Thank you for helping us be the Church

The journey is coming to an end but Gods work here is just beginning and with all of your help we have been able to be a part of the story here in Abengourou. We were the first white people to live among the Djoula people in Abengourou. Being the first to live in the community we were able to experience God in many ways.

Daily an old muslim man on our walking route sprang up with excitement to greet our coming and going. His face reflected pure joy. Surely this man greeted us the same way Jesus greeted His brothers and sisters.

A young woman became a friend when we stumbled upon her food stand outside the Chateau. She fed us physically but filled us up spiritually. When we told her we were leaving she invited us into her home. She gave us food when many here have none to give. She broke her alabaster jar and asked for nothing in return. In her i caught a glimpse of the Church.

Children fill our mornings with the sound of their laughter. Perhaps they will be the hardest people here to leave. No matter what satan had placed in our day the children always bring a smile to our faces. Surely the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these as Jesus says.

There are so many more stories that i would to share. So many people have been such a blessing here and its all because of the blessings of the people who support us. I thank you all for allowing me to have such a wonderful God filled experience

In Christ Love

Cole

A Good Day

Take two guys throw them into a poor muslim community and let them be in charge of cooking for one night. This past Thursday Drew and I had the opportunity to cook for our famiy. What started as a family dinner soon turned into a community affair. We gave fair warning a week in advance of our longing to prepare for our household. When the day finally arrived they were in disbelief that we actually started to cook for them. Men do not prepare food in this community, especially white men that are guest of the family. During our cooking venture numerous moments became comedic relief for the Dou family. I think we both gained tremendous respect for those who prepare for us everyday. It's a rough job. It's a full time job that is physically draining. We were warned by others that food that we enjoy will probably be disliked by almost every Ivorian. With that in mind we sprang a new gameplan into action. Here in Abengourou a pepper known as pemmont is used in almost every dish. It is a hot almost flavorless pepper that spices up any dish. We made ten pounds of noodles and our secret sauce included plenty of pemmont. Our hopes were that the people would enjoy the food if something familiar were mixed with it. The food turned out to be a major success. We ended up feeding somewhere around 25 people. It was an unexpected community event. It was an unexpected God moment in my life. One of our main goals this summer is to engage the Djoula community. It is the reason we live and breathe with the Djoula people. What we thought to be a normal family dinner turned out to be an event that helped bridge our ministry with the Djoula people. It's amazing to see what God can do in the small things. I will forever remember the night two white guys cooked dinner.