10/13/04: Tribal Update: 11 little graves

Hello Folks:

In Tribal land there are 11 new little graves (two more died since the last report). Nothing fancy. Just a hole with the little body wrapped in rags if they have them, and then covered by dirt. The grave is usually marked by a piece of palm branch and a piece of firewood (see picture). Yes, 11 little graves scattered throughout the different communities.....and 10 families who are weeping for their lost children, children like you see in the attached pictures. (Merecho and his wife lost two kids!)

During this time of Canadian Thanksgiving, we have so very much to be thankful for. Our tables are decked with turkeys and all the trimmings! We have so much! Our cupboards and freezers and pantries are full! And most of us are trying to lose weight! When a doctor from town arrived there in Tribal land to help the folks, one of the things that stood out was that they weren't eating as well as they could and so their defenses were down. Please pray for the Tribal people and for ways of improving their diet. Hunger is a hard thing to take. July through September are always the hardest months. And pray that the believers will continue to trust God through all these hard times. Pray that they will stand strong on the Word of God and not go back to interpreting life through the old ancestral grid.

We head out first thing tomorrow for central Canada. Thanks again so much for your prayers. And thanks again for praying for Hannah, my niece. She continues to make remarkable progress. Praise HIS NAME!!!

Enjoying the adventure in Him,
Merrill and Teresa