Current prayer letter for the Wards

August 31, 2008

We've been without our house phone since about Tuesday (which is why we
have cell phones that also work from time to time) and without internet
since about then as well. By Friday we phoned the repair service, who
assured us they would come. Late Friday afternoon we phoned again, but it
was too close to 5 p.m. and the weekend was coming, so they'll come Monday.
They didn't say WHICH Monday however. So you may or may not get this letter
tomorrow.
	Besides that, I've killed another mouse in the kitchen, but there's at
least one more in the house.
	Besides that, the roads deteriorate every day because of the huge trucks
diverted this way and the almost daily rains. We can get to the hospital and
back (4km) in our little Mazda, but that's about it. To go to Kpalime, Lome,
or anywhere north, we'll have to borrow something higher. We love our little
car. It's been great these nine years, but I don't see the roads improving
significantly in our lifetime. It's something to pray with us about. We're
not really sure what to do. Should we ask you for money for a higher, more
rugged vehicle or not? Because we certainly don't have it. Well, don't write
the check yet; we're still in the early stages of considering our options.
	I think that's all the bad news for the week. It's really been a great
week. The sessions with the first and second grade teachers were very
profitable. I can explain the rationale for our reading and language
curriculums succinctly and convincingly, I think. Which is a good thing
because I need to do it again the next two Saturdays for the school
directors. At any rate, the teachers will use the curriculum as written now,
I'm confident. Many have been already, but I've made some improvements and
added some new materials. They all nodded in the right places, asked good
questions, and seemed eager to put it into practice. Now if any of you would
like to come out for a month or two, you would be a great help observing
these teachers for me. Beky, Jessie, Lynn, and Koudjodji have committed to
doing some observations, but more people would be great. I'll give you a
driver and an interpreter. You just need a couple thousand dollars to get
out here.
	This week is "clean out the living room" week. We can hardly walk through
there, and certainly there is no cleared surface anywhere. But now that the
teachers are gone until the new ones come in two weeks, I can move
everything out to the classroom and Roger, Pariko and I can sort through
everything and get it divided among the first, second, and third grade
teachers for the 15 schools. I'm hoping it'll be done sometime during the
week. In addition, I'm finishing up curriculum. But I'm hoping that'll all
be done by the end of the week as well. That will give me one week to get
ready for the new teachers to come on the 15th. I'm tired rereading this
paragraph, but I did get a nap this afternoon, so I'm good to go.
	Harry went through the 20 computers that came on the container as well as a
few notebooks. He's ready to distribute those to pastors and schools. He
wants me to mention that if you upgrade to a new laptop, he can use your old
one. Actually, he can use any computer, but laptops are harder to come by.
Just this week a shorttermer here to do Bible translation called to say that
her laptop died. Harry was able to get her one in 24 hours, so that her
short time here isn't wasted. He's looking forward to more computers coming
on another container next Saturday.
	I don't think I told you about Beky and Roger's (and others) trip north to
Tamberma land. Fourteen people were baptized while they were there, and Beky
said that the quality of their testimonies was the best she's heard in Togo.
The pastor there is doing a fine job. They would like to get a well for
their church and the community. The people are constantly sick from
contaminated water. It's a very poor area. They need work with schools and
literacy as well. It's a great place for ministry.
	Thanks for your prayers and emails (when we can get them).
Bea and Harry