TASKS IN TCHAD

Greetings from Saskatchewan. Before sharing what I will be doing in Chad here is an update on my present circumstances. In the last 18 days I have only worked 5 days. I will be off work for the next two days because of Canada day and possibly not get back to work until July 3rd or later. If work does not pick up I will be coming home before mid-August as originally planned.

I am visiting my son Ben and Ashley and Vance in Nipawin Saskatchewan. Yesterday we were at the trailer at the lake and Ben and I went out to get sand for the sandbox and I buried my truck in the sand to the axle and had to get pulled out. It was fun and Vance is having fun in his sandboat.

Papa and Vance building sandcastles

Tchad. That is not a spelling mistake. Tchad with a "T" is the French spelling and also the Arabic transliteration spelling. So far it looks like I will be leaving around September 1st. Besides the two days for the flight, it takes a day by bus to travel to Abéché from the capital city of N`Djamena.

I will spend the first few weeks getting to know the team and getting orientated to the country. The Chad team annual conference will be held the first week of October. After that I will be teaching English. A regular English class runs twice a week for 10 weeks. If there is enough suitable students a superior level class - which is all Bible based, in effect a chronological presentation of the Gospel over the two 10 week periods - will be held. These classes give opportunity to befriend students most of which are Muslim. On Saturdays there is an English club where guys who have learned English and want to practice it come together to talk about an issue. These classes are possibilities and nothing is certain until classes and teachers are gathered together in October. There is also the possibility of practicing English with an MMB Pastor in Abéché.

Another possible area of activity is running the Hope program. The Hope is a chronological Gospel presentation which also comes in an English learning version. Learners come to our IT room and book time on a computer to work on the Hope material. Someone needs to be there to facilitate and interact with them as they have need.

As you can see this will be a relational ministry, making friends and having personal discussions in English and French and maybe some Arabic according to what I am able to learn and retain. I have already begun with some basic Arabic.

This week I was able to get some of my vaccines - Tetanus, Typhoid, Meningitis, and Hepatitis B. I still need two more Hep B shots, a Yellow Fever vaccine for which I have to travel to Edmonton, and I begin my Malaria regime just before I leave. In mid-July I will begin my Chad visa application. So preparations are falling into place. Next week I plan to share about finances.

Thank you to those who have already requested to be included in my prayer email. If you would like to receive, beginning in July, a private weekly email of prayer requests for this mission to Chad please email me at <rtulip231@gmail.com> and I will add you to the list. If you no longer want to receive this blog, email me and I will take you off the list. If you know anyone who would like to be included in this blog have them email me.

The city of Abeche

An Oasis is the desert in Chad

May God connect your heart and actions to the people of Chad as your prayers provide hope in Jesus Christ as an oasis in the desert. Talk to you next week. ron