Back in the Central African Republic

 

Dear friends, 

 

We have arrived safely back in the Central African Republic, after our travels this past summer.  We enjoyed visiting with many of you in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, and Puerto Rico.  During May, June, and July, we visited 23 different churches and three ELCA Synod offices.  We gave two interviews to journalists.  Deborah preached 14 times in 11 different churches.  We also visited with several other pastors to tell them more about our work and about the Central African Church. 

 

Wherever we went, we received a warm welcome. Everyone expressed great interest in our work in the Central African Republic, and a desire to help.  Thank you very much for your kindness, generosity, and support.

 

Joe has resumed his work with PASE (the French acronym for Program for Water Management).  PASE is busy constructing spring boxes in the village of Cantonnier (see the photo above), near the border with Cameroon.  This region has received an influx of refugees from northern Central African Republic, due to unrest in that area.  As a result, there have not been enough sources of clean water to provide for the entire population.  With the end of the rainy season fast approaching, PASE's efforts are truly needed. It is people like you who make this work possible.  Thank you. 

 

On another note, Deborah begins teaching at the Theological School on September 21.  She will be teaching Greek to a group of eleven students comprised of ten men and one woman, all prospective pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the CAR.  She will also be giving some Bible studies for wives of the pastoral candidates, and teaching English as time permits. Global Mission has also asked her to serve as a liaison person for the Village School Program and Women for Christ of the CAR, until personnel arrive to replace Ian and Joyce Graue, who left the mission field at the end of June.

 

Christa started seventh grade at Rain Forest International School in Yaoundé, Cameroon in August.  She is staying at a hostel with nine other boys and girls—all MK's (missionary kids).  So far she is enjoying her classes, especially history and Bible, although she says there is a lot of homework.  She had excellent grades on her first exams:  French and math.   We miss her, but will see her soon, as she has a one week fall break the first week of October. 

 

Again, we want to thank all of you for your support. We enjoyed visiting those of you that we could. Those that we missed, we hope to see you when we next return to the states in the summer of 2011.

 

Joe, Deborah, and Christa Troester

Baboua, The Central African Republic

Missionaries with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

P.S. Unfortunately, our laptop's hard disk crashed this summer and we lost our mailing list. Consequently, we are sending this email to all the addresses in our computer. If you do not wish to receive further emails, please let us know. In addition, if you know of anyone who would like to be on our mailing list, again, please email us.  Thank you.