Le But

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:16-17

Greetings from TOGO!!!! Oh friends, it is a joy to be back again. God provided safe travels and a lovely welcome from friends, coworkers, and neighbors here. Greetings in Togo are huge, so I am thankful for the opportunities this past week to visit with others and marvel at God's kindness in preserving and working in our lives. 

 It may sound very silly, but when COVID-19 hit while I was in the states and we still weren't sure what exactly we were dealing with, I started to wonder if I would see my friends again this side of eternity. One prayer of mine was that God would keep my friends and community members safe here and that we might have a future reunion in Togo. Thus, there were smiles and much rejoicing when I got to see many dear ones again! Yet, even more exciting is that God's work continues here. The Gospel is being shared, churches continue to gather and hear the Word, and He is praised. May that only grow more and more. Much work remains to be done, but the reminders of God's continued faithfulness here are so encouraging.

Beach in Lomé where the short-term team with whom I traveled and I stayed for the night before the 8 hour drive to Mango the next day

Thank you for your prayers for the transition back to work! The joys and challenges of hospital life here came rushing back. Some joys included the fun of working with the team again and a surprise trip during my work break to participate in an activity with the hospital’s nursing school (it was preparation for a dissection, so I’ll spare you the details, but let me tell you it was FUN!) 

A few of the 17 students at the nursing school tied to the hospital here, learning about the respiratory system. Please pray for them, as they continue in their studies for the next 2 years!

And then there was the heartache of giving rescue breaths and emergency medications at the hospital to no avail.  My heart can fluctuate between singing and groaning so quickly, so I am thankful that our God remains constant and His Gospel doesn’t change. The other day I was talking with Nogbeji, a friend who runs a school for children/adolescents to teach them a trade so they can support themselves in the future. That is his accompanying ministry method. “Mais le but est l’Evangile!” He told me. “But the goal is the Gospel!” Praise the Lord! What a vital goal.  Please join me in prayer that this goal would remain central for the believers here in the midst of our activities. May we have the same mindset as Paul in Romans 1:16. The Gospel is powerful, and I don't want to neglect it, though it can be so easy to put other things first or become distracted. Please pray with me that God by His grace would help me and the team to keep the right "but."

Two of the girls from Nogbeji's school. It was so good to see them again! These are 2 of the 3 that I know who are still there from the last time I was in Mango, so I'm excited to get to know them better and get to know more of them who have since come!

Prayer Requests and Praises:

Please praise God for answered prayer in my family these past several months, and for His presence in recent transitions we have faced

Pray for our neighbor, who has not been herself lately. She has been having Bible studies with my roommate, but recently has not been doing well mentally and has been having some sleeping difficulties

Pray for our hospital's security supervisor who lost his 18 year -son last night

Praise the Lord for many opportunities to see how He is/has been working, including in Bible studies and churches

Pray for a women's event for the believers tomorrow, May 21 on the topic of joy. It sounds like it will be quite the group of ladies from town and some of the village churches. Pray for a rich time of teaching, fellowship, and worship

Pray for wisdom for me to know which opportunities to enter into, to prioritize what is most important. Pray humility and patience to not to try to take on too much or make ministry commitments too quickly

Praise God for the team here and for God gives each believer different gifts and skills to serve

Pray for language learning and use in Mango for me and my team! This morning included an encouraging language session with the tutor here. We caught up on each other's lives in French and determined to start Anufo lessons next week (one of the main languages in town and some of the villages nearby).

 When you have extra time on your hands at work, what do you do but ask to hold cute babies and make friends with their moms? Well, maybe not all the time, but I am grateful for time to have held this one and connect with his mom who speaks some French. Pray for wisdom in relationship building and that Christ's love would be evident in each connection.

Thank you all so much for praying and for helping be a part of the ministry here! Please send prayer requests my way!

~Theresa G.