on our way home!

Staying in Libreville for a couple of days let us unwind and relax. Arnie and Cheryl Sloving are the best hosts. Good food! Good laughs! Great tour guides!

Arnie and Cheryl Solvig

Vicky and Carrie at the beach

We did a little shopping, relaxed at the beach, and took a tour of the CMA missions school.

We also enjoyed a great Sunday service at the 1st Libreville CMA Church. The first service was about 3 hours long the music was wonderful! We were singled out because the white people weren't dancing! So we danced, well at least we tried to! This is the largest church with about 3000 people attending 2 services.

next stop, Paris

After a night flight to Paris, we found our hotel and took a 1/2 hour nap and then adventured into Paris.
Trains and monorails are the way to get around Paris, that was an experience all it's own. Let's just say after a few wrong trains we did get to where we needed to go!

A whirlwind tour of a few sites where spectacular! I want to go back! We were impressed with all the history and the churches!

Sacre Coeur

Notre Dame Cathedral

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

special thanks!

As I post this last time for this trip, I know that we all want to say a "thank you" to the missionaries at Bongolo. This picture was taken at a Valentine\Going away party for us.

Becky Thompson, Carolyn Thorson, Saskia DePoel, Lisa Nickey, Pastor Serge Batouboko, Karen Fitch, Henri and Joyce Samoutu, Joanna, Keir, Luke and Sarah Thelander. (Not pictured) Dave Thompson, Deborah Walker

We are thanking God for these servants of God who are now our friends! God uses all of us and we would like to encourage those of you who are reading this blog to step out of your comfort zones and share your lives and talents to help further the 'Good News". It will bless you more than you could ever imagine!

for you!

Lastly, we want to thank you, family, friends and many others who lifted us to our Father in prayer. Your prayers are being answered, we are home safe and our lives are forever changed!

Praise God!

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26

back to libreville

We made it back to the guest house. The road to Mouila was in much better condition and we made in 2.5 hours and no one was sick!

Cheryl Solvig made us a fantastic dinner. Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, green salad and pumpkin pie. It was so good! She is a great cook!

After dinner we sat around the table and listened to Arnie Solvig and David Thomson tell us some great fishing stories! Lots of fun and lots of laughs!

We stay in Libreville until our plane leaves Sunday night. We are going shopping tomorrow and maybe the beach!

Thanks for praying for us!

getting ready to say good bye to bongolo!

We have lots of mixed feelings about leaving this place. We have met so many wonderful servants of God and have been blessed by their genuine hearts of compassion and their desire to reach the Gabonise for Christ. Visiting the villages on Sunday's and worshipping God together makes this world seem not so big. Bongolo is a beautiful place and so are the people who live here.

On the other hand, Bongolo is far from home. We are missing home! Missing our families! Vicky is missing McDonalds french fries. Elvin would like a hamburger at Burger King! John wants a large glass of fresh milk. Gerald would like for Marilyn to make him breakfast! We all would like milkshakes and a pizza! All I want is to be cold enough to wear a sweater and socks!

the journey home

starts Friday morning, we will be leaving around 8am (that's 11 pm pacific time, Thursday). We will travel the rough road to Mouila and then fly back to Libreville.

a couple of prayer requests

1. That we wouldn't get sick on the road


2. Rusty is struggling with some back pain and that he would be able to make the trip pain free. This is a big one, since the road is so rough.
   
   

enjoy the pictures!

The guys cooling off before dinner.


Mark and John with several of the workers. Notice the hats!

This the african way to pour cement. We were impressed!

The quad-plex as we will leave it for the next crew.

Mandji Village CMA Church.

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the Glory,

because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1

refreshing rains!

Almost every evening this week the storm clouds gathered up and put on a show of lightning and rain. We have a thermometer and we watch to see how cool it will go. 75 degrees is about as low as it goes. Saturday night we had a light show like we have never seen before. The lightning strikes were incredible. It went on for over an hour, and the strikes were very close, too close!

A sad note is that on the way to church some of us saw roofs off houses and downed power lines.

saturday afternoon

we piled in the van and went touring. The dam was the first stop. Nothing like a tour in the states! We just looked and went wherever we wanted. The second stop was shopping in LeBamba town, a pop. of about 5000. The guys were not impressed! Next was the TV and radio station, we all liked the AC.

(Vicky and Susie at the dam)

(inside the dam)

after church on Sunday,

we took naps, went swimming and waited in anticipation, our night out for dinner at a local restaurant in Dakar, a small village of 600 near Bongolo. We enjoyed, chicken, fish, smoked fish and spinach, fried plantains, fried sweat potatoes, cooked manioc leaves, and rice. It was a good time and we tasted some of the local food.

(Karen Fitch, Susie and Mark)

(the african lady is the cook and owner of the restaurant)

monday morning and we are back to work!

Our Vonage phone seemed to fall victim of an electrical storm. We called our local surgeon, Keir Thelander, who is also, computer, electrical, and internet savvy. He just stopped by and got our phone working again.

We have much to praise the Lord!

the crew

(eww....sweaty boys)

(Mark)

(John and Carrie)

(John Dyk)

(Rusty Gigstead)

(John Yoder)

Lebamba Town

The girls went to town Thursday, toured the bakery, tv and radio station. I'm sure we were on tv, as we were video taped from the moment we got out of the car until we got back in when we left. Joanna, Thelander was interviewed.

(Luke and Sarah Thelander)

Last night we had dinner with two missionary nurses, Lisa Nicky and Karen Fitch. Karen has been on the field for 28 years, 8 in Mali and 23 here at Bongolo. We had a nice meal and a good visit. Lisa Nicky just recently came, she was in Ethiopia for that last 2 years.

(Lisa and John walking a patient)

Today, Saturday, we are going to take a look at the hydro-electric dam that supplies all the electricity in the area, and then the guys will make a trip to town.

Have a good Sunday tomorrow worshiping our Lord.

the big surgery!

Vicky, Carrie and JohnYoder were the brave ones to witness a surgery. This was not your ordinary thyroidectomy, although they saw one of those also. This was the 'main event' of the day, week and year so far.

A woman was operated on that had an ovarian cyst that weighed 55 pounds this is not a typo, it was 55 lbs, located in her abdomen. They came back completely amazed and even had pictures. I will spare you the detailed ones!

This was the surgeon Dr. Saskia and assisting her was Dr. John helping for 3 weeks from the states. Cell phones and cameras in the O.R?

Stories of infected legs, broken bones, most are from falling from trees, car accidents, and machetti injuries. When we get home have a conversation with either of them, they will be happy to share their stories. They are amazing!

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We all are feeling good, just tired, hot and sweaty.


Prayer Requests:

1. That we could get the windows done, they are at times frustrating, but the guys are perservering.
2. Safety while they work. We are working on the second level of the building.

(Gerald in the first picture, John Dyk and Gerald in the second)

it's raining!

Finally, it is raining! Today was the worst day for humidity. The guys came back for lunch looking like they had just climbed out of the river! This evening the thunder and lightening started and then the rain. It is wonderful!

Sunday

Mark, Gerald and I went with Becky Thompson, the Thelanders and 2 local pasters to a village about 45 minutes away. Lots of kids and singing. Becky and Joanne tought the kids while the local pastors spoke to the adults. There were 82 kids and about 40 adults. On the way home we stopped at the air strip where the hospital is wanting to get a plane in and out of Bongolo. It is also the same strip where they had the crash with the first plane. After being here we can understand why an airplane would help the hospital tremendously.

(Becky teaching Sunday School)

Vicky, Carrie and Elvin went to the church here in Bongolo. About 300 people attend and there was a baby dedication. Later we went to a party in honor of the baby dedication. The parents are our neighbors and the dad is a resident surgeon. Africans don't usually dedicate their baby's so this was a neat thing that they did. It was a good time to fellowship and eat some yummy african sweets.

(Bongolo Church)

John, John and Rusty went to another village about 15 minutes away there were lots of kids who loved getting their pictures taken.

(Rusty and John)

(Village Church)

It is so neat looking at the church buildings in the villages and seeing the CMA symbol above the doors. It makes you not seem so far away knowing that we are all worshiping our God together.

the hospital

Keir Thelander gave us a tour of the hospital, Sunday after church. He wanted us to know why we are doing the construction. Showing Christ's love, compassion, and helping hurting africans is what it's all about. I can't explain in this blog all of what we saw and experienced through this tour, so you'll have to sit down with one of us when we return home. Just let me say that the doctors and nurses help many people with very little resources. God definetley fills in the gaps here! Vicky and John Yoder are amazed, everytime they comeback from the hospital.

We saw 2 tiny twin babies. They were about 3 pounds and they were in an incubator. We also saw a baby with a broken femur and a man who was very happy after an operation on his leg after suffering for 7 years with a very swoolen leg and now his leg normal again.

(Elvin in an examining room)

(operating room)

(hospital compound)

the aids building

The aids building isn't quite done yet. The sink we brought is actually for this building. The problem is that the government will not give the hospital the license to treat the aids patients with the drugs they need to live. If the people had the right treatment, they could live long enough to take care of their children, now the patients are dying and leaving their children orphaned. This is a huge prayer request.

finally...

Some of us stayed up and watched the superbowl live at one of the missionary's house. A few of the missonaries have satalite dishes that come from South Africa. The game came on at midnight!

saturday

We shifted into a lower gear today and it was very much needed! This morning we worked on

the building, did some laundry and added to our water supply by some very wonderful missionaries. Carolyn Thorson, a nurse who has been here for 30 some years, brought us some

water and another filter. We (susie and carolyn) chatted for an hour or so. It was nice to visit!

green mambas

This afternoon a few of the guys went to work on the building for a couple of hours, the rest took the afternoon off for some much needed naps and

a swim in the pool. After dinner, we found out that our neighbor killed a green mamba snake outside our front door! This morning another big one was killed down the drive. So we are now looking out for snakes and not walking through the grass!

To end the day, our neighbors, Keir and Joanna Thelander, invited us to watch a movie at their house. A good end to a good day!

sunday services

Tomorrow, we are going to church! We are splitting up in threes and going to go to different churches, two are in near villages and one here at Bongolo. We've been warned to spray for insect reppellant everywhere, even our hair! I'll let you know how it goes!

comments

We want you to know that we love your comments! They are like "Encouragement Cards" to us. We look to see if their are new ones each day! So keep it up!

Have a good Sunday tomorrow and keep praying for us!

(pictures)

1. quad-plex,
2. Egrets, around here they are known as the Christmas birds because they arrive from europe around christmas time and stay until may.
3. David Thompson, Carrie, John, Elvin
4. Around the dinner table!