Steven's Plan... Cows for Kids.

Dear Friends,

It's been a long time since we've updated the web site.  Our latest prayer letter sent out at Easter shared some of the more exciting and epic moments from our last 3 months.  I'd like to take a moment to share some details about the prayer request for Steven Mwaura's project called Cow's for Kids.

Steven and his wife Mary have 4 of their own children and they brought 5 kids in off the streets near them.  Steven is a church planter and pastor of a small church in Mai Mahiu.  His family has embraced their calling to care for and parent as many street children as they can afford to do so.    Since schooling is not free in Kenya, they must be careful to calculate costs.  They are trying to be as self sufficient as possible. Thus the plan for "Cows for Kids".  Steven took out a 3 year loan to buy 5 dairy cows.  $5000 without a predictable income is a bit of a gamble but Steven really thinks that he can sell milk to cover these costs.   

It's our dream to help him find compassionate cowpokes who would buy a cow or a portion of the dairy debt in order to reduce the principal and interest.  This would allow dairy sales to go directly to the coffee can for needs Steven faces.   Just to make you aware of what some of the costs are for this family:  school fees for 8, clothing and food for 11, vet bills, housing,  fuel for their car to do ministry,  and of course, car repairs due to very rough roads in their area.  Pastor's make very little money if any salary in Kenya.   Soooo if you fancy the idea of sending a one time gift to Steven it is possible to send him money directly through paypal, Wave, or we may be able to set up other apps.  If you have more questions, well then partner, shoot me an email at staylor@rva.org

Thanks for reading and at least you can pray to the God that owns cattle on a thousand hills and ask him to provide for Steven's needs.     I'd better get mooooving!

Steven and his wonderful family.

 

The Trip of Tests, Tents and Temps

Sometimes you get ideas of great adventure and exploring new places in new ways.  These ideas lead to pumping hearts and adrenaline flowing...especially when there are young men involved.   There has been talk of making a piki (motorcycle) trip to Lake Turkana in our house for at least 4 years but it never seemed to be possible.  However, this April, Evan's last month off from school before his graduation, we decided to go for it.    The trip was questionable due to raids and bandits on one of the main routes so we carefully chose to take a less direct route and go around the volatile areas.   There were still plenty of issues to sort out.  Lake Turkana is beautiful, it's even called the Jade Sea.  However, it is extremely hot there and out side of the lake, the region is dangerously arid and hot.  We had to calculate for water, fuel, food and how to keep food from spoiling.   Originally, it was to be our family and our good friends.  The boys would drive bikes most of the times but the Dads were planning to drive in the high traffic areas.   The planning and routes finally came together and we ventured out on April 12th.   

Now I don't want to take time to turn this into a travelog but instead I hope to share some highs, lows and lessons learned.     Day one would actually turn out to be the worst and most difficult day of the 6 day trip.   Within the first hour, both boys had thorns from the iconic Acacia trees  bring their bikes to a halt.  It put our trip 2.5 hours behind schedule.  We pushed on and made it to a town about 100 km short of our goal for day 1.  We decided to continue on. It was the Dads' turn to drive through the congested towns.   As we exited the busy town and got on the main road we pulled off just to confirm that all was good.  I got back on the road and looked in my mirror expecting my traveling buddy to come catching up but the moments lapsed and my heart sank.  Jon wasn't coming.  I turned around and headed back only to see a bus stopped and a crowd gathering.  Now my heart was racing as I thought Jon had been hit by the bus.  After I stopped, Jon explained that he had tried to get back up on the high way but lost control and the bike spun out.   He calmly informed me that he had broken his leg.   As I looked down at his leg I realized there was indeed no question.   His leg was contorted in a nauseating angle at the ankle.   Some very kind people helped get him into their car and rushed him to a good hospital back in the town we just left.   Jon was then transported by ambulance back to Kijabe where an orthopedic surgeon repaired the broken leg and dislocated ankle.    Jon's wife  Susan went with him.  Meanwhile the 5 of us were graciously cared for by some missionaries in town and we slept in their guest house.   

The next morning we cautiously made the decision to carry on with this epic journey. Jon was in good hands, and preferred that we not cancel the adventure on his account.  As for the rest of the journey, it went rather smooth. We never had another flat tire, no one crashed again, no one even got sick or bitten by critters we found along the way. I can honestly say that going to the lake, I learned a new meaning to hot and remaining hydrated. We carried 110 liters with us. When we arrived at the lake we stayed at a small hotel called Palm shade resort. We were grateful for cold drinks. We spent the afternoon by a pool fed by a natural hot spring. Yes...even the pool was hot. Oddly enough, the air was refreshing after you got out of the pool. The next day, after barely sleeping because it was so hot, we got back on the road. We took lots of photos of the lake and then began our return. This day our challenge was that Ben's bike frame cracked. We spent about an hour conjuring up how to hold his bike together.

After another hot day of driving on day 4 I drank 3 liters of water and never felt close to water logged. Water was everyone's best friend. By this point in our excursion we realized that we had a lot of extra water so we were stopping and handing out water bottles to parched people begging for water along the road. We camped again in the bush just off the road. The next day we made it back to our new friends with a guest house. One more day of driving, bumping, finding places to eat and we finally made it home. We went straight to Jon and Susan's house to visit the patient. He was in good spirits but a lot of pain too. The boys drove in on bikes a few minutes after us and we collapsed. After almost 1500 km, Kijabe had never felt quite so cool to us, and never more refreshing.

Things I learned on this trip ??? Well I won't share all of them. But here are just a few.

*Adventure is great but the risks are real. Yet even in pain and "disaster" God provides and cares for his children. 

* Water is something that is so easily taken for granted, yet it is essential for life. I value a glass of water in new ways and cold water... well that's just a huge bonus.

* Jesus said he is the living water. I've learned to pray more for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are working in such hard places trying to share the good news about Jesus. They live in this place that can get to 110 degrees, with out a thought of air conditioning and very little water. They endure so many hardships. I learned I need to pray for them much more intentionally.

* I learned I take Jesus for granted and I need to be well hydrated with the Living water.

* I learned that even just 1 hour north of the the town we stayed in along the lake shore, there are tribes that have never heard about Jesus or the Bible. They have invited missionaries to come. I need to pray for more workers.

* I learned that slowing down is hard for me and yet so beneficial. It was so great to just sit in a camp site and see God's magnificent creation. Throughout scripture we are reminded that to see creation is to get a glimpse of God.

* I learned that as I like to look at photos and read about other peoples adventures that I can maybe bring awareness to readers on my blog. I hope you learned something from our adventure.


Grace, Peace... and Water!

Church members were holding a Good Friday Service.

This photo is so symbolic to me as Janelle and Evan see the sun setting on a chapter in their lives.

Please pray for rain and the Water of Life to come to Kenya.

Don't worry, Evan removed the stinger before we took the photo. 

Pray for Jon's complete and speedy recovery!

Blessings with Family and Friends

January 2017.  We've had a good time this month  of December  working on things outside of school.  Our family has had a chance to individually, as well as collectively, visit many of our friends in the community.   While Nate has been here, we went to see our good friend Margaret and her family.   Nate was a big surprise to Margaret,  so much so we thought she might pass out.  We spent all afternoon at her house reminiscing about old times when Margaret took care of the children when they were babies.  Margaret's mom was there too and enjoyed seeing everyone.  

Amanda and I had the bitter sweet pleasure of supporting our friend Steven Mwaura at his Father's funeral.  The death was a big surprise to the family as Steven's dad had been in rather good health.  However, the fact that Steven's Dad loved Jesus was a comfort to everyone.  The funeral was an all day event, I learned a few more Kikuyu words as we listened to many people preach in the local tribal language.   We saw choir after choir share songs of hope and assurance.  To our amazement we witnessed 2 Shoshos' ( granma's) from the village who were nearly 100 years old sing and dance for the Steven's mom and family. 

A week after the funeral Nate had arrived and we went to join Steven and his family again.   It was a great day to celebrate what God was doing in his family, their ministry and to encourage his Mom.   We joined them for an amazing meal and as traditional with our families, we brought a cake.   However, this time was different.  After the cake was finished, Steven's daughter Faith, carefully licked out the left over crumbs and icing.  She said, "When your pastor from America came, I learned I should do this."  Way to go Pastor Denny,  after all, icing is always best after the cake is finished.     We spent the afternoon playing with the children and talking.  It was a great day together and we closed with a sweet time of prayer for one another.   

Evan and I worked on the house for Joel. Joel works for RVA and runs the instrument repair shop.  He is a wonderful blessing to our school and Kenya as our shop is able to repair instruments for several schools in Nairobi.   After almost 2 days, we got all the chainsaw cut timbers made into the joists for the metal roof that was put on the next day.   Joel still needs to compete the inside but he's come a long way on his "dream house".

After this month, we'll be back in full swing with driving buses to get students, teaching classes, teaching Sunday school and various medical tasks to minister to MK's.    We'll be sponsors for the senior class and on our various committees for the school.  We do all this as our " official roles and ministry at our school.  However, we are so grateful to live life along side and with our Kenyan brothers and sisters and we are grateful for the ways get to encourage and love each other. Please pray for our ability to balance ministry to our students and to our neighbors.  

What they said in Church last week.

Dec. 2016  I get excited when I see UPG on the screen each week in our church.   Every week we spotlight the ministry and church planting work of one of the families that sends their children to our school.   Many of our families work with unreached people groups, or UPGs.    Afrirca Inland Mission defines  an unreached people group as a group of people who have less than 2% as Evangelical Christians.  There are at least 600 unreached people groups on the continent of Africa.  Each week we get to hear from students, parents or representatives about the work that is happening in UPGs all over Africa. God is doing a great  work in Africa.  Please also realize that God uses his people and his church to reach the unreached. When you and your church partner with missionaries like us in Africa, you are a significant part of reaching unreached people.  

A few weeks ago, some of my students stood on the stage and shared how their parents have finally been able to baptize new believers in a UPG after years of work.   Another pair of my students shared 2 weeks before that of the dire need of mission work in a remote place in Uganda with a UPG   Until now, there has been no one working with the tribe that their parents are moving to work with.   This tribe is not only unreached but it is referred to as an "unengaged people group".  This means that there is no church planting work begun yet.   Since my students shared with our church/school congregation, 2 doctors and and another couple have come forward to commit to working with this people group.  Wow, an immediate answer to prayers.

Hopefully you read here just a bit of the significance of the body of Christ and your role.   We need to pray for workers to to go to a harvest that is ripe.  We need senders to equip those who are called to go.  We need others like Amanda and I to meet the educational, spiritual, physical and social  needs of the children of the workers.   We see that many of our students are graduating and still involved with a kingdom mind set and are working to reach unreached.      So keep praying for more workers, keep sending workers, keep your church involved, and keep us in your prayers.  PLEASE See the PRAYER  REQUEST SECTION of the Blog for specific request. 

It’s been a great 2nd term to say the least.  We last wrote in January summarizing last year.   It’s hard to believe that we have already finished 2nd term of this school year.   This term was crazy busy but also very exciting.   Amanda and I helped with the Junior class put on the Banquet for the Seniors.  The theme was Arabian nights.  Evan is in the photo playing the keyboard for part of the entertainment.  He also helped to write the play that was performed that evening. The Senior class really enjoyed the food, the entertainment and the fact that they could just relax and didn’t have to work to produce anything.    

The most handsome couples of the evening of coarse.

The class even made the lanterns hanging in the center of this photo.  They were made with our amazing  pottery teacher who is also a class sponsor.  Evan made 4 of them during the December break. 

Amanda and I also got to lead an interim trip to Lake Natron Tanzania.   This trip was intended to give our students the chance to experience new places in Africa.  The students were exposed to Maasai culture, the growth of Christianity within this tribe and they saw the amazing beauty of Lake Natron.    We drove in some of the roughest conditions I’ve ever driven in.  But it was so worth it. 

 Our students led a game day at one of the local schools in Tanzania with the amazing help and translation of a missionary couple.   We played soccer, games with a parachute,musical chairs (without chairs) and attempted to teach them to throw Frisbees. Our sides hurt from laughing so much while we played with these sweet children. We donated soccer balls and pencils to the school. Its is amazing how small things mean so much to the kids.

Musical chairs.... without chairs but extra fun.

Studying Maasai culture gave new insights into the ways that the Gospel message can challenge culture, change lives and give new life to a rich culture.

I

This mountain is called Oldoinyo Lengai which is a sacred mountian for the Maasai.  It is also the only active Volcano in Tanzania.

The best part of Banquet and the interim trip was spending lots of time with students.  It’s great to see them learning about themselves, their God and being equipped for real life issues.     It was also fun getting to know these students and having many opportunities to encourage them.  Both groups of students were so satisfied with how their hard work paid off.  Some Students on the trip to Lake Natron were surprised that they could camp for 3 nights and still really enjoy it.   
It was truly rewarding to see both sets of students develop a sense of teamwork and to develop leadership skills.  

Check out the other sections of our web page.

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying the changes to spring time.   We also hope that you had a meaningful celebration of Easter.    We are writing to give you an update on us and to clarify some questions some folks have emailed us lately in concern for our safety and the school's safety.   We are indeed safe and thankful for the Lord's continued protection to our school as well as to the hundreds of parents that work throughout the continent of Africa.   We are deeply saddened by the tragedy of the events in Garissa town in North Eastern Kenya. Garissa is about 5 hours from Kijabe, roughly 260 km north east, about halfway to Lamu. It is a city along a major thoroughfare that provides relatively direct access to the southern border of Somalia. The events that occurred on Thursday April 3rd were claimed to have been carried out by Al-Shab*ab in retaliation for Kenya's role in the African Union Peace Keeping forces in the country of Somalia. They do not bear directly on the security of Rift Valley Academy, other than to represent Al-Shaba*b's intent to cause harm to wherever possible to residents of Kenya, especially those who are nonMuslim.  We are grateful for those of you who have expressed concern for us.   We covet your prayers for the families involved.  There are some pastor's asking that the churches in these areas will be able to love their neighbors and their enemies in light of this atrocity.   We also ask that you continue to pray for the safety of our school and the families that we serve.  Many of our families are reaching into very unreached areas.  We do feel safe over all while here in Kenya and feel that we can go about normal life as in any city in the U.S.  when we travel to the capital, Nairobi.

Our family has been through a busy term and we are thankful for time to catch up  during the few weeks that the school is closed.   Before school ended we took a group of students on an educational trip out of the school for the last week of the term.     It was  great trip to look at issues in Kenya.  We looked at Conservation of Animals and Forests.  We looked at community programs and conflicts as communities and conservation try to coexist.    It was a great trip over all and we were grateful to learn a lot with our students.   One thing we learned is that most predictions from several groups say that Elephants, lions and rhino  in the wild of Kenya will be extinct in 10-15 years.   It is shocking to learn how fast the world is changing.  It was also easy to teach the lesson that the love of money is the root of all evil.  Ivory and rhino horn are extremely valuable around the world and lions are treated as pests by those that want to raise cattle.   One of the encouraging parts of our trip was being able to hand out food to a group that has been really affected by the drought in their region.  They danced and sang songs of praise to God who had answered their prayers. 

We also had the privilege of watching Nate go to his Senior Banquet.   Amanda and I have sponsored the class since 7th grade and we were able to attend the banquet with the students and fellow sponsors.  Wow, the food and decorations were amazing.   In the beginning of March we also participated in a weekend seminar for the seniors in order to prepare them to transition out of RVA and into another culture.   These two guys look deep in thought.  Maybe it is because they know, like all of their classmates, they are leaving the very familiar and supportive environment and going to 2 very different cultures.  Or... maybe they are just deciding if they should go get in line for another cup of chai and donuts :-).  Please pray for our students as many of them are in their home for the last time during the vacation.  They will finish next term and then graduate and get on airplanes to move all over the world.   Transition is part of the MK life but this will be a much bigger transition. 




NEWS FLASH! We are coming back to the U.S. from July 20th for about 5 weeks.  If you know of a place that we could create as home base in Maryland and a vehicle that we could borrow, we would be grateful for any leads.

The sun sets this past term have been wonderful and so photogenic(photo credit to Janelle).   However, there were way too many of them to remind us that the rains didn't come.   Reports from all over Kenya of shortages and drought will never make your TV News but droughts are happening here.    We have just had 5 days of rain but we really need a month of rain.  The famines up north where we went on our trip will not be eliminated by 5 days of rain.    Please pray for God to glorify himself in Kenya as he see's best.   We are often humbled and challenged by the way that Kenyans trust the Lord and are joyful, even in the midst of very tough times. 

We are grateful for your prayers and support.  Without your partnership we couldn't be here.  Please drop us a note and let us know how you are doing.   We love hearing from folks back in the U.S. 


In His Grace and Strength,

Steve Amanda, Nate, Evan, Janelle

Happy New Year!!!!

We went on a drive to explore opportunities for the interim trip we will lead for 11th and 12th graders in March.  This waterfall is in a protected forest about 5 hour drive from here.  We camped out for a night and then explored 4 waterfalls and pools in this forest.   We hope that your new year is filled by the creator of this water and Living water.   Proverbs 25:25 “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”  Give away Living Water!! Thanks to those of you who are partnering with us to see Living Water given to a dry and thirsty continent.

A Christmas Wish!

We just want to take a moment to wish each of you a wonder filled celebration of the gift of Jesus Christ.  We know that this time of year can be hectic, fragmented and distracting.  Hopefully you will have some time to sit and reflect on the "reason for the season".  Daily I've been reminded through my reading, interactions with people, family or situations, that I so desperately need a savior.  I need someone who can restore my relationship with my creator.  It is in the African context that I am also reminded that I don't need tacky decorations, excessive amounts of  food, token gifts, to bring peace in my life.    Don't get me wrong, I love a good Christmas meal, the time together decorating and cooking and of course a gift is always fun.  However, what I need is a savior.  After all it's not even "what" but "who" I need.  If I want peace with all of my family, friends, neighbors and community, I'm so aware that I need the gift of Christmas.  Perhaps you're like me and the idea of peace on earth (or at least in Africa) seems a pie in the sky dream.  However, if more would truly receive the gift of Christmas and live as Jesus did,... myself included, there would surely be greater peace on this earth.  I hope each of us will take the opportunity to realize the value of Christmas a little more this year and to make opportunities to give the gift of Christmas away throughout the year.  Peace!!

As I reflect back on another year of working at Rift Valley Academy (RVA), two thoughts have been impressed upon my heart.   The first ties into the photo on the left.  I took this photo while visiting a tea farm up country near Kericho.  This farm is not measured in acres but in kilometers.   It is a huge operation.  Throughout the plantation, there are large sectors for growing trees.  These trees will be harvested and burned in order to run kilns for producing delicious Kenyan tea.    Someone over 80 years ago mapped out this idea of sustainable forests and tea farm management.  Now before you think I'm going tree huger on you, there is a connection between this forest and our work at RVA.    The thought that comes to mind is seeing that we are helping to raise the next generation of workers for God's kingdom.  We must carefully plant, water, occasionally prune and of course feed these future workers.   Then, hopefully each year upon our graduation, we will be "harvesting a crop" of workers for a Kingdom that was masterfully planned before the beginning of time.    Please pray for our work with our students that we will constantly seek to prepare them for work that has eternal benefits.   Unlike the trees, we pray that no matter where our students go, that they will remain well rooted in the promises and truths of God's word.  

The second thought is that this year's graduation in July 2015 will be very different than any we have attended at RVA.  This year our son Nathaniel will be taking that ceremonious walk out of RVA.   We are excited for Nate as we walk down this path to college life for the first time.   Our family will be headed back to the United States for a brief trip to get Nate settled into college and to visit family.  We will return to RVA at the very end of August to get Evan back to his Junior year.   We are not sure at this point where Nate will be attending.  We are still in the college application process.  We also do not know where we will call home base while in the States for those brief 5 weeks. Further more, we don't know what car we will drive. We have a lot to figure out and July will be here before we know it.  We appreciate your prayers for wisdom in planning and for God's provision.  We'd love to hear from you so drop us a note through email at sataylor@rva.org

Well It's been a long time again since a post.  I have to admit that too often I feel like I'm not sure what to write.  It seems like we do the same thing every day.  I teach music, Amanda cares for the health needs of the students, our children get older (we don't of course). and life here seems pretty mundane and crazy busy all at the same time.  So I thought I'd share a little about what I've been learning in the crazy busy part.

  Amanda and I sponsor the senior class and that gives us lots of opportunities to be with these students on the verge of entering the "real world" outside RVA.  Our son Nate is in this class and we have sponsored them for the last 5 years.  We spent last evening and today making doughnuts, like 190 dozen.  pizza, burgers, hot dogs, crapes, taco sald, chicken sandwiches  and more to feed the school community. Meanwhile our sports department hosted a basketball and soccer tournament.    The fun of this is giving our students real life work experience and letting them learn how a business operates.    We get to encourage, council, and sometimes admonish our students for their work efforts.   At the end of the day, our school community gets some great food, we raised money for the Senior class safari, and the students get a chance to learn to work hard.     ( And with all those delicious doughnuts, I suppose I gained a little weight this weekend)

Meanwhile,  I realize that so often as we interact with these students it's the short conversations that make a difference.   Maybe it's me, but I feel like I need lot's of time to make a difference with students. However, this week as I met with one guy that I am discipling, I realized how I need to be really intentional even in my quick comments.   This young man shared that I had really encouraged him 2 years ago when he was in the middle of some school discipline.   I saw him as I happened to be in his dorm.  He shared that he expected that I would be judgmental of him but instead I made a short comment that he said really encouraged him.  I don't even remember seeing him in the dorm, let alone the comments.   To me it has only reminded me that each day Amanda and I need to be intentional, even in the midst of the mundane, to encourage and empower.    Please pray that we do not "grow weary in doing good" while feeling crazy busy.   We have often said that the greatest part of this job is getting to love on these kids while their parents are all over the continent of Africa sharing the love of Christ.   

Can you believe we've been back in Kenya more than a year.   I can't believe it has been so long to write an update.   I will keep this short but share several bits of news. 

I just posted a note that I actually wrote in January but realized I never published it.  So there is some info in that message. 

Let me share a few highlights. 
February brought about the great event of Junior/Senior Banquet.  The junior class that we sponsored did a great job of producing a play, live music, food for 182 people, and cleaning it all up and getting the hall back to normal all in the Month of February.  We were grateful for the way that this event brought about leadership, teamwork, unity, confidence and maturity in our students. 

March saw us conclude another term with concerts, ice cream and cake party for my 135 students in 7-12th grade.  We had many a junior through our house for the prayer breakfasts.  Amanda concluded the term with making sure that all the junior and seniors were healthy after their interim trips around Kenya and that they actually took all the meds and shots they needed.   You can always pray for safe travel as students and their families come and go.  

April was mostly time to get ahead for planning for the next term and for professional growth.  We hosted a 4 day conference here for Christian educators from all around the continent.  There were some great workshops and lectures that really helped us to be fired up for school beginning the end of this month.   I personally was challenged to think how can I be as intentional as possible about building up my students and moving them towards Christ.   I see 90-140 students depending on the day.   I am meeting with 4 weekly for discipleship which is a blessing to me.  

May has been all about Senior physicals for Amanda and arranging appointment's for students who needed to see a series of visiting doctors.  Not to mention meeting with and encouraging girls in our junior class.   I have been spending lots of time getting the arrangements for band tour all set up.    We will be doing 6 concerts in 3 days during the weekend of May 30-June 1st.    We will play for somewhere around 2,500 people and look forward to sharing our message of how God can use broken vessels and that God restores.  

Please pray for us as this is a very busy weekend, and week leading up to it.   See our prayer requests tab for more info.   Check out our photos tab too for updates on our family activities. 

Happy New Year!

We hope that this new years day finds you well and blessed.  We are grateful for the opportunities that New Year's Eve and Day bring for us to reflect back and to look ahead.  

As we reflect back on the past year, we see God's abundant goodness in a variety of venues.  In January last year, we began the  transitioned through the loss of my Dad.  We started to take steps back into "normal life" with the help of so many friends.   The following months saw our schedule busy with visiting so many wonderful friends and being blessed with new friendships as well.  God's goodness was seen in our safety in travel, reliable cars, wonderful housing, special memories and the blessings of family and friends.  After seeing God's people meet our support shortage, we were able to head back to Kenya after what seemed to be a short time back.   We said our tearful goodbyes to family but again, we've seen God provide friends to come along side of us and my mom.   We weren't to sad to say goodbye to all the attractions of American food and the weight that we were gaining. 

Life back at RVA has been pretty much normal daily life of working with Missionary Kids, (MK's) and being involved in our Kenyan community.  Balancing these two is sometimes a source of serious tension as we always want to do more but we are grateful for God's provision of resources and strength.  As we get older, I think I feel the need for more strength and energy while living and working with so many school age kids.   We saw another group of students head out into the "real world" as of  Last July and were encouraged by this class was seeking God's glory and to be His ambassadors.   God's provision saw one of my music student's unexpected acceptance into a music school in Korea.   That story is a long one but it was exciting to see this young lady see God's hand and answered prayers. This May 2014, we saw 3 other students receive good scholarships for music. 

New years is also a chance to look forward.  We are looking forward to new relationships, new opportunities and new adventures.  For the sake of time, I'll write more on these later.    May your new year be full of all these but may they be centered in the goodness of God.   

Not taken for granted.

Well, it may be that you think we have been lost or have given up on web based updates but that's not true.  Honestly, I struggle to sit down and write a blog for several reasons.  Number one would be I know that my creativity in writing rivals only writers at say a Jr. High level on a Friday afternoon.  Secondly, the events that occur here seem so "everyday" to us and seem repetitious.   Thirdly, it isn't too often that I get a chunk of time to sit and type a note that is reflective and uninterrupted.    However, since it is a quiet Sunday (or was when I sat and tried to write this 3 weeks ago) evening and the kids have gotten to bed, perhaps I can write a small something worth reading and praying about in the days to come.

 I wrote the title for this blog with  a few events and circumstances in mind.   The most significant event of the term was held just last week.  It was our spiritual emphasis week, also known as SEW.  We had a guest speaker Bay Forest come speak for 5 nights to the students challenging them to think about their relationship with Jesus Christ.  His Theme was "SoUled Out".  The capital U was to emphasis that "U" need to be part of giving everything to Christ.    We saw many students stand up and make commitments to really giving their lives to Christ.   We never want to take for granted the gift that we have been given to work with Missionary kids nor do we want to assume that they are all in a right relationship with Christ.   Please pray that our students will take their relationship seriously and will seek ways to continue to grow now that the guest speaker has gone.  I am meeting with 4 guys each week.    Amanda is also meeting with one girl formally and others on a sporadic basis. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom as we interact with these students in a discipleship relationship.

The second event that makes me think about taking things for granted occurred as I spoke with our friend Steven.  His family has taken in 4 street children and hopes to someday get more.   He and I meet for prayer and encouragement once a week.   Steven thoughtfully shared with me about his youth group ( in Kenya, that's anyone in high school up to 25ish  that's not married.)   His students have  a desire to see more youth in their community learn about Christ.   They decided to use a volley ball net donated by RVA and set up a volley ball court.   What amazed me was to hear that the students would fast lunches at school so that they could same a few shillings, like 50 cents to a dollar in order to by the metal poles and concrete for polls.  They are still hoping to save money for  a  good ball.   Wow, I was challenged in how much I take for granted, but also how seriously these students take their roles in sharing Christ with their community.     In Africa,  it's easy to see things we westerners take for granted, however,  I never want to take the gift of salvation for granted.   Pray for us that we will seek ways to share our faith,  equip others to do the same, and for the parents of our students who share Christ on a daily basis through out this vast continent called Africa.

We are now in day 3 of the terrorist event in Nairobi.  It is staggering to see photos of many places that I have stood in that mall.   The most recent posts express that a few more hostages have been rescued.  It is difficult to know how long this will carry on.   These words of the national anthem here seem to be  a good prayer for today.

"Oh God of All creation, bless this our land and nation.  Justice be our shield and defender.  May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty, plenty be found within our boarders.

Thanks for your prayers. 

Nairobi situation update.

Just to keep folks posted about the terrorist attach in Nairobi.   There have been at least 68 people killed and over 175 wounded.   There are no students from our school involved.  We know that there are still hostages being held and the Kenyan police are claiming they will finish the situation this evening.   There were large explosions heard this evening.

There are a lot of mission organizations based in Nairobi. Please pray for the wisdom of mission leaders from all over Nairobi as they seek ways to meet the needs of workers and ministries in this city.    Pray also for the families of those who have lost loved ones.


More to come...

"It was the Best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness"

Dear Friends,  I'm sorry I fail to update this page more often.  Considering the events in Nairobi yesterday, I felt the urgent need to communicate.  This will be brief as I'm headed off to teach Sunday School soon. 

Yesterday some long time friends came to visit us for the Titchie field day.  A day designed to give our elementary students, especially the boarding students, a fun and special day.  Our friends brought their little ones as well as a birthday cake to celebrate the start of another year of life for Amanda.   The games were great, the campus was jumping with life as our Sr. class presented it's Sr store with special burgers, salads and  doughnuts that people drive hours to enjoy.   Then in the after noon, a small party to celebrate with Amanda was to be had. 

However,  we received text message alerts of insecurity in Nairobi.   As many of you now now, it was a serious attach of terrorists aimed at a high end mall in the capital city Nairobi.   We were asked to pray as some of our students were there with their families.   We found that all the students and families were safe after several hours.  But all the news was certainly not good.  We know that one of our students who is from Nairobi lost at least 2 of his extended family.   We learned that 39 people so far have lost their lives.   Just like at RVA, the mall had promoted a family day with special children's events. 

This has severely shaken the residents of the capital.  As I sat to have  a quiet time this morning, Ps 64 was part of my reading.  It was certainly an encouraging reminder.   Please pray for the millions Blinded by Islam and those that seek to harm innocent people. 

In summary of this hastily written note, our students and faculty have remained protected, Praise the Lord for this, our families that were in Nairobi and had to hide need your prayers for wisdom and peace.  Our school needs your prayers for continued safety in travel and protection here.    We need to pray together for God's Spirit to move in Kenya as a result of this event.   Thanks for your partnership!!!! 

More to come!

Friends, countrymen, lend me your hand...:-)

Well, Tuesday's surgery on my  shoulder and hand went well according to the doctors.   The carpel tunnel surgery will take a while to see if completely effective but the doctor said  that the nerves were really tight in the tunnel.   The AC joint repair went well as well and I can already feel less pain in the shoulder even after the bone scraping and other cleanings. 

Meanwhile, our lives are exciting in other ways.  We are grateful that our house was put on the list to update and remodel.   Before the surgery, they began to replace the vinyl tiles with ceramic.  Now they are working on repainting the first floor.  Steve spends a fair amount of time supervising (single handedly you could say).   The tile is almost finished, the painting will really get underway on Monday.   Fortunately, our neighbors are in the States so we have been able to use their kitchen and dining rooms.  Their house is now referred to as the dinning hall.  We hope to be finished by Thursday, at least for most  part.

Amanda has taken on  a new role this month to organize the New Parent Orientation (NPO).   We will have around 200 parents, new students and siblings come for a 2 day orientation as part of welcoming them to RVA.   The goal of the weekend is that parents can get a grip on the school system and all the activities as well as get help in how to meet the needs of their children.  It is a lot to oversee and to organize but this is her strength to plan and organize.  

Evan went to Tanzania for 12 days to visit some friends, pray for a safe trip back and and an easy crossing of the border.   Nate got to go fly fishing for a 3 day trip and will help out painting this week.  Janel is helping out as Dad's nurse and thankful that so many of her friends are still around on campus.    So that is the update for now.  Check out the photos and prayer need pages as well. 

Suite Notes,

Well it's been soooo ridiculously long since I posted anything I think I should put my thoughts into a collection or a suite of 3 parts.   The first part would be to write about Band tour.  The second part will be about the 2nd half of the term including graduation.  The "Finale" shall be about our upcoming activities of this coming break from classes.  

Band Tour Tweets

As you may recall our Band Tour's theme was Believing the Promises, Revealing the Lies.  The tour theme really challenged several students to look at what they believed about God, the Bible, and the world around them.  As we prepared for tour I asked for students to give testimonies.   7 students came forward and shared with me written examples of ways that they were learning to trust in God and ignore the lies of this world.  These Students' testimonies gripped me as they talked about how they misunderstood their self worth or had a faulty perceptions of who they were.  Through their digging into scripture they were able to find encouragement and offer real examples of hope to our audiences.   Throughout the tour of 6 concerts, our students were constantly surrounded by students at the schools where we performed.  Each student had the opportunity to speak about what God's promises meant to them.     The reflection and devotion time on Friday and Saturday night were the highlight of the tour for me this year.  The way that our students challenge each other to trust in God and to ignore Satan's lies were great to hear.   The other highlight would be the complete absence of accidents this year.    That would definitely be on the praise item list.  Nate was incredible as a leader on the loading crew this year.  

 We enjoyed a great audience at Precious Blood Girls Catholic school.  Our students loved the interaction with them. 
 The sections presented an educational Demo.   Here Nate and his buddies performed a brief portion of an arrangement of "Lassus Trombone"

Second Half Summary.  

Well, after band tour, the term really flew by.  We had lot's of students over for wonderful Wednesdays with Waffles.   Our sophomore class moved towards choosing a theme to present our banquet next year.  The theme is a secret but you'll be hearing  more than you'd want to know about this event in the months to come.  For now, let's just say,  we have  a lot of work to get done.   Amanda is on the logistics committee and Steve will head up entertainment.  A highlight for the year would certainly be the privilege of baptizing two of my students.  These students have met with me regularly this year. One of them was meeting with me in a discipleship group.  The girl took private lessons and played in most of the music groups here at RVA.  It was great to see them take this step of declaring their faith publically.


And as all school years, conclude, we concluded with graduation.  However, the day before was a fun little surprise as I fulfilled a promise and took a Senior boy fly fishing at a nearby lake.    We caught a few in the small river that feeds into the lake but nothing actually in the lake.  There were 3 other guys that I got to take and one father who stayed the extra night before taking his son home.    The highlight of that day was hearing one of these guys share how he has really gotten serious in his relationship with God.    Graduation went well, at least as well as can be expected as we say good byes to our students and realize, "I may never see so many of them again".   The father who spent the night with us said "this school is like no other place"  because we had kids in our car who's parents were working in Mozambique, Rwanda, Kenya,  from Canada, U.S.A, Japan and New Zealand.   Our students truly go all over the world.   It's our prayer for them to change it for God's glory.

Upcoming Events

Now that school is out, we are catching up on correspondence,  filing papers for work, planning next term, and trying to get healthier.  The health part is going to be the hard way for Amanda and I.  Amanda has had a real hassles with the return of plantar fasciitis.  She is limping around with a boot on her foot trying to let PT do the work.  Slowly it is seeming to get better but still rather uncomfortable.   On Tuesday the 30th, I'll be having surgery on my shoulder to repair my AC joint as well as have my carpel tunnel opened up in my wrist.  Thus the need to get this note sent off since  I won't be typing for a while.    Hopefully I'll be back to taking on the world two handedly in about 2 weeks.  We'll see.  Meanwhile the floor in our house is being tiled, the kitchen will get painted and we are getting other houses ready for new and returning staff.  Please pray especially for the Nielsen family, they have been trying to return but due to support shortages, they have been delayed almost 6 months.  We really need them back on staff as well as other families.   Drop us a note. We'd love to hear from you.  With eternity in mind... Steve for the tribe. 

Well, it's tour time again for Wind Ensemble.  We are about to embark on a 3 day, 6 concert tour of schools and churches in Nairobi.   We will be able to speak freely about our theme at all 6 venues.   The theme for this year's tour is "Believing the Promises, Revealing the Lies".  We are looking at the promises that God gives us and the lies that Satan tries to tell us.  We are hoping that through our music and the students testimonies that we will encourage our audiences.    Our prayer request is that as we go, we would truly embrace the promises of God in our own hearts.   We would ask for prayers for safe travel.  The last 2 years we have had accidents in the buses.  No one has been injured but these accidents have delayed concerts and been very expensive.   We would also ask for prayer that the students will be able to focus.  We normally go on tour the weekend before mid term but this year's calendar had to be changed. This past weekend all the students went off campus for midterm. (We posted photos in the family section of our adventures)  The senior class is returning today from their "senior safari" to the beach.   They arrive tonight, have classes tomorrow, 2 rehearsals  and we leave Friday Morning for tour.    We have tried to learn 5 new pieces in 6 weeks of rehearsals so the students will need to be very focused not to mention the conductor :-)  I still have many things to master in my conducting of this music as well as devotional thoughts for concerts.    Thanks for your prayers. 

Don't Count the Days, Make the Day's Count

Hopefully you are enjoying the spring weather and anticipating a beautiful summer.  For some of you, the school year is coming to an end.  Congrats to those graduating and to those who have made it through another year of learning.   It seems like we are just getting starting on our third term however, we've already finished 4 weeks of school.    The time is flying by and as they do I'm reflecting a phrase I heard just before leaving the States.  It says  " The way you spend your days is the way you spend your life."   Well, as I think of my days that have blurred by, I wonder how am I spending my life.  It is a constant reminder to me to make the days count,.... not just to count the days.   I spend a lot of time teaching, organizing, searching for the things I lost because I still need to organize, preparing for the next class or rehearsal, learning about new technology...and the list goes on.  However, my awareness is heightened to what is most important.  I must spend my days building up individuals in their relationship with Christ and focusing on Kingdom work.  I hope you find at the end of today that you can see some ways that you've laughed, loved and learned, all because of Christ and his call to seek His kingdom first.  Please check out the prayer request section of the web site for updated requests.