Ndjole

So we're starting late this morning, probably around 9 or 10 which is the reason I can post this in the morning.  Anyway, we were at a village called Ndjole (en-JOEL-lay) all weekend to scout it out for a work project and housing, which is about 3 1/2 hours south of Libreville.  This is the location of the church that the ACAC (my home church) team will partner with when they come down at the end of July.  The pastor of the church is named Phillipe and he has a wife (Verdine) and 3-year old son (Arnold).  He was sent to Ndjole 3 years ago to a small church (7 people to be exact) and basically no home or running water.  Today, however, the church is about 100 people and he has built a home adjacent to the church, but still no running water.  So, like most of Africa, they have a shack: one side has a square hole in the ground which is the toilet and the other side has a couple of buckets of water in it which is the shower.  Not bad, but can you imagine living with that for the last 3 years?

Enter ACAC team because part of their job will be to install a water line from the original pipe to the pastor's house.  This is a huge distance, probably about 250 meters, but definitely a do-able distance.  So we will dig the hole for the pipe and then run the pipe to the house and install 2 each of toilets and showers.  Also, Phillipe just planted a third church and is in the process of building it.  We need to put the roof on the building.  Not much to say about that, I guess.

That's about it.  This week is basically dedicated to working on the renovations of the house so that it is ready to house teams in about a month.  Also, the last 2 interns arrive here on Saturday night, but they are both girls...  I think I'm counting down the days until the first guys arrive on a team.  Just kidding, the other interns are awesome people.  Plus, they might be reading this...

Lastly, please continue to pray for the teams that will come down at the end of the month.  Pray that communication would go well so that they are ready to "hit the ground running" when they get here.  Preparation of their hearts and minds and the knowledge that they are God's hands and feet.  Thanks.

Above are some pictures of the Ndjole. (first one of the bathroom shack, second of the church which is adjacent to Phillipe's house, and the last of Ndjole but only a part of the village)