krio, sala, dandi, dou, sam, bili, ngar). Some examples include: Dawé to Dakréo, Dikwé to Diksala/Dikdandi, Kolwé to Kolbélé, Dikda to Diksala, Nagué to Nassandou, (note that Kolpele did not go through the rite, but his name would change Kolpélé to Kolandi). In some regions, the name change is coupled with scarring through cutting, typically on the forehead or face. The region of Sahr, for example, cuts vertical lines down the faces of boys. Kolpele’s tribe does not perform the cutting ceremony.

Upon completion of the initiation, the boys return home as “men”. The rituals change the boy’s identity, so that the time they return home, they must be escorted having forgot their families. They call their parents by their first names & are never allowed in their mother’s room or kitchen. They are new creatures, having lived as animals, and form a new brotherhood ready to initiate the newest clan.

BBQ for orphans

As with all projects, movements & organizations, there seems to be a critical point at which the members either lose interest in the goal, or overcome an obstacle to accomplish a milestone. This is described as the "tipping point" in Malcom Gladwell's book of the same name. This month I had a strong feeling that we had arrived at one of these points - we were either on the verge of failing with our microenterprise projects, or on the verge of succeeding in some way.


Fueled by the success of drilling the clean water well in February, a very compassionate coworker of mine & my wife made it their personal missions to assist our work in Chad. My coworker hosted a barbeque with many of her friends to share our work with others, and to ultimately raise awareness & funding for future projects. During my last expedition to Chad, Kolpele and I worked to get several pieces of art created by local Chadians which were to be auctioned off at the BBQ for additional funding.

Keep in mind that all the fundraising in previous years have been to 1) meet immediate needs (people starving to death, major injuries like amputations, taking care of widows & orphans) and 2) develop self sustainable projects such as a goat farm, hen house, seamstress shop & carpentry shop. Other pressing needs have also been identified including a reliable car and more clean water wells for drinking throughout the country. Without trying to get a car, we figured a good goal for the BBQ would be to raise $5000 - this would finish all construction on the goat farm & would allow purchase of more goats, while taking care of some immediate needs. In my wildest dreams I thought this was unobtainable - but then again, God has different plans than I do.

Needless to say the BBQ was a huge success; people were excited to hear about the work & equally excited to bid on some of the Chadian art. During the event I was able to give a short description of Kolpele's ministry & described the major needs. At the end of the night we were blessed with well over $6000! As is often the case when you think God can only do so much, He doubled the amount the following week when several members of my church felt led to donate. This is enough to finish the goat farm, purchase a vehicle, start training seamstresses & drill another water well! This should tip the projects to completion so income can start being generated. We are very optimistic, however, this is still Africa and the needs are great. Please continue to keep Kolpele, his family, the orphans & church in your thoughts and prayers.

Water is life

Before time passes at the speed of life, I must share the great news related to the orphanage/church in N'Djamena. As you may remember, Kolpele had a discrete wish list before I left for my current rotation. He needed much more supplies: clothing, medicines, tools, Bibles, shoes, toothbrushes, and many other items for his congregation/orphanage, as well as for the seed churches around the country. The latter group had not received much from my prior visits and were in need of basic necessities of life. These are the items that were generously provided and which I packed in my suitcase.

It may seem simple to us who are so blessed but Kolpele's largest request was for clean drinking water. Such a simple thing. We take it for granted everytime we fill up a glass from the fridge. If it isn't the right temperature or if it tastes funny or if has been sitting too long we will pour it out and get a new glass. Kolpele has had no access to clean water of his own but has had to purchase it from neighbors that live nearby. This of course costs money, but it also is a drain on everyone to haul water to the compound every day.

You may remember my photographs of the current well in the compound, but I learned that this well is only for washing dishes and bathing - i.e. non potable. Indeed I think it would kill an American to drink from. The drinking water comes from a neighbor who charges by the gallon, and it must be carried to the orphanage in containers. Kolpele's request was too great to be put off so we agreed on a goal to raise $1500 to fund the entire project. It seemed insurmountable in the short time I had before travelling- I only found out these details 4-5 days before leaving.

As God is the Great Provider, he followed through with his promise to watch over his flock. Money came in from sources that I had not even asked. Some people I have never met came to introduce themselves to me to help financially. The most incredible story is of 4 young children who were so moved by the orphans that they gave up their personal allowance money, all they had, to help kids around the world. Through the grace of God I had exactly $1500 in hand as I left for the airport.

Kolpele was overjoyed to receive the funding. With his entire salary going towards feeding and clothing the 30-40 people in his congregation (and a lesser extent the 200+ people in his seed churches) he had little disposable income to start such a capital project. Within 4 days of receiving the money, Kolpele had the well drilled, hand pump installed, and clean water flowing!

Besides saving money and effort, the addition of the clean drinking water will help to alleviate  much of the disease of the area. It will also provide a great opportunity to invite others from the community to share in the wellspring of life - physically and metaphorically. Kolpele now has the chance to preach to those who would normally never come by his church as he provides them with clean drinking water free of charge.

In John 4:13-14: Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Kolpele later travelled to the villages around the country bringing some of the items that were donated. There was celebration in each village that received the gifts. It is always amazing how much impact such a little thing like a new shirt or a toothbrush or a Bible has on a person who experiences so many challenges in life. The pictures sent back show kids wearing nothing but shorts dancing with joy when Kolpele came. As a sidenote, Kolpele is such the servant that he personally built walls for a new church while on his visit. I can honestly say I don't know a person busier than Kolpele, especially one that never complains about anything.

I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and to continue sharing this story with everyone you know. I am currently in Chad but will be returning home in early March. I will be making one more trip back to Chad before my rotational assignment is over and there is still so much to do.

The next request from Kolpele is a reliable vehicle. This is becoming more and more important as Kolpele travels throughout the country picking up orphans, setting up churches, and bringing materials and supplies back to N'Djamena. Currently he has an old automobile that is neither safe, nor reliable, nor large enough to carry anything of great consequence besides himself. There is an opportunity to purchase a Land Cruiser through a used automobile auction for a discounted price, and a smaller opporunity to have it donated at no cost. Please pray for this opportunity and that the funding will come in or it will be provided. Following the vehicle purchase, we will be working to get a second water well drilled in the South where there is no access to clean water, and we will finish the goat farm. If you feel inclined, donations can be made through Peace Gospel International or you can contact me directly.

X-mas in N'Djamena

As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to share Christmas with the church, orphans, widows and Kolpele's family while visiting N'Djamena in December. Because of the holidays, Kolpele invited the churches he started around the country to partake in a celebration lasting several days. The celebration began on the 22nd which, incidentally, coincided with my visit although the two were unrelated. While I didn't get to spend much time there, I got to celebrate with them during my brief layover.

There was some confusion when I arrived at the airport but Kolpele eventually tracked me down and we drove to his house/orphanage. When I arrived, many children (at least 30-40) and quite a few adults (20-30) packed in to the old church which is under conversion to the hen house (no hens yet). This apparently was not even the major contingent from earlier in the day since many people had left by the time I arrived. After travelling to Chad several times, I am familiar with many of the faces and can even remember some of the names. I feel ashamed that while everyone seems to know my name, I cannot seem to commit all of their name's to memory. Regardless, they all seem to share my joy in meeting again.

Upon my arrival, Kolpele brought the two huge bags that I brought with me on my trip over. I had many items donated for X-mas gifts in addition to funding for our projects, and I ended up with 120 lbs of supplies! Thank you so much to those of you who helped in collecting gifts! I'm just happy that Air France has a 70 lb limit for each bag... Since the airports get suspicious about gift-wrapped packages, none of the gifts were wrapped. As such, they could be distributed to the kids that needed the items most. Kolpele jumped in and acted the part of Santa Claus, distributing gifts to every individual in the group since he knew the needs of everyone. It was incredible to see how two bags seemed to carry an endless supply of children's clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, bibles, candy, toys, school supplies, medicines, home supplies, construction equipment, and even a digital camera for Kolpele. It reminded me of when Jesus used 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish to feed a massive crowd since everybody had something at the end (of course I'm not comparing myself to Jesus - I'm comparing the generosity of those who have helped).

While Kolpele played Santa, I was given the opportunity to take pictures of the congregation receiving gifts. The kids love to have their pictures taken and usually jump into each other's shots. At one point I also opened several bags of candy and gave a few pieces to every person there. I also had a chance to sit back and watch the kids and how involved they were in the gift-giving - they were smiling and laughing, asking for more presents and playing with each other - much like American children. What a way to experience Christmas! It felt better to watch the excitement of these kids getting simple gifts than I have ever felt about receiving a gift.

The gift-giving lasted about an hour and a half and by its end, many people had to leave for bed. We were all exhausted but cheerful - none more so than Kolpele who was planning the week of festivities. The following days were very busy with a big conference and worship so everybody was excited. I was also given a gift - I learned how much I have and how little I understand sacrifice. Kolpele and I were just sitting in the room with some of the kids after the gifts. We talked for a while about the projects, the upcoming week etc, and he then asked me if I could get him a watch. As the head of the group, he explained, it would be beneficial to have a watch since he had no great means of telling time. As he saw my watch, he changed his focus and asked for my watch directly and asked if I could get another one while at home. I must admit that when first asked, I was not very willing to part with this watch - mostly because I liked it and had it for several years. That would also mean I was without on my journey home.

God worked on me for a few seconds and I realized how selfish this was - look at all the blessings I have and how much need they have. How can I hold on to something I see as "mine" when it really isn't a big deal to get another one? It's all God's stuff anyway and if I can't be obidient in giving this small object, how can I be faithful with everything else in my life? In the end, I was happy to part with it and it really made Kolpele light up. I rejoice that everyday he wears it he will be reminded of his brothers and sisters in the US just as I constantly think about them. As it normally happens when God tests me, he proves his faithfulness soon after - I was given a watch of the identical brand for Christmas that may be even better than the one I parted with.

Even with all the joy and happiness I see while there, it is always emotionally draining. There are still so many needs to be met and I sometimes feel inadequate to continue the mission. We have come a very long way so far - the goat farm's bricks have been completely fired and the area is under construction, the hen house is mostly built and there is an area for seamstresses to work. We still have a long way to go however, as we pursue more funding to complete the goat farm, purchase goats and continue the other projects while still trying to provide for the many orphans, widows and church members that struggle on a day-to-day basis. I wish to thank everyone who has so generously donated funding or gifts to the mission - please know that every bit of it has made an impact. I also thank everyone who has prayed for Kolpele and the orphanage. If you know of anybody that may be interested in this work, please feel free to forward it on. As always, if you wish to donate you can visit the Peace Gospel International Chad site, or contact me directly. My next visit will be in February.