Dear Friends and family,

Visitors, visitors, visitors. This month has been a revolving door of one
visit after another. We are thankful for what each visitor has brought
and what they have done on our field. The first visit was from Delano &
Linda Meyer, LC-MS Agricultural missionaries serving Guinea, Liberia, &
Sierra Leone, but based out of Sierra Leone. They spent 5 days here
visiting three villages and teaching soil improvement methods, and how to
manage the resources God has given. These are two very important topics as
most everyone who participated in our chronological Bible study/evangelism
groups is a farmer. For this emerging church to support its leaders it is
necessary that they manage well the resources God has given them. Delano
showed them many things right at their fingertips that they can do to
improve the soil and so improve their harvests. It was a very fruitful
time. Delano authored a booklet called "Care of the Soil" that the leaders
asked to have translated into Maninka. We are currently working with
another mission who does much translation work to do so. One participant in
Delano's workshop summed up the teaching this way: "what you have given us
is more than a million francs (local currency) because that would end, but
the ideas you gave us have no end." This village has also done very well
managing their resources as they have built benches are going to start on
making bricks for their own house of worship.

After the Meyer's visit the next week two men, Jan Magnus Dyvbrik &
Mons-Gunnar from the Norwegian Lutheran Mission in Mali came down for three
days. We had known them from our previous time in Cote d'Ivoire where they
were working among a resistant people group related to the Maninka. They
are planning a work among the Maninka in Mali and wanted to come see our
work and share ideas. It was a fruitful time for learning from each other
and seeing how we can collaborate in God's mission among the Maninka.

Right now we are hosting a missionary friend Dale Ramsey from S.I.M. S.I.M.
used to host us and help us with many administrative tasks when we lived in
Kankan. Dale is interested in using the chronological Bible storying method
in his ministry. He participated in our leadership
training courses and teaching times and was able to share his insights and
experiences as well.

Between and during the visits we have continued to work where we have
before, in leadership development and planting the Church. Many good
things happened in this last month, the young believers have written their
own worship songs, and are meeting together once a week. Two men are taking
the baptism course and thinking about entering into God's kingdom through
water and the Word. Along with the joys there are sorrows. The leader of
the English speaking fellowship Kwaku Henaku Ebenezer was hit by a
motorcycle while he was on his bicycle. Fortunately he didn't break any
bones, but he was knocked unconscious and has many bruises and abrasions.
Here again we thank God though, that it wasn't any worse since many people
around here have lost their lives in motorcycle accidents.

We can see God's hand of blessing on this past year's ministry. We truly
have much to be thankful for. Thank you also for your participation
in this work.

In Christ,

Tim, Heidi, Philip & Leslie Norton
LC-MS World Mission
Guinea, West Africa