Prayer Letter

I seem to always talk about solar energy in my newsletters! I'm hopeful that in the next few weeks our local solar technician can install the inverters that arrived from China, after having some coaching and instruction via WhatsApp from our other solar technician, who's currently still marooned in the USA thanks to the ongoing visa ban (more on that later).

Pharmacy work is going well and Valerie is getting to grips with the procedures and processes in the stock room. Cleopas is on holiday for the first two weeks of April, so that will hopefully give me more time to train Valerie in these procedures. However, unfortunately another of our pharmacy colleagues is off work sick right now and is likely to be off for a few more weeks, so Valerie and I will have to juggle some tasks between us in order to cover things.

Another role of mine is to oversee the residential housing for the international staff. That has meant me project managing some home improvements on some of the houses alongside our trusted contractors. We've all worked together for many years now and so these projects move along fairly smoothly which is helpful!

It was International Women's Day on 8th March and unlike last year, there was a national fabric to wear and a march in the centre of N'Djamena. I decided to forego the march as a) it was hot and b) it was a Sunday. So I went to church in my women's day dress and then, along with the other female mission workers at G2, went to the party at the home of one of our female staff. We were among the first to arrive. Some of our female staff had been working since the night before to prepare food and then cook it.

At the time we arrived, the person booked to provide musical entertainment and a microphone, had dropped his equipment off but was nowhere to be seen. More female hospital staff arrived and there was much annoyance that the music provider was absent! The staff who had represented the hospital at the march arrived and then so did the music producer, so all was well.

We had a speech from the head of the Guinebor Hospital's Women's Association. That's an interesting story actually. A few years ago, this Association was formed as a result of the hospital director challenging the female staff, around the beginning of March, as to why every year they keep going to the hospital leadership asking for money for their women's day celebration, and couldn't they be creative and do something to help themselves with it?! So, the Association was borne. I am an advisor to the leadership of the Association! I think this role is reserved for slightly older ladies who supposedly have some wisdom and life experience. So, I took being asked to do this as a compliment, despite it meaning that I'm seen as older than I actually feel!!

Anyway, the ladies in the Association have searched out training and they now make tie-dye fabric and liquid soap for cleaning floors, which they sell. The hospital actually buys the liquid soap from the cleaners to use around the hospital. The ladies are about to undertake more training on some other crafts. The result is that the Association is making money, which is then spent on things like women's day. Everyone is so proud of the fact that the hospital leadership is no longer asked to financially support the women's day celebration! Anway, back to this year's celebrations. After the speech we then danced to the music which is always fun and the Chadians always love it when the nasaras (foreigners) get up and dance! The food was served and we washed it down with huge bottles of fizzy drink. I had my favourite which is often not available, Top Pamplemousse (Top is the brand, Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit). I enjoyed all 600ml of it, trying to forget the fact that I was basically drinking 600ml of pure sugar! The photos show me in my 2026 women's day outfit and also some of the ladies dancing.

I was able to take a few days out of country and see an exiled American friend in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) back in February, which was lovely. She's one of my best friends in Chad and it's hard not having her around in N'Djamena. The visa ban for Americans continues, although for some people associated with the Chadian version of the Evangelical Alliance, there may be a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. We've been informed that they have worked with the relevant government ministries and the prime minister's office, who have said that American mission workers linked with the Chadian Evangelical Alliance can have an exemption and get visas. This news is about a month old now and all eligible Americans have either lodged their physical passports (if they're still in country) or copies of their passports with the Chadian Evangelical Alliance, in the hope that visas will get issued. There is no more news right now but your prayers for this ongoing situation, which is affecting many ministries in Chad, are appreciated.

Many of you will already be aware of this next piece of news, but for those who aren't, I wanted to let you know that after a lot of prayer and reflection, I have made the decision to leave Guinebor and Chad. It was not a quick or easy decision to make, but I have felt at peace about it ever since. The time is right for me to hand over to other people. It definitely feels like the end of a season. I've not really been needed in the pharmacy for a good couple of years now, as Cleopas is doing a great job running the department. The rest of my tasks will hopefully be handed over mainly to Chadians but with support from some mission workers. I am in for a massive life change! I am still doing my planned home assignment in May/June (dates below) and then attending an all-staff BMS conference in the UK at the end of June. I will return to Chad in the middle of July and that will then be the last three months I will spend in country and at Guinebor. I am planning to leave Chad definitively at some point in October 2026. I will then remain with BMS for three months once in the UK, finishing with the organisation at either the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. I'd like to take this opportunity to thnk you all for all of your prayerful and financial support over the many years that I have been in Chad. I could not have done what I have done without you!

Praise and prayer points

Praise points:

Potential for the inverters to be installed by a local electrician

Valerie's development in the pharmacy work

Women's day celebrations and the Guinebor Women's Association

A quick break in Addis to see my friend

Prayer points:

That the solar technician will be able to successfully install the inverters (it's a complicated job)

Ongoing visa ban for Americans

Valerie's training

For Valerie and me as we manage the pharmacy during Cleopas's absence

For me as I prepare to hand over my work at Guinebor and return to the UK

Thank you for your extremely vital prayer support!

Below is my schedule of church/group visits in May/June 2026. Do feel free to come to one that is near you, it would be great to see you and update you in person on the work at G2!

Blessings

Claire

Sunday 10 May – lunchtime/early afternoon – Upton Vale Baptist Church, Torquay

Wednesday 13 May – 9am – Northumbria Community morning prayer group

Sunday 17 May – 10.30am – Bluntisham Baptist Church

Wednesday 20 May – 7.30pm – South Molton Baptist Church

Sunday 24 May – 10.30am – Folkestone Baptist Church

Tuesday 26 May – evening meeting – Brighton Road Baptist Church, Horsham

Sunday 31 May – 10.30am – Wellington Baptist Church

Sunday 31 May – 6pm – Barnstaple Baptist Church

Tuesday 2 June – 7pm – Griffithstown Baptist Church

Wednesday 3 June – 6.30pm – Moriah Baptist Church, Risca

Sunday 7 June – 10.30am – Caversham Baptist Church

Sunday 7 June – 6.30pm – Union Baptist Church, High Wycombe

Sunday 14 June – 10.45am – Abbey Centre Baptist Church, Northampton

Sunday 21 June – 10.45am – Higham Way Baptist Church, Burbage