Bon Jour, from Togo!

We have been serving in Togo for a little over a month, now. It still doesn’t seem real that our family is here. This morning I looked at Taylor and said it’s nice to get my clothes out of a closet and not a trunk. Yes, we are settling into our house and have been living in it for a week now. The kids have loved getting their rooms set up and sleeping with their stuffed animals. We were sad to leave the guest house at our team leader’s place and the gracious company we received while there, but we are not far from them and our girls are having a play date today!

We started full swing this week with getting the repairs on the house and French lessons started. The first few weeks I felt like a baby in this country, I didn’t know where I could go or how I could get there, or even the words that people were saying. Now I know why people teach their baby’s sign language to communicate because I was right there with them explaining to the plumber and the electrician where I needed items. They were nice and smiled while nodding their heads, but I knew they had no idea what I was saying. So there might be a few extra holes in my walls and extra piping then what was needed, but in the end, I believe we have everything where it’s needed and working!

Two weeks after we were in Togo, Taylor had the opportunity to attend and witness a Timothy Initiative Pastor’s Conference held in Cotonou, Benin. This conference was for 60 plus pastors from Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria to be encouraged and gain knowledge on leadership in their churches. It was an incredible time to see and hear what God is doing in each of these pastor’s lives and churches and to see them be strengthened to continue spreading the Gospel.

We have been attending Nouvelle Vie, which is the first church plant here in Togo. We have also been to Grace Church that is the newest church. The kids love to sing and dance and participate in the children’s church activities at Nouvelle Vie, even though there is a language barrier, they are always happy to participate and learn new things. The kids have been doing amazingly well in their new environment, school, and culture. Shiloh and Madeline recently had a field day from school at La Solution’s sports camp, where they got to participate and join in the fun. We are so proud of them and love watching them grow in their faith and in this ministry.

As we continue learning the language and culture, we look forward to what God has planned for us this month to serve Him. Thank you so much for your prayers and support for us, now even more, so. We are praying for each of you daily.