amazed
blessed
confused
driven
excited
frustrated...I could go on forever!
I am so certain of the call He has placed on my life! I am home now. Waiting to go back! Wanting to go back! Wishing I were back! Knowing that I will go back. I am certain that if He has called me, He will make a way and equip me with everything good for doing His will, and will work in me what is pleasing to Him. (Heb. 13:21)
The IMB job at the Education Resource Center was already filled by the time I met with Debbie. She had not been notified until after I left. She wanted me; I wanted to be there. What seemed "perfect" was obviously not the Lord's plan. Disappointment on both parts. Confusion. Yet, He is faithful! He is not going to show me something great and make me settle for less than His best. As perfect as that job seemed, I trust that He has something greater for me. The hard part is waiting and trusting Him for perfect provision. He has a plan, and nothing I can do can cause that to happen, or keep it from happening. He is Sovereign. I must submit to His will and His perfect timing in all things.
"Surely as I have planned, so it will be, and I have purposed, so it will stand." (Isaiah 14:24)
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." (Prov. 19:21)
Please continue to pray with me that Lord will guide my every step...in His perfect faithfulness.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Now, THAT'S a Relevant Church...from Firstfruits Auctions to Cellphone Charging
Pastor Gregg has been doing a series on the Relevant Church. Obviously, I missed the previous ones, but today's sermon was great. Over the past two months I spent some time in the Mukaa village of Kenya. You know, the one with no power, no electricity, no running water... I was confounded by the fact that these people lived in such dyer circumstances, yet so many of them had cell phones! How?? How do they charge them? Well, during one of my trips to the village, when the HFBC team was visiting, we stayed until Sunday and went to church with them. My question was answered... 
The one time of the week when the church generator is powered up provides an opportunity to recharge more than the church-goer's spirit! Now, that's a different perspective of meeting the needs of the Church! I pray that as they come to church (for the three-four hour service) that their spirits are recharged, just as their phones are recharging. If that's what it takes to get them there to hear the Word, bless them! May they continue to be equipped for all communication throughout the week...with other cell phone users, but more importantly, with the Lord!
In Sunday school (the Shed) this morning, we talked about the Treasures of God, returning to Him what is His. Once again, the church in Mukaa gave a new perspective of that. We talk about 
giving our firstfruits to the Lord, but some of the people there do so much more literally. We saw the fruits, vegetables, plants, etc. on the front altar during the service. We didn't understand the full meaning of them until later. We watched as the faithful Believers brought all they had into the House of the Lord. Their firstfruits. The pastors, then, auctioned off the goods in order for the church to receive the money. That money is then used to help those in need. What a different perspective of returning to the Lord what is His. May they be blessed more than they can ask or imagine!!
giving our firstfruits to the Lord, but some of the people there do so much more literally. We saw the fruits, vegetables, plants, etc. on the front altar during the service. We didn't understand the full meaning of them until later. We watched as the faithful Believers brought all they had into the House of the Lord. Their firstfruits. The pastors, then, auctioned off the goods in order for the church to receive the money. That money is then used to help those in need. What a different perspective of returning to the Lord what is His. May they be blessed more than they can ask or imagine!!"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" (Malachi 4:10)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I'm Home
Very mixed feelings there. I was so ready to be home...see people, sleep in my own bed, Chic-fil-a and chips & queso. But, so NOT ready to leave Kenya!
After a great flight to Nairobi, getting bumped up to a seat with a BED, I knew it would be hard to sit in the regular seats without being a spoiled baby. My prayer before I left was that God would put me in the seat He reserved for me, and to be open to His work around me.
On the flight from Nairobi to London, I sat with two young guys. One was a British-Arab medical student who was doing work for his last year course in Kenya. His dad is Kenyan-Arab and he lived there when he was younger. The other guy, Ernest, was on his way to Portland, OR to begin studies as a university student. He had never been out of Kenya, only in his village near Bungoma in Western Kenya and in Nairobi where he had gone to college. He had never flown, never traveled. He was a very sweet guy. As it turned out, he really needed us. It was all new to him....from how to put down the seat-tray, to using the headphones and video system, to knowing what to expect when changing flights. He asked us many questions. I enjoyed watching the other guy, I think his name was Amir, talk to Ernest. Very nice guy. I do believe that God placed me where He needed me. I was even able to pray with him before we landed. It was a great experience. But, I only slept for less than two hours!!! And the flight left at midnight, so I had already been up all day!
Then, another blessing...I was bumped to World Plus on the remaining flights! Not quite as nice as One World with the lay-down bed and nice meals that I had going, but still MUCH more room than coach! Even more, I had the opportunity to talk to Paul, a man flying to Michigan for work. We had some interesting discussions about religion. He believes in all religions...God is the same, just worship Him, but don't worry about all the "rules" of the church. Hmm. Well, that led so easily into discussion about who God is, and that the differences between religions hinges on belief in Jesus and His purpose in our Salvation. He has some "issues" with the legalism of the church, with good reason. But, even hours later as we parted, he said, "Thank you, Trena. You have given me much to think about." Again, I believe God placed me in the exact seat He wanted me! What a faithful God!
The journey did not end there. After clearing customs in Detroit, we reboarded. It was a very empty flight; no new passengers, but many dropped off. We were scheduled to land in Houston, of course, but were diverted to Dallas due to bad weather. Great! So close, yet so far! We were circling from Lufkin to Hunsville over and over, waiting for the skies to clear. They didn't. After de-planing at DFW, claiming baggage, and going back to the ticket counter, we find out that our options are very limited. Not only were many other flights to Houston delayed or cancelled, British Airways is not domestic, and has NO scheduled flights from Dallas to Houston! We would have to get on another airline...along with everyone else trying to get home. And the earliest would be the following day around noon. So, we all decided to rent cars and drive home. There were only about 40 people on the flight. It was crazy! Complete strangers were grouping together to form groups to drive together! And, we had all come from all over the world, gathering at a connecting flight in London! I rode with Laura (coming home from Iraq), Randy (on his way home from working month on-month off in Qatar), Andrea (returning from Moscow where she had been teaching 4 and 5 yr old ESL for two months) and me (from Kenya!!). How random! Who would have imagined such an ending! I can't tell you how glad I was to see Kris and Dot and Tag in Huntsville!! She met us, along with Andrea's parents, so we didn't all have to drive all the way into Houston.
I finally made it home!!! I was not able to sleep on the last flights, either. I dozed off during two Friends episodes, but was awake by the time the 30 minute show ended. So, all total, I think I slept about 3-4 hours!! I had been awake for 50 hours before finally hitting my bed! That was a GREAT night!
All in all, glad to be home, sad to be home. Grateful for the time God gave me to spend in Kenya. Thankful for the opportunities to live and serve. Anticipating what He has for me in the future.
After a great flight to Nairobi, getting bumped up to a seat with a BED, I knew it would be hard to sit in the regular seats without being a spoiled baby. My prayer before I left was that God would put me in the seat He reserved for me, and to be open to His work around me.
On the flight from Nairobi to London, I sat with two young guys. One was a British-Arab medical student who was doing work for his last year course in Kenya. His dad is Kenyan-Arab and he lived there when he was younger. The other guy, Ernest, was on his way to Portland, OR to begin studies as a university student. He had never been out of Kenya, only in his village near Bungoma in Western Kenya and in Nairobi where he had gone to college. He had never flown, never traveled. He was a very sweet guy. As it turned out, he really needed us. It was all new to him....from how to put down the seat-tray, to using the headphones and video system, to knowing what to expect when changing flights. He asked us many questions. I enjoyed watching the other guy, I think his name was Amir, talk to Ernest. Very nice guy. I do believe that God placed me where He needed me. I was even able to pray with him before we landed. It was a great experience. But, I only slept for less than two hours!!! And the flight left at midnight, so I had already been up all day!
Then, another blessing...I was bumped to World Plus on the remaining flights! Not quite as nice as One World with the lay-down bed and nice meals that I had going, but still MUCH more room than coach! Even more, I had the opportunity to talk to Paul, a man flying to Michigan for work. We had some interesting discussions about religion. He believes in all religions...God is the same, just worship Him, but don't worry about all the "rules" of the church. Hmm. Well, that led so easily into discussion about who God is, and that the differences between religions hinges on belief in Jesus and His purpose in our Salvation. He has some "issues" with the legalism of the church, with good reason. But, even hours later as we parted, he said, "Thank you, Trena. You have given me much to think about." Again, I believe God placed me in the exact seat He wanted me! What a faithful God!
The journey did not end there. After clearing customs in Detroit, we reboarded. It was a very empty flight; no new passengers, but many dropped off. We were scheduled to land in Houston, of course, but were diverted to Dallas due to bad weather. Great! So close, yet so far! We were circling from Lufkin to Hunsville over and over, waiting for the skies to clear. They didn't. After de-planing at DFW, claiming baggage, and going back to the ticket counter, we find out that our options are very limited. Not only were many other flights to Houston delayed or cancelled, British Airways is not domestic, and has NO scheduled flights from Dallas to Houston! We would have to get on another airline...along with everyone else trying to get home. And the earliest would be the following day around noon. So, we all decided to rent cars and drive home. There were only about 40 people on the flight. It was crazy! Complete strangers were grouping together to form groups to drive together! And, we had all come from all over the world, gathering at a connecting flight in London! I rode with Laura (coming home from Iraq), Randy (on his way home from working month on-month off in Qatar), Andrea (returning from Moscow where she had been teaching 4 and 5 yr old ESL for two months) and me (from Kenya!!). How random! Who would have imagined such an ending! I can't tell you how glad I was to see Kris and Dot and Tag in Huntsville!! She met us, along with Andrea's parents, so we didn't all have to drive all the way into Houston.
I finally made it home!!! I was not able to sleep on the last flights, either. I dozed off during two Friends episodes, but was awake by the time the 30 minute show ended. So, all total, I think I slept about 3-4 hours!! I had been awake for 50 hours before finally hitting my bed! That was a GREAT night!
All in all, glad to be home, sad to be home. Grateful for the time God gave me to spend in Kenya. Thankful for the opportunities to live and serve. Anticipating what He has for me in the future.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Making Chapati
One of my favorite Kenyan foods! Of course....it's a carb! Kind of like a greasy, thick tortilla. Quite a process to make, though. Fanis (Tina's cook) was so great to teach me. It was fun. And kind of hard to do with four little boys wanting to be in the middle of the action!
I can't wait to get home and try my own hand at making Kenyan food! But, there will be NO ugali making in my house! There are several other things I've learned to make, but chapati is more of an art....one which I have not perfected! Practice makes perfect!
Education Resource Center - Nairobi, Kenya
I visited the Education Resource Center at the Baptist Mission again. But, this time, I got to meet with Debbie, the MK Consultant! Her assistant job sounds amazing!! It is a com
bination of some wonderful assignments, in some awesome places, based in the place I most want to live!! I am so excited to see what God has planned. I would get to do lots of travel, including Zambia, Malawi, Uganda...! There is some teaching involved, some training and consulting, some administration, some organization. A little of everything. The Baptist Mission compound is beautiful, as well. Debbie showed me around several homes/apartments. Very nice! And it is a very safe compound. All in all, a wonderful visit! I had a great time and look forward to the possibilities!! Please keep this in your prayers. I am scheduled to go to Richmond, VA on Oct 1, where I will find out a lot more.
bination of some wonderful assignments, in some awesome places, based in the place I most want to live!! I am so excited to see what God has planned. I would get to do lots of travel, including Zambia, Malawi, Uganda...! There is some teaching involved, some training and consulting, some administration, some organization. A little of everything. The Baptist Mission compound is beautiful, as well. Debbie showed me around several homes/apartments. Very nice! And it is a very safe compound. All in all, a wonderful visit! I had a great time and look forward to the possibilities!! Please keep this in your prayers. I am scheduled to go to Richmond, VA on Oct 1, where I will find out a lot more.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Update...
A lot has happened in the last week. Wish I had had email access the whole time so I could update more frequently. I'll try not to make this too long. (Yeah, right!)
Mukaa was great! The Lord worked out so many details! The team did great, overall. Of course it is a little difficult to have 19 people living together for three days in such conditions. Everyone handled it very well. Other than the mice in the night (which were really loud!!), we all slept well, too. Some of the college kids slept outside.
Mr. Mayoli was so glad to have us all. When I was apologizing for all the mud we tracked in after the rain and asking for a broom, he said, "No, no, you will not do that. It is not a problem. It is a blessing. There are many wonderful people in my house this weekend. Today, I am not a lonely old man." What a precious man!
The team split up and visited several families and delivered groceries. I went with a group to visit Nduku, the same lady our group visited last year. I was anxious to see her and the girl
s. What a blessed time! I think we were the only group that really connected with our family. The girls came to meet us and walk with us to their home. They are beautiful! Nduku met us awhile later as we were walking. I did not recognize her! She looked amazing! So much healthier! She told the lady with us that she did not even remember the group coming last time because she was so ill. What a blessing to see how the Lord has worked in her life and begun to restore her health. Continue to pray for her and her girls. The youngest two have been sick. We have left money to have them all tested for TB and HIV, both of which Nduku has been diagnosed with.
I have posted some random pictures. Would love to tell more stories of how God has worked, and is continuing to work, but I am out of time. I am so blessed to have more time here to continue some of the ministry that was begun while our team was here. I will share more about that later. I have brought Musila with me to the cyber to show him how the internet works, and we have been here for two hours! I'm sure he is bored and ready to go!
Right now, you can pray for...
Daniel - a Maasai man whom Judy Holzman and I prayed with as he received Christ!!! He is now facing the challenge of what it means to be Maasai AND a Christian. The Lord has placed a few other Maasai Christians in his life that can disciple and help him as he begins this new venture in life.
Mwengela - Musila's brother, Mwende's father who knows that God is calling him to be a Christian, but he is struggling with relinquishing his own will and submitting to the Lord. He says he will become a Christian one day, but "not now."
Tom - my friend, who we got to know as he drove us last year. He was so much more than "our driver!" I don't know what all is going on with him now, but I am very concerned for him. I have talked to him several times, and just have an overwhelming burden to pray for him. As undirected as it is, please join me in lifting him before the Father.
Mukaa was great! The Lord worked out so many details! The team did great, overall. Of course it is a little difficult to have 19 people living together for three days in such conditions. Everyone handled it very well. Other than the mice in the night (which were really loud!!), we all slept well, too. Some of the college kids slept outside.
Mr. Mayoli was so glad to have us all. When I was apologizing for all the mud we tracked in after the rain and asking for a broom, he said, "No, no, you will not do that. It is not a problem. It is a blessing. There are many wonderful people in my house this weekend. Today, I am not a lonely old man." What a precious man!
The team split up and visited several families and delivered groceries. I went with a group to visit Nduku, the same lady our group visited last year. I was anxious to see her and the girl
s. What a blessed time! I think we were the only group that really connected with our family. The girls came to meet us and walk with us to their home. They are beautiful! Nduku met us awhile later as we were walking. I did not recognize her! She looked amazing! So much healthier! She told the lady with us that she did not even remember the group coming last time because she was so ill. What a blessing to see how the Lord has worked in her life and begun to restore her health. Continue to pray for her and her girls. The youngest two have been sick. We have left money to have them all tested for TB and HIV, both of which Nduku has been diagnosed with.I have posted some random pictures. Would love to tell more stories of how God has worked, and is continuing to work, but I am out of time. I am so blessed to have more time here to continue some of the ministry that was begun while our team was here. I will share more about that later. I have brought Musila with me to the cyber to show him how the internet works, and we have been here for two hours! I'm sure he is bored and ready to go!
Right now, you can pray for...
Daniel - a Maasai man whom Judy Holzman and I prayed with as he received Christ!!! He is now facing the challenge of what it means to be Maasai AND a Christian. The Lord has placed a few other Maasai Christians in his life that can disciple and help him as he begins this new venture in life.
Mwengela - Musila's brother, Mwende's father who knows that God is calling him to be a Christian, but he is struggling with relinquishing his own will and submitting to the Lord. He says he will become a Christian one day, but "not now."
Tom - my friend, who we got to know as he drove us last year. He was so much more than "our driver!" I don't know what all is going on with him now, but I am very concerned for him. I have talked to him several times, and just have an overwhelming burden to pray for him. As undirected as it is, please join me in lifting him before the Father.
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