A short update

Hello All!

Things are very busy here right now, but I wanted to take the time to give you a quick update.  As to be expected in situations like this, plans change.  I went on a mobile clinic visit last Wednesday to Ndalat.  It was a good visit, but I am not going on the other two clinics because there is a team of about 15 people from the states visiting this week, and they are going on the clinics.  Akuna Matata.  (That's Swahili by the way.) 

Kari and I are working on the closet again.  I think we may be able to finish it this week with the help of some of the team that is here.  Its very exciting that the space will be usable and that we have been able to bring some things out of storage for use around the hospital.

VBS is going very well.  We did it Thursday and Friday of last week and will continue Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  Please continue to pray that we will be able to minister to the children and encourage the ministry of those who are with them full time. 

And finally, a WONDERFUL praise!  The little boy Gideon that I asked you to pray for is doing much better.  God brought the miracle that we prayed for!  I almost cried last Tuesday when I was walking through the hospital and saw one of the doctors holding his hands as he walked to ultrasound.  His grandmother has been working with him a lot, and I think with continued prayers and encouragement, he may go on to lead a relatively normal life!  Please continue to pray for him and praise God for his work in this situation. 

Well, sorry to be choppy, but I must get back to work.  Thank you all for your love and prayers as I finish my last week here.  I leave Kapsowar and start my journey home on Monday morning. 

Luv ya!

Hello again friends and family!

So, I have 22 days left in Kenya. The time is growing short, but I have been so thankful for this opportunity to be a part of what God is doing here. I thought I would take this opportunity to let you all know what the remainder of my time looks like. For a few days this week I will be attending a short term retreat near Nairobi. It will be a great opportunity to fellowship with brothers and sisters who are serving in different capacities in Kenya and to hear how the Lord is working around the country.

When I get back, I'll have two weeks left in Kapsowar. I will be going on three mobile clinics with the hospital and conducting VBS at the children's home near the church I have been attending. There are 23 children ranging in age from 7 to 15 at the home now. (There are some children in secondary school, but they board at school, so they are away.) Kylee (the wife of a Canadian Dr who will be in Kapsowar for 6 months; she is also a sixth grade teacher), Alice (a high school student staying with the Rhodes), and I are planning the VBS. Its very different from any VBS or children's class that I have done before because we don't have any material. We are just working with what we have available. I think it will work out well though. I will be doing a Bible study with the older children while Kylee does story time with the younger ones. We will be doing songs, crafts, and games together. Please pray that the Lord will bless the four days we will be spending with the children and that they will be drawn closer to him.

Things for now are going well. I have enjoyed working and playing with the children in the hospital. There is a particular boy that I would like you to pray for. Gideon is about five years old and has been neglected by his parents. His grandmother brought him to the hospital with several severe problems that turned out to be a thymine deficiency. Now that he is on supplements, he is stable, but he has apparently been in the bed for over a year. His muscles are very weak, and it is painful for him to move. We have been teaching his grandmother how to do physical therapy with him, but he has a long way to go. I want to bring him back to America with me, so that he can get the care he needs to make a true recovery. It is so easy for me, as an American with a naturalist background, to want to do what I think is neccessary to solve the problem. But, God is reminding me that he is in control. Medicine really has nothing left to offer this boy; he needs a miracle. Pray that God would work in miraculous ways to strengthen his frail body and, more importantly, that he and his grandmother would find spiritual healing in a relationship with our Lord.

Well, I must go for now. I pray that as you and I go about our daily activities, we would keep an attitude of worship and do everything in service to our Lord! May he bless the works of your hands! With love from your sister.

Sorry It's Been So Long

Hello Friends and Family!!!  I know that it has been way to long since I've posted, but we now have some internet access at the hospital, so it should get better.  I really don't know where to start.  There is so much I want to tell you, but I know that it is better to spread it out over a few entries rather than overwhelm you with a huge post.  I guess some things will have to wait. 

Kapsowar became an outbranching of Bryan College this past week.  I don't think I've mentioned that Kari Wright is here.  [For those of you not from Bryan and for underclassmen, Kari graduated a couple of years ago.  She was a history major as well as a pre-med.  She is now a surgical scrub nurse, so she came here through Samaritain's Purse.]  It has been great to fellowship with her and get to know her better.  Matt Benson came for his onsite visit Thursday through Sunday.  I think he was an encouragement to everyone here.  [Not just because he brought chocolate chips and pepperonis for the longterm missionaries - THANKS MELODY!]  Matt and I met with Dr. Steve Lee, one of the hospital administrators, and it seems like a longterm relationship may develop between Kapsowar and Bryan.

In other news , I visited the Rift Valley yesterday.  It was a bumpy 3 hour ride, but it was very good.  The hospital has a dispensary there on the boarder of the Marakwet and East Pokot districts.  Because the area is much more destitute, the dispensary is a charity of the hospital and cannot be self sustained.  Please pray for the Lord's provision in this area. 

The Pokots are a largly unreached people group with a history of extreme violence stemming from their desparate situation.  Just four years ago, the Marakwet area in the valley was attacked by Pokot cattle raders who killed over 40 people and destroyed many homes.  The Marakwets moved up the mountain a little to have a better watch for future raids, and the homes remain desertted.  AIM actually pulled out of the area for safety reasons, so there is a largely deserted mission station there.  The AIC church has remained.  And, since the violence has stopped for the last few years, the dispensary was reopened.  Praise God for the dramatic changes over the past few years.  We were able to cross over into the East Pokot district and visit a market without fear because he has brought peace.  Pray that he continues to work in amazing ways to keep the peace and that he will use the dispensary to open doors for the gospel to reach the Pokots.  It was amazing and stretching to catch a glimpse of the front lines of the gospel!  I hope and pray that each of us will yearn for the day when every people group has followers of Jesus Christ and when his name will be glorified in every tongue!

Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers!!!  You are truly parners in the work that is going on as you call on the holy spirit on behalf of these people and my service among them.  I love and miss you!  May the Lord bless and keep you!

~Natalie

Greetings from Brothers and Sisters in Africa!

Greetings are very important in this culture.  It truly means something when I share with the people here and the family I am staying with that their American brothers and sisters in Christ are praying for them.  So, here are some things you can pray for:

* The Church here.  Satan is attacking because of the growth of the gospel.  There is a man who claims to be a prophet and speaks out against the organized church.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would conquer and that people would not be drawn away.  Also pray about the battle between Islam and Christianity here.  There is a mosque being built in Kapsowar, and they are offering to pay school fees for those who attend.  In an area where money is so short and education is so important this becomes a big temptation.

* The Hospital.  Pray that it would be a beacon of light in this place and that the Christians would share the love of Christ as they minister to people in their time of need.  Also pray that they would be able to offer eternal hope to those who are suffering from AIDS.  Pray that the Lord would provide in amazing ways all of the material needs that the hospital has, and that He would give the administration wisdom with the things He has provided.

* The Children's home.  Pray that the Lord would bless these children and draw them to himself.  Also pray that the money would continue to be provided for the orphans to have school fees.

* The unreached.  The hospital does mobile clinics in the several areas once a month.  These clinics go to some of the least reached peoples in the area.  Pray that they would share the love of the ultimate Healer as they share medicines.

* The Yano's.  This is the family that I am staying with.  Pray for Phillip, the dad, he is the community health nurse at the hospital.  He offers hope to those suffering from AIDS on a daily basis and is in the process of trying to start support groups for them.  His number one goal is to show them the love of Christ!  Benadista, the mom, has a mercy ministry of her own.  She reaches out to people in the area and offers help in whatever way she can.  Pray for their children as they are pursuing education and working in different parts of Kenya.

* The Nation.  Pray that the Lord would move in mighty ways in this place and that the Holy Spirit would overcome corruption.

Thank you SO much for your prayers and encouragement!  I pray that the Lord may bless each and everyone of you!  With Love and Prayers!!! 

Psalms 9:18 "For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever."

Hello Friends and Family!

I realized when my dad told me to look out for lions that I have not described Kapsowar very well.  It is in the mountains at about 7,000 feet (not meters , units make all of the difference) above sea level.  It is amazingly beautiful!!!  It gets cool at night, but the high everyday is about 80 F.  It is very green and the birds sing most of the time.  Between the house that I am staying in and the hospital, there is a beautiful river.  There are no lions here, mostly just cows, goats and a few sheep, and of course the birds.  There is a forest within walking distance that suposedly has monkeys in it, but I have been twice and not seen any.

As for life here, things are going very well.  I am working on my Swahili as well as the tribal language Kulunjan.  Swahili is a lot easier though, so I am concentrating on it.  At the hospital, I am learning a lot.  I am not much help medically, but I have been able to get to know some of the patients and that has been good.  Medicine here is very different though.  We are limited a lot by resources, not only the patients, but the hospitals as well.  Things that are very minor in America can be life threatening here.  Peace in the midst of the discrepancies can only be found in our Lord.  A friend reminded me this week to remember that God sees these people, loves them, and knows their pain.  Hope exists for them because of the love of Christ!  May we all rest in that!  The love of Christ brings hope no matter our situation!  I guess that is all for now.  I hope you are all having a blessed week!

With Love, Natalie