Hiland Park team in pictures - part 2

We left Ouidah Sunday afternoon to head to Bohicon. This is the same place we went with Anthony when he came last year. This time Trey and Carl taught at the Bible school while the rest of the group went into surrounding villages. David headed back to Cotonou to take a flight home as he couldn't stay longer. Again, the guys taught on Baptist doctrine. It's a little different doing training here. Bohicon is further north, granted, not that far north. Anyway, they don't get much Biblical training. And the students at the school really enjoy having teachers outside of the norm. Everyone, students and wives, were focused and taking notes. They had great questions. They really wanted to understand Baptist doctrine and be able to follow the Bible as closely as possible. Trey and Carl really enjoyed teaching there.

The team was able to partner with a local Baptist church. In fact, it's the first Baptist church that was ever planted in all of Benin. The pastor of the church is the president of the Bible college. In the year 2020, he wants to invite all former IMB missionaries back to Bohicon/Abomey (the neighboring city) to see all that God has done in that community. His vision is to plant churches in every cartier (area or neighborhood) and surrounding village. He also wants to see his church grow. They are doing this by being active. The church members are going into their community and sharing the gospel. This area is also very wrapped up in voodoo. Also, it's a place known for royalty. It was the royal capital of Benin, before Benin was known as Benin. Got that?! That being said, there are many kings. Every small neighborhood and village has their own king. The people living there will follow what their king says. It's important to reach out to the leaders in order to reach the rest of the community.

The best part of this for the storying team was being able to go out with church members. We were able to encourage each other, even though some of us couldn't communicate. I went out with a group where no one spoke English. My French was tested! At the first house in the village, the pastor greeted the woman and then looked at me and in his broken English told me to tell a Bible story!! Thankfully I had been practicing a story in French, but all of the sudden I couldn't remember a word. I took a breath and started. My story was then translated into Fon, the local language... so if I messed up, the translator could correct it :) I did that again with another group of women, 2 of whom accepted Christ. Then, I told them I needed a break. It was very encouraging for me to see that I could tell a story in French... maybe not grammatically correct, but the point got across. But the most encouraging thing is that the Lord can use my broken French translated into Fon to bring people to Him. I'm so honored to be used by Him.

The other groups had similar stories. Many people coming to Christ. The church members were agreeing to come back and do Bible studies with them. Many from our group shared with kings or leaders of the villages. Some of those accepted Christ. We saw God at work in that community. The kids also really enjoyed having us around. It was great to be able to play with them, when many only speak Fon. Some of us even tried teaching "Jesus Loves Me" in English to them. They loved that.

The last day in town, Sally and I had the opportunity to share with a group of women. We taught on the Book of Esther and how God is at work through the entire story. Sally also shared her personal testimony of how God was at work in her life even in the small details. Often, the women were listening in the midst of children at the nearby school causing a ruckus. Honestly, at the end, I was surprised when the women had questions. Not because I didn't think they were paying attention, but because it was really loud at times and even hard for us to focus. We closed with a time of sharing prayer requests. We were challenged by the hurt in these women's lives. There were many struggling with health issues, one who's husband had been called to ministry many years ago but was running - now they had accepted the call and are now looking for exactly where, some who were struggling with fertility issues, and others who longed for their children to follow Christ. It was eye opening, to say the least. We considered ourselves blessed to be able to teach this women.

We were able to do some sightseeing. We visited the old king's palaces, which are almost in ruins now. The UNESCO organization has made a wonderful museum at one of them. It is said that in a certain building the spirit of the king still lives. Offerings and sacrifices must be made. And in one of the buildings, you must walk around it in a certain direction or the spirit will kill you. This just shows you what kind of a world the people live in in these towns. The spirit world is very really to them. They need salvation.

We were really thankful for the team from HPBC. It's great to have family and friends here. It's awesome for them to see our lives here. It's different. It's hot. It's challenging. But this is where God has us. We continue to pray for those who were trained during this trip and also those who came to Christ. We also pray for those who heard and did not accept, or heard and absolutely refused. We pray God will remind them of those Bible stories and bring them to Him. We have a team coming next week from University of West Florida BCM who will be going to the same area. We are praying now that some of those difficult people will be encountered again and hear a new Bible story.

And we need to end this with one of the best pictures from the entire time....

Hiland Park Team in pictures - part 1

I had wayyy to many pictures of our March team from Hiland Park to include in our newsletter. So, I figured I'd post many of them here along with a few stories. Note: if you don't get our newsletters and would like to, please comment with your email address or talk to a minister or staff member at Hiland Park and they will get your info to us.

The team arrived on a Monday night after a long trip. They came with 7 bags of goodies for us!!! How awesome. Our cabinets were (and still are) stocked with yummy American food! And since it was Chandler's birthday, she had lots of goodies in there too. The first two days we stayed in Cotonou and did touristy things - Ganvie, Artist Village, trip around town, Touraeg tea with a friend, and a birthday party for Chandler.

 

Thursday morning we headed to Ouidah. Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Saturday, David and Carl lead a Pastor's training on Baptist Doctrine along with Trey. The others on the team went into the surrounding areas sharing stories from the Bible and the gospel. Chandler and I went back and forth between the two groups. On Saturday, we visited a slave fort together. While Trey, Chandler, Carl, and I ran some errands, the others visited a snake temple and the "Point of No Return." We believe it's important to see these things while in Ouidah. Ouidah is one of the birthplaces of voodoo, and where they worship cobras. When one is found they are brought to the snake temple. Also, it's where all the slaves were put on boats to head to the western world, which is why it's called the "Point of No Return."

 

While out and about on the first day, I spent time with Sally and Savannah. The first fisherman village we stopped at Savannah shared an overall story of the Bible starting with the fall and all the way to Jesus. At the end, the group had grown tremendously in number. Some were trying to cause problems, some were distracted by other things, but there were still those few who were very focused on the story. One asked about faith. Sally did a great job explaining how we have faith in the chairs we sit in, not knowing where they were made or who made them. At the end, one man said he wanted to follow Christ. We prayed with him and for him. Today, we pray that God will continue to work in his life.

We went further down and found a group of men pulling in nets. The women were sitting by waiting. Here, the men fish and the women buy the fish from the men and then sell it in the markets. This was a perfect opportunity for us women to share with the women waiting. Sally started sharing a story with a group of women. One was very intently focused and listening, while the others were there and listening, but really just waiting for the men to say they're ready. And then it happened... the men were ready and the group of women ran off... all but that one. The one woman encouraged Sally to continue sharing and catch up with the group. As the group was getting their fish the woman explained that she is a believer, but her friends weren't. She's tried sharing with them before, but they didn't want to listen. After the women had their fish, some came back over. They were there to be nice, but weren't really hearing what Sally was saying. We finished by praying for the woman, her health, her family, and to continue to give her boldness to share.

Kristen and Cory had similar stories from that day where the numbers started out with two or three people listening to the story and ending with 15-20. That day was an eye opener to the entire team. They saw how sharing stories from the Bible can lead to a gospel presentation. They saw how people would focus, stop what they're doing, and listen. And they also saw how many distractions can pop up while sharing.

The next two days were similar. The team got to meet some people who are very wrapped up in voodoo. They got to meet people who thought their religion saved them. It was a great time of sharing Christ with the people of Ouidah, encouraging the church there, and learning how to better pray for the people of Benin. We finished the weekend attending a local, small Baptist church. Carl and David shared the sermon that day and did a great job doing it by way of telling a story. It was awesome to see them learn the culture, and then share a sermon according to that culture. Telling stories is a huge part of peoples lives here. To hear a Pastor share a story encourages the church members to do it as well.

Guest Blogger: Most Challenging Trip EVER

After our recent team from Hiland Park I asked if anyone would like to share about their experience. Sally quickly volunteered. She was wonderful to have here. She was extremely challenged on her trip.. well, I'll let her share more about it.

"I have been on many many mission trips, and this adventure to Africa was by far the most intense trip that I have ever been on, in every aspect one could imagine. One would think that after being on so many trips that you could handle most anything and be prepared for whatever happens. God really challenged me on several levels. One thing He challenged me in is my knowledge of scripture. Yes, I read the Bible all the time, and have to read over and over sometimes due to my retention challenges. But this trip challenged how well I know the Bible.

Passing out stickers at church

I love the fact that we were able to tell actual Bible stories to people who either did not know how to read or did not own a Bible. How very cool it was to go to each village, introduce ourselves, get to know a little about each family, and then ask to share a story from the Bible. After that, a comfortable environment was created and we were able to share the gospel. Because we showed interest in the people we were talking to, we gained their trust. We were able to explain who Jesus really is - that He was a real person, like you and me - and that we can have eternal hope forever. To know that death is not the end, but only the beginning. There were some people that understood what we shared, but did not want to change their lives. There were some people that didn't want to hear what we had to say. And there were several who made life-changing decisions to follow Christ.
I believe that I have been plated on this earth to tell all who will listen to me about Jesus. I absolutely love traveling to other countries, other cultures, sharing who Jesus is, because wherever you are Jesus is the same. He takes us just as we are. How great is that?
Even though Benin was my most challenging trip so far, I would not have changed one thing. Everything that happened or did not happy was absolutely in God's design. I learned many lessons on this trip: to pray more, to read more, how I can apply storying in the states, to continue to pray for my new African friends who have so many needs, to continue to pray for the Fondren's, and lastly, how I can continue to further the Kingdom for His glory. I am so honored to have been a part of this team and this trip. As long as I am breathing on this earth, I will continue to have a passion to bring Jesus to people wherever God places me."

Sally helped Kristen lead a women's conference
studying the book of Esther

they said difficult days would happen

Remember when I told you about Frances? Well, she needs some prayer again.

She's back in town, and divorced. She returned a few weeks ago and came by to visit. She started helping watch Chandler while I worked with my language tutor. It was nice when Chandler would take a nap and she'd come listen to my language lessons... especially when I was reading Bible stories over and over again. I read them so much that she basically memorized them. One day I had her stay so I could study some with her and working on my grammar in conversation. I had her tell me a Bible story. She repeated the story of the demoniac that I had been practicing in Mark 5. I asked what she thought about the story and she said it was good. It's good that he was healed and normal. I then asked if she knew the story of the woman at the well in John 4. She didn't so I let her read it while I wrote sentences for practice. Again, I asked what she thought about the story. Again, she said it was good. I asked her what she thought about Jesus saying He is the Christ and she agreed that it was true. I was taken back. She claimed the Koran says that... and that He is a prophet. I then explained to her that there is a difference in Jesus being a prophet and being the Savior of the world. She didn't really agree with me about that, so instead of arguing... and well, because I can't really argue in French... I moved on. I continued with my homework and let her read the story of the Fall in Genesis. A few minutes later she said she wanted to ask me a question. I thought, ok, Lord, give me the words in French to understand and answer. And then she asked me for money for a new cell phone. I was a little disappointed, but that's a very cultural thing here. I told her she would get paid on Friday.

Fast forward to Thursday night... I'm frantically searching for my iPad. The last time I used it was early that morning and then Chandler played with it for a few. Now, I couldn't find it, anywhere. Trey and I tore apart the entire house, searching for 2 hours... I even made him look in the washing machine. You never know, right?! We called 3 of the 4 people who were at our house that day (and every day) asking if they saw it, and getting no helpful answers. With much hesitation and heart ache we came to the conclusion that someone had taken it from the home. I was devastated. I was heartbroken. My feelings were genuinely hurt. It wasn't the fact that the iPad was missing. It really had nothing to do with the item. It was the fact that someone I trusted would take something.

The next morning we waited until all of the same people came to the house and Trey talked with them. He gave an opportunity for someone to admit what happened anonymously. No one did. He then let them search the living room and talk amongst themselves about what happened at the house yesterday. We stayed out of the room. Again, no answers. Talking with our house helper, Rigobert, and Trey's language helper it was becoming clear that Frances' story wasn't making sense. She had acted strange the day before, but some people have off days. But... lies were starting to appear in her story. Trey decided to call them one-by-one into his office. After an hour sitting with her, and a translator to make sure everything was clearly communicated, the truth came out. She said she was playing on the iPad and thought she broke it. She was taking it home to get it repaired and would then return it. We got the iPad back.

Like I said in the beginning... this long story is all about your prayer. We feel this situation has given us the opportunity to show Christ's love and forgiveness. Also, to show how God is just. Pray for us as we continue our relationship. Pray that we can forgive. Pray as we decide what changes need to be made in our household so that we don't run into this again. Pray for me as I use this to clearly present the Gospel to her. We long for her and her family to know Jesus. We long to see a radical change in their lives. Pray that this difficult situation for us, is only the beginning of their walk with Christ.

Chandler Renee - 11 months

11 months. 11 MONTHS. ELEVEN. Are you kidding me?! Seriously, she's 11 months today. This past month has been a blast with her. It was like all of the sudden she decided to do a bazillion new "tricks." She hasn't perfected them yet, but she's working on them. She's started trying to dance. Any time she hears music she will bend her little knees or shake her little bum. Seriously, so cute. We have a dance party every morning. She's also working on clapping. Her right hand does better than her left hand, so it's not perfect yet either. But if you say, "Yayyyyyyy," you better believe she'll be hitting her little hands together. She continues to pretend like everything is a cell phone and you must say hello if she puts something to her ear. She does a great job walking all around our living room from couch to table to chair, etc. And sometimes she gets the courage to walk from the couch all the way to the dining room table... and for her little legs, that's a good distance! Some times she tries to repeat what you say. Really, she's probably just making random noises, but it happens to sound like "bye-bye" or "tout à l'heure." Or we really do have an overachieving bilingual child and I'm ok with that.

This month she got settled back into her home and bedroom in Benin. She loves to play with the toys in her bedroom! I think she knows it's her space. We spent a week alone without Trey. It was like a slumber party every night - even the night we didn't have power for 5+ hours and had to help the guard refill the generator with gas at 2 a.m. :) She hasn't done much world traveling this month, but did make a trip to the Togo border. It should have only taken 4 hours total and took over 6 hours! She did great on the trip. She's started to wear shoes! I know, they aren't supposed to wear shoes while learning to walk, and most days she doesn't put a pair on. But when we're going out and she might walk in a dirty place, she wears shoes. She's getting better at walking in them.

I'm going to do my best to cherish this next month before we have a 1 YEAR OLD child! I'm sad that this month is so short. It will fly by faster than usual. But alas, here's to the last month of Chandler's first year!

the perfect sacrifice

Today we made our monthly trip to the Benin-Togo border. We go once a month to get a "laisser passer" (let pass) for our Togo truck to be driven in Benin. The drive on the main road is pretty horrible due to construction. We thought about driving the beach road there, but it's pretty bumpy. We usually take the beach road back just to give us a change of scenery (and the scenery is much more pretty than red clay & construction). Nothing of this has anything to do with what I really want to write about, but I'm just letting you know that this drive is pretty normal for us. Like I said, we do it monthly.

On our trip back, we're driving the beach route. The entire way we pass fishing villages. It really puts things in perspective. These people work hard just to survive. They also work as a community to support themselves. We passed a small community repairing their nets and another pulling in their net, which is really an incredible site to see. As we drove by them I rolled down the window to listen to their song. A little boy noticed us and yelled out, "Yo-vo, yo-vo," which means white person. Several others looked our way and we waved and told them good work!

We continued to drive and passed some sheep. This is not out of the ordinary. We pass lots of animals while driving on a daily basis, even in our "urban" city. As I watch sheep, I am humbled when God compares us to them. They are the dumbest animals, but that's a different post. Today, it dawned on me, I've never seen a spotless lamb. Seriously, not one without blemish. Often when we drive this beach route along the fishing villages, I think about some of the first disciples who were fishermen. I think about how before Jesus, these people, who didn't have much, would have to provide spotless lambs as a sacrifice. I mean, I wasn't there during that time, and maybe I'm taking too much literary freedom here, but I would think these people would be a good comparison. Those sheep we passed, filled with blemishes and spots, would have been owned by these fisherman. When the time came for that sacrifice, they would have needed to find the money to buy a new sheep, a perfect sheep.

I think we often take Jesus dying on the cross for granted. You see, these fishermen are the working class here. Yes, there are people that make more money than them, but for the most part, it's them. Most of us could be considered in that working class. And if we were alive before Jesus' death, we too would have had to find the money or the way to buy that perfect spotless lamb. But, thankfully, we've had a perfect, spotless - no blemishes, no scraggly hair, no spots, or gross looking fur - lamb take the place of those sacrifices - the place that we deserved.

I hope that daily I'm reminded of the sacrifice He made. More specifically, every time we have to stop the car to let a lamb walk down the middle of cross the road, I hope I am thankful for the place He took. My place.