We’ve been thinking a lot about death lately.  With the earthquake and the tsunami that hit Japan and killed so many, most people who were killed had been going about their normal day to day routines and thinking that they had many more days left in their lives.  Michael’s brother, Charles, died in Feb almost 10 years after a lung transplant for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  Even though he had a terminal illness, it is still hard to lose a family member.  And one of our missionary acquaintances with SIL, Mary Gardener, who has lived in Togo for 20 years, was killed in a bomb explosion while waiting for a bus in Jerusalem.  She was in Israel to learn Hebrew so that she could finish the Bible translation that she’d been working on.  She did not plan to die that day.  And we see death almost every day here at our hospital in Togo, as we have so many sick people who come our way.  People arrive at the hospital many times too late to be helped physically.   All these things turn our thoughts to death.  Have you thought about the end of your life lately?   We’re all born to die.  As soon as we’re born, we should be taught that we’re going to die one day.  We just don’t know when.   Since we’re all going to die, we should all be prepared and live like today is our last day on earth.  For us, the worst thing that can happen to one of our loved ones is to die eternally separated from God.  We do long for the days that we’ll have “no more tears or sorrows,” but we also want to keep living our lives here on earth for His Glory!  We don’t want to be morbid, but we do want to encourage you to think about your future and make sure that you’re right with God as you don’t know when your day to die will be.   We are in the process of preparing for our West Africa Regional Conference that is held every 3-4 years in Africa.  This year, it will be in the Gambia where we will have great fellowship and teachings as all the W. Africa ABWE missionaries come together.  We leave Togo (we’ve all got “substitutes” to cover for us while we’re gone) on April 9th and return on April 16th.  Then on April 20th, the Gayles will leave Togo for the States and our mini-furlough of 3 ½ months.  We’ve already set up our churches and our visitation schedule.  Please pray that the needed medical coverage for Michael’s furlough will be covered.  We still have some medical and surgical holes.  If you’re interested, please let us know!   The work here continues to be tough but rewarding.  We’ve had the blessings of short-termers who have come through lately who have helped to make Dr. Russ Ebersole’s absence bearable.  Dr. Ebersole continues to heal and recuperate.  His family is getting ready to leave the field on April 4th to join him.  After his medical leave is finished, they will start on their normal furlough.    We are excited about the new nursing class that is starting in May.  The new students are being selected this week.  Please pray for those who are in charge of selecting the students.  It’s a tough job and one that we appreciate them doing very much.  This new class will go for at least 3 years and many will be trained to go to Mango and help with the new hospital up north.    The church plant of Tsavié continues to grow.  There has been another new believer’s class started.  They also had to add another thatched area for the older kids Sunday School.  We look forward to the building of the church building next year.  Pray for all those details to work out.  Also pray for the 3 villages that the Evangelical Mobile Medical Clinics have been working in since Jan.  We’ve had a few accept Christ in each village.  Now we have to work on Bible Studies and discipling.  Pray for wisdom in all things!   If you’d like to know more about making sure that your relationship with God is “right,” then please let us know or your pastor or other trusted Christian friend.  It is our desire that your eternity is a wonderful one.   For His Glory,     Michael & Cheryl Gayle, ABWE, Togo Medical Ministry and Church Planting