For the 6 ½ years we have lived in Chad, we’ve never taken for granted the relative peace and freedom as missionaries we have experienced. From Josh’s first vision trip, he was impressed by the fact that Muslims and Christians could live side-by-side, selling at the same markets, and that missionaries were legally allowed to work for the church even in Muslim areas.

A landlocked nation surrounded by war-torn countries, Chad’s borders have for years been dotted with refugee camps from surrounding nations: Libya’s ongoing battles, Sudan’s Darfur crisis, Central African Republic’s ongoing civil war. The Chadian military, lead by President Idriss Deby, was committed to fighting Islamists across the Sahel region as well as on their own soil (Boko Haram for example).

We would often reflect together how thankful we were that even though the president had been in power since the 90’s and the people here are very poor, hungry, and lack quality health care, at least there was peace. “When Deby dies, ‘all bets are off,’” we would comment. What we meant is that for the time being, things were somewhat predictable, and peace was likely to continue. We would often stop there, refusing to let our minds dwell on ‘what would happen’ when the president died. We both assumed it could very well mean the end of ministry here.

Now, we’ve just watched the nation bury their president after incurring wounds from fighting rebels on the front lines only 300 km from the capital city. All bets do seem off, in some regard. There is a lot of speculation about what might happen and when. Many workers have evacuated the capital and other remote locations in the country because of the uncertainty of what might come in the weeks and months ahead.

It’s been an interesting week here, feeling the emotions that our Chadian friends also feel:

  • from the fear after hearing news that rebels were approaching the capital a week ago,
  • to the outright shock physically and emotionally that the president had died,
  • to the uncertainty of the future of the nation, to the desire for things to continue like normal,
  • to the frustration and even anger at the fact that the Chadian people have had no say in who assumes power after the president died (the military transitional council dissolved parliament and the constitution immediately after the news broke that Deby had died).

So much of our lives here is lived trying to understand the hearts and minds of Chadians – we sympathize with their suffering, but we never have experienced the helplessness of the works-based Islamic religion. Nor have we suffered unnecessarily at the hands of incompetent health care providers. We ache at the sight of beggar children on the roadside or malnourished children, but we do not know what it’s like to be desperately hungry. But this week, we have certainly been able to identify with the thoughts of many of our friends.

Thankfully, we have God’s word and character as an anchor. As we have had moments of shock or feelings of uncertainty, we are able to call to mind our sovereign, good Father who is working all things together – even presidents dying, rebels fighting, constitutions being dissolved – for His glory and our good. We commiserate with our Chadian friends but can point them to a God who is trustworthy and faithful because of His promises in His word. We remind people that we may be surprised, but God never is.

We have so much to be thankful for as we reflect at the events of this past week. In addition to a good and faithful God who has given us the gift of His word and the Holy Spirit to comfort us and give us peace, we also have had many people reach out assuring us of their prayers for safety and wisdom. We have had such great communication amongst the other missionary leaders in the country to provide us with a lot of helpful information as we make decisions for our team here in the east of the country. We have felt the support and guidance of our sending organization as news was pouring in and go-bags were being packed. We have experienced peace in our city all week.

Thank you for your prayers for Chad – its people and government – and for us as we have walked through a week of uncertainty. For now, we feel confident that the best thing we can do is stay here and continue with the work God has given us to do. We continue to monitor the news and consult with others who can help us make informed decisions. We pray that many Chadians will hear the good news of a Kingdom that will never fails and that many will trust in Christ as a result of this political crisis.