Lots going on these days as we begin to wind down for the last term of the school year… the kids are working hard preparing for their exams and I am into all kinds of random assignments and tasks… not really sure how to organize this so I think I will report today with a bulleted list in honor of my very organized dad (who I got to talk to on the phone a few hours ago). So here we go
• Continue to lift up prayers for my friend at the school… if you don’t know what I am talking about refer to my 2 previous blogs.
• I am doing a Beth Moore Believing God study and it’s been amazing… always meets me where I am at and I have been teaching a 5 week series to our children at Tumaini… they are loving it. Pray for me as I prepare to talk about : I can do all things through Christ. We will be discussing the armor of God… can’t wait… drama involved with this one.
• I am continuing to work with the sponsorship program here at Tumaini. If you are interested in sponsoring a child you can do so at the following site: www.tumainimilesofsmiles.org
• Continue to pray for Rose as she continues her driving lessons. She is learning more and more each day but there are many more obstacles here in Kenya than in the US.
• Continue to pray for me as I help with Administrative tasks at Tumaini. God is definitely at work here. Pray that as we work together we will be able to communicate across cultural barriers. This is tough sometimes.
• Sophia and I read the book Heidi together and she loved it. She read more to me than I did to her. This kid reads anything she can get her hands on and she is so smart. I am a proud Auntie.
• Took Sophia and Silvia to town to be measure for their Christmas present from me. We all had matching skirts custom made… I will pick them up this afternoon…. So excited… they are going to look so cute. (hopefully pics to come)
• Last Saturday we had a celebration to celebrate Rose’s moms service in the PAG Church. The party was complete with many chicken, chapatti, mandazi, and a lot of dancing , singing, and praising. We had a wonderful time. I help prepare the meal and even carried water on my head all the way up a mountain. (being a Kenyan woman is hard work) I really admire these ladies.
• I am very excited to announce that I will be having a visitor from the US in 9 days. My very dear friend Amy is coming to visit. WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! Pray for her safe travel and for our time here in Kenya.
Okay it’s time to go for now, but again thanks for all your support. I will be home in Knoxville from Dec 2- Dec 30. Mark your calendars. Until then, much love and joy to each of you!

Thanks so much all of you who have been lifting up prayers for the amazing ministry God has here at Tumaini. I wanted to give you a quick update concerning the awesomeness of God and his activity here, especially in the life of the teacher I requested prayer for in my last blog!!!! This time I will do so by sharing my journal entry from Friday October 15^th.

October 15, 2010 Friday am… Just after morning worship service for the Kids

Lord I don’t even know where to begin except to fall on my face in humble adoration of who you are. I AM THAT I AM!!! Oh, and how your WORD continues to be alive and active. Praise the Lord. Bwana Asifiwe! The story I am about to tell is nothing short of a miracle. GLORY BE TO GOD.

So I’ve been praying for a Muslim teacher at our school at his request. Recently he’s begun to notice God’s providential hand at work in the healing of his sister and father, and I believe in his own life. I’ve been praying that God would show Himself in a BIG way to this teacher. I wrote in my Believing God notebook these exact words two days before: “I pray that You Lord come to him and speak words to him and that you would use whatever means necessary. I pray that he would be transformed and that you will give him a hope and a future.” I love how God wants us to be specific when we pray and how He answers so specifically in order to grow our faith.

This morning I was to bring a message “give the Word” at the children’s morning worship service. (PPI). This week we were talking about the topic FAITH: Believing God can do what He says He can do. As I was walking to the classroom to prepare I came across this teacher and asked if he would be joining us for PPI this morning, and then I told him our topic. He smiled and said YES! I began to pray though as I watched him walk the opposite direction toward the office. As PPI began I looked up to see this teacher walking from the office with a HOLY BIBLE in his hand. He entered the room and stood in the back with another teacher. As the children were singing songs of praise, I felt the Spirit of the LORD whoosh, and I do mean whoosh into the Room. I think he whooshed straight to the back corner, as I looked up to see this teacher and the other thumbing through Scripture and quietly conversing. After the singing it was time for testimony and Hesbon, who was leading the service, asked for JUST ONE. Usually the kids are eager to share, but not a single one went forward… not even after several requests from Hesbon for a testimony. It was then that from the back of the room this teacher that all of YOU have been praying for slipped up his hand. I could barely hold back tears as He proclaimed Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the LORD). The testimony he shared was moving although I could only understand “Big Picture” concepts, as he was speaking in Kiswahili, but in my heart I understood every finite detail… God was at work using “any means necessary” to draw him into Himself. He shared how he was riding home on a bicycle this week with the teacher standing next to him and for what seemed to be a completely unknown reason they began to walk. Moments later they observed a truck out of control turn over in front of them… just where they would have been had they continued on the bicycle. He was not just praising God, but Christ Jesus for protecting them! My oh my how wonderful are your works Lord. Then he asked to sing a song… Following the song he shared from Exodus 14 about God being… I AM THAT I AM. Was a Muslim man just declaring Yahweh as God right in front of my eyes???? Why yes he was. In just a few short moments God had prepared me to expound on that very fact… how God is our protector, provider, and a God who sees, from none other than Exodus 14:21-27. Again I love how God calls us to be obedient in preparing to proclaim His Word, but also in His sovereignty, He can and will do a mighty work before we proclaim it….because HE IS GOD!

Lord it is my prayer that my teacher friend will soon come to know the God that he spoke of today. That in the name of Jesus, he will be transformed and rejoice in you as Savior. Teach us around him (and those who hear of this) to be sensitive to Your calling and be obedient in how we can continue to encourage him. Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more: HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Again these are the words from my journal last Friday. Since then I have given Hesbon (awesome Kenyan man) a Bible to share with this teacher. In this Bible I wrote several scriptures copied in the back from a paper I carry with me… the same tear-stained paper that I had given my mom to share the Gospel with my grandfather. Since then Hesbon has taken a few minutes to continue sharing with this teacher, and again he is very very close to accepting Christ. I believe the last stronghold is the confession of sin and then committing his life to the Lord. So please come alongside of me in praying that God will again speak to him, this time beckoning… Come follow ME!

I pray believing and know of God’s faithfulness. He even sent me a sign in the form of the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen. As it arched over Tumaini Miles of Smiles I couldn’t help but see the message: a promise (rainbow) of hope (Tumani: Swahili for Hope)

May you find HOPE in the Lord and all HIS Promises!

Really cool story and prayer request:

A few weeks ago I was encouraging the teacher on duty for the week to lead us in morning prayer and one of the teachers had a concern that not all the teachers are from the same denomination, but what he really meant was not all the teachers are Christians. It was then that I learned we had a Muslim teacher among us. Rose didn't even know, so I had to revisit the plan for the teachers to lead morning prayer. For now I do this every morning. 2 days later the Muslim teacher requested prayer for his father, so I said sure and prayed for his father in the MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS. I continued to get updates on his father and he is now feeling better. Praise GOD!!!! Fastforward to this Friday and He again requested prayer for his sister and father. Then, no lie, he looked me striaght in the eye and said in the teacher work room, I want to become a Christian. Can you convert me to Christianity. WOW!!!!! A Muslim Kenyan man just sincerely asked a Mzungu Christian woman to convert him to Christianity. I told him I could not convert him but God could. In fear that he wanted favor in the sight of a mzungu woman instead of favor in the eyes of God, I told him that we could discuss further what it means to be a Christian with Hesbon (awesome Christian Kenyan MAN) as well. I planned to talk with him that afternoon but the rain caused me to get stuck at the corner office and I did not make it back to school that day. So on Saturday (yesterday) I went for a long walk and can you believe I met him on the road. I asked him how his dad and sister were feeling and he replied better thanks to your prayers. This was an open door for me to ask him if he was serious about becoming a Christian and he said yes. (I have to be very cautious of motives esp. when dealing with men. I make it a point to minister to women here and defer men to Godly Kenyan men.) I then asked him why, as to be certain of his motive. Praise GOD he replied, because your God answers prayers. I said yes he does because HE is a living God. I am going with Hesbon tomorrow to talk more with Him but I believe with all my heart he is sincere and we could all have another brother in Christ sometime this week. Who would have thought that Tumaini (A Christian School) could have unknowingly hired a Muslim teacher and that the kids and staff have poured into his life, being salt and light, and he wants what we have! Now that is what TUMAINI is all about! Our God is a Sovereign GOD!!!! Please join me in prayer for this man, as you are as much a part of this journey as I am! Blessings to you all, and I pray God meets you where you are at this moment and always!

Well it’s another fine day in Kenya. The morning sun is up over the hill in the east and my rooster alarm clock was right on time…. Just like always. This morning I am the only volunteer in the house (first time since June). Since I actually have a moment of silence at my morning devotion I decided to take a couple of minutes to keep you in the loop about all that God is doing in my life and at Tumaini.

God’s Network… Yes He uses Hymnals

When I arrived in Kenya I knew I was coming alone (without another missionary or assisting other known missionaries in my area) As soon as I stepped foot on Kenyan soil, actually even before then, I began to pray for a support system in Kenya. It’s vital when you are in cross-cultural ministry. I knew the chances of meeting other missionaries was entirely possible, as there are many here, but finding them in rural areas would be a challenge! In July, I traveled to Kisumu to pick up the ISF short-term team at the airport. As I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my mzungu friends I saw this man (Wayne) who was waiting as well. Of course I’ve never met a stranger, so as we were waiting I greeted him and asked where he was from and why he was in Kenya. (I knew he was a missionary…. they usually have a certain look about them) Wayne said he was a missionary and he was picking up some hymnals for a missionary friend…. from a girl named SaraBeth. I thought this to be strikingly odd in that I was also waiting on a SaraBeth from the US. Turns out we were waiting on the same SARABETH! We began to talk more and I found out that his wife (Mary Lynn) is from Gatlinburg… yes, small world, and that his wife belongs to a women’s bible study group in Kisumu. I told him, I had been praying for an opportunity to meet with some western Christian women. We exchanged phone numbers and he invited me to come down sometime to meet the missionary women that attend the bible study. He also said that I was welcome to come and visit when I just needed a break from the rigorous life in the rural areas of ministry. I won’t lie, the possibility of running water and a hot shower was more than enough to make me consider this offer.

Filled To Be Emptied Again

Now fast-forward exactly 2 months to the day. I woke up early on the morning of September 24^th pretty much empty. The challenges of working in the realm of education in the rural areas of the western province had completely drained me of energy, thought, or emotion. But this particular morning I sensed that restoration was just ahead, so I pressed on. Two weeks prior, when I began to noticed that I REALLY needed Christian community, I received a phone call from none other than my airport friend Wayne, inviting me to come and meet his wife Mary Lynn and attend the women’s bible study. After looking at my schedule we set the date (Sept 24) and I told him his call was a blessings and I was longing for community! I love God’s faithfulness to meet us where we are at, don’t you??? So back to the pressings on… I packed my bag for an overnight stay in Kisumu and began my 1 mile walk to the bus stop. Along the way I found myself stuck in the mud created by the endless nights of rainfall. My flip-flops were so heavy I could barely carry them, much the same as I could barely carry my heavy heart. I finally reached the bus stop and boarded a matatu to Kakamega, where Wayne had arranged for me to meet a young lady who would also be traveling to the bible study. From Kakamega the 2 of us boarded another matatu and made the 2-hour journey to the Bible study. When we arrived at the house of Wayne and Mary Lynn, she had prepared a wonderful lunch of fried chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes with REAL gravy. I told her it was like I stepped out of Africa and right into my mother’s kitchen. They were the most hospitable family I’ve ever met… right down to their “guard” dog Sampson. I was a bit sad to find out that this would be the last week in Kisumu for my new friends as the Lord spoke to them a month or so ago and asked them to come back to the US for a while. Now it was even more important for me to grow my network in Kisumu. After lunch we headed to the bible study. I really didn’t know what to expect… but God came through in a BIG way and exceeded my expectations! This Bible Study was comprised of over 30 women from age 16 to 65. Some had been on the field for years, while others were missionary newcomers. Many were new mothers (yes, white babies in Kenya), others were single. They welcomed me into their circle of friends as if I had known them for years. We ate wonderful cakes and breads and sat down together to begin the Beth Moore Daniel study. After the study we took time to encourage one another in prayer. I was so overcome with emotion as I looked around the room at God’s answer to my prayer. I shared with the women how I had been praying for a community of Christian women and how God provided that in a HUGE way! Phase 1 of the spiritual re-fill was complete.

After the bible study I returned to the house of my newfound friends and they had arranged a dinner for me to meet some other young people who were currently serving in Kisumu. We shared our stories of how God had brought each of us to Kenya and it was a refreshing time of fellowship and debriefing about our particular areas of service. After dinner I had a wonderful hot shower and retired to a comfortable bed for the evening. Phase 2 of the re-fill was complete.

I woke up refreshed the next morning (Friday) and was planning to head back to the rural area by lunch time, but my host informed me that I was welcome to stay the rest of the weekend and attend the going away party for them on Sunday. With my need to grow my network in Kisumu I decided this would be a wonderful idea. Little did I know that God had a bigger reason in mind for my staying… He loves to make things come full circle! Friday evening after an AMAZING DAY OF REST, I met a woman (Bethany) and her husband (Sherwood) who are managing an orphanage south of Kisumu and they would be staying in the house for the rest of the weekend. Friday evening we were just talking about the ups and downs of missionary life and stories from the field. Then Bethany asked how I met Wayne. It was then that we made the connection concerning the hymnals. The hymnals that Wayne picked up at the airport were from a church in the US and they were for Bethany. Bethany didn’t request the hymnals and really had no idea what she would do with them, but the church in the US insisted on sending them and she graciously received them by way of SaraBeth through Wanye. Wayne discovered Bethany had given the hymnals to a pastor friend and he was using it daily as if singing psalms of praise to the Lord. To all of us the hymnals really didn’t seem very helpful to a couple running an orphanage and it almost seemed useless for them to drive 2 hours to receive them. But they were vital in connecting kindred spirits with a desire to see the Lord raised up and glorified among the people in Kenya. This is a wonderful story of the blessings that come from faithful obedience to our Lord!

• Church in the US sensed a need to send a few old hymnals to Kenya.
• Bethany was willing to receive something she had no idea how she would use
• Wayne was willing to help out Bethany by picking up the hymnals
• Sarabeth was willing to bring the hymnals to Kenya
• Wayne was obedient in inviting me to his home to be uplifted and encouraged
• The Kenyan pastor received the hymnals and now sings joyful psalms unto the Lord.
• I was willing to stay longer therefore met an amazing new friend Bethany in great need of encouragement herself
• God was honored and glorified in big ways and who knows how many others might receive a blessing from this act of obedience… YES, God can use anything to further His kingdom… even Hymnals!

Phase 3 of the spiritual re-fill was complete.

Saturday was equally refreshing as I slept in, caught up on some reading, and talked to my parents for 2 UNINTERUPTED hours on Skype. How wonderful it was to see their faces and even a glimpse of the barn they are building in the field behind their house. It’s amazing how even small things from home can lift your spirits. Thanks to all of you that encourage me with notes, surprise packages, and emails… words can not express how encouraging it is!!

Phase 4 of the spiritual re-fill was complete.

Sunday morning I attended Christ Church in Kisumu and the praise and worship was amazing. It was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ as we were among the rich and poor, black and white, native and foreigner, all ushering in the presence of God by offering up praise to the one, true, Living God. I’d like to think it was just a glimpse of what Heaven will be like.

Enough said… I think it’s safe to say that I left the church that afternoon completely full and ready to pour out again.

On Monday morning I boarded a matatu back to my home near Malava. I could hardly wait to journey down the 1-mile path to Tumaini. When the matatu dropped me off it was pouring rain. The same mud was waiting on me along the path ahead, but this time I was not weighed down by it. I took off my shoes before they became heavy and walked barefoot down the path. This time my flip flops and my burden were light. It’s good to be back at Tumaini!