e often write about the younger people in our church, but we also have a core group of older members who play an important role in our mission. Over the years, this little group of mature members has been like family to younger church folk. When a woman joined our church and brought along all of her children, recently abandoned by their polygamist father, this mature core group took them under their wings and provided them with education, support, and stability. When the mother recently suffered a life-threatening illness, the church rallied around her, keeping vigils with her around the clock in the hospital. Miraculously, she recovered and was soon back worshiping with us, the first to arrive at every church meeting. When her relatives in another country heard about her sickness, they urged her to come and live with them. She replied that she would not leave her children and her church family. Three of her children are attending universities now. Another is living in a foreign country, and a fifth has become a church worker. This lady’s future son-in-law is also attending an Adventist university in another country, preparing for the ministry.

We recently lost our oldest and wisest member, a veterinarian named Dr. Andre. We miss him sorely. He was our first baptized member. Conducting his funeral was a challenge for me, but I got through it. As a result of his witness, several people from our surrounding resistant community have spoken favorably of our church, and some have attended services.
Other older people are interested in our church, and we continue to work with them. However, the battles they have to fight, their family issues and their community commitments make conversion a much greater challenge than for young people. Yet, truth presented in a tactful way is attractive to them.

The fact that we have any older members is no small miracle in a country where average life expectancy is 47 years. But since there are relatively few old people in this part of the world, the needs of the young dominate the church. That is why our school plays such an important role. While public schools require Sabbath attendance, our school provides a place where Adventist young people can get a good education while still respecting the Sabbath. As we have worked with the Adventist Church leadership in Guinea to organize our school, there have been challenges. Leaders for the Guinea field serve an average of two years. During our 10 years here, we have had four different church leaders, and we have spent more than a year without a leader. As leaders at various levels come and go, we must keep rebuilding relationships with them and re-legitimizing our work in their eyes. Also, political instability has upset plans for cooperative effort.

This is why we are asking for your support to help move the school forward over the next year. The challenges we face on the national, financial, church and educational front are colossal at times. However, when we think of the young people who have been educated there over the last six years, when we see them working to build up the Adventist Church in Guinea, when we see what God has done, we know it is an investment we must make.

Thank you for your continued support in these very difficult times. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for caring.