The Emerson's Journeys in Africa

The "Rabbit Guy"

2008-06-29T04:42:00.002-05:00

If you keep up with our family blog,

you might remember this guy:

He came to us with rabbits and has faithfully come to our home every day since Oct.'07 to feed and take care of them. We have increased his jobs as he has shown incredible responsibility for a teenager. He now takes care of our first set of bunnies, walks our dog daily, and even found us a bird for a cage we bought on the side of the road. One of the things I love the most about this young man is how he plays with Caden. He lets Caden hold the rabbits (sometimes a scary thing to witness), kicks soccer balls with him, helps him learn to learn throw balls, pulls him in his wagon, pushes him on the swing, and brings his nephew over for Caden to have someone to play with.

Just yesterday when I told Caden he needed to have shoes on if he was going to stay outside , Caden grabbed his sandals from me and took them to AklaEsso (his name means, "Who is greater than God?").

Several weeks ago, AklaEsso's father passed away. He came to work one afternoon and Brett noticed he seemed sad. (He is usually a very smiley guy.) When we found out what had happened, we gathered what food we had that we could send home to his family. About a week later, his mother, aunt, and sister all came to greet us and thank us for the food and more specifically for the work we give AklaEsso to do. We were proud to share with his family how thankful we are for him and the work that he does.

On Saturday, AklaEsso was baptized into Christ!

He invited Brett to the baptism and he gladly accepted the invitation. You see, AklaEsso's father at one time had told his son that he was not allowed to go to church. We prayed and were making plans to talk with his father when one day he just decided to allow AklaEsso to return to church. We praised God with him and continued to pray for his spiritual journey. Witnessing this incredible step was a joy to see and a blessing to be a part of.

Planting New Hope With Tears

2008-06-17T06:53:00.001-05:00

The following is something one of our interns, Ben Fulfer, wrote in response to a few things he has witnessed recently while experiencing life with the Kabiye. We thought some of you might enjoy seeing things through a new set of eyes. Please take the time to read this...you will be blessed.

Trees are something to admire. They do so much and they do not get any props for it. A few things they do for us humans are the following: they give us shade, they let off oxygen (which we need to breathe), they can provides us food (fruit trees), they give us wood, and the list can go on and on. So when I went planting Mango trees in Africa for a cluster of small churches in the local villages I was excited. The trees were giving so much to those churches. We planted Mango trees, ninety three of them to be precise, around three churches. Those churches could now have a way to have shade, food (both mentioned earlier), but they also would gain respect by others in the villages. By planting these trees we were planting so much more than just planting more than bark and roots and leaves but we were planting hope for that church and the lives of the people in the villages. The people around those villages would see those trees as a beacon for something more to their lives, at least that is our hope. The feeling that was pumping through my veins as I saw the brilliant faces of the families we were helping you realized that these trees were a lighthouse in a dark place. The fruit from their branches would bring up strong willing kids and bring income for the church at the same time. I could not help but be filled with hope.

There is another thing that I could not forget about trees. That is, they do not sprout up in one day. By planting these trees we were depending on that church to take care of these trees and groom them into their full potential. They needed to bring water to the roots of the young trees. They needed to know that without their help this trees would not make it. But with their help these trees would grow to be strong centers in their churches. The bringing of life to these trees inspired and made me wanted to jump with joy.

A few weeks ago as we were digging wells in the village of Lassa Tchou and a older woman came to us telling a sad story. She told us of the recent death of a lady in the village. The lady who died had left a 9 month old baby behind. This baby's father, a man not of faith, decided that the baby was lost and left the village, in turn leaving the baby to die. The woman told us that the grandmother was taking care of the baby as best as she could but the baby had no way to get the milk it desperately needed (the lady was trying to get one of our team's girls to breast feed as we later found out). Well over the next few days and weeks we prayed for this baby. We continued to call and ask about the health and situation of the baby. We were told by his family that he was doing okay, but was not eating. So just a last week one of the missionaries went to the village and picked up the baby for they feared the babies condition was getting worse. When she (the missionary) got their she found a baby that looked more like a skeleton. The bones of this poor child of were so apparent and visible. She rushed him to a local hospital where the doctors tried to get the baby some food. The news came that the baby should pull through which relieved us all. However around lunchtime at that same day we got the news that the little boy died. The rest of the day was a rush of emotions as the missionary, myself and one other intern took the boy's family and body back to Lassa Tchou. When returning to the village we saw the village come and share a few words to the family. We (missionary, myself, the intern, the grandmother and what I assume to be an aunt of the boy) went into a hut and prayed over the lifeless body of the boy.

That day rattled me personally, for so many thoughts went running through my head. How could God, a God who had showed me two days earlier the hope of new life through planting trees, show me the terror of the loss of this baby's life. I hated the fact that this boy's life was taken and he had not even had the chance to experience life. I thought it was so unfair that I get the chance to experience all I have in this life, and that boy got to experience next to nothing.

On the car ride out to the village I watched the baby's family and the tears welled up in my eyes. I badly wanted to say something but I did not have any words (plus I do not speak their language). I wanted to know why God did not come down and show the boy the same hope he showed in the trees that I planted a few days earlier. The boy's family were not Christians, what did that show them? Did they show them they should come to Christ and watch their children die? This thoughts came like rapid fire to me and I was a crying mess. I tried so hard to fight it off for Africa culture does not show much emotion. But the pain was to real to bare.

I never want to be God, he has a hard job. However at the same time he is really good at what he does. I do not know why he allows children who are 9 months old die because they cannot eat. I do not know why he allows war to ravage our world. I do not know why he does a lot of the things we does. I know that God has given us free will and the chance to choose what we want with our lives. How cool is that? That the most powerful being allows us to choose our lives! However with that choice comes the messy sections of our lives. The dark places, for sin is ever apparent. God showed me over and over in my life that he can work through hard, messy, crappy situations. You know what, he can't stand that those things happen. He was hurt to his core just like I was that the boy died. However, God is so powerful that he can take that bad situation and make something new. I pray that through that situation something radical happens. What that looks like I have no idea. I hope that some how that those people saw Jesus through what happened through last week. Maybe the family of that boy saw some kind of love that they never have before, maybe their grief will spur them to ask questions about this universe. I have no idea. I just have the prayer that God will work his unmatched power in this crappy situation. Let us look at this way. While I was there crying for the immense pain of the family, I hope those tears fall and start making a puddle. A puddle of hope that begins to water a seed that God planted. And that seed turns into a tree that bears fruit that is eternal.

So I hope this inspires Christians to stop looking at things in the way of good and bad. Let us start looking at everything through the eyes of Jesus. Does that mean bad things will never happen. No! Does that mean we have to be super happy all the time and being that annoying non-sensitive kid. No! What it means when we laugh, laugh with the voice of God. When we dance let us dance with a total jig towards God. And when we cry let us cry tear of hope. For through my laughter God can show joy of bigger things. And through my sight we can see faith of the full potential of God's plan. And finally through my tears I hope to being planting new hope, and maybe I can enjoy some sweet mangos while I am at it.

You can read more about the Lassa Tchou (la-sa cho) infant who died by clicking on Becky Reeves' blog.

Language Learning

2008-06-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

I want to give an update on my progress and also share some thoughts on language learning. After returning from our furlough during the month of April, I jumped right back into my Kabiye studies. The process looks a little different now than it did before furlough, but the idea is still the same: get out and speak it!Working on a lesson I wrote with Eyabane, a leader in the church in the village of Kaacaade

Instead of having class 4 times a week and studying straight out of the book, my language teacher and I have adopted a strategy of thirds. One-third book study, one third translating (English or French into Kabiye), and one-third heading out to the village together to get practice/correction/guidance in a hands-on way. So far, I am enjoying and benefiting most from the translation portion of my study time; I think this is because it helps me to see more clearly that Kabiye people don't say things the same way that I say them. Seeing something in English and then turning it into Kabiye sheds alot of light on the Kabiye way of phrasing things. The cool thing is, I am actually starting to think that way sometimes :)
Playing a Mancala-type game with my friend Nestor in the village of Legue Legue
Language learning is a funny thing. Just when you start to feel a little confidence in your abilities, you get knocked down and have to drag yourself up again. The ups and downs are full of both joys and frustrations, with very little in between, at least for me. I have found it to be an ever-evolving process, with some strategy or approach working well one day and then being barely useful the next. I have also found that it is a series of milestones and small victories. In the picture above, I am playing Mancala with my long-time friend, Nestor. We met on my internship 5 years ago and have spent alot of time together since then. Over the years, we have probably played about 20 or 30 games of Mancala, and I have never won; until this past Saturday!

Yeah, it's just a small victory, one win out of 30, but it gave me great joy. I immediately saw it's symbolic nature in relation to my language learning, showing that while they may be few and far between, a series of small victories will eventually win me fluency in the hardest task I have ever taken on: learning the Kabiye language.

Finally, I want to stress how I have seen that language is gift from God that only He can give. He formed the Kabiye language and knows it even more intimately than the Kabiye themselves. Please Lord, open my mouth to speak and my ears to hear!

2008 Interns

2008-05-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

Our summer interns (there are 12 of them) are on their way to Togo. Please be praying for safe travels and for God to impact their lives this summer.

Semi-Final Furlough Thoughts

2008-05-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

I know that I'll post again on this subject once I have done some processing, but for now I want to just throw some stuff out there while it's still fresh :)

- On the 8th day God created Malibu, California. My word that place is amazing!

-On our last Sunday at GracePointe, we were fairly anonymous; no big parade or blowing trumpets for our imminent return to Togo. And you know what? That was just the way we liked it. Being a missionary means that quite often you are in the spotlight. Whether you're the only non-Kabiye at a village church service or the only people who can pronounce the word Kabiye in an American one, the spotlight often burns bright and definitely gets old. I don't know how preachers do it every Sunday. Kudos to you, gentlemen!

- I'm just going to be open and honest here: sometimes when people find out that you are a missionary, you end up getting stuff or services for free. And you know what? I love it :) God touches peoples hearts in many different ways, and I am thankful for the ones to whom he gives a deep love for missionaries. You know who you are, and thank you...

- Having a brother who is also a great friend really helps fill my life with joy...and to think that he used to literally torture me...proof of God's redemptive nature :)

- I love it when people get excited about coming to visit us. There were several people while we were home who expressed an interest, and even if only half of them follow through, we'll be busy with visitors in the years to come...

- I really enjoy seeing movies in the theater. The atmosphere, the popcorn, the giant thing of pop, the candy, the cuddling up next to April (when the boys aren't there), all of it. We took Caden (and sort of Corban) to see his first movie, and it was a blast. We saw Horton Hears a Who and we highly recommend it. "A person is a person, no matter how small"...

- I always thought that my nephews would bring me great joy, and then my own sons would come, and that joy would lessen. I was wrong...

- It's kinda too bad that most fast food is horrible for our bodies, because some of it is really, really good...I had this thing called (not making this up) "The Baconator" at Wendy's, and it was good, really good. Too bad my heart stopped momentarily just after the last bite...

- There are alot more people in America who seem to be strong in God's Kingdom than I previously thought. Maybe it was just a oversight on my part, but I am encouraged for the future of the Body in America. Lots of people, young and old and in between, are on fire. Maybe I just have a better understanding now of what "strong in the Kingdom" really means...

More later...

More Furlough Reflections

2008-04-30T00:46:00.001-05:00

One week to go for furlough 2008. It's been a great ride in every way, but we're getting close to being ready to be home in Togo. We say close because how can you want to go anywhere when you're enjoying Malibu??? :)

- HD television really is much better than the regular stuff.
- Drivers in this part of California are incredibly kind and courteous to pedestrians, and those same pedestrians do a great job of respecting laws and using common sense. This is literally the exact the opposite of my life in Togo.
- Tonight we sang songs old and new with a few thousand other believers, and I cried through the first 4 songs. My respect for corporate worship has never been at a higher level in my entire life.
- I love watching the NBA playoffs!
- Bonding with our sponsoring church takes a great amount of energy, and it is worth everything we've poured into it.
- We love our families, and not just because they are our families; we truly enjoy being around them.
- We have incredible friends and we are humbled by their love for us.
- We saw Uncle Sam Shewmaker and his better half Nancy tonight. What a blessing they have been to our lives and so many others!
- The #1 thing I would add to the list of things I can find to drink in Togo would be the Aloha Pineapple Smoothie (with an immunity boost) from Jamba Juice. #2 would be Blue Moon :)
- Theology in the Church of Christ is changing, and the change is for the better. Much of the messed up theology from the Church of Christ I knew growing up will soon be gone. I pray that my generation and the ones to come always search for a better understanding of what God wants from us and are always willing to grow and change as the Spirit leads.
- Everything is easy here in America. Seriously. REALLY easy!

Our Home in Togo

2008-04-19T08:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a video of our home in Togo. After many questions and requests for pictures and video of what our home is like, here is our response! You might want to grab a snack, it's kind of long...

Furlough Reflections

2008-03-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

Well, furlough '08 is 4 days old already. Here are some thoughts I've had since arriving on Thursday...

- I like brushing my teeth with cool, fresh water straight from the tap.
- Cold weather is so underrated that it sickens me.
- What is cold or hot depends completely upon perspective.
- I have a really great family.
- Everything is easy here.
- I really like my life in Togo.
- People watching is really fun when you haven't watched Americans in a whole year! What a funny bunch we are!
- I truly do understand why people don't like it (or even hate it in some cases), but I really like Walmart. Sorry.
- March Madness!
- I wish Netflix delivered to Togo.
- Worshiping, fellwoshiping and serving with hundreds of other believers is a gift from God and a part of His plan for our lives that should be cherished and held onto with the utmost urgency.
- If this economy is headed towards (or is already in) a recession, you sure wouldn't know it by outward appearances only.
- Order and chaos both have their place in this world. Too often one is viewed positively and the other negatively.
- Kohls is a great store and I love shopping with April!
- My brother and sister-in-law are really great people that I have loads of respect and love for.
- Having a 2 year old is simultaneously the greatest and most frustrating thing on the face of the earth.
- Having a sweet 4 month old is mostly just great :)
- Seeing people that you haven't seen in 12 months is great, but at times a little awkward. However, I love the genuine hugs that we have received from so many people since we arrived on Thursday. God is giving us what we need!

More later...

The 2008 Kabiye All-Church Retreat

2008-03-22T17:13:00.003-05:00

The '08 Kabiye ACR is underway! This year's retreat is co-hosted by the villages of Kaacade and Hade Te Yo, and it was planned almost entirely without our help, something we are very thankful for. We began on Friday night with singing and prayer time, and continued today with more singing, teaching times, and lots of great fellowship and prayer. I even gave my first talk in Kabiye! It was short, only about 5 minutes, but it was alot of fun. My Kabiye brothers and sisters were so gracious and patient with me...

Here are some pics of the night. I will update more next week, hopefully even with video of my lesson. Please be praying for this gathering and for all of the Kabiye churches and believers to be one in Christ!Under the shelter they built specially for the ACR.

Three robbers attack during the Good Samaritan skit!
The poor guy was left for dead...these guys did a great job with the drama!
Trying to get the generator running so we could have lights. Pretty much every single warning in the owners manual was violated at some point during the setup process...C'est Afrique!
Kpatcha and Jean-Marie in deep discussion...

The retreat will wrap up on Sunday with a holy gathering and time of worshiping the Lord. May God's Spirit continue to be poured out on us all!

PRCC Visitors

2008-03-18T09:49:00.001-05:00

The Preston Road Church of Christ (PRCC) sent a group of 7 adults and 5 children to visit their missionaries and our teammates, Bryan and Tracey Ries. We were blessed to be able to host the three single ladies during their time in Togo. This was a special treat for us because one of the girls, Angela Boyd, was an intern with us back in 2003. Teresa Boyd, Angela's sister, and Holly Thigpen were a joy to have in our home as they jumped right in to our family life. Thank you girls for your generosity of goodies (American treats yummm!), willingness to be flexible, and your joyful spirits that blessed us more than you know. Thank you to the Sanderson and Chambers families for their genuine interest and support for us as a family, even though we're not sponsored by PRCC . We only wish we could have spent more time with each of you. Thank you for blessing and encouraging us in so many ways during your short visit. We love you all!

Kabiye Greetings for the GracePointe Church

2008-03-08T06:27:00.003-06:00

Kabiye_greetings
Uploaded by emersonstogo

February Family Newsletter

2008-02-28T07:36:00.001-06:00

You can read our latest newsletter by clicking the following link:

http://www.harvestfields.net/kabiye/Feb_08_Newsletter.pdf

Feel free to send it on to anyone else who might want it, or send us an email if you would like to receive it in your inbox each month.

Love and blessings,

BACC

Mandouri Flood Relief

2008-01-30T08:52:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, Matt and I loaded up two Landcruisers full of camping gear and Kabiye Christians (13 of them!) and made the 5 hour trek north to the town of Mandouri. The entire Savanes Region was devastated by widespread flooding after receiving a record amount of rainfall this past rainy season. This led to the destruction of a huge amount of the season's crops, and a subsequent food shortage that has crippled many of the people in this region in their ability to feed themselves until the next harvest. As usual, the very poor and vulnerable are the hardest hit. A widow who was given food. Widows can be very vulnerable in this society.

Mandouri is a city of the Gourma people, a group that we surveyed this past summer with our Harding University interns to see if the area is ready for missionaries. Matt has developed a friendship with a local pastor named Pascal, and when Pascal informed Matt about the situation, he began asking God how we might all be able to help. The answer came mainly in the form of a donation from Healing Hands International, who gave $6,000 towards the purchase of corn and rice. When put together with about $1,000 given by Harding University students and others, this past Monday we were able to distribute 220 sacs of corn and rice (keep in mind that the sacs of corn weigh over 200 pounds and the rice sacs over 100 pounds - this is ALOT of food!)Kpaatcha, and elder in the N'Djei church, taking notes of the event to share with his church family

Part of the vision that Matt had for this effort was to include Kabiye Christians in the endeavor, to broaden their view of the Kingdom of God and to be an encouragement to the Gourma Christians that were helped. The Kabiye churches banded together and gave about 2 full sacs of corn plus about 25 yams, a truly rich gift! We were reminded of the poor lady who, in spite of giving only 2 small coins, gave much more than the rich people who gave to show off their wealth. Praise God that He has instilled in our Kabiye brothers and sisters a passion to give generously! Kabiye Christians being interviewed by the Togolese National Press

Below is a slide show of pictures from the distribution. The spiritual implications of this day are still sinking in and will surely resonate for a long time in our hearts, the hearts of the Kabiye Christians and especially the hearts of those who were fed in Jesus' name. Our prayer is that God would use this event to expand His Kingdom here in Togo and beyond. Praise God for His mercy, compassion and love for all of His people! Matt, me, Pascal, the Prefet and the Kabiye Christians during the distribution

Kabiye Teaching Kabiye

2008-01-24T06:33:00.000-06:00

One of the benchmarks for a successful church planting movement is when native Christians express a desire to begin evangelism in villages near them. This has happened in several villages where our team was the original church planters, and yesterday I accompanied Matt to a teaching session led by Christians from the villages of Sande Te and Ajadaa. Here is the group (that is Matt sitting in the middle of the frame).
The village is called Kpangkulum, and it is a very remote village that is in the same district as Sande Te and Ajadaa. The session was led by these two men, Tchalo, from Sande Te, and Eyana, from Ajadaa. They are emerging young leaders who have a good grasp of what the Bible teaches about salvation through Jesus. Pray for these young men! One day they will be wise elders in their villages and in their churches, but in this season of their lives they are blessed with an energy and enthusiasm for spreading God's word! Matt has been involved in the process only in terms of helping out with transportation and giving some guidance when needed. For the most part, these brave young men are acting on their own faith and trust in the Lord.Teaching in Kpangkulum is at the halfway point. During this last visit, they talked with the people about Jesus' birth and baptism. There were many good questions asked, such as, "Why did Jesus have to be baptized?" and, "Why did John the Baptist have to come before Jesus?" Tchalo, Eyana and the others handled these questions very well and showed alot of maturity.

One of the biggest obstacles to any evangelism among the Kabiye is the stronghold that Satan holds over them through their traditional religion. We met just outside the chief's compound in Kpangkulum, and inside we found these two items:The first item is a fetish tree that has a prominent place in the middle of the compound. Notice the small concrete bowl that is built into the ground. This bowl receives sacrifices to spirits or ancestors.

The second item Matt and I are not totally sure about, but we think it's a fertility idol. Notice how the a hands of the wooden carved man are resting in the genital area. Holy Father, we pray that you would bring the people of Kpangkulum out of the darkness of their traditional religion and into the Light. Thank you for stirring passion for the lost in the hearts of the young men of Sande Te and Ajadaa, and I ask that you would give them strength, courage and absolute faith in Your power to change lives. We want Christ to be Lord in the lives of all Kabiye people! May it be so...

The Kennell's Are Here!

2008-01-16T01:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we welcomed Mark, Nicole, Madeline and Michal Kennell as a part of our team here in Kara among the Kabiye. (The only pic I could find of their family was this one with Mark Berryman, a good friend to our team. Mark Kennell is on the left.) Brett drove down to Accra with Matt to pick them up on Sunday, and then after a day in Accra for rest and shopping, we traveled back to Kara.

The Kennell's were original members of the Kabiye team that arrived here back in 2000, but they left after 2 1/2 years. Making a return after a 5 year absence takes alot of faith and courage, and we are excited to share in this new journey with them as teammates. God is going to do great things through them!

Please pray for the Kennells over the next several months as they adjust to life here. They will be returning to the States in May to wrap up fundraising and logistics, and then moving back for good sometime in the fall. We are so thankful that God is bringing more people to this team to work for the salvation of the Kabiye people!

December Newsletter

2008-01-09T07:37:00.000-06:00

To view our latest family newsletter, click on the link below or cut and paste it into your web browser. To subscribe and receive the newsletter via email, just leave a comment with your email address!

www.harvestfields.net/kabiye/Dec07_Newsletter

N'Djei Cluster Baptisms

2007-12-25T04:14:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday, 14 people from the villages of N'Djei, Ewede, Sogode and Kayahte put on Christ in baptism. This was particularly exciting because the wives and children of several Christian men completed the salvation of their earthly families by leading them into God's family! What a great gift for them to receive just before Christmas. Click on the videos below to see two of the baptisms.

N'Djei Baptism
Uploaded by emersonstogo

The best part for us as missionaries was that these Christians led each other to Christ, handled the baptisms themselves, and ask us to be there only to observe and celebrate with them. Having a group of such highly motivated and self-sufficient Christians is very fulfilling for our team and our work here. It makes our goal of a sustainable and self-replicating church movement among the Kabiye seem more real with every passing event such as this!

N'Djei Baptism 2
Uploaded by emersonstogo

You have to love Kpaatcha, an elder of the N'Djei church, doing baptisms in 90 degree heat while wearing a winter hat but no pants. A more African scene would be hard to find! We love these people and their culture so much, and we feel that we have the greatest job in the world to be able to share in their growing walks with Christ. Praise God!

Thank You!

2007-12-25T03:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone at Grace Pointe and Sycamore View for all of the wonderful gifts you sent over with Charles and April's parents! What a special holiday treat! We love you all so much and thank you for your gifts of love.

Our First Visitor!

2007-12-17T01:29:00.000-06:00

This last week we were blessed with a visit from Charles Campbell, a member of the Missions Committee at GracePointe, our sponsoring congregation. Charles had the opportunity to see so much of what God is using our team to do among the Kabiye, and he came away with a much better understanding of life in West Africa. He experienced about the worst border crossing in border crossing history, and that probably isn't even his best story!

Thank you to GracePointe for sending Charles over here to bless our lives, and thank you Charles for being willing to come at the last minute. Thank you God for providing us with a great support system of family, friends and a loving sponsoring church!
Here is a pic of Charles bravely stumbling his way through his first Kabiye lesson. It's not for the faint of heart!

Finally, we want to thank everyone who has been trying to contact us by Skype, Facebook, email and blogs lately. Our internet has been very inconsistent since we arrived back in Kara, and we will not be able to talk on Skype until our internet is back to some kind of normalcy. We will try to keep updated on email as much as possible, so let's all hang in there together. You can still call and leave us a voicemail, and we will call you back just as soon as we can! (334)239-3109 (no international fees!) Please understand that we are just as disappointed as you are about not being able to talk to our friends and family. We love you all!

How Can We Help?

2007-11-18T08:43:00.000-06:00

So many people have asked us how they can help us in the wake of our truck tragedy from last month. The best ways right now are to 1) Pray for the fundraising process and 2) Make a donation to our New Truck Fund. We know that God will provide, and we are excited to see exactly how he does it...

To read more about what happened, scroll down and read our previous blog entries. To see a PDF we created to help in the fundraising process, click here.

Brett's friend Justin Baeder over at Radical Congruency helped us create a button that will allow people to donate to our truck fund online through Paypal. Paypal is 100% secure, and all money donated will go directly to the purchase of a new truck.

If you feel more comfortable sending a check (or you just want to deduct your donation on your taxes!), make it out to the Grace Pointe Church of Christ, mark "Emerson Truck Fund" in the memo line, and mail it to:

Grace Pointe Church of Christ
1565 Ray Thorington Rd.
Montgomery, AL 36117
Attn: Jerry Atkinson

Please join with us and make a donation to our Truck Fund so that we can continue the work God has called us to here in Togo among the Kabiye. God bless you!

Click the "Donate" button below to contribute using Paypal.

How Exactly Did You Find Our Blog?

2007-11-17T12:03:00.000-06:00

It's fascinating to see how people come to find our blog. Our Site Meter tells us where people clicked in from, including from search engines like Yahoo and Google. It also tells us what keywords were searched for to find us. Here's some search terms people have found us with over the last few weeks:

1. "July 18, 2007 Africa" - I guess we posted on this day, and we live in Africa, so.....

2. "Sam and Nancy Shewmaker" - Apparently they have a fan club that searches the internet thirsting for information about our good friends in Rwanda...

3. "Soumdina" - This is the partial name of a village where there is a Kabiye church...but how somebody in Athens, GA new that, I'll never know...

4. "Africa Adventures" - I have to admit, this one was very personally satisfying for me (Brett)...

5. "Toyota Hilux Wreck Pictures" - I have to admit, this one did not make me smile...

6. "West African CFA" - Our local currency, which you can learn absolutely nothing about by reading this blog...

This is just a small sample of how people find us here. Some people come by simply typing "Emersons Togo" into a search engine, but that's just not that much fun!

A Piece of History

2007-11-12T05:48:00.000-06:00

This past week our team welcomed Don & Jane Neal and their 4 children back to Togo, their home from August 2000 until February 2006. Our blog readers probably haven't heard of the Neals, or else you're sitting there thinking, "That name sounds vaguely familiar..." The truth is, we don't know them very well ourselves, but for some reason we feel like we do...

You see, the Neals are a huge part of our team's history. They were original members all the way back in the 90's when the team formed, and they lived and worked among the Kabiye for 5 years. Their family has definitely been a big influence on the team and the work among the Kabiye. We missed out on getting to know them during our internship in 2003 because they were on furlough, and we missed living with them in Togo by a little less than a year.

We had only met them once before their return trip this week, and that was only for a short afternoon at their home in Texas. On their return trip this past week, we only spent a few hours with them. They passed through Accra (where we are currently awaiting the baby) on their way in and out of West Africa, but the bulk of their time was, of course, spent in Kara.

But for some reason, we feel like we really know them...

Maybe it's the stories we've heard about them from our current teammates. Maybe it's the fact that we live in their old house! Maybe it's that we can see the mark they left on the team and the work here, even after they have been gone for almost two years now. Maybe it's that our families are both a part of something bigger than ourselves, something lasting, enduring and led by God. A team of families dedicated to bringing the gift of God's salvation to people who otherwise might not receive this gift.

We want to say thank you to Don and Jane, for who you are, for what you've done, and for all that you do to support the work here. God has been glorified through the lives you lead for Him, and we are so blessed to have you as teammates and as a piece of our team's history!

Kalao

2007-11-03T07:04:00.000-05:00

We have been meaning to post this for awhile, sorry for the delay. Recently our family came to know a man named Kalao (kah-LAH-oh). He lives in the same neighborhood as we do, and he heard from another person in the neighborhood that we were a family that helps people. When Kalao came to our door, he truly did need help.He is a taxi driver by trade, and a few weeks before he came to us, he had been in an accident that flipped over his taxi. His leg was injured pretty badly in the accident, and he is currently walking with crutches and is unable to work and provide for his wife and two year old son. The Kabiye are, as a general rule, very kind and humble people, and Kalao is even more so than normal. From the moment he stepped into our home he has been a blessing to our family.

Kalao’s doctor told him that he will not be able to work for the next 3 months. During that time, we are helping him to pay his bills and feed his family. Please pray that Kalao would heal quickly and be able to return to work. Kalao is a strong Christian, and we have confidence that his faith in God will help him through these hard times. We are so grateful to have a Father who does not leave us on our own, but constantly works for our good. May He do so in Kalao’s life!

Truck and Driver and Baby Update

2007-10-24T02:05:00.000-05:00

We want to let everyone know that we are doing some better. My teammates here in Togo would surely tell you that I'm still not myself, but I have been comforted so much by your words of encouragement and your prayers for us. April and I feel so blessed to have so many amazing friends and family...

Abalo, the driver, is home from the hospital. I visited him each of the last two days in his home. Now that he is better, it is VERY difficult to be around him. God is teaching me so much about forgiveness and grace. If I can't give it to Abalo, how can I receive it from my God? However, my human nature is not easily suppressed, so while needing to forgive and give grace is the spiritual reality, it is not that simple when you add my flesh to the equation. Pray for April and me. Ask God to overwhelm us with the grace and forgiveness we have received from him, and the spiritual strength to give the same to Abalo.

The first trip to Abalo's house was to get his first hand account of the story. I asked Matt to go with me to help me with communication and to make sure I kept my cool, and the visit ended up going ok. There are huge holes in his story, and while I''m not willing to call him a liar, I will at least say that he is probably confused on some of the details :) He was, however, apologetic. He actually thanked me for saving his life and for coming to visit him in the hospital. I thought the "saving my life" line was a little dramatic, but then he explained that he was in pretty bad shape at one point and the money we gave his family to buy him meds was pretty crucial.

The next day I brought the police to his house to get his information and a statement so they could finish their report. Now listen carefully to what I'm going to say hear: Under normal circumstances, I take no pleasure in cruelly scaring other people or making them just about wet their pants with fear, but I have to be totally honest here and admit that it was a guilty pleasure for me to watch Abalo squirm and twitch when the two policemen walked into his home with their full military garb on. Maybe God granted me that pleasure, who knows :)

We also found out that the truck is semi-salvageable. We did not have full coverage insurance since it costs about $10,000 a year, but we will be able to get about $8,000 - $10,000 out of it to put towards a new truck. Which means we still have lots of praying to do, but we feel blessed to have our amount needed cut from $40,000 to about $30,000. The truck is now resting in our garage, awaiting a mechanic from Lome' to come and assess the damage and see what we can get out of it...

And now, the baby update. Prell has been almost completely off of her feet for several days now, and the contractions seemed to have lessened. However, we are taking no chances with this little life, and we are leaving tomorrow for Accra to wait for the baby. Please pray that this little one will stay inside for a few more weeks....

While in Accra, we will be able to communicate regularly and would love to talk with you. You can reach us by calling 334-239-3109, a stateside number that goes right to our computer. It costs you only what it normally would cost you to call Montgomery, Alabama. Thanks so much to everyone for continuing to bless us. Please know that we are doing better and that God is sustaining us. I am personally clinging to this verse in Psalms, Ch. 65 vs. 5:

"You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior.You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas." NLT

May it be so!

Here is a pic from the last trip my truck ever took to a village here in Kabiyeland. Thanks be to God for blessing us with this truck, even if it was for a short time...

Newest Journeys

2007-10-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

We have had a rough week. If you haven't heard already, our truck was totaled in an accident (thankfully, we were not in vehicle) and April has begun experiencing early contractions. These are Brett's journal entries from Facebook.

Written Thursday, October 18, 2007
"Prayers Needed In Togo"

Long story short, our brand new truck is destroyed. I'm not really in the mood to recount the whole sordid tale, but I will say that a mechanic came to work on our truck, and we totally trusted the guy because he works for our team at the MK school and as a mechanic. He fixed a small leak our car was having and then took it for a spin to make sure everything was OK (please note, mechanics coming to your house to work on your car or take it to a garage is not the norm in the States but is common here). Turns out this man of normally strong moral character had a lapse in judgment, went for a joyride, drove fast and out of control and drove our truck off of a bridge. He is alive, but barely. God spared him for some reason, for as you can see by the picture, there is no rational reason why he should have survived.
This comes at a difficult time for us with April just 6 weeks away from her due date and us only two weeks from journeying to Accra to wait for the baby. We are trying to keep our heads up and not let our Adversary use this against us, but it is hard. However, we have felt God's presence through all of this mess and we're putting our faith in Him to sustain us and help us find the solution for the problem of getting a new truck.

Please pray. Pray for the man who was driving our car. His name is Abalo and he is a good man and a disciple of Jesus Christ. Pray for us that we would have peace. Pray for a solution and that God would provide for our family.

Written Friday, October 19, 2007
"Truck and Driver Update"

The man who was driving, Abalo, is going to make it, praise God. After 12 hours in a coma, he finally woke up, begged for some water and they hooked him up to an IV of pain meds. He was incoherent all day yesterday, but today I was able to talk to him. He is still in ALOT of pain, but God has spared his life. I hope he does something great with it...

We talked to an eyewitness who said that while the truck was airborne, probably about 20 feet in the air and 30 feet from the road off the side of the bridge, he actually opened the door and jumped out. Just amazing. Had he been wearing his seatbelt like he should have he would almost definitely be dead.

The truck is another story. We did not have comprehensive accident coverage because it costs about $10,000 per year, so we are going to have to salvage what we can and find the money for a new truck, around $40,000. The thought of fundraising again makes us sick to our stomachs, but it also gives us a chance to step aside and allow God to work, because there is NO WAY that we can do it on our own. We just don't have the resources available to us. We know that God will provide, so stay tuned for a crazy and encouraging story about how He does it...

The timing is just killing us right now. April is 34 weeks pregnant, and Caden came at 38 weeks. We are leaving for Accra, Ghana in 2 weeks to deliver the baby, and the stress of just living here plus April being very pregnant plus having an amazing but crazy two year old plus having our brand new truck obliterated plus trying to fight against Satan hardening our hearts toward Abalo (the driver) is pretty tough right now. We covet your prayers and words of encouragement.

So many people responded to my last note. Thank you, sincerely and gratefully, thank you. I hadn't shed a tear over this whole thing yet until this morning when I got up and my inbox was flooded with emails from Facebook saying "so and so has commented on your note" and other encouraging emails from people. I'm more convinced almost everyday that the ability to love and to be loved, to give and receive LOVE, is one of our Creator's greatest gifts...

Written Saturday, October 20, 2007
"Like We Needed the Drama"

Last night, April started having some pretty strong contractions. They were about 8 minutes apart and longer than 30 seconds. I'm no nurse, but even I know that this sort of thing is not good. Fortunately, our friend Edith IS a nurse, and she said pretty firmly that this is not good. We were scheduled to leave for Accra on November 5th to await the baby, but we're going to have to leave two weeks early, probably this coming Wednesday.

If you've been following the previous notes about our truck situation, then you are well aware that we don't need this right now, at all. We just have to accept that it is happening and deal with it. We've got an amazing support team in our teammates, fellow missionaries, our sponsoring church, our family, and of course our friends.

We would really appreciate your continued prayers. All of this is so much to take in all at one time, and we're struggling to deal with it all. Please pray for my beautiful, radiant wife and our unborn child. Pray for me that I will be strong in the Lord for them. Pray that we can, when this is all past, praise God and bring further glory to His name...