Dear friends,

It is with joyful hearts that we are writing you to share our exciting news. After years of prayer and careful consideration we are about to go forward with our biggest move yet – to long-term missionary service in the Republic of Kiribati!

The Republic of Kiribati:

The Kiribati (pronounced keer-ah-bus) is a small island nation along the equator north of Fiji. The 33 atolls span over 1.3 million square miles of Pacific Ocean, making up the Line, Phoenix and Gilbert Islands. Kiribati is one of the poorest of all nations and least developed of the Pacific Islands. It has very few resources due to the poor nutrients in the sand and exports only copra (coconut) and fish.

We will begin our work in the Gilbert Islands. Over 83 thousand people live among these 16 atolls in the westernmost part of the country. There is only one hospital to serve this huge area, and domestic transportation is a problem. With the local air transportation service often down for maintenance and boat travel often taking days, even small medical problems can become life-threatening.

The needs in the country are many. In addition to poor access to medical care, they lack sanitation, clean drinking water, and struggle with the rising costs of imported basic goods such as rice and flour. Given the state of the current world economy, the cost of these staples is beyond what the I-Kiribati can afford, and many go hungry as a result. 

Search For One:

Search For One is a non-profit health and development organization that began work in the Kiribati in 1992. The mission of SFO is “to provide medical, dental, educational and evangelistic help to the forgotten people of the Republic of Kiribati.” This is done by means of a 40-foot Trimaran boat, a Piper Aztec 6-seat airplane, and hundreds of hours donated by medical and dental professionals. SFO currently sends short-term teams of medical and dental professionals and laypeople two to four times per year. They are respected and well-known throughout the Gilbert Islands for the work they are doing.

Doing our part:

We spent the summer of 2008 in the Kiribati meeting the people and exploring the country we hope to call home. Todd worked on the plane, which was quickly found to be in need of repair before it can be flown again, while Cas filmed a short documentary about the people and plight of the I-Kiribati.

We plan to move our family to the Kiribati as soon as we get enough funding. We expect this to be January 2011. Baby Amelia is healthy, happy and hearty and is ready to take on this new adventure. In our first year Todd’s task will be to get the twin Aztec up and running, while making medical flights using rental planes. He will also work on building suitable long-term living conditions for our family – currently there is only a nipa hut. Cas will be documenting the work in writing and on video as well as working to start the country’s first Christian radio station. Knowing Cas, she will also be involved with anything else that involves kids or animals.

Doing your part:

We are excited about this next chapter in our lives, and we’re excited to share our story with you. We invite your prayers in abundance as we set out; we firmly believe that nothing can be done without the invitation of the Holy Spirit to lead hearts and minds. If you are willing, we ask for your commitment as prayer partners with us throughout this experience. If you feel led to give financially, materials are enclosed with instructions on how to do so.

You can begin following along with us as our journey begins on the web at www.searchforone.com/anderson.

However you choose to be involved, whether by prayer, financial giving, or even by joining us for a short-term mission trip, we welcome you to join this missionary service. If you have any questions about our plans, our needs, or our family, please email us!

We thank you sincerely for your partnership in this project!

Todd, Cas, and Amelia Anderson

Todd’s email: airantelope@gmail.com

Cas’ email: cas_anderson@yahoo.com

On the web: www.searchforone.org/anderson