February 2025

 

When I wrote back in November, I knew that our life-future was completely taken up until the end of January—and here we are in February.  We will let the pictures tell the story and keep this short if possible.

 

Our Thanksgiving Day was very sweet. Seth and Paige, Nathan and Hannah, and all the GRANDkids came over for dinner.  Seth and Paige spent the night.  We had a great time —though no cranberries.  Hannah made a wonderful stuffing with real celery.  We sang.  Seth had a devotional, and we each had a slip of paper that asked a thought-provoking question; good interaction.

 

December: We help when Nathan and Hannah go on trips by keeping some of the grandkids; when the adult-to-child ratio is more balanced, life is easier. On the 15th, Josiah brought four young adults to visit over the holidays. On the 21^st, Baby Jesse Joel Schrock joined the party. Praise God for a smooth delivery, and Hannah and Jesse are healthy and strong. The other four grandkids came to our house party. Everyone had fun with all the kids.

 

Christmas in Africa - the 24th: At church, besides singing and prayer, we had a Christmas Eve film (8-10 p.m. - showed The Nativity) and New Year’s Eve services (9 p.m.-midnight - showed A Case for Christ), plus special services on Wednesday since that was the regular church time.  We had a baptism and lunch at the church on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year too.  Praise God for the one young man who was baptized and is faithful to church. One of our lady friends agreed to do the cooking—YAY.  I WAS prepared to use my huge rice cooker, but she runs a restaurant and was happy to cook for us all. 

 

 Then January 8th, Dan took the group back to Abidjan to catch their plane (another story about canceled flights and arriving a whole day later…). Nathan and Hannah went to Sassandra for a Red Cross seminar (we kept the three older kids). Dan and another former missionary, Rodney Fitzsimmons, made a 10-day trip to the northern villages during Nathan and Hannah’s trip. Our car was needed for the school bus, so Dan borrowed Nathan’s car (which also had problems 2 hours into the trip—these are long road stories…). Nathan and Hannah borrowed Seth’s car for their journey. Don’t forget: those of us left here taking care of the kids and the church and the church school bus and teaching. Also, very bad coughs hit us one by one—I lost my voice for a few days (now that was bad.) We can see that this “flu”—fever, cough, etc. is a worldwide event. 

 

Saturday kids’ class continued.  It was great having Josiah here to help teach them.  Kids are getting saved at school and here in the kids’ class.  We won’t know until heaven. 

 

Dan is overseeing the major construction project of the church's main sanctuary. We started small, meeting in a schoolroom, but now we would like to have a sanctuary designated for the church only.  

 

Prayer and future plans, Lord willing: We are planning to go to America in March—Dan’s family is having a wedding which is a good time for a family reunion, Alyssa is due the first week of April, and Josiah is graduating the first week of May. 

 

We have not seen you all in a long time; meetings need to be planned, and our house and pets—cats, dogs, and mongooses—need to be taken care of. Dan has the ministry pretty well covered—preachers and an interim pastor are in place—but it is hard to get a house sitter. 

 

Birthdays are always fun: Lydia in December and Gideon in February.  Also we let Gideon’s beautiful owl go.  What amazing creatures God has created for our enjoyment!

 

Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support over the years!  Please continue to pray for us and for the ministry here.

 

In His grip,

 

Dan and Joan

 

 

 

 

 

November 2024

I know that we just wrote, but we are so thankful for each of you who has given for the ministry here. Our family has been blessed because of you, and we are here to share the Gospel because of you. Thank you so much.

This is a great month to praise God for His amazing grace to our family. I want to update our blog (www.cuthbertsons.org) with a link to “The Cuthbertson Clan—Where are they now?”  Ministries include teaching, preaching, music, nursery, school, camp and seminars – all in French.

I think you know some about Ruth and Richard Jertberg in Madagascar.  If you don’t, you should RESEARCH them!!  Their story is SO GREAT, God’s grace—a beautiful love story!!!  Ruth just had her 4th biological baby, but this is their 9th; Richard was a widower, already a missionary to Madagascar.  Ruth has officially adopted his five, and they are ONE beautiful family.  They are in Madagascar starting a church.  Right now, there is NO ONE to help them, no Christians that I have seen.  This place IS wide open.  Young people need to learn Malagasy and French and go there.  Right now, they are in the "pass out tracts, find a property" phase.  It is a huge work—this place is MORE crowded than where we are; people everywhere, tight quarters, poverty galore, and so in need of Jesus.  Beautiful beaches lined with poor shacks. (richard.jertberg@gmail.com)

Hannah and Nathan Schrock are in San Pedro with us.  Nathan has a full-time preaching ministry, discipling young men, and is fabulous with his French already!!!  Wow. Nathan and Dan alternate preaching in two locations and teaching groups of leaders in both cities. I have been glad for Nathan’s encouragement and help to Dan.  Hannah is pursuing midwifery documents with the Red Cross while taking care of their home.  She wants to “someday” be able to legally practice midwifery wherever they go.  They are expecting their 5th child in December. (nathannahschrock@gmail.com)

Seth and Paige in Sassandra have four biological kids and have adopted a 7-year-old Ivorian boy.  Paige is doing great with her French, taking care of the home, and teaching the ladies at their church.  Seth has authorization to preach in the prison and is preaching weekly at two locations, starting two churches and discipling young men to be future leaders. They have three scheduled times weekly for visiting, evangelism, and follow-up.  They also have a kids’ club in a village by the beach.  Seth started a farm (pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, and is working on fish ponds), which gives some of his young men responsibility, places to live, and jobs.  The farm is not huge, but is well-used space.  Cote d’Ivoire is wide open, and we are spread thin. Again, we need young people to learn French.  Most Americans do not understand the need for missionaries in the French-speaking part of the world. (scuthbertson@baptistworldmission.org)

Lydia is living with us in San Pedro.  She is the director of our Christian school started in our church. She has been driving the school bus / our Toyota Land Cruiser—picking up kids and taking them to school at 7:15, taking them home at 12:15, going to get them at 2 pm, and taking them back to school, then taking them home at 5:30 pm.  I have done the bus route—bad roads, crammed with 26 noisy kids, but fun.  She is in charge of teachers, parents, students, paying bills, and our face to the government officials.  Her French is superb.  I am happy to take care of her and have good food ready for her.  She also plays the piano at church and teaches SS. (lydiac413@gmail.com)

            Susanna and Matthew Schrock and their two little ones, Selah and Lukas, are based in North Carolina on deputation to come to Cote d’Ivoire.  They want to plant a church and start a permanent campsite in Cote d’Ivoire.  As you saw in our last letter—camp ministry is wide open; preaching four times a day. The Africans do not know “fun”—gaga ball, volleyball, basketball, foosball; all of these are inexpensive “to us” but unavailable to them.  I am encouraging Dan to have these at the school—sort of a recreation center that would draw in the community on the weekends and use the facility to hear the Gospel. (mdsschrock@gmail.com)

Isaiah and Alyssa are in North Carolina. Isaiah faithfully helps at Grace Baptist Church. I love to hear him preach. Alyssa is pregnant and due in April. They are moving by faith one step at a time—as in, they don’t yet know their Canaan Land—a place of more permanent service, battles to be fought, and souls to be saved. Isaiah’s ministry is preaching, guitar, electronics, and fixing everything. (isaiah4c@gmail.com)

Stephen and Martha are in Georgia, also going one step at a time by faith, serving God where they are. They have done several missions trips seeking their Canaan Land.  It is the journey that counts.  Stephen is a great preacher/teacher (I think he has at least a partial photographic memory), is wise, and is gifted in language and music.  All of the boys preach and fix things and all the kids play the piano and guitar.  God has blessed me so very much. Stephen is also great at the accordion (Nathan, Matthew and Rebekah as well). (happycuthbertsons@gmail.com)

Their apprenticeship video:

AHHH my sweet, lovely lady Rebekah—she is in San Pedro teaching English at the school.  She is SO godly, patient, and kind, great with kids, and great in French (all our kids are fluent in French).  She helps with our weekly Saturday morning yard class, which has 30 to 60 kids each week.  She also plays the accordion, piano and guitar at church, gives music lessons (that takes a lot of patience), teaches kids on Wednesday night, and does nursery. She is a great cook and homemaker and helps me a lot in the kitchen.  Helping hands are in high demand.  In January she is planning to go to Madagascar to help Ruth and Richard. (r8broccoli@gmail.com)

Josiah (22) is a senior at Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina and is doing well in school.  He is planning to come home for Christmas and is bringing a young lady home for us to meet.  Josiah is a very hard worker, fixes stuff, is an electronics and construction worker, and is in high demand and motivated to get the job done. He works construction with one of his professors; great learning on the job. (josiahqt@icloud.com)

My sweet, tender, kind Joseph (20) is a willing, able worker and is great with kids. He is in his sophomore year at Ambassador.  He plays the piano for the church in North Carolina and works fixing things. He is in charge of our house in America.   Richard has a property and an old fixer-upper house in America, and he employs any of his brothers-in-law who are available to work.  It is a great situation. Isaiah is the foreman, but Joseph is right there to help get the work done.  With Richard and Isaiah supervising, the school maintenance staff, and Josiah’s boss, our young men are learning and advancing in all their fix-it and build-it tendencies. Joseph plays piano, accordion, and guitar so beautifully. (josephraqt@icloud.com)

Esther (18) is in San Pedro with us. She teaches Bible classes at the school to the three younger classes (2–3-year-olds), kindergarten and first grade. She plays the piano for SS and teaches SS to the kids. Esther is so kind and patient with kids, a lovely young lady faithfully helping me in the kitchen and at home. She is headed to Ambassador in the fall of 2025. (esthercuth@icloud.com)

Gideon (14) is still doing A Beka school.  He is a sophomore in high school and is practicing the piano and guitar.  He helps me with the Saturday morning kids' class and cuts and butters the bread for all our church activities (30 to 60 each time)—kids’ class, SS, and Wednesday night.  That is a great help —just every time preparing the bread and passing it out.  I have a PDR, Physician’s Desk Reference—we rip out papers and use these like “napkins” for holding bread or any other passed-out food such as boiled eggs, etc.—true “paper plates!” (gideo12th.africa@gmail.com)

Okay, that got long.  I could say much more. Thanks for listening and thanks for PRAYING for us and supporting us all these years.

In His grip;
Joan and Dan

October 2024

 God’s timing was superbly perfect for us: we know it always is, but sometimes we are super happy with it - smile.  Jeremiah Daniel Jertberg was born on August 28th after a short labor and delivery.  Praise God that Ruth and Jeremiah are healthy.  He weighed 9 lb 7 oz—a bit of news that is probably only interesting to the women.  Since I was in Madagascar for the month of October, Ruth and Richard were able to leave the kids with me while they made the trip to the capital for his Certificate of Birth Abroad and his passport.  God was in every detail and every contact that was made; I just want to “start in.”  I had a fabulous month with them and great times witnessing on both trips there and back—and wow, the hotel was beautiful.  I felt pampered by God Himself.  

The last week of August, Dan, Nathan, Seth and an Ivorian pastor taught a seminar in the nearby village of Blahou. About forty-five people came in order to be taught the Word of God.  We are blessed to be here with so many preaching and witnessing opportunities.  Thank you for your prayers for safety on the roads, for God to work in people’s lives, and for continued health and energy.  

The cars continue in their maintenance phases.  The new-to-us car is soon to be drivable.  Thank you for those who gave money for this.  Dan does a great job keeping the cars running, especially since Lydia uses our car as the school bus throughout the week.  

 

In our last prayer letter, we included a picture of the boy’s hand, cut with a sardine can; it has healed nicely.

 

In my absence, the family was able to welcome and host our long-time friends Steve and Beth Gault and their friend Bryan MacPhail-Fausey.

Much construction is happening at the church property, and school has started again. We are all involved in making this a great gospel outreach. Nathan has been teaching the Bible class and also trying to visit the parents. Also, the Gideon Bible Society came and passed out New Testaments in our school. I am so happy for anyone who has a hand on the plow physically or in prayer.

 

One of my goals is to keep our letters short: a very hard task.  Seth and Paige are hosting a seminar in Sassandra this week.  If you are willing to house and feed people, they are willing to come—especially if it is free.  Please keep us in prayer; we need God’s power and energy. Seth, Dan, and Nathan are a great team of teacher - preachers.  

 

Gideon’s owl is still with us.  We pray that the owl will learn to eat on his own soon.  Our goal is to let him go as soon as he is able to survive.  

 

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support for us and the ministry here.  We praise God for His mercy and goodness!  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

In His grip,

 

Dan and Joan

August 2024

Hello from Madagascar (Joan writing),

Dan, Lydia, Rebekah, Esther, and Gideon are still at our home in Cote d’Ivoire.  I have the privilege of being here waiting for Ruth (and Richard Jertberg) to have their baby—that is for the next letter, so pray for us all.

I have a hard time keeping letters short, but the more often you hear from us, the more you can say a prayer right then.

Meanwhile, since the end of June, praise God for the safe delivery of three difficult births.  Praise God all went well with healthy moms and babies.

Joseph came out for the summer just in time to help with the kids’ camp. The first week of July, our young adults organized and carried out a camp at our church for children ages 11 to 14.  This camp ministry is now becoming a new ministry for our church. During the summer months, when school is not in session, we can use the facility to do summer camps.  Out here you can do as much as you have energy and funds to do.  So many were involved in this, from planning the schedule, speakers, food, buying the food, cooking, repairs, keeping water available, setting up mosquito nets, building 9-square and gaga ball, and inviting counselors …. I cannot really name them all.  Our group slept at the church with the campers serving as counselors, game organizers, cooks, etc.  That little “etc.” covers a lot.

Dan’s sister Debbie and her daughter Heather came out in the middle of July, just in time for the singles’ week of camp, which was also taking place at our church. They were able to participate in many of the ministries going on. Heather even slept at the church; this is on a mattress under a mosquito net in a foreign culture with strange food and in a different language. Way to go, Heather!!

This last week of August, the men are coming in from the village works and are having a men’s conference at the church, which is the same idea as the camp.  Kids have gotten saved, singles have gotten saved, and decisions for Christ have been made; this is what we are here for.

This place in Madagascar is WIDE open for the Gospel!!  Please pray that God will send laborers.  Yes, we pray that.  It takes a language learning.  We need some young folks to learn THIS LANGUAGE in order to be useful. Language opens up the world to the Gospel.  If you are my age, encourage your children to learn a USEFUL language—one they are intending to use somewhere for the Gospel of Jesus.  Amen!!!!

Saturday morning class continues. I do love to help these kids; they need a lot of love and patience.  One of them came with a cut hand from a sardine can and I was able to sew it up.  Rebekah and Gideon had 59 last week.  Dan, Joseph and Gideon re-did the backboard and net for the basketball.  YAY.

Pets:  Rebekah's pig is getting big and is great for finishing up ANYTHING. Gideon also has an owl brought to us by hunters who cut all its flying feathers.  He is doing well and will soon be able to be let go. Esther’s mongooses continue as the “grubs.”  I call them that because they are fat and dig in the back yard.  They are male and female so everyone is hopeful of a mongoose family someday.  Most Africans cannot understand this kindness to God’s little creatures.

Many praises:  

Joseph came for the summer and is now back at Ambassador.  
Debbie and Heather came to visit and are back home safely.  
Joan arrived safely in Madagascar.

 

Please pray: 

For the church, school, and camp ministries to grow.

For Ruth to have a safe and smooth delivery.

For the safety and God’s blessing of all of the Cuthbertsons scattered around the world.

 

In His grip,

 

Joan