Greetings from sunny Siguiri, Guinea! here is our January 2012 news….

CarlosJan2012

Blessings,
Jack & Cathy

After two wonderful months in the US, we are headed back to Guinea on Saturday, January 21. We had a great time connecting with family and friends and were able to share the news of what God is doing among the Maninka people with many church families. As we leave, please pray:
- thanksgiving for a wonderful time in the US
- thanksgiving for good doctor visits for Jack and new medication to help manage his Parkinson’s Disease
- for safe travel back to Guinea, by air and by road
- for Raymond & Hannah as they return to their studies at UW-River Falls
- for guidance as we return to our health care ministry
- for wisdom as we discern the next steps to take in God’s mission in Guinea

Thanks so much for your prayers & support. TOGETHER we reach out to the Maninka people with the love of Christ.

In Him,
Jack & Cathy Carlos

“Bee, were ah lah, ah new dee wah.” A rough Maninka translation meaning “Tonight, we go!”

We leave for the US this evening from Bamako, Mali – and there is even a fresh layer of snow to greet us in Minnesota! We hope to see many of you during our time in the US. Below is our speaking schedule thus far:

• Wed, Nov 30 – Children’s Morning Chapel & Adult Bible Study, St Paul Lutheran Church, Prior Lake, MN
• Wed, Nov 30 – Advent Evening Worship, Mt Zion Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN
• Sun, Dec 4 – Morning Worship, Messiah Lutheran Church, Lakeville, MN
• Wed, Dec 7 – Advent Evening Worship, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN
• Sun, Dec 11 – Morning Worship, Life of Christ Lutheran Church, Albertville, MN
• Mon, Dec 19 – Minnesota South District Office
• Sun, Jan 1 – Morning Worship, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Englewood, FL
• Tues, Jan 3 – Sarasota Circuit Meeting, Sarasota, FL
• Jan 7 – Jan 15 – Kansas District Presentations
• Wed, Jan 18 – Evening Bible Study, Faith Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN

Prayers for safe travel are appreciated!
Trusting in Him,
Jack & Cathy

So what would happen if we invited anybody and everybody to our house for prayer?

We don’t know….yet. But, we will tomorrow.

People have been so open to our prayers when they come to our home for eye exams or other heathcare needs, that we decided to offer a time when people can come just for prayer. We are trying this for the first time tomorrow. We are excited to see what God will do!

Please pray for us as we lift the people of Siguiri up in prayer tomorrow, Saturday, November 12 from 9:00am – 12:00pm our time (3:00am – 6:00am CST)

Trusting in Him,
Jack & Cathy

Click on the link below to read our November 2011 newsletter….

Carlos November 2011

In Him,

Jack & Cathy

Here is our new prayer card…..

Life is different here – it goes without saying. I (Cathy) often comment that two of the ways it is different is that each day:
- I actually feel hungry when I sit down to my meals (because there isn’t a million wonderful and very unhealthy snacks laying around the house) and
- I am actually quite dirty (especially my feet) when I bathe each night (sweat and lots of dusty dirt can do that to a person) I like it – it feels good – it feels real.

This morning, I was awoken by the Muslim call to prayer – which I usually sleep through because I am so used to hearing it. Now, I can’t sleep and have been pondering the week we have had. It was really something. There is no way I can share it all with you – it is too much. However, some of it needs to be covered in prayer…

- For complete healing for the 6-month old baby boy of a church family, who has malaria. They brought to us and we tried to give him meds for fever and malaria but he couldn’t keep anything down. We knew he needed IV fluids and malaria meds ASAP. We brought him to the only hospital in Siguiri. Wow – what a shocking and disturbing place! The conditions were very poor but he was able to get the IV and meds he needed and God protected the family throughout the night there. He is home now with his family.
- For a friend who attended Raymond & Hannah’s English class. He is suffering from a mental illness of some kind and his family has chained him in a room at home because the don’t understand what is wrong with him and don’t know what else to do.
- For the sweet woman with advanced Parkinson’s Disease who we met this week. This really hit home for Jack since he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease about two years ago. He said he felt like he was ‘looking his future in the face’. Even though this woman had received a correct diagnosis, the medicines she was taking were not sufficient to treat her symptoms and she was really suffering. We talked to her about what actually causes her malady and told her about the best medicine she can take. We quickly counted Jack’s meds and made sure he had enough and gave her some to try. Her adult son was with her and he said he would look far and wide to find some of the medicine for her. We pray that the medicine can be found so that she can find some relief from her disease.

There was more, much more, but these three people were on my heart this morning. Thank you for your prayers.
Trusting in Him,
Jack & Cathy Carlos

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 visit us at www.carlostribe.wordpress.com

http://www.parkinson.org/

Hello! Click on the link below to read the lastest news from the Carlostribe…..

Carlos September-October 2011

Fresh push to rid the world of guinea worm by 2015

By Jane DreaperHealth correspondent, BBC News

There is no cure or vaccine for guinea worm. The UK government is backing a new campaign to try to rid the world of guinea worm by 2015. There were almost 2,000 cases of the debilitating parasitic disease in Africa last year. The push to eradicate guinea worm has been led by The Carter Center – set up by the former US president, Jimmy Carter – since 1986.

The Department for International Development (DfID) is ready to donate £20m to the drive. It’s thought this will fill about a third of the funding gap. Ministers are now calling for other donors to make significant contributions.

Although it doesn’t usually kill, guinea worm causes agonising pain and leaves some sufferers bed-ridden after they contract it by drinking contaminated water. Months after drinking the water, a metre-long spaghetti-like worm emerges from the patient’s body through a blister in the skin.

The worm ejects many thousands of larvae if it comes into contact with water – perpetuating a cycle of disease. There is no cure or vaccine, so the UK aid money will be used by the Carter Center to help train people in tracking outbreaks and using cloths to filter drinking water.

Last year, there were 1,797 cases of guinea worm in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Mali and Chad. Nigeria, Niger and Ghana have succeeded in recent efforts to wipe out the disease.

When the Carter Center began its work on guinea worm 25 years ago, there were about 3.5m cases in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. Mr Carter said: “Guinea worm has horrendous consequences for sufferers in terms of their immediate health, and their education and employment. President Carter’s commitment has brought guinea worm to the brink of eradication.”

If the campaign succeeds, it will be the first time a disease has been wiped out through education – rather than the use of a vaccine or medicine. The international development minister, Stephen O’Brien, said: “President Carter’s commitment has brought guinea worm to the brink of eradication.

“It has never been a question of if we can rid the world of this ancient disease – but when.”