Couple more heaven pics

Too good to not share.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  It made me think of the second coming.  Are you ready?

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.

blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

Visited by a Piece of Heaven!

This was such a gift, especially here.  We never get to see anything so beautiful in Chad.  I hope those here in Bere that may have been discouraged looked up and found some hope.  This was the most beautiful breathtaking thing I have ever seen.  If you would like to see more like these you can look in Facebook in one of my photo albums.  What a great way to end the sabbath! 

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

I AM GIVING YOU MY CHILD!

Today was a typical day.  Working with the malnourished babies, the sick, the hungry and then those that said that they were giving me their child.  What do you say to that?  Talk about being put on the spot.  This lady came with her three children and told me that her husband said that she should bring her kids to me so I can see them all and then tell me that this one child is for me.  In the past I had helped them when he was sick.  I paid for his medical bill at the hospital and he got better.  I have helped this family in a few different ways and I guess this was the way they wanted to pay me back.  

When Naomi interpreted this to me I just thought that maybe this was a gesture, something she was just saying to show me how much she was grateful.  But then I caught on that she was seriously not going to leave my property with him.  What do I do?  As I am speaking English to Naomi I am telling her that I can't believe that this lady is going to leave him.  I knew that Naomi was equally freaking out and Naomi said that she was shaking inside.   I was so glad that God brought to my mind what to say.  Because I realized that this is a serious situation.  I looked at this woman and told her that I thank her so much for the offer but a child belongs with his parents.  There is no love like that of a parent.  She seemed to be okay with that.   I asked her if I could take their pictures to remember them and then she left.  

I keep thinking that I can't be surprised by what this place brings my way but I continue to have eyebrow raising situations.  Keep us in prayer.  

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

It's a Girl! .

    Olen and Danae Netteburg are the proud parents of 

                   

                       Addison Noel Netteburg! 

                              August 13, 2013 

Lyol and Zane Netteburg are the proud brothers! 

"Unclean" .

I went out into the village to meet people that need help.  I met a couple of old ladies that can't work any more for their food because they are just too worn out.  I saw a young guy cutting the okra for one of them because her hands hurt so bad from working so many years in the rice field.  But the story that really got me was the one of this man.  I turned the corner to meet the next person and the two men before me where already greeting someone in the doorway of a house.  But as I turned the corner I could not see him yet.  But all I knew was that the men in front of me gave this man their hand to shake to say hello.  As I look inside I immediately recognize him as the beggar that use to be in the market.  He would wear bags over his feet because they had been eaten away by leprosy.  I had a moment of freaking out inside myself and I was secretly praying that God will bless me and not let me get this awful disease.  I have been told that it is not all as contagious as everyone thinks.  But from reading all the stories in the bible about the lepers having to cry out "unclean" just stuck to my first instinct not to touch him,  but I did.  I offered my hand to him as I was thinking to myself "I can't believe I am doing this".  The poor man is starving to death.  He says that it is too hard for him to get up and go to the market and beg anymore because he no longer has the power.  He looked just miserable.  I just couldn't digest his desperate situation.  I walked away from there completely uneasy, wondering what can I do?  I am going to try and get some rice and things together for him but just not sure if it will be enough.   I did talk to him about God and asked him if he believed in God and he told me how active he use to be in church.  

When I see people like this I just can't help but thank God for my health and how He takes care of my every need.  Its things like this that I need to think about more often whenever I get in that mood of being consumed with frivolous things.  

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

The Giving Fund!

                THE GIVING FUND 

             Helps those with Leprosy

Helps those who are starving who have no one else

to take care of them. 

Thank you for your donations! 

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

The Sabbath

Sabbath

I am trying to get the kids that I know involved in giving back somehow.  I asked Tamdegue to teach the little kids sabbath school since Danae is gone.  He did a great job!  Then we have Kassera that is a branch sabbath school about 5-6 miles away.  That means that this is a place where we will go out and have a small lesson with songs and prayer.  Mostly it is always kids but this is how we do church planting.  Gary Roberts who is the missionary pilot here and he also is the one in charge of the church planting asked me if some of the kids that are with us all the time would be willing to go and teach every week and keep it going.  I asked the kids and they are ready and willing to do it which makes me very proud of them. 

So yesterday we had a full day of church activities.  Jamie was not feeling good so I took the kids to Kassera to do the lesson there.  I sometimes can not believe what my life is like here and it is really hard to explain if you have never been here.  But I am going to do my best to give you a visual.  I am driving down the dirt road which is like driving on ice.  Since it is rainy season it is red slippery mud.  In just 5 days the roads have gotten significantly worse with a lot of water.  Because it is around 4 p.m. there are a lot of people walking back home from the big market day in Bere.  There is people on bikes, motorcycles, donkeys and many just walking.  I have to drive slow because everyone is trying to stay in the same ruts in the road because everywhere else around you is just mushy from the herds of oxen walking through.  In some places I have to just hold my breath and hope for the best that we are not going to get stuck in the deep water because I can't tell how deep it is going to get in some places.  But I was happy to get to our destination without any drama just a lot of anxiety within me.  I open the door and put my foot into about 3 inches of mushy mud.  I look at my once white foot in my pretty silver flip flops and I tell one of the kids that I guess I will have to take a shower when we get home and wash up.  But what I am really trying to do is convince myself that no matter what the rest of the path is like I can do it and just clean up later.  The path is very narrow and there is corn stalks all around us.  There is wet grass hitting my legs due to the narrow path.  I can't help but think about all the little critters that I am unfamiliar with here that I could come in contact with that could hurt me in some way.  I look around and everything looks so different with everything grown up from all the rain we are getting.  We step over all the piles that the animals have left on the path and the smell is just like what the path looks like.  I feel mosquitos bitting my legs under my skirt for it is that time of day.  We get to the big mango tree that has a big cleared area around it.  No one is here but the kids tell me we should wait 10-15 minutes.  I stand in one place as the left over rain drops from the mango tree hits my body.  I take a moment and look out to the view.  I think about how crazy this really is.  This is a missionary moment I am having right now.  I felt like we were so out in the middle of no where.  I can't believe that I am really doing this.  Then one of the boys grabs a stick and starts to swat at something on one of the other boy's pant legs.  It is a centipede.  Some say that they can really sting you and leave quite a scar but then the people here say many things and it is hard to know what is true.  One time, as of recent, I was told that they have something here that looks like a squirrel.  If you get bit by one you have to catch it, kill it and then remove the teeth and bury them or you will die.  They have lots of suspicions like this.  So as one kid is trying to get this centipede off of the other one I can just see the fright on this kids face.  And my next selfish thought is what is on me? 

Finally, children begin to show up.  Some are too scared to touch the white lady and some come straight to me first to greet me.  Some are naked, some are half naked.  There are three old men that show up and shake our hands.  I look at them with compassion for they look so worn out as well as their clothes do.  One with a big suit coat on with two inch holes in the arms.  Another man walking with a stick but all coming to hear a bible story.  Everyone gets settled on the benches that we donated to them last year and we begin our service.  Songs are being sung in Nangjere, intact the whole service is done in Nangjere so I don't understand a thing that is being said.  This part of my life here can get old and you can sometimes find yourself drifting off into your own thoughts.  I have done more thinking here than ever.  But I try to be apart of the song part as much as possible.  Everyone seems to be having such a good time and I see smiles on their faces and it makes me feel like it was so worth the effort of coming out.  The story was told and a message was given.  Our time is up and it is time to get through the trail again and drive back to Bere.  

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

A Listening God!

I thought it was hopeless.  I thought that there was no way to help this child.  The mother came to me out of desperation.  She didn't know what else to do.  When I saw him I had no idea what I was going to do for him.  After talking to the mother and asking her many questions I went into my house and in my kitchen I just cried.  I thought why am I crying for a child I don't even know?  How can I love this child more than his mother?  I felt like it was neglect on her part.  I prayed for God to show me what to do.  I have only seen one other baby starving to death like this one.  I got myself together and went out to give the mother a paper to go to the hospital to put him on IV to hydrate him and give him parasite medicine along with other vitamins.   I also made her a big batch of bwee with a lot of different nutrients in it for her to give to him as much as he would take it.  We had to spoon feed him the liquid to even get him to take it so it would just slide down his throat.  After a few days they went home and a couple days ago she came to me to thank me for my help.  She thinks as though it was a miracle.  She said that others tried to help her but he never showed such an improvement and within just 2 weeks.  Praise God!     

Psalms 22:24 

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 

BEFORE AFTER TWO WEEKS!

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

The Chained up Man!

I couldn't sleep last night!  I kept thinking about the chained up man I met that day.  His eyes looked so gentle and he reached out to me in a way that made me think that he needed my help.  This image is in my mind forever.  What do I do with it now? 

I was asked to go with one of the Chefs of one of the villages to see a man that the family has chained up because they say he is dangerous to those around him.   They thought that maybe there was something I could do.  I got to the home and there was a little confusion trying to find the family so I could talk to them.  I walked past the house with the chained up man and it was awful.  He was sitting on the dirt floor just digging a small hole.  He looked up and was reaching for me.  He didn't look dangerous to me.  I asked the family many questions.  Who takes care of him?  They said his brother and sister, which are all adults.  Does he ever get outside?  No.  How long has he been like this?  Two months.   Do they have any idea why?  They don't know but it was around the same time that his wife died.  What is it that you think I can do for him?  Please find a way to take him to the mental hospital.  

After asking many questions we went over to the house again and took some pictures.  This was very disturbing to me.  He wanted to shake my hand but the people would not allow this.  They said that it could be dangerous.  Oh how this bothered me.  I felt like it was so inhumane.  The guys chain wasn't even long enough to go outside or walk around in the house.  I don't even know where my thoughts are with this one.  If any of you have any please let me know.  This one just makes me literally sick to my stomach to think about.   Some even say it could be witchcraft. 

Here is what I saw. 

This second picture is of the chain coming out through a small hole in the wall and wrapped around a heavy tree. 

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.

com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

The Project 21!

Project 21! 

I have decided to try and keep Project 21 alive.  This is a project that was started by a young lady, a  couple years ago, by the name of Marci Andersen.  Project 21 is a program that involves all 21 villages around Bere.  It is a program that helps the people help each other.  When the program started Marci went out into each village and gave education talks.  She would go everyday for four days in a row in the same village and educate anyone in that village who wanted to come and listen.  The talks were about dental education, family planning, personal hygiene and health education involving their food and what they should and should not eat or drink.  This was the program that got Jamie involved in pulling teeth for free every Wednesday.  

Now, the program has grown where there is 3 ladies in each village that are in constant training at the hospital to be midwives in their village.  They have been trained to know when there is a problem with a delivery and how to find a way to get the woman to the hospital.   There are two men in each village that are trained in wound care.  And to identify other health problems that they direct to the hospital.  

The program has been just floating along but not really had a leader for over a year now.  So I have decided to jump on board and do what I can to keep it alive until Marci comes back in September with more help.  

I have met with all of the Chefs of all 21 villages last week and introduced myself and listened to all of their concerns.  I met with about 71 men and women trained village workers on Friday.  I handed out soap to each one thanking them for their service.  I also informed them that I am interested in helping them until Marci gets here.  I listened to what it is that they need in order to do their jobs well in the village.   

Since all of these meetings I have bought many medical supplies such as soap, bleach, gloves, thermometers, iodine, tape and gauze.  We are now in the process of handing them out.  I know that this program is helping many people and it has been a blessing to be a part of it already.  I just know that 

God is in this program and I am so glad that I chose to be a part of it.  Please pray that it will be a blessing for many.  

The first picture is handing out the medical supplies and the guy on the right is Fredrick my interpreter and on the left is one of the Chefs of the village.   The second picture is the meeting with all the trained village people.

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

Our doctors, The Netteburgs!

Dr. Olen and Dr. Danae Netteburg have left for the states for their annual leave.  They are also taking extra time to have their next baby.  We are all anxiously waiting to see if it is a girl or a boy!  My guess is a girl.  I will let you all know.  Her due date is August 12.  We will miss them while they are gone.  

Tammy 

Time to get busy

I love working for God.  I love working for God here.  He has been talking to me again.  It is almost funny to me because He is almost doing it in a humorous way.  Ever since I have been back I have not been in full gear.  I have been just choosing what I want to do here and there.  I have had some spare time to myself which I have really appreciated but at the same time it gives me too much time to think about self and how much I miss my kids.  

Last week my baby milk formula program just exploded with new cases.  It was almost ridiculous.  This is something I have to get out and do.  I have to asses the situation and make sure that each case is necessary because each case is $300. per year that I will be taking on.  Each case was one that I just couldn't say no to.  And it seemed like everyday there was one or two or three more cases.  I started to wonder if God is trying to tell me something?  I believe He was.  I can't explain it exactly but it made me work with the people.  It woke me up to the fact that I believe God is telling me that it is time to go full force again.  So I decided, from experience,  it is best to listen.  

This week I got into the village.  I went to go visit an old lady that Naomi knew from passing her house.  She told me about her and told me that she thinks that she is really suffering.  I decided that this was where I wanted to start.  So one day this week I went to see the old lady.  Her house seems to be barely standing.  As I got closer to her house I couldn't believe that someone was living in this old mud hut that was falling apart and melting away with the rain.  Only part of her roof exists and that is the side that she sleeps under.  She invited me into her compound and as I proceeded I slipped on the green filled puddle that is right outside her hut.  Her bedroom is about 5 ft x 7 ft.  She kindly rolled out her mat on her bed that was about 10 inches off the ground.  I sat in the middle and Naomi was on one side while this lady was on the other.  As I looked forward the other side of her house was bright because there was no roof and she was using it as her kitchen.  As I sat there I began my interview.  At first things were going good and I was learning that she was married once but her husband left her after she had 5 kids.  Only one of her kids were alive and lives away from her and she doesn't even know for sure where he is.  

As I am listening to her story I begin to hear other noises in the house too and it distracted me.  I look over on the wall and a rat is running up.  Then I hear one behind me and a little later I am sure there was two playing together right beneath me.  I am starting to freak out.  Sorry but I am human and not use to this.  They were everywhere in this little space.  I know it is bad but all I could think about is my skirt touching the ground.  Will a rat run up my leg?  I look at Naomi and she knows me so well and tells me it is going to be ok.  During my freakout I am trying to look like normal as I continue asking questions.  Then I think, this lady has to sleep here what am I freaking out about.  I tell myself that I can do this for 15 minutes.  

The interview is over and I decided to help her however I thought I could.  I handed her a bag full of different foods.  Then I went outside and really looked at the house and the roof.  I think that I am going to just hire someone to come out repair it they way they do it locally with the grass on the roof.  Then I looked at her beaten up hands.  I thought about all the years that she has suffered and worked in the fields.  She is doing her best but is not being able to move like she use to.  I decided to start her on a business.  I can do that with just $20.  I talked to her about what she thought she could do and how to manage the money.  Then the three of us prayed together asking God to bless her and multiply her business.  As I began to walk away she pulled Naomi back by the arm.  I turned and looked at them.  She looked down at the $20, which is 10,000 CFA,  then she looked back at Naomi.  Naomi told me that she wanted to know what it was that I gave her.  She said that she knew it was money but how much?  Even though this woman was probably in her 60's she looked like a child in my eyes at that moment.  She said that in all her life she has never touched money that big before.  I just told her to give God all the glory.

I wonder how many times does God give us something good that we don't recognize? I believe that it can also be disguised as something that we think is tragic but the outcome is a blessing.  That is why we should praise Him during the bad things too.  God hears our prayers but our ways are not His.  Trust Him, talk to Him and try to recognize what He is doing for you.  This woman has nothing really but she thought that God heard her cries for help.  It is so fun working for God.  Thank you to all of you who are giving donations to our giving fund so I am able to give to those in need.  This whole mission is God's love all over the place.  Thank you! 

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project"