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Separate Baptist Missions, Incorporated
Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. is a religious non-profit incorporation for the establishment, furtherance and overseeing of Separate Baptist home and foreign missionary enterprises. SBMI currently oversees and directly supports missionaries Bro. Steve and Sis. Rhonda Palmer in Ivory Coast, Africa. Support is also given to Bro. Lonnie and Sis. Bernice Palmer. Recent projects include receiving money for the printing of bibles in the Koulongo language of Ivory Coast, Africa. The bibles arrived in July of 1997 and are a help to the Koulongo Christians. Home missions include loans and grants for chuches in member associations.
Steve and Rhonda's May-June 2001 Newsletter (via the July Encourager)
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Taylorsville:
Our furlough is drawing to a close and our plans are to return to the Ivory Coast the last of September or the first of October. This has been our best visit visit with you ever. We enjoyed fellowshipping and worshipping with you. It was a privilege to teach Bible Doctrine at the first session of the SBBI and to be part of Central Indianas Youth Camp. We have been refreshed by your prayers and support for Gods work in the Ivory-Coast
Rhonda is scheduled to graduate LPN in August. This has been an answer to prayer and will be a great help on the mission field. Just before I returned from teaching the Bible Institute at Bondoukou, the chief of Laoudi-Ba and the village elders stopped by the house to express their desire for medical help. They were excited to hear that Rhonda was in the LPN program.
Some times you have to put feet on your prayers. We have asked you to pray for the Moslem village of Sewe where Leah lives. Well, I just finished an extensive six week course in Moslem Evangelism taught by an Arab Christian. We learned a lot about what makes them tick. He was able to show how they think and where they are coming from. While the gospel never changes, we can tailor its presentation to the individuals and their level of understanding. Like the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might the weak: I am made all things to all (men), that I might by all means save some.
Ford F-150 4X4
Current total of donations for the pickup is $725.00
See Brother Benny Walden (812-876-2866) for further details.
Yours in Christ
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
229 South State Road 135
Franklin, Indiana 46131
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Steve and Rhondas March-April 2001 Newsletter (from the July Encourager)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Gnangomami :
Thank you for praying for Basil; one of his friends named Robert has prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his savior. Basils mother has shown interest in Christianity. Please pray for her and for the mother of Roberts one year old daughter to be saved. Sylvan from the church at Kohui is moving to Gnangomami to live and disciple these two young men. Please pray for their spiritual growth in the Lord.
Bondoukou
This successful session of the Bible Institute has drawn to a close. Thank you for praying for for our safety. Lets keep praying that Ivory Coast will increase in stability and remain open to the Gospel.Thank you for praying for the students. They grew very much in the Lord and we are excited to see how God will use them to win others to Christ. The next classes will begin this winter 2001.
Borosanghui
We were excited to get to visit and hold services with Alphonse at Borosanghui. He is still faithful, but 12 years old yao (November 1999 Newsletter) has folded under pressure from his parents.We are continuing to pray for Alphonse as Laudi-Ba assumes more of the responsibility for the discipling him for the Lord.
Ford F-150 4x4
As a result of the recent coups, much of Ivory Coast infrastructure is having trouble functioning. Some of our roads have not been graded in five years and now for the first time several of our churches are nor accessible by our small two-wheel drive pickup. We were able to reach Borosanghui because it was the dry season. The same mud holes I winced our of last year are so deep that when the rains come this year the water will be over the hood. Please join us in prayer for this urgent need for a 4X4 full size pickup. We have chosen to purchase a Ford because Ford parts are now available in Ivory Coast. Brother Benny Walden (812-876-2866) is heading up the fundraising effort. Yours In Christ
Steve & Rhonda Palmer
299 South State Road 135
Franklin, Indiana 46131
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Steve and Rhondas February 2001 Newsletter (via postal mail 2/20/01)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Gnangomami
My first visit to of Gnangomami was in 1994 when our Volkswagen Beetle dropped a ball-joint just outside the village. Rhonda and I hitched a ride back there. She sat in the shade of a tree under the curious gaze of 50 or so children for two hours while I rode a borrowed moped back to Dads house for help.
Our last evangelization there a couple of years ago with the young people from Kohui seemed hopeless. It ended up with the chief jumping up and mocking us by singing praises to his fetish. We left that night wondering. Now we have seen some fruit from that effort. A young man named Basil walked all day to get to Kohui and prayed to receive Christ as savior.
It was a joy to take a group from Laoudi-Ba to hold services at his home last Sunday. Basil has already made a stand for Christ in Gnangomami. The fetishers were amazed when he refused to take part in the ceremonies honoring the mother earth god and tried to give him a hard time over it. But he held firm. Please pray for Basil, he is the only Christian in his village.
Sewe
We are continuing to evangelize Sewe and a couple of young Moslem men have been listening. The Laoudi-Ba church has invited Leah to come and spend some time here to get better grounded in the Scriptures. She accepted on the condition that they let her earn her keep. They consented to let her help in the churchs cooperative field by peeling and drying manioc in the sun to preserve it.
Bondoukou
The students at Bible Institute are making progress despite some illnesses. The doctor told one young lady that she must have ventral hernia repair surgery on her belly-button. She is hoping to wait till classes are out at the end of March for that.
On our way home from classes the other day we saw a man carrying a machete dragging a dead Gabon Viper on a long string behind him. I asked some of the fellas about it; they said sure, that makes the meat greasier so that it tastes better when you cook it! No one seemed to know just how far it had to be dragged for optimum flavor.
Yours in Christ,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
229 South State Road 135
Franklin, Indiana 46131
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The News From Africa (from April Encourager)
Im writing a few lines about our recent trip to Africa. As you probably know six of us in all went to help build a church at Bondoukou. The six who went were Bill Ridge, Terry Thrasher, Jerry Ridge, Jim Mason, David Erwin, and myself.
The church was a 36 x 100 in size. When we arrived they had the block all laid. We helped build the trusses, thirteen in all, and the African Christians did about everything else. They started on January 9, 2000 and the building was complete and dedicated March 10,2000. At the dedication there was about 250 people present.
The Christians wanted everyone who helped from the USA to know they were very thankful for the financial help and prayers. Also thank you for the bicycles, Motorcycles, but most of all for the Bibles. They really cherish the Word Of God. They are so thankful that they have it in their own language.
We visited all the churches while we were there. We evangelized in two villages that Bro. Steve had been working in.
I wish to thank Bro. Steve & Sister Rhonda for letting us stay at their house and Bro. Lonnie for putting up with us for nearly a month. We especially want to thank all of you who supported us financially and for your prayers.
I have pictures if any one is interested, also I would be glad to come to your church and talk about Africa.
Rev.Jim H. Tharpe
5705 S. 500 W.
Trafalgar, In. 46181
317-878-4419
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From The Palmers (via December Encourager)
Bro. Steve And Sister Rhonda Palmer have come home for a visit. They are tickled to death with the reception people have already given them. Bro. Steve is happy to announce that he got to baptize 15 people before they left Africa. The people are very excited about the new church that some of our men are going to help build. I believe our men are leaving around February. Please remember them in your prayers. Bro. Steve also wanted me to let you know, the ones who gave the African people musical instruments have made them very happy. Bro. Steve will begin scheduling services starting in January, 2000. His cell phone number is 317-796-0872. He can be reached any where in the United states on that phone.
Letter from Our Missionary, Bro. Lonnie Palmer (rec'd via email 1/15/00)
Dec. 31, 1999
Kpanan, R.C.I.
Dear Friends,
No doubt you have been following the news of the coup d etat here in the Ivory Coast. It came on quite suddenly and in three days it was done. There was no armed resistance against those who seized power. Consequently a week later and everything is back to normal. Of course, the only ones capable of resisting a military take over were the French , and they did not seem concerned.Naturally our own concern is that an environment favorable to the preaching of the Gospel be maintained.
We gave our Bible Institute students a week off for Christmas and New Year holidays. Our young people are having their annual youth meeting during this time. Our youth meeting here is not a youth meeting organized by the older people for the young people, but a meeting for the young people organized by the young people. They choose speakers and assign them subjects that are pertinent to the Christian young person living in this society. They also give reports of their evangelistic efforts.
The year 2000 is almost here. I have been amazed at all the hype concerning the year 2000 which in reality is nothing more than any other year as we measure time. The concern over computer problems should be a warning to the people as to what extent they are willing to allow their lives to be controlled by machines. There is certainly no concern about electrical problems where we are. We dont have electricity any way. All of us are creatures of habit and it annoys and confuses us when our routines are interrupted or when our plans are confounded. It would be well if the Christians would prepare himself to expect the unexpected. God Bless each of you and help you to watch.
Yours in Christ,
Lonnie Palmer Jr.
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Steve and Rhondas September 1999 Newsletter (via mail 12/23/99)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Kpanan
The Kpanan went all out for brother Mikes visit. They rented a little electric generator and stung up light bulbs for the evening service. Thats exciting stuff when youre used to coal oil lanterns and gas lamps.
Three men from the village of Taoudi were caught after breaking into Lonnie and Bernices house here. They were apprehended after an all night chase by the men of the church who tied them up and turned them over to the Gendarmes at Bondoukou.
It all started when one of the Christians noticed that a window on the porch was broken. Then an elderly woman reported finding some of Bernices things hidden in her field after seeing a strange young man in the vicinity. The men of the church put two and two together, blocked all the roads in the area, and then spent all night out searching for the thieves before catching the youngest one. He confessed, turned over what stolen loot he had not already sold, and then turned in his two accomplices who were also in possession of some of Lonnies things.
Three weeks later I found out that the oldest thief had been released. Then we got news that Lonnies house had been broken into again. This time the perpetrators didnt ransack the house but went straight for Lonnies clothes! Makes you wonder
Laoudi-Ba
The Pastor and his son from the church in Tours, France came and spent a week with us to teach the folds here the fundamentals of music. Forty students from eight different villages attended. Classes included reading musical notes, song leading, and singing two-part harmony as well as guitar and piano lessons. There was enthusiastic participation by all present. A Choir cantata was presented on Friday night as part of our evangelization program. Everyone sends you their heartfelt thanks for the electric pianos and guitars that were donated and for making this seminar possible.
Yours in Christ,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, République de Côte dIvoire
Africa
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Steve and Rhondas October 1999 Newsletter
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Laoudi-Bâ
Much to my surprise, the planned parenthood organization in Ivory Coast has made it beyond Abidjan and into the smaller villages. Their slick arguments equating smaller families with success and prosperity are well designed to gloss over the abortion issue. It is particularly disgusting to have spent years as Brother Lonnie has preaching against the heathen practice of human sacrifice and now to have killing of unborn children promoted as a great American achievement. Banhui
Armel is happy that another Christian man named Herbert has moved from our church at Kohui to be with him at Banhui. Herbert is a tailor and is setting up his new business in Armels village.
Kpanan
The Kpanan church has started the next phase of their building program. They are going to install the windows and pour the cement floor.
Gbran
Badou is making progress in learning to read his Bible. The young mother from Gbran that accepted Christ as her savior during the Association meeting back in August is also making spiritual progress. She has decided to spend some time visiting with the Christian women at Kpanan, which should be a great encouragement to her.
Yours in Christ,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, République de Côte dIvoire
Africa
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Steve and Rhondas November 1999 Newsletter
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Laoudi-Bâ
The rains filled up the local water hole, so we baptized fifteen at Laoudi-Bâ this month, most of whom were this years converts.
In light of the two break-ins at Lonnies house during the month of September, the church at Laoudi-Bâ though it would be wise if we allowed them to help watch out place while we are home for furlough with you in America. We fixed up our garage so that David and his family could live on the property and guard it at night. I felt like it was a good idea since we had an attempted break-in at out place back in 1998. We are currently raising the funds to finish building the wall around our place. So far we have made the blocks, brought the gravel and rebar and have dug the foundation. We still need to buy the sand and cement before construction can begin.
Borosanghui A twelve year old boy named Yao has given his life to the Lord as a result of three consecutive days of evangelization here at Borosanghui. Pastors Etienne and Joshua took turns preaching while the young people from Kpanan and Laoudi-Bâ worked together to present two different dramas. We are praying for Alphonse and Yao, that God will help them learn to read and study Gods Word.
Furlough
We are looking forward to visiting with you in your church at the start of this new millennium. Our plans are to be home in mid November 1999. The Great Hope Church has once again graciously provided us with a place to stay. Please feel free to contact us at any time. We are ready to schedule appointments. Our home address is:
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
229 S. St. Rd. 135
Franklin, IN 46131
Phone: (317) 796-0872
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Steve & Rhonda's August 1999 Newsletter (via postal mail September 21, 1999)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Laoudi-Ba
This year's association meeting was hosted here by Laoudi-Ba with 476 precious souls in attendance. We have five pastors (Abel, Etienne, Jacque, Joshua, Martin) and four evangelists (Allen, Badjimane, Simone, Yeboua). There are ten established churches (Bondoukou, Bondoyo, Dedi, Kohui, Kiramisse, Kpanan, Laoudi-Ba, Nassian, Talahini, Taoudi), three growing works (Assindi, Betie, Kpananyo) and six preaching points with at least one Christian (Abima, Banhui, Banti, Borosanghui, Gbran, Sewe). Evangelist Gideon developed an enlarged heart the week before the association and died the day before the meetings began.
Gbran
God is blessing the work at Gbran. A young mother of two from there accepted our invitation to attend the association meeting here. On the second day she repented of her sins and gave her heart to the Lord. Please pray for her that she will learn to read her Bible. One young man made a profession and by the end of the week quit saying that living the Christian life was too hard. There is also and elderly woman that has shown some interest. One of the greatest obstacles to salvation for the elderly here is their fear of being accused of becoming a Christian to avoid detection of actually being a witch. Please pray for her that she could overcome her fears of the fetish and find the courage to repent of her sins. Three of our elderly ladies from Laoudi-Ba gave their testimonies during our last evangelization there. Two of them said they realized their own mortality and need for salvation upon the death of one of their children. The other came to the Lord after seeking a cure for her severe headaches. She found that neither the moslem witchdoctors nor the the fetish witchdoctors could help her and that their religious claims were false. She then decided to give her heart to the Lord and secure heaven as her eternal home. She testified that God did choose to answer prayer concerning her headaches and that He has always been there to help her through trials and illnesses.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Africa
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Steve & Rhonda's May 1999 Newsletter (via postal mail July 26, 1999)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Abidjan- This month has seen some pretty serious student rioting all over the Ivory Coast. In Abidjan the capital city, they burnt at least two universities down and one student was killed when the military tried to restore order with tanks and tear gas. The students then burnt the house and car of the Vice President of Ivory Coast. Here at Bondoukou the military caught some of the students and after stripping them, made them "swim like fish" on the hot pavement and in the cement ditches. One student is supposed to have died in jail here as well. It seems that as the government moves away from subsidized higher education, the political opposition has taken advantage of the situation to mobilize the students. Just last week they were able to stir up the primary school children to join in a protest march. Things got so out of hand that the President of Ivory Coast closed all the schools and dormitories except the primary and medical schools. Please join us in prayer for the peace and stability of Ivory Coast and that these events might cause many to seek God for answers to their problems, indeed for their salvation. Please remember our Christian students as they are persecuted for not taking part in these riots.
Abima- PastorJacque, Pastor Martin, and Evangelist Badjimani went with us to evangelize the village of Abima. Our youth group put on a drama about the changes salvation brings in the lives of sinners. Then Evangelist Badjimani preached about original sin. We asked for questions after I preached and there were none so I started packing up. Then on their own the crowd split up into small groups around each pastor and started asking puestions. It was like having three services with three preachers preaching at once. The groups broke up, then regrouped around the other pastor for some more preaching. The following Sunday one of the men from Abima came to our church at Bondoukou and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior.
Gbran- You have been praying and we have been evangelizing the village of Gbran off and on for four years now. Two weeks ago the adults from the Laoudi-Ba church went with us to try again to reach these people. After the service a young man named Badou prayed to receive Christ. Then last week Evangelist Yeboua accompanied by his wife and baby moved from their home at Kpanan (two hours away) to live with Badou at Gbran. The village was some impressed, because he came even though his hand was swelled double with infection. Please pray for Badou that God would give him the ability to learn to read his Koulango Bible and that he could be grounded and rooted in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Abima- PastorJacque, Pastor Martin, and Evangelist Badjimani went with us to evangelize the village of Abima. Our youth group put on a drama about the changes salvation brings in the lives of sinners. Then Evangelist Badjimani preached about original sin. We asked for questions after I preached and there were none so I started packing up. Then on their own the crowd split up into small groups around each pastor and started asking puestions. It was like having three services with three preachers preaching at once. The groups broke up, then regrouped around the other pastor for some more preaching. The following Sunday one of the men from Abima came to our church at Bondoukou and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior.
Gbran- You have been praying and we have been evangelizing the village of Gbran off and on for four years now. Two weeks ago the adults from the Laoudi-Ba church went with us to try again to reach these people. After the service a young man named Badou prayed to receive Christ. Then last week Evangelist Yeboua accompanied by his wife and baby moved from their home at Kpanan (two hours away) to live with Badou at Gbran. The village was some impressed, because he came even though his hand was swelled double with infection. Please pray for Badou that God would give him the ability to learn to read his Koulango Bible and that he could be grounded and rooted in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Africa
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Steve & Rhonda's April 1999 Newsletter (via postal mail July 7, 1999)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Laoudi-Ba- We celebrated Christ's resurrection with the Laoudi-Ba church this year. The night before Easter we preached about how Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ and why Jesus instituted communion and feet washing. After the service the young people stayed and sang hymns till dawn. Everyone got together for breakfast before coming back to church for the morning service when we preached about the crucifixion and resurrection. After taking communion and washing feet we had a time of testimony. Several rose to their feet to thank God for saving them and thanking the brethren for consistently praying for and witnessing to them. So, it is with joy that Iconvey their thanks to you for your prayers for them and your support of the work here. Abel told of how our visits while he was living off down south had influenced him to accept Jesus as Savior and marry the mother of his children. Armel thanked God for answering prayer for his mother's illness and requested prayer for her salvation. Three couples thanked God for their newborn babies and requested to dedicate them after the service.
Brogodoum- The churches of Laoudi-Ba and Kohui held a joint evangelization at the village of Brogodoum. Kohui was closest so they walked over an hour to get there. The chief of Brogodoum asked us to pray for rain, which we did at the start of the service. When the last stanza was sung God answered with a thirty minute rain.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Africa ============================================================
Steve & Rhonda's March 1999 Newsletter (via postal mail May 20, 1999)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Betie- I left Laoudi-Ba at 4am Sunday morning to go preach at Betie. Pastor Joshua, Evangelist Yeboua, and Evangelist Anderson went with me and we arrived by 9:30am to find eight adults waiting for us to hold services. Marcell's family expressed their joy, that after nine years of being alone spiritually, there was now the possibility of starting a Church in their home.
A man named Fiyah prayed to be saved during the service. Attah, one of the young men that accepted Christ at Laoudi-Ba last month was present with his fiance. He had been witnessing to her and she came with the desire to be saved but was too shy to pray. We asked Evangelist Yeboua to spend two more days with them and he told me when he got back that she prayed for salvation the next day.
We sent Evangelist Anderson to preach in the neighboring village where Simone now lives. There were twenty-one that attended there.
We are thankful for these two groups of people and ask you to continue to pray that God would bless our efforts to strengthen and establish them in the Word.
Laoudi-Ba- One of the young boys from church got snake bit on the finger while trying to dig a rat out of it's hole. Because he is a Christian, the first thing they did was go to the clinic to get antivenin shots. He is doing fine today and even went with us on evangelization last night. This is a great step forward for the folks here. As recently as two years ago one of the Christians tried a home remedy first to see if it would work before going to the doctor.
Two weeks ago Saturday we held Narcissi's wedding to Rosalind. Rosalind is the girl who refused to be sold into marriage to a Moslem by her father four years ago for 30 dollars. Her father was so angry at the time that he disowned her before before the whole village. Her witness since then has been such that he came to the wedding and even had some words of encouragement for her. Remember to pray for Rosalind's father that he might come to repentance and be saved.
We held Luke's wedding last Friday here at Laoudi-Ba under the marketplace shelter during a rain storm. The wind started blowing sand, then driving rain at us. About thirty people climbed up onto a makeshift platform to get away from the rain before it broke with them (no one was injured). It must have been a strange sight to see about 150 of us competing with dogs and goats for space to get out of the rain. Luke and his wife Abenan will be a welcome addition to the group at Betie when he returns there after Easter.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Africa
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Steve and Rhonda's February '99 Newsletter (Received via postal mail 4/17/99)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are continuing to have good services with Alphonse at Borosanghui. There are still 40-50 kids that attend and we have started holding the services at Alphonse's house rather than the open air market-place. Last week his brother came and made a disclaimer that "he was catholic but it was okay for him to worship with us since it is the same God and same Bible". This provided an excellent opportunity to preach how that salvation is of the heart in obedience to God's Word by repentance and only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our illustration for him was that if you plant a garden and only weed one half of it, you won't get the same results from both halves. Many people today are carrying the Bible around crying "Lord, Lord" who Jesus will reject because they remain in their sins (Luke 6:46, Luke 13:23-27). We also told him how that prayer to any other than God is idol worship as per Exodus 20:1-6. Please pray for him as he seems to be under conviction. This week there were more adults and teenagers that came to the Wednesday evening service when a three inch cockroach provided momentary excitement by dive-bombing our gas lamp. On our way out there a jackrabbit ran into our truck so the kids stopped and put it in the back. When we arrived one of the boys carefully hid it under the spare tire. Then all through the service he positioned himself facing the the truck to make sure no one swiped it. Makes you wonder if jackrabbit might not be a tasty treat after all!
Our visit to the national rain forest (September '98 Newsletter) is beginning to bear fruit, albeit somewhat differently than expected. Two young men and one young woman that Frederick has been witnessing to, prayed for salvation here at Laoudi-Ba week before last. Turns out that they live and work in the town of Betie (Betty-ay) on the edge of that forest. A young man named Marcell who is related to Simone has asked us to use his home there to hold services in. Another young man named Luke from the Laoudi-Ba church lives in that neck of the woods and wants to attend as well. This is a promising as well as challenging opportunity. They are a good four hours from us and as new born babes in Christ need lots of prayer (so do we).
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
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News From Our Missionaries (from April Encourager)
This is part of a letter I received from Steve and Rhonda this month.I wanted to share it with you.
Tonight it is warm, warm, warm. The dry season is trying to go out and bring the rains. Always hottest part of the year before they arrive.
Steve has gone either to Yoyego or GBRAN to preach. Several good visits already. The truck is running good. So Steve has kept the dirt roads flying with dust during this dry season out preaching. One night he didnt get back until midnight. Four of the Evangelist went on a crusade to one of the unreached villages last week. One Moslem village pelted them with rocks and brought them before the chief for preaching CHRIST IS GOD. They came back excited but worn out. They were short on bicycles, so they doubled up on one, trading off peddling- for hours!! You can see why they were worn out. Remember us please in regular fervent prayer.
Much to be thankful for. Miss you all ,
Your Missionaries and family in Christ
Steve & Rhonda
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Steve and Rhonda's January '99 Newsletter (via mail 2/26/98)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for your continued prayers for Alphonse of Borosanghui. He has accepted Jesus as his Saviour and the Laoudi-Ba church has taken him under their wing. He requested that some of the brothers come and live a few days with him to better teach him by example. Pastor Joshua went for three days and reported that it was a joy to teach such a one that was so open and eager to conform all aspects of his life to the scriptures. The church decided to set up a regular visitation program, sending two by bicycle every other Saturday to spend the evening and teach Sunday morning. When they got there Alphonse had killed the fatted goat for them sort of like Abraham in Genesis 18:1-8. They commented that he kept his large field so clean that it couldn't catch fire and that there were no fetishes in it. That is their way of saying that they feel he has made a real conversion. The church then set up an evangeliation fund to help pay for bicycle repairs for thise who go to teach him. Please pray for Alphonse that he would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he would learn to read so he can study his Koulango Bible. There is one other young man that has shown and interest at Borosanghui, please remember him in your prayers.
I stopped on the side of the read the other day to tighten up our luggage in the back of the pick-up when a big green mamba snake came out of the tall grass in front of the truck. He was headed my way when a semi-trailer came around the corner and ran over him (you could still see the tire tread). Rhonda said she had just been thanking the Lord for our truck and His protection when she looked up and saw the snake coming, the next thing she saw was the semi's tires roaring past.
This year's young peoples camp was well attended. The themes preached on were varied from preparing for marriage to the young person's part in building the kingdom of God. I was asked to preach about the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ. They also had a session on how to elect their officers and what qualities to look for when choosing someone to nominate for office.
Now that their job contract is up the Ghanaians that were attending with Armel have moved on. Robert and Elizabeth moved two hours south of here hoping to find work. Goddfred and Emanuel are working in Bondoukou and with some of their co-workers are attending our church there. Stephen went home to Haana to get married.
You remember that we have contracted with a mason to build a protective wall around our house? We came home the other day after being gone about three hours to find that someone had stolen some fuel, cut our screens and tried unsuccessfully to pry open our doors.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Republique de Cote d'Ivoire Top
Africa
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Steve and Rhonda's December '98 Newsletter (via mail 12/15/98)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
If you get this letter we count it an answer to prayer and thank God for it. Some of our mail is being rerouted to other countries and arriving with "Missent" stamped on it. Some of the letters are being opened to steal any gifts or money or nice pictures of America. It is a matter of prayer, because your mail not reaching us is daily starvation of the spiritual kind. You not receiving our news is an indication that the father of lies dislikes the work here and wants it kept secret. Everything that does come through to us, is greatly appreciated.
What is this good news? First, we are healthy, something we are grateful for. Second, the Toyota truck is running wonderfully. Third, Ivory Coast is maintaining stable relations within the country and among its foreign neighbors despite occasional civil servant strikes.
As for the work, several events have given us reason to rejoice. Armel at Banhui has become engaged to a Christian. He has started the walls for his palm-branch roofed church located facing the main road. So when we come for services anyone driving by can see us. The Ghanaians Robert and Goddfred have added Elizabeth, Emanuel, and Stephen to our group. Our preaching is now in English, French Koulango, and Ashanti and still the Gospel is coming across clearly.
We visited a Lobi village north of us one day while out scouting for more places to preach. They were conducting a funeral in the middle of the road. The drums beat out the rhythm as the women danced back and forth from one house to the other across the street. Raising their hands and voices, they cried loudly to their ancestors to accept the recently departed. Some were only partially dressed as they scrambled in pantomime like gestures resembling chickens crossing the road in fear of their lives. Some were aged women with nearly one foot in the grave themselves, bent over and clinging to a long stick, skin draped over weak protruding bones, shuffling bare feet in a desperate and slow attempt to be a part of such a heathen ceremony. Oh the helplessness without Christ. If we went back today, how many of them would have left that long stick behind and met their fate forever?!
There have been sixteen taxi drivers murdered by the police in the capitol city Abidjan this past year, for refusing to pay bribe money. We all agree that bribes are called sin by God in Amos 5:12 "For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate [from their right]". So when we got the Toyota truck out of customs, two policemen stopped us on a busy street downtown and demanded bribe money saying that we lacked one certain piece of information on the truck. When I explained that a pastor cannot pay a bribe, they demanded the truck papers, my license and threatened to impound the truck. After pleading for 40 minutes in the hot midday sun (Rhonda was busy praying) they ended up taking only half the papers and let me keep the truck. After prayer that night, I went to the station the next morning and got the papers back. If they had kept the papers it would have been difficult to start over again registering the truck in Ivory Coast. If they had impounded the truck, it likely would have been the last time we rode in it because most impounded vehicles turn up missing (stolen) the next day.
We have contracted with a mason to build a protective wall around our house to keep out the curious vagabonds, late night poachers (passing by the windows) and cow herders who build cook fires and sleep in our shed when we visit other villages.
We appreciate your prayers.
Love,
Steve and Rhonda Palmer
B.P. 563
Bondoukou, Ivory Coast Africa
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September-October 1998 Newsletter (via mail 11/20/98)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It seems some of the our mail has been lost so here is what has been going on the last two months. Thank you for your concern and prayers during the embassy bombings. As far as we know, we haven't been in any danger, but our Embassy in Ivory Coast and the one in Ghana did close at the time due to bomb threats. We still need your prayers for our safety and that the Lord would give us grace in the eyes of the government here.
We started out at 4:30 am to preach in the home of Simone, one of our Christians who lives with his family in the deep dark woods of the national rain forest here in southern Ivory Coast. He harvests cocoa beans from trees on his farm there. We went about three hours by pavement, then about three hours by dirt road, and the last thirty minutes on foot. At one point we walked across a stream on a tree. We made it to the house just before the midday rain storm. A man named Robert from another family that lives there expressed interest in the gospel. Please pray for him. We decided to try and make the trip home by short cut and the ferry boat took our truck across the river (the fellows assured us that the crocodiles were busy down stream). It was the first time one of the young evangelists with me had ever seen a river much less a ferry! It still took us till midnight to get home. Last week I ran into Simone at Bondoukou, where he was catching a ride after attending a funeral. He thanked me earnestly for our visit.
The young evangelist Frederick learned the truth of Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." when a snake he stepped on next to the well at my house struck his shoe rather than his ankle. I had killed a smaller one there earlier in the week.
We have continued our weekly evangelization of Borosanghui. Alphonse is still attending and we are praying that he will give his life to The Lord. There is always a big crowd that turns out for the preaching. The children have memorized the songs and enjoy to sing along with us. One night I was preaching on sin using Galatians 5:19-26 as my text when suddenly all the kids jumped up and ran off to see a fight. When they returned, I explained that they had just acted out verse 20 where fighting and helping to cause a fight are called sin by God, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy and peace etc. The adults seemed to understand, but the children did not see their need to repent. Please pray that God would open their hearts and understanding to the Gospel.
Last Sunday at Armel's we got to preach in English and French. There were two young men named Robert and Godfred from Ghana that have come to work at Banhui and want to attend church with us. Ghana English is a bit different and Rhonda teased me about speaking in tongues.
The rains for our area came late, light, and quit early this year. Please remember our Christians as they depend on their crops for food.
Love, Steve and Rhonda Palmer, B.P. 563, Bondoukou, Ivory Coast Africa
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Thoughts about our Missionaries (from November Encourager)
I was reading in a little paper that my father gave me that Americans on the average must work 11 minutes to earn enough money to buy a Big Mac, according to a recent survey in Moscow, youd have to work two hours to buy a Big Mac over there. Mac Donalds reported nearly $13 billion in sales last year in the U.S. alone. That a lot of burgers and fries. How much money will you spend this year on fast food meals?
I also wonder how much we will spend to help support our missionaries in Africa. Every time we eat out I think of Steve & Rhonda. I think of how she goes to the market place and purchases a piece of fly blown meat, has to come home and soak it in a solution of bleach and water to kill the germs before she can even cook it. I get in the shower and I think oh how blessed we are. They have to carry their water to the top of a tower and pour it in, to fill the tower. She also has to boil the water so many minutes and put bleach in it to help purify it for drinking and cooking. I have some movies here that sister Rhonda took in Africa if you would like to see them.
There is a special calling for all Gods people. Is your job a janitor in the church, teacher, song leader, pastor, deacon, missionary, prayer warrior? Whatever your calling we all have a job to do. No job is to little or to big when God is in it. Nearly a quarter of humanity lives in absolute poverty, surviving on less than a dollar a day. About 841 million people go to bed hungry each night. God is calling his people into a work. I also wonder how much longer will God Bless America? Sis Florence
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