Webers' Wanderings

Greetings Family and Friends,

It’s hard to believe how time has flown by. As the year began we continued to travel to villages for Kathryn to train elementary teachers with the chronological bible stories. It is always amazing how thirsty they are in the villages. They often bicycle from other, not so nearby, villages for the workshops. We are humbled and encouraged to be able to make the materials affordable for them to use as they have so little.

This year we have a couple of young men to our assistant list as the task of getting to all the villages each year is becoming very difficult. One of the young men is now able to take an assistant with him to one village while we go to another, thus being able to cover more territory in one school year. Each year there are new areas that want us to come and teach. We are really praying that in the coming years when we may no-longer be able to return that they will be able to carry on the teaching without us. Please pray with us as we endeavour to find a way to make this ministry sustainable.

My childhood friend Jared who is a government school inspector, continues to provide an open door for us to go into the government schools with the reading program Kathryn has developed. As you know this is one of the greatest challenges of Chad with a literacy rate of 20 – 30%. The skills and tools that come from this program go beyond reading, equipping the children to accomplish far more that the national rote system can give. Several of the government teachers have expressed their gratitude that we are concerned not only for “our people” but for the country as a whole. Pray that this training will provide a testimony far beyond the training provided.

In January a large number of the churches decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the gospel arriving in Chad. In 1927 SUM Canada sent it’s first missionary to begin the work in Chad. SUM Canada later merged with what is now TEAM Canada in the 60s. It was a great time of celebration and testimony of how the church has grown over the years. It was also a difficult time for us as the national denomination with which we work remains divided. I, Paul, was given the opportunity to share, rejoicing in what God has done while encouraging them to further seek reconciliation and to root out the “sheep in wolves clothing” who have influenced the division. The following month I had the privilege of representing the mission at the church’s general assemble where they elected new leadership and a vision for the coming year. It was a good time to get to know new leaders and reconnect with some I had not seen in years.

I also continue to provide maintenance and logistical service to both missionaries and church leaders. I recently helped install a solar system for a local Chadian/American missionary who does workshops for local pastors in using bible reference materials. I have also finally completed the new water tower for Koutou and installed a solar pump, allowing us to be virtually generator free. Fuel in many areas of Chad has recently become very scarce and expensive, not because of the war but simply poor infrastructure.

As you are likely aware, Chad has reciprocated the American visa ban, preventing all Americans from entering Chad. One of the things that has helped some of those who cannot return, to keep working is the advent of StarLink availability. One of our missionaries who has been working on bible translation is very close to the final publication of the New Testament. This however requires a lot of checking with the national translators for accuracy. Their recent internet installation ceased to work one day and after some diagnosis I was able to travel to the village via MAF to make the repairs. We are grateful for their service to remote missionary endeavours. I have also been very grateful for a young man, Francis, who has a gifting for diagnosis and is a quick study. I have been able to send him on several “missions” to help pastors and missionaries from other organizations who needed solar installations or repairs. He is currently heading some 350kms east to make repairs on a system that has ceased to work, in the absence of an American missionary who left things at the service of nationals carrying on some of the work in their absence.

This brings us to the challenges we currently face. It was difficult to leave “home”, Koutou, about 6 weeks ago as the promise of rainy season began to appear. Night began to cool to a comfortable 26-27C. A walk in the morning was greeted by the fragrance of grapefruit blossoms and gardenia. We headed north to the capital to learn some new tasks. As the final Americans with valid visa are required to leave our numbers have greatly diminished leaving us only a skeleton crew on the ground in Chad. We had hoped that an exoneration was forthcoming but to date this has not been so. I have been serving as a co-leader for the mission here for just over a year now but the co-leaders are all state side now. Kathryn has been learning all the ins/outs of our financial system and managing the bookings at our Ministry Support Centre here in the capital. It is still surprisingly busy as there remain numerous European missionaries in country though many of our guests have been the tail end of the Americans leaving. I have been learning some of the administrative jobs like banking, who to contact, immigration policies etc. Pray for a German couple who will be filling in through out the summer while we are in Canada. We are grateful for their desire to help in desperate times. Upon our return to Chad beginning of September we don’t know what lies before us. If the visa situation is resolved we will likely be able to return to the south for a time while still needing to return the the capital regularly for administrative needs. If the situation is not resolve we may need to relocate to the capital come the end of the year. In the current situation ourselves; an Australian couple and 2 single ladies who live in a remote town, will be the only expat missionaries left with TEAM in country. Please pray to the Lord of the Harvest to open the doors for His work in Chad.

So yes we are coming home to Canada… shortly after you read this, May 31st, for June-August. We dearly want to see as many of you as possible. We thank you and our Lord for your faithful partnership in the ministries here. Many teacher are now teaching bible in the schools, many teachers are being more effective in teaching children to read. As God enables we are able to make the ministries of those here and detained at home more effective. Pray for the many workers we leave behind to manage things in our absence. The road looks difficult but we look to the future which is in His hands.

Yours in Christ and looking forward to seeing you soon,
Paul and Kathryn