Wheels up to Kenya.

Time to get your knee pads on.  I’m headed back to Kenya! If Delta and Air France do their part, I will push back from the gate in Little Rock today at noon.  25 1/2 hours later, I am scheduled to land in . If you don’t take praying for safe travel seriously, that probably means you don’t travel a lot.  If it can happen during travel, I have probably had it happen to me over the years and miles.  This trip, I need you to pray this way please: On-time flights and connections. ALL luggage arrives in Nairobi with me. Some good naps on the long legs of the flights (two 8-9 hour legs).

My body is still in recovery mode from my sickness.  I have been able to exercise moderately this past week, but I can tell I am still only about 70% of my normal strength and stamina.  A couple of three hour naps on the long flight legs would make a lot of difference in my recoup time when I land in Nairobi.

I have learned to take my first day in country to reset my internal clock, catch up on sleep, and take care of minor administrative tasks like changing money and being sure my Kenya cell phone is updated and ready to go.  I will have no meetings or speaking assignments on Wednesday (I arrive Tuesday evening).

Once we get to Thursday, the schedule is non-stop with meetings, training sessions, one-on-one staff meetings, and about 15 preaching/teaching assignments scattered over the next 12 days.

I mentioned in my recent prayer letter my excitement about the other teams who will be on the ground in Kenya while I am there.  A wonderful partnering church from East Texas (that worked with us in Kenya in the early days) will be in-country with a team working with the school and church they helped plant and support.  Another ministry partner family from Memphis is beginning a new ministry in the Nairobi slums focused on water filters with an intentional evangelistic emphasis.  They will be adding their very first Kenya staff on this trip.  My old friend and long-time ministry companion from Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, Jeff Moser, will join me for a few days as he meets with his Kenya ministry teams helping in the amazing widows ministry his ministry oversees.  And then, a leadership team from Sovereign Life Church in Longview, TX., will be working with Pastor Christiano at his training center.  I will join them for a couple of days and will have the joy of assisting them with the graduation ceremonies at the training center.

Stops at the school in Mathare, the school in Tasia, the expansive ministry in Kitale/Mt. Elgon with Pastor Richard and Hellen, a visit to Light Feeding Station in Kakamega, as well as, two days of leadership training and preaching in Kisumu at our church there.  In all, I will meet face-to-face with all of our ministry leaders that I could not reach on our recent trip in February.

All of the above teams areon their own.  I am not hosting them nor am I responsible for their schedules. This is the culmination of the vision God gave me early on in our East Africa work.  The ministry partnerships have multiplied and matured.  “God-math” is taking place all over East Africa.  God prefers multiplication to all other forms of numerical growth.  He wants disciples who make disciples who make disciples…..

Pray for Teresa please.  She is staying behind (again).  The decision to stay is not because of her health, but due to the pace of my schedule on this trip. I will be changing locations every 2-3 days.  That’s a lot of packing and unpacking for a Southern Belle who travels with trunks!

Seriously, Teresa has spent so many days and nights alone.  Loneliness is nobody’s friend.  The enemy sure uses that weapon of loneliness against Teresa and me while I am away.  But, I have the distraction of ministry and fellowship with our Kenya team.  She is relegated to praying and waiting for me to return.  She will stay busy handling the daily operations of the office.  Hopefully, she will keep the roads hot between the post office and the bank?! Your prayers can fill a void for her.  I believe it!  I have seen God do it over the years when I am away. 

I will update you probably on Wednesday evening or Thursday.  I expect that each day will bring editing problems for this writer.  God usually does so much in a day that it is hard for me to capture and write it condensed enough to keep your interest.

But now, the job is to get there.  And you can help me with that.

Your prayers = my fuel.

Thank you for your friendship and partnership.  No matter how far I travel, I know I am never alone.