A Post from Cari

Lafea! To ban wa? To ma jeah. Ri ga na wa? Rim da Cari. (Hello! How are you? I am well. What is your name? My name is Cari. - learning some Gyambai so I can teach English to class of 20 4-6 year olds who speak little French!)

Fri. Aug. 6th Well, here I am finally writing down some thoughts about this trip and I do so as the village's roaming disabled man sits on my front porch muttering broken songs and thoughts in his own language. Needless, to say, thinking coherently is a little difficult at present, especially with so much to sort through since I have written so little since we got here (which is my own fault as Andy would say - but with precious little electricity, use of the computer is a little crowded).

Sun. Aug. 8th And it is now two days later - didn't get much of a start before the family returned, electricity was off and life continued on. It has been rather difficult to be so separated from all of you - with Ann gone, we've gotten snippets of information texted (when we have phone service) to us through intermediaries who are accessing email in N'Djamena(8 hours away), but otherwise, we've had no direct email for three weeks now and our phone does not connect to the states as we had originally hoped it would. So please, know we are not trying to be so inaccessible - it's just what happens when the only other AIM missionary leaves for a short trip to
the capital and gets stuck there due to bad health and a broken car. "Be flexible", and so we have! It will be quite the shock when we finally get to catch up with everyone and find out just how much we've missed!

Andy has been good about putting down key things that have been happening on his emails. In general, we have a fairly uneventful routine here and there are no great medical stories that I can share. I have been fortunate enough to have three classes of students for whom I teach basic English Mon. - Thurs. afternoons. They range in age from 4 to 14 and they are beaucoup fun! Drew goes with me and helps by holding posters and maps,etc. Tony came once, but he had a tough time when I wouldn't let him own the chalkboard. I also have a few teenagers who come by in order to practice their English. Otherwise, I spend most of my time cooking and cleaning.

Thank you to those who have prayed for friends. I have befriended a young woman, Suzanne, who has been a big help to me and have also enjoyed a few conversations with Lina, a nurse, mother and wife to the hospital's pastoral leader. Andy has enjoyed time with Adolph, his translator, and has his own English student, Silas, who is a nurse at the hospital. And of course, there are a bevy of Chadian children who are at our house every day - Drew has found a few who are especially good at helping him fit in. He pretty much jumps outside any time they stop by, to play a little "futball". Tony plays, as well, but probably likes the animals the best. We watched with smiles as he went outside yesterday to blow bubbles for two goats eating in front of the house.

We have really appreciated your prayers - please keep praying! This has been the hardest trip we have ever been on - we are continually stretched in our knowledge and comfort levels. But we have also had opportunities to see how good God is. It was quite awhile ago that we were sick, but I wanted to share part of that experience with hopes it will encourage you, too. Just as I was beginning to get my own strength back, Drew was quite sick. He was struggling with high fevers (at one point was laughing at the kids who were playing in his room - no kids were there) and with vomiting and diarrhea. The latter was causing sharp pains in his
stomach. As I was helping him get comfortable he asked me why God wasn't making him better. Wasn't God strong enough to help him? I gave him the pat answer - "Of course God is strong enough, but maybe this time we just need to give the sickness time to get out of your body". As he groaned, inwardly I was praying, "God, please, heal Drew. Take away his pain and let him sleep. Do this and I know your Name will be honored. An eight year old boy will see that You are powerful and mighty! In the end, I know that Drew's character is more important than his sickness. But still I ask, please take away his pain and let him sleep." As I was praying this, I held my hands on his tummy. By the time I was done praying Drew was sleeping and I was weeping. I thanked God and went to bed. Later that night, Drew was awake again, crying out. I touched his tummy and prayed again. Again, he fell asleep. The next morning, he awoke and I found myself slowly reaching for his stomach. Part of me wondered, were the prayers really helping? Then Drew asked me, aren't you going to pray for me, mom? Silly, I know, but oh so good to be reminded, especially when I needed the Lord's presence more than ever. Being sick in Chad is NOT an easy thing! Especially when we do not usually get as sick as that. In all honesty, I even broke the new toilet seat they had given us. Thankfully, I had the toilet seat we brought from the states, so all was not lost! I know that these things can by used by Satan to discourage us from doing God's work. But it is still hard to remember that when you are in the midst of a camel accident or overwhelming sickness. I praise God for helping us through it all, for showing an eight-year-old His might and for never leaving our side.

I don't usually like to write long emails - I know how hard it is to find time to read them, but also wanted to speak a little from my perspective on our time so far. Not even sure when this will finally get sent as Ann is still not back in Bebalem. Hopefully it will be soon. And it won't be long before we are actually headed back home - just two weeks!

Here in Chad for the glory of God,

Cari