A few items on my pre-furlough to-do list: Make sure all the books on my shelves are pulled away from the wall so they don’t mold. Everything that can decompose needs to be off the floor in case of water seepage. Make sure the kids take all the school notebooks, clothes and toys they have left at my home. Make sure there is money available for the kids who need school uniforms for next year. Make sure everyone else has everything they need from me before I leave, writing various notes for them. Get everything around the house filed and put away. Create PowerPoint presentations. Buy gifts. Iron out the details of speaking appointments in several countries. Prepay the rent and electricity bill for the four months I’ll be gone. Make sure I take all necessary information and documents with me. The list goes on.

This furlough, because of increased project expenses, I need to raise $26,678 in one-time donations and nearly double my monthly support. I also need to raise a significant amount to fund our lay worker for two years. Exciting times lie ahead as we use our completed culture study to develop Bible-based outreaches in surrounding villages. If you would like to be a part of this exciting new chapter of the Otammari Project, please use the envelope in the magazine to donate or visit www.afmonline.org to give online. Please pray with us that the financial support we need will be raised in four months so I can return to Benin and rejoin my teammates as they get started on these projects.

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