Light of Togo

Click here to download or print this update on our letterhead.

Double the Fun
As you probably already know, I have been studying Kabiye for around six months now.  I’d like to say that it’s coming along just fine, but the reality is that the farther I get into the language the more complicated it becomes!  I have decided not to let that discourage me, however, but to study and practice even harder.  In fact, a few weeks ago I doubled my Kabiye lessons from two times a week to four, not including my personal study time.  I am now studying with a Kabiye linguist and with an American who speaks Kabiye fluently.

I’ll also be looking for a good conversation partner soon, so please pray that I get connected with someone knowledgeable and patient who can help me practice what I’m learning.  As I’ve said from the beginning, I’m going to learn Kabiye even if it kills me, which of course would defeat the purpose of learning it, so perhaps I won’t go quite that far!

The Miracle Tree
What if there was something growing right in your own backyard that was capable of solving one of the biggest problems in your life?  As wild as it sounds that’s the case with the Moringa tree, which grows naturally here in Togo.  The problem is, very few people know its potential.  Those who do have nicknamed it “the miracle tree” because of its numerous benefits.  When processed correctly, its leaves contain enough vitamins, minerals, and protein to fortify the diet of even the most malnourished Togolese if eaten regularly.  We have already planted some in our yard and told many people about it.  Pray that God will use this amazing part of His creation to bless people around us.

Love Thy Neighbor(hood)
We’d also like to ask you to pray for a project we have coming up soon in our own neighborhood.  We have been developing several friendships with those who live around us, but we’d like to begin meeting with people on a more regular basis to help them solve problems in their own lives by teaching simple methods of water purification, agriculture, and nutrition.  The goal is then to begin Bible studies with them to introduce them to their Creator, whom they can know personally through Jesus Christ.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Making Progress
As I have mentioned in previous letters, I am currently devoting the majority of my time to studying Kabiye.  Just about two weeks ago, I finally felt like all this studying is starting to pay off as I began forming simple sentences.  What’s unfortunate is that the Kabiye people assume this means that I will understand anything they say.  That is definitely not the case!

Health Concerns
Over a week ago, we noticed a gland under Joshua’s right ear starting to swell and become painful for him.  After seven days, two doctor visits, a blood test, a throat culture, and speaking with an American doctor on the phone, we were still baffled and the swelling was getting worse.  Finally we talked to another doctor on the phone who gave us a good indication of what it might be and how to treat it.  That was two days ago, and since then he has been doing much better.

We are pretty sure that it was a bacterial infection of some sort.  It is definitely a test of faith at times living in a place where you can’t drive 15 minutes to the nearest fully-equipped hospital.  We are very thankful that God directed us to speak with the right people at the right time.  It’s good to have the energetic old Joshua back!

Click here to download a printable copy of this update on our letterhead.

First of all, I must apologize for the lateness of this update. I had every intention of getting it out 10 days ago, but following our trip to Ghana I came down with a bad case of malaria. I was bed-ridden for four days, with several days of recovery after that. I don’t want to complain, but it was NOT at all a plesant experience! Many, many people were praying for me, and I surely do appreciate that!

Our trip to Ghana was very good. The primary reason for the trip was to drop off Jim, our friend and fellow missionary, at the airport. He has been here for three years and is taking his first furlough. We then stayed for a couple extra days to do some shopping and other errands in Accra, which is one of the most developed cities in West Africa.

Since our last update I have started taking lessons in the local dialect in the Kara region, which is Kabiye (KAH-bee-yay). It is a really difficult and chalenging language, but I am very determined to learn it so that I may communicate more effectively, since our focus will be on reaching the Kabiye people.

While our primary focus in Togo is to evangelise the lost, plant churches, and disciple believers, it is impossible (and unbiblical) to ignore all the physical and material needs around us. While there are thousands of stories to tell, I’d like to focus on one young man who goes to our church named Bienvenue, which you may know translates as “welcome.” His parents are so poor they cannot take care of their kids. His brothers and sisters have resorted to theivery to support themselves. Bienvenue trusted Christ and decided not to follow their example, but instead moved out of the house, rented a small room from a friend, and decided to work his way through school to get an education and hopefully a job someday. He literally lives off whatever food and money he can scrape together each week. Lately I have been employing him on the weekends to help support him a little. I also payed his way to an upcoming Christian camp that he would otherwise have no chance to attend. He is thrilled about the opportunity to go! To me, Bievenue is a perfect example of the many trials Christians go through here in Togo when they decide to follow and obey Christ, but he’s also a great example of the joy that comes with it!

Also, we’ve posted a new family picutre you can download.

Thank you for all your prayer and support!

Have you ever heard one of those “strange sounding” African languages that has all kinds of “strange sounds” that seem impossible for you to pronounce?  Well, that pretty much describes Kabiye.  When I first heard it I thought, “Wow, that sounds like a really difficult language!”  The funny thing is that I’m just crazy enough to try to learn it!

I began lessons a few weeks ago, and so far I think it’s going pretty well.  That’s probably because I have no idea yet how the language works!  In the Kabiye culture, greetings are very important, so we’ve just been working on those so far.  Next week we’ll start getting into verb conjugations.

In case you’re wondering what it sounds like, here’s a few clips of me trying to speak a few simple phrases:

My name is Jesse

I am from America

I am learning Kabiye

I am a teacher of God’s Word

Here is a what a typical greeting dialog sounds like:

Person 1: Ŋliwa lɛ! (Good morning.)
Person 2: Yoo, alaafiya wɛɛ? (Thanks, how’s it going?)
1: Alaafiya! (It’s going well.)
2: Ña halʋ yɔ? (And how’s your wife?)
1: Alaafiya! (She’s well.)
2: Tɔnʋʋ tayɔ? (And how’s your health?)
1: Kɩwɛ mbʋ lɛ. (I’m feeling well.)
2:Tʋmɩyɛ ñɩŋanzɩ yɔ? (And how about the fatigue from your work?)
1:Alaafiya! (It’s fine.)

It’s after this part that I get lost. When I greet somebody for the first time in Kabiye, they are shocked and excited that I’m speaking to them in their own language instead of in French. The only problem is that they assume that since I know the greetings that I am fluent, so they start talking about…well, I’m not really sure what they talk about. That’s when I have to stop them and explain in French that I’ve only started to learn Kabiye.

Kabiye is definitely a challenge, but I’m trying to take a patient approach, realizing that it will be incredibly frustrating at times. Please pray for my progress, that I will be able to communicate well in the Kabiye people’s “heart language.”