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December 21, 2008 |
Matching Gift Challenge for Village Altonodji by Gary Augustine How important can a wall be anyway? "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man without self-control" (Proverbs 25:28). The impact of this proverb is lost in a world where cities don't need walls. In industrialized nations, we don't have marauders who live in the forest waiting to burn and pillage. Throughout most of Africa, walls are more than necessary; they are of first importance. While in Chad in 2008, a young American missionary drove me and some friends around N'Djamena, the capitol city, visiting various missionaries working with TEAM. Every home had 10 foot walls with barbed wire atop, heavy wooden gates, and full time guards that opened them from inside when we hit the horn. That is of course, only after looking through the slit in the gate to make sure who we were. I asked my driver, "Why do all the people here have walls around their houses and why do the westerners all have guards?" His simple reply was, "You haven't been in Africa very long, have you?" One night while coming home from shooting video, we were putting some of the camera equipment in the bed of a truck because there wasn't enough room in the cab for people. Our driver told us anything put in the back of the truck will be stolen. I was astonished. "Even at 30 miles an hour?" I blinked. "Even at 50," he intoned. Without a wall around the orphanage in Chad, not only is the safety of the children at risk, but the entire program is at risk. All the nice dormitories and all the equipment will be useless without a wall. It isn't just that thieves will break in and steal something. Children themselves are precious beyond value. Any place in Africa that accumulates valuable items (as is the necessary case of an orphanage) in which no real security is maintained (that is walls, lights and guards) will attract scavengers from everywhere. It will be an invitation for criminals to set up shop nearby and take until there is nothing left. It will be not unlike a wounded animal surrounded by hyenas. The entire work can be lost. The entire investment can be lost. If you would like to help (there is a matching grant of $50,000 with $31,287 more needed with the challenge ending December 31st), send your check designated for the Village Altonodji Wall to: Mission: CHAD (Note to article: The Village has recently been violated by thieves, resulting in damage to one of the solar panels. So the need for the wall is truly becoming acute.) |
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October 26th, 2008 |
Mardochee Nadoumngar brings the sermon to Lanesville. Mardochee Nadoumngar is Director and Professor of New Testament at Shalom Evangelical School of Theology (ESTES), N'djamena, Chad, one of the ministries we support. He did his first Master's degree in the Central Africal Republic, and his Th.M. at Dallas Theological Seminary. Besides his work at ESTES, Mardochee provides leadership for churches throughout Chad and elsewhere in Northern Africa. He is known for his testimony to Christ in word & deed in one of the neediest and most dangerous places in the world today. |
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July 15th, 2007 |
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May 6th, 2007 |
Ellen Snell shared some great news from the Hafemanns about Mission Chad. Audio |
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December 17th, 2006 |
Scott & Debara Hafemann give the congregation a report of their past & upcoming activities for Mission Chad. Audio |
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Contact |
eMail: Scott & Debara Hafemann |
