Alumni Update: Dea Lieu of the Ivory Coast passes away

This is one of our favorite pictures of Dea Lieu (left) from his time at SIFAT.

We are very sad to bring you news of the death of one of our beloved partners in ministry, SIFAT graduate Dea Lieu. He died in the hospital on the morning of November 20 of an infection in his lungs. We do not have details at this time, but we do ask for your prayers for his wife Charlotte, and their children, Desire’-Michel, Louis, Fabien, Vistorian and Armande and for his co-workers in mission in their war ravaged country, Cote D’Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast in English.

Our brother Dea Lieu founded this mission called Association Chretienne de lute contre la Pauvrete (Christian Association of Fight Against Poverty) He believed deeply in the integrated Gospel to the body and to the soul and led many of his fellow countrymen and women to Christ.  He taught agriculture to 25 farming families and helped them organize into a co-op and become self-sufficient. The project we have currently been working on with him is to get a truck to take the farmers’ produce to market, an approved SIFAT Graduate Project.

While he was waiting for a kidney transplant in the States a few years ago, his wife Charlotte and their children kept the ministry working. We pray for them that they will be empowered by our Lord to continue Lieu’s wonderful ministry. And we pray that they will be comforted by the Spirit of Christ who said, “Because I live, you shall live also.” Surely Dea Lieu’s dedication and service will be a testimony that will live on in the hearts of those with whom he worked in the Ivory Coast and also in the hearts of those of us in the United States who were blessed by his presence among us.