Saturday, March 31, 2018

March 2018

            I DO love to tell about all the Lord is doing here. We had a great time in December when Seth, Paige, and Eden came and spent Christmas with us. Then Richard and Ruth also came so that we could get to know Richard a little.  He has now proposed to Ruth, and they are planning their wedding on May 5.   As you know, Nathan Schrock and Hannah are planning their wedding on May 8.  What a busy, wonderful week this will be. These weddings follow the graduations of Nathan Schrock, BA of Biblical Studies with an emphasis on Missions; Ruth, BA of Elementary Education; and Seth, Master of Biblical Studies with an emphasis on New Testament. We are planning, Lord willing, to come to America from April  15th through May for all of these memorial events.  Please pray for all the travel and details.

            While they were here, both Seth and Richard preached to our boys' class Saturday mornings.  A young man in our youth group, Brice, has been growing in the Lord and is helping as well teach this class.  Brice has also matured to the point of leading the singing in the church. We are so encouraged, not only when our own children walk in truth, but also when our children in Christ are growing up.  There are several young men now helping to lead the youth.

            Every Tuesday evening, Dan leads visitation and passing out tracts in the church area.  Our kids enjoy this, and I cannot estimate the hundreds of tracts and pamphlets of John and Romans we have distributed.  Pray for the tract ministry that people will read, understand, and accept Christ.

            Dan spoke at a dowry ceremony in the village; it was interesting.  This ceremony is the two families having a meeting with witnesses, to accept the man as a spouse for their daughter. It is THE MARRIAGE in the African mind.  On this particular day, the young man was sick and could not come.  The ceremony went on none-the-less; a wedding without the groom? 

            On February 10 Dan and I went on a trip to a northern city, where Dan was speaking at another wedding.  It was a wonderful weekend centered on God's Word and lots of fun African culture.

            Monday, we went to a village farther north off a dirt road. We had a great day of preaching and teaching all day long.  That is what we love to do.  People do pray to get saved —in dialect.  We are starting a church in this town —it is Pastor Konan's hometown, and he is burdened for them.  Their new chief is Pastor Konan's uncle and is already saved.  This is the town where the very old man (138 years old) lives.  This time, the man had a toothache.  He can get no help since everyone is afraid to work on him because of his age. The idea in Africa is to take him to the village to die; don't work on the elderly.  We bought him some amoxicillin and Tylenol; it will help.  They are planning a three-day conference next time.  They seemed to really like the teaching and us. It was super hot and dry as you can see by our dirty feet.  We got home at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

              The roads have not improved at all.  Dan has to take two days for car repairs after these trips. They ARE working on the roads and have detours all around in town. The detours go on BAD DIRT roads, and the people put in big speed bumps so that all the extra traffic has to go slow and not kick up so much dust!! 

            I DID notice that I have a higher personal interest in the villages after having been there and having met the people. It is not just Dan's ministry in the villages; our whole family is praying for them.  (That is also why it is great to have people come and visit us.  We are stretched thin and are praying that the Lord would move Nathan and Hannah to come here as well.  This country is so open.  Our one HUGE goal is to win souls.  He that WINNETH souls IS wise (just witness and bring people to Jesus). You must BE wise if you are to win souls. It is THE MOST WORTHY GOAL. 

            While we were gone on the trip, the kids did great playing the piano and serving at this church in Lac.  One of the young men in Dan's Bible school class from the village came to town and did the preaching.  Again, it is encouraging to see the men get saved, learn, and grow to the point of being able to witness and preach. 

 

Thanks for all your prayers for us. We DO SO MUCH appreciate them and you. May you have a VERY blessed, wonderful day of Easter ---because He lives, we can too. 

 

Dan and Joan Cuthbertson


November 2017

Happy Thanksgiving.  I must say that this is one holiday we do not forget.  We are thankful ALL year round for God's blessings.  We don't wait for one day to celebrate; just be faithful and praise God every day of the year.  A quote on my wall says, "Obedience is better seen in the little things."  Don't wait for a great moment to do a great thing—just live by faith, obedience.

 

While you are preparing for winter, we have had a beautiful day at the beach –"Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth!" The water is getting warmer and warmer, yet we are having more and more rain and the roads are getting worse than terrible.

 

I come with another message...don't lose sight of THE GOAL.  The goal is to REACH THE LOST.  That was the job God left us to do.  We live pure lives so that...we learn FRENCH so that...we came to Africa so that...God also wants YOU and your MOUTH.  We know that people get saved when the Holy Spirit draws them.  The Holy Spirit lives IN YOU and wants to use your mouth and your life to draw them.  To me, it is a cop out to sit back and think the Holy Spirit is "generally" going to draw them.  So what brought all this on?  Some kids out here are learning German or Spanish or even Japanese!  Are you really planning to go there and use that language to give out the Gospel?  If your goal is to witness to the lost, are you really planning to use that language to do it?  Help your kids pick a language that is useful to REACH the lost.  That was Jesus' final word to us.  What if I were one of those early disciples and the Gospel was entrusted to me.  Would I reach my generation?  All that to say, Cote d'Ivoire is so open. We would love you to learn French and come here to be a missionary. 

 

Church visitation on Tuesday evenings has been going well.  The more people get excited about evangelism, the more the church will grow.  Growth takes time and is promised to us if we are faithful.  Keep praying and God will keep blessing.  Pray for those who receive tracts and John/Romans booklets to get saved and grow. It is about people getting saved, getting their lives straightened out according to God's Word, and then seeking to serve Him. We are all in the race to "finish well."  Keep praying.

 

You have been praying for spouses for our girls.  God has brought WONDERFUL men into the lives of Ruth and Hannah.  Nathan and Hannah are engaged to be married on May 8, 2018.  We are planning, Lord willing, to come to the States the end of April until the first part of June, but nothing is settled yet.  Pray for all the details.  Pray that God will call Nathan to be a missionary here!  We so need young couples who CAN STICK. 

 

I want to introduce Richard Jertberg, a missionary to Madagascar. (His story is on the Internet.)  He is a widower with five children who has been dating Ruth with the intent to marry.  He and Ruth are coming out here to visit us in December.  From what we have heard, we would welcome him with no reservations.  He is a kind, godly man who has been patiently leading his family and seeking God's next step for his life.  It looks like God's hand is all over their relationship-from the individual preparation, to the meeting, to the calling. I am so excited for Ruth and him. 

 

We have so much to be thankful for and ONE of our great praises is the way God is leading with our kids.  Thank you for your interest in our lives and for praying for us.

 

Have a very Blessed Christmas!