Suzy Baldwin-Noutehou started working with the Otammari people in Benin, West Africa, in 1999. She learned their culture, then how to present the gospel in the context of their and other area cultures. She used friendship evangelism, medical care and health education. She also worked for many years with Ulrike Baur, another AFM missionary.
During that time, Fidel Noutehou was also learning and doing evangelism in another denomination under the mentorship of his uncle. In 2007, God brought Fidel to Natitingou and into contact with Suzy and other SDA members. Fidel would come and borrow books from Suzy, and that was their only contact for seven years.
In late 2013, God convicted Fidel of the Sabbath truth, and he joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Over the next seven months, God impressed Fidel and then Suzy that they were to be married and become partners in the work. In 2014, Fidel and Suzy wed and moved to the Pendjari region of Benin to start a new AFM project. They live in a small village outside of Tanguieta, on a farm where they have an agriculture ministry. Their work includes planting churches and mentoring local leaders from the various village church groups.
Now, five church groups have been planted in two of the larger people groups and one church group in the main town near Tanguieta.
This past Sabbath afternoon, Jeanne and I headed to the other end of town to see a family that attends my Sunday-morning meeting. The man has two wives, and they have both given birth in the past two weeks.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
May 01 2009, 2:14 pm | Comments 0
The team here in Natitingou is working on cultural studies. After all our years of working here, why do we still need to study the culture and worldview of the Ottammari people? What is a worldview and why is it important to understand it?
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
March 01 2009, 3:22 pm | Comments 0
On Sunday morning, I headed to Pelima with Jeanne to meet with our Bible-study group there. Over the last couple of weeks, the group had diminished from more than 20 adults to about five.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
February 01 2009, 3:23 pm | Comments 0
I got to know Augustin soon after I arrived in Benin. He was one of the many neighbor kids who came to my house to get treatment for their sores.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
December 01 2008, 3:28 pm | Comments 0
One Sunday morning, Albertine and I headed out to the weekly Bible study we conduct at the edge of town. We arrived to find the quarter in mourning. The family that lives next to where we meet had lost a child the previous night.
By:
Suzy & Fidel Baldwin-Noutehou
November 01 2008, 2:29 pm | Comments 0