April 2024
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me.”
Dear Friends,
We bring you greetings from Togo. As I write this, we have begun to see the first break in the hot season. We have had a couple of rains (the first real precipitation since October) and the decline in temperature has been a relief. It is amazing how quickly little bits of green begin to show up after the first rains and how much that cheers us to see signs of life. I’m sure that many of you have similar responses to the coming of spring.
We have also seen changes in our ministry, particularly in comparison to our first term. As our motto says, we are here to preach grace and to practice mercy. The Hospital of Hope has earned a reputation for providing compassionate, quality health care. As that reputation has spread, so has our service area. Just this past week, patients have come from the capital Lomé (10 hours away) and the Ivory Coast (over 15 hours away). We routinely see patients from all over Togo and from the neighboring countries of Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. The hospital has no shortage of opportunities to practice mercy.
Those opportunities have also opened the door for the Gospel. Making the most of those possibilities is our current challenge. Bethany has been able to resume and build upon the relationships she made during our first term. Along with one of the female chaplains, she has started visiting the women who are imprisoned in Mango. Bethany has also had an opportunity to study the Bible with a young woman who came to Christ a few months ago. This past weekend Bethany and about a dozen of the women from our village church traveled to Kara for a women’s conference. Many of the women do not speak French but were able to have the conference translated. Next week, they will be sharing what they learned with the women who were not able to go.
Speaking of the village church, I am particularly excited about the developments there. The church has seen an increasing number of teenagers and young men attend. Previously it had been mostly adult women and children. One of the men of the church is my friend Eric. He has translated the preaching into the tribal language of Moba. This past Sunday, he and his wife Natalie brought their month old twins girls to church to be dedicated and named. We were excited to witness that joyous event. Of additional note, Eric is part of the first class of the Institue Biblique des Savanes.
Please be in prayer for our students. We have around thirty students who have enrolled in this three-year program. Next week they will begin their fifth class — this one on Theology Proper. It is a deep topic and especially interesting to consider in an African context. I will be teaching this important subject along with my Togolese Colleague David. I would appreciate your prayers that my teaching will be biblical, clear, and glorifying to our God.
Our family is doing well. The children have continued to thrive in Togo. The youngest four are part of the MK school, while Karissa is homeschooling, taking a course of study in writing and business, and has ministry opportunities of her own. Life is certainly busy and tiring here, but we are also excited about the work the Lord is doing here. We remain thankful for your prayers on our behalf and your support of the work here.
Soli Deo Gloria,
The Chmils