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.
   

New Testament Survey

Today we just finished the Epistles of Paul in our New Testament Survey Course. By the end of it, I will have taught 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament. It has been challenging, but very enlightening. I praise God for the privilege of studying and explaining His Word. Here is an attempt we made in class to summarize the books thus far with one word or phrase:

Matthew - Jesus as King
Mark - Jesus as Suffering Servant
Luke - Jesus as Son of Man
John - Jesus as Son of God
Acts - The Church - Foundation (Peter) & Spread (Paul)
Romans - Gospel of Righteousness
1 Corinthians - Correction
2 Corinthians - Defense of Ministry & Minister
Galatians - Freedom in Faith
Ephesians - Church
Philippians - Humility
Colossians - Worthy Life
1 Thessalonians - Future Hope
2 Thessalonians - Not Yet, so Stand Firm
1 Timothy - Guidebook
2 Timothy - Soldier
Titus - Practice what you Preach
Philemon - Forgiveness
Hebrews - Superior / Better

Easter Sunday in a Massai Village

Time has passed as I have continued to work on this update. It is now Monday, the first day after Jesus' resurrection. Amefufuka! (He has risen!). Amefufuka kweli kweli! (He has risen indeed!) I was privileged to be the Easter guest of Lemsanya Ole Tisho. We went to his home, a Massai village about an hour from Morogoro, and enjoyed the Easter service which had an incredible choir, an easter sermon with many interjections of Bwana Yesu Asifiwe (Praise the Lord Jesus) and the above "amefufuka's", and a small skit in the Massai language about two families, one Christian, and the other traditional whose problems only became worse as they continued to go to the witch doctor for help. "Cast your burdens upon the Lord Jesus, do not multiply them by witchcraft," they said.

When they had a time of prayer, many people of the church came forward. We all raised our hands as a congregation and the pastor prayed for them in general terms asking God to heal them of diseases like typhoid, malaria, or even cancer. That God would deliver them from sadness and despair. That God would protect them by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus from the evil forces at work in this world. As he prayed, he touched each one of them lightly on the head, praying in general terms, but making sure he specifically encountered each person in need of prayer. I was already in front, but I wanted to join them. I wanted him to pray for me to protect me from spiritual attack which weighs down my soul with anxiety, or sadness, or loneliness, or a spiritual flatness. I didn't take that one step forward, because when you don't know anything about a culture, the safest thing to do is usually nothing at all. Then I wondered if my problems could be compared to theirs? I'm an American, and my opportunities are endless. I have support and a salary through generous givers and wonderful employment. I have food that does not make me sick nor hungry. I am healthy. As I look back, it could have been a good gesture to show them that I too am in desperate need of God's help at all times. I am lost and helpless apart from the Spirit of God. I stand condemned apart from the blood of Jesus. I too must abide in Jesus Christ, for without Him and His life from the vine infusing my life as a branch, I can do nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Tisho and his mjomba (maternal uncle)

BTCP Graduation in Ukunda, Kenya

Dennis clapping for the graduates

James graduated with some men from Word of Life Church

Why was the trip to Kenya so good?
1) Fresh Eyes: I got to see the work we are doing in Ukunda, and even the place and people there with new eyes. Some eyes were fresh, some were wise, and my own were opened. Luke, a friend from language school who accompanied me on the trip brought the fresh eyes. John and Alan, the wise eyes. And through them seeing where I live and work, and the purpose and vision of Serve, mine were opened a bit more than before. I cannot tell you how valuable this was and is to me.
2) Home is People: Home is not a place nor things. Over Christmas I received a package full of wonderful things that reminded me of home: gum, granola bars (I have two left still), and other things like that. They reminded me of home, which is great, but they are not home. I visited some friends in the Middle East over Christmas. It was home there in the Middle East. John was home and we were in East Africa. Home is people. It was wonderful to spend time with John Brown and Alan Chamberlain to be guided, encouraged, and spiritually directed by them. As I reflect on this, I realize also that if home is people, then in time (not a short time, but in time) Kenya might just be home as well. That's an encouraging thought while in such a long transition.

Malaria, Initiation to African Mission Work

Some would say that during this month, I have been initiated into African missionary work. Malaria. Praise the Lord, that he preserved me from this sickness until after my trip to Kenya for the BTCP graduation and a wonderfully encouraging time with John Brown, one of the missions staff with Denton Bible, and Alan Chamberlain, a Denton Bible elder. God knew that I needed that time in so many ways. Two days after returning to Morogoro, malaria kicked in. I'm glad for the experience in many ways, although I do not want to repeat it. The unknown is usually more scary than something you've already experienced. Now I know what it's like (the vomiting, the aching, the fever, the extreme weakness), and I no longer need to fear it :). I thought it was funny that on the fifth day after I had completed my medicine and was feeling better that I tried to sweep my room and had to take a break in the middle of it because I was too tired! My room is seriously very small. After about a week I was fully recovered and getting back into Swahili. Praise the Lord for my new friends here who took very good care of me.