one year (!)

Jerry Clark and his Team:
My life is a mess, but my heart is encouraged.

For any of you who know me well, you know I don't handle busy-ness that well. I need the occasional evening free and at least one day of the week where not much happens or is planned. In that sense the two weeks the team from Denton Bible was here was tough, but in another sense, they were all very encouraging. They taught very well and I was blessed by their teaching and by the trip up to Nairobi last week.

We had a week of conferences here in our area and a week in Nairobi. The men were teaching pastors who are all either current students or alumni of BTCP (Bible Training Center for Pastors) while the women were visiting ladies' homes from our church. Each evening we met back together at the Serve Center for an evening seminar on Conflict Resolution with Jerry Clark speaking. Jerry is on staff with Denton Bible and works with the Men's Ministry and Reconciliation Ministry (counseling couples with struggling marriages). Each night people packed into our small classroom even to the point where some people (me every night!) having to stand. Everyone seemed to walk away with one word in their mouths, "Wow". Then we had a team day with the men which was incredibly encouraging as Jerry gave us some wisdom about 'temperaments' that people have. Apparently I'm laid back and a perfectionist at the same time! No wonder I'm so conflicted :). The next day was a wedding which I stood in giving me the opportunity to where an African dress shirt. Apparently, according to the comments I received I looked "gooood".

We took a day off and then headed out to Nairobi for another conference on discipleship. I was encouraged and reminded of my desire to work for the kingdom of God by making disciples of men. Please pray that God would bring faithful men into my path and I would know how to lead them towards maturity.

For more pictures from the last two weeks go here: DBC Team 2010

The Omondis are leaving:
Next week Dennis, Allison, and Anjela Omondi are coming to the states for home service for 5 months. James and I are left in charge of Serve and James, myself, and two other men are left in the leadership of the church. I am anticipating a challenge here, because it doesn't seem like the workload will be reducing at all even though the workers are reducing. There is a lot going on in the church including this current "Vision" - click on it to see more.

Pray for the Omondis - for rest and spiritual rejuvenation, for their support raising and care for their supporters, and for their time with family.

Pray for us - to work with the energy of the Lord. To have precision in our times of preparation for class and studies; to use less time but be more effective.

Me?:
During all that crazy busyness stated above, I turned a year old. I left the states on September 5th, 2009. I've passed the year mark! Looking back, the amount of progress that occurred is....well, it's a lot! There's so much to learn! Culturally, I feel like I have been picking away at the ice of a frozen lake for a year now getting closer and closer. After a year, I've broken the ice, but I'm realizing that the lake goes down 200 feet deep, and it's very wide too. I'm sure you can measure it in volume as well...that's a lot of liters. Culture! Wow. So, one year. Is it 1/4 of the way through my term? Is it, "Wow, I've been away for SO LONG!"? I think it is more like, "Ok now I've officially started. Now I'm just beginning. I'll let you know if I say the same thing next year too :)

I'm good, but a little overwhelmed as usual. We are going to do a sermon series at the church over the Discourses of Matthew.

• I will begin on the 26th of Sept with the Sermon on the Mount and preach through October.
• I hope to make two trips - one possibly in early October to a rural region in Kenya NE of Nairobi with James and our intern Daniel Gitonga, and another possibly in early November to visit some friends in NE Ethiopia.
• I am beginning Bible Doctrine Survey in one of our classes every Tuesday & Thursday morning.
  

I suspect that I will be coming up for air again around the second week of December when I come back to Texas for the holidays and the missions conference.

Prayer Requests:

1. Praise God for a good time with the team from Denton and all the ministry we were able to accomplish.
2. Praise God for the wedding that happened two Sundays ago. Many people from the church rallied together in service each playing their part to celebrate the union of Delvis and Elizabeth.
3. Praise God for one year in Kenya!
   

1. Pray for the church during this time without their official pastor. May we all grow in grace and learning. Pray for their spiritual growth and ability to stand firm as the leadership team leads them.
2. Pray for the Omondis and for James Muthee, Martin Murigi, Godfrey Ikanda, Esther Karanja, and myself as we lead Word of Life Fellowship.
   
3. Pray for me: spiritual fortitude, wisdom & discernment, faith/trust in God and not my logic nor emotions (I'm actually very logical AND emotional - another contradiction ; ) ), rest and energy which comes from God, and a focus not on my teaching but in the students' understanding.