Medical Mission in West Africa

I've just returned from another mission to west Africa. I'm tired with the jet lag, but offer a few pictures to give a glimpse of the past 9 days. We've partnered with Esaho Kipuke in northern Togo & also enjoy the encouragement and support of our friends in the capital city of Lome at the Korean Methodist Mission. I'll offer some stories from our mission trip soon, though in the meanwhile offer this visual report. Once again we saw thousands of people through medical clinic, dispensing medications, giving away reading glasses, and offering both children's ministry and this sort of relationship building and witness.

Sharing the Gospel in a Challenging Yet Open Country

Read Acts 1:1-11

Here's an update from our missionaries in Togo in west Africa. Dr. Esaho Kipuke, and his wife Beatrice, have been working in the nation for a number of years. They have an exciting ministry, and he's a dynamic speaker who is back in the states for the next few weeks sharing news of their work in their sponsor churches. Of course, there's always room for more friends who will prayer, participate, and fund the mission. We've found that the impact upon the lives and churches of mission team participants in northern Togo the last 5 years has been profound and transformative. Read their some of their story below and consider joining this adventure for God in the remote villages of the Kara, Togo region.

“We have seen God’s hand in every area of our ministries. With our limited resources, we have been able to reach out to children orphans and elderly persons, run our training center teaching girls sewing, cooking and other courses to help girls become self-sufficient. We continue to run our nursery where babies of our students are taken in care while their mothers are focusing with their studies. With the help of our van, our outreach and evangelization programs are now well knows in the area due to our showing the “Jesus” movie in very small villages.

We are anticipating the graduation of the first girls trained at our Training Center in Pya by June 2011. Girls have been doing very well especially in sewing and cooking programs. Women from neighboring villages have been attending our women’s programs at our Training Center. They have been focusing on literacy training, evangelism to others, Bible study and especially the dyeing of fabric for making clothes, sewing and cooking programs. Women have developed small groups for Bible study, visitation and the reaching out to others by home and hospital visitations.

In our personal lives, we see God in action as we are redefining “normal.” This has been a big part of our transition from the US:

* Leaving dear family and friends behind for another years,
* Living in a developing country instead of a developed country,
* Sweating it out in a “non-air conditioned” society in the hot weather,
* Persevering in the “Land of Power Cuts, Water Cuts and Bottled Gas Shortages” rather than taking those luxuries for granted… These are the bigger things.

When it seems too much, we find solace in remembering that we serve a God who doesn’t change: “... the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). And even though life can seem out of our control, thankfully, we serve a God who is in control: “What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me” (Job 23:14).

Esaho & Beatrice Kipuke
Kipuke Ministry in Togo, west Africa

Prayer Request
Pray for open hearts on our part to trust God in this huge change.
Pray that our ears will continue to understand the national languages that we hear and that we’ll be able to communicate the Gospel accordingly.
Pray with us to be even more intentional about being lights for Jesus as we encounter and interact with our unbelieving friends.
Pray that we would have courage to speak truth boldly but with humility into people’s lives.
Pray for all our donors, their families and businesses. Pray for our financial support as we seek more church partners.
Pray for the good health and the safety of our four children and our two grand-daughters left in the US

Also, pray for a mission team from Trinity on the Hill UMC that will go to Togo in June 21-30, 2011 with Dr. Vince Brawley.

Crowd Eager For What You Can Offer

While we are in Togo we receive national news coverage for what we do. It turns out that some mission and church groups sell their services or don't follow through with their promises. We work hard to do what Christ would have us do, and this has allowed us opportunity to touch many people and continues to open doors for the work. We go where invited. We see as many people as possible in a day. We give away medical care, medicine, and glasses. The reporter follows us Monday through Wednesday for the 3 clinics near Kara, and then they share the report on the national news Thursday night. This opens up more opportunities for the Kipukes as they serve in Togo and for us on our return trips. We find opportunity in word and deed to share a witness for Jesus Christ and glad to be of service. There are many needs in Togo, and the timing is right, no matter the gifts and skills you and your team might bring to the work.

Yet the crowd, the need, and the opportunities are always greater than our ability.

If you desire an unparalleled open door for ministry, desire an African bush experience in a safe setting, & enjoy working with a team of missionaries and translators who are accustomed to Americans, then I'd strongly recommend your consideration of Togo and Esaho and Beatrice Kipuke. Kipuke

The crowd is waiting and eager to respond to some Good News!

Favorite Pictures from Togo

Here are some of my favorite pictures of children taken during our recent medical mission in west Africa. We were in the northern Kara region for 3 clinics & then in the western area near Kpalime for 1 clinic. Once again were warmly welcomed and had many opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Look deeply into these faces and see what you might see...

Togo 2009 Pictures

I'm back from Togo and trying to transition back to this time zone and my "normal" life. I'll share a few pictures and stories the next few days as I process where I've been, what we've done, and attempt to slip back into U.S. life and work. Our support of a missionary family in Togo, Esaho and Beatrice Kipuke, is vital to their efforts and to the ongoing work of sharing the Gospel in northern Togo and to many unreached areas and people groups.

This photo is from a village about 40 minutes outside of Kara in the northeastern section of Togo. The people of Hodo were very receptive and eagerly showed their appreciation throughout the day. VERY often in the Kara region the people don't speak French which necessitates using 2 translators including one who speaks the Kabiye dialect. Learn more about this people group of over 1 million at Kabiye

Kipuke Family in Togo

Esaho & Beatrice Kipuke are now in Togo in West Africa. For the past few years they were living in Augusta, GA and would go to Togo 4 times a year to oversee the work with an orphanage, with women's vocational training, in a school, and with some villages outside of Kara in the northern part of the country. The medical mission team in June went to the villages they serve. Since early June they have been in Togo and divide their time between work in Lome and Kara region. Learn more at:

http://www.kipukeministries.net/