PADGETTS IN TOGO

CWE

2012-02-02T09:38:00.002-05:00

It is a great pleasure for Katrina and I to have teams from CWE (Construction for World Evangelism)here in Togo all this month. It was with this organization that we went on our first mission's trips way back in 1995 and again in 1997. Those trips to the Amazon jungle were life changing experiences for us that God obviously used to light the flame of cross-cultural missions in our hearts.
This month, CWE is here in Togo to build two churches. One in the village of Tsavie (pronounced Cha-vee-ay) and the other up the mountain in Koudragon. ( Koo-drau-gon)
I was able to go out to the jobsite with the team this past Tuesday adn it was alot of fun. There are 16 men and 3 ladies on this team. There are 4 one week teams coming to build these churches and then on week four go out and do an evangelistic mobile medical clinic. Pray for safety and completion of these projects during the tie CWE is here.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T08:13:00.002-05:00

This week we celebrated Thanksgiving with our missionary family here in Togo. We welcomed our friends from Kpalime on Wednesday afternoon for a team meeting followed by dinner and then praise and prayer time. Then on Thursday, we had our main Thanksgiving meal at lunch time. There were a total of 43 people including all the kids. Then it was time for resting, swimming or whatever we wanted on a holiday afternoon. We wrapped up the celebration with leftovers on Thursday evening for dinner. Despite the fact that we were not with out own families, didn't watch any football , or do black Friday planning, it was a pretty good Thanksgiving. God is so Good!!!

Saying Goodbye to Mom

2011-10-08T16:39:00.003-04:00

Well, this weekend we all traveled to Accra, Ghana to say good bye to my mom after her 3 week visit with us. It is a long trip here, about 8 hours with some bathroom and shopping stops. We came on Friday so we could have a day to rest and show mom around Accra before her late Saturday night flight. There is a really nice mall here where we took the kids to play and eat at the food court (imagine that). Today we drove down by the ocean to see the beach(there really wasn't one) and to visit a good bakery that a fellow missionary said was really good. Well they were out of everything by the time we got there. So our morning and early afternoon was a bust but we came back to the guest house and made ham and cheese sandwiches. After resting for a while we ate an early dinner and then took mom to the airport.
I think mom had a great visit overall. She was smart and wrote in her journal every night before bed. She kept saying during her trip that she wasn't sure how she was going to explain or describe things to people back home. Pictures just don't do justice sometimes, but she has alot anyway.
Mom, I love you and thank you very much for taking the incredible effort to come see your son and his family in Africa. I hope it was all you imagined and more.
BTW- This picture is of my mom standing by our church's baptism pool.

Jadon's Birthday

2011-10-02T10:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Jadon's 7th birthday. we are grateful that my mom is able to be here for a couple birthdays in our family. It was a long, fun day which started with pecan and banana pancakes. MMmmmmm! Before lunch, we loaded up and headed for the Ghana waterfall to hike and spend the afternoon. What we found when we arrived was a violent overflowing splendor due to the heavy rains we have had lately. I have been to the falls several times and never have seen them like this. Unfortunately, it was too rough for the kids to play in the water (Adi was scared to death). So we spent some time watching and eating lunch and then headed back. Last night, we had a bonfire in the back yard and the kids roasted hot dogs and smores. There was a big group of friends and fellow missionaries that came out for a beautiful evening.

New School Year

2011-09-29T07:46:00.002-04:00

After an extra long summer vacation this year, the kids finally started school yesterday with "Aunt Kelly". They were very excited to have other classmates this year. William, Grant, and Luke DeKryger joined Sydney and Jadon in their class this year. We are hoping a little student competition will be a good thing this year, especially for Sydney. She has not been challenged too much by school so far but is always wanting to be the best. Please pray for the kids as they embark on another year of learning. Katrina , my mom, and I walked them up to school yesterday and we all gathered around the flagpole to dedicate the school year with prayer. It was really awesome. Kelly told the kids her goal for them this year was of course to learn but also for them all to be a little more like Christ at the end of the year.

Visit from Mom

2011-09-21T10:37:00.004-04:00

We are very excited to have my mom visiting for 3 weeks. I went to Accra, Ghana to pick her up this past Friday and then drove the 6 hour journey back to HBB on Saturday.It was an interesting trip as always going through border crossings and pot holes the size of VWs. On Monday my mom accompanied me to see patients for the morning and Tuesday she went and did some casting with Katrina. She plans to see some surgeries while here as well. Friday we will travel to Lome so she can experience a typical shopping trip and airport pickup. We will update you again as her visit continues.
Blessings to all of you!!

Saying Goodbye to Grandma Jessie

2011-07-15T13:49:00.002-04:00

This past week the team here at HBB had to say goodbye once again to "Grandmaa Jessie". Jessie has been an inspiration to us all and has a heart full of love for the Togalese people, especially the children. We spoke to many of you during our preparations for this trip about Jessie. She is a retired school teacher who decided God was not finished with her and came to Togo as a "short term" missionary in her mid 70s. We first met her when we visited back in 2006 and she has continued to come back every year to help with the Christian school ministry. She was Maddox's primary teacher this year for preschool as well. Jessie is not sure what her future plans will hold. Since we just celebrated her 80th birthday, she is taking each school year at a time and praying how God can use her next. We miss you already Jessie and hope you have a great break.

4th of July

2011-07-04T19:24:00.006-04:00

Well today we celebrated the 4th of July with a large gathering at HBB. We have been blessed the past few weeks with many "short termers" so we had over 60 people on the compound for a fun time of games, singing and sharing, and of course... FOOD!!!!
The kids had some relay games with eggs and water balloons and then the old folks joined them for wiffle ball and then volleyball.
I was very excited to start a big bonfire for cooking hot dogs and smores. Can you say "sugar coma"? We topped the evening off with a group that came over to watch Independence Day.
We are so grateful that even though we are abroad at this time that God blessed us so much in giving us a wonderful home and life in the US. Living here has given us a greater appreciation for the overwhelming abundance of blessings God has graciously poured out on our country. Let's not forget to thank Him everyday for what He has given us.

One Year in Togo

2011-06-27T07:06:00.002-04:00

Well it was one year ago today that we were scrambling around like crazy trying to finish packing and moving out of our apartment in Cary, NC. We had both sets of parents there as well as siblings, nieces and nephews, and of course our special friends who made all of this possible. We would never have gotten out of that apartment if it weren't for all the help we received that week.
It is hard to believe that was one year ago. I still remember driving to DC that night, stopping at BoJangles to eat along the way and the realization hitting Kat and I that we were actually DOING what we had talked about for so long. Our prayer was that God would give us a memorable last couple of days and not complete chaos. He certainly answered our prayer.
What can I say about the last year other than God's faithfulness and goodness to our family has been overwhelming. I can say that we have been thriving here in Togo, not just hanging on for dear life. That alone is something to be so thankful for. We have met so many precious friends and have had so many awesome experiences doing His work. It is very difficult at times missing and wanting to be with family and friends back home. We are thankful that at least we can email and call but it certainly is not the same as a good camping trip or wing night.
Please continue to pray for us as we head into year # 2 here in Togo. There is so much more we want to accomplish in our time here and we know this 2nd year will go by even faster than the first. We want to accomplish all that God has for us.

How Can God Use You?

2011-06-21T17:10:00.002-04:00

As I walked into the guesthouse dining room this evening for our weekly Tuesday night prayer meeting, I was blown away by the size of the group assembled together. My family has been gone for a few days and quite a few new faces were staring back at me. As is usually the custom when we have a lot of visitors, we all had a chance to introduce ourselves and tell the rest of the group where we were from and what it is we are doing in Togo. I couldn't help but be totally amazed at the vast number and array of talents displayed in our midst. So while everyone was singing I glanced around the room and made a listing of all the different ways people were serving God here in Togo. Here is what I came up with...maintenance/construction, administration, hospitality, nursing, nursing educator, doctor, therapist, school teacher, school teacher trainers, photography, printing, graphic design, IT/computers, finance. As I read this list, what is noticeably absent are pastor, evangelist, church planter..... Although we are all called to evangelize, God has equipped us all with different gifts and yet still is using us to accomplish His global purpose of making disciples of every nation. So I ask you again..how can God use you???

A Month to Celebrate

2011-06-19T14:00:00.003-04:00

This weekend we are away at the beach for a couple days of R&R. We are here to celebrate our 18 year anniversary as well as Father's Day and the kids finishing their school year. It will be nice to have a couple days of "higher" speed internet as well. Please pray that the weather holds out for us and that we stay safe while here at the beach.

Summer Vacation

2011-06-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

This week Sydney, Jadon and Maddox officially finished their first year of school here in Togo. How exciting for them. I'm sure we can all remember the thrill of that last day of school and then FREEDOM for a few months. Well Sydney and Jadon had a half day that included cooking their own lunch at school (mac & cheese, green beans, and graham crackers with icing and sprinkles). Then we celebrated that with banana pancakes for dinner and a movie night. MMMMmmmm! We thank and praise God for working out all the details for school this year. As you may remember, their teacher had a bout with cancer at the end of last summer which delayed her getting here. She has been healthy all winter and spring which we praise God for. Please pray for her as she travels back to the states in July for a final checkup before diving into the next school year here in Togo.

Our First Family Visit

2011-06-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

We were thrilled to have Katrina's parents come out to visit for 2 weeks last month. After many months of planning, they arrived in Accra, Ghana and were met by Kat, Sydney and a couple other missionary ladies from HBB. They arrived here in Tsiko later that night. We had a busy schedule planned while they were here. Doug had the opportunity to preach at two different Togalese churches as well as share the gospel at halftime of a Futbol (soccer) match. The Lord blessed all of those times and gave us great responses. We also got to go hiking to a couple different waterfalls in the area. Katrina also took her mom on a shopping day to Lome which is always an adventure. Overall, we had a wonderful time that went by way too fast, as it always does.

Saying Goodbye

2011-04-03T05:07:00.003-04:00

This week everyone at HBB was very excited to see our new friend Sitsofe finally go back home to his villiage after being with us for the past 4 months. For those who have not followed his story, Sitsofe came to our hospital on November 28th with a broken neck at the C2-C3 levels from a work accident. Fractures at this level often cause the patient to lose the ability to breath, which he never did. We praise the Lord for that. When I first saw him the next day he was paralyzed from the neck down. My role at this point is to be as much of an encouragement as possible and to passively move his major joints each day so if he does get any movement beck his joints won't be "frozen". It was almost a month later, on Christmas night, that he moved his left foot for the first time. What a sweet gift this was for him and for us. Slowly over the next few months his left leg awoke, then his left arm, and right leg. His right arm has still not come back but we are hopeful. At the point that I thought he could bear weight on his left leg, I started standing him up with the assistance of a cane. This was all the encouragement Sitosfe needed. The next week while we were standing by his bedside, to my surprise he just took a step and kept on going. God continues to show me that I have no idea what I am doing and that by HIS strength all things are possible.Those first couple weeks of "walking" were alot of work for both of us, but just about each day he got better and needed me less. By the time he left this week, he was walking only with his cane and a hand on his back to help with balance.
It was also exciting to see how this young believer grew in his faith over this time. He often would ask if there was somebody who could take him to church, which we were able to do a few times. He also commonly initiated prayer before our sessions and would quote Psalms to give him strength while we were walking. We talked alot about who it was that was restoring his body. The Togalese people are so grateful for the help we give them so I have to remind them often to thank God instead of me.
Thank you all so much for praying for Sitosfe these months. Please continue to pray as he still has along way to go to get back to a place where he can work and earn a living, which out here is so very vital.

Mobile Medical Clinic (MMC)

2011-03-17T05:39:00.002-04:00

One of the exciting ministries here at HBB is the Mobile Medical Clinic. This ministry is a 2 year partnership between 3 remote villages and the MMC team consisting of medical providers, lab and pharmacy workers, and chaplains/evangelists. The team visits each village once per month to provide new and follow up medical care and to offer spiritual counseling and evangelism. An established pastor in the area also helps to follow up with spiritual needs and discipling of new believers. The desire is that a new church will be started in these villages and a positive relationship will be established with HBB. This relationship is key to the villagers continuing with good healthcare throughout their lives. Katrina has become involves in the weekly ministry of MMC and is finding it an exciting challenge. Please pray for these teams as they go out that they would have many come to receive much needed physical and spiritual help. Also pray for the financial stability of this particular ministry.

Togalese Seatbelt

2011-02-12T12:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon about 4pm, a small crowd and commotion started building outside the the hospital and clinic. I was watching from a distance as i was working with one of my patients, but was unaware of what the buzz was all about. Then i saw 2 nurses running down the sidewalk carrying a man on a stretcher toward the hospital entrance. Then that same scene was repeated a few minutes later. Before long the clinic was packed with over 20 injured people all from the same accident. Later i found out that they were ALL in the same vehicle, 21 in all. A bus accident one might think. Ohhh no. Not here. They were all crammed like sardines into a minivan taxi. The more passengers, the more money the driver makes, so this is a common site. Unfortunately, this one went over the side of the mountain road just behind the hospital. This exact spot was the scene of a very merry day in Tsiko several months ago when a beer truck suffered the same fate. Anyway, God was very gracious and there were zero fatalities in this accident. The sardine factor actually acts like a seatbelt.

Beach Getaway

2011-02-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

After 7 months here in Togo, we were finally able to get away with our family to the beach this past weekend. We went to a resort about 30 minutes outside Lome called Novella Star. We had a wonderful long weekend there enjoying the beach, pool, restaurant, and decent internet service. Afterward, we got to experience another part of the rich African heritage here in Togo, a broken down taxi. All part of the experience!! We thank God for our time away to refresh and relax. We are looking forward to our next opportunity to get away. Who knows what that will bring?

Great Ministry Opportunity

2011-02-06T07:33:00.002-05:00

HBB has a futbol team that competes in an area league against teams from various villages. It is actually the team from Tsiko (Chico) where the hospital is located, but the team is funded and fielded primarily by employees of the hospital. Anyway, we have played 3 games this season so far and have won one and lost 2. The exciting thing about this team is the opportunity we have to gather everyone around at halftime, players and fans alike, and present the gospel in a precise 10 minute devotional. The Christian Resource Center has supplied our team with New Testaments and simple tracts for us to pass out following the presentation. As with anything that you give away for free, the Bibles are a big hit. We are trusting that God will bless the circulation of His Word. This past Sunday I had the opportunity to give the devotional. It was so cool sharing with about 60 -70 people gathered at midfield. It was only spoiled by the fact that I forgot my camera. Oh well..next time i will get some pix. I have been speaking with the team "owner" about my being the official team trainer as injuries have certainly been a part of the team here just like in the states. He is excited about having me in that capacity.

Adilyn Turns 2

2011-02-06T02:51:00.004-05:00

We have now had birthdays for all the kids here in Togo. The latest was Adilyn back on Jan. 28th. It was a fun day. Several friends and helpers came over for lunch and cake that day. Of course the other kids couldn't wait to "help" her open her presents and then play with them.

Thanks Liberty Team

2011-02-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

HBB was very excited to have a group of nursing students from Liberty University here for a couple weeks in January. God used them in many ways while they were here including helping out in the hospital, working at Kids Club, babysitting for us as well as singing and sharing during church. They were a HUGE blessing to us as they each designated a whole suitcase to bringing needed stuff from the states for us all. What a blessing that was. A highlight for us was having the team over for dinner and then having some heated Wii competition. Thank you again to Miss Rachael for organizing and leading such a great team. We are looking to seeing you back next year.

1st Day of School...in January??

2011-01-13T13:03:00.003-05:00

Praise God that our school teacher, Kelli Thayer, is healthy and ready to take over teaching Sydney and Jadon for the remainder of this school year. The kids were very excited as they took off out the front door and walked down the path to the schoolhouse. Jadon is usually done at lunch and Sydney goes back to finish up by early afternoon. After the forest week, they are both really enjoying their new school, and we are enjoying the break from a full school load in the house. Please be in prayer for our need of a teacher for next year, as Kelli will be heading north to Mango to teach other missionary kids.

Merry Christmas

2011-01-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

While our friends and family back in NC were enjoying a "White Christmas" we were cranking up the ceiling fan and donning our skivies on Christmas morning. Thanks to many friends and family, we were able to have a wonderful Christmas. We had African style stockings, a table top tree, and a midday meal with the rest of the team here at HBB. Thank you all for making it a great 1st Christmas in Togo.

Thanksgiving inTogo

2010-11-30T18:02:00.003-05:00

Hello from very warm Togo. We are enjoying the holiday season here at HBB, but we are not sledding or drinking hot chocolate. The days are getting drier and hotter as the rainy season is now over.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with all of the area ABWE missionaries coming together here in Tsiko for food, singing, and fellowship. There were around 30 of us all together and we enjoyed a wonderful American style Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, greenbean casserole, and even cranberries. After dinner we had a time of singing and sharing many of the blessings we are thankful for. Then it was time for dessert. Yes, there was pumpkin pie, as well as cookies, apple crisp, jello, and more!! I thought I was going to lose weight over here!! After a break, it was time for some serious ping pong and then boche ball. The kids had fun throwing sand all over each other. We finished off the day by gathering at the guest house for leftovers dinner. MMmmmmm! We are all so grateful for the Lord's blessings over the past year.

Togalese Baptism Service

2010-11-30T15:51:00.004-05:00

Last month we attended our first baptism service since being here in Togo. We have been attending the "Tsiko church" which is about a 15-20 minute walk from our house. For several weeks the baptism candidates were introduced and had opportunities to share testimonies before the church body. On the morning of the ceremony, the church met early for final introductions and greetings and then walked together about 20 minutes to the nearby riverside for the baptisms. It was unlike any baptism I have been a part of. It was truly a celebration of these individuals identifying publicly with their Lord, Jesus Christ. The small orchestra was there playing praise music, there were people singing and dancing in the crowd, and each "burial and resurrection" was met with thunderous applause. It was truly a service to remember!!

Enjoying Creation

2010-10-19T11:24:00.004-04:00

We had the awesome privilege of visiting the gorgeous WLI Waterfall in Ghana a couple weeks ago. This is the infamous trip that found some Colonial members in custody of the police years back. It was only for not having the correct visa, but still a good story.

Anyway, we drove about 45 minutes and crossed the border into Ghana on foot, walking about 15 minutes to the park entrance and then about another hour to the lagoon where the falls are. It was a truly spectacular sight when it first came into view. We were able to wade into the water and back ourselves toward the falls. I imagine that is what it feels like to be standing on the beach when a hurricane makes landfall. The other cool thing as the thousands of fruit bats that call this lagoon area home.

We are looking forward to finishing up our language study this month and getting more involved in the ministry here at HBB. Thank you all again for your continued prayers and support.

The Padgetts

A Needed Break

2010-09-03T12:25:00.002-04:00

Bonjour,

We have just finished our sixth week of French and are looking forward to the next 2 weeks off. We are taking a much needed break to spend time with the new team coming in tomorrow from the states. Our dear friend Bob Cropsey will be here as well as a Physical Therapist that is coming for the first time. I am looking forward to working with them and brainstorming about future ministry opportunities here in Togo.

Our family has also just gotten over our first bout of sickness since our arrival. Just some mild stomach bug kinda stuff. We have been very thankful for health since we got here.

Our opportunities at the hospital continue to come in. I'm sure now that we will be off school these next 2 weeks we will be busy there. We went up there as a family yesterday afternoon to visit some fellow missionary friends whose daughter was being treated so that was nice to have the kids there with us.

Thank you once again for all your prayer and support for our ministry here. we would love to hear from you by email or skype. spadgett@abwe.cc is our email. our skype address is padg07 listed in Togo. send us a message and we will connect with you whenever we can.

God Bless...Au revoir!

The Padgetts

We're finally online!!

2010-08-28T11:19:00.001-04:00

It has been a good week here in Togo. We finally got our internet connection up and running in our house so we are hoping that will result in much more frequent posts to this blog. We have been very busy as we continue French lessons M-F as well as all the other responsibilities of raising a family. The French lessons are going well I think. I feel like we have just dipped our toes in the ocean so to speak but compared to 5 weeks ago when we started I think we have learned so much. Today, I told a kid who took Jadon’s bike off of our back porch, “Apportes le velo, sil tu plait”. (That’s pretty close to bring back the bike please,…. I think). And then when a man came by the house to sell me some African wood carvings, I told him, “ Je ne veux pas achete aujourd hui, merci”.(Idon’t want to buy today, thank you). I was pretty excited about that. Except I forgot to offer him some cold water when I greeted him at the door which is a custom here, so he probably thinks I’m a shmuck.
Anyway, I got to drive into town today on my own for the first time today and take care of some business. That was nice to not have to take a moto taxi or find a ride. We are starting to be able to do more and more on our own which is very encouraging.
We have also been getting our feet wet at the hospital some in the past few weeks. We are not working regularly yet but have been getting a lot of phone calls throughout the day for one of us to come down and do this or that. We were able to go together a couple days ago and change a cast and remove sutures, that kind of stuff. Katrina has already become the casting person of choice. Something she loves to do but hasn’t had much opportunity lately…until now.! There is a PT coming out next week that I hope to spend a lot of time with. There is a huge need here for that type of service and ministry, so please pray that we will be able to find our niche in a very busy and crowded hospital. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can from him.
Well I better run…Thanks again for your many prayers and support on our behalf. We miss you all very much. Somebody eat a bo-berry biscuit for me please. Au revoir !!

Getting Settled In

2010-07-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

It has been almost 4 weeks since we left the US and we are finally starting to get settled in. We just moved into our home last week after having some repairs and painting done. Everyone seems to be adjusting pretty well. The kids are having fun swimming and playing. Katrina and I have started our French study this week and we are kinda in a routine now. We are blessed to have a couple sweet Togalese women helping us in the house so we can get everything done.
We are still waiting for our internet connection to be turned on at home so we can get some pictures posted. The computer I am on now at the guesthouse is a dinosaur and I fear it would take hours to send pix. So...soon hopefully.
Please continue to pray as we dive in to the culture and ministry here in Togo.

Departure Day

2010-06-27T07:34:00.002-04:00

Well today is the big day. We have been in Washington DC for the last 2 nights and we are flying out later today. I watched my kids sleeping this morning wondering what possibly could be going through their minds right then, or what they will be thinking during the day today. They have been so great through all of this. They didn't ask to be dragged all over the country for the past year and now thrown into a culture that will be like bizzarro world for them. But God has given them grace and will keep them during this time..I am sure.

We have been praying that God would give us this day as a special memory to treasure and not a day filled with stress, attitude and losing our cool. We know the outcome of today will be determined by how much we keep our eyes on Him. Today's reading from Jesus Calling is fitting, as it always seems to be. "...You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days. The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty. Look neither behind you nor before you. Instesd focus your attention on Me, your constant companion. Trust that I will equip you for whatever awaits you on your journey." How does she know???

Anyway, the kids are now up and are asking for breakfast. Normal so far. Here we go!!!

Final Florida Vacation

2010-06-04T20:04:00.001-04:00

After leaving our respective jobs, Kat and I piled the family in the truck and headed to Florida for 1 final visit before we head to Togo at the end of June.

Our new friends Ben and Krista Lantz let us borrow their RV and we headed to Walt Disney World for 4 nights of "camping" at Fort Wilderness. We were joined by Kat's sister Debbie and her family. God gave us incredible weather and we enjoyed a long weekend of swimming, biking, and of course, a day at the Magic Kingdom. That place never gets old!!!

After leaving Disney, we spent the next couple weeks relaxing and visiting friends and family in the Tampa area. It was great to see our great friends Paul and Suzie Wirth. We visited their church in Ybor City one Sunday and then they hosted us along with Todd and Rebeca Kelly for a cookout/swim party. Thanks guys for a memorable reunion. It was great to see you again!

Later in the week we spent an afternoon/evening at St. Pete Beach with my sister Vicki and her family. Once again we reeived great weather and had a fantastic time there.

One of the great blessings God gives us in life is the fellowship of great friends and precious family!! We are so grateful for the loved ones God has given us. Thank you all for your support and prayers during this time in our lives. We love you and will miss you dearly!!

Fully Funded...Finally!!! Praise be to God!!

2010-05-25T17:43:00.002-04:00

It has been a couple weeks, but we finally got the email from ABWE saying that our account is fully funded for our trip to Togo. WOW!!! Looking back over the past 15 months since we started support raising, we are totally blown away at how faithful God has been and all the incredible "divine appointments" we have encountered. Thank you all for all the prayers you have offered on our behalf during this time and also for everyone who has sacrificially given of their resources to help make this ministry a reality.

We are officially scheduled to fly out of the country on June 27th. We will be travelling direct from Washington D.C. to Accra, Ghana. It is about a 10 hour flight which sounds long, but we prefer this to 2 separate 6-7 hour flights with a long layover with 4 kids somewhere in Europe.

Please continue to pray for our final arrangements as we visit friends and family for the last time and pack what is left of our possessions that won't be going to Togo. It's going to be a crazy month ahead. We love you all!!!

Steve, Katrina, Sydney, Jadon, Maddox & Adilyn

We've Moved Again

2010-03-04T22:23:00.002-05:00

For those who know us well, it is no surprise that we have just made our 10th move in our 16 years of marriage. I wish I could say that we've gotten it down pat. But it still stinks!!! However...we feel our most recent move was a special provision from the Lord on our journey toward Togo. We found out a couple months ago that our landlord was moving back into his home in Holly Springs so we had to find another place to live. Within 2 days we had met with our missions pastor and were invited to move into our church's Missionary Guest House this month. Wow!!! God's little affirmations on our lives are so encouraging. We are praying that the next time we "pack em up" we will be moving to Africa...finally!!!

GOC '09 at Bell Shoals

2009-12-18T22:55:00.003-05:00

During October, our family had the awesome privilege of participating in the 2009 Global Outreach Celebration at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fl. It was an incredible week of fellowship, challenges, and meeting great new friends. Our family was adopted by 2 special classes at Bell Shoals, the Disclipleship 101 Class and the Heaven's Hillbillies Class. Thank you guys all so much for the love you showed us during our visit, and for all the great meals!!

Bell Shoals did such a tremendous job hosting around 30 missionaries from all over the world. We had opportunities to speak at Bell Shoals Academy, enjoyed a catered BBQ cookout at a local ranch, reeled in some awesome large-mouth bass, and had an opportunity to sit down with church leaders and discuss how they can partner with our ministry.

Thank you once again to the GCRC staff at Bell Shoals for coordinating a great GOC.

The Fall is Here

2009-09-19T16:33:00.003-04:00

We are looking forward to a busy and productive fall. I wanted to thank a couple people here before the season gets into full swing. While visiting Katrina's grandparents in PA, her uncle David invited her to speak at their church, West Side Baptist in Sharpsville. Thank you so much for giving us another opportunity to share our ministry and for your consideration for support. Thanks to your many members who gave us such generous gifts.
Also, our home church, Colonial Baptist, in Cary NC has a new Outreach pastor who will oversee our commissioning and preparation for the field. We are very excited to work with Pastor Mike Malpass and welcome him to his new position as Pastor of Outreach Ministries. Please pray for him as he leads Colonial forward to impact our community and the world for Christ.

July in the Hollar

2009-08-12T21:44:00.003-04:00

Last month our family travelled to rural West Virginia with our great friends, the Yoaks. We stayed with Jenora's parents on their farm where the kids had lots of new adventures. They had a chance to feed animals, collect fresh eggs, pick blackberries off the bush, and just run free outside for hours at a time. Thanks to Janelle and Vincent Wise for their awesome hospitality and great home cookin'!! God also gave us an unexpected opportunity to share our ministry with the Twin Falls Southern Baptist Church in Walkersville, WV. Thank you for welcoming us to your church and for the generous gift you gave to our ministry.
Next, us and the Yoaks spent 4 fun filled days at the Black Bear Resort in the beautiful Canaan Valley, WV. God gave us a great time of R&R, swimming, hiking and cave exploration.
Finally, our family took off for Columbus ,Ohio to visit some old friends from Cedarville College. We stayed with Brian and Leeann Wagonbrenner and their 4 kids (yes, there were 8 kids in the house). It was a great weekend. We also had a get together with some other friends hosted by John and Kathy Pierce. We had a fun evening catching up and also got to share our ministry in W. Africa. Thanks so much guys for the great dinner and hosting a great reunion. Shawn and Kara...it was great to see you again and meet your families.
We thank the Lord for His great faithfulness during our travels in July and for the opportunities we had to share what He is doing and what we hope to be doing in Togo.

Busy Spring

2009-06-20T15:18:00.007-04:00

Whew!! It has been a very busy spring since our last post. The Lord has been faithful as we continue to work toward W. Africa. We have had the privilege of sharing our ministry with many friends and look forward to many more upcoming meetings in the summer and fall. Our overall support level is about 18-20%. PTL!!

We also recently completed our home-school year and celebrated by taking a "field trip" to the Outer Banks for some sun and fun. We visited the Wright Brothers Memorial and Jockey's Ridge to see the famous landmarks we learned about this year. We also tent camped at the Hatteras Camp Ground. Quite an adventure to return from dinner to find our tent blown upside down!!

We are presently enjoying a weekend away in Boone, NC celebrating our 16 year anniversary catching up on much needed rest and uninterrupted work. Much thanks to Kat's mom and dad for keeping the kids. We love you guys very much!!

Unexpected Blessing

2009-04-21T09:52:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we travelled to northwest Georgia to visit Katrina's sister Melanie and her husband Chris Morgan who pastors the First Baptist Church of Chickamauga, Ga. Katrina spoke at a lunchtime banquet for women on missions. The Lord blew us away w/ the great responses of the ladies there and humbled us once again to get out of His way and let Him lead us. Thank you so much FBC of Chickamauga for your unbelievable generosity and support for what God is doing through us. And thank you all for the way you love our kids..especially aunt Mel and Uncle Chris!! We love you guys.

Trip to Florida

2009-04-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago we traveled back to Florida to visit family and show off Adilyn to those who had not yet met her. It was a great 10 days. God also gave us some great opportunities to meet w/ friends and speak about our upcoming ministry in Togo. I want to thank Todd and Rebeka Kelly for hosting us in thier home and for inviting several old friends to meet w/ us. It was great to see the Puleo family, Steve and Lisa Hicks and Todd's parents. Also, I had the opportunity to share a short encouragement and our ministry during staff devotions at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon. Thanks mom for setting that up. We know God is going to multiply the blessings we received while visiting in Florida. We also heard from several others interested in having us come back later this year to speak at other churches. Please be in prayer for those potential opportunities.

Meeting at South Wake Baptist Church

2009-03-17T22:08:00.002-04:00

Praise God!! This past Sunday our family had the opportunity to visit SouthWake Baptist Church and present our ministry to the congregation. Sydney sang "Jesus I Heard You Had a Big House" and Jadon / Maddox also sang a couple songs. They all really did a great job!! Thank you to Pastor Doug Parlin and all the people of South Wake for making us feel at home and for the very generous love offering!! And thank you for the wonderful lunch after the service. We're looking forward to being with you all again soon.

Global Outreach Celebration '09 @ Colonial

2009-02-25T21:37:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had the priviledge of participating in our first missions conference at our home church, Colonial. It was a wonderful weekend of multicultural activities, challenging messages, and speaking opportunities for us. We met alot of people interested in our ministry and had some good food too. Thanks to Chris Morgan for the awesome work on our brochures and display board!! May God put His blessing on the contacts we made and the work that is to be done!! Thank you Colonial..

Adilyn Reece Padgett

2009-02-01T13:58:00.004-05:00

Our latest gift from God, Adilyn, was born this past Wednesday, Jan. 28th. God answered so many people's prayers as He intervened in her delivery. His plans and timing are always perfect!!

Children's Ministry!!

2008-12-26T19:44:00.002-05:00

One of the really cool ministries at the hospital compound is the Wednesday afternoon kid's club. Literally hundreds of area Togalese kids show up at the Ebersol's home for praise and worship time, Bible stories, refreshments and game time. As you can see, the Togalese kids have grown to love the game of hockey played out on the sports court. Mothers of some of the children also meet to study the Bible in a ladies group.

Surgery!!

2008-12-19T15:40:00.002-05:00

Another great opportunity that Katrina and I had while in Togo was to scrub in on some surgery cases. Awesome!!

Exotic Pets!!

2008-12-13T11:12:00.004-05:00

Sydney and I got an up close look at this boa constrictor. I was very proud of her.

Call the Exterminator!!

2008-12-12T22:51:00.002-05:00

This is a huge termite mound, a pretty common site in the bush. Also in the photo..a Togalese pastor who's name I can't remember and Dr. Bob Cropsey.

Togalese Church

2008-12-11T08:30:00.002-05:00

One of the great privileges I had on our trip was the opportunity to preach in an open air local church. This particular church was pretty large with a congregation of about 300. It was interesting speaking w/ an interpreter. As you can see, there was also an orchestra leading the music.

Togo Pic of the Day

2008-12-02T23:02:00.004-05:00

Since our last trip, we have enjoyed the wonderful pictures of the people and country of Togo on our computer slideshow. I wanted to start sharing them on the blog. This is one of my favorites. Katrina and 2 nursing students after delivering triplets!!

GOC 2009

2008-12-02T13:47:00.002-05:00

We are officially going to be a part of the 2009 Global Outreach Conference at Colonial Baptist Church this February. We are very excited about this opportunity to introduce ourselves as missionary candidates and share a little about the country where we will serve, Togo, West Africa. We hope to see you there Feb. 20-22!!!

I'm being followed!!

2008-11-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

Today I have my blog's first follower...thanks Chris for checking out my site. Hope to have more to see soon.

My First Post

2008-10-18T17:07:00.002-04:00

This is my first post. How exciting!!