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| I have also continued taking photos, including this one taken last week of a feisty bird! |
“I’ve been surprised at how you've continued sharing stories that ‘speak’ to me during your Stateside Assignment.” My response to this recent comment from a dear friend was laughter and honesty. It has been challenging to prepare our weekly updates during our time in the States and I have contemplated taking a l-o-n-g break from the internet. But I always remember that part of my ‘assignment’ while on ‘stateside’ is to entice more supporters to follow the Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples and our weekly updates.
More importantly, every time we share in a church or I share a new story via the internet, I realize anew the joy we and our co-workers in Sub-Saharan Africa find in being a part of His work. The result is always being re-energized about sharing with you the joy of knowing what God is up to among Sub-Saharan African peoples and how you can join in His work!
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| One of our joys of Stateside Assignment is always attending Missions Extravaganza - the annual meeting of North Carolina WMU. |
So, I’m still posting daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples and preparing the weekly update. If you were at the North Carolina annual WMU meeting this past weekend at Ridgecrest, you may think I'm cheating a bit this week. But as I shared an ‘expanded story’ with them last Saturday night, I realized that I should also share it with you as I was reminded yet again of how much we depend upon you and your support – your prayers, gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Cooperative Program and sending more workers our way. BERT
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| The poinsettia are in our back yard. The cream coloured flat roof is Westgate Mall. |
Most of the stories I share as the Prayer Networker for Sub-Saharan African Peoples are the stories of others, but last September a story happened that was very personal – a story which made the international news for days – a story which occurred in our back yard – a story I remember as many stories.
A story of heartbreak: Our reaction to the terrorist siege at the Westgate Mall in late September 2013. I had been at this mall the two previous days buying groceries as this mall is on the street where we live in Nairobi… within view of our home. We knew this would happen at some point, but had prayed it would not. Every time I would leave the mall, I had found myself offering a prayer of thanks for safety.
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| One of the things that increased our tension during the siege - the constant noise of four helicopters hovering overhead! |
A story of fear: When the shooting and blasts began, we feared that co-workers and friends were in the mall. I went to the computer and immediately learned that one of our mission families was in the mall with the Mom in one place with the four younger kids and the dad in another with their teenage son.
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| I remember viewing these roses in our yard and thinking how surreal it was that something so beautiful could be growing so close to the pain and chaos at the nearby mall. |
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| Another photo of contrasts - our neighours' turtle meandering through their yard as smoke billows from Westgate Mall. |
A story of the assurance that God cares about the little things: I'm a very light sleeper and awaken many times each night. During this tense time with gun firing and other blasts continuing for several nights, I slept soundly which was much needed. When a fire started in the mall I never asked for prayer for my asthma and the smoke coming our way, which was the way smoke from that direction often came. The smoke always blew other directions.
A story of how the internet can be used for prayer support: When the fire started on the second day of the siege, we thought there were still hostages in the mall and I asked for prayer on FB as did the IMB’s arm for prayer, CompassionNet. We cannot document how many people saw that prayer request and prayed, but we know that in less than two hours more than 10,000 people viewed two of the many sites where the prayer request appeared.
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| We knew to expect it after the siege, but spotting international news reporters and their satellite dishes on nearby streetcorners was still astounding! |
A story of our incredible church family: 'Stuck at home’ on the Sunday morning of the siege, we thought it strange that we were receiving text cell and e-mail messages from our church family at Parklands Baptist Church/ Mombasa Road during the morning services. We learned later that their plans for Sunday school and worship that morning were delayed and they spent much of their time praying the situation at the mall and for us.
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| Taking this photo of a memorial to those who died during the seige was heart-wrenching. I had seen the photos of a few people that we knew in the local news, but seeing them on the poster was difficult. |
Would you join us in praying that when we return to Kenya, hopefully in early May, that we will know how to use these open doors to share the true source of peace and joy, our Saviour!
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Remember to view information on CompassionNet, this week's addition to the MISSIONS TOOLBOX - at http://missionstoolbox.blogspot.com/.
Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found by clicking the tab at the top of this post - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.
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