Thank you

Hey Everyone,

I am in Portland right now. With our high school ministry. We are at the District Youth Conference. But I wanted to take a moment and to thank some people. 

Thank you for all those that supported me as I was in Africa. Thank you for your prayers, your love and your support to allow me to experience this great trip. I loved it. 

A few things that stick out in my mind as I think of the Hospital In Bongolo. The workers from mali. The smiles that they would bring to our faces. The hard work that they did. Second I think of the great job the Hospital is doing in training people. It is the best Discipleship model that I have ever seen. The missionaries there are great. They were very welcoming and encouraged us tons. The singing of the church service rings in my ears. The way they would sing with such passion and spirit. I will remember the hot kitchen and how if I would turn on the fan the gas stove would go out. Along with that the Geko that i found in the rice. Last I will remember that how the little that we were able to help and how it affected the eternity for so many. 

thoughts on the last two weeks

Here i am in Libreville on our way home. I am rushed with many thoughts. Katie (Arney and Cheryl's'youngest) peppered me with questions on what I liked the most about Bongolo. I told her that I liked the different colors of green on the veggitation. The smiles of the people on the faces when we would say "Hi." The little little kids that would be so excited to wave hello when we drive by to got find a tool or part. The chance to help a place that is sharing God's word and many are responding.

It is hard to leave only because we worked so hard and it went by so fast that it almost feels like the two weeks went by as we blinked. But at the same time I am ready to come home.

I am stoked on how well the meals went. I really didn't think it would have gone as well. I will need a break from cooking but will help more often from here on out. I have more of a respect for my wife and how she cooks for me and that they are so good.

I am praying for the workers that do not know God (Bob Marley, Sammy Sosa, Samaky, and Abrahim) I am praying for the missionaries there that they would continue on in a place that is so far away from home and away from the comfort that they know. I am praying for the churches that have spured from the hospital. From what i have seen there are about 5 but I am guessing that there are at least 3 if not 4 times that amount. I that the hospital would continue to provide the hope and joy that only our Lord brings.

YUM.

Here is our dinner out. The pot is chicken at least that is what we were told. It tasted like a cajun flavored chicken. It was really good. The picture of a man is the hunter that caught a monkey and is about to gut it. The round thing in his left hand is the head. It smelled really sick. We didn't get any of that. Then last picture is with me and the restaurant owner. Everyone calls her mama. She also cleans the house of the missionaries here at the hospital named the Thompsons. On the menu (which was not ordered for us) was monkey, gazelle, alligator, porcupine, possum, eggplant, chicken and sweet potato fries. We had the last two and they were awesome. The other stuff was plant stuff and we didn't enjoy them as much but tryed them but I can't remember the name of them.

Matt (from PA) dared me to try the hot sauce. It was just as hot if not hotter than hobinarros. I mixed it in with rice and it made me cry and burned my lips and later my backside. It tasted good if you can get past how hot it is. That was an experience that I got to have twice.

Congo Church

Today I was able to go to church in a town 3 Kilomiters away from the country of Congo. We went with Karen and Lisa. They have been spending time working with this church. Karen helping preach and Lisa teaching the kids. The songs were really vibrant. The worship leader stopped durring worship and said that if you do not have joy from the Lord you will worship like this. It was very still and only clapping. Then he said if you DO have the joy of the Lord you would worship like this. He started dancing and singing even louder. So we started singing and it was a ton of fun. Obviously I do not know the language so I just clapped and did a line dance type of dancing. (Cause that is what the little boy was doing right next to me.) We came into the service and they put us right in front of everyone facing them. In the back they had a drum and a tamberin. So after singing and right before the sermon a baby was crying in the back and the mother called for the baby and sent it up front. She just started breast feeding the baby right there in the front row. If the singing, the heat and the different language didn't make me realize I was in a different country the breast feeding put me over the top. They asked us to introduce ourselves and give a blessing to the congregation. I introduced myself then Karen translated into french and then the worship leader translated it into the tribal language.

During the sermon the kids were dismissed and I went with them. They went down the road about 50 feet to the market place (which was unoccupide) and she taught them the same message that Karen taught the adults. The story today was the 10 plagues that God called down onto the Egyptions. The thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on the Magitians and Moses. The part where Moses put down his staff and it turned into a snake and how the Magitians did it also but Moses' snake ate the other snakes. In these tribes the people that are sick will either go to the miracle (witch doctor) worker or to the doctors here where we are working. Usually do not find help with the miracle worker (surprise, surprise) and go to the doctor. The tribes are learning that our God is bigger than magic or scorcery. Lisa did a great job at teaching the students with little help and a long story to teach. She had 50 students from toddler to 5th grade from what I could tell.

After church we talked to the people in the church and found out that the Congo Boarder was about kilomiter away from the church. (Which is 6/10ths of a mile.) We walked over to the boarder patrol and showed them our passports and they let us through. A boarder patrol looks like a guy sitting in a t-shirt and shorts, at a table and he copys down our passport by hand and said we could go. Well the walk ended up being probably 3 kilomiters not 1. We went down to the river and took pictures but then Karen came after counseling some church members and drove us over and into the next town. We got to meet the next town members and they asked us if we were coming to evangilize the town. We had to go but it was good for the missionaries to see the need for this other town. We went into the old church and prayed with three members of the town. Karen wasn't sure about this church. Pray for them. That is the picture of the house.

Rodman

So my job for the last 4 or so days have been getting the tie rods preped and up on the structure. I cleaned them and put them into place. All round me the malians and our team of 11 guys and Kay have been lifting beams, welding parts together, cutting pieces to make the building fit and bolting them all together. After I had cleaned the tie rods Jason our leader of this building project asked me to take on the project of placing these tie rods into place. He said you are not the "Rodman." I commented that I don't have colorful hair and tons of piercings. He didn't say anything back. Since then everytime I see him he says "Rodman" out of the corner of his mouth and in kinda a grandpa-ish voice. I laugh and go about my task. I enjoy having a task and not having to worry about anything else. I know I am a typical male that likes to have one thing at a time and do that. It is true I do. *For those of you that do not know what the rods do on a building this big they help support the building and keep it square. That is the best definition that I have. Today I got to use a hammer drill. (I got to get me one of those, but I am not sure where I would use it) It is a drill that also plusates to go through congrete. It is a fun toy. While I was doing that the last beams were put into place and the sheeting for the second floor was put on. Monday i will place my last tie rod into place.

At night I have been cooking. Yesterday I made, mashpotatoes, gravy, cornish game hens, and green bean cassirole. That doesn't sound like a fiet to many of you. But I had to bake the 7 chickens in three pans, because two pans wouldn't fit. The oven doesn't have a dial to tell what the heat is in the oven. The green beans were made in the toaster because the chicken took up the whole oven and the pan that they were prepared in didn't fit in the toaster either. The mashpotatoes were made on the stove top. With water boiling in a pan 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Then quickly had to transfer that so I could clean that and make the gravy in that same pot. Lets just say that the kitchen was a mess. So everything turned out well the chicken was not totally done. But the crew were gracious to eat around it. But the second set that I took out turned out great. Tonight I got a night off. We went out to dinner paid for by the Pastor Sears. We didn't eat anything funny but on the menu (that we didn't have cause it was not made) was monkey, porcupine, anteater, and gazelle. At the end we went out back and a man was cleaning up a monkey for a meal tomorrow. It smelled sick. One of the guys from Pensilvania said he would have rather perfered my chicken I made last night compared to what we had tonight. So I have named myself "Coats' kitchen"

My prayers for the last few days have been for the Malian guys, the patients here at the church to be spiritually and physically healed; the missionaries to continue on serving and being a light in a dark place; for other doctors to come fill roles that are vacant at the hospital; supplies needed here toys for the kids hurt, crayons, new play house, kids movies in french, and picnic tables; and safety for the team working.

Beauty and the Work

It is so beautiful here in Gabon. There are lush vegitation. Vines everywhere. It is weird that the plantations are in the vas vegitations. In the states we cut down the weeds so the trees aren't choaked out. Not here. I can see why Survivor would call this place Earth's last Eden. It is so pretty. If you like green surrounding you. I took some pictures from on top of the water tower. It is only 60 feet tall. Down the river near here. And one of the hospital compound.

I got a chance to put together the cross straps the last two days. It feels really nice to have a job to do. But it is hard climbing up and down the scafleting and clibing all around. I will send pictures soon about this. It has taken a toll on me. I was tired last night. I went to bed at 9pm here last night. I am feeling 8:30 is feeling like a good number tonight.

We put up the girters. (The steel that goes under the roofing) and we put up the beams from the three beams that we placed. Today we are getting the bar joist in place which will hold the second floor. It is coming together.

Kay made dinner yesterday in the crockpot. She made stew. I am making spaghetti with corn tonight. This is my specialty.

Stars in the Universe

Today I was taking the tie rods and making sure the threads were cleaned up and working. At the work site there were major steel inprovements with the building taking shape. Four poles put up and they were tied together. There was alot of excitement on the site. Our team snapping pictures and the patients sitting out watching the crane and the men running around.

For the first half of the day I worked alone. I got a great chance to be by myself and think and pray. My prayers were for the patients currently checked into the hospital and also for the future patients using the radiology building that we are building. I also prayed for people back home when the names came in my head. Also a passage came to mind. Philippians 2:14-5 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" This is a familiar passage for me. I have been thinking about my attitude here in Gabon and feeling like it is not that bad but it could use some improvement. Dave did our devotion yesterday and spoke on how we are to be willing to let God do his work. I also prayed that God would show me how he wants me to grow today. So in the situation that we are in it is easy to complain. I want to reflect the Son like a star. So as I was alone I prayed that my attitude would change and would reflect Christ. It is improving.

In America we complain for all kinds of things: If our coffee is not warm enough or cold enough. Our food is not fast enough or any heating or cooling. We really do have it really good. Here in Gabon it is considered one of the richest countrys in Africa. Most of the people do not have: running water, electricity, entertainment like movies, clean water, and no air conditioning. I haven't heard one of these guys complain. They are satisfied with what they have. I am striving for contentment.

After lunch i was still getting the steel ready but I was joined by Bernard. For awhile we didn't talk but then I thought that I would ask him how to say some words in french. I am learning how to say Hot and to count to 10. But while we were doing that I asked him if he was a christian and he said yes. As my last post I knew he was a beleiver but we talked about how I was a christian also. He said that was sabo (good) and how the other guys that we have hired were Muslims. I am starting to really like Bernard. He is trying to learn English at the same time I am learning French. His pants are really torn he is alittle smaller that I am so after we are done here I hope that I have a chance to give him a pair of my three work pants that I brought.

Food update: I made stirfry today. I have NEVER made stirfry on my own and it turned out great. One person said that I should open a business. I laughed. I didn't think it was that good. But they liked it.