Feb/March 2011
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