A Day in Paris

Today, we woke up to beautiful sunny skies and cool temperatures.  It was a glorious day!  It was time to freshen up, get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast, well...if you could call it that.  LOL  It was loaded with carbs.  Yikes!  Juice, yogurt, applesauce, and several kinds of breads with jelly on them.  Then, off we went!  Brent Nunley and I decided to head into Paris and take in the grand sites of the city or at least, some of them.  David decided to stay back and rest so that he wouldn't be worn out for the last flight to the states and then home.

Brent and I caught the bus over to the airport and then jumped on to the subway trains.  It was an adventure to say the least.  We had no clue where we were going, so it was kind of like the blind leading the blind, but we got there!  After getting to Paris, we stepped out of the subway tunnel and up the stairs to gaze at the most beautiful site standing right in front of us...the Eiffel Tower.  We immediately got in line to go up in it, a line that we would be standing in for over 3 hours, mind you.  There was lots of people watching and guarding of our personal belongings from "pick pockets."  Brent was approached by one and noticed the young girls' accomplice. BUSTED!  LOL  Also, while waiting in line, we saw a street performer, aka - panhandler.  He was actually funny, though.  We finally made our way to the ticket booth and paid part of Dwight's inheritance to allow me to go up in the tower all the way to the top.  I will have to say, this is one side trip that I will never forget.  It's just not everyday that you get to go up in one of the most famous towers in all the world and I took advantage of the opportunity (yes, I have pictures).  We could see buildings, bodies of water, etc. for as far as the eye could behold.  Absolutely breathtaking!  The only problem I could see was that it was me and Brent instead of it being us and our wives.  I was watching carefully that Brent didn't get carried away with the romance of Paris and want to kiss me or hold my hand.  Double YIKES!  LOL   After coming down from the tower, we shopped for souveniers, ate lunch and headed for the trains.  Subway on the way back to the airport...we won't discuss that.  We are real men!  lol

After getting back to the hotel room to meet up with David, we all headed back to the airport to get a bite to eat.  Over dinner, we had some good conversation and fellowship as we talked about the future and what all that holds.

The night is over.  Showers have been taken.  Blog post almost complete (will be by the time you finish reading this).  It's time to get some shuteye as tomorrow is a BIG day for our team...Home Sweet Home!  Our flight leaves out of Paris tomorrow at 10:50 a.m.   

Don't forget to pray for us!  -  DeWayne

The Weekend in Abidjan

Our weekend in Abidjan was amazing!  

Saturday, we ate breakfast with our missionary family and headed over to a different part of Marcory to  do some story telling and gathering of people for a small group Bible study that is led in that area by Bamba Bakary, our new friend and brother.  We made a lot of great contacts and shared the story with some amazing people who really want to attend the Bible study.  Praise God!  I pray that this will really grow Bamba's group.

Around noon, we went back to the mission house to eat lunch and rest before heading out to the market for some more shopping and then back to the Marcory area where Bamba's group met.  We got to attend the small group Bible study and it was amazing!  Bamba leads a group that meets in a shoe store that is no bigger than a 10 x 10 on the crowded market street.  There is lots of noise and Muslims surround them.  It was packed with people who are hungry to grow in Christ.  Most of them have been led to the Lord by Bamba or Missionary Mike.  They are currently looking for another location as they have outgrown the shoe store.  This just goes to show that you can have a small group "Life Group" anywhere.  I am amazed at the number of excuses we make for not doing LIFE with other believers in Bible study groups.  In America, we think that it has to be in a home or we can't do it.  I think Bamba has proven to us differently.  Thanks Bamba for being a great inspiration and super charger of our faith and persistence in America to keep pressing on!

Sunday, we ate breakfast and headed off to an African Baptist Congregation for worship.  The service was already in full swing with the choir leading, singing, and dancing with their hankies, when we arrived.  The service is over 4 hours long each time they meet.  Therefore, I don't ever want to be accused of being a long winded preacher.  LOL  The announcement portion of the service was over 30-45 minutes long.  The praise band and team was awesome!  The Spirit of the Lord fell in that open sided covered pavilion that was filled with some 350 African Believers all singing, dancing, and praising the Lord!  I understood very little of what was actually being said, but I felt the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in a thick and powerful way.  As I looked around, everyone had their hands lifted high and magnifying the name of the Lord.  AWESOME!  I noticed lots of things in the service like, the seriousness and fervency in which the ushers served.  They highly respect and reverence God, the Word, the Pastor, and other ministers.  WOW!  We don't see that kind of honor for any of these in God's house in America.  People get up and move around freely without thinking about disturbing or distracting others.  That would never happen in Abidjan!  Just sayin.  When it came time for the offering, they ALL got up and marched around, some dancing, and brought their tithes and offerings to the Lord.  EVERYbody gave something and did so with cheerfulness and thanksgiving.  WOW!

After the service, Mike took our team to Grand Bassam to do some shopping for wood products, etc.  We got some really great deals there and met some great people.  It is a village outside of Abidjan.  We bought from mainly just one family and that will feed them for a while.

We headed back to the mission house to eat lunch and rest up for the trip on Monday.

Monday came and was spent running errands like getting money out of the ATM to pay our bills, packaging up our merchandise to ship back to the states, doing some last minute shopping, changing airline tickets, etc. and getting ready to leave Africa.

Monday night after dinner, we all said our goodbyes and gave our hugs as our team prepared to leave.  I must say, I fought back the tears.  I truly have grown to love the McAfee Family.  Mike and Heather are precious people to me and our church.  Their kids are awesome!  I will never forget their hospitality, love, and care for us while in Abidjan.  We look forward to having this long term church planting partnership with them through the IMB.  Monday around 7:30 p.m., Mike dropped our team off at the airport.  We made our way through and got loaded on our plane headed for Paris.  It was a good flight, but long one.

Tuesday, we arrived in Paris around 6 a.m. and begin trying to make arrangements for hotel, food, travel, etc.  It wasn't easy!  It's the most difficulty we've ever had in an airport.  We were all tried in our patience as we were tired and frustrated with the whole situation of not being able to leave Paris until Thursday and the airline not giving us hotel and food vouchers.  So...here we are!

We went to eat lunch at a restaurant next door to the hotel and it was aweful!  We paid $15 a person for trash, basically.  We also learned that you never ask for water.  They will bring it to you in a big wine-type bottle and charge you $3.50 for it.  LOL  We held our breath and tried to eat it and then came back to the hotel room to rest.

This evening, we took the shuttle bus back over to the airport and ate a good American $6 meal at McDonald's.  LOL  It was good!  Now, we're back at the hotel and resting.  Looking forward to some sight seeing tomorrow in the city!

I just want to say "Thank You" to everyone for their prayers and support of us during this trip.  Please don't let up.  We are NOT home yet!  Can't wait to see everyone when we get back to the states.  God is up to something really BIG!

The Holiday Silence

Yesterday, Friday, was a Muslim holiday in Abidjan.  As we woke up, we did so to silence in the streets, where normally it would be filled with talking, yelling, car noises, among other sounds.  It was a different kind of day.  It was the day that Muslims sacrifice an animal for the forgiveness of their sins.  Blood ran freely in many streets around Abidjan.  Muslim families got together to slaughter (sacrifice) and eat their animals, then to spend time in holy prayer with Allah (their god.)

It is so sad that the enemy has so many people blinded to think that they can do certain acts or rituals to get rid of their sins, which only leave them empty and full of guilt and shame.  I am so thankful that Jesus Christ, who was and is the Son of God, was sent to earth as the FINAL, LAST, and PERFECT sacrifice for the sins of man.  Because of God's great love and the sacrifice of the perfect spotless lamb, Jesus, our sins can be forgiven and remembered no more.  However, we must accept God's sacrifice on our behalf, to not would be as if to toss away a gift that has already been purchased to given to you.  What a waste!

As for us, we got up as usual and went to have breakfast with the McAfees.  We had African pancakes...only because they were made in Africa.  LOL  We enjoyed lots of fellowship around the table and then went out to explore some shops with Mike.  Many of the shops were closed due to the Muslim holiday.  However, some were open and ready for business as usual.  We then made our way back to the mission house to have lunch and meet up with Heather for her to walk with us to the other marketplace.  It was like a really run down and shabby Wal-Mart being crammed into a shoe box   Really!  It reeked with the smells of dead fish, rat, turtles, crabs, and whatever else they could find to sell.  However, what we were looking for was not open.  We walked over a mile there and mile back to get to this market and it seemed to be the hottest part of the day.  I felt like I'd had 2 baths!  That Heather is a slave driver, let me tell you.  LOL  She could have at least called us a taxi!  I'm just kidding.  It was great to see how their lives are lived out here in Abidjan, day after day.  I am just way too spoiled.  I admit it!

In the afternoon, we took out across the city to see different parts of Abidjan.  The big city is made up of lots of small cities, some lower class and some upper class, but rarely anyone in between.  The lower class live in wooden sheds or block huts while the upper class live in gated communities away from the reality around them.  We got to see some really cool landmarks and the U.S. Embassy.  We had our interpreter along for the ride with us.

In the evening, our team spent a little time resting and getting ready for dinner with the McAfees and the other missionaries in Abidjan.  It was their "chicken & fries" night!  American food at it's finest!  LOL  Then, there was apple and chocolate pies to top it off.  Of course, I restrained myself from having any...NOT!  There was lots of good stories, laughter, and great fellowship.

The evening ended with us coming back to the mission house to begin washing clothes and my all night battle with the ALLERGIES.  I barely slept at all last night, due to not being able to breath and my nose running all night, not to mention the sneezes!

And there you have it...another day in Abidjan!

God at Work in Africa!

The day began when we woke up around 7 a.m., got dressed and headed to the missionaries home for breakfast.  Afterwards, we loaded up and went to Bassam, the area that our church will be starting a church in.  In Bassam, we broke up into two teams and went to the homes of the people to share stories with them about God's love.  For several hours, my team consisting of David Clayton and Oliver, began talking and sharing with different people.  We came upon these 4 women and their children who were washing clothes outside in a tub and they welcomed us to sit and share.  By the time I finished telling the story, they were all ready to give their lives to Christ and follow Him.  Praise the Lord for 4 new sisters in Christ!  Then we ran upon a group under a tree and sat and talked with them for hours, it seemed.  There were many others that we shared with also.  What an awesome day of evangelism!

We, later, came home and ate lunch and rested.  Following lunch...it was right back to the streets.  I love it!  However, this time, we did some storytelling but mainly follow-up with those that met Christ today.  Please keep them in your prayers.

This evening, we were invited to be guests in the home of Sadu, a Muslim.  They served us a meal and some wonderful hospitality.

In the photo above, Sadu is the one on the left.  His home was large for this area, but was still very small.  He struggles every day to makes end meet.  He works as a security guard.  The welcome and hospitality were great!  Keep Sadu and his LARGE family in your prayer in faith and hope that they will find Jesus.

On the way home tonight from Sadu's, the roads were crazy!  I could never drive in Abidjan. It would take some getting used to, for sure.

Now it's time to settle down and relax for a few hours before going to bed.  Gotta be up and out of the house by 8:30 a.m.

Blessings to you,

DeWayne

The Big City

Today began at 8:30 a.m. as we slept in a little to try and recover from the long trip and jet lag.  We got up, got ready and went to have breakfast with our missionaries, Mike & Heather McAfee, and their children.

After breakfast, we met with one of our translators, Oliver.  We spent some time asking questions, being oriented to the culture, and rehearsing our story telling skills.  It is amazing the things that you can learn just by listening and observing the culture around you.  Oliver stayed and joined us for lunch today before going out.  Oliver walked many miles to meet us today so that he could help us share the story of the gospel.  In return, he received VERY little from us.  I am thankful for his heart to build the kingdom of God, in spite of the sacrifices and discomforts.

(L to R) Eric, Brent Nunley, Oliver, David Clayton, and me
while we were out story telling in the city.

After lunch, we went to meet up with the other translator and split up into two different groups.  We began walking door to door in the city, looking for people to share the Creation to Christ story with.  It wasn't difficult, trust me!  Myself and David Clayton went with Oliver as we walked the back streets and alleys.  We first stopped and talked to a street cart business owner who allowed us to share with him, but didn't know if he'd goto heaven or not.  He wants to hear and learn more about these stories.  Next, we stopped by a house where the mom and grandmother were out in the courtyard and gladly welcomed us into their space.  I was amazed at the reception we got from all of these people!  We were treated like royalty because we came bearing the message of the KING...Jesus.  Amazing how different things are in the United States.  :(   Lastly, we stopped to talk to several teenage boys and got to share with them.  They were already believers and had no problem letting us know about it.  As we shared, people were gathering around and hanging out of windows to hear what we had to say.  Lots of seed was sown.

While we are here, we are prayer walking, but also trying to story and gather prospects for the missionaries to follow-up on after we are gone to begin a small group and eventually a church in that area.  We are getting a good start!

After arriving back home at the mission house, we washed up and met with Bamba, a former muslim who is now a follower of Jesus.  Bamba leads a small group in the city and is challenged with not having a location  to meet in.  Many times, they meet out under a tree by the road, which is very dangerous due to traffic, pedestrians, etc.  Please help us pray for God to open a door for this church to meet in a public place.  Bamba ate dinner with us tonight and we had some great conversation about the spiritual darkness, etc. in this area.  We'll be joining Bamba for evangelism through story telling in his area on Saturday.  Afterwards, we took Bamba home and got to see where he lives.  My heart just broke for this dear brother in Christ.

Today has certainly made me appreciate more of what I have and caused me to stop again and give God thanks.  As I walked and saw the multitudes of people, my heart broke within for the lostness, brokenness, and condition of the people.  They were in every sense of the word, "scattered sheep without a shepherd." I hope I never look at people again in the same way.  Time is so short and people are truly hurting everywhere, even in America.

Now, we're wrapping up showers and getting ready for a good night's sleep.  We'll be up at 7 a.m., breakfast with our missionaries and out to the BIG city that anxiously awaits for people to tell them about the love of Christ.

You can follow our photos at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151304018887448.517483.728762447&type=1&l=1f1d01fbdb

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support during this trip!  Please pray for boldness, clarity, and favor with all the people as we go out to story and share Christ with the multitudes tomorrow.

Pastor DeWayne

Safe Arrival

Hey Guys!  We made it safely to Abidjan, Africa.  We did encounter one obstacle in the beginning, though.  Natalie dropped us off at the Nashville airport and left.  Shortly thereafter, we found out that we had to show the card that was used to purchase our tickets with.  So, thank God, Cathy Clayton was able to goto my house, get the card, have a copy made, and fax it to us.  Praise the Lord!

We had great flights to New York, then to Paris, and on to Abidjan.  It is amazing how much of the nations you can interact with when you are traveling internationally.

Tonight, we exited the Abidjan airport where our missionary, Mike McAfee, was there to greet us.  We drove to the mission house, got settled in, and ate dinner with Mike, Heather, and the kids.  Please pray for Ben, their 3 year old.  Heather thinks he might have malaria.  Lift him up to the Lord, prayer warriors!  We had taco salads, fresh pineapple, and chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven.  I know...there goes my low carb lifestyle.  LOL!!!

Now we are getting showers, settling down for bed and getting ready for a great first day on the field tomorrow.  We will meet up with our translator in the morning after breakfast.  Until then, please keep us in your prayers as we accomplish the will of the Father on this trip.

I'll be uploading some photos on here and Facebook tomorrow night.  Thanks for all of your prayers and support!  They are greatly needed and appreciated!

DeWayne

Africa Countdown

Well, it seems that the time has come and it's almost time to head to the airport for our mission trip to Abidjan, West Africa.

I first want to say a huge "THANK YOU" to all of you who have given to partner with me in starting new churches in Abidjan.  God has provided through YOU to make this trip a reality.  My prayer is that God will richly bless you and multiply your seed because you have honored His servant and impacted lives around the world.

I am looking forward to staying engaged with you throughout our journey in Africa through this blog.  Each evening (3-4 p.m. CST), I will be blogging about our activities and sharing photos, etc.  It is important to me that you be able to make this journey with me through this site and Facebook.

At this point, our bags are packed and we'll be heading out for the Nashville airport in just a few short hours to tackle the long flight to Abidjan.  I am thankful to be traveling with 2 other brothers from our church at Bridges of Hope Fellowship.  Together, we are an extension of both Christ and the Church.

My one request now is that you commit to pray for us each day until we return home on Oct. 30th around 6:30 p.m. (CST).  Please pray for our travel safety, favor with everyone we meet, open doors, daily provisions, strength, good health, protection from spiritual warfare, and the power of the Holy Spirit that we may boldly share and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through story to a people who have never heard.

Until the next opportunity to share,
DeWayne