YOU ARE OUR SENDERS
Assured of God’s presence and leading, we move ahead towards
our planned return in August. We are SO
grateful for the team of partners the Lord is raising up to be our senders.
No cross-cultural
worker should leave home without a strong, integrated, educated, knowledgeable,
excited-as-he/she-is, active team of people who have committed themselves to
serving as senders. (Serving as Senders, by Neal Pirolo, p.20)
We met with a group of these enthused senders a few weeks ago
in our home to update them on God’s leading, our schedule for the next few
months, and our prayer concerns. They
are our “Timothy Team” from our home church.
Their role includes moral, logistical, financial, prayer, communication
and re-entry and departure support.
Wow! They are a huge
encouragement to us!
Besides being some of our most informed and committed prayer
warriors, they have been a big help in organizing the clearing of our yard of
four-years’ worth of volunteer trees and weeds, getting our mower out of
storage and into working condition, transport to and from the airport of
luggage and mini-van, helping to set up our house and then take it down and
pack things away, sending out our prayer letters, collecting and shipping items
to us in Kenya, meeting regularly to pray, sending care packages, acting as
liaisons in communication with groups from our church... We love these
guys! And thank God for them.
There are lots of others, too –
The retired couple who was overjoyed to inform us of their
increase in Social Security pension so now they could give regularly to our
ministry
A couple in Arizona
who host a holiday event each year to raise money for cows. They have sent us
money for 4 cows this year. Many others
do similar thrusts.
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Our home church, The Chapel, who supports us in prayer and
finances. The women’s Bible study groups
from our church pray for specific needs of our Tabitha Ministry women every
week, and collect offerings to purchase Bibles for the Kenyan ladies.
Visiting medical staff and spouses who experience hospital
and village ministry with us during their visits to Kenya and then return to
the US as enthusiastic champions in prayer, raising support and serving as
consultants.
We are especially thankful for the Southwestern Medical
Clinic in Michigan. John joined this
group in 1991 and they support us in so many ways, including helping to find a
place for John to plug into American medicine during our Home Ministry Assignment
year. This year it has been as a
hospitalist, with a bit of walk-in clinic work, too. They also volunteer their time to come
alongside us in Kenya, sending groups to cover needy times at the hospital, and
coming out as individuals. Here is pictured a group from SWMC that came to help
during our last term. Two physicians
from our home town are currently at Tenwek and several others returned recently
from a stint there. Welcome back anytime, but preferably when we can be there to welcome
you!
Family members who pray so regularly and give us up for years at a time. They know how to come alongside us just when we need it (shopping, packing, painting, etc.) and are a tremendous support to us in so many ways… Family members came from several states to welcome us last August, and helped celebrate the girls’ high school graduation.
The list is endless.
And so is our thanks to our Father who goes before us and surrounds us
with His presence and with the presence of His people in such tangible ways. In His grace we press on, assured and
bolstered by the support and love of our senders.
