“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). These inspired words of scripture came to my mind at the historic meeting held on November 30, 2006 between AFM and the Sahel Union Mission of the West Central Africa Division. The purpose of the meeting was finally to decide several questions that have kept us in suspense for the past two years.

As I’m sure you’ve experienced, situations of suspense, anxiety, and indecisiveness create stress and are hard on the emotions. A certain amount of suspense is unavoidable for AFM missionary candidates as they go through the steps of their calling, application, and training. Our application process was full of suspense as we searched for appropriate references and got them to fill out the forms on time, waited for someone to visit us in Africa for our in-home interview, worked to raise $10,000 before summer training, etc. I confess that I sometimes enjoy a little suspense to spice up the monotony of daily routine. However, I’ve had my fill for the last few months.

As Elmire and I prayerfully met the challenges on our road to missions, one question kept us continually on edge and stole our peace: Where would our project be placed? During orientation, during training, and even after our funds were raised and we were ready to launch, we did not know for sure. After the first phase of language learning and culture study, many AFM missionary candidates go through similar tension as they and the organization search for the best location to plant their project in their target people group, but ours was a more complex situation.

Initially, we accepted a tentative call to Timbuktu, Mali. However, six months later, we learned that the call was not suited to us, and we would have to find another. We were in training at that time, and we lived through more than 12 more months of research, discussion, and prayer as our future ministry hung in the balance. At times, it was almost unbearable because we couldn’t focus of a specific place, and we couldn’t join in discussions with our colleagues about where we were going to serve.

Following weeks of fasting and intense prayer with our prayer team, we got word of a proposed placement in Benin, which we happily accepted. But six months later, several key issues remained undecided, and were told that our final placement would be determined at a combined meeting with union officers in Lome, Togo. This news kept us in suspense for another six months.

In His love and care, God providentially put a final end to our days of indecision. The historic November 30 meeting between the three union officers, the 11 field presidents of the union, and AFM’s Chief Operations Officer, Laurence Burn, was a real blessing. The outcome was better understanding, mutual trust, cooperation, and interdependence. For the first time, AFM had a chance to introduce its ministry to the leaders of the Sahel Union Mission, which covers 11 West-African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo). Out of the five African countries where AFM is working, four are in the Sahel Union.

The meeting was a real success for three reasons. First, though AFM launched its first project in the Sahel Union in 1992, four of the union field presidents hadn’t known anything about AFM until this meeting. Second, the meeting created a new rapprochement between AFM and the union, and a new mutual desire was born to collaborate, harmonize visions, and together push back the horizons of evangelism in the region. Union leaders gained a real professional interest in AFM’s philosophy, strategy, and methodology, and barriers of misunderstanding fell. Third, the meeting brought about the first official union-level vote to accept an AFM project and welcome its missionaries. Previously, AFM worked in the region under official agreements with the West-Central African Division and some verbal agreements with local field presidents. But after this meeting and the union leadership vote, future cooperation will mesh with the normal administrative procedures of the church and give more confidence to both parties in their interdependence.

I left the meeting with a song of praise to the Lord in my heart. Elmire and I were greatly relieved. As members of this union coming to work within the union for an outside organization, it was important for us that these agreements take place for the future success of our project. We thank God for His providence and timing. We send our appreciation to the Union officers, pastor Guy Roger, pastor Julien Thiombiano, and brother Agabus Bello. Many thanks to all the field presidents for their decision to collaborate with all our AFM colleagues in their territories. For me, this is a great sign that God is leading His church and sending the workers needed to hasten His second coming. Maranatha!

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