Sowing Seed in Ivory Coast

Exciting News in Béoumi

2011-08-25T19:45:00.008Z

I'm so excited to be able to update you all with great news about the new church planting project in Ivory Coast. The Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast in partnership with CMF have been praying and planning to plant 4 new churches in the Béoumi region, with the hope that is will start a new church planting movement in central Ivory Coast. Several of the leaders and missionaries have visited the area and have taught and preached on several occasions last year. They were well received and invited back.

Once the political turmoil hit the end of last year, no one was able to travel throughout the country safely. We had hoped to send two church planters this past January to the region, but it just was not possible. We continued to pray for those who had heard the message of Jesus Christ and that God would open the doors for us to go again.

Last month, the door opened back up. Since the dramatic political changes happened in April and May (the conclusion of the electoral crisis), things in Ivory Coast quickly began to improve. Our teammate, Christina, along with our friends and fellow CMF missionaries from Burkina Faso, the Hausers, returned to Ivory Coast. When the Hausers returned to Burkina a week later, they made a side trip, accompanying several of our church leaders to Béoumi to encourage and share God's Word with them.

One group in particular were overjoyed to receive them and their message. In fact, their story is amazing. They actually come from an odd religious sect. Unlike so many other indigenous groups, they worshiped and prayed to the one “Creator God” while also rejecting the traditional amulets, charms and statues that permeate the african culture. Their founder had even at one time cleared their region of the various masks, charms and idols and stood up to many different witch doctors. However, they had no concept of salvation and had never heard the good news of Jesus Christ!

Upon hearing the story of Jesus and the salvation that God has given through Him, they cheered and praised God for revealing the complete truth to them! They listened so intently, that even our national church leaders said they had never experienced a group of people so hungry and thirsty for God's Word. On the final day of teaching 58 people stood up to say they wanted to be baptized into Christ (everyone from the local sect who was present that day).

In one week, four church leaders accompanied by our teammate Christina, will travel back to Béoumi. They will make a trip to a nearby lake (because there isn't sufficient water in their area for baptisms) with those who have put their faith in Christ for a baptism celebration... rejoicing for their new lives in Christ. One of the leaders will stay with them; teaching, encouraging and visiting others for a month. Pray for Nestor, one of the national pastors, who will be staying and sharing with the Béoumi believers.

It is so exciting to see God’s Spirit leading us to harvest fields that He has been preparing well in advance. It has been exciting to see people respond with incredible enthusiasm to God’s love through Jesus Christ. We wait in great anticipation to see where God leads us and how the Holy Spirit will move in this new region. This coming January, Nestor along with another national church planter, will return to Béoumi to stay and work for an entire year. Please lift up these two church planters and their families as they serve the Lord sacrificially.

May God be glorified and honored in our service to Him!

Andy

Moving Forward...

2011-07-28T13:30:00.002Z

Some folks lately have mentioned that they have not seen any news about Ivory Coast for a while. I've been telling people it's because there hasn't been much news to share (which is probably a good thing). Since the arrest of former President Gbagbo, politically things have turned around and are slowly improving. In parts of the country there remains a spirit of mistrust and apprehension, but the economy has restarted and overall people seem to be hopeful that the country is and will continue moving forward.

While there isn't much political news, the mission has been busy and has been moving forward. I know I have said it before, but I want to say it again, God has blessed us tremendously with great friends and ministry partners in Ivory Coast! Our Christian brothers and sisters who serve alongside us and have continued the ministry while we have been gone are incredible servants. I truly thank God for these precious friends and colleagues. This past month has seen a lot of great steps forward in God's Kingdom work in Ivory Coast.

The PIM Clinic was finally able to receive its medicine order! We have been trying to get these medicines into the country since last December, and it finally was able to make it into the country late May and get through customs (despite the political difficulties and governmental change issues) in June. Hats off to our Clinic Administrator, Konan Emmanuel, for his hard work and repeated trips to Abidjan.

We also have been blessed to partner with IDES in supplying aide to displaced families from the electoral crisis. The mission was able to provide over 150 families whom fled Abidjan, and had little to no resources, with two months worth of rice, oil, soap and bleach during this difficult time. The hope is that these gifts will help sustain them until they are able to either return home or get established in our community. It was a great testimony of the love of Christ by the mission, our church and the clinic. The mayor's office and our partners in the HIV/AIDS ministry (PEPFAR, EGPAF) heard of the aide program and decided to make a ceremony out of the distribution, including radio coverage on both the local and UN radio stations. Since then, 70 more displaced families have been identified and we are looking for resources to aid these new families as well. We thank the Lord for providing the means and partnership with IDES so that we could impact so many families and provide opportunities to follow-up with them and share more about the love of Jesus.

I'm excited to share that our teammate, Christina Skelton, recently returned to Abengourou. She left Ivory Coast with our family in March and then joined the CMF Burkina Faso team late April and stayed with our friends and former teammates in Ivory Coast, the Hauser family. Christina, the Hausers and their interns arrived last week and Brian Hauser was able to lead a spiritual retreat for our key church leaders. Our national friends and partners were excited to see the Hausers again and have Christina back. The Hausers and their interns headed back towards Burkina Faso Wednesday, but accompanied some of our pastors and Christina on a visit to Beoumi on their way home.

Beoumi is the region where the mission and the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast are working together in a new church planting venture. We had planned on sending two church planters this past January to start four new churches, but were forced to delay the project due to the electoral crisis. Three leaders from Abengourou left this week to visit, teach, evangelize and encourage the contacts the have already made on previous survey trips to the region. We hope to send two church planters this coming January following our family's return this fall.

Our family continues to visit supporting churches and make new contacts in support raising. We have raised most of our Outgoing Expenses (i.e. visas, tickets, etc.), but have little new ongoing monthly commitments. We decided to try something new by asking people to provide a month's rent of $220. We are looking for 36 donors (individuals, groups, Sunday school classes, etc.) for a one-time gift of $220 to cover one month's rent during this next 3-year term in Ivory Coast. If you can't cover an entire month's rent, we can partner you with someone and you can cover half a month's rent at $110. If you are interested in helping send me an email (gablecmf@hotmail.com) or you can even donate online via e-check (preferred) or credit card by clicking on the link: https://p2p.paperlesstrans.com/default.aspx?i=cmfms&c3=GABLE+Andy+and+Stephanie&c4=55600

Our goal is to return to Abengourou, Ivory Coast late-September and no later than the end of October. Our family is looking forward to returning and continuing the work God has set before us. The kids keep asking when we are returning to Abengourou.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Here is a list of things to be praying about this next month:

-Our family's support raising efforts to be fruitful (both financially and spiritually).

-Our teammate Christina's re-entry into Ivory Coast as she settles back in. (Actaully, this past year has been crazy since her arrival and she has yet to really settle in well.)

-The church leaders' visit to Beoumi. That their teaching and encouragement would bear fruit and sow seeds for a great coming spiritual harvest in that region.

-Funding for an additional 70 displaced families in Abengourou (about $4,750). And a prayer of thanks to IDES for their partnership and previous funding. Also for fruitful follow-up visits with the families that have received aide.

-The relaunch of the initiation of CHE in the Cocoterrain community (primarily Muslim) in Abengourou.

Blessings and peace to you all. May God continue to lead and move in us to do great things for His Kingdom.

Andy

The Ivorian Conflict

2011-05-10T12:23:00.003Z

Greetings all. It's not easy to understand what the conflict in Ivory Coast has been about, so I wanted to do my best to explain what has been going on. In the next post, I will gives more details about what it meant for us, our team and fellow workers in the ministry in Ivory Coast; what is currently happening; and what remains ahead for us all. FYI, this is going to be a long one...

Background

In Ivory Coast, there is a cultural divide. While many news outlets try to sell their stories by playing up the religious Muslim-north vs. Christian-south aspect of the conflict (not that it does not exist, it is simply a minor aspect), the reality is that some people groups from the south feel or claim to be more Ivorian than the people groups from the north. Because of this, the south has dominated both the political and economic life of Ivory Coast for many years.

The north grew tired and discontent with the arrangement and in 2002 there was an attempted coup-d-etat that, while failing to take over the country, did divide the country into the rebel controlled north and the government controlled south. There were sporadic conflicts over the next five years, with many attempts at peace talks. Late in 2007, they had a breakthrough and signed a peace-deal that would lead the country towards elections, that were originally scheduled for 2005. Several years went by with lots of disagreements over the voter role, disarmament of the rebels and pro-government militias and other various areas. Election dates were set and missed. Finally in 2010, they held elections with the UN overseeing.

The Election Confusion

In Ivory Coast, the presidential election consists of two rounds: round one includes all the various political parties' candidates and then round two is between the top two receivers of votes. Prior to the first round all opposition parties to the sitting president, Laurent Gbagbo, agreed to support the leading opposition candidate. The first round of elections went very smoothly with President Gbagbo receiving the most votes and his long time political rival, Alassane Ouattara, coming in a close second.

Even before the second round began, things started to get interesting. The reason being that Ouatarra comes from the north and finds his greatest support there. Gbagbo has long accused Ouattara of supporting and/or even orchestrating the 2002 coup-d-etat. In the previous election in 2000, the government refused to allow Ouattara as a candidate. This was one of the "last straws" for the north that led to the rebellion in 2002.

Nonetheless, the second round voting went relatively smoohtly, with some reports of voter intimidation by both sides. The election was overseen by the Ivorian Electoral Commission (EC - made up of one representative from each political party) and the UN. The election results were to be announced before the following Wednesday by the EC with the approval of the UN. The EC was delayed (reportedly by Gbagbo's party representative) and announced the results after the deadline, though the EC was fully supported by the UN and its decision. However, the election also must be ratified by the Constitutional Council and since the EC went past the deadline, legally the decision fell to the CC, who was headed by a close ally of Gbagbo. The CC claimed there were irregularities in the northern districts and canceled nearly all of the northern votes, declaring a narrow victory for Gbagbo.

The Electoral Crisis

Two men, both proclaiming themselves president and both having themselves sworn into office, claimed authority over Ivory Coast. Ouattara was recognised and supported by all international bodies (UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS, USA, etc.). Gbagbo however, had the support of the majority of the national Ivorian military and police heads. The international community imposed all kinds of sanctions on Gbagbo and his allies, yet Ouattara had no real access to funds nor government resources. While the sanctions did slowly chip away at Gbagbo's power and control, it also devastated the already slumping Ivorian economy.

With Gbagbo's grasp slowly slipping, military and hired mercenaries started persecuting known and suspected supporters of Ouattara. In the three months following the elections, hundreds and very possibly even thousands of people were either killed, kidnapped or disappeared at the hands of the most radical supporters of Gbagbo. Ouattara supporters were not free of similar tactics, but the numbers paled in comparison to Gbagbo's. In the western part of the country, ethnic violence was rekindled with various groups divided by their allegiance to the two men. Thousands of people began fleeing their homes, many in the west crossed the border into Liberia to refugee camps. Thousands also began leaving Abidjan as the violence continued to increase. As so many other events happened throughout the world (revolutions, earthquakes and tsunamis), the Ivorian conflict became forgotten and no progress was made, yet the humanitarian crisis grew daily.

In February the banks closed due to Gbagbo's desperation for cash. Not only did people fear violence, but people started running out of cash as well. Few people received salaries since the start of the new year. Food itself became a precious commodity. Even though security problems were primarily localized in Abidjan and the west, everyone was greatly affected.

Gbagbo continued to tighten his grip for power as some of the military refused to report to work by calling on youth militias to rise up. They continued and intensified the persecution of Ouattara supporters and began also attacking african foreigners and UN forces. There were forces that arose seeking to protect segments of the population and took control of pro-Ouattara areas of Abidjan. The conflict continued to spiral out of control, with Gbagbo and his leaders openly calling for attacks on foreigners and "enemies" of his regime.

The country was quickly moving towards an all-out civil war, yet no outside international body were prepared to intervene. Tens of thousands (nearing 100,000) of people had already been displaced from their homes. The economy had been strangled and the political crisis was dead-locked. Though the international community used lots of strong words, they failed to move Gbagbo from his position.

The Breaking Point

Finally, four months following the election the former-rebel forces from the north (who had been reinstated as a part of the national security forces... it's complicated) and who supported Ouattara began a campaign to take the country and force Gbagbo out of power. They quickly moved throughout the country, meeting little to no resistance from Gbagbo's forces, many whom either fled their posts, hid or went to regroup in Abidjan. Within three days the forces now called FRCI (Forces Republican of Cote d'Ivoire) controlled over 95% of the country and were heading towards Abidjan.

As the northern forces arrived in Abidjan, hundreds of thousands of people fled. There was intense fighting for several weeks, all the while people in Abidjan fled or holed up in their houses, some low or without food or water for anywhere from 5-10 days. The UN and France became involved in the conflict to help protect civilians by taking out Gbagbo's large artillery weapons... which also helped the FRCI take control of Abidjan and eventually arrest Gbagbo on April 11th. By the end of the fighting, nearly 1.3 million people had been displaced from their homes (1 million from Abidjan alone) and around 3,000 civilians killed (which both sides were guilty of).

Since Gbagbo's arrest, politically things have started to turn around. Little by little the military leaders and political allies of Gbagbo have publicly recognized Ouattara as the new Ivorian president. In fact, Ouattara was sworn into office last week by the very same man who had once declared Gbagbo the winner. However, the Ivorian economy remains devastated and the humanitarian crisis remains extremely serious. Few people have returned home and a spirit of mistrust lives on. The banks finally opened in the last 10 days with many people rushing to get their salaries for the first time this year.

What Remains

Ouattara has an unfathomable task before him, trying to unite the country to once again make Ivory Coast a beacon of peace and prosperity. The economy that has ground to a halt looks to the cocoa harvests and prays for good yields and good prices. Many displaced and broken families search for help and the healing of physical and emotional wounds. And almost everyone prays to God that the hurting and pain will end and healing will begin.

Our Ivorian clinic administrator put it best, "well, it can't get much worse so it has to get better." The Ivorian people are mostly tired of the conflict from the past ten years and ready to move forward. There are deep wounds needing to be healed on both sides, but thankfully Africans are an incredibly resilient people. Somehow through it all, most african people remain optimists. The economy will turn around, people will be able to return home soon, hatred will fade away and tomorrow will be better. May God grant them the peace they so earnestly seek in their daily lives and the lives of their children. May God give us the strength to take part in the realization of the Lord's prayer in Ivory Coast, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Current Events and Plans

2011-03-03T19:25:00.000Z

What does one say in the situation we find ourselves? How can I explain and express the feelings, thoughts and emotions going on both in myself and my friends who remain in Ivory Coast? While friends and family back in America feel a sense of relief (as I do for the safety of my wife and children), however I wish I could remain in Ivory Coast and continue working and serving alongside our national partners and friends. The need for hope and love has never been greater.

So many people are struggling to get by. The people in western Ivory Coast and in Abidjan are surrounded by violence, literally caught in crossfires. Food prices continue to rise while the amount of cash people have at home shrinks. The banks are closed and most people have not received a salary the past two months. Cash itself is becoming a scarce commodity throughout the country.

And all these things because of the hunger for power by a few men. Long awaited elections (5 years overdue) were meant to reunite the country, however it has driven a wedge further between various people groups and ideologies. The former president, Laurent Gbagbo, lost the election overseen by the UN to his long-time rival Allasane Ouattara. Gbagbo has preyed on the fears and deeply entrenched prejudices within society in order to keep his hold on power. The military continues to follow his orders, along with other militias who support him, and have attacked , threatened and intimidated all those who dared to support Ouattara publically. Ouattara's supporters had enough and began to fight back. These are the clashes that the news has been talking about in Abidjan and in the west.

The African Union has had representatives in Abidjan trying to mediate the conflict, however they have made little to no progress. They have repeatedly delayed making an announcement of their recommendations... and now their delayed announcement has been pushed back another month.

The eastern part of Ivory Coast has mostly remained peaceful. We were able to return and continue working and serving the Abengourou community. However, earlier this week Gbagbo called for his supporters to fight "the enemies and rebels" (who the enemies are was left to interpretation) on state television while one of his aides openly called on militias to kill foreigners (in response to the international community's stance against the former president). We decided it was time for us to leave before trouble found its way to us.

When looking at the current situation, there doesn't seem much to be hopeful about. But this thought gives me hope: God is still God and He is still sitting on His throne. Jesus calls his church the salt and light of the world. In the darkest of times, a small light shines brightest. Just last week we purchased 100 kg of rice that the church members plan to share with their neighbors struggling to find enough for even one meal a day. The church still plans on serving and loving their neighbors as Christ commands. Shining the light of true hope into the darkness.

So, please continue to pray for our friends and family who remain in Ivory Coast. Pray that God may give the endurance, courage and passion to follow and serve Jesus to a world desperately seeking hope. Pray for the church leaders to set the example. Pray for their protection and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Pray especially for our two sister churches in Abidjan: the Abidjan Christian Church and the Anono Christian Church. Both churches are found in the midst of the heaviest fighting in Abidjan.

For now we are still in Ghana. Tomorrow we are headed to the capital, Accra, and will be returning to America March 12th. It will take us a couple of weeks to get acclimated and plan our unscheduled furlough. Pray also for our team mate, Christina Skelton, as she heads to Burkina Faso to continue studying language and helping CMF's Burkina Field Team. Also, before heading to Burkina Faso, she needs to get some treatment for her back and sciatic nerve that has been ailing her for over a month.

We appreciate your prayers and support and ask that you continue to pray ardently for Ivory Coast and the Lord's people there. May God give them peace and a leader that will guide them towards unity and reconciliation.

Andy Gable

Heading Home

2011-01-20T09:44:00.001Z

It's never easy living away from home for an extended time. While there have been many great blessings for our family here in Burkina Faso, it has not been easy as well. When we first came for a visit, by no means did we plan to stay this long, but then again it's hard to predict that both candidates will assume they are president (because having two presidents for one country works so well). The Burkina visas we acquired for Stephanie and the kids were good for two months. This coming Monday, the two months come to an end. New Burkina visas bought here in-country would cost over $1,800 and only be good for six months. Our truck also has to get its Ivorian vehicle inspection re-authorized (available only in Ivory Coast) by February 1st.

So we have been praying hard and asking lots of well-informed people (CMF staff, other missionaries and our Ivorian friends) about the various options we have before us. While it is clear that we cannot go to Abidjan, life in Abengourou has changed little and remains a peaceful corner of Ivory Coast. In terms of safety and living conditions, the current situation seems to be similar to the situation in 2004 when Ivory Coast went through a serious time of instability. In 2004, we were able to stay and continue working in Abengourou with little difficulty. Given the current circumstances, our team has decided to head back home to Abengourou and continue serving the people and ministry God has called us to.

God continues to bless and move forward the ministries of the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast, the PIM clinic, the CHE program and the outreach to Djoula-speaking Muslims. We believe God is leading us back to Abengourou to continue working with our great national friends and partners, serving together as a source of light and hope during difficult times. It's not a decision we have taken lightly, but one that gives us peace.

So please be in prayer for our family and our team-mate Christina Skelton this next week. We will be leaving Burkina Faso next Monday morning and traveling through western Ghana. We plan to spend the night in Sunyani, Ghana and then cross the border into Ivory Coast Tuesday morning, arriving in Abengourou sometime in the early afternoon, Lord willing. Pray for safety on the roads, easy and quick border crossings and sane parents at the end of our long journey. Also continue to pray that God would bring peace to Ivory Coast so that the Good News of Jesus Christ might be spread unhindered and the people of Ivory Coast experience true and lasting peace. Thanks so much for your prayers, they are felt.

Andy

Life as a Refugee

2010-12-21T10:01:00.003Z

I have thought quite a bit about what I wanted to write about during this time while we are in Burkina Faso. By now most of you know that Ivory Coast had its long awaited elections. The essential information is that both candidates claim to have won, formed their own ministerial cabinets and neither of them is budging from their position. Add to all that the UN, US, France and several other international bodies backing the opposition candidates claims to the presidency and you get one big mess where people have started getting hurt and unfortunately killed. If you want to read more details about it, go to www.bbc.co.uk/news and click on the Africa link. You will see at least one story about the Ivorian situation and inside the article there are other news links that explain what's going on. The best way to sum up the situation is how another missionary friend put it to me the other day, "Sorry your country sucks right now." I would say that's pretty accurate from a political and social point-of-view.

I was able to go back into Ivory Coast a little over a week ago to get some necessities for living here for a little while (like Christmas presents, school curriculum, etc.). While I was there I also met with some of our key national leaders about the continuing ministry in Ivory Coast. It was a blessing to hear that despite all the noise going on about the presidential election and its aftermath, their resolve and plans for the ministry had not changed. There of course were a few modifications and postponements (they were living under a 7:00 PM curfew afterall), but the task of planting churches, training leaders and impacting communities has not changed. Very soon two national church planters are to head to Beoumi in the central part of the country to start four new churches. Those plans have not changed. "God has called us there and we will continue to trust in His call for us." The clinic continues to operate and minister to hundreds of people every week. CHE continues to engage the Cocoterrain region, seeking to bring health and hope to that community in Abengourou. Though the world around them is unstable, unclear and at times unfriendly, they continue to look to the Prince of Peace and serve Him as ministers of peace.

One of the blessings of this technology age we live in is the ability to stay in touch from afar. Not only with you all back home, but even during times like these we continue to work with our national partners to do the Lord's work in Ivory Coast. While here in Burkina Faso, we continue to work with them in translating materials, coordinating ministry activities, the construction of the Kids' Church/Djoula Worship Center (which is nearly finished!) and looking to future planning. Also while I am here I have the opportunity to study the Djoula language with less distractions than when I am living in Abengourou. Rest assured that our time in Burkina is not just a long holiday... at least it sure doesn't feel like one.

Thank you all for your prayers for both our family and Ivory Coast. Please continue lift up the Ivorian political situation and that all the leaders involved would be moved to look at the people of Ivory Coast who have suffered much during this time and would do what is best for them. Continue to pray for our family too while we live here in our friends', the Burks, house. They have been so gracious to let us live in their home while they are on furlough. Though living in Burkina for the past month is not what we inteded to do, there have been many surprise blessings. Pray too for our health, there has been some sort of "bug" we have been passing around the past couple of days. Thank you again for your prayers. God has heard them and has answered many already (the situation in Ivory Coast could be much worse than it is). May God continue to answer the prayers of His faithful.

Andy

Quick Update and Prayer Requests

2010-10-11T20:03:00.004Z

Hello everyone, we are doing well and starting to get ready for next year. There is so much going on and changing it is exciting and yet sometimes stressful. What encourages us the most is the great sense that God is moving and guiding us in where we are headed. Here are some things to pray about over the next month.

-Elections might actually happen soon. So that is both a praise and big prayer request. The first round is Oct. 31 and the second round run-off is Nov. 27. Both Christina Skelton and the Bledsoes are traveling around those dates. Pray for their safety. Pray that the elections go as smooth as possible and real peace returns to Ivory Coast. This election date is almost exactly 5 years following the original election date back in 2005.

-Praise for the discovery of a new Christian Church (actually three, but they use a satelite church structure) in Abidjan among french speaking Ivorians. For a long time we have desired to see a french-speaking Christian church in the capital, but lacked both financial and human resources. They plan on joining the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast very soon. *It's a great story, but I don't have room here to explain how God worked things out.

-We will be starting a new CHE plant in the poorest area of Abengourou called Cocoterrain (also highly populated by Djoula-speaking muslims) within the next two months. We have a CHE TOT 1 & 2 scheduled for Oct. 18-22 for those who will be heading up the new work.

-The Association of Christian Churches is starting their planning for 2011 and are making major strides in being self-leading, being less and less dependent on the missionaries. Pray that God leads these national partners to accomplish some great things in the near future.

-Pray for Christina Skelton as she continues to get adjusted to the Ivorian culture and find her footing here in Abengourou. She has been doing very well so far.

-Pray for the completion of the Djoula Worship/Prayer Center. We are looking forward to starting various prayer services for muslim background believers and seekers.

-Pray for Andy and he tries to keep up with all of the above. :)

Thanks to all who pray for us and the ministry here in Ivory Coast. Our prayer is that God moves in your lives and communities as He is in ours!

The Béoumi Project

2010-06-08T09:53:00.003Z

To say that it is time for an update is a gross understatement. Rest assured, we have been busy and good things are happening. I am excited to finally share with you about some of the ways God has been moving here at the Mission Chrétienne en Côte d'Ivoire. Since they are many, here is the first installment with others to soon follow. This first one deals with our work among the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast (called AECCI in French).

The Béoumi Project

One of our major objectives has been to instill within the leadership of the AECCI a greater vision for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Ivory Coast and beyond. Their desire to see the church spread into new areas has continued to grow and plans were made to start in a neighboring region in a couple of years. They pray regularly for God to help them move beyond the region of Abengourou (especially to the north and west in Ivory Coast). God answered clearly this prayer, but like He often does, in ways we did not expect.

Our story reflects that of Paul in Acts 16 when he received the "Macedonian Call." Paul had a good vision and plan for his mission, but God's vision was bigger and better. God clearly communicated His plan for Paul. Likewise, we had good vision and plan for expanding in Ivory Coast, but God had other ideas. The end of last year, our leaders received a call pleading with them to send someone to plant churches in the Béoumi region (literally... from a man named N'Guessan on his cell phone). At the same time, there were many other small things that developed and messages received (too numerous to mention here) that confirmed what we believed: God was calling the church to Béoumi.

What's exciting about the project is that it is not just about planting a church in a new town or region, or even that we are going to plant four new churches in the region, but it is the start of a new church planting movement in a new region of Ivory Coast. And this is not just any region, but in the center and heart of Ivory Coast. It sits as a gateway to the northern and western regions and will facilitate expanding again in the future. It has become clear that God's strategy is better than ours (go figure).

The AECCI's Director of Evangelism has already made a preliminary scouting trip earlier this year, and the leadership will make a strategic planning visit next month. At the end of this year, we will send two church planters to the Béoumi region and they will live and minister there for all of 2011, planting four new churches in four towns in the region. The Béoumi Project is for four years, with TEE leadership training to continue following the first year. At the end of the four years, it is expected that the new young church will have also planted another new church as well in a neighboring village. Our model has three important keys: it's Simple, Reproducible and Affordable. We teach the power of multiplication and following the simple holistic gospel of Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that God will imprint His desire for the lost on our hearts and theirs as well as a mindset of multiplication.

So PLEASE be in prayer for the Béoumi Project. We are also looking for partners in this church planting ministry. The total 4 year budget is $12,500. If you are interested in learning more about the project or giving towards this ministry, contact me via email (gablecmf@hotmail.com) or Facebook (Andy Stephanie Gable). More than anything, we are seeking out people to be prayer partners for this project (individuals or churches). God is moving and we want to ride the wave of His active grace.

May we be so filled up with His love that it flows over into the lives of others. Be Blessed.

Andy

*Next edition will talk about the Djoula Outreach Ministry

The Dark Side of Africa

2010-01-21T11:58:00.001Z

Monday morning I received a wake-up call, in more ways than one. A good friend who works with the mission, Joel, called me and said his wife’s 12 yrs. old niece Cici, who lives with them, had been missing for a day. What struck me was his shaky voice. His fear wasn’t as if she had run away, but that she was missing... in an African sense. From time to time, people (too often children) disappear without a trace and are never found again.

Many generations ago, many people groups in West Africa occasionally practiced human sacrifice, often a child, to the spirits of this world. With the colonization by European countries in the 19th and 20th centuries, human sacrifices were banned and the practice ceased (for the most part). These were replaced by goats and sheep and people were content with it. But over the last 12 years, things have been getting tougher for Ivory Coast, with several coup d’etats and a civil war reeking havoc on their economy, and people have been searching for answers. Unfortunately, some have looked backwards for those answers... and slowly the number of people going missing has risen in recent years.

This is the darkness I heard in Joel’s voice. This was my real wake-up call. It wasn’t my first time hearing about it, but like so many things, it got pushed to the back of my mind. After all, so many of the Africans you meet are wonderful and kind people. I enjoy chatting with them about their day and family. They are genuinely thankful for each visit. It’s easy to forget the darkness that lies within their hearts. That’s not to say that they are inherently evil, but fear grips them and guides their lives day in and day out. For me, it was a stark reminder that though the ministry of bringing physical healing to people is essential, the greatest need is healing the darkness within the human heart.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12) God reminded me of the power of hope found in Jesus’ life-giving light. Later in the day Cici was found safe at the home of her slightly deranged aunt. God had heard our prayers and the scores of others praying back in America. May we pray equally hard for the hearts of the African peoples that they might receive the light that gives life.

New Beginnings

2010-01-11T09:55:00.008Z

The beginning of the new year reminds us of the importance and need for change. People start working out, they plan to be more organized and they start a reading plan for the Bible. It's also a time when some start new activities and opportunities, both for individuals and organizations. This sense of need for new things and change at the new year is international. New Year's Day is the biggest holiday in Africa. No matter how rich or poor a family is, everybody gets nice new clothing, shares a special meal and visits their friends and family.

One of the most exciting things that this new year brings for the ministry here in Ivory Coast is the growth and new phase for the Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast. The Association is made up the various church leaders from all eighteen Christian churches. Since the beginning of the mission here, the overseeing of the church planting and leadership development was done by missionaries. For some time now, the bulk of the preaching and teaching among the Agni and Attie people groups has been done by the various church leaders, however, the mission organized most of the activities. This is the first year that the Association will officially take over the overseeing responsibilities of the work among the Agni and Attie peoples.

It is a huge step in the life of the church here in Ivory Coast. Our goal as a

mission has been more than simply starting new churches in Ivory Coast, but creating an indigenous movement that naturally reproduces both new churches and capable church leaders. It's exciting to see the Ivorian church responding too to Jesus' Great Commission to make disciples. They have many great projects for this year, including starting three new churches, even sending a church planter to a new area of Ivory Coast!

The past several months we have been working hard in preparation for this historical step; we have done some reorganizing of the leadership training program, specific training for the ministry area directors and Executive Bureau, and another first of hiring a full-time ministry coordinator for the Association. Edoukou Jean-Claude, one of our most mature and respected pastors, has taken on this role of organizing the activities of the Association and encouraging the churches in the mission and vision of the Association. Please pray for him in his new role for strength, endurance and flexibility and he travels and learns new things. Pray also for Deahon Tro (known as Papa Tro), the Executive Director of the Association. Pray for wisdom, insight and passion as he leads the Association in these new endeavors.

It is exciting to see how God is moving among the people here and his ministry. I am greatly encouraged by our leaders vision, conviction and desire to serve God and make his salvation through Jesus Christ known to all. It not only is expanding their witness and influence, but has and will continue to free up more time and opportunities for us in the mission to focus more on the Djoula Muslim outreach. Please pray for the Association and Mission as we serve alongside each other to make Jesus and his love known to the people of Ivory Coast.

**The photos were taken during our planning meeting with our ministry area directors. The first photo includes Jean-Claude at front-middle. The second photo has Papa Tro in the back.

August Update

2009-09-01T21:29:00.001Z

Last month we were blessed to have a group come from the Second Church of Christ in Danville, IL work with us in several different projects. There was a lot going on at the same time, but everything seemed to come together and a lot of good work was accomplished for the Kingdom. All the various activities gives us a good glimpse into what has been going on here in Abengourou with the Mission Chretienne en Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast Christian Mission).
Dental Clinic
A dentist, Dr. Phil, headed up the dental team with Dr. Sally (an emergency room physician) assisting him. Over a span of four days, they were able to see over 120 people (I think they lost count of how many teeth they fixed or took out). Many of the patients were some of the PIM clinic's HIV+ patients and members from our church. During the weekend they went along with our clinic chaplain, Wisdom, to make a few home visits of some of the HIV+ patients. It has been quite some time since the last time our mission hosted a dental clinic (at least 7 or 8 years) and good dental care is something most cannot afford nor find for that matter. It was a nice added bonus for our two missionary families to be able to get our teeth checked out and cleaned as well.
Mother-in-law Moral Support
Stephanie's mother also made the trip with this group. The kids were pretty excited to get to see Granny. It was nice to get to visit with her, though personally I was rarely home during her time here. But the rest of the family got a good dose of family that makes missing home a little easier. She also helped Stephanie paint our living room and side porch (not all her time was fun and games with the grandkids). It was nice to see her and get a bunch of goodies (which has not helped my weight-loss program... oh well) from the States.
Mission Compound Landscaping & Training Center Maintenance
A handful of folks worked hard on getting things looking a little better around the mission property. They helped get the church entrance looking better and created a few walking paths with some stone and brick pavers. They also painted the large meeting/classroom in the training center and making a few repairs throughout the center's interior (many thanks goes to Dr. Sally's husband, John, who headed it all up and did much of the work himself). It will help the mission and Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast have not only a nice place to hold their various trainings and meetings, but also rent out to other groups in order to help with the ongoing costs of the training center.
Leadership Training Seminar
Over the past several years the Mission and national Association of Christian Churches has been working towards the transition of oversight of the church planting and leadership training programs among the Agni and Attie people groups from the Mission to the Association. Two years ago Stephanie's Uncle Dale, who is the Executive Minister at Second Church of Christ, came to teach a seminar on strategic planning to the Executive Bureau of the Association.
Dale returned with this group and lead another seminar called "Lead Like Jesus." All the national and regional directors of the various ministries of the Association along with the Executive Bureau (a total of 30 people) took part in the three day seminar. Not only did we expand on the strategic planning principles previously taught, but the necessity of following Jesus' example not only as disciples, but as leaders as well. We talked about how leading and serving are not antonymous as most believe, but two essential aspects of leading like Jesus.
Coco-terrain Prayer Walk
On one of the final days of their trip, we went down to the region of Coco-terrain, where we are hoping to start a CHE plant. We spent the morning walking around seeing the area and meeting some of the folks we have been getting to know over the last couple of months. It doesn't take long to see the needs surrounding you, but at the same time the generosity of the people of Coco-terrain. We ended our walk on the outskirts of town, overlooking the region, praying for its leaders, the various families, that CHE would take hold, but most importantly that Christ would take hold of their lives.
I sincerely thank the Second Church of Christ Mission Team for not only their hard work, but that they poured their hearts into the lives of the people here in Abengourou. May the Lord bless them and those they came to serve.

EVANGELIZING THE "HOSTILES"

2009-07-03T07:30:00.003Z

Part Three: The Message… Worshipers in Spirit and in Truth

Seeking to have peace with God is at the heart of Islamic faith. Throughout the day, many Muslims pray for God to bless them in a variety of ways: providing the necessary food, strength or health for the day; granting good crops or success in business affairs; helping keep them and their families on the right path. For most Muslims, what they seek after for themselves and their family is noble and good.

It is important to understand that there are some significant differences between the Christian and Muslim beliefs about God: His character, role in daily life, and our relationship to Him. However, our ultimate goals of correctly worshipping Him and finding ourselves following His will place us in similar situations. Christianity’s relation to Islam is strikingly similar to that of the Jews and Samaritans in Jesus’ day. The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 teaches us some very important truths concerning a right relationship with God.

The Samaritans, like Muslims today, worshiped the God of Abraham. Like the Samaritans, Muslims “worship what they do not know.” Because of the negative history between the Jews and the Samaritans, the woman was shocked that Jesus would even ask her for a drink of water. And when Jesus originally offered her eternal life, she turned it down because she knew that her people could never join the Jewish religion (nor would they want to).

The same problem exists for us today. Almost all Muslims would turn down flat an invitation to salvation through Jesus Christ simply because they could not imagine joining the Christian religion, its supposed enemy for hundreds of years. The thought of any Muslim going to “Church” is equated with apostasy. But Jesus has taught us how we can remove this barrier.

When the Samaritan woman pointed out that her fathers said they must worship on this mountain, but the Jews said the place of worship was Jerusalem, Jesus confronted the heart of the matter. He told the woman, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” The issue is not about changing religious forms, Jesus clarified that, “A time is coming and has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers God seeks.” (John 4:23)

The message for Muslims today is that it’s not about trading sides, turning against their cultural norms to become a part of the enemy, but worshipping God in spirit and truth within their own cultural context. You don’t have to go to “Church” (their negative idea of an “outsider” hostile religion with different forms) to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Worshipping in spirit and truth doesn’t mean having to get all the forms done exactly right, but getting your heart right and dealing openly and honestly with God.

The essential truth is that none of us can seek out and find God through our “good works,” because we can never find Him through them. But thankfully He has sought us out as the good shepherd searching for his lost sheep and the Father waiting for his lost son to return home. (Luke 15) Salvation is found through Jesus Christ His Son. And Following Christ and worshipping God can be done in any cultural context. After all, God can speak and understand Arabic too.

(*I must ackowledge Tim and Rebecca Lewis for their article on Church Planting in Muslim contexts in the Jan./Feb. 09 issue of Mission Frontiers. Their pratical experience and insights helped me developed some of the themes in this three part series.)

EVANGELIZING THE "HOSTILES"

2009-04-20T15:54:00.014Z

Part Two: The Method... Searching for a Man of Peace

Serving as peacemakers is what we seek to do. First, between the Christian and Islamic faiths, but ultimately our prayer is that Djoula Muslims will find the peace they earnestly seek with their Father, Who seeks them. That being said, how do you evangelize a people who are staunchly against being evangelized and acutely aware of the consequences (not just from conversion, but even in seeming to show interest)?

Hence, we generally avoid going door to door or setting up a stage in the middle of town with microphones. For most Muslim Background Believers (MBBs), accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is a process... and often a long one at that. Typically, we, the American Church, understand conversion to Christianity as an event. The Gospel message is presented and one either accepts it or doesn't. A Muslim who has been hearing the message put it best, "you prepare the soil, you plant the seed, you wait for rain and then pray that it grows." (Interestingly, this man has yet to be baptised, but expresses the process well... even using biblical imagery - 1 Cor. 3:6-7) We start by preparing the soil, loving our neighbors as Jesus would.

What initially drew most people to Jesus during his ministry? His ministry of compassion and healing brought people into contact with the power and love of God. The crowds not only heard messages about the Kingdom of God, but witnessed the difference this kingdom made in people's lives. It's equally important to note that this ministry of compassion and healing was not just for Jesus, but when he commissioned his disciples to go out preaching about the kingdom of God, he also empowered them to do the same ministry as well. (Luke 10:9)

Often, the soil is hard when initially working with Muslims. It can be difficult breaking through the hard layers of mistrust that have compacted over many years. That's why you serve people at their greatest felt needs. That's why we have a clinic open to all people, treating each person with dignity, respect and love that they deserve regardless of their ethnicity, social status or religion. It's why we engaged people on the street and visit them in their neighborhoods, trying to relate to them where they live, not waiting for them to come to us. It's why we seek to help communities start CHE (Community Health and Evangelism) programs to bring about both physical and spiritual transformation. It takes time to work hard soil, but the seed we carry is worth the effort. Its fruit produces eternal life. However, you can't bear fruit if you don't plant seed.

After engaging people with the compassion and love of Jesus, we also seek out those who are ready to receive the seed. In Luke 10, Jesus gives us an essential model to follow when sowing seed. He tells his disciples, "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house." Literally, this is our prayer, that God will lead us to men and women of peace whose hearts He has prepared to receive His message of the kingdom.

So what do we specifically do? Having developed a relationship with an individual or family (we try to reach out to entire families if possible), we ask them if they would be interested in learning what the Bible teaches. For those who accept our offer, we start a CBS (Chronological Bible Storytelling) group teaching about God's story and plan for mankind starting in Genesis and culminating in the resurrection of Jesus, his Son. Some accept the message, others want to continue the dialogue, while others choose not to make a decision.

Our teammates, the Jones and Hauser families (the Jones are heading back home on furlough and the Hausers are now working with the Djoula in Burkina Faso), have headed up the Djoula outreach in Abengourou, ministering to their Djoula friends and contacts. We will continue following-up with these folks. I am also excited about our new project that Dr. Bernie and I are heading up and hope you will join us in praying for a great outpouring of God's Spirit among the Djoula. This month we have been meeting with local leaders from Cocoterrain (translation: Field of Coconut Trees), a district in Abengourou that is heavily populated by Djoula and hit hard by the effects of poverty. On May 25th we will be doing a health screening, assisted by a short-term mission team from FAME and Hazel Dell CC, in Cocoterrain and hopefully following up by starting a new CHE plant in that community.

Pray that our efforts might prepare the soil well for future seed sowing and that God would prepare their hearts to receive His message. Pray that we will find men and women of peace, where we will be welcomed. Pray that good contacts will be made for learning the Djoula language and culture. Pray that the love of God would permeate all that we do.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

EVANGELIZING THE "HOSTILES"

2009-04-04T21:53:00.002Z

(That’s for all you fellow LOST fans out there)

“How does one start a church among a people who have been hostile to the church for many centuries?” On more than one occasion someone has asked me this or a similar question in regards to our evangelistic outreach among the Djoula Muslims. From our Western, especially American perspective, this question seems incredibly valid. If there is a part of the world that is most hostile to the church or the “American way,” it is the Islamic world.

Since there is a lot to this question that I would like to tackle, I think it will be best to address it in three parts. Part one I will discuss our mindset, Part two will cover our method we use and Part three will discuss our message. My hope is that it might help us understand Muslim people not as hostiles, but like anybody else, those in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Part One: The Mindset… Our Struggle is not against Flesh and Blood

It is really easy to slip into an “us” vs. “them” attitude, no matter what the situation may be. We tend to be self-centered in our thinking… whether we like it or not. Throw in a history of negative interactions and bad feelings, and you get a situation ripe for mistrust and suspicion. It’s the Christian and Muslim world’s version of the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s family feud.

Like many other conflicts, the problem often isn’t those cited on the surface level, but what lies underneath, unseen that poses the greater problem. Usually we want to point out the “great differences” in theology and doctrine, but when compared to other religions in this world, the differences are small. The real problem, we have a history… and a really negative one at that. (If you want to know more, study the history of the Crusades, not exactly the church’s crowning moments.) So how do we overcome deeply rooted biases against one another? We overcome them by building bridges… loving our enemies, admitting the faults of our ancestors, seeking reconciliation, serving as peacemakers.

Paul reminds us that we are in a war, but our enemy is not who we think it is. He tells us to prepare for battle, putting on the full armor of God, but he reminds us that, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)

A Muslim person is a husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter who has concerns to deal with, needs to be met and a heart needing to love and be loved by their Creator and community. In other words, they are a lot like you and me. Their kids get sick, their rent comes due and they work hard to earn a living… we do what we can to help make their lives fuller. We love our neighbors no matter who they are, where they worship, or how they pray.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NIV)

Andy's Kenya Trip

2009-03-15T08:45:00.003Z

Greetings all, the Gable clan in Ivory Coast is doing well and have enjoyed being together again this past week after my full week away in Kenya. 8 days is a long time to be away, more for my wife than anybody. But both Stephanie and all five children survived the week (I was more worried about all the children making it). A part of me wishes I could say I suffered through the week, but the weather and landscape in and around Nairobi, Kenya were beautiful. The days were nice and comfortable and the evenings cool. I let David Giles, CMF’s Director of Church Planting and my “boss”, know that if he took potential recruits for West Africa to Nairobi first, I might have to hunt him down and shoot him. (Feeling called to Africa? How about hot West Africa where they speak French or beautiful Nairobi, Kenya where most speak English? Hmm... Tough choice.)

Anyway, it was nice to be around the other CMF field team leaders from around the globe. Many of them we have met previously, but a few were new to me. They truly were a joy and encouragement to be around. I learned a lot in both our formal and informal discussions. We also were able to visit one of the slums of Nairobi where CMF is involved in a GREAT work among the urban poor. In the slum of Mathare Valley, about 800,000 people live in one square-mile. As difficult and heart wrenching it could be to see the vast and utter poverty it was equally encouraging to see the tremendous work being done through CMF’s HOPE partnership. It was a wonderful reminder that the Church shines brightest in the bleakest of situations, void of hope. Not only was it encouraging, but I learned a few things about their CHE program, church planting methods among the poor, child sponsorship program, and many other helpful things as well.

We also took one afternoon to go to the Nairobi Game Park. Even though we live in Africa, the extent of the wildlife that we see in Ivory Coast is mostly lizards, snakes, various rodents and occasionally a pet monkey. We have hippos in country, but they are rarely seen. I was looking forward to it, and we did get to see a lot of things, but missed out on the lions, elephants, rhinos and hippos.

Just before leaving, Clay put a picture of Superman that we drew and painted together in my backpack as a surprise. It was a wonderful gift, so I made sure that Superman followed along on the journey with me during the trip. Check out the “Superman in Kenya” pictures to see where we went.

This past week I have just been running errands around town and working on a paper for my Master’s degree course. So there isn’t much to talk about. It has been good to be home, even if it’s stinkin’ hot. Thanks for your prayers and support. I truly believe that your prayers are the foundation and pillars for the work going on here in Abengourou. Please continue to lift up the work of the Kingdom here to our loving heavenly Father. Blessings and peace to you all.

busy getting caught up

2009-02-28T23:43:00.005Z

Greetings to all. We are doing well and everyone is getting readjusted to life in Abengourou. The past couple of weeks have been busy, but mostly in hearing about the past year and getting updated on where and how the various ministries of the mission have progressed. Here is what is going on...

Djoula Muslim Outreach
The Joneses have continued to disciple a couple who came to Christ in 2007, Fatou and Noufou, and teaching them what a Christian household is to be. Their marriage goes through ups and downs, like many others, pray that they will continue to grow in their faith. Dao, a young believer who was baptised with Fatou and Noufou, has moved to Abidjan looking for work. We helped him get into contact with a church there and try to continue to encourage him and pray for his spiritual growth.
Damon has also been working with several different Chronological Bible Storytelling (CBS) groups this past year. One of them just finished up with the presentation of the gospel, and at least one young man, Salifou, has said he wants to become a Christian and several others are also interested. Pray that the Lord's Spirit would continue to work in their hearts and open their eyes to His message of hope and true peace with God.
One of the most exciting things happening is that we are working towards starting up with a new worship service for Muslim background believers and seekers. Developing an appropriate service will not happen overnight, but will take a couple months of planning and preparations, including creating and translating some new materials in Djoula. Pray that the Lord will guide us as we seek to help the Djoula worship Christ in a culturally appropriate and meaningful way.
I am also gearing up to start in my Djoula language studies. I have a friend who is Djoula just down the road named Abulay. He has agreed to work with me in learning Djoula. The nice thing is that he not only speaks Djoula, but can read it as well, which many if not most of the Djoula people cannot do. Pray that our time will be fruitful, not only in me learning Djoula, but hopefully for Abulay to learn about the love of God through Jesus.

HIV-AIDS/Clinic/CHE Ministries
There have been some exciting new developments in the AIDS ministry during our furlough this past year. The most exciting thing is the new Lab. God has truly blessed the clinic and has given us a tremendous tool for serving those hurting the most. To say that it has expanded our impact is a gross understatement. Dr. Bernie Bledsoe, our team doctor, has done a great job with lots of help from many others, in getting the Lab functional and operational. When you step into the Lab, you could almost forget you were in Africa! We can now do all the necessary testing for our HIV+ patients without having to send off lab work. In the past year the clinic has doubled the number of HIV+ people they serve to over 750 people!
The CHE program (Community Health and Evangelism) has continued to grow as well. CHE in the village of Bebou has grown and matured well. They are in the midst of an antimalaria campaign and soon their Community Health Evangelists will start making home visits with the various physical and spiritual lessons. CHE has been very active in our HIV+ patient support group as well. The first week of April a team from the USA is coming to do a Microenterprise training to help the support group help those hurting and desperate financially. There are many other good things going on with CHE, that I don't have room to mention them all. Pray that the CHE program and her trainners continue to teach people how to transform their communities not only physically and socially, but spiritually as well.

Association of Christian Churches in Ivory Coast
The number of churches and new church leaders continues to grow. Two new churches have been planted in neighboring villages to the town of Abengourou alone... and no missionary was involved! They are also working hard at training potential new leaders so that the churches will be rooted in God's Word. There are still plans to plant at least two more new churches in the Abengourou region by the Association. Pray that their planning would be fruitful and take root.
We are planning our next graduation for our leadership training program the end of April. We are looking forward to five more men completing their training and continuing in their local ministries as well as helping train more new leaders.
Finally, there was some unfortunate news as well. One of our main church and assocaition leaders was suspended this past year for various reasons and has since fallen away from the church. He was one of our regional pastors and the Vice-president of the Association. Pray that God would lead him to the road of repentance and reconciliation.

Gable Family
Finally, I want to mention our family. Part of what has kept me busy is figuring out new regulations and paperwork for Americans. Though God worked it out for us not to have to get entry visas (saving us $1500), we are required to do many other things (i.e. Certificacte of Residency, Residential Identity Papers, Ivorian Driver's License, Exit Visas, etc.). Most of these don't cost too much, but when you're doing it for 7 people it can add up. Thankfully I am the only one getting the Driver's Permit, it costs $300. Slowly I am figuring out what needs to be done and have done most of them for myself, the rest of the family can wait a bit. Most of these things had to be done for me so I could go and return back from my trip to Kenya this week.
Tomorrow, actually today for me now... it's 1:30am here, I leaqve to take part in CMF's Team Leaders Meeting. It is a week long event, so be praying not only for me, but for Stephanie and the kids s well. As hard as it would be in the States, it is a little harder to care for all five of our kids here in Africa all by oneself. I wish there was something else we could do, but no such luck. Please pray also for safe travel for me there and back.

Thanks to all of you who will and have already been praying for us. They are felt. God's richest blessings to you.

Andy

little by little the bird builds its nest...

2009-02-09T20:01:00.005Z

That is one of my favorite African sayings. It seems like so much effort for such a small thing (turning your home back into your home), but it's important to get well situated for everyone in the family. It has been a long week, but it's good to be back in Abengourou, Ivory Coast. I have been wanting to write, but just now am able to get online since leaving the States last Sunday evening, and we still don't have it at our house (more on that later). I thought I would give you a rundown on what our past week has looked like.

Sunday
We had a nice last American church day at Lebanon Christian Church, who has been hosting us this past year. It was good to get to say thank you to the church for helping us out so much and say goodbye to the many new friends we have gotten to know this past year. We also enjoyed our last round of Arni's pizza with the Faust family and Schoolers.
In the afternoon, our parents had already loaded most of our bags for us (which we are thankful for, yet strangely suspicious of... :) ) and we loaded up for the airport. Check-in wasn't too bad and a "hey, that is really nice!" to the Indy airport and their family security check-point line. It made getting through security much easier and less hectic. We boarded the airplane for a long flight to Cincinnati, okay it was 30 minutes. We walked down the concourse and straight onto our plane for Paris with no problems.

Monday
The Paris flight was 8 hours long and during the night. Thankfully, there were a lot of empty seats and we got to spread out a bit. Most of the kids slept through much of the flight with only a few outbursts, but they did pretty well. We have decided that the Paris airport is our least favorite airport to date. Still, the kids did pretty well during the 3 1/2 hour layover, spending most of their time coloring and going to the bathroom.
The last flight was good and I will give a shout out to the Air France personal entertainment tv set for each seat. The boys were good to go for all 6 1/2 hours, watching cartoons and playing video games (genius!). The girls took advantage of it too, but did a little more seat swapping. Olivia did really well too.
We arrived in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in the evening and made it through immigration, customs and the parking lot in about 45 minutes without any trouble (or so we thought... more on that later). We got to the Baptist guest house, ate some good Vietnamese food, visited with the Jones family and then crashed into bed. It was hot, but not too bad since it was the evening.

Tuesday
After sleeping in a little bit (8:30 am), Ellie and I went with Damon to a couple stores to get a few necessities then pick up our boss (David Giles, CMF Director of Church Planting) and his wife Linda at the airport. Ellie was just taking it all in with that, "this looks odd" kind of look on her face. Once we started walking through the stores, she started to warm up... especially when she saw some candy in the check-out line.
Damon picked up David and Linda while I went to the airport bank to get some cash. We went back to get everyone else and off to lunch, the grocery store, and then back to Abengourou. Thank you Lord for air conditioning in our truck. I'm sure it won't work next week, but it made a huge difference on the trip home. We got to Abengourou around 8:30 pm. We just settled in a bit, ate, sent the kids to bed, and Steph and I headed towards bed around 1:00 am after sorting our baggage.

Wednesday
We tried to sleep in again, but were awaken at 8:00 am by our doorbell, welcome back to Africa! Stephanie spent all day sorting, I spent much of the day running around town getting supplies, groceries and visiting a few people and friends along the way. It feels really good to be back. The kids played with Isaac, our teammates the Bledsoes, several times throughout the day. The seemed to have a good time. I also worked on trying to get connected online to no avail.
Have I mentioned that it's hot?

Thursday
Our nanny showed up this morning so our kids spent much of the morning getting to know Larissa again. Steph was sorting and doing tons of laundry. I started sorting my stuff and the electronics that we brought back with us. That was when I found out that our bags didn't make it through the airport untouched. Our brand new Canon camcorder was stolen out of the box. Nothing else seems to be missing (even all the cords and battery for the camcorder!), but if that's the worst thing to happen, then we are doing okay. It was really disappointing though. I was looking forward to taking video of the kids and also doing better about posting videos of the ministry. I guess that will have to wait until ??
I also ran around town getting more necessities that we didn't think of yesterday and passed by the clinic to see friends, the workers at the clinic and the new Lab. It is really nice. I was both excited and wowed by it's appearance and usefulness. It is already helping out greatly.

Friday
We are getting closer to getting settled in. The living room looks normal, but the bedrooms still have a ways to go. We started pulling things out of storage. Looked at some of the clothing and asked, "Why did we keep this?" The kids were happy to see some toys they hadn't seen in 14 months. I tried the Internet again, but no luck.
In the afternoon we went to the Jones' house for a pool party with everyone else in the mission. We celebrated David and Kate's birthdays. The pool never felt so good! Afterwards, we all went to my favorite restaurant in town, a Lebanese place. We sat on the roof top with a nice breeze enjoying the meal, company and evening.

Saturday
We tried hard to finish getting things in order. I went out and bought us a new TV. The kids were excited to get in their electronic fix and watch a few movies. I went out again to spend more money.
In the evening, I worked on our dryer and was able to get it working again. Steph and I stayed up late again, but pretty much got the house in order. There is still a lot of laundry, but that too is slowly getting smaller.

Sunday
We went to church in the new church building at the clinic. It was very nice. There is so much more space, they already have more people than they could ever hope to fit in the old church building. It was also good to see a lot of people we had not seen yet. It was a good confirmation that this is where we are to be.

We'll stay in contact. Please feel free to email us and let us know how you are doing, ask questions, or whatever. Thanks for praying for us. Keep it up!

Andy

getting geared up

2009-01-15T04:12:00.003Z

It's hard to believe that our furlough time has gone by already. We are gearing up to head back to Ivory Coast February 1st. We have enjoyed being back this past year, seeing friends and family while getting to meet some new folks at the same time. I've been thinking about all that has happened over the past year.

Getting involved at the Lebanon Christian Church, who has graciously hosted us this past year, has been both refreshing and fun. The kids have loved going to "church class", especially since it's something they haven't really experienced before this year. For Stephanie and I it has been great to be involved with other adults without having to keep track or worry about the kids. We've been able to develop some good relationships along the way.

I also was excited to get back to my formal education. This past fall I started the Masters Degree in New Testament Studies through Johnson Bible College. It has reminded me that there is a big difference between my personal Bible study and doing class work. I can say I have mostly enjoyed the process (though at times stretching parts of my brain that haven't been stretched in a while!).

We also have traveled around a bit, but not too much (gas prices helped with that some!). Catching up with our partnering churches is always enjoyable. I love sharing about how God is moving and active in Ivory Coast, but it's equally good to hear what God is doing in the life of the church. We are incredibly thankful for our partner churches, they have stepped up in big ways for us. Our monthly financial support raising needs were an increase of $2500/month and over 2/3 of that came from current partners. To say that they encouraged us does not suffice. We feel exceptionally loved!

We are excited too by our new ministry partners from this past year. A small church in Brandywine, West Virgina with big hearts (our kids really enjoyed the visit) and another church in Troy, OH who have some great plans. We look forward to developing the relationships with these two churches! As you might imagine, support raising hasn't always been easy this past year, but God has provided as He always does in His time.

Our one-time Outgoing Budget has done well over the course of this year, again mostly because of the faithfulness of our current ministry partners. Whether it was a VBS over the summer, a special offering for plane tickets or a large gift from the church, you all have been wonderful. We still have about $5,000 left to raise for the up-front expenses of getting reestablished, but fully trust once again that God will provide.

So, thanks for praying for us during this time. Please continue to pray for our family as we make the transition back to Ivory Coast: that the kids would adjust well (little more to it this time), that the last bit of needed funds would come in, and that Mom and Dad would remain sane through it all!

Thanks again. We love you all deeply.

Andy

Gable Travels

2008-08-06T15:35:00.009Z

While on furlough, we have several items on our missionary to-do list. During the first part of this year we were busy reporting to our partnering churches how the ministry is progressing in Ivory Coast. It is encouraging to us to get reacquainted with friends from various churches and hear their stories as well. Most of all, I love to share about how God is moving in Ivory Coast and how we get to be a part of it. And when people get interested and ask questions, they usually get more than they asked for... I'll take any opportunity I have to speak about our great God's work through our mission team.

We've also been busy raising added support. With the dollar going down and inflation going up, coupled with added responsabilities when returning to the field, our monthly budget has seen a sharp increase. Again, I love it when we have the opportunity to share about the work in Ivory Coast, but it has been a challenge to find new partners during this time. Please continue to pray for good contacts and God-inspired meetings that will help us develop the important relationships with people who will become ministry partners.

We have had some success in raising funds towards our Outgoing Fund to get back to Ivory Coast. I've enjoyed speaking at a Youth Retreat earlier this year and four VBS's during this summer. We want to say a big thank you to the following churches for having us as their missions project for their VBS: New Brunswick Church of Christ, Lebanon Christian Church, Second Church of Christ in Danville, IL and Colfax Christian Church. The offerings from these churches has raised over 25% of our outgoing budget themselves.

Of course we have enjoyed family and friends, trying to send the kids off the their grandparents homes as often as possible. They have experienced most of the VBS's as well and Clay has enjoyed going to camp a couple different times. We are all looking forward to the fall church programs at Lebanon Christian Church. All of us enjoy going to classes and meeting new friends and being fed on God's Word.

Please be praying for our support raising needs. We hope to return to Ivory Coast in January (if all goes well). Thanks for your prayers and support.

Welcome Olivia Karise Gable!!

2008-06-30T20:26:00.003Z

On June 17 Olivia Karise came to join us in our growing family. She weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 inches long. Both Olivia and Stephanie are doing great. The boys like her, but mostly are busy playing to pay much attention to her. The girls are a little more interested, but Sage is the most smitten of them all.
She was born here in Lebanon at Witham Hospital. As you can tell from the pictures, she actually is a pretty cute baby (not like an ugly dog kind of cute). Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, sent cards & gift cards, brought meals for this past week. It has meant so much and helped greatly.
Thank you Lord for our newest blessing.

Home Sweet Home...

2008-05-27T18:51:00.008Z

"Where is home for you?" I've been asked this question throughout my life, but find the question being asked even more since becoming a missionary. It's simple enough, but surprisingly tricky to answer. I usually end up asking a few clarifying questions "Do you mean... Where did I grow up? Where do I live most of the time? Where am I living right now? Or where do I enjoy being the most?" As a strange look comes across their faces I tell them, "I'm a missionary." Their response is, "Ohhhh" and I can tell they are usually thinking, "You are weird!"

For Stephanie and I, we usually say Lebanon, IN is home. Both our parents live within 20 minutes, it's the center of most our supporting churches and it's where our children have grown up (at least the stateside). In the past two years, I've heard our kids say "We're home!" in at least eight different places: 1. our house in Abengourou, Ivory Coast, 2. the house at the Lebanon Christian Church, 3. Stephanie's parents' house, 4. my parents' house, 5. the Baptist Guesthouse in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 6. the SIL Guesthouse in Abidjan, 7. a hotel in Tennessee and 8. a hotel in West Virgina. For them "home" is a relative term. Home is whereever Mom and Dad are tonight.

Home is about having roots- a sense of belonging and an identity to a specific place. For a missionary home often partially describes a number of places, but none fully embrace its meaning. On the field there is a sense of "this is where we should be... where God has called us." Yet, we struggle to identify the host culture as our own, wading through differences in beliefs, values and mind-sets. Though we might be accepted and loved, we are still seen as outsiders. "Back-home" we navigate our culture with much greater ease, yet it's not quite the same place we once left. It also lacks the sense of belonging (i.e. this is where we should be). For our kids, it can be especially difficult because they haven't grown up in our host culture either. They have a sort of culture of their own somewhere in the middle.

So, how do you establish roots for your family (especially for your children) while your address constantly changes? The key is where you're placing your roots. The Bible tells us, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV *emphasis added) We must be rooted not to a place in this world, but to the love of God. God’s word teaches us that we "live in the world,” but are not to be of this world. (2 Corinthians 10:3) Just as home for our kids is whereever Mom and Dad are, our home is where our Father dwells.

For us, home finds its roots in the love, connection and sense of belonging and togetherness of our family. Whether we are in Ivory Coast, Africa; Lebanon, Indiana; or some hotel for the night we can be home dwelling in the love of our Father in heaven. Someday, we will end our wanderings and ever-changing address and head to our real home where Jesus is preparing a permanent dwelling place for us (John 14:2). Then, we will be able to truly say, "We're home!"