Dear Friends...
It is our distinct honor and privilege to ask you to join with us in celebrating the successful completion of our pre-field ministry!
The journey we began by faith three years ago has come full circle, and we are now preparing for departure to Togo in March. We invite you to celebrate with us as we reach this milestone, for it is only through your constant prayers and generous support that we are now on the threshold of beginning our ministry in Togo. God has done wonderful things in our lives, and we want you to know that your role in His purpose has been integral.
So many of you have committed to pray diligently for us and our ministry. In addition, many items have already been given to the ministry:
furniture $1,000
washer and dryer $1,500
generator $1000
kitchen supplies (given)
tires and battery for van $600
mobile lighting system on trailer (given)
construction tools $1,500
sound system and speakers $1,500
During this busy time of planning and relocation, we have two main goals to achieve.
First, we are currently at 90% of our monthly support has been raised. We are hoping to raise an additional 8-10% in monthly support in an effort to meet basic needs. Fluctuations in both the price of food and the value of the dollar have greatly increased the cost of living in Togo, and this support would go towards mitigating those concerns. We are praying that some additional churches we have visited during the past three years will take us on for monthly support.
Second, we need to purchase some essential items before we leave, items that either cannot be purchased in Togo or are far more expensive there. The two largest needs are a 4x4 truck to reach scattered villages throughout the southern region of Togo and the transportation of our freight container, which houses our supplies.
Besides those, there are some items that we need for our home, which we will be setting up from scratch. Those include:
Needed as of January 2009:
water filter $400
stove (220 v) $800
microwave (220V) $150
refrigerator $1,100
freezer $500
transformers $500
airline tickets and travel expenses $3,000
4x4 truck $20,000
container travel cost/ port charges $12,000
home setup $2,000
Togo visas and paperwork (10 years) $2,000
electricity deposit $1,000
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. We so look forward to writing you from Togo in the very near future!
JJ and Melissa Alderman
Togo, West Africa
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