Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support in 2014. It was a fantastic year. We were well received everywhere we went and had fruitful ministry. Thank you!
Debby got back from her trip to the Philippines late in December, just in time for Christmas. Our holidays were full with family and friends. On New Years day Fred’s dad passed away. He was a wonderful dad and will be missed.
Turning of a Page
2014 was a turning point in our ministry in Africa. Fred & Debby were back in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to minister for the first time in 10years. Fred has been back 2 more times.
We went to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, (the 7th city in Africa) to be missionaries back in January 1998. We were received as family. In the fall of 2002 war came to Ivory Coast and the country was split into North & South. Instead of Ivory Coast, we went to Senegal & Benin. For the next 12 years we traveled extensively in 8 different countries in West Africa. A page had turned in our life and ministry. The Lord greatly blessed us in those years of extensive travel.
Last year we returned to Abidjan. It was wonderful. Our students & friends were so glad to see us after so long. There are now 3 Bible Schools there for us to teach at. The seminars across Ivory Coast that Fred planned to start in the fall of 2002, are now about to begin. Another page in our Africa ministry has turned. We cannot drop the Bible Schools in the other nations like Benin, but our Africa focus has returned once again to Abidjan and Ivory Coast.
Prayers
We are asking you to continue to hold us up daily in prayer. Please don’t forget us. We believe that everything we need will come and work out, if we have the needed prayer support. Thank you for your continued prayers!
DEBBY’S PHILIPPINE REPORT
For 5 weeks, starting in November, I preached, ministered and prayed for people in more than thirty places. My trip started in Baguio. My friend Linda and I traveled to five churches and villages. We spent a lot of time visiting pastors and their families, praying for members and the sick. In the evenings several churches gathered together for joint meetings. The meetings were powerful and one evening went especially long, with many young people dedicating their lives to the Lord.
The second half of my trip was on the island of Palawan. My team and I preached, prayed for people, and held more than 25 medical clinics.
Our clinics saw more than 900 people, and that didn’t count all the children. We used the clinics to pray for and encourage the poorest of people. We used up most of our medications in the first week and had to re-purchase medications twice. We worked hard – sometimes 12 hours a day with barely a break.
Everyday I was translating French to English and English to French for our French-Canadian team members.
As always, I loved traveling to the Philippines. Every year I watch as the churches grow between my visits. Some pastors are exercising their faith by building bigger buildings. As quickly as they build, they out-grow their facilities. God is doing amazing things in this nation.
Month Delay for Africa
We were asked to delay going to Ivory Coast for a month to give more time for Ebola vaccines to be developed and implemented in the 3 affected countries of Africa. Ebola is decreasing. We have never been to the affected countries and have no plans to go there. Many people don’t realize that the continent of Africa is so large that the continental U.S. would fit 3 times into Africa. When we are in Africa we are hundreds and even a thousand miles away from any danger from Ebola.
Please pray that Ebola stops killing in Africa. Pray for effective vaccines & a cure. Pray for our health and safety, but understand we will be hundreds of miles away from it.
Upcoming Africa Ministry
We are so glad to reconnect with our friends in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. We want to make it an emphasis for this next season. At the same time, we cannot forget the other Bible Schools where we have commitments.
February 27th – Fred flies to Abidjan via Morocco, arrives March 1
Each Sunday morning ministering in churches and every evening at Bible School at our old home church in Port-Bouet, Abidjan.
March 2-14 – Seminars across Abidjan and in Yamoussoukro.
March 16-22 – Fly to Cotonou, Benin, for week of Bible School.
March 24-April 2 – Bible School back in Adjame, Abidjan
April 3-6 – Easter weekend in Abidjan
April 6 – Debby flies to Abidjan to meet up with Fred.
April 7-25 – Seminars in Bouake, Gagnoa & San-Pedro.
April 28 – Fred flies back to USA
April 28-May 8 – Debby teaches Bible School in Abidjan
May 11th – Cheri Harrison joins Debby in Abidjan
May 15-16 – Lady’s Conference
May 25th – Debby & Cheri fly back to USA
Please Pray
Please pray for our flights and transportation, our plans to be God’s plans, good health, and that we are a blessing and encouragement everywhere we go. Pray for our daughter, Marie-Louise in college. Thanks for your love and prayers.