Hello again,

This last month I think God has been teaching me to be patient and wait on his timing and not mine.

It's been a busy month. I've been going to the orphanage helping with the kids and just spending time with Nestor and the staff as well. The frustrating this I haven’t been able to get any chickens yet. The place that sells the chicks is not able to get them for some reason. So I've done my absolute best. But they said this month they should arrive. I hope so! The good thing is I have been able to get to know Nestor, the kids, and the staff at the orphanage. I like going there for the mornings and just helping out wherever I can. It's been really good times beside not having any chicks.



My other projects with the rats has been difficult as well as far as getting the rats. I have the place all ready to go but right now it's the rainy season so the rats don't have to stray to far from there burros to get food and water. Therefore it's really difficult to capture the rats right now. I've talked to a lot guys from the church and family friends who say it's not possible. I'm going to talk to another guy this Friday to see if it's possible to get them now.



So it's like my projects are ready but the animals just aren't coming. It's hard but I haven’t given up hope. God has his plan.



On Sunday 8/7/11 my sister Aliema got baptized!! It was amazing. I filmed the whole thing with my little Kodak camera. So proud of her! Two of the Journeyers Stephanie and Naomi decided to get baptized as well! They were both baptized in a river behind Ecole Baptist. Such a beautiful day. Glad I could be there with them during that time in their lives.



I feel like three of my sisters got baptized this last week. Aliema my Ivorian sister and Naomi and Steph my American sisters.



Journey Corps has received two new girls into the program. They arrived for the seminar the first week in August. Tricia and Kelly I helped organize all the food for the seminar. We spent the week in an Acts study for an hour or so in the morning with Pasteur Keo. Then all of us helped orientate the two new girls. Taking them into town showing them around and getting to know them better.



The last day of the Seminar all of us got into a van and went to Yamousoukro to visit the biggest Catholic Basilica in the world. It was amazing! Huge the stained glass windows alone were astonishing. Not to mention the size of the place. It looked so random right in the middle of palm tree fields and lakes but I felt like I just stepped out of Cote d'Ivoire and into Europe or something. We all went to a nice swimming pool after and had some down time with each other since the week had been so busy.



During the Seminar week Aaron and Chris also came to film and capture all of us. Since Journey Corps is brand new they needed to get interviews and footage of what we were experiencing through the program. So the whole week they were there one site taking pictures and filming.



Life living with my family has been really good. Ely is planning on getting married September 17! I’m making the cake and singing a song for the wedding. I'm really happy I get to be here for his wedding. I've been learning a lot about what it takes to get married here in Cote d'Ivoire. One thing I’ve learned is that usually the guy does most of the planning of the wedding! So Ely is planning this whole wedding and his fiancée is basically just showing up to the wedding!! I told them that in America it's usually the bride who plans most of the wedding. My family from the States sent me decorations to help me decorate the cake. Ely loves that my family from the states are so excited for him to get married as well.



My other sister Ann is doing really good as well. One night she brought home a little 4 year old girl to spend the night. She was very quite and shy. In the middle of the night she starts crying and wanting to go back to her mom! It was so cute and sad. I picked her up and took her in the living room where I fed her some rice and we watched TV together. I just remember if I was 4 it would be so scary to spend the night at someone’s house I wasn't really used to. In the morning I washed and changed her. Later I asked my sister Ann why she had brought her home to spend the night. Ann said because little Deborah kept on insisting that she come over and visit. She was such a little cutie. I'm glad I get to work with kids so much here with the orphanage and around my neighborhood since I don't have any kids in my family here in Bouake.



Being involved with my church in Bellville is coming along too. This last Sunday night I finally gave in to everyone pestering me to play soccer (football) on Sunday night with them. So I did. I was goalie and my team lost because of me. I hope the never ask me to play again because I'm horrible at soccer and I never wanted to play in the first place.



Small groups for the church are going well. Tuesdays and Fridays I go to different peoples houses to have bible study with a handful of people. I like being able to hear the more personal subjects to pray for with the people that go to my church.



One more thing. I've been visiting my neighbors this last month. It's been cool cause since they see me walking along the rode so often they invite me to come visit. I've gotten to tell some young girls who are Muslim about Christ. I have one lady who wants to come to church with me. I don't know if she's a Christian. There's also this old guy as well who's Muslim who I visit at his boutique. He's awesome! Anyway I've gotten to get to know him a lot better as well and talk a little bit about Jesus.



That's about it. I have so many more stories that I know I’m forgetting.



Prayer requests