I thought you all would like to hear from the ladies on the team what they do here with the Kabiye people. I teach the children of three families on the team, so I asked those three mothers to contribute a paragraph about their work. Two of the three have a toddler at home but still manage to do some of their own work on top of caring for their families, which is a full time job no matter where you live, but especially in Africa!
From Becky Reeves:
Thanks for asking about what we get to do with you and the others being able to teach! First of all, just normal parts of life that would get neglected like keeping up with email, supporters, and friends and family are made possible with someone else teaching our big kids during the day. Also, I get some concentrated time with Caleb, who needs more one on one attention than some of my other children at his age. Ministry-wise I am able in this season to go out to Ketao on Wednesday mornings, picking up Christianne on the way in Lassa Tchou and meeting with Mazalo at her brother’s house, discipling and mentoring them in how to teach discovery Bible studies. We are also working to educate ourselves and interview others about how to use Moringa trees*, especially dried powder from the leaves, to bless other women in Kabiye land and give Mazalo and Christianne greater access into other women’s lives to teach them about Jesus. We are experimenting each at our own homes with growing them on a small scale and hope to begin on a bigger scale (for the two of them) in June during prime growing season. In past years I’ve spent 2 or 3 days out in the village during a week, but during this season I am also concentrating on equipping myself for future ministry. I am blessed to be able to take an online course right now, Medical Terminology, that is preparing me to apply for acceptance into a medical assistant program that I plan to use in ministry in Rwanda in a couple of years from now. I use daily time, often in the evenings, to study for this class. If I were teaching my older children evening times would be taken up with preparing for the next day’s studies and correcting papers. These are just a few of the ways your teaching helps free me up to be involved in other ministries. We are truly so grateful for you and Jacque and Sarah. I often think of the blessing of having such good, competent teachers that our children can learn from and who give us ways to use our cultural knowledge and language here to be in the lives of others.
From Andrea Miller:
A special thanks to Bethany’s supporters for giving her the financial help, prayers, and spiritual encouragement she needs to be over here helping to teach our children. She is a joy to us!
For the past few years, our children have been very blessed to add to their lives the mentorship of their teachers. Abby has looked up to and learned so much from Bethany this year by being in her class. Aidan is enjoying being in art class with Bethany and gets all the tips that he can from her as he is an aspiring artist himself.
Each of us moms have been able to help teach from time to time during the years that we haven’t had sufficient teachers. This year I have an almost three year old that I am thankful to be able to spend time with at home. She wishes that she could go to school with her 3 older siblings, but she will have to wait a few more years.
When we are not helping to teach we are blessed to be able to be more active in ministries to the Kabiye people, those around us, and our families. This year I am able to go with AnnaMarie to the market on market day (Tuesdays), visit with friends there or visit other friends in town that have small children her age. My husband and I are also taking classes once a week from a nun into town who is showing us how to rebind books and make journals. We are hoping that this will be something that will be useful as we are interested in starting a recycled paper project when we move to Rwanda in a few years. On Wednesdays I am thankful to partner with my husband Matt to go to two different villages to help facilitate children’s lessons in two of our churches. Once every other week we go as a family to the orphanage in town to teach a lesson or play with the children. Thursdays are our team meeting and prayer days which are necessary for our individual and collective team spiritual health and planning for our work here among the Kabiye. Other spare time that I have during the week is used to prepare Bible lessons for children, answer emails and write letters to our supporters and family, and oh! make meals from scratch for my family and our wonderful teachers. Saturday nights are our teachers nights. I have other hobbies that I like to dabble in when I have extra time: scrapbooking, embroidery, gourd decorating, and anything in which I am creating something.
Some seasons are more full of activity than others. We each feel like we wear many hats here as we need to plan and carry out most tasks ourselves. Please keep us in mind and prayer over here. We and our families and children lead a blessed life and are thankful to be a part of this work here among the Kabiye people. May the Lord himself continue to reap the harvest!
Me again:
Nicole Kennell is busy working with the AIDs clinic in town and another outside of Kara, and with at least one orphanage. She is going to an international AIDs conference in Vienna this summer to be better equipped to be of service here. She has an amazing heart for the pour and hurting people all around us.
*Moringa is a plant that seems to be extremely effective in treating Malaria and other illnesses, as well as improving overall health a great deal. I don’t know a lot of details myself, but the team is excited about using this side project to help minister to people’s physical needs along with the work they do ministering to the spiritual needs of the Kabiye.
I’d also like to give some explanation to what Andrea and Becky said regarding Rwanda. Those two families have been here about 10 years and are nearing the end of their committed time in Togo. They are then planning to join a team of missionaries in Rwanda for another long term. The Reeves will leave Kara in August of this year to be in the US for one year, during which Becky will take classes and get a Medical Assistant’s license. The Millers will leave summer of 2011, and join the work in Rwanda as soon after, God willing.
