Summer update from Roger

I am thankful to our gracious Lord for how he provides in our daily life.  Thanks to God for leading, protecting, encouraging, and answering us. God, during all this school year, ensured our security in traveling to all the schools (over 30 trips from north to south), visiting, helping, encouraging, and training teachers (18 visits, 3 trainings).

Our schools had good academic results at the end of the year because of these activities and due to your prayers, gifts, and support. Twenty of our elementary schools received 100% in their 6th grade exit exams, and four out of our five middle schools received 100% as well. This school year 5,200 children were able to hear the good news in our schools!

I really am so thankful for the opportunity to minister in the northern town.  A lot is happening there, though it’s challenging to reach these people. I have confidence and assurance in God’s work, and I’ve been telling them that God is almighty and will bring them through their difficulties. They really see God working. They see the love we show to their kids they see changes in their kids’ life. This makes them bring their kids to schools each year.

This morning I prayed with a man because his financial problems have made him hesitant to bring two of his kids to the school. Another lady came to me for advice about her kids’ situation at home. I took time to share the good news with her and prayed with her too. Ministry here is very interesting but difficult. But our Lord is in control.

Because of your prayers and financial support, we have been able to visit, encourage, help, equip, and train teachers in our 25 schools. We had a seminar for middle school teachers for two weeks and shared many discussions to solve many of teachers’ difficulties and problems.

Kpalimé Middle School seminar
Kara teacher seminar

 We had two meetings for pastors and we’re planning another one on 7th September to try to help and equip them to have good school starting on 18th September, Lord willing. After evaluating the year’s work, we saw that it is very important to have principals collaborate in the way they manage their schools.

Then we decided that we need to have three days of training for our 25 principals and their assistants.  It will be 2 people from each school and will meet by zones.  This will cost $2,000.

Please, pray with us for:

  1. Money for the principals meeting ($2,000 needed)
  2. ASEL’s yearly budget ($20,000) from September 2023 to August 2024
  3. Safety when traveling to schools.
  4. People to whom we give audio Bibles. That the Spirit will touch them to listen.
  5. Our families (wives, kids and homes)
  6. Muslim families to be reached with the good news through their kids attending our schools.

If you’d like to help with these needs you can go here to give!

Teacher Success

You can’t choose options you don’t know exist. With the ASEL team visiting schools weekly to encourage and admonish teachers we’ve seen improvement in their attitudes and teaching methods this year!

Earlier in the school year some teachers were discouraged about their low salaries despite the inflating prices of food this year. Roger was able to encourage them from the word to not grow weary in doing good. They are in a difficult position, but God is our provider. We can trust him to care for us even in hard times. Those same teachers successfully finished this school year with a renewed spirit evidenced by their investment in their students lives. Several middle school students became believers through their witness this year!

Student at the Kara School

Another school just completed it’s 1st year! On an early visit Roger noticed teachers using a stick to try to keep order in the classroom. He made it a priority to visit them at least twice a week to help the teachers understand their role as a Christian educator.  By the end of the year, there was a vast difference in the teachers’ attitudes and a majority of parents and students reported how happy they were to be at school. 

Our desire is to continue this ministry next school year, but funding is extremely low. Will you consider giving to cover the travel expenses of our ASEL team?

Give Here

7:30AM

We love 7:30 a.m.  By this time, all the students are in class, listening intently to a Bible lesson. Walking by the classrooms, we can hear one of Jesus’ parables in 6th grade, Jesus’ birth in 5th grade, and the story of Elijah’s faithfulness in 4th grade. 

By starting every day with the bible, each child at our schools know how much the teachers value God’s word.  The bible and teaching truth is the heartbeat of our school, even on a chaotic first day.

Questions and answers are common during Bible class.  One forth grade student was asked why Jesus came to earth as a baby.  Without hesitation, the boy answered, “to save us from our sins!” 

A kindergarten class made a craft about Christ’s death and resurrection. Several students, just 4 and 5 years old, confidently stood up and told the entire story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in front of their class.  

How amazing that our students know the truth and are not afraid to boldly speak it!

This story of life change is only possible because of your support.  Your giving helps us train teachers, equipping them with tools to educate and disciple their students.

Wearing Pink

Two years ago, a girl from Ghana, “R”, lost her father so she moved to be with her mother’s family in Adeta, Togo.  She didn’t speak any French, but when she saw our students wearing the pink uniforms, she knew she wanted to attend our school.

“R” identified openly as a Muslim but allowed Christy Sopcisak to translate the bible lessons into English for her. 

When the it came time to collect school fees, “R” stopped coming to school and because her family couldn’t afford the yearly tuition of $40USD.  Thanks to our scholarship fund, she was able to return!  She and 30 other students have been helped with tuition costs this school year.  

As her French and confidence is improving, “R” has become comfortable in her class, even volunteering to pray in front of the group. We pray that “R” will give her heart to Jesus.  We believe in the power of prayer and we know God is using the school ministry to bring more people into His saving grace.

This story of life change is only possible because of your support.  Your giving helps us train teachers, equipping them with tools to educate and disciple their students.

Joseph

One Sunday, 9 believers were baptized at a local church as a public declaration of their faith in Jesus.  Among them was Joseph, our Math teacher La Lumière Middle School.

Right before the baptism, Joseph shared his testimony about how he had grown up going to church but didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ. 

When he joined our school in 2016, he also started attending the local baptist church and the pastor met with him individually.  It was during these times that he finally realized that Jesus was the only way to have eternal life. 

Joseph’s joy and assurance in Jesus Christ is evident to all who meet him.  He leads a weekly bible study for middle school boys and is growing in his faith. God is using the schools to change not just the lives of the students, but those of the teachers as well!

La Lumière Middle School

This story of life change is only possible because of your support.  Your giving helps us train teachers, equipping them with tools to educate and disciple their students.