A recap of 2013 (Happy Christmas)

Greetings...

With the year ending and celebration of our Saviours birth one can't help but think of the year, its challenges and excitements. Timely so a re-cap of the year is due. It has been close to a year ago since I arrived in Benin. It has not been without your support, interest and prayers that God has carried me this far. The year has been challenging, exciting and overall an influential one. Although I may have not achieved all I have set-out to, God has definitely achieved in me what he intended and may He continue to do so. 

So with a long list of things to do in Benin before I came the list got shorter when I arrived and shorter after a couple of months. However looking back God has brought me through it all and I regard the small hopeful projects that I did not get around to doing replaced by projects that God thought more important. It was great to work with the TWR-Benin team and other Missionaries in the area and with that I intend to extend my stay here until mid-year next year (more about that later).

The agriculture front

• The tree project went on as planned and we managed to get in the 2 ha of trees in and plant maize in the same field
• The testing of different shade-crops underneath the tree plantations failed mainly due to problems with “stray” cattle coming in and eating our crops. This is a problem we have had to face constantly, and makes for interesting community relationships.
• The maize testing plots were a success and showed some good comparative results for different techniques. This has also got some of the guys thinking differently and interested in carrying on with testing different methods next year. The usual harvest went well considering a unusual rainfall year, slightly below average.

The Wildlife front

• The cottage has been a great success with both local pastors, local ministry workers and missionaries spending time out at the cottage. We continuing to develop the area around the cottage to make a stay out their more enjoyable.
• Pathways and roads, one smaller task was to put paths through the bush to allow people to have easy access when walking around to enjoy the “wildlife” in the area. Although the wildlife at the moment is mainly birds, small mammals and reptiles. It has opened up the area for people to enjoy the area.
• Learning what wildlife was here took out a good chunk of the year, an inventory of Birds seen over the year was compiled along with other legged creatures I could identify. My documented birdlist for Serarou has reached 102 different species over the year. While as some people knew I did a Big year challenge for the continent of Africa, my list there only came to 367. Far short of the targeted 500 species, but many new and great new species between all that.
• The wildlife in West Africa; this has been a tough point as it gets shot out at every opportunity a hunter gets. Speaking to a hunter caught on the property gave a good perspective on the work TWR has done over the years with this regard. He said the reason he comes onto the property to hunt is because there is animals here. This is a great encouragement but also reveals the challenge we have to try get these guys to understand how wildlife can be managed.
• To stop the locals from destroying large trees has been a challenge, we lost one really large tree down in our natural forest which was wanted for the timber industry. We also lost a few smaller ones to wood harvesters collecting firewood.
• Lake Bature is healthy and very little was needed to be done to contribute to its productivity. If time allowed it a fishing project would have been placed to assist the local women who come regularly during the dry season looking to fish in small water pools along the stream.

Extending my time in Benin
God has given me a great year here in Benin. I have been asked to stay on by the TWR-Benin team. I have considered this as I have no obligation for the beginning of next year and so have decided to extend my term by another six months. This is considering that God has blessed me financially this year and although not yet fully supported for another six months I am not far from it. I pray that this will help further assist in the continuation of the work I have done here and also pray that God will open doors into ministry better suited to my desired focus. As I am considering full-time missions, I would like to be apart of something more focused to environmental ministry. There are some great option that need time to develop and materialize. Pray with me in this regard as I pursue these options. Much of my travel this year was focused on assisting ministry with an environmental focus. As you all were a part of this last years mission I hope you may go forward with me in prayer as I to serve God.

With this I hope to see you all soon in the new year, until then I hope you have had a blessed Christmas, as we remembered the birth of Jesus Christ along with the life he lived. I have made a collage of photos from the year for you to enjoy.

The year summed up in one photo.