Americanized....

I watched a really good show on the Catholic channel here today. It was a program talking about Africa, places like Kenya who are rapidly becoming Americanized. This subject has been heavy on my heart for awhile now. Even when I was in Uganda, my African friends would always say Oh I'd love to go to America. Hearing those words lays heavy on my heart, as the people in Africa are filled with so much joy, with having little and how us Americans are so bogged down with the busyness of life, and so caught up with all the materialism around us. Really we are greedy selfish people as a whole. And it just breaks my heart that America has been put on a peddle stool. Yes we have a great working government....hmmmm well compared to Africa nations we do, and yes we have things, but yet there is a reason why places like Kenya are sending Missionaries to America. In the past year I have met a handful of Missionaries sent to us, from Africa. It's inspiring yet sad to listen to there stories of how they got here. An interesting point in the TV show program, was a list of organizations in Kenya and other places like Malawi and Nigeria that are focusing on keeping these countries from becoming to Americanized. As I sit here in my nice home, it really makes me think of my problems with depression, and how most of America deals with this disease, how we have mothers pleading insanity for drowning her children in a bathtub. Heavy thoughts, thoughts that make sense of why I was so joyous in Uganda, and how I long to be back in Africa. How I feel so close to the Lord there in the midst of a poverished land. Oh how I pray that my friends in Africa won't gain the mentality of becoming Americanized. How sad it would be to see there joyous hearts turned into selfish greedy hearts.

Keep your lives free from the love of money (america) and be content with what you have, because God has said; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you"

Heb. 13:5, with my added insert :)

Praise God

Praise God to all whom blessings flow.........

God continues to bless, and every time I am more and more amazed of His love for us, I am more and more aware of His hand upon us for our trip!

So the story goes like this; it was Friday January 9th and the ladies at our church were having a party for our Pastor's wife to celebrate her birthday and also to celebrate God's goodness in being done with radiation treatments for her cancer. A lady came up to me, and asked me if I knew if Brian and Sandy Stoltzfus were still in Nairobi or here in the US. I had not a clue, and told her I'd contact my Aunt who may know more. The next day my mom came over and told me she had talked with my Aunt and that she had mentioned that Stoltzus's were heading to Nairobi for 6 months. Now mind you my mom had no clue that I was seeking this out. Through Facebook (love FB) I found Sandy, and she had just arrived Nairobi, and Brian her husband is flying over as he is a pilot with Samaritans Purse this week. As Sandy and I begin to share with one another our "Africa" love stories, we got down to logistics and asked each other where we are staying, and wouldn't you know it, we are literally just walking blocks away from one another. We were both so amazed and in awe of God's goodness.

( And as an extra side note of our commonalities, there daughter is a freshman at Cedarville.....ha, so is our Brandon! )

Praise God from whom all Blessings flow.......

Brian and Sandi Stoltzfus and there family attended CFCF for many many years, before serving more permanently in Kenya. Brian is a pilot for AIM, and Samaritans Purse, and Sandy works with Amani women's refuge center in Nairobi. We will join Sandy at Amani for a few days!

Pics of our Special treat!

Some pics of our wonderful time with Veronica!

first time seeing Snow!

Of course I had to get her Starbucks!! She liked it :)

Shopping trip to Walmart! So big she said! so we got her a scooter! We purchased items for her pregnancy center in Uganda, and umm ya of course a goodie box for Pamela!!!! sorry Tony your next :)

Noah introduced her to M&M's......she liked them!

We thank the Lord for his special treat to us! It was a reminder of His love for us, and how He cares about what I care about AFRICA!~

Pamela

Thought I'd do a quick overview of who Pamela is as I

talk about her often, and want you all to have a good

picture of my beautiful African sister! Pamela is a former African Children Choir child. She is Kenyan, however through being sponsored by ACC attends University in Kampala Uganda. Our team stayed at a Guest house in Kampala, where Pamela is the manager running the Guest house as the home owners moved down to South Africa. Pamela and I became close friends during my time in Uganda and have maintained that friendship despite the many many miles in between us. Through our friendship I have gotten a glimpse of her family life in Kenya where her mother, father and many many siblings reside. Pamela has only 4 months left of University and then will return to her home and roots in Nairobi Kenya. And we will join her a week after her arrival to Kenya to work alongside her in ministry along with the ACC/Music For Life office in Nairobi. Hope this helps you get a glimpse of Pamela and understand a little better of how we got connected. And if I may I would like to share some prayer request with you:

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we will begin to send out support letter within the next 2 weeks. Please be in prayer alongside us for the Funds to come in that we need to make this a successful trip.

continued details of our ministry work while we are in Kenya. Many options have been presented and some have been closed. Please pray that we will seek the Lord and what He would have us do while we are there.

for spiritual growth for Bob and I and the children. Satan loves to attack when good work is being done! Please pray against the enemies attack.

also please continue to pray for Jessica our friend & nanny as she raises funds as well, and for all of us to have open schedules for her to be around the boys before we leave. Life is busy for us, and her as well as she is in college and planning for her wedding in September.

I also want to say Asante to all of you for your support for us through this once in a lifetime Journey! We are excited to be in Kenya and see what the Lord has for us for our future in Africa.

Random Acts of God

So not so randomly I attended our monthly Alliance Women Missions Study on Sunday evening. We begin to share prayer request and Kim who is a resident at the Local disability group home building we meet at, ask for prayer for a lady named Veronica who is from Kampala Uganda. She happens to be in Ohio for a month on business trip for her Ministry in Uganda. So of course my ears purk up, as Kampala is where my trip was. I began asking Kim all kinds of questions and she so dearly refers me to the bulletin board at the facility, which had little info. on Veronica, but did state if you would be willing to house her for a week please call such and such. So I'm thinking ummm ya, she can stay with us. So I call my Mom who is the cook at this facility, who know's nothing about it, but calls her boss and from there it went to a phone call asking if I'd like to host Veronica. Why yes of course I say! So by random acts of God, or perhaps not so random...we will be housing her the next few nights! I am so completely excited to re-hash my journey in Kampala with her, and to maybe perhaps stick a few items in her suitcase for her and for my Sista Pamela who is in Kampala. WooHoo God is so amazing.

P.S. Did I mention she goes to the same church as Pamela!
P.S.S. Did I mention I was feeling low on Sunday....God knew and picked me up like He always does! I love you Lord...