Thank You and Blessings in this New Year 2022
Greetings Family, friends, and ministry support team,
We are so blessed by your faithfulness, love, support, and prayers. While we were scheduled to be back in Nairobi by January 2, 2022, plans quickly changed as we both tested positive for Covid-19 two days before we were to leave. Both of us were down for a couple of weeks, but we give God praise for restoration and recovery. After fund raising events and speaking engagements in Louisiana, California, and Florida, it is our hope to be able to return to Africa Nazarene University by February 10, 2022.
January 2021 Brings A New Season
A year ago we were processing our transitioning to once again serve as missionaries with Nazarene Global Missions. This time there was a need for us to build our support base for two years as self-sponsored missionaries. With the many challenges for missions budgets, this has become a new option that is made available in order to expand the possible placements of missionaries on the mission field.
A friend and mission supporter who had learned of our upcoming change called one night to let us know that he was sending in a donation on our behalf. Within a couple of days we learned that the amount we had to have donated by March 1, 2021 (our transition date) in order to be full-time salaried missionaries was the same amount that our friend had just donated!!! PRAISE GOD for such a confirmation.
February ANU opens Face to Face
Late January and February 2021 found us back in Nairobi after many months in the US during the Covid season of 2020. This was a good time to reconnect with colleagues and students after the school had been strictly on-line for 9 months. We left at the end of February since our former work permits were expiring at that time.
March - August Brought a 25,000 Mile Trek
A whirlwind of district tours, conventions, and mission services included Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, and Kansas City, We had zoom mission gatherings as well as face to face meetings during this time. How amazing to see God connect us to so many and continue to give us assurance that all would be well. Thank you, Lord, for a vehicle to take us 25,000 miles.
The goal for building the support base for two years came together. We continued to have churches, individuals, and families contacting us to be added to the support team. God has blessed beyond what we could imagine with 200+ supporting units (families, individuals, churches, and districts). It is this ongoing support that is so foundational to all we do. PRAISE GOD!!
Sept. - Oct. “Empowering of the Spirit”
September semester found us working intensely with our chaplaincy team and ANU colleagues as some ministries were being re-started after an 18 month isolation. How wonderful it was to meet eager new students who had not been able to be together for face to face gatherings.
Our chapel theme for the Academic Year 2021-2022 is “Knowledge on Fire: the Empowering of the Holy Spirit” as our key scripture verse is centered on Acts 4:31. Would you pray with us that ANU will have the knowledge of God passionately burning in our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit that we might be the light of God’s love in our community?
God is doing a new thing at Africa Nazarene University. We have testimonies of those who did not want anything to do with God yet they are finding themselves drawn to our Bible studies and prayer groups. This is a grass-roots movement and it is certainly the work of the Holy Spirit to draw people to Christ Jesus.
Nov. - Dec. US Engagement and Family Time
November and December were back in the US with district tours, fund raising, and conferencing experiences. Our special blessing was being able to take Rob’s parents as well as our children, to a cabin in the Ozarks of Missouri (see picture at top). It was a time for matching PJ’s, building fires in the fireplace, playing games, exploring, and cooking meals together. We are so grateful for our family.
Acts 4:31 (NIV)…
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.