Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, it’s hard to believe that 2 months has already flown past since our return. Our last few weeks in Canada were rather crazy with a trip to Northern Ontario in the middle of moving Mom & Dad into a care facility. We are thankful to many of you who helped out during those weeks. We are thankful to the Lord for providing a place so quickly for them and though downsizing is always difficult; all went remarkably well, including the sale of their home with only one showing.

We then packed in a flurry of loose ends, leaving Stephen with many things to take care of and many notes of instruction. We are thankful the since our departure he seems to be doing well with several grandma’s doting on him. The Lord has also supplied enough renters for him to fill the house and seemingly manage financially. He now looks forward to his first Coop work placement. We covet your prayers for a good job that will not only provide him with the skills he needs but also the finances he will need for the ensuing semester.

We spent a few hours in the Paris airport resting before arriving safely in Chad, along with all of our luggage. We spent a couple of days in the capital buying supplies before driving to our village in the south. We had only just over 2 weeks before school began for Kathy. We unpacked the necessities the first week then shifted into high gear. Kathy was still preparing the 1st week’s lessons the night before school began and only now feels somewhat back on schedule. I discovered the answer to a question I was often asked, “Who is doing your job while you are in Canada?” Not much was done, just the jobs piled up. One of the most pressing was that the generator had only fuel and oil changes done and the radiator was 80% plugged and ready to overheat at any time. This required first installing the new backup generator which had come in the container. I also have made several attempts at resolving the issue of getting an official permission to install and run the Internet VSAT systems for us and several other mission agencies ministering in Chad. Ironically since arriving I have helped set up a couple of systems for Chadian organizations which has given me some helpful insights. I have also made some new M contacts, who I trust will see Christ in my life. I have met with the governor of our Province regarding permission for the VSAT but to not avail other than to be advised to submit a request to the Minister of Interior (2nd in command). Please pray that the Lord will work in his heart to grant us free usage this equipment. I have also got the Suburban as far as the garage and un-seized the doors. I hope to make more progress in the next few weeks Lord willing. Daniel, wanting to examine African music more closely, got involved in our church’s choir, this quickly evolved into playing with them in a performance at another church. We trust his experiences will be memorable and formative during this, his last year with us on the field. Please pray also for Jessica as school via internet requires one be very self motivated and she finds this very difficult.

We have been very busy but God gives us strength each day as we meet the needs of the Kingdom team here. We trust that along with us, you are “always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain.

Many thanks for your effective prayers on our behalf,

I want to begin by thanking each of you for your faithfulness in prayer and sharing your finances with us throughout 2006 for ministry in Chad. We have had several opportunities to share of our work over the past several months and look forward to more opportunities to do so. It is hard to believe that half of our time home is almost complete with many of you yet to connect with. I do not have dates set but plan to return to Chad for a couple of weeks early in the new year to set up Internet communication links for several mission organizations there. We covet your prayers for trip details effectiveness in ministry and for the family while I am absent.

If you have not heard, Chad continues to face many unsettling situations with refugees flooding in from both Sudan and the Central African Republic. These combined with political instability make ministry in several areas difficult. We praise God for the safety of missionaries working in these areas and pray that the resolutions will be made peacefully.

I continue to arrange for the purchasing and delivery of many things and equipment to be shipped to Chad in the coming year that will serve the missionaries in their work. I thank the Lord for enabling us to save several thousand dollars recently on the purchase of a new diesel generator for the print shop.

Kathryn will begin her final semester of teachers training in January at Heritage. She will be taking 3 courses. Pray that she will be able to finish well.

We are very pleased to announce that this past weekend all three of our children followed the Lord in believers baptism at our home church. It was a very joyous occasion that resulted not only in their public confession of faith but also the salvation of one of Jessica’s friends from school that was in attendance. Praise God !

We are also thankful that Stephen will be attending Urbana this year along with some classmates. Daniel and Jessica will be attending Youth Quest in Niagara Falls at the same time which is a spiritual retreat for all BIC youth from North America.

Though we have never been at full support we felt that it would be appropriate to give you our support targets to enable you to pray specifically for these needs. At our current support level we cannot return to service in Chad. The Lord has always supplied for our needs and we are trusting Him to supply our needs so that we can plan our return to Chad for July 07.

Once again we thank you for your faithfulness in partnering with us whether physically, financially or in prayer. All are vital for effective ministry.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving. It is good to be home. We had a wonderful, though short visit in Germany. We were able to visit good friends as well as family and share at a small church group. In Toronto we were welcomed at the airport by church and family members. Our family organised a wonderful get together just days after arriving. It was the first time that many had been together since we left almost 5 years ago. Mom and dad even made it out to the park for a few hours.

The next couple of weeks we spent filling our cupboards and getting a few cloths that were long overdue. We found our house in reasonable condition considering we had been away for almost 5 yrs. It requires a couple of major repairs including a new roof. The boys wrote their G1 driver’s exam… so look out. We also needed to get wheels and the Lord wonderfully supplied a good deal on 99 minivan. This was just in time for us to pack up and get on the road to TEAM’s REAP conference in Illinois for recently returned missionaries. It was a wonderful time of interaction and taking care of transition details. There was a wonderful program for the kids, and they loved connecting with MKs from other mission fields. We also took the opportunity to see some friends who live in the US. By the time we got home though, we were thoroughly worn out. It was just in time to get away for a week of camping with friends. It was so refreshing to stop and spend time together with no agenda, getting caught up, and getting fed from God’s word.

Getting back home we had to get back into full swing. This has been difficult, adjusting to new schedules and responsibilities. Many emails and things to organise, including our medical check-ups that were now overdue and registering Daniel and Jessica into school. This went well with no hassles… so many answers to prayer. They are managing the transition quite well and have made a few new friends. Daniel it quite enjoying the musical opportunities at the school. They have also found several Christians at the school to connect with. Stephen and Kathryn have also begun their studies.

Since returning we managed to purchase several Internet systems for other mission organisations in Chad and had them delivered to the shipper. Once they arrive in Chad I will be returning for a few weeks to set them up. Between now and then I will be available to share our ministry where possible as well as do the needed maintenance on the house. I will also be organizing a shipping container for Print Shop and ordering equipment for it and other Chad ministries. Pray with us as we are trusting God to fill in a shortfall in our ministry funds as well as the need for a reliable vehicle for ministry in Chad. If you want details please feel free to contact us. We praise God for his faithfulness in meeting our needs over the past 4 ½ years. It is with your faithfulness that so much was accomplished for the Kingdom in Chad.

Many thanks,

Paul & Kathryn Weber
(more…)

The signs of rainy season have finally arrived. We have had our first large rain and the people have begun planting. At this time we always ask for prayer for continued rains so that their seed will not be lost. God has also been very good to us this year in granting what we would term a very reasonable hot season. The hot days followed by unrelinquished heat at night were limited and interspersed often by nights that were quite bearable. Kathy only experienced a reaction to the heat once. We are very thankful for His kindness.

We recounted in a recent update my involvement in the installation of the first Christian FM radio station in the south of Chad. We praise God for safety and the success of the installation. We continue to pray for the arrival of a programmer in the fall to put God’s word on the air. The people are anxious for the first broadcast.

As you will likely have heard by now we have accepted to remain on the field instead of returning to Canada this summer for home assignment. We are needed on the field to fill in the gaps as there is no one to manage things here on our compound and no teacher for the coming school year. We are now scheduled to come back summer of 2006. We thank God that our renters have agreed to stay in our house until then. This is a real answer to prayer. In summer 2006 we will need to return to Canada even if there is no teacher. Pray that God will work things out to meet these needs as there is still no teacher to fill Kathy’s position.

We have also recently mentioned one of the needs here at the school. There had been a mower, purchased in the 60’s that was a huge timesaver in maintaining the 15 acres on which the school is situated. Keeping the grass down is a huge job in the rainy season and very important as it makes it unwelcome to the snakes that do populate the area. The commercial style mower served for more than 20 years before becoming unserviceable. Since my arrival hiring day-workers and all that is associated with this type of employment here in Chad has consumed much of my time. Field leadership has approved a project to replace this equipment with a similar product. The time is also right to get one here economically as a shipping container is scheduled to leave the US early in July. Pray that the finances needed will be met, enabling the purchase of a suitable mower to be put in the container.

Since the boys graduated from Palmview the MK primary school where Kathy teaches we have often mentioned their schooling. We thank the Lord continually for His provision of their needs. I’m taking this opportunity to share a few details as it seems some have understood them to be home-schooled. Yes they are home and this has been a great blessing to us as well as a savings in boarding costs that run about $4000/yr plus transport to and from a boarding school would cost $1000 each time they come home. This however is where the similarity ends. They attend NorthStar Academy which is a Christian Internet highschool. Their offices are in Canada and the US and offer country-based curriculum for Australia, Canada, the UK and US. They are able to chat with both teachers and classmates alike. This part was of course very limited in the beginning when we had to access the internet by phone. We are very grateful for the generous gift that enabled us to purchase a satellite system which connects us to the Internet. Their books and materials are brought out from the US each year and they receive their lessons or exams via the internet and submit their answers to the teachers in the same fashion with a particular software program designed for the school. When they graduate they will receive a recognized diploma from NorthStar. Their tuition however is similar to attending an international boarding high school. This is almost 6 times the tuition at Palmview which covers mainly books and materials. With both boys now in high school, we only have Jessica at Palmview; this has become a financial burden that was not part of our allowance when we came to the field. The Lord has been good and met these needs thus far. Pray that these needs will be again met for the coming year. We continue to bring our needs to the Father in faith.

Kathy will be holding Palmview’s annual retreat the weekend of the 14th. This is a special opportunity to minister to the children’s spiritual lives. It is a time we look forward to, student and teacher alike. We camp out, have fireside singsongs and perform community service.

I continue to try and keep ahead of things; recently I had to replace a couple of main water feed pipes as well as the supply pipe from the pump to the water tower. Today I repaired a lighting problem that had left a fellow missionaries office in the dark for several weeks as well as installed a new fixture in her bathroom.

We covet your prayers for this weekend (May 7th) when we will be presenting a film at our local church entitled The Solution which addresses the use of witch doctors and the spirit world. This remains a huge problem in the church. Pray for God to work in the hearts of many.

We thank you once again for your continued love and support as we work together for the Kingdom. May God bless you and use you where you are.

your co-workers in God’s harvest,