DUPLICITY

Our new school semester is underway. Many of my classes so far have been half empty. Most students should return fully from their semester break next week. I’ve learned in Africa that school starting is laid back, much like the culture.  If you can relax in it, and say chigger yellum (no problem), you can learn to enjoy and take it all in stride.  :-)

One thing I’ve enjoyed so much this past week just back in Addis after a week in South Sudan, is the cooler spring-like temperatures. Some rain has been falling in the evenings and it’s added a freshness to the air that’s been so nice. 

On one of my early evening walks, I again saw two of my favorite little guys playing.  These twin boys always make me smile.  And not just because I’m a twin too. But because it’s shocking and almost funny to see two people, little or big, who look so much alike.

Having a “double” can be so fun. In Sudan, I was amazed yet again at how much my sister and I thought the same, sounded the same, laughed the same.  I remembered how when were growing up, we would tease each other about why God made two of us.  I always said- when God made me (me being the first born)…He thought I was so fine, He had to make another. Ha ha.  My sister would say that God was pretty pleased with His design of me but I needed a few twirks to be right on, so He made her.  Ha ha. 

As I was walking in the evenings this past week and thinking about life overall, the idea of having a double led to more thoughts.

In the USA, we thrive on multi-tasking. We do our best to do a million things at one time, which often leads to us not being fully present in any of them or giving 100% to anything.  I think we often try to duplicate ourselves…be present in many places- have a version of us in different places- which can be exhausting and unhealthy. We duplicate ourselves…and end up being shallow in most environments. 

The other thing we do I think is we maybe try to be “all things to all men”- be present in different environments and different groups of people- but we often become more like the crowd we’re in or the environment than letting our core and character remain unchanged.  Which also can be exhausting…if you’re living with many fake identities. Maybe with one group of friends, you’re a Christian, a strong believer.  In another group, you’re a pagan- looking and sounding like everyone else. In another group, you’re single. In another group, you’re in a committed relationship.  We tend to show different exteriors.  May we be so careful!!!

Duplication is defined this way: 

Duplicity

: contradictory double-ness of thought, speech, or action; especially : the belying of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action; the quality or state of being double or two-fold 

Some synonyms listed of duplication:  cheating; craftiness; crookedness; deceitfulness; dishonesty; fakery

  

Ummmm….definitely don’t like that list of synonyms.  Our lives are being watched. Could any of those words be used to describe me? Us, as the church? Could we be described as crooked, deceitful, dishonest, fake?

I was also thinking about who we may try to imitate or duplicate?  What does your life sound like and look like to others?

Listen to these challenges from scripture:

James 4:7-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Ephesians 4:24

put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Deuteronomy 18:9

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there

Hebrews 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

3 John 1:11

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

If you’re feeling a bit like you’ve become fake or not being fully present any where, or maybe you feel your heart and mind is divided by whatever circumstance, God wants our hearts UNDIVIDED, our lives lived pure and transparent.  

God’s Word has encouragement for us….I’m so thankful God is full of mercy and can help us…

Psalm 86:10-12

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

Ezekiel 11:17-21

“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’  “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols.  I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.  Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.  But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Jeremiah 24:6-7

My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Jeremiah 32:36-44

“You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God.  I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them.  I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.  I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.  “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.  Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’  Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

May we live un-duplicated…with undivided hearts to our God and may we stay true to Him and imitate Him alone!

As we go into this Easter weekend, celebrating our redeemed storyline and that we have life, hope and peace with God because of what Jesus did, may we re-commit ourselves to living authentically with God and others.  

Onward with you!

Praises-Prayer Requests

-Congratulations to my parents who celebrated their 42^nd wedding anniversary on March 26, so grateful for them!

-My Dad continues to do GREAT following his back surgery.  His pain is still very low. Thank you for continuing to pray for him!

-My good friend Debelle’s wife continues to improve in her health, please keep his family in prayer- God’s best for their way ahead.

-Please keep our new school semester in prayer. May this be my greatest semester yet for God!

-Some friends I know are seeking visas to be approved, others are looking for work, please pray God’s hand in all!

-Please pray for wisdom, courage, and good relationship building with students, staff, and neighbors.

-Please pray for my book, that I can find time to finish my draft.

-If any of you would like to join my prayer-financial support team, please email me at: a.in.africa@gmail.com

Have a Blessed Easter as we celebrate together our Risen Savior and King- Jesus!

BORDER JUMPING

Well my few weeks of a break between semesters quickly disappeared. And I had no idea that part of my semester break from teaching here in Ethiopia would hold a border jump into South Sudan.   

My sister Noel and our good friend Elizabeth worked out the details in partnership with our home church in Ohio, Ginghamsburg. Logistics were quickly put together. And before I knew it we were traveling to Aweil, along the border of North and South Sudan, where our church had several projects in partnership with UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief).

As we were flying...several thoughts were running through my mind.  First thought I had...how I loved traveling with my sister.  She's a barbarian for God.  We sat in amazement for a long time.  What an adventure God takes you on! On this adventure, God would bring her from the cold weather of the Czech Republic, me from Ethiopia and Elizabeth from Yei, South Sudan. Crazy :-)

Then I thought about how much I have come to love adventure. Experiencing new cultures and meeting those in the fields- people serving and empowering the poor, LOVE IT.   

Now, I had been in South Sudan during this time of year before though. And it didn’t take me long to recall the incredible HEAT in April of 2010 when I went in with a medical team.  IT WAS HOT!!!

Could I do it again? And this was even further into the “hot zone.”  Would I melt?  Projected heat was between 110 and 120 degrees.  Probably no AC, or fans.  Oh my.

But WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY. I couldn’t resist!

Our home church wanted the three of us to look into the projects we had ongoing and help the field team there determine a good strategy for the way ahead. This was needed. So in we jumped...

Noel with Elizabeth

God continues to show me time and time again that routines often lead to comfort…that can lead to stagnation.  We can become pigeon-holed or stereo-typed into thinking we can only be one way or survive in one kind of environment.   

I believe God likes to often have us stretched…beyond what we think we can be or do.  He likes us taking impossible jumps in faith when He asks us to…and trusting His power to back us up. We should be movable and moldable to be whatever God needs us to be and go wherever He wants us to go! 

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Isaiah 50:2
When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.

And often in our most uncomfortable places, in our extreme brokenness- is God’s voice most clear.

Our week in Aweil Town, about 70 miles from the North Sudan border with Darfur, would indeed be hot. But we were so blessed by all we saw and learned.

We heard stories of God at work and saw communities being powerfully impacted by access to water, healthcare and childhood education.  

Noel talking to local healthcare workers

We also heard stories of heartbreak. One afternoon we sat with a group of women from Darfur and heard of their lives and struggles. We were inspired by their will power and their determination for a better life. 

We met missionaries battling sickness and fatigue, yet standing strong and courageously. Some of their goals… to reach the street kids in the community and to love on and encourage the displaced.  So much of what Jesus would be up to!!!

We were stretched through the week- as we shared living space. We laughed. Cried. And cheered as God helped us again and again.   

My faith increased. My joy expanded. My worldview grew larger. I felt inspired, re-motivated. And left South Sudan with greater perspective on life overall.

I’m so thankful for the border jumping “break” time. And how God is continuing to want to stretch me beyond what I think I can be and do.

I think of those in scripture who went through times of stretching.  Maybe extended times of suffering like Job. Or those who were told to do the impossible or unthinkable and believed it to be true or trusted God's direction and He changed history through their faith…

Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.  By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.   And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
 
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,  quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—  The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

In reflection of it all this week, now back in Addis, I think sometimes what is harder than a crazy border jump is when God has you HOLD a position.  I remember working with a trainer at a gym in the past and he often would push me into a stretch and I thought all my muscles were going to tear.  But he held me there and over time- kept pushing me into that stretch…until I could easily go down that far.   

Sometimes it’s hard to be still. God stretches us in that way too.  Not easy, but always for our good and often for the good of someone else...

Exodus 14:14

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

May we be willing to be stretched as we run on- by border jumps of faith when asked, or just holding still in obedience. God is with us and will help us! 

Onward with You!

Praises/Prayer Requests

-My Dad is doing GREAT!  His pain is still very low. Thank you for continuing to prayer for him!

-My good friend Debelle’s wife continues to improve in her health, please keep his family in prayer- God’s best for their way ahead.

-Big praise for a great trip and safe return from South Sudan, prayers for our church as we debrief an strategize next steps.

-My school semester started TODAY, I am teaching four classes this semester. May this be my greatest semester yet for God!

-Some friends I know are seeking visas to be approved, others are looking for work, please pray God’s hand in all!

-Please pray for wisdom, courage, and good relationship building with students, staff, and neighbors.

-And please pray for my book, that I can find time to finish my draft.

Thank you for praying!!!

"BAKA"

Last weekend I went with a big group of Orthodox students to climb into the mountains outside of Addis.  It was a spiritual journey and a reflection time- the semester was finished (“baka.”) We were taking time to reflect on the past several months.

As I was walking, I was thinking about the semester overall, then the two weeks of final exams. As the time ticked down in each exam, there came a point when time was up.  I told the students “baka.” Pencils and pens had to put down. The time was finished. 

Now at the end of the semester, what had been accomplished? What I had I taught? What had my students learned?  What had God taught me?

In many ways, I was relieved the semester was done.  There was much to celebrate.  In other ways, I couldn’t help thinking there was more I could have taught, more love I could have shown, more stories of God’s goodness and power I could have weaved into a lesson plan.

I think a final buzzer sounding can sometimes bring relief.

I remember soccer games when I couldn’t wait until the final whistle blew.  Maybe when our team held the lead by one and we were trying to preserve a win.  Or maybe I was too tired to do more….so I was grateful for the final whistle to blow and the game to be done so I could rest.

I remember other times though when the final whistle blew- that there was heart break. Our team was the team that lost by one.  Or times when God called me to change my “post”- or assignment- or a relationship ended- and I didn’t feel done. I hadn’t maximized the time. I longed for one more day, one more moment. 

Last week, my Dad told me a story that also brought this all into focus.  He went into the hospital on Wednesday for a second back surgery in less than six months. The first surgery in November didn’t work as hoped and his pain actually seemed to increase, so this surgery was scheduled.

The surgery lasted an extra hour which was a scare for us as we waited on news.  The doctors had to do more work than just clearing away bone, they also ended up building a new canal for some nerves. But thankfully, my Dad came through okay.  We gave thanks!

But during his first night in the hospital after the surgery, something went wrong. Around 2am, the machine that was monitoring my Dad’s heart went off. Alarms started sounding.

He said instantly his room was full of nurses and doctors. They told him he might have just had a mild heart attack and they needed to keep him awake and run tests.  My Dad said it was a big scare…and many things went through his mind.  Was this the end?  He said he thought about the previous Sunday in church, even though he had been in a lot of pain, he still went and served- greeting children and parents going into the children’s area.  He was so glad. He thought of my Mom, sister and I.  He had told us he loved us.  Again, he was so glad.

Well, tests later ended up coming back okay and he was grateful. But it put a deeper perspective on moments, on life.  We’re not guaranteed another year, another day, another breath.  Sometimes we forget that. 

When God sounds your final call to home, when He says “baka”- will you have said, done, been all you could have?  When God changes your location, maybe your job, or Jesus returns…will you have maximized your time? Loved as much as you could have loved? Shared as much as you could have shared?   Will you have been a good steward of your moments? Your money? Your talents? Your relationships?

These parables from scripture have been challenging me as I’ve been reflecting this past week…

Matthew 25:1-13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’  “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’  “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:14-29

 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.  After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’  “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’  “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.  For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Luke 12:35-44

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.  It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Luke 14:15-24

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.  At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’

May we maximize each day, each moment until our time on earth is “baka” and we go home or God strategically moves us to a new place!

Onward with you!!!!

Praises/Prayer Requests

--A big praise and continued prayers for my Dad. He is doing GREAT so far after his surgery. As he continues to take things slow and gives his body time to heal, please pray for God’s peace and restoration.

-I’ve had the privilege of hosting my friend Daniel Bachman from Louisville, Ky this week. He’s a medical student about ready to start his residency and had been serving four weeks in Kenya- at Tenwik Missionary Hospital. His schedule allowed him to swing here into Ethiopia for nine days. Please pray for his time here (through March 7) that as he visits clinics and ministries- that God will continue develop his heart for medical missions and show him how to best serve with the talents God has given him, and for all that as ahead for him.

-Please pray for a trip I am taking out of Ethiopia this coming week- a scout trip to South Sudan in partnership with my home church. As plans come together for that, please pray for safety and a blessed time!

-Please pray for me as I clean and clear out of the past three semesters of teaching, that I can prepare the best I can for what’s ahead.  I will be teaching again the coming semester and we start back in less than two weeks.

-Continued praises for my friend Debelle’s wife- she is doing well still, and continue to pray that she recovers to full health.

-Please keep several friends in prayer who are looking for work and applying for international visas- that God will open doors as He will!

-Please keep the country of Kenya in prayers as elections for new leadership in their country beings tomorrow (Monday, March 4). Pray for peace and God’s best result.

-Please pray for the writing of my first book, that God will help me make time to finish it!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND PARTNERSHIP!!!