By Guest Contributor
Mandi
I was asked to
provide specific prayer requests for this trip. Let me do that by explaining some of the
situations for this year, ranging from the trivial to the very serious. I know that many have prayed for this trip
already and I am so grateful for that! I
can tell this trip has been covered in prayer by the ways that God has moved
and blessed.
*I have a very lengthy to-do list that has been growing
instead of shrinking over the last month.
I need focus to knock out lots of projects instead of half-way
completing several of them. I have many
messages to prepare. I still need to
plan the VBS games as well. Thankfully,
I was given some materials/supplies/lessons that have alleviated much work in
this area. Last year I did not have time
to prepare here before leaving which meant I spent much time over there doing
it. This year I will have more time while
there for other things by getting this done now.
*So far I think I am on target for my two checked bags not
to exceed 50.5 pounds and my carry-on to be less than 26 pounds. I have a fear of getting to the airport and
finding the luggage to be over the weight limits!
*We need God’s protection from all harm that could come to
us. I am very aware of many things that
could go wrong! We need travel mercies
on the planes and roads. There are lots
of insect and animal dangers. Then there
is harm from others. Esther mentioned to
me that even though women keep their money in a *closely personal* and *safe*
location, there are very skilled thieves who can rob you without your awareness. She told me she was robbed once, to which I
responded, “Well, at least you didn’t tell me it was 20 times or I might
reconsider!”
*We will exchange our dollars for Kenya shillings. The exchange rate fluctuates somewhat
significantly on a daily basis. Some
exchanged money several times but I did only once because I didn’t have a lot
to begin with! When my money was
exchanged the rate was 91.7. That means
that for my one dollar, I got 91.7 shillings which is like 92 pennies for one
dollar. I know the rate was as high as 94-something
while I was over there. I heard that
right now the rate is depressingly low—around 80. Please pray for the best possible exchange
rate! If the rate is low when I get
there, I will probably wait awhile to exchange more but then someone has to get
to a bank to make the exchange. To us, a
few pennies are no big deal at all, but over there where things tend to be
cheaper, a lot can be purchased with those shillings. I bought a bag of about 50 pieces of bubble
gum for 90 shillings (I didn’t think they were very good, but it was a treat to
many kids!) which would cost $2-4 here. A
glass bottle of soda is 25 shillings, but of course it is not 64 oz. like
here. The portions and quality may not
be what they are in America, but the cost makes it bearable!
*Last year, the Kisavi’s had a car that seated all five of
us to use to go to regional churches.
The roads are so bad there that the car was really damaged as a
result. They decided to sell the car and
will try to get one that can withstand the roads. They NEED a car because they regularly have
to drive one hour to Kitui to buy supplies for the orphanage. But this year, as of right now, there is no
car for us. We can find transportation
for hire (as in, maybe a seat on a bus or a motor bike taxi) but I think if we
have to do that, we are not going to get to as many places as we went last
year. It will be very disappointing if
we cannot travel to these churches. Last
year, 18 people from three of the churches we visited accepted Christ.
Kenta, the Japanese young man who went last year, went to
Kitui to buy a used motor bike to bless a pastor with it. That one cost about $600. I asked Esther if a motor bike bought in
Nairobi might be cheaper and she thinks so.
So I have been praying to find a motor bike to purchase for $200 and for
the money to buy it. We can fit two
people on a motor bike so with two bikes we should be able to do a lot while
there. One other problem is that Esther
is scared of riding them! When I
mentioned the motor bike idea and my dad overhead, he told me that the
Christian Motorcyclists Association raises money to provide bikes to
missionaries. I contacted them and got
an application that I have given to Theo and Esther. They, along with the other 11 pastors in the region,
could greatly benefit from that ministry!
*There are Christian organizations whose presence in Mbitini
would be such a blessing. It would be so
wonderful if the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas shoeboxes could be delivered to
the orphanage, that we could show Campus Crusade for Christ’s Jesus Film which already exists in the Kikamba
language to the community, that the CMA could provide motor bikes or
bicycles to area pastors, and that the Kenya Bible Society could share the
Kikamba Bible master so that Bearing Precious Seed could provide Kikamba Bibles
to pastors for free. I have made some
calls already but others are on my never-ending to-do list. I have tried hard, but not succeeded, in getting
Bibles provided or even to order them in bulk to save money. There is still time for these things to be
worked out!
*Shopping in Nairobi will be a new experience for me since I
missed out on it last year which is a long and upsetting story. I did not get to see the prices of things and
what all is available. It is much better
to buy supplies over there instead of take up luggage weight but I don’t know
exactly which things are better to get here.
Example: last year I took four rolls
of TP with me that I bought here for a dollar.
If I wait to buy it there, will I be able to get it as cheaply? I have no idea if the items I am planning to
buy there will be available where we will
shop.
*I desperately need a good attitude when frustrations
come. I majorly failed with this last
year to the point where I had to make a public apology. Last year was a constant test of my ability
to be flexible. I think this year may be
an even bigger test because I have had lots of time to plan and go over the way
I think everything should happen. When
it does not go as I imagine, I will need lots of prayer to go with the flow! I need to exhibit the Fruits of the Spirit
from Galatians 5.
*There are many older teens and adults who are skilled with
English enough to translate our messages and conversations. The issues that we run into can be their
availability (among chores and school and such) and their voices holding
out. Three of our main translators last
year lost their voices as well as me.
Along similar lines is the problem of us all getting sick to the point
of losing our voices!
*The whole reason for this trip is to tell the lost about
God’s gift of salvation through Jesus because we are all sinners in need of a
Savior. I will mainly do this when
speaking at the Women’s Conference, Sunday school, VBS, orphanage services
(every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night), and local churches. We will also go out into neighborhoods and
deliver food/clothes and share the gospel.
I am praying that God will make a way for those that need to hear to
come to the services or for us to go to them and that they are ready to accept
Christ.
*A side benefit of this trip is to be able to provide for
the needs of the people. These people
desperately need the Word of God. I was
really shocked last year at how deprived of God’s Word they are. Even
the Pastors didn’t even have complete Bibles (that need was met last
year). The horn of Africa famine has
affected this region as well. Famines
cause prices to rise which leads to all kinds of issues.
*This year will be the second time that VBS has been done in
this community. Esther did it once years
ago with about 60 in attendance and those children who participated are now
grown. That said, the implication is
that the kids won’t know what to expect and I will be winging it myself! We are preparing for about 200 kids to attend. If we have more, then we may not have enough
supplies. The plan is to provide a snack
each day which we also could run out of.
I am a very logistics-minded person and when I think through how this
will go, I get a bit scared!
*The Kisavis provide for about 60 orphans by relying on the
Lord’s provision. Esther knew 11 years
ago that she needed to take care of the hurting children in their area and she
trusted God for help. If you would like
to pray for each child, their names are listed to the right of the page. That list is from last year and I will
provide a new list when I return. The
older children are just now of the age where they are ready to leave the
orphanage and they need to determine their life path, get more
education/training, and find jobs or ways of supporting themselves.
*I also have an unspoken request about the trip. I am really in need of answers from the Lord
about something very important. Please
pray that I would do what the Lord wants through trusting him.
Prayer requests summarized:
·
My preparations
·
Safety from all harm and sickness
·
Wisdom regarding purchase decisions
·
Best exchange rate possible
·
To easily partner with helpful organizations
·
Availability of supplies and low costs
·
Ability to purchase a $200 motor bike
·
Flexibility with a good attitude
·
Translators’ voices
·
Fruitful ministry
·
VBS
·
Providing Bibles
·
Orphanage: provision for food, clothes, shoes,
school supplies, medical care, livestock/crops, mosquito nets
·
Unspoken request
·
Community: rain, wells, hear the gospel, food
during famine
·
Pastors: food and clothing for their families,
serve God faithfully, for decent church buildings and furniture, to have
sources of income like selling goats
