On Safari

First, I apologize for not keeping this blog current. I cannot use the internet in Litein without great expense. I am now in Kampala, Uganda visiting my brother Owen, who is here on business with Compassion International. I've spent the past week visiting community development programs in Nakuru, Kenya and have been greatly challenged and encouraged. One of the programs was at the city dump where 120 families live in either caves or makeshift houses just on the edge of the site. Kenyans from a local church have been ministering to the children there by providing counseling, shelter and meals. Later I visited a Kenyan friend, Josephine, who has a ministry to orphans and their caregivers. I had the oportunity to "preach" to their fellowship meeting and thought about Jesus' reaction to the poor and hurting.
Jesus was close to "the least of these" - fisherman, lepers, tax collectors, and even the promiscuous. The suffering that he saw in this world led him to compassion and then to action. I am greatly encouraged to see the Kenyan church caring for the poor and suffering within her. Please pray with me for the Kenyan Christians in their ministries.
I will be spending a few days in Kampala and then returning to Litien to wrap up my time there. I have applied for a resident permit to my new destination country and may wait up to 4 months for that to be processed. PRAY THAT I WILL GET THE PERMIT IN A MONTH!! I am excited to begin working in my new location in East Africa and struggle to remain patient. God is teaching me what it means to wait on Him and that His plans are better than my plans. I'd appreciate prayers for trust in the Lord. As I wait for my permit, I will try to go to language school in Kenya so that I am prepared for work when I arrive in my new city.
God has greatly blessed my time here thus far and I much appreciate (and need!) your prayers