(Augut 1, 2004) Last Sunday nine men graduated from our Bible institute in Korhogo. A big celebration had been planned for most of Saturday, but the rebels would not give permission to hold the ceremony, so it was held as part of the Sunday morning worship service. It was such a joy for me to participate. Two of these men will be ministering near Ferke. One is becoming pastor of a church that has never before had a full time pastor. The other will be pasturing two churches. Please pray for Kidou et Pierre as they assume their new ministries.

In May a new church building was dedicated in Watievogo, a village not far from Ferke. This village had no believers until about 4 years ago when a woman came to Christ at our hospital. Using this new believer as a contact, the women of the Ferke church took on this village as a project for prayer and evangelism. When there were about 20 believers, a church was formed. The church association found a pastor and the women of Ferke helped with the pastor’s salary. Then they continued to give until a church building was completed. Today there are about 40 believers in this new church.

Last Sunday evening a woman came into our clinic extremely agitated. The nurse who was working knew her, and the patient calmed down enough to ask to talk privately with her. Her mother had sold her to a sorcerer, and she knew that she would die. The nurse explained that Jesus is more powerful than the sorcerer. The woman ran from the clinic and had to be chased down by the hospital guards. Her husband then refused to let her stay at the hospital. Please pray for us as we seek to proclaim Jesus Christ to hundreds of people each week who are lost.

During June I gave a series of lessons on the medical aspects of AIDS at the church I attend on Wednesday nights. It is predicted that the political crisis will push the incidence of AIDS to 30-40% in Cote d’Ivoire. The end of July I will be finishing the series with an emphasis on sexual purity. Please pray that the many young people who have been attending this series will open their hearts to God’s truth.

On July 4th the rebels and the government of Cote d'Ivoire officially agreed to end the war, but there remains a long road to peace and prosperity. The banks in the north have remained closed since September 19th of last year. Without a functioning economy the people have very little money even for necessities. The north is also expecting a poor crop as they were either unable to pay for fertilizer or the fertilizer that was meant for the area was diverted to neighboring countries.

Transportation between the north and south is improving. This should help with the availability of items that have been in short supply. The south depends on the north for crops such as sugar, rice, and some vegetables, as well as meat and poultry. The north depends on the south for any manufactured items, processed foods, and building supplies.

All government offices, including the post offices, remain closed in the north. Amnesty has been declared for all rebel crimes against the government and government property, but disarmament, that was scheduled to begin in August, has not yet begun. There still has not been agreement on the person to fill the important office of minister of defense.

While the fighting is over, the biggest danger is from theft and crime. When the rebels came, they released all who were in the prisons and gave them arms and uniforms to fight. These men are now lawlessly roaming the country unfortunately when disarmament begins, these men will probably not voluntarily give up their weapons.

Please pray for the churches in Cote d'Ivoire that they will be examples of forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity in a hurting country. Pray for the missionaries in the country for their protection and safety as well as for wisdom in decision making. These decisions concern not only the hospital and other ministries, but also how and when to help those in need around them. Pray for peace in Cote d'Ivoire.

Many thanks to all of you who prayed for my Africa trip. The first 8½ days in Dakar were non-stop meetings. During that time around two dozen mission representatives met for two days and discussed the future of International Christian Academy. While there continues to be a need for International Christian Academy, political unrest remains in Cote d'Ivoire. We have neither the financial nor staff resources to relocate to a temporary facility for the following year. Therefore, classes will not be held for the 2003-2004 school year. Since we had already been moving in the direction of restructuring the governance of the school, as well as establishing new services to home schoolers, satellite schools, etc, we decided to use the following school year for planning and development. Please join us in prayer that we will be able to reopen on the Bouake campus in 2004 better equipped to help meet the changing needs of missionary kids education in the area.

In Bamako, Mali, African representatives from the hospital made there way north to meet with us missionaries. The hospital continues to function and has been running at about 2/3 capacity. That is commendable considering up until now there has only been one physician and one registered nurse with our other African non-professional staff. They have been carrying a heavy load under difficult and stressful circumstances. While the hospital has some income, the income does not cover all the expenses, and there continues to be a large monthly loss. Please pray as we desire to keep the hospital open as it continues to have an important role both medically and spiritually in the area.

Please continue also in prayer for decisions in my future ministry. During the last year, many doors had been opened to me in leadership development and training. Since I will be in the United States until the first of January, there is still time to wait on the Lord's leading.