Update From Chad, Africa

We are in Koumra this week, I am training women so they can use a pre-primer. 

This books allows you to teach the different shapes: circle, triangle... then it gradualy allows a person to recognise letters. 

As the people who speak Madjingaye wait for their new primer then can teach this book to adults especialy those who have never gone to school. 

The women I am teaching are so sweet. It is a joy to be with them.

 

 

Women's Christmas Party2012

Some Famous People and Their Famous Tables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until Next Year 2013

Anderson Meal Sign Up

Dear Ladies,

Most of you are aware that The Anderson's were recently able to bring baby Grace home.  While Grace is doing well the transition is a bit overwhelming as they focus on getting her to eat sufficiently and making the home "germ free" to keep Grace healthy.

We are adding a few dates to the Meal Train beginning this Friday to help them through the next few weeks.  If you would like to provide a meal please click on this link: : http://www.mealtrain.com  

Please understand that because of Grace's health issues they cannot accept meals from homes with illness, nor will you be asked into the home.

Please feel free to send notes of encouragement and to keep Melissa in prayer - That the God of hope will fill her with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit she may abound in hope!  (Romans 15:13)

Should you have any questions, please reply to this email address or contact the church office at 734-878-3407.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."  1Thess. 5:11

Update From Chad

Dear Friends,

The first week, Carla (a full time missionary) taught and Susan (my sister) and I translated into French. We trained a group of people who speak Sara Kaba Dem to use their primer to teach others how to read. The man who has been translating the Bible in this language attended the training. This was very helpful, and we enjoyed spending time with him. We taught in a church. The pastor of this church is so sweet. He has been blind for the past 5 years now, but he is full of God’s joy. His life is truly a testimony that God’s grace is sufficient for us.

The second week, we worked at the translation center here in Balimba. We have been living in the house of a retired missionary. Eight people came to help us write a new primer in Sara. The first day, we translated about 450 words from English to French then they translated them into their language. This list was used to build the lessons. After a few days, they became familiar with the idea of writing a short story and their imagination surpassed what we were expecting. J One man came to do the illustrations for this book. He has a lot of talent. 

The third week, on Monday they were done writing the lessons so our friends went home. Carla entered the information in her computer that week. I was able to rest for a few days. During the day, it has been about 85 degrees and 70 or 68 at night. Our Chadian sister Linda came to visit and we celebrated Thanksgiving with her. We had chicken since we couldn’t find a turkey J Turkeys don’t live in Chad. The two Chadian sisters that celebrated with us cooked some fish. During the afternoon, we had the students from the School of Theology come over for cake. Before Linda went back home, she edited the new Sara primer with Carla and Susan. This is Linda’s first language. God provided all the help we needed to put together this book. 

The fourth week, Susan and I traveled about 2 hours south to a city where they speak Rito (pronounced ree toe). There by the grace of God I was able to train twenty young men and women to use their primer. Susan helped me teach. Recently, Mr. K. has finished translating the New Testament. This is a good time for people to continue or start to learn how to read their language then they can read the New Testament when it is printed. 

This week, I am resting and I have had more time to spend in prayer. Next week, I will work on translating a few short projects and editing in French. The week after that, I will train some women so that they can begin to teach others how to read.

Please pray about the Christians who speak Sara, the last few months a false teacher has been preaching in their churches. People are following him because he appeals to their emotions. He is teaching, amongst other things, that all illness is a result of a personal sin. His work has been very destructive and the churches face the possibility of a separation. People need the word of God so that they can read the truth. The spiritual battle that is going on is so obvious here.  

Pray for Mr. K., the Rito translator, who has been losing his eyesight and he is in pain. The last surgery, he had, did not help him. He and his wife have also been going through very painful events like the loss of close family members. They are so Christ like. God taught me a lot through them.

When I start to feel like life is so unfair for the believers here, the words of a hymn keep coming to my mind ‘Lest I forget thine agony, Lest I forget thy love for me, Lead me to calvary.’ The suffering of those who are faithful to God is a witness of the suffering of Christ on the cross. I cannot forget what He has done for me!!!

In His grace,

Claire Hossack

1st Women's Christmas Party Photo

Do you remember who's table this is?

Dear Ladies,

The Women's Christmas Celebration is the Saturday and I can't wait to see what God has planned for the evening!  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the event will begin right at 7:00 pm.  Remember, there is no need to RSVP.  Just come and we will find a seat at a beautiful table just for you.  Hope you see you there!

 

 

Women's Christmas Celebration

Chad Seamstress

The seamstress turned out on Saturday

 to sew dresses for Chad's little girls.  

Bible Study

Jesus - I AM the Light of the World

 Last week we started with John 8:12

John tells us the time frame back in chapter 7 of when Jesus makes this statement. It is during or around the Feast of Tabernacles.  This feast was a seven day feast that commemorated when the Israelites left Egypt and were guided by God through the wilderness via the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Jesus is claiming He is the Light!

When the Pharisee's heard this statement they heard "I AM Messiah" because in Jewish thought light always represented God's glory, holiness, and purity.  Light is also one of the definitions of God

Jesus' claim also came with a promise..."whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

There is a promise of having the Source of Life

To have the confidence in that Source

To know that Source and to know He is trustworthy

There is a choice involved here.  Not everyone who heard these words chose to follow him (see John 8:20 and John 8:30)

There is also an order here.  Whoever FOLLOWS me will have LIFE.

Just like the Israelites in the wilderness we too must see where God is directing us and follow His lead.  We must choose to follow Him.

Once we come to faith in Jesus Christ, God gives us everything we need to be able to grow in our spiritual walk.  He gives us His Word and His Holy Spirit to be our guiding light.

God's Word - we learn what God is like and what He thinks about things by reading His Word. Through His Word we are provided direction and instruction

Psalm 119:105, 130

Proverbs 20:27

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our daily spiritual walk.

He reminds us what we have read or memorized in God's Word (John 14:26)

He convicts us of our current sins (John 16:8, 13)

As we read God's Word the Holy Spirit can use that to shed light on areas in our lives where there needs to be a change

Isaiah 55:10,11

2 Timothy 3:16,17

Hebrews 4:12

Light exposes sin.  It penetrates the darkness. It can be uncomfortable, unsettling, even painful. But it is necessary.

So we have to stop and ask ourselves some questions:

How high of a priority do I place on reading the Bible?

How often do I spend reading God's Word?

When you come across Scripture that makes you uncomfortable how do you respond? Ignore it? Get defensive? or humbly ask God for forgiveness and then begin to make the necessary changes in your life?

How will you ask the Holy Spirit to help you when you read the Bible?

Calling All Sewing Girls

CHAD

 

 

You might be asking, "Who is Chad and why does he need dresses?"  I'm actually referring to Chad, Africa and inviting you to make simple little dresses to be hand-delivered to young girls living there.

 

Do you have a pillowcase?  Then you have 90% of the dress already made.  Seriously! 

 

Join us on Saturday, October 20th, from 9am - 4pm in the Teen Room at Peoples Church. 

 

Spend as little or as much time as you wan.  Make as many dresses as you like.  Depending on your sewing knowledge, it will take only 15 minutes to 1 hour to make a dress & encourage a young girl across the ocean.

 

Bring a dish to share and have lunch with Claire Hossack, our resident short-term missionary to Chad.  Claire will share stories and pictures from her previous trip and fill us in on her plans to hand-deliver the dresses when she travels to Chad in November.

 

Don't have a sewing machine?  No time to shop for the materials?  Contact Kathy Blasey in advance and she can reserve a machine for you.  She can also provide the supplies you will need for $5 per dress.

 

For all the details click here.  If you would like to sew at home, download the instructions here.  Just make sure to turn in the dress(es) no later than October 23rd.

 

 

Bible Study Update

Bible Study with Beth Anne

The group looked at John 6:25-52 in which Jesus said, "I am the "Bread of Life... Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you...The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

The disciples asked for a sign and brought up how God provided manna for the Israelites.  Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Comparing the characteristics of manna to the "bread" Jesus offers.  The study group was challenged to think if they, like the crowd, are always asking Jesus to do something for us when He has already done all we need.  We just need to believe and to feed on that.  Jesus is the source of our spiritual fulfillment and therefore our worldly fulfillment.

Remember, what would it take to get us to feed on the true Bread of Life?
 (spend time daily with God and His Word)

Thank you Vickie for your input on the study.