Togo Palms Blog

Leadership Council

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

When the church plant (Eglise Nouvelle Vie) turned two years old, we believed it was time to start developing the leadership of the church at the next level. I chose six men to begin training for future leadership positions. We looked at everything from the annual budget ($750.00) to the effectiveness of our special events to being on time to services. We are studying 1 Timothy 3 together right now.

As we sat around our table in the gazeebo last night, I asked each guy how he was an example in the church and community this week. I was truly encouraged with what I heard and felt it was enough of an encouragement to pass along.

Simon- “I witnessed to the voodoo priestess that works next door to my shoe shop.” She asked, “If God made everyone, then why did He make some Christian and some voodoo?”’ Simon explained, “All men are born lost, but it is a decision to trust Christ.” He has been working with this lady for quite some time and asked us to continue praying for her.

Prosper- “It has been 7 years since I have been up north to visit my family. When I last left we had some problems in the family so that is why it has taken me so long to go back. In addition to these problems, as a child my family performed certain ceremonies on me and assigned a demon to protect me. Since becoming a Christian, I need to go home and tell them that I no longer believe in such things. I also took the opportunity to share Christ with my family.” I told him that this decision is a great example to his newly-saved wife about fixing problems from years past.

Ben- “I went up to Vogan (a city about 15 miles north in which we would like to plant a church) to visit an former school teacher and his family. I was able to witness to all the man’s children, and his two daughters trusted Christ as their Savior. The daughters instantly starting asking questions about how their promiscuous lifestyles should change. I was able to encourage them about what their life in Christ will look like. The teacher (father) went on to comment that was the first time that all the kids stayed in the same room and talked for the evening. The kids normally leave the house going their separate ways the minute dinner is over.”

Victor- “I was really excited because the friend that I invited for the New Year’s Eve party trusted Christ as Savior.”

Etienne- “I was able to have a great conversation with a young lady this week about her need for Christ. Ben and Victor know her well and should be able to help me follow up with her.”

Jonas- “I spent a good amount of time praying for each person in the church and each specific need. I am praying that God will give us people that are literate and leaders in our community.”

New Year's Day

2012-01-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

New Year’s Day is most Togolese favorite holiday of the year. Each family cooks a big meal, everyone buys a new outfit, and they will go from house to house saying hi to all their friends. At some point throughout the day, the extended family will sit down together and talk about any problems that might have occurred throughout the year. They will fix any of these problems within the large group of people.

This year we invited 4 guys over for lunch that would not have had anywhere else to go. (2 are orphans and 2 are abandoned) We had a blast eating southern bbq pork, baked beans and sweet corn. Melissa even made some hommade chocolate pudding for desert. After lunch we watched two movies together. Invictus was the one that provoked the most thought and conversation. We in Africa must practice forgiveness at so many different level. Nelson Mandela (debately a Christian) lead his nation from turmoil to the growing nation that is part of the B.R.I.C.S.

We talked about what each person had accomplished in 2011 and what they planned to accomplish in 2012. Some goals were financial such as buying a pair of shoes and saving to pay a dowry when ready to get married. Others were spiritual such as being more respectful at home and sharing their faith more consistently. One guy said he has done a great job to stop lying in 2011. Most Togolese do not talk about their feelings openly, so I was very pleased to see how candid they were.

The guys all thanked us for the great day before they left. One in particular thanked us for the advice. He says that not everyone takes the time to teach others. I believe this appreciation should be passed on to those that enable us to do what we do.

We appreciate the opportunity to mentor guys such as this. We would never be able to live and invest in Togo if it were not for people sacrificially giving. We truly appreciate each person, business, and church that contributes to allow us to make an impact in people’s lives. I believe these guys will go on to impact many lives themselves.

Teenage Life in Aneho

2011-09-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

So much of my time is spent living my life with young Togolese men. These guys are normally about 16-26 years old. I am so proud of them the way they are growing spiritually and making decisions based on principles they have placed in their lives. I wanted to pass on a few of the conversations I have had this month.

A church in FL bought a few bicycles to send over here. I have been able to give them to teenage guys that are orphaned. The bike's primary purpose was to help with transportation to school, as a few of them live up to 4 miles from school and have been walking. With these bikes, two of the guys have ridden to their villages in order to share their faith with their extended families. One fellow just led a person to Christ over the weekend.

Latte, 17 year old, trusted Christ because of one of his friend's witness. He has been extremely faithful this summer every since his decision. Latte walked into his home last weekend to find a huge feast that had been offered to the idols and the gods. Though he was hungry, his immediate response was to turn down the meal. It really made the family ask questions when a teenage boy from any culture turns down a meal. He proceeded to tell them that he does not follow that path any longer because he is a Christian. His great aunt listened to him intently for about an hour. She then asked for some of the "brochures" that talk about Christianity to take back to her village.

Victor, a shy 16 year old whose father passed away 3 years ago has been extremely bold about sharing his faith. He rode to his village about 3 weeks ago to share his faith. As he sat there, 12 of his older family members questioned him about his belief. They were dressed in all white to celebrate voodoo ceremonies. They told him that it is ok to serve both voodoo and Christianity. They mentioned many pastors and "Christians" in the area that still visit the witch doctor. They also said that if he does not practice both, they will never help him. (This is a big threat to a young person that is raised in a communal society.) He told them that he had made his choice to follow Christ.

Victor then proceeded to talk with a young guy who is training to be a witch doctor. The orphan asked him what his consequences would be if he followed Jesus. He said, "I will loose everything. I will not have a place to stay, anything to eat or many clothes." Victor told him to count the cost and that they would talk again in a few weeks.

Please be in prayer for these young people. They are facing opposition every day.

Sunday in Kpadape

2011-09-11T19:45:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning at about 5 a.m. in order to be on the road by 5:45. Mawulolo and Ben traveled with me to Kpadape. Ben wanted me to drop him off in his village so that he could see his family. As we passed through Lome on the way to Kpalime, we saw a man and son whose motorcycle had broken down. I picked up the son while the father waited with the motorcycle. As soon as the son climbed into the back seat of the car, Ben started sharing Jesus with him. They were going to the same village so I let them out of the car together about 15 minutes later.

The church service had a great feel. I could hear the singing as I pulled up and the crowd was somewhere around 80. I spoke on the first few verses of 1 Timothy. We are beginning the process of developing qualified church leadership. After the service, I baptized 9 people, including two young people from the mobile camp this summer. After a great lunch with the pastor and his wife, we started the 3 1/2 hour drive home. We picked Ben up about an hour into the trip. He gave us a great report that the boy had trusted Christ and as well as another girl.

Once we pulled into Aneho, we stopped at the church where Jonas was teaching the discipleship class. There were about 10 in attendance. Half of which are goinag through the course a second time so that they can teach in the near future.

I walked into the house about 6 just in time for dinner. It was truly a rewarding day.

Monday afternoon thoughts

2011-08-08T10:53:00.001-04:00

This caught my attention because someone is finally telling the truth. The world jumps on bandwagon causes because the money is flowing. We must believe in the cause and therefore do everything we can to make it a reality. Unfortunately, many jump from money tree to money tree. The goal is then no longer rescuing the lost and forgotten, but raising one more dollar from a well to do donor. We must keep the main thing the main thing and not believe everything we see. It is about people. Yes, resources are definitely needed, but we must start by giving part of our lives instead of just throwing money at situations.....Just a few Monday afternoon thoughts........

"Charities raise money for starving Africans. What do Africans do? They starve. But mostly they starve in our imaginations. The starving African is a Western cultural archetype like the greedy Jew or the unctuous Arab."

"In a recent phone conversation, Ms Polman told me that the "starving African" story is not just the easiest to tell, especially in a continent that does not generate much international media coverage, but is also the most "politically correct." After all, who in their right mind would want to be accused of doing nothing for dying people?"

"The cosy relationship between aid workers and journalists has thus distorted the way Africa is reported. Journalists often do not get to the heart of the story or take the time to do the research into the causes of a particular crisis. Africans do not feature much in their stories, except as victims."

http://allafrica.com/stories/201108081852.html

Invisible War

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I have been teaching our church family every Friday night on subject of spiritual warfare. We have been studying Ephesians 6 and it seems as though the devil is trying to put us to the test.

The last two weeks have been marked by a bit of opposition. We know that the physical world does not control the spiritual, but the spiritual controls the physical. With this said, it seems like one thing after another has been going “wrong”.

It started last week with Jonas and Naka’s son getting sick with malaria. While a normal incident in Togo, it is more of a timing issue. As soon as he got better, Jonas was in a motorocycle accident. He spent one night in the hospital and is now ok. The day he was realeased, Naka’s brother died of AIDS. He was a pastor who contracted the virus through an automobile accident 9 years ago. Naka is not back from the funeral yet and Melissa has been sick with malaria for 6 days now. Jonas is currently in Lome trying to get his Togolese passport. This will be his 30th trip to the passport office in the last 18 months. He needs this to be able to travel to Ghana with me in two weeks.

On the positive side, we are relocating the church property, getting ready for a missions team of 34 poeple to run a medical clinic, and preparing for summer camp. God is at work and we believe the next 90 days will produce true spiritual fruit. I know we talk about the need for both financial and prayer support. Right now we are really asking people to step up the prayer support.

May Update

2011-05-24T09:50:00.001-04:00

This year we have been praying and working towards the goal of 111

people attending Eglise Nouvelle Vie, un eglise baptiste biblique by

the end of 2011. We have been out of space for quite some time, but

were not quite ready to make the transition to the property. This week

we are building two overhangs for the church on the land. This Sunday

will be our first Sunday to worship on the church property.

Just recently, there were 9 kids that trusted Christ in Courtyard

Kids. Most have been coming faithfully every Wednesday for a year and

a half. One seven year old boy went home and told his mother that he

will be a better boy because he now had God living inside him and he

is a Christian.

We have been playing soccer every Saturday night on the church

property. There have been about 20 guys coming out every week to play.

Jonas or I invite them to church and share the gospel every week. This

Sunday, three guys came to church for the first time and two of them

became Christians.

One of the church members’ grandmothers passed away last week and the

family asked me to preach at the funeral. Both Jonas and I were able

to present the gospel to about 150 people in our immediate community.

The great part about the event was that Ben, the grandson, had led his

grandmother to Christ months earlier.

In two weeks, we will be welcoming a short-term missions team from

Alabama. We will have four days of medical clinics at the church

property. The doctors and nurses will provide free consultations as

well as a limited pharmacy. Our goal is to share Christ with every

person that comes. Please pray that this time is extremely effective.

Europe Trip

2011-04-08T17:19:00.002-04:00

Melissa and are in Europe on the way back home to Togo. Most of the routes from the US to Africa stop in Europe. On this trip, we are taking the time to be in two missions conferences in France, and present our ministry in Belgium. In between the churches, we took a few days in the middle of the week for some R & R. We celebrated our anniversary in Italy this year.

We just finished with a meeting at a church in a Paris suburb. It was a great time of sharing with the French believers about what God is doing in Togo. The church has partnered with us for the last 4 years, so it was a time to celebrate the wins together. Their kind words and promises to pray for us meant more than they will know.

Tomorrow morning we will board a train from Paris to Brussels. I will be able to preach at a church in Belgium on Sunday morning where I was told there will be a few Togolese believers.

Monday morning, we will board a plane to get back home to Togo. It has been a great time, but we are both ready to get back into the swing of things.

USA

2011-03-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

After a few weeks in the US, I have been thinking about all the things that I really have missed. No matter where I am in the world, I miss something. On the flip side, I also have some of my favorite things no matter where I live. It is more of a win/win than loose/loose. Here are the top 11 for our US trip in 2011.

Fighter jets from the US military flying overhead

Meeting friends at Starbucks

Highway systems

English worship services at church

Fast internet

Fresh cut green grass in a city park

Freedom of speech

People who want to help and get involved

Unlimited cell phone calls (thanks Erin)

BBQ

Free refills

Chick-fil-a (this is from Melissa....#12)

Book List

2011-03-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

It has been said that you will not be any different one year from now other than the books that you read, the people that you meet, and the places that you travel. Here are a few books that have influenced my life and thinking. Timing has played such a large part of the impact that each made. The authors have come from different walks of life and each topic is different. There is only one perfect book, but so much can be gleaned from others' life lessons. These are some that were recommended to me so I will pass them on as thought provoking reads.

Radical David Platt

Visioneering Andy Stanley

The Making of a Leader Robert Clinton

Crazy Love Francis Chan

The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership Steven Sample

Connecting Robert Clinton

Servant Leadership Oswald Sanders

Courageous Leadership Bill Hybels

7 Practices of Effective Ministry Lane Jones

Simple Church Thom Rainer

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Peter Scazzero

Margin Richard Swenson

Africa Rising Vijay Mahajan

Good to Great Jim Collins

How the Mighty Fall Jim Collins

The Goal Eliyahu M. Goldrat

Outliers Malcolm Gladwell

The Speed of Trust Franklin Covey

Unveiling Islam Ergun Caner

US Trip

2011-03-08T15:40:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been filled the with buying supplies and packing boxes to ship. Monday morning we will begin loading a twenty foot container to ship back to Togo. It will take about three to four weeks to make it to Togo, then a week to get out of port in Lome.

We have so enjoyed our short trip back to the US, but are very ready to get home to Togo. We have been able to visit 10 churches and have many conversations with individuals. We have eaten everything that was on our list, saw snow, and even had a few minutes "off" to relax. We are excited about the ministry and what God has in store for the remainder of 2011 in Togo.

Aneho Church Land Clearing

2010-12-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago we were able to purchase two lots of land to relocate the church started in our front yard. Our original plan was to purchase three lots, but we did not have the funds and the third lot was sold. We still considered the purchase of the two lot of property to be a great win in the life of our church.

On Saturday, we began clearing our church land with rakes and African hoes. The owner of the adjacent property contacted us to let us know he was interested in selling. This lot was even better than the original because it is connected to the highway and therefore would give us road frontage on two sides of the property. Within 4 days, we were able to sign the papers to purchase this additional lot of land. This reminds us once again that God always knows best and can work the impossible.

Timbuktu (Tombouctou-French)

2010-11-20T11:00:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I was able to fulfill a longstanding dream of taking a motorcycle trip trip through West Africa. It was an 11 day/2700 mile ride from Aneho, Togo to Tombouctou, Mali by way of Burkina Faso. There were three stops that really stood out to me as incredible destinations for one reason or another.While travel is probably one of my passions, every trip is different, andevery destination has its own charm. West Africa's destinations are a touch more rugged than some, but that does not take away from the appeal.

Djenne is West Africa's oldest city that dates back to 200 B.C. It is most well known for having the world's largest mud mosque which is also the world's largest mud structure. This remote city was amazing for the mosque, but not overly impressive for anything else.

http://wn.com/The_Ancient_African_City_of_Djenne

Tombouctou is well known for many reasons, but probably none as much as the slogan, "from here to Tombouctou". It flourished because it was the furthermost point on the Niger River that was used for the trade route. Salt, gold, slaves, and goods were the predominant merchandise that were carried by camel trains and dug out canoes. Tombouctou has a mosque that once boasted 25,000 students from around West Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. It was truly amazing how many ancient manuscripts still exist from the 1200-1400's.

http://wn.com/tombouctou

I do not believe I have ever been to a place that felt so remote. It was probably because the best road was 120 miles of dirt and required us to cross the Niger River by ferry. Upon arrival, all you could see was white sand for miles. My favorite time of the two days in Tombouctou wassitting on the sand dunes on the north side of the city and watching soccer, kids playing, camels going by, and the sun seting. Those minutes made the whole trip worth it.

Dogon Land is well known for the cliff dwellers that built clay homes on the side of the mountain range. The Dogon peoples migrated to this area in about the 15th and 16th centuries in order to evade the Islamic rule. It was probably one of the most fascinating and rich cultures I have ever experienced. While all their family history was passed down verbally, it was amazing what details the people knew about their lineage and culture.

I have a photo album on my Facebook account that shares some of the amazing sights of West Africa.

A Night at the Embassy

2010-10-18T06:26:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday evening, the US Embassy in Lome hosted a music group from a missionary Baptist church in Atlanta, GA. They are sponsored by the US government to represent American culture and music around the world. This gospel group is currently on a five country African tour.

Not only was it a nice evening out with hors d'oeuvres while being surrounded by dignitaries, but the musical group was given full liberty to say anything they wanted. By the end of the evening, it was very evident that they had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In a day where many believe America has become an amoral society, the US embassy in Togo hosted a group that emphasized our Christian values. It was both refreshing and a great representation of what has made America great.

Melissa and I love the country that God has allowed us to live and minister, but will always appreciate being American.

After the concer

September 2010 Prayer Letter

2010-10-01T04:30:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

The congregation erupted in spontaneous applause as I was able to tell

them the great news. God has supplied the finances and we purchased

the church property for the Aneho church. We then spent the next

several minutes thanking God for what He had supplied. It was not only

a celebration, but a testament to God’s faithfulness. A week later we

met and walked the church property for everyone to see.

We are now in the process of collecting teak poles, bamboo poles, and

grass thatch to put up an overhang. Though we have to wait until the

tomatoes are harvested to use the land, I believe the young people are

itching to get to work. We plan to get started in the next few weeks.

We have pretty much run out of room in our gazebo with an average of

60 people per week. I know we are all looking forward to having some

more space even though it brings new challenges.

I have been teaching through a series on leadership over the last

eight weeks in the Aneho church every Wednesday evening. We have been

focusing on the lessons that God teaches a leader and the preparation

process. It has been so much fun to watch these relatively young

believers start stepping up to the plate. I talked with a senior in

high school this evening who was talking about sharing his faith. He

has been able to see ten people trust Christ during the month of

September. The majority of these were fellow students, but one was his

younger sister. Melissa had three ladies approach her a few weeks ago

about helping with the Courtyard Kids. She is in the process of

teaching them how to work with kids effectively. God has truly been

working in these believers lives as now they are no longer content to

sit on the sidelines.

The summer is over as school is now back in session. As we look over

the “wins” of the summer, God has truly been faithful. Some have made

foundational decisions such as trusting Christ as their Savior, while

others are taking additional steps in their journey in the Christian

life. One mobile camp stands out in particular, where 37 of the 65

campers trusted Christ. The church in Kpadape has continued to ride

the momentum wave from this week of ministry.

As we enter the 4th quarter of the year, we have just launched small

groups in the Aneho church. We are starting with 3 different groups

that meet once a week. I will do my best to be in each home over the

next few weeks as they are getting off the ground. Thank you so much

for your continued prayers and support as God continues to be

faithful to all those who trust Him faithfully in Togo, West Africa.

JJ & Melissa Alderman

A Regular Wednesday....Whatever That Looks Like.

2010-09-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

I started off by driving a friend's car to Lome to try to meet with a potential buyer for the car. The person never showed up, but at least the rendezvous point was a hotel with good coffee. I spent about 2 hours reading and drinking a coffee before arriving home in Aneho at about 2 p.m.

I walked in the door and about 5 minutes later I had a visitor till about 3. From 3 till 4, I looked over my notes for the evening's lesson. At 4, I headed towards the basketball court for our weekly practice. Since this was the first week of school, all the students had to spend Wednesday afternoon cleaning up the grounds. This also included all the basketball players, so..... practice was cancelled.

My next stop was James, my mechanic's shop. He is an auto mechanic, but also works on everything else from welding to auto body work. We are in the process of putting in guard rails for the stairs. We have been 18 months without guardrails, so it is time to just get it done. In all reality, it is our landlord's job. I guess we can just say it has not been at the top of his list. They have been puttied and painted, so almost ready to put in.

At 6 p.m., I taught the 8th lesson from "The making of a leader". We normally have about 10-12 people that come every Wednesday evening. Tonight's lesson was on spiritual authority. I must say this is probably my favorite part of the week. These young leaders are doing a great job trying to learn and apply the Biblical principles to their lives.

I normally stay after the 1 hour session to answer questions and talk with the folks. Victor, a young guy that was saved through the basketball outreach, wanted some help on prayer. He said he gets really nervous talking to God in front of other people. I always enjoy people that are just open and honest about their walk with God. It is so refreshing.

After most everyone left, there were two guys that approached me about a problem. Their p.e. teacher requires them to have shoes, or else they fail the class. Unfortunately, one has lost both parents, and the other young man has lost his dad. This means that they do not really have any "extras" such as shoes. We were able to pass on some shoes that were donated for people just like this. (thanks to those that made it happen)

My most enjoyable part of the day was tonight at about 8:30. I drove the two guys home and both told me that was the first time they had ever experienced air conditioning. It was really fun to watch their reaction to such "cold" temperatures. They lasted about 1.5 minutes before I had to turn it down.

All around, another very good day.

Day 6

2010-08-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we started church at 9 am. It was probably the best service that we have had in Kpadape in the last 16 months. It was not just the fact that we had 70 people, but the excitement from beginning to end. Jonas preached a sermon from James 5 and included the fact that we might not just be cheating the poor, but could also be steeling from God. Near the end of the invitation, 12-15 people came forward and gave their offerings in the basket, even though we had already passed the basket earlier in the service.

We have been working through very normal issues in this church, one of which being our giving to God. People have been struggling to eat in the village because of the planting season, and God has not been blessing because of their lack of giving. It was such an encouragement to see the Holy Spirit so clearly at work. God will always take care of His church.

Immediately after the service I was able to baptize two young ladies. Both have been saved for some time, but just finished the discipleship/baptism process. We try to make sure they understand that their decision is one to follow Jesus and not just add Him to all the other gods.

We drove away at 11 am on Sunday morning with a van full of gifts from the people. They gave us food, popcorn, bananas, and whatever else they could give. It was truly a great ending to the mobile camp in Kpadape. We are praying for the church to disciple the new believers and assimilate them.

Day 5

2010-08-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday camp was probably the most uneventful of the camp days, yet still very productive. We could tell that the campers were getting tired. There was a very clear difference in their behavior and attitudes from the first day till the last. My highlight of the day that I was able to spend with Jacques. He trusted Christ on Thursday during our small group time. Today, He was the only one in my group so we were able to go in debth. He seemed to soak up everything I said from James 4-5 and even took notes. He also asked what he had to do to earn a Bible. I am pretty excited to see what God has in store for him.

On a side note, I walked into the pastor's courtyard to find the Genavive and Enoch during his bath time. Enoch is the Koffi's nephew and has been staying with the family since his mom is sick in the hospital.

Day 4

2010-08-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Friday started with a normal cold well-water bucket shower. I must say I have done my best to get used to the temperature, but I am still not there. After free time and game time, I went into Kpalime (the city) to charge my cell phone. There is a blind center run by some missionaries that were kind enough to help me stay connected to the modern world.

I made it back in time to each some black eyed peas about the time camp started back up. This afternoon was a great time for follow up. The campers really seemed to let down their guard. Game time introduced the big ball for the first time to the village of Kpadape. It made for a lot of laughs.

We ended the camp day with 17 people trusting Christ. Each one of the staff members were able to lead at least one person to Christ. Dinner was a first for me. We had baobab leaf sauce with our corn “mush”. It has actually been placed on the favorites list immediately after fufu. I would have taken a picture, but we ate by lantern light. Another great day in Kpadape

Day 3

2010-08-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

The first full day of camp went extremely well. Looking back, I can say that it is the first day of camp that I was really happy with the flow of the day. Everyone did their jobs very well and knew what to expect. It was also a great day because we had fufu for lunch. This is my favorite African meal. It is made of boiled then pounded yams. It quickly turns into a very gluey mashed potatoes. Today’s sauce was made with fish and eggplant.

On a very positive note, we had 15 trust Christ on Thursday. One of the decisions was from a young guy named Derek. He is 19 years old and has never stepped foot in a church in his life. He has actually been coming to play soccer on the church soccer field for quite some time and Koffi had been working with him. His biggest obstacle to overcome was trying to comprehend that God is capable of forgiving all the terrible things he has done. It was a great moment when he bowed his head and trusted Christ.

Day 2

2010-08-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

This morning (Wednesday) we started the a.m. with red millet poreage and fried, unsweetened donuts. We left the pastor’s house about 9 a.m. and worked on sign-ups until 11 something. Since we had some free time, Jonas, Abraham, Essowe, and myself went into Kpalime to see a trade fare. It really turned out to be all the government businesses advertising. It was still nice to get into the city from the village for a few minutes.

Lunch was “paste” which is like a southern grits that is cooked really thick and a green leaf sauce. This is a typical lunch for most Togolese about 5-7 times a week. The only variable is the sauce. After lunch we kicked off the camp schedule with an hour of free time (soccer), a teaching session, and game time to end it. We had two younger campers trust Christ today. Great way to start off.

Day 1

2010-08-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, we drove up to Kpadape and arrived about 4 pm. With 2 hours left of daylight, we started passing out flying for the next day. In village life, planning ahead would not make any difference whatsoever. People take life a day at a time, especially during the summer, which is planting season. Most of us jumped into a soccer game and the rest passed out flyers and signed campers up. After dinner at Koffi's house, we headed to the house. It is a person’s retirement home and one of the best the village had to offer. There is not any electricity or running water in the village, so we used candles and the well. I had my own room with a concrete floor and screens, but unfortunately the sand gnats could get through the screen. Gnats 1/ JJ -0

Kpadape Mobile Camp: Preparation

2010-08-10T16:51:00.002-04:00

Over the summer, we have spent the majority of our camp ministry doing mobile camps. Mobile camp is where we go to a specific location, usually a rural village in order to start a local church or encourage an existing church.

During this past week, we worked with the Bible Baptist Church of Kpadape. One of the requirements to run a camp at a church is that the church members have to take care of the Togo Palms staff once we arrive. This basically means accommodations and food for 6 people for a week. Part of this is to help teach the church members personal responsibility and that everything has a cost involved.

We had been planning this mobile camp in Kpadape for quite some time. This is the village that we have been working with for the last 18 months. Part of the goal for this camp was to reach out to the young people in the community from the ages of 13-23 years old. Also, we really hoped to get some of the girls involved. Girls seem to do so much of the work here in Togo, especially in rural village life. We limited the number of campers to 60, because of the size of the facilities and the number of staff members. Campers came from 8-12 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. Since it was a free camp, we did not serve any meals. I went into the camp praying that half the campers would trust Christ. I knew that God is very capable of working in their lives. The following blog entries tell the weeklong story of camp. God did amazing things in the lives and hearts of those involved! Read on…

Fishing and Black Magic

2010-08-02T13:37:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, Melissa and I live in a fishing community off the coast. The large majority of the population is in some way connected to both the fishing industry and black magic.

For the last few weeks, the fishermen have not been able to catch any fish. They have spent the entire night in a dug out canoe in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, only to come back empty handed. This caused the fishermen to get together to do some sacrifices to the gods. The witch doctor communicated to them that one of the fishermen had to give his life so that everyone else could catch fish again. Within the same week, an experienced fishermen drown. Immediately after the tragic event, all the fishermen up and down the coast near our home starting catching an abundance of fish.

My thoughts are not as much focused on the power that Satan has in the world, but more on the price that was paid. In both of our religions, someone had to die. In theirs, it was one of their own fishermen who paid the ultimate price so they could catch some more fish. In mine, my God sent His Son to die a horrible death so that I can live. So live I will do, to the best of my ability. The goal is to allow Him to define what a successful life looks like, all for His glory.

Summer Internships and Groups

2010-07-26T03:21:00.006-04:00

The summer is starting to wind down here in Aneho. We have one more camp and a soccer tournament ahead of us. Melissa and I have been under the weather for a little while. We both have had typhoid and malaria in the last 2 months. It sure is nice to be back to normal. The malaria is somewhat common, but the typhoid was because I were not careful enough with what I ate off the side of the road... lesson learned!

For the last two years, we have had 40-50 people that have come on mission trips and internships each year. It is amazing to watch how God works in and through their lives. Some are able to directly lead people to Christ, while others go back to the US before they hear updates of fruit being harvested. That was the case again this year. It appears as though God speaks to each person very clearly while they are here. No matter the stage of life or place of surrender to God, God moves them during their stay in Togo. Many of the people find a place where they like to go and pray. For many, it is the trampoline on the roof. The decision of total surrender can be a very difficult one. You can tell that they are at peace as they walk down the steps during such a particular quiet time. Signing over a blank check to God is not easy, but there is so much joy and peace that comes with the decision. God has been at work here this summer... and not just in the hearts of the Togolese. We are so grateful to be here in Togo; and as a ministry, we continue to pray for all the visitors that work along side us.

Aneho Youth Camps

2010-06-29T17:32:00.006-04:00

The last two weeks have been filled with youth camps in Aneho. We used the local high school sports fields that are not far from our home. Both camps went extremely well. Five trusted Christ the first week and 10 trusted Christ the second week.

Plans were forced to become flexible, but it all turned out for the best. I was most excited about the decisions the campers made on their own.

One guy named Moses went and apologized to his father after trusting Christ.

One little boy trusted Christ then went the same day and asked his father's forgiveness for stealing something.

A 12 year old girl trusted Christ then called her friends over and asked forgiveness for their fight.

We could see one guys entire demeanor change over the course of a few days.

Another orphan girl made the decision to stop all her relationships with boys. She is an abandoned girl who has kept the relationships in order to be able to eat. She decided that she would rather stand with Christ and starve than keep the immoral relationships.

The amazing part is that we did not talk about any of this. God is truly changing lives. Thanks for your prayers. God is at work.

There are five young people from the camp that are still contemplating their decisions to choose Christ. Please keep them in your prayers.

Burning idols and Baptizing

2010-06-29T16:00:00.006-04:00

We have been able to enjoy a few great victories in ministry recently. There is a family that was reached originally through Courtyard Kids. The family of six has been very faithful since both parents have trusted Christ. Simon has been going through discipleship courses with Jonas and Louise has been working with Naka. We normally work with each person about 6-8 weeks before they are baptized to make sure they truly understand their decision to follow Christ. Simon approached Jonas and told him he had some things in his home that he needed to get rid of. Jonas, Melissa, Taylor (summer intern) and myself went over to their home on Friday morning to burn their idols. It took the help of some gasoline because of the pouring rain, but we were still able to get them to burn. My favorite part was the fact that his two daughters were watching the whole event. They will be able to always remember the day that their dad burned the family idols.

Sunday afternoon I was privileged to baptize both Simon and Louise. He told me that he has great peace knowing that he has cleaned house and has freedom to move forward in his Christian life. It has been amazing to watch God change their entire family tree.

Sunday A.M

2010-05-16T06:28:00.002-04:00

Every other Sunday morning I go to Kpadape to preach. This is one of the mornings that I stay home. It is normally a good time to catch up on reading, and look over my sermon for the evening service here in Aneho.

This morning I just finished reading David Platt's new book called "Radical". www.radicalthebook.com

I must say I truly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. I am not one to endorse many books, but this one is well worth your time. It talks about how our goals should align themselves with God's goals instead of societies'. It has forced me to reevaluate my life decisions once again. It has also reminded me of the many people out there who are giving their all. It was both inspiring and encouraging.

In a few minutes Melissa and I will be headed up to the city of Vogan. It is a city of about 12,000 people about 30 minutes north of Aneho. We would like to plant a church their in the next three years. Ed, a Togolese born US citizen is coming back to Togo to see his family. They are having a big family get together and invited us to join them. It should be a great time catching up and meeting new people.

Tonight Jonas will finish his series on prayer in the Aneho church. I was planning to preach a series on finances next, but feel led to teach through the book of Nehemiah instead. As a young church, we need to stay focused on believing in the cause, working like it is up to us, praying like it is up to Him, and giving Him the glory when He is faithful.

Well, headed off to Vogan.

Volcano in Iceland

2010-04-29T03:36:00.002-04:00

We had a youth group and medical team come this month from Huntsville, AL. We split the time between the northern and southern part of Togo doing medical clinics and creative arts to share the gospel.

We began to prepare for their departure a week and a half ago, but everything changed with the volcano erupting in Iceland. Since the majority of the flights from Lome land in Paris, their flights were cancelled. They were then set to the back of the list to take off. Ten additional days later, they made it home in AL. We are thankful at how flexible and gracious they were even though we know they were ready to be home in the US.

The church in Aneho is growing at a steady and healthy rate. We had 56 in church on Sunday night and Melissa had over 110 at Courtyard Kids. We are quickly outgrowing the gazebo in our front yard. It is exciting to watch the people grow in their faith.

Tevi- the 17 year old orphan boy

2010-03-24T16:32:00.005-04:00

Melissa and I are surrounded by a world that is hurting. It is hurting in so many ways. We are constantly in contact with people who must have a need met in their life. It is impossible to meet them all, even though the desire is there. Occasionally I find myself thinking that the developed world's ways of life are the answer, but that doesn't last long.

Abraham and Tevi

Today I had a great reminder of how very big and real our God is. His every move is completely calculated and perfect. This story started a month ago when Abraham began coaching soccer. Part of the time he works as a Togo Palms staff, and the other time he volunteers. A boy on the soccer field named Tevi heard about God's perfect plan and gave his broken life to Jesus. I talked to Tevi this afternoon on the basketball court and this is the story he told me.

Tevi is the youngest of many. Both of his parents died before he was old enough to meet them. He was dropped off at an orphanage in Benin that was funded by a French organization. The directors of the orphanage asked Tevi's living relatives if he could be adopted. The relatives refused, so the orphanage directors sent him to live with them. He got tossed around from family to family. Over the last two years, no family members have been able to pay for his schooling. He is in 9th grade and is doing everything he can to get back in school next year. The boy works for gardeners when they have work for him.

I asked myself if his life would not have been so much better had he been adopted by a French family? Would he not have the education and family he is trying so hard to attain? Then I was reminded that God is Sovereign and Tevi moved to Aneho for a reason.

Please pray for the young guy. He is supposed to come to my house in the morning to recite John 3:1-21. I have promised him a French Bible. He is such a smart kid and I can't wait to see what God has in store for him next.

Penjari Safari

2010-03-05T04:08:00.006-05:00

My sister Erin and her husband Mylan came to Togo to visit for 3 weeks. It was the first time her husband had been to Africa and her first time back in 7 years. They split their time between my parents home and ours.

Last week we all traveled to the northern part of Benin to the Penjari game park. Melissa and I traveled up Benin and spent the first night at a hotel in Parakou. It was a nice little hotel run by a French lady.

We continued the second day to a waterfall with huts around it. Each couple rents a hut for the night. We took showers with the water from waterfall and had generator power for a few hours each night. Melissa and my mom brought all the food with us for the 4 days. Each morning the baboons and monkeys come to the waterfall for water. It is a neat experience to swim in the water and watch monkeys on the rocks.

The third day we went into the park and drove around for the day. That night we stayed in the rooms at the hotel. We got up early the 4th day to see the animals at first light. We were able to see most everything the park has to offer except lions. It was a great few days to get away with my family while my sister was here. We do have more pictures on our facebook page.

March 4- Elections in Togo

2010-03-04T14:10:00.005-05:00

Today has been national election day in Togo. It has been a very quiet as everyone ordered to stay at home if possible. Vehicles were not allowed on the road and the borders have been closed for 36 hours. Our prayers are for the country to have peace for the people. All the young people I have spoken with share the same sentiment.

On Saturday morning Melissa and I will be headed over to Accra, Ghana to pick up a pastor and missions team. They will be here for a week. We plan to spend Saturday night and Sunday till the afternoon in Kpadape. We will be playing soccer on Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning Jamie will be teaching and then I have 6 to baptize. We will drive back the 3 hours on Sunday afternoon to make it in time for church in Aneho. Jamie will also teach in Aneho.

Togo Palms Leadership Camp 2009

2010-01-07T02:02:00.004-05:00

We are back at home in Aneho and rested up after the holidays. They were busy, but incredible. We were able to organize the first Togo Palms camp from December 26th through December 31st. It was a leadership camp that consisted of young leaders from 18-30 years old. They had to be chosen by their pastor, pay a small fee, memorize John 3:1-21, be single, and already serving in the church. The pastors were to choose the top 15% of their church to send. These young leaders were selected from about 17 different churches throughout the country.

The camp was held in a mobile camp setting in the village of Kpadape. Since we do not have the property purchased yet, we worked with what was available. Due to the facilities, we capped the camp size off at 50.

This kids arrived excited and we believe it got off to a great start. The theme was "be these" (salt and light). Pastors traveled with the campers and worked as counselors. For multiple pastors, it was the first time they were able to work with their young people outside of the church setting. I saw one older pastor kicking a soccer ball with a young girl. This was probably the first time this girl has ever had a father figure spend time with her to play.

The ladies in the kitchen did an excellent job working. We were a bit understaffed in the kitchen, but the ladies worked extremely hard. The kitchen did not have electricity, running water, or sinks. It was all done in an outdoor setting.

The pastors each preached one time and Jonas and I taught the rest of the time. One afternoon we took everyone out to share our faith with people. For some of the young people, it was there first time. The campers only complaint was that they did not have time to go back and visit people a second time. Our hope is that they will continue serving with their pastor at their own church.

By the end of the camp, everyone was tired, but still having a good time. I asked one guy if he was ready to go home for New Years. He said he would prefer to stay because it was better than any celebration he will have when he arrives home.

Our prayer is that these young leaders will go back and influence their churches and world for the cause of Christ.

We do have a rather large album of photos on our facebook page. JJ Alderman or Melissa Alderman

December Leadership Camp Prep

2009-12-20T03:49:00.004-05:00

The weekend began with a staff Christmas party on Friday evening. Melissa made an excellent spread of food. We watched the Truman Show in French and played some games. We all took Saturday morning off. (We normally work at least a half a day.)

We will have church at our home in Aneho this evening. Sunday evenings have worked best for our meeting time. The people in Aneho all have gardens that they work in the mornings. We have been running in the high teens on Sunday evenings. The Courtyard Kids program has had a consistent 80-100 every week. We are starting to see regulars on both Sunday and Wednesday.

Monday morning the staff and I will be headed up to Kpadape for two days. Jonas, Mazema, Abraham, and myself will spend the night then come back on Tuesday. We are also taking two young guys named Ben and Victor. We have been working on the church property for two reasons. The first is that really in need of some maintenance. The second is that we will be holding the leadership camp in Kpadape from December 26-31.

There have never been doors on the church building. A pastor in the US sent us a check to be able to have them welded and made. So we only have to paint and we will be finished with them.

The church had a small palm tree grove that produced palm oil. The land is a perfect location to be able to put a soccer field. It has taken quite a few weeks, but we are almost finished with the field. The week will include moving a few logs and stumps, leveling the soil, painting the doors, and cutting the grass.

On a completely random thought, I had the greatest conversation with Abraham the other day. Christmas is starting to become a bigger deal here, so I asked him about Santa Clause. He had never heard about him before. The most complicated part of the whole conversation was trying to explain what snow is and why people would wish for a white Christmas. Good times.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T14:33:00.003-05:00

While there are hundreds of things that we can be thankful for, there is one event that is at the forefront of my mind. Melissa has been leading Courtyard Kids every week at our home. Yesterday, there were about 120 kids that showed up. She was hoping to see one little boy in particular. This 4 year old guy has come all 4 weeks so far. She could tell that he was from a poor family. Yesterday the boy came with heat rash all over his body and sores on his feet.

After all the kids left, Mel gave him a shower while Maz translated. It was his first shower from a faucet. After the shower, she gave him a pair of flip flops. She had to teach him how to put them on, because they were the first pair of shoes the boy has ever owned.

Maz, Mel, and the little boy then walked back to his house so that she could meet his parents. When she met the little guy's grandmother, Melissa found out that he does not have a dad around and the mom has been gone for 3 months. When she looked to find his bed, Mel was told that he sleeps wherever he falls asleep on the sand. All this to say, the whole situation has been one more reminder of what we have to be thankful for.

Tennis, Harmattan, and Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T16:53:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I drove up to the tennis court that is not too far from my house. It is a community court that was built by the king of Aneho. A few little guys stopped by on their way home from school. Both were about 10 years old with very good French. They asked if I wanted them to pick up the tennis balls for me while I was serving. I said yes and we went to work. About 15 minutes into the serves, a bar down the road starting blaring music. This is not uncommon, other than the fact that it was "White Christmas" in English. I must say it kind of got me in the Spirit. I served about 200, tipped my new friends and gave them each a soccer tract before I headed home.

Harmattan is in full swing down here in Aneho. This is the dust of the Sahara desert that settles in the air. The visibility is probably at 1.5 miles right now. It is hard to see the ships waiting to dock in port. It has made for cooler nights, though the days are a bit warmer. For some reason I have always looked forward to this time of year. Really been enjoying it thus far.

Mel and I are making plans for Thanksgiving on Thursday. I think we are going to take the day off and go to the pool at a hotel. After dinner, we will probably go out to dinner and get a pizza. There is a French restaurant in Lome that we enjoy. Should be a relaxing day.

As for my readers, enjoy your Thanksgiving and watch a football game.

Courtyard Kids is Off to a Great Start!

2009-11-06T13:54:00.012-05:00

Wednesday, November 4th is the day we launched our children's program, Courtyard Kids. What a great day it turned out to be!

I had had several meetings with the staff about many different topics pertaining to this new program, prior to this week. Some concepts were extremely practical, yet very useful such as: guidelines for staff members working with children, the three different learning styles, the definition and examples of positive reinforcement, and the basics of public speaking.

Most importantly, we went through, in detail, how to clearly and simply present the plan of salvation to a little one. The staff was, and is, all ears to learn and practice all they can in regards to the evangelism of their friends and neighbors, no matter how young or old. That is truly an exciting thing to consistently be around.

I structured "Courtyard Kids: Where Character Counts!" after several youth programs in America. I looked for the best concepts in each, and tailored a children's program to work here in Togo. Each week the children will be taught the following: a character trait, a Bible story, and a Bible verse. Each lesson may take 2-4 weeks depending on the particular concept of each lesson. For instance, next week, I am starting the character trait, "Be Orderly". The Bible story is about creation. The verse is I Corinthians 14:40 (Everything should be done decently and in order.). The following lesson is "Be Attentive"... the story is about Samuel... the verse is Psalm 85:8a (I will listen to what the Lord will say.). I love this concept because not only does each child learn a Bible story and to "hide God's word in their little hearts", but they also are taught the practical application to their own life. I'm so excited about it! Please continue to pray as we also will be teaching obedience, respect and honesty... all before the new year!

Please pray that relationships may be built with these kids' families. JJ and I desire to establish a Courtyard Kids program in every local church that we are part of planting in Togo. We see it as a tangible, reproducible, and effective program to aid in church planting here.

An average "Courtyard Kids afternoon" consists of our staff arriving at our home at 3 pm from their afternoon break (noon-3 pm). It is at that time that we start setting up the courtyard... the ribboned flags are hung, the woven mats are arranged, the dry erase board is brought out, the drinking water bucket is filled and the music begins to play at 3:40 pm.

By 3:45, this week, there was nearly 75 kiddos waiting so patiently outside our blue doors. We could hear some of them giggling and playing out front for over an hour before we opened the gate at five minutes to 4 pm. The last head count, 20 minutes into the afternoon, was 142 kiddos in attendance. The ages ranged from a 6 month-old carried in on the back of an older sibling, to several young teenagers who jump right in singing and playing the games with everyone.

Everyone of the staff members knew their role. Maz opened the afternoon, and greeted the kids by teaching them a new song. Naka then creatively taught the children John 3:16. Maz practiced the song with them a bit more. Then, with JJ translating for me, I taught a lesson while answering these two questions: "What is this Bible you are talking about?"(Many of the children in the Aneho area have never heard about Jesus, the Bible, or anything pertaining to God.) and "What am I going to do when I come to Courtyard Kids?". When I had finished, Abraham and Junior taught the kids how to play "Voici, Voila" (It's like Simon Says).

An hour and a half later, we had given out the last sucker to the grateful little ones and had shaken the last little hand good-bye.

I can't wait until next Wednesday...

Melissa

Courtyard Kids

2009-11-04T10:18:00.002-05:00

Melissa and the staff are out in the courtyard of our home preparing for the first afternoon of Courtyard Kids. As they are setting up the flags, teaching props, and games; the kids are outside waiting to be let in. The doors do not open for another 45 minutes and there are already 35 kids waiting. We really have no clue how many kids will come, but my anticipation is that they will have their hands full.

Kids in Togo do not have to go to school on Wednesday afternoon, so it is a perfect time to teach them. The church in our front gazebo is meeting every Sunday evening and is geared towards the adults. Wednesday afternoon will be our time to reach out to the children in the community. Can't wait to have Mel tell you how it went.

Carl Wertz- land for Togo Palms property

2009-10-22T11:24:00.004-04:00

Carl Wertz was a man that most would consider a little on the frugal side. Ok, he passed frugal a long time ago. He would save things for 20 and 30 years even when he had duplicates of the same items. This is not from just one example, but from many different items. (chocolate, glasses, overalls and many more) He was even known for walking places instead of driving one of his two cars. He said that it cost too much for the gas money. It was not that he did not have the money, but that he refused to spend it.

Well, Mr Carl Wertz was my grandfather that passed away two night ago. I just found out about it this morning. I must say that we never spent much time together due to my growing up in Africa. Many would call him a hero for his role as medic in the Navy during WWII. He was one of the men that stormed Iwa Jima. For that alone, he deserves incredible honor.

My respect for him comes from his worldview and desire to advance the cause of Christ. When I was a child, he sent my family money to purchase the land for one of our first church plants. This church now has a building and is a beacon in its community. Just a few weeks ago while bed-ridden due to his cancer, he wrote out a check for 10,000 USD towards the land for Togo Palms. He understood that he could make an impact for Christ long after he has left this earth. There are two acres of land that will be used for years to come to tell people about the God that made a way for them.

I was recently told that he has given 5% of his total income to world missions since 1955. He was truly a man that believed in sacrificing his life so that others can hear about eternal life.

4 am blog

2009-10-16T00:42:00.005-04:00

I went to bed this evening at 8:20. Mel normally tries to get me to stay up, but it can be hard after a long day. Last night I gave in and went to bed even a few minutes earlier than my normal 9 pm. At 2 am I was wide awake, so decided to make a phone call back to the US. It is now 4:40 and I will probably stay up for the day. I was thinking about a conversation that I had yesterday and wanted to blog about it.

Ben and Victoire are two young guys that have been faithfully coming to Bible study on Sundays. Both trusted Christ as Savior this summer and earned their Bibles by memorizing John 3:1-21. Their father told them this week that they are no longer allowed to attend the study. He said that "that religion invokes the bad spirits." Their father called a friend to come over to the house and set the boys straight. The boys listened to what was being taught, and then asked to see proof in the Bible. The man had no answer for them, but said he would come back a week later. Based on the conversation, he will not find proof in the Bible because it is not there.

Please do pray for these to guys. They will truly face persecution from their families. Pray that God gives them the strength, courage, and wisdom to stand for truth.

Well, the sun is up, so I will get started on my day. (cup of coffee)

Kara and Dapoang trip

2009-10-07T04:51:00.005-04:00

I drove up to Kara on Sunday after the morning service. It took a solid eight hours because the road is so bad. (270 miles) On Monday, my father and I flew up to Dapaong (4 hour drive) to meet with two pastors. I spoke with them about the planning for the upcoming leadership conference. It was rather convenient because we left Kara at 2 p.m. and arrived back in Kara by 5 p.m.

Moussa brought us up to speed on what is happening in Somdina. This is the village that we held the evangelistic outreach in August. They said that most of the 74 people that have made decisions during the event have been very faithful in church. The church is now at a point where it is standing room only on Sunday mornings. They are now praying for the means to build another building. I believe it will be part of my father's plans to build in the next year.

I am back home in Aneho now and going to spend the rest of the week here. We will go up to Kpadape on Sunday for the morning service.

The tool store

2009-10-03T15:03:00.004-04:00

While most of my blog posts tend to be about positive things that are happening, I do not want to lead my readers to believe that life in Togo or ministry is perfect. It can be very frustrating at times. That is why I would like to write about the tool store experience.

I drove up to the tool store yesterday at about 2:20 p.m. to try to buy a list of about 5 items as follows: a kitchen sink, 4 lights, a box of light bulbs, two boxes of tile, and a water pump. The minute I drove up, there were three people that asked me what I was looking for. These are street vendors that try to find out what you are looking for, then attempt to sell you a comparable product, only it is rarely the same quality, color, or even same item. It takes them about 20 minutes to find the item, dust it off, buy it from someone else so they can sell it to you. (One example of their handiwork is they sell you paint that they have added paint thinner to. It makes it cheaper for them so there is more of a profit margin.)

Once I walked in the store I had to find people to help me with the items. The first few people I saw all told me to talk to someone else. Once I picked out the items I wanted, each department had to write an individual receipt. I carried the receipt book from sales person to sales person so that they could write down the item numbers. I asked the last person to give me a reduction on the price, so he took off about 20 percent. Had I not asked, he would not have bothered.

From there I walked with my receipt book up to the counter to pay. The man took my money and stamped a "paid" stamp on the receipt. I then took the stamped receipt to another counter where they were to deliver my supplies. This man kindly gave me two of the items. I was told to go across the street for the tile and water pump. Once I arrived across the street, I was told they were in another depot, down by the beach somewhere. I want back to the main store where they told me they would give me the displayed porcelain kitchen sink, but it was not in a box. (the one in the depot was not in a box either)

I asked a salesman to wrap the sink in cardboard and I would tip him. I then had a motorcycle taxi take my receipt down the road to find the two boxes of tile. Once I came back an hour later, the tile and sink were outside of the department store with the night guard. The store was closed, it was 6 p.m. and I finally had my 5 items. It took about 3 hours, but at least we accomplished the goal.

Please understand that I do have a smile on my face right now, so this incident has not ruined my life. And yes, I am sure I will be back to the tool store again soon....not because I miss it, but because there are only two in Lome and the other one is not any more efficient. I do have an overwhelming desire to help them to streamline the process and get rid of the bottlenecks. Ha. On that note, I will head to bed for the night.

Ge/Mina, Frank, and Victoria

2009-09-23T10:05:00.004-04:00

I had my first Mina lesson this morning with my language professor. We are meeting twice a week for two hours each time. I now have a ton of homework to work on. (7-9 am)

Frank texted me to tell me he had a question for me. We had originally met at the basketball tournament that was held this summer in Aneho. He moved to Togo from Nigeria so that he can learn French. Right now he only speaks English and Ewe.

Today, as I drove up to the basketball court, Frank was waiting for me under the tree just as we had arranged. He asked me one question. "The Bible states in the ten commandments not to serve any idols, but my church tells me to worship the idols in the church, what do I do?"

We set on the bricks and talked about God's love, grace, and perfect gift of salvation. About an hour later Frank bowed is head and trusted Christ as Savior. We are meeting on Friday morning to study together. I am truly excited as he will be attending a private university in Lome to learn French. I pray he will let his light shine. (11:30-12:30 pm)

We are headed to Togoville in an hour to go visit Victoria. She is the 14 year old orphan girl that trusted Christ this summer. She asked us to go meet her 85 year old grandmother. Will keep you posted on how it goes. (3:30-6:30 pm)

Sunday in Kpadape and Aneho

2009-09-21T04:22:00.004-04:00

Most of last week was spent trying to help a missionary friend get his vehicle out of port and registered. It took him ten days to get everything done. Sometimes you just can't beat the system no matter how hard you try.

Yesterday (Sunday) I went to Kpadape while Jonas stayed to teach in Aneho. The service in Kpadape went very well. Koffi, the leader of Kpadape is up in Kara (where I grew up and where my dad runs the institute) where he is finishing his institute courses. The time in Kpadape consisted of a church service, measuring doorways for the steel doors to be welded, meeting with the men of the church, and planning to take out a few palm trees so we can play soccer at the church.

I do believe God will continue doing great things in and through the church in Kpadape. The village is slated to get electricity this year. It should drastically change the dynamic of the village. The young people will not move to cities when they finish school, land prices will go up, and people from the nearby cities will build their retirement homes in the village.

Last night we had Bible study at our home in Aneho. There were five guys that came and the discussion was extremely thought provoking. When it came time for prayer requests, one guy talked about how hard it is for him to pray at night. His neighbors all worship voodoo and black magic. They are extremely loud and he said it is hard for him to concentrate. Each person is growing at a different pace and learning different things. Rather busy day, but extremely exciting.

Well, it is Monday morning, so I am going to get busy.

Togoville

2009-09-12T16:22:00.003-04:00

I spent yesterday afternoon getting acquainted with an old friend. It had been a really long time since I had a long motorcycle ride. The Honda was my motorcycle in high school. I rode up near Tabligbo. It is a city that we would like to plant a church in one day. There is just something about riding by the beach, then through a jungle/marsh area. It also gave me time to clear my head and ride by so many villages that do not have churches. Extremely relaxing and thought provoking at the same time.

Just made it home a little bit ago from Togoville. Jonas, Maz, Jon Huff, Junior, and myself spent a few hours passing out tracts and witnessing. There are three older men that I am going to go back to see tomorrow afternoon.

Leadership Camp Training

2009-09-07T10:47:00.002-04:00

The last few days have been spent in Aneho trying to plan for the fall and Christmas time. We are working towards a leadership camp from December 26 through December 31st. It will be an invitation only camp focused on our cream of the crop young people from various churches. We really want to poor into the up and coming leaders.

Melissa has spent the last two days helping a boy named Joshua. He is a pastor's son that is 14 years old and can't read. He lives in a small city where education is not extremely advanced. He has simply fallen through the cracks in the education system. She has been teaching him the alphabet. I wish you could see the look on his face as he is learning and realized he is not destined to fail. They will work together for the next three days or so before he heads back home. Hopefully his father will be picking him up so he can learn how to better help Joshua.

The Bible study went well last night on our front gazeebo. There were about 8 guys there. This is the teaching and discipling that will become the church in Aneho.

Well, it is almost three pm and the stores should be open for business. (They close from 12-3 every day). Still waiting patiently for internet.

Somdina Evangelistic Outreach

2009-08-21T04:17:00.003-04:00

Melissa and I are back from Kara/Somdina. It was a very profitable time working with Moussa and the church in Somdina. We went out to the village on Thursday to play soccer and invite people for the following night. Throughout the afternoon, we were able to share Christ with about 40 people. Everyone had very good questions and decided to think about what they had been taught.

Friday night we showed the Jesus film in French and translated into Kabye. Jonas taught for 20 minutes and did a good job. 30 people placed their faith in Jesus.

Saturday night we showed "The Hope." It is a French film about creation all the way till Jesus. I taught from 2 Corinthians then Jonas led the invitation. 30 more people trusted Christ.

On Sunday morning there were many first time visitors and 14 people trusted Christ when Moussa preached. The church is working hard to begin discipling the young believers. Please pray for them as they have a young leader in the institute who is doing a great job.

I am currently in Ghana where I dropped my mom off at the airport. My grandfather has terminal cancer and does not have much longer. She is going back to take care of him. When Melissa and I get home, we will be watching a basketball tournament tomorrow. (Saturday) These are the guys in Aneho that we have been working with. I want them to know that we care.

We should have internet at our house in the next week or four. I know the satellite dishes are now in the country. We just have to convince them that we actually want one.

Evangelistic Outreach in Somdina (Kara)

2009-08-10T09:21:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went up to Kpadape to speak on Sunday morning, then to spend the evening with some pastors from the north. The pastors had a one week conference where they traveled from church to church. Most of the pastors had never seen the other's works. I believe the time was extremely productive and encouraging for them.

Melissa and I will be headed up to Kara on Wednesday for an evangelistic campaign. Pastor Moussa asked us to help him with this a few months ago. The area is a recent church plant started out of Pastor Moussa's church. We will be headed up there with the Togo Palms staff. The weekend will include soccer, speaking, and a few evangelistic films. Moussa, Jonas, and I will be doing the speaking. Please pray that God works in this village in a great way.

God has really been working in people's lives. Sunday there were seven people that trusted Christ as Savior in Kpadape. This week there were three guys that gave their life to Christ in Togoville. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Aneho Basketball Tournament 2009

2009-08-01T12:34:00.003-04:00

We have concluded our first basketball camp and tournament in Aneho, Togo. We could not be more pleased with the turn out. There were about 25 participants in both the camp and the tournament. Most of the guys have never had any coaching whatsoever. They seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

Two weeks before the tournament, a few American volunteers painted the court and replaced the backboard. The courts are at a public school. The Togolese students told us the school was built in 1974. To the looks of it, the courts had not had a makeover since. Some of the students thanked us for fixing up the courts for them.

Two friends from college flew over to run the camp and tournament. One of the guys is an employee of Titus Sports Academy (www.titussports.com) in Jacksonville, FL. He trains college bound athletes. I want to say a special thanks to the many individuals and organizations in the US that helped with this tournament. Liberty University's basketball camp donated basketballs, a high school donated jerseys, and many individuals sacrificed to help send the two coaches. The two guys did a fabulous job.

This tournament was held about a half a mile from our home. This is the neighborhood we are looking to plant a church. We are looking to strengthen the relationships that were made during the tournament. The guys have been very open to the gospel.

As of right now, we are looking to run another basketball camp and tournament in July of 2010. I would love to have a few basketball coaches help us with this event next year. As for pictures, we have an album on my facebook.com account. (jj alderman)

Basketball Camp Prep

2009-07-11T13:28:00.001-04:00

Next week we will begin our first basketball camp that is followed by a second week of tournaments. These last two days have been spent on the basketball court trying to repair the court and basketball hoops. Yesterday was a very good day for meeting people and getting to know the community. The tournament will be held in Aneho. Please pray for this event as it is laying groundwork for the church plant here.

Ecclesiastes and God's Timing

2009-07-11T13:26:00.000-04:00

Melissa and I woke up on Saturday and got ready to travel up to the church in Kpadape. We have our summer interns with us as well as a short-term trip. Our goal was to arrive in Kpadape in time to play a soccer game with the young people. The trip was rather uneventful, so I listened to a podcast message about the book of Ecclesiastes. About an hour south of the village, I saw a stream of black smoke. We pulled over as behind about twenty vehicles parked on the side of the road. The looks on people’s faces served as on omen. A five-passenger vehicle had gone over the bridge and was in flames. Two victims had already been killed. I thought the three bodies on the side of the road meant it was a total loss. A movement from one of victims showed that they were alive. Two of the three were severely burned. All had broken bones. I ran to get Jonas. I told him it was our responsibility to share Christ with them right away. Jonas shared with one of the men while we cleared out the back of the van. The closest hospital was about 30 minutes away. We put a man and a lady in our van. We stopped a car and had them take the third man. Jonas and Naka started witnessing to both of the victims in our van. Both gave their life to Christ. The man’s first comment after trusting Christ was, “ the other two in the car did know Jesus before they died.” Jonas and Naka sang songs about God’s love and the blood of Jesus for the rest of the trip.

When we arrived to the hospital, both of our victims were still breathing. The third man had slipped into eternity. That was when Jonas told me that he had trusted Christ while still on the side of the road. All three had given their lives to Christ. We ended up moving them to a missionary hospital about 4 hours later and stayed with them until about 11 pm. Please pray for our next encounter with these people. I believe they will come to our home in Aneho. We know that one of the wives is a believer, but have not been able to ask the other family members. We are looking to share with them when they arrive.

So the interesting part of the story was that the car had left a funeral on Saturday morning. The deceased was a believer and had a preacher to do the funeral. The preacher shared the gospel message both Friday and Saturday. He even said, “some might not even make it home tomorrow.” A family member who attended the funeral continued to tell me about what had gone on. I proceeded to mention the podcast I had been listening to. When I talked about it, he interrupted me with “Ecclesiastes 3.” It was so awesome to be talking to a believer. This man rejoiced when he heard the three had trusted Christ. God truly did have his perfect plan so that these people could have one more opportunity. I was reminded about His timing, even when times are hard.

Cobra in the Grass

2009-06-09T16:33:00.003-04:00

This blog won't be the longest of all time. I am in Accra to pick up my sister Stephanie. She will be staying with us for the next 7 weeks, and we are pretty excited about it.

I stopped the car on the ride over yesterday to use the restroom. I happened to be traveling in shorts and flip flops, because it was a rather warm day. I got almost to my destination which was behind a large tree, when I saw a 6 ft cobra. Thankfully, I saw him before he saw me. I made a run for the car and decided to stay closer to the road. I always look for snakes while in tall grass, but this one time he was there.

Well, headed off the the airport.

Weekend in Kpadape

2009-06-07T13:28:00.003-04:00

We are on the way back from Kpadape right now. We stopped in Lome for a minute, then have one more hour to get to Aneho.

God truly showed up last night in Kpadape. The church had spend time cutting the soccer field by hand, inviting the village, and preparing meals. We began on the school soccer field at about 3 pm with games. When we began the film at 7:30 last night, there were somewhere between 400-500 people. At the end of the film, we had believers ready to deal with the guests. There were about 50 people that stayed behind to ask questions. At the end of last night, there were 35 people that trusted Christ. I was able to personally lead 16 people to Christ yesterday.

Since Monday, we have seen 71 people trust Christ as Savior. Each one has been dealt with one on one. This week we will be working on following up on them.

This morning, the church in Kpadape had about 40 visitors. Please pray that these people will come to a full understanding of Jesus and salvation.

Thanks so much for your prayers. God has truly blessed in amazing ways.

35 Saved last night in Togoville

2009-06-06T04:19:00.002-04:00

We have had 20 people with us from our home church in Jacksonville, Fl. We starting by playing games in Aneho on Monday afternoon. At the end of the gospel presentation, a young guy named Emmanuel told me he had questions. He walked to our home with us and sat in the gazeebo. Our conversation lasted about an hour and a half. At the end, he said he had never heard a clear explanation of the gospel before. He bowed his head and trusted Christ on Monday night.

Last night we traveled an hour to get to Togoville. The afternoon opened up with games in the school yard. The Trinity youth group did an incredible job in running games, handing out prizes, and loving on the kids. At dark, we showed the Jesus film in Ewe. We paused in the middle to explain salvation and forgiveness. We continued the film until about 9:15 pm. At the end, we closed the event and asked people to come forward if they had any questions. There were over eighty people that came forward with questions. There were 33 that gave their lives to Christ last night. These are people that we have contact information for and will follow up with. The plan is to start teaching the people this week.

While Jonas was dealing with the people in the front, I had the privilege of talking with two young men named David and Dodji. David told me he did not go to church, but had heard that Jesus did miracles. We looked at my Bible using a flashlight, then both bowed their heads and trusted Christ as Savior. I will go back to Togoville to meet with them this week.

All this to say, God has truly worked this week. We have seen 36 people trust Christ. He has kept the rain away while we were outdoors, and given us safety on the road.

I am currently at a hotel sending out this blog. We are on the way to Kpadape to do the same games and a film this evening. Please pray God works in incredible ways tonight.

Soccer player trusted Christ

2009-05-26T06:47:00.000-04:00

We have now been in our house for about three weeks. It has been great to finally have a place to call home. Melissa and I had a conversation at dinner tonight about how long things take. One example has been her appliances for cooking. We brought a stove from the US. As I was trying to convert it from natural gas to propane, I saw that two screws are missing. Most of the time, this would not be a big deal. I drove into Lome to find these two screws. Absolutely none in Lome. She has upgraded her cooking from the camping stove to the burner on the grill out back. I am trying to find a way to get these two little screws from the US. Two months and counting for Mel without a stove.

Jonas, myself, and a few others have been playing soccer at the beach lately. Jonas has had three excellent conversations with a guy named Tata. Jonas went over to Tata’s house and sat in his room. Tata had been weighing his decision around what to do with his idols in his room. While Tata was bowing his head and praying to trust Christ, his father came in and picked up the idols and walked out. Jonas is now planning a rendezvous with Tata’s father to share Christ. Please pray for Tata that he grows as a young Christian, as well as his father’s salvation.

The youth group from our home church in Jacksonville will be with us in about a week. We are planning a big day in the village church of Kpadape. The afternoon will include games, prizes, and a Christian film. There are 6000 in the village, so please pray that we have a great turnout and that God works in an incredible way.

Well, I am headed out the door right now to drive up to Kara with Mazema. We are picking up some supplies, as well as meeting with a pastor along the way. Will try to blog again in a few days.

Home in Aneho

2009-04-29T08:33:00.002-04:00

Mel and I are excited to have moved into our home in Aneho. He have lots of work to do, but it is a nice feeling after being "homeless" for two months. We have spent the last two nights on mattresses on the floor. We do have a fan, so that helps us win the war against the mosquitos. We are working to put screens on the windows this week, which should be possible if the carpenter stays on schedule.

Our container arrived in port last Friday, but Monday and Friday of this week are both holidays. It should be out some time next week, God willing. We are praying that the port authorities do not demand too high of taxes.

I got a call from my father a few days ago. Both of my parents are in the US for a few weeks. He went to see his doctor, and the tests showed that he has kidney cancer. The plan right now is to take one of the kidneys out next Wednesday. Please keep this in your prayers, as it is on our minds. I did tell all of the pastors here that he is sick, and every church took time in the services to pray for him.

This weekend Mel and I will be up in the church in Kpadape. I will be preaching the second sermon on the life of Joseph.

Well, I had better run because Mel is at the house in Aneho working and I drove about 1hr 20 min to get here. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement.

Living the Dream

2009-04-17T16:01:00.002-04:00

This evening we drove about 40 minutes to get to a hotel on the Ghana border that has free internet along with the purchase of a beverage. I ordered a double shot of espresso and am watching a rugby match. Life in Africa is changing drastically.....for the better in most ways.

Melissa and I have been staying in Lome at a guest house. We found a home to in Aneho to rent, but it has never been lived in since it was built in 1994. You can imagine the fun cleaning and repairs that are being done right now. We are so thankful because the house will work great and it is 15 minutes from the Togo Palms camp property.

Melissa and I were in Kara last week for a few days picking up some supplies. We were also able to spend a few days in ministry while there. I was able to preach in the Kara prison and we had one man named Agouda trust Christ as Savior. I met another believer in the prison and encouraged them to pray together and study their Bibles.

Easter weekend was spent in the village church of Kpadape. This is a church that was started a few years ago with the help and influence of Rene Agbeli. The church has quite a few hurdles to overcome to reach their village for Christ. I have committed to preach in the church once a month for at least the next year. It is about a 3 hour drive from Aneho and Togoville. We are planning a village wide day of games and evangelism in June. We are praying that half of the population of 6,000 people will participate. Melissa and I will be back up there in one week to continue planning for this event.

We have been able to hire the first couple Togo Palms staff members over the last few days. These people will be working with us to run the mobile camps this year. We are so excited about what God has been doing in their lives.

Well, I had better head home in a minute. Thank you so much for your prayers.

JJ and Melissa

We have arrived in Africa!

2009-03-24T07:01:00.002-04:00

We safely arrived in Accra, Ghana late last night. We had smooth flights the entire way from the States. This morning we are looking around Accra a bit, then onto Lome, Togo. We are so thankful for all your encouragement and prayers. We know that God is giving us strength and peace during this amazing transition. Truly, we are blessed and excited about all that God is preparing even now! We'll keep you all posted with all that is going to be happening in the immediate days to come... signing off, Melissa

A Few Last Conferences

2009-02-07T18:43:00.002-05:00

I am just about to walk out the door to head towards church this evening. I am in New Mexico in a missions conference and will be flying back home on Monday. Melissa is back in Jacksonville working really hard to pack up the house. We will be driving to Shreveport, LA on Friday for a conference. We are definitely excited about the home stretch. Please pray that God will finish bringing in the support. We currently have 91 % coming in monthly. Thank you so much for your part.

60 Days Till Togo

2009-01-14T08:07:00.004-05:00

As Melissa and I have been planning and looking at the calendar, we are anticipating to leave for Togo on March 20th. It is only 60 days away and we are so excited. We have watched God provide in so many incredible ways over the years. We are embarking on the next stage of this journey. It seems like there is always a hurdle to overcome, and this one is the hurdle of finances to relocate. We have a few priorities in order to move to Togo.

We are looking for plane tickets and will purchase them as soon as the finances are provided. Our plan is to ship the container the first week of March. This means all the appliances and supplies must be purchased in order to send the container. Lastly, the 4x4 is a must in order to reach these villages in Togo. The rainy season washes out many of the roads. We are confident that God will provide.

As we celebrate the current victories, we must also stay focused on the road ahead. I am not sure of the origin of this quote which states, "Enjoy the journey, because the goal is only a mirage." This quote keeps me focused on this amazing earthly journey as a Christ Follower.

Our biggest request is your prayers. We cannot begin to thank you enough.

JJ Alderman

Christmas Preparations

2008-12-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

As we have entered into what most consider the "Christmas season", I have tried to get myself into the holiday spirit. I had a teacher many years ago that encouraged me to learn something new about the Christmas story every year. This year I am focusing on the wise men. It is quite interesting to me that they were already looking up in the sky when they saw the bright light. It is as if they were searching for something, whether it be simple knowledge or for the possibility that there was something more. I do still have 18 more days to continue to contemplate this angle of Christ's birth.

The amazing thing about Christmas is that we are celebrating Christ's birth. The sad reality is that there are millions in the world who still do not know He came. We will pass around gifts in two weeks as we remember His gift to us. Unfortunately, millions do not have a reason to celebrate or give gifts. Well you help us give people a reason to celebrate? Let us tell this generation that He came and gave the greatest gift of all.

2008-12-03T08:11:00.002-05:00

Melissa and I have finished our busy fall run of conferences and meetings. The progress on the support has been going very well. We have 86% of our support coming in. We are looking at March 20th for our departure to Togo. Please pray that the remaining 14% comes in so we can leave.

We are now at the point of making lists of everything that must be accomplished before we leave. We forget how convenient it can be to go to a Target or just walk into our local bank. Most of these things can still be taken care of, but it just takes some preparation.

We are headed out to Melissa's parents home for Christmas this year. This will be our last Christmas in Kansas for quite a while.

I will definitely keep you up to date when we solidify our dates and have concrete plans. In the mean time, thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. It allows us to do what we do.

New England trip

2008-09-29T08:29:00.003-04:00

I have had a busy last week. I was able to speak in two churches in New England last weekend. It was kind of a quick trip, but extremely profitable. I flew in on Saturday, spoke two Sunday morning services, drove four hours from Cape Cod to Maine to speak in the evening service. After the evening service, I turned around and drove four more hours back to the airport where I flew out at six am on Monday. I must say it was still much easier than driving on dirt roads in Africa.

On a different note, I have been reading quite a bit on Islam lately. As this is the fastest growing religion in Africa, we have seen a large increase in numbers over the last few years. I am trying to learn all that I can to be able to reach out to them and show them the love of Christ. The key is still reaching the young people before they are taught lies that carry with it false hope.

Several Accepted God's Free Gift of Grace

2008-08-17T23:16:00.008-04:00

I am back in the US and trying to recover from the jet lag. It seems to have really gotten me this trip. I have so many good things to tell you about. I am going to try to split them up over the next few days. We had a few days that we spent in Togoville. The first day we went to walk around the camp property, and then jumped into a pick-up game of soccer by the local high school. While a few from our group played, a few others walked around and talked with people.

A man walked up to me and asked for the papers I was passing out, so I gave him a stack of tracts. I did not think much of it and entered into a conversation with a young guy named Kokou. As the conversation turned to spiritual things, he became more interested. When he understood God's gift of salvation, we made our way away from the crowd near the parked van. Just before he bowed his head, Martin, who I had met earlier, came over to tell me he was all out of tracts. I asked him to go back and finish reading the one I had given him and then I would speak with him. Just a moment later, Kokou bowed his head and gave his life to Christ.

I made my way across the street to the mechanic's shop and talked with Martin. He told me he understood that there is a God that created everything, and that we as people need to have a relationship with Him. I was able to share with Martin how to have that relationship and he gave his life to Christ a few moments later. We were able to return to Togoville the following day and give them both French Bibles.

Jonas also had an opportunity to share with a few people, and a man named Loran trusted Christ as Savior. Loran has helped Rene coordinate the land transaction in Togoville since the beginning. We all celebrated over the victories of the past few days.

There are areas of Togo where the people are more receptive than others. Some of this has to do with the people groups, religious views, vocations, and traditions. It has been a very long time since I have seen a group of people so eager to hear the truth. I firmly believe it is because of your prayers. Please continue to pray that God will work in the hearts of the people in Togoville. Our plan right now is to plant the first church in Togoville. This will be a strategic launching pad for the other churches in the near vicinity.