~ Itinerant ministry worldwide; Discipleship; Tribal work in Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Burkina Faso ~
Jerry Skiles report August 2025
September is when I normally head back to the tribe. I start to prepare for my trip in August. I was sitting at my desk, looking at my passport and visas, researching flights, when the phone rang. It was John from the tribe. After visiting for about 15 minutes, I asked how things were in the area. I could almost hear relief come to him as he began to communicate the serious security issues in the area. The relief was that it is culturally inappropriate to share news that has not been solicited. I remember hearing “You asked!” many times as we laughed at the news in the past. There was no laughing this time.
John’s position as chief makes him the liaison to the Ivorian Governor, and there had been eight people killed that week near the village I lived in. John had gone with the Governor to research the problem. It started when two individuals had been killed by one group, and that group retaliated by killing six of the other group.
An easy way to think of this is that the area of the Ivory Coast is like the epoch when the Israelites lived close to the Philistines in the Old Testament time. Groups of raiders pillage one another.
A few days later, Solomon, another man from the tribe, called; and we discussed the security in the area. When I asked him if he thought it was worse now than when the rebels were in the area, he said yes. When I talked to John later, I posed the same question. John thought the rebel time was worse. John lives in a town that has a garrison of the Ivorian military, and Solomon lives a distance from soldiers. John seemed to indicate that when the villagers asked what the State could do for their security, the Governor acknowledged that self-protection was their best course of action.
The schools continue to operate, so I still want the lunch program to continue. Ed Enns will be going to Abidjan and is willing to meet with a Loron believer to get the resources to make that happen. I considered going there myself, but I feel a trip in January will allow me to see more of the Church leaders and maybe things will stabilize enough for a visit to the tribal area.
At this time, I haven’t heard of any of the believers being molested or having possessions stolen. I have heard of others I know who have. In many of my talks with the believers over the weeks, they tell of people who are being saved and trusting in the Lord for their salvation. The believers appreciated it when I tell them people are praying for them.
Paul Briggs with Ethnos 360 (formerly New Tribes) recently completed
and had printed the New Testament in the Loron Language. This is a
testament to perseverance and teamwork as the task was started in the 1980’s.
God is Good! (All the time) Amen!