Window on Gamboula

Volume 45 Issue 1 Gamboula, Central African Republic lukeandleanne@gmail.com PEF 100 5th Street, Suite 330, Bristol, TN 37620 December 30, 2016

Luke, Leanne, Benjamin, Bobby and Timoté Turk with Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship in Central African Republic

Dear Family and Friends, Greetings from Gamboula! Despite a LOT of internet setbacks, we are determined to get this out to you be-fore we turn the last calendar page of 2016! Life has been a bit of a whirl since we got back here, and we apologize that we haven’t stayed more up to date with you in terms of all that is going on. Hopefully we can catch you up a bit here! It feels so good to be back here, unpacked, and ready to stay for four years in a place that has become one of our homes in this world. As we have transitioned back, in some ways it has felt as if

we never left; in other ways it feels like it has been a long time. Gamboula is much the same as when we left. The biggest change has been the people—some of our friends are no longer here, new folks have come, and none of our boys are at home now. But the Lord is still at work here! We had to jump right into things since a lot is going on that we are grateful to get to be a part of. Here is a short synop-sis of our first few months:

Evangelism: Luke continues to work with the outreach team here in Gamboula and in Kentzou (across the border in Cameroun). The JESUS Film Project donated a new film projector set which has already been put to use multiple times in Kentzou, primarily to reach the unreached Fulani people group, many of whom are CAR refugees. The Gamboula team continues to go out to different villages showing the JESUS film and meeting with people. That recently included showing the film to the contingent of UN peacekeeping troops stationed here at Gamboula. In September we met with a retired pastor friend in a town east of here and were encouraged and humbled to hear how he has personally initiated going vil-

lage to village with a group of believers to share the Gospel with any who will listen……. in October, a young man who works with the agricultural project here attended a discipleship program in Bangui and since his return has be-gun holding a Bible study with other young people in the village….and we been encouraged, upon our return, that several young men have taken the initiative to start a men’s group in the local church here. Each one of those initiatives is evidence that God is at work in this place, and it is wonderful to see . There are still so many people to reach, but God’s Word of truth and love is going forth! Fruit that will last…..You never know how the Lord will work in the hearts of those you share with. He only asks us to share; the rest is up to Him. We pray for fruit, even if we don’t get to see it ourselves, but sometimes He gives us the gift of a glimpse of what He has been doing. Several weeks ago the Gamboula church gave a joyous send-off to a member who was leaving to attend theological school to be trained as a pastor. I didn’t recognize him, but Luke did….. In 2002, while Luke was taking a group of Bible school students down the village road to help them practice sharing their faith, they met Théo-phile and shared with him about Jesus. He gave his life to the Lord that day and began a journey of faith along the way of which God called him to be a pastor. Pray for him and his wife and daughter as they embark on this new adventure of faith!

It takes a team!!! The most immediate task in front of us upon our arrival was pulling together a million details in order for the nursing school to be able to open with a new class. It was a bit of a daunting task, but many hands make lighter work, and, with a big team and a lot of great teamwork……. An entrance exam was given to 76 candidates…

Those exams were graded….

And 30 candidates—25 men and 5 women—were chosen to begin classes on October 3rd! We invite you to pray for them by name. This is the most academically challenging program most of them have ever attended, and most of them are separated from their spouses and children this year. That doesn’t make it any easier. But they are an energetic, talented and motivated group of young people, and we pray that the Lord will teach and mold their hearts to follow hard after him as we disciple them and work to teach and mold them into the nurses this country desperately needs. Back row: Annelise Jacobson (professor), Junior (black shirt), Irenee, Patrick, Alexis, Claret, Benjamin, Salomon, Solema, Eric, Ann Wester (professor) Second row from back: Theolin, Felicite, Bellarmin, Landry (with baseball cap), Fabien, Sylver, Aubin Third row from back: Evra, Peterson, Yannick, Walter, Vitalin, Pacome, Emelie, Tim Wester (professor) Front row: Arsene, Kette, Vanie, Aristide, Berranger, Sylvie, Aurelie

in Gamboula—with a meal provided each day for the 40+ candidates

and in Bangui with the help of several folks there—including Leanne’s sister! (below)

….and deliberated.

But there was a whole other team at work in the meantime to get the place ready for school to begin…. There were dormitories to fix up... We decided it was about time

the school had an official sign...

...The library needed reorganizing

There was LOTS of cleaning to do...

...and a new paved sidewalk to install—by a wonderfully enthusiastic team of masons!

Then the real work began—lots of teaching and learning. In the 12 weeks of this quarter, the students had 286 hours of classes with 50 hours of practicum. What a privilege to get to be involved in the students lives as they learn and grow!

God has been so good!

...with new window screens for the dormitories

...with lots of electrical and plumbing repairs—so Luke taught our friend Janvier some basic principles of elec-tricity so that he could help out

As we’ve come to December and the celebration of Christmas, we have been reminded again of the joy and the hope and the change that Jesus has brought to our lives and to this world we live in. We have celebrated with friends, worshiped the Lord with fellow believers, and found ways to announce that hope and joy to those around us who haven’t yet recognized Jesus as the God who is here—living, loving, and working; seeking, saving and mold-ing His people for Himself. In our church here, people’s joy was palpable as they sang and danced and lifted Jesus’ name high. For a time, as we met together in celebration at the church, the world was forgotten and we knew that we were in His presence. There is no better place to be! Here’s a glimpse of Christmas in Gamboula….

44 young people baptized the day before Christmas

Dear friends to celebrate

with...

The “brotherhood” reunited for one last (?) Christmas here all together—

Benjamin joined us from the US!!

Worship!

...And of course the traditional Christ-mas vacation hunting and fishing trip!

Kids’ Corner:

Now that we’re back here in Gamboula, it’s time to resume the kids’ corner of Gamboula news! There is so much to tell. Sometimes I’ll see something, or something will happen, and I think, “Oh, I need to tell the kids about that!” Well, since we just got finished celebrating Christmas, I want to share a short example of how God can help us turn ordinary, daily events into chances to share about Him. I was down at the hospital a couple weeks ago with my nursing students, supervising their work with the patients that they had been as-signed to care for. One of the students asked me to come see one of her patients and explain a bit about what his sickness was. He was a sick little boy—about 2 years old, but was getting better. As he sat on the students’ lap and I examined him, I asked him what his name was. He was too shy to tell me, but his mother filled me in—”His name is Espoir”. I finished examining him and explaining some things to the students and then got down on my knees to be able to look the little boy in his face. He was a bit worried about what I was going to do with the stethoscope hanging around my neck, but I reassured him I wasn’t going to hurt him. By now several of the mothers had gathered around, listening in on what I had to say. “Espoir,” I said, “do you know what your name means in Sango (a language he could better understand)?” He didn’t answer, so I went on—”It means ‘beku’ (“hope” in English).” And then I went on to tell him that real hope can only be found in Jesus. And the only reason we can find it is because Jesus came at Christ-mas, and because He then went on to die for us. I told him that hope was what Christmas was all about—and that meant that his name was especially special at Christmas! I know that, at 2 years old, he probably didn’t understand much of what I was saying , but the mamas all got quiet and nodded. And I prayed that what I could briefly share in that moment would make them think this Christmas and seek the Jesus that I know and love—the Savior who came for you and me and them. I share that story to encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open for just the everyday opportunities to tell people about Jesus. You never know how He will choose to use you, but I know He wants to. And, you know what, it will make your heart sing every time you do get to share about Him.

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

As we look to the new year, we thank the Lord for all the ways that He has filled our lives with Himself this past year. We are grateful for His many blessings in a myriad of ways. We pray that you have sensed Jesus’ presence and His amazing love in your hearts as well. May we all live in humble awe of what He came to accomplish on our behalf...

“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

Thank you to each one of you for standing with us in ministry here in so many different ways as we seek to share that hope with people here in Central African Republic. In His grip, Luke and Leanne, Benjamin, Bobby, and Timoté