>>>November 2008

Dan Thornton, ICDI COO, just returned to the United States after a three-week trip to Central Africa. His time here was spent getting an overall picture of ICDI's work. He was able to visit with orphans, ICDI workers and their famlies, and spend time working alongside ICDI's Central African staff. Dan was also able to do an evaluation of some of the issues that we have been having with the satellite internet service ICDI depends on. Without on-site support staff, keeping up a reliable internet connection is a constant struggle.

Most of our well drilling and well repair teams are back at Berberati working on rebuilding their trucks. Because these men are often out on the road by themselves, they have to be able to repair their own vehicles (No AAA nor towing service in the C.A.R.!). So the men work with our mechanics as we rebuild their trucks, sometimes from the frame up to help them learn a few things about repairing their trucks themselves.

Ten days ago our large Deutz Generator and the medium size (4 cylinder) generator were both down. Our head garage mechanic Enoch was able to get the four cylinder back online in 48 hours! This week's task is to rebuild the 6 cylinder, which means new pistons, bearings and a new crank which all need to be installed.

The man sitting on the engine (pictured at left) is Jean Baptist, one of our repair team members really getting into his work. We not only had to completely rebuild the front axle of his 4X4 but also had to pull the head and work on the valves. We have a limited number of new tires so there is a quite a bit of haggling over who gets all new tires and who has to squeeze more use out of their old tires.

Ag News

Our Agricultural development team was out delivering trees to ten villages on Thursday and Friday last week. It was great to see their excitment as they proceed with the training program, teaching villagers to take care of fruit trees for their villages. Each of these villages has 5 to 10 people working together to care for their fruit trees.

The ICDI Leadership Team has been very busy these last couple weeks...

- New teammates Ted & Dawn Rondeau, having settled into their roles in the Warsaw, Indiana home office, are busy setting up new systems for the gift entry, receipting, and communications processes. Later this week all of ICDI's 2008 supporters will be recieveing an intro letter from Ted along with a donor data survey. ICDI vaules all of its supporters and wants to know how best to engage them in what God is doing in the world. If you'd like to be included in this survey and have not yet made a gift to ICDI in 2008 just drop Ted a note at trondeau@icdinternational.org and he will be glad to send you one.

- The entire Ledership Team has been busy in prayer, strategic planning, and numbers crunching as we look ahead to what's in store for 2009. Prayerfully setting ministry goals, and the always critical annual budget, is an exciting but tiring process - especially when you're spread out all over the world! Please be in prayer as we consider the right balance of discerning the Lord's leading for growth, proper planning, good stewardship, and faith in the Lord's provisions to accomplish the ministry.

- Please also be in prayer for the many urgent needs yet to be accomplished in these last couple months of 2008. Many are still living without basic necessities for life. Prayerfully consider what gift you might give as we seek to give God glory through a faithful and honorable finish to this year!