Seed Falling on Good Soil

 

Matthew 13:18-23 -- “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” [NIV]

The hope of every pastor, Bible teacher, evangelist, and prophet is for the people they serve to become so excited about God's Word that they would share it with others, pray for them, and help them find their identity in Jesus. How amazing it would be if each person who has put their trust in Jesus for salvation would share the Gospel with thirty, sixty, or a hundred people this year? This month? This week? Loren Cunningham, who started Youth With A Mission, inspired others with a question that went something like this: 

How long would it take for all the people alive in the world today to hear the gospel if one person shared with one other person tomorrow? Then, if both shared with just one more person the next day, and so on, each person just sharing with one more person each day until all the people in the world had heard the gospel? If you are good at working out the math exponentially, it would take less than 2 months. The point being, we can become overwhelmed if we fear we are being called to be an evangelist like Billy Graham, who shared the gospel with the entire world. We just need to share with one person a day. If the soil is well prepared with prayer and the development of a loving attitude of caring about people, it is easier for people to accept Jesus and trust him as their Savior, get excited about Jesus' forgiveness and their newfound freedom from sin, and share that good news with others. Which one person has God put in your path today to share your love of Jesus? Tomorrow? The next day? Ruth asked God as she walked to work at the UMM campus each morning, "Please send at least one person to me today to share Jesus' love for them."

In the picture at the top of this post, the man's face shines with the love of Jesus. He is attending the conference in Nairobi this week with his son George, a pastor of one of the churches Neil visits in Western Kenya. When Neil finished his evening teaching on demons and ministry for deliverance, he headed toward Cosmas' house. George pointed the way, but Neil was pretty sure Cosmas lived in the other direction. As Neil started walking, George and some of the others ran into the church in a frantic search for Neil's translator, Francis. Francis ran to catch Neil and get him turned around on a safer nighttime route. Spiritually speaking, how wonderful it would be if we all cared enough about our friends to turn them around when they head down a path toward sin! 

During lunch breaks, Neil takes naps in the back of the church bus. Lunch was split peas, cabbage, and rice. On Tuesday, Neil and Shawn, from Minnesota, taught the morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. After half an hour of worship, complete with African dancing, Neil would get winded and sit down. Neil said the really good preaching began when the Kenyan speakers arrived on Wednesday, but they continued to work Neil into the conference teaching lineup. In one of the sessions, Neil spoke about Jesus' life on earth as a man, facing the same temptations and trials we face, and yet Jesus was able to resist sin by choosing to obey his Father. He did the things he saw his Father doing. Jesus' Father commended Jesus, both at the beginning and end of Jesus' ministry.

• After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Matthew 3:17 -- And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” [NIV]

• When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain before he died on the cross. 

Matthew 17:5 -- While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” [NIV]

Amazingly, Jesus lived on earth as a human and yet resisted sin. Years ago, Ruth asked someone how Jesus could live a perfect life. The answer was that Jesus loved his Father above everything else and completely hated sin. Ruth just watched a message from Jack Hibbs on YouTube illustrating this. 

This One Sin Is Quietly Destroying the Church—Jack Hibbs Exposes It!

Today, Neil served communion and then gifted books he brought for the pastors. Neil's teaching tonight was on the gift of healing as demonstrated by Jesus in the Gospels and by the apostles in the Book of Acts. 

Here are some of Neil's friends he visits each year from the Kisii District in Western Kenya.

Nixson is a pastor. Rosemary is a pastor and the headmistress of a school where she helps all the children put their trust in Jesus. Hellen has an administrative job in the chief's office and is a pastor for the large group of HIV/AIDS patients in her city. Hellen has received training as a healthcare worker to administer first responder care for AIDS sufferers. Hellen came forward at the conference to share about the HIV/AIDS group as her watering hole, where she catches many fish for Jesus. You will notice how nicely they are dressed. One year, they presented Neil with a beautiful lavender dress shirt because they thought he could not afford a suit. Neil finds it helpful to travel in jeans and T-shirts to avoid being mugged for being mistaken for a wealthy American. He also likes to travel with just a small carry-on bag to avoid lost or stolen luggage. But he does appreciate his well-dressed friends whose love, honor, and respect for Neil have opened their villages to his teaching. After 21 years of working among them, they treat Neil like a dear family member. There are about 15 churches that Neil has visited, but the ones he has served the longest are in the Kisii District.

If Ruth could be healed of the allergies that have kept her from travelling to Kenya, there would be many tears of Joy when meeting our Kenya friends face-to-face. 

Prayer Requests:

• Continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the conference continues.
• Thirty, Sixty, and Hundredfold fruit from the teachings at the conference.
• Grace for Cosmas, Francis, and Neil as they work out administrative details for Outfitters for Adventure's continuing work among their churches.
• Good health and rest for Neil.
• Safe travel home for Neil on Sunday.

How to Help Kenya

Fishers of Men (and Women) (and Children)

 

Matthew 4:18-20 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him. [NLT]

Most of us may have memorized Jesus' invitation to Peter and Andrew as, "I will make you fishers of men." The root of the Greek word, however, means all mankind, which includes women and children. As a woman, Ruth knows Jesus must have meant men and women, because he commended Mary for sitting at his feet listening to him teach, while Martha was busy preparing food for their guests. 

The day Neil was leaving for Kenya, our morning reading was Nehemiah 8, which tells of the Jewish people who had returned to Jerusalem from exile, gathered together to hear Ezra read the law after completing the rebuilding of the wall. 

Nehemiah 8:2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. [NIV]

I had never noticed the phrase "all who were able to understand."  They included the children who could understand. After Ezra read the law, the people began to weep as they realized their sins. But the word of the Lord came that it was a day for rejoicing, not weeping. After the wall around Jerusalem had been restored, the law of the Lord was also being restored.

Nehemiah 8:10,12 — Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength... Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. [NIV]

Jesus also taught his disciples to include the little children. I wondered how many of us thought that children were to be entertained in Sunday School, and didn't consider how much children could understand. Jesus understood that children are the easiest to teach, because what they hear from the people who love and care for them is imprinted on their hearts. As the children crowded around him, Jesus' disciples thought they were bothering Jesus, but he told his disciples:

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” [NIV]

In the above picture, two new little friends from Kahloleni are walking Neil through their village. Neil has visited Kenya since 2004, watching the infants he held in his arms grow into adults who now have children. He has witnessed children running forward to ask Jesus into their hearts. It is normal for Neil to interact with children, because he was the oldest of 7 children in his family and was surrounded by many cousins. Sadly, for the most part in Kenya, adult men view child care as women's work. Neil has been modeling the importance of healthy interaction with children for Kenyan men. Although some children may later forget and wander away, Jesus never forgets the commitments children make and He helps them return to that home base they established in their hearts when they "were able to understand." 

Sunday through Tuesday, Neil has been sending several text messages. Ruth also received videos showing Neil dancing with the people and another one of Neil's teachings at the conference. The meals consisted of beans and rice. Breakfasts include chapati (like a pocket bread) and even doughnuts. Neil distributed all the books he brought to Kahloleni. He had many copies of our Navigating Life book from storage at Cosmas' house, and several resource books packed in his luggage that enrich understanding and application of Scripture, along with church leadership and pastoral skills to help equip the church pastors and leaders who attended the conference. 

Neil sends a big "Thank You" to those who have contributed to various needs in Kenya. Several homes and churches were built last year, and medical and food assistance have been provided. The books for the pastors and leaders have also come from the donated funds. Individual sponsors for 60 destitute children send support through Outfitters' ROCK (Reach Out to the Children of Kenya). Most sponsored children are in the Kisii District, but some are from Tanzania, and one is in Kahloleni. Neil and Francis completed the ROCK interview of Mary in Kahloleni before heading back to Nairobi.

Rather than drive the busy road from Mombasa to Nairobi in the dark, Neil, Francis, Martin, and Shawn waited until early Monday morning. Two women needing a ride to Nairobi accompanied them in Cosmas' van. They arrived in time for Neil to visit our friend Joe from Minneapolis, the field director in Nairobi of another missions organization headquartered in Germany. Joe and his family have stayed with us in Morris while visiting family and friends and raising support in the USA. Neil made a phone call so Ruth could visit with Joe. Joe adopted Ruth and Neil as the USA grandparents for his children born after Joe's parents died. Joe plans to be in Minnesota again next summer, and we hope to host them. That means restoring our basement apartment after it became a storage area.

Tuesday morning, Cosmas Solamba's conference for pastors and leaders began in Nairobi. This year's theme is Being Fishers of Men (and Women) (and Children). Neil taught two sessions, followed by Shawn Salut from Northern Minnesota. Neil spoke about developing fishing holes: creating a welcoming environment where fish will gather. 

Jesus' first miracle was performed after guests had been feasting and drinking for three days at the wedding in Cana. Jesus fed people, healed the sick, and set them free by casting out demons. Then, after their needs were satisfied and their hearts were open, Jesus taught them. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross. Just as in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra, it is through the joy of the Lord that hearts are opened for teaching. Jesus' followers enjoy healing, demon deliverance, and miraculous needs supply. After he demonstrates his goodness, we can trust him for salvation. The joy of the Lord strengthens us to make it through our challenges and sorrows as we participate with Jesus in re-establishing His kingdom on earth.

Prayer Requests:

• That the pastors and leaders would be full of the joy of the Lord to strengthen them for all the challenges their people face.
• Peace in Kenya. There is still unrest after the riots in all the major cities were quelled 3 weeks ago by the police firing live ammunition into the crowds of protesters, killing over 200. 
• Fellowship among the pastors would deepen at the conferences as they are encouraged, knowing they stand together doing Jesus' work as members of his body on earth.

Ways to Help Kenya

The Spirit and the Bride Say, “Come!”

 

Revelation 22:17 -- The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Outfitters for Adventure sent funds for the roof on the new church building just a month ago. Although work remains on the walls, the roof keeps the sun and rain off the people. It is always warm/hot right on the equator, so the walls are not as essential. However, there is no electricity in the building yet. The sound equipment was powered by a generator, which ran out of fuel before the teachings ended. So, they moved outdoors and continued as an outreach to the village. In the above picture, 4 people came forward to dedicate their lives to Jesus. In the image below, a view of worship time under the new church roof.

Martine (Neil calls him Marty) has a clear teaching gift and is one of the speakers with Neil at the pastors' conference near Mombasa this week. Marty reminds Neil of our friend, Rich Gau, a former pastor of City Hill Church in Eden Prairie, who has been the pastor of a church in Vancouver, British Columbia for several years. Marty is a Kenyan pastor from Kitale, an hour north of Francis Owour's city of Eldoret. At the April pastors and leaders conference in MauMau Market, Martin looked at our book, Navigating Life: A Mentoring Toolbox, and called it "Christianity 101." He asked Neil for several copies for his leadership training school in Kitale. Neil had 500 copies of the book published in Nairobi, to have them on hand at Cosmas' house for the pastors. After the first group of around 20 leadership trainees in Marty's school completed our book, a woman in his class used her copy to start a church in her village. 

Neil taught for 3 hours when the conference opened on Friday. Still on jet lag, Neil was pretty tuckered out. I stayed awake until 2:00 a.m. Minnesota time, hoping for enough news to write a new blog post, but finally fell into my own exhausted sleep. Much was happening in Neil's part of the world. He sent several text messages.

"After speaking for 3 hours today, I am at an open-air crusade. Marty is speaking. Oops, the generator just ran out of gas. I took a half-hour nap while waiting for them to get the generator started again. 

"Marty is preaching about the Samaritan woman. Both Shawn (from Northern Minnesota) and I thought he said, "American." I love you, Honey Bumpkins. I am picturing laughing together about thinking it is a sermon on the "American Woman."

"Marty speaks often about me coming to Kitale sometime. When Martin got the book, he used it to mentor leaders outside his church, most of them pastors. 

"On our way back from the crusade, we stopped by the house of a man who left the church. We talked through his offense tonight. He will be back in the church tomorrow. 

"I passed out some of Don Bartley's (Ruth's high school classmate) tracts to people on the fringe tonight. They really fit. 

"It is amazing the difference it is making for me to be here! Thank everyone for their prayer support, which is such a big part of the effectiveness. Today, when I was preaching about the covenant God made with Abraham, I just broke down and started weeping. The electric current of the Holy Spirit's anointing was just too much for me to retain my composure. I am doing the bulk of the teaching, and I need the Holy Spirit's strength to carry me through. 

"Wonderful morning (Saturday). I ministered the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was wild. About 20 people came forward and 3 gals became just sloppy drunk as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. You can't make this stuff up!

"After praying for the 20 or so people who came forward, I invited people who already spoke in tongues to come up and lay hands on them in prayer. I assumed the rest of the crowd must be filled with the Holy Spirit, but a block of 8 or so older ladies did not respond. I asked why. They didn't speak in tongues. The other pastors rounded them up and said they should go forward to ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those older ladies looked like disobedient little school children as they ducked their heads and came forward. As we prayed for them, the oldest one moved her lips, but no sound came out. I encouraged the pastor to ask her to speak out the words. She began speaking in tongues, and for a while, she could only speak in tongues when she tried to talk. 

"It is sunshiny today -- about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Their winter. We are on a hill overlooking a valley full of palm trees, with the crickets chirping. 

"The battery on the van is a bit weak this morning. Prayer needed. I pulled something in my ankle, so I am limping. We leave tomorrow after church for the 10-hour return to Nairobi. I slept pretty well last night. I am missing you, dear.

Prayer Requests:

• Conference attendees to continue to grow in the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit as they minister Jesus' good news.
• Electricity for the new church building.
• Workers will complete the walls of the new building.
• Battery restored to full operating strength in the van.
• Healing for Neil's ankle.
• Good rest tonight for Neil and those traveling.
• Safety on the highway as they return to Nairobi tomorrow.

Make the Most High Your Dwelling

 

Psalm 91:9-11

    If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"

        and you make the Most High your dwelling,

    no harm will overtake you,

        no disaster will come near your tent.

    For he will command his angels concerning you

        to guard you in all your ways; [NIV]

Thank you for your prayers, which have accomplished so much more than you can imagine. Did you notice the "if" in the passage above? Whenever a promise in the Bible begins with "if," I wonder if we have fulfilled the listed condition. Neil used to start his goodbye with, "If I don't return, be sure to ...." Neil's list for me was transferring his leadership position into my hands so I could care for things we owned if Neil died while overseas. I never wanted to consider that if. My prayers became more heartfelt for his safe return, and I began inviting my friends and family to pray with me. Thankfully, Neil no longer gives me his "if I don't return" list. 

I tend to think things through carefully, so getting back to the "if" in Psalm 91, if we make the Most High our dwelling place. Jesus knew the Most High was his Father. When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents thought they had lost him but then found him in the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus asked them, "Why were you searching for me? ... Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" [Luke 2:49 - NIV].  

When we put our trust in Jesus' sacrifice in full payment of our sins, the Most High becomes our dwelling place. But what happens if we mess up like Adam and Eve? What was the flood all about? Noah's family didn't do so well in the obedience camp, either. When the Israelites got impatient waiting for Moses to come down from meeting with God on the mountain making a golden calf to worship in place of God, God offered to destroy them and start over again with Moses. Moses didn't think that would be a good idea and refused the offer from God to make Moses' family into a mighty nation. Only Jesus was faithful in everything. So, what about our commitment to follow Jesus? Can our flesh be trusted to make the Most High our dwelling place for the rest of our lives? 

No, we can't put our trust in our own flesh. However, we can entrust our lives into Jesus' care, who is faithful in everything, to see us through. We can make the Most High our dwelling place. But Jesus did that, and he had to endure the cross. So, in this life, we are not guaranteed to be free of pain and suffering. Therefore, when Neil heads to the plane and we say our goodbyes, when he has entrusted me with all our worldly goods, I have entrusted Neil to the God who cares for His children. But do I know if Neil will return safely home to me?

No. That brings us to yesterday. Neil planned to take the train to and from Mombasa, but the train was already full. They had another day of rest on Wednesday. Neil's sleep kept getting interrupted on Wednesday night until finally Shawn's bed fell to pieces under his weight. After that much excitement, Neil was pretty well awake for the rest of the night. So, on Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m. Kenya time, Francis and Martin joined Neil and Shawn to head for the conference in Kahloleni in Cosmas' van. 

At 12:54 a.m. Minnesota time, Neil texted that they were two hours east of Nairobi. An accident between semi-trucks caused a massive traffic backup with several semi's involved. They began ditch-cruising in the van, but the eastbound traffic was at a standstill as far as they could see. After a 30-minute delay, they made it back to the highway. 3 semi-trucks had crashed, two of them on their sides. Neil wrote that there are plenty of opportunities for chickens. 

As Ruth read that message, she imagined one of the tipped-over semi-trucks must have been hauling chickens whose cages burst open on impact, and the chickens were running in every direction. But Neil's next text was, "This is where I get so good at it." 

Good at what, Ruth thought, as she imagined Neil chasing after and grabbing the chickens by their legs. Then Ruth remembered that when Neil returns from Kenya, he weaves in and out of close traffic on the highway, having become used to the Kenyan driver's tolerances. 

Next, Ruth remembered a text conversation with Neil's brother Steve on Wednesday evening regarding the culvert that drains the sweet corn being lowered in his driveway by wolves. Ruth had responded that it was amazing that the wolves could help with ditching. But that night, as she figured out Neil getting good at playing chicken wasn't with live chickens, Ruth realized Steve wasn't talking about the large furry critters, but his phone must have auto-corrected, exchanging "wolves" for the Wulf family name, who fixed the drainage problem by bringing their equipment over to lower the culvert. She laughed hard enough out loud to wake herself fully for about an hour afterwards.

So much for Neil and Ruth trying to sleep well on Wednesday night. Every time Ruth wakes up, she wonders where she is, which day it is, and is comforted with the reassurance that Neil is already downstairs checking messages on his computer with perhaps coffee made on the stove. But Neil isn't downstairs. Neil is still in Kenya. Here is where their comfort lies. They are dwelling in the house of the Most High who will take care of them until they are safely home in heaven. 

What day is today? It is Thursday. Neil and his friends are given one more day of rest as they settle in at Kahloleni. Friday and Saturday they will teach at the pastor's conference in Eastern Kenya. Sunday they will be back on the road to Nairobi -- entrusted into the Father's care.

Keeping An Eye on The Departure Gate

 

    1 Corinthians 15:50-58 -- I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the moral with immortality. When the imperishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true. "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

"Where, O death, is your victory?
     "Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. [NIV]

Giving himself entirely to the work of the Lord, now at the age of 72, continues to present enough challenges to keep Neil from ever becoming bored. It is with Bible passages like the one above and his concern for each person who might not have found Jesus to be their hope of heaven that motivates Neil to keep on trucking.

Thank you for praying for good travel connections and safety on Neil's flights to Kenya. His travels were drama-free, except for some unscheduled travel fitness exercises in Paris. More on that later.

Beth and Dave Savela, Neil's sister and husband, offered to drive Neil to the airport. Ruth was torn between joining friends at The Church in the Pines, Alexandria, or giving Neil his send-off at MSP. Neil won out. We covered lots of ground, both on the road and in conversation. Beth accompanied Neil to Kenya a few years ago and has a heart for his work there. A woman with AIDS is still living due to Beth's speedy intervention, getting her to a clinic for care.

As Dave drove us back to Morris, Neil sent texts with a play-by-play of his progress through ticketing and baggage control in the MSP terminal. The metal from his shoulder replacement set off the monitors, so he was pulled aside for further screening. Thankfully, he allowed 3 hours to make it to his gate. It is good that Dave was at the wheel. 

Ruth had taken Benadryl before their trip because the air quality index indicated that Minnesota was in the red danger zone. When Ruth arrived back in Morris, Neil called before boarding. Before Ruth could follow his plane's take-off on Flight Aware, she fell into an exhausted sleep as the Benadryl took effect.

In Paris, Neil's USA phone allowed texting, describing the progress of his trip so far. "The 8-hour Minneapolis to Paris flight was pretty full, and then there was an hour delay before take-off. The Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is clunky because they load and unload on the tarmac with a 10-minute bus ride to the terminal. Passengers enter the terminal through a security queue and a detailed search. My metal shoulder again set off the alarm. 

"I went to gate 46, but turns out my gate is 34. You won't believe this. I was at the end of a long concourse when I saw that the Nairobi flight was at the other end. I got into that queue and was notified I was at the wrong Nairobi gate. The correct one was, indeed, at the opposite far end. So off I went. That gate area was empty, but the gate was open. As it turned out, the crowd around the gate I had been at was my flight after all, and I had to rush back down the concourse, only to learn my flight was delayed 3 more hours. And get this, they sent us all back to the other end, anyway, which I had already visited and been turned away from. So, it was one more trip down that long concourse. It reminds me of the true story of the garbage truck in Northern Minnesota that took the police on a high-speed chase back and forth down streets in a residential neighborhood as residents would hear the truck coming, bring out their garbage to set on the curb, only to see the garbage truck speed by with police cars in tow. Then, as the truck came down their street again, the scene was repeated. 

"Well, since our flight is delayed 3 hours, another flight has been scheduled at this gate, so all the seats are already taken. There are lots of confused passengers milling around on the concourse. My heart began racing, and then it began to throb, so I slowed down. No more running for this boy!

"We were given an 11 Euro food voucher during dinner hour. But when I tried to use it, my boarding pass wasn't accepted, because it hadn't been activated yet at the gate -- which usually happens just as we board the plane. So, one more trip back to the, hopefully final, gate before takeoff. After all that, the salmon sandwich with chips was what my UFFDA hunt friend, Fred Hensel, would call "Delisshious!"

Neil began using his Kenyan phone after the second 8-hour flight from Paris to Nairobi. In April, Kenyan customs was going to charge Neil more for the books we brought as gifts than the books cost in the USA. They recommended bringing documentation to prove the items were not for sale in Kenya. We prepared Neil this time with an official invoice showing that the books and other items were gifts to Cosmas' Riverside Ministries churches from our non-profit mission organization, Outfitters for Adventure. Neil said they didn't even check his bags as he went through customs this time. 

Cosmas was at the airport to greet Neil in Nairobi and take him home to spend the night. Although it was 1:30 a.m. Nairobi time (5:30 p.m. Minnesota time), when Neil arrived at Cosmas' house, supper had been prepared for him. During the 25 hours since Neil got up at 6:30 Sunday morning until he went to bed at Cosmas' house, Neil had slept only 1 hour. He slept undisturbed from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It is good that Tuesday is the day of rest for Neil to try to overcome a bit of jet lag before riding the train with Francis Owour on Wednesday for 7 hours to the Mombasa area.

I know it is Neil's deepest desire that when your final day is here, you are waiting at the correct gate at heaven's door with Jesus' name on it. Jesus already paid your ticket on the cross, Your part is trusting what Jesus has done and walking the path He lays out for you.

John 10:7-10 -- Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief only comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. [NIV]

Prayers for the 2025 August Kenya Trip

 

Neil is leaving Sunday, August 3, 2025, for 2 weeks in Kenya, where he will teach at 2 pastors' conferences: one near Mombasa and the other in Nairobi. Please pray:

1. Safe travel with good connections. Neil and Francis (Neil's interpreter & pastoral leader) need train tickets from Nairobi to the Mombasa area and ground transportation when they arrive. 

2. Health and rest. Neil has had a skin rash since January that keeps him awake at night. The best allergy clinic in the Upper Midwest could not detect allergies, and its tests for deeper trouble did not turn up the cause. God knows the root cause. Please pray for Neil's healing so that he can get the rest he needs.

3. Invite the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to fill pastors' hearts with His presence, give their minds clarity to focus on the teachings, a fresh determination to obey His Word, trust in the Lord's provision, and the joy of the Lord to strengthen them.

4. For peace in Kenya. Riots broke out in Kenya's major cities just two weeks ago. Over 200 people were killed when police used live ammunition to disperse the mobs. Although the rioting ceased, the unrest is still festering. Please pray for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to visit Kenya with His peace that passes all understanding as Jesus draws people to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Ways to Help Kenya through Outfitters for Adventure

Joy Comes in the Morning

 

Psalm 30:5b Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. [NLT]

Several of you have sent greetings, saying it must be wonderful to have Neil home again. Yes, that will be wonderful, and yes, he was scheduled to be home tonight. Thankfully, Neil has been staying with our delightful friends in Nairobi, whom we have known for many years. They have been busy this week with training workshops. However, knowing Neil would join them, they assigned some of their other staff to take over some of the training. They also have a friend who has needed medical care for very painful ruptured discs in his back that put pressure on a nerve, making it difficult to walk. But amid their busy lives, Karin brought Neil and their daughter Sophia to a museum and a snake park. Sophia and Neil are pictured above as they make friends with the boa constrictor. Sophia is much braver than I was at that age!

Yesterday morning, Neil gathered his belongings to head to the airport. However, he discovered that he needed to change his flight schedule. At first, it seemed he might need to check with the US Embassy, but the first available appointment was in June. I remember my grandmother saying that house guests and fish begin to give off a foul odor after a week. That was her way of saying, "Be careful never to overstay your welcome." So, we prayed, knowing God orders our days. It's good to remember passages like this one:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
     do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
     and he will show you which path to take.  [NLT]

In answer to prayer, Neil boarded a plane this morning and is now landing in Paris. His next flight from Paris will land in Minneapolis Saturday at 1:10 p.m. Neil's sister Beth and her husband Dave will be there to give him a ride to Morris. 

Thank you again for all of your prayers. Whenever Neil travels, he feels like he is traveling with you. He can feel the difference your prayers make. We did not send out a general prayer request about his travel schedule change because this happened late and into our night -- which was daytime in Kenya. 

Prayer items

• Praise God that Neil is on his way home
• For Medley's friend to be healed of the ruptured discs in his back
• For Neil to overcome jet lag so he can hit the ground running with a busy schedule
• For Ruth to understand Neil's notes as she updates the stories of the ROCK children for their sponsors
• Special prayer for those who received teaching and ministry that their faith will be strengthened as they continue to share the Good News in Kenya

Love,

Ruth

Helping Kenya

Transplants

 

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

2 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

    and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3 

    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

    instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

    instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

    instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

    a planting of the Lord

    for the display of his splendor.

While Neil is gone, my two little neighbor girls, who have adopted us as grandparents, often stop by to see if I am okay. They like to see me, but also hope to be entertained. Last week, I needed to transplant the garden seedlings Neil started right before he left for Kenya. After showing the girls to be very careful not to pinch or squash the tiny plants or their roots, they helped me fill pots with dirt and safely tuck them into holes they poked into the dirt in the pots with their fingers. Although they were extremely careful not to injure the little plants, there was dirt all over their clothes, the dining room table, and the floor by the time we were done. A week later, I sent photographic evidence of the fruit of our labors to Neil in Kenya.

This morning, I was thinking about how many of us have been transplanted by the Lord. Each move or life change can be either exciting or traumatic. Neil stayed with our friends, Joe and Karin Medley, and their daughters, Esther and Sophia, this week in Nairobi. They served as regional directors for Covenant Players, a worldwide theatrical missionary organization based in California. When Esther was born, they were directors in Europe and living in Germany. Then they were moved to Australia, where they were directors for Australasia. When Karin's mother's health was failing, they moved back to Germany, where Karin could help her father care for her mother. Now Joe's covenant of 35 years has been completed, and they are directors of a mission organization out of Germany, training evangelistic teams in Africa with their home base in Nairobi. As seasoned missionaries, Joe and Karin have been able to make those moves trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide their steps and provide for their needs.

The transition for their girls has been more traumatic, however. After making dear friends in one location, they have felt uprooted. Neil and I have been encouraging the girls that just as the Lord helped them find friends in their current location, He is already preparing their next location to receive them. The girls have been able to adjust, but it hasn't been easy. Many of us have also come through difficult life alterations. As I was transitioning through a divorce in 1979, one of my staff gave me a little standup cartoon poster that said, "Jesus, there is nothing happening today that you and I can't handle." I displayed that truth in my office until I retired. An elderly Norwegian relative used to say, "That is a surely t'ing." Margaret Jensen wrote a book entitled, "A Nail in a Sure Place." We all need those nails that held Jesus on the cross in our place. Jesus keeps us securely, gently tucking us into the sure places wherever we are transplanted. 

Neil is scheduled to depart from Nairobi at midnight tonight, Kenya time (4:00 p.m. our time), to land in Amsterdam in the morning and in Minneapolis tomorrow at noon.

Please pray:

• Neil will have all his documents to board and arrive in Minneapolis on schedule. 
• Healing of the skin rash that Neil is still suffering from.
• For the church leaders to help the people into their churches to be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord!
• Ruth will soon transfer Neil's interview notes to the reports the ROCK sponsors will receive.

Love,

Ruth

Helping Kenya

  

An Ever Present Help in Trouble

 

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging.

The highway pictured above is the Escarpment Road in the Great Rift Valley northwest of Nairobi, one of the world's most dangerous stretches of highway. The grade is steep. It is the main highway clogged with semi-trucks transporting goods from Kenya's seaport of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean to the interior of Eastern Africa. Over the years, the guard rails have been destroyed by trucks careening over the embankment into the Great Rift Valley. 

Now, imagine being unable to see the lane dividers in the dark in a driving rain, blinded by the headlights of the oncoming stream of trucks. Neil was amid that scene when he sent an urgent prayer text to Ruth at 8:20 p.m. Kenya time (12:20 p.m. Minnesota time, just as Ruth's family was settling down for their Easter luncheon). Neil does not give in to panic, but he pushed the prayer button, knowing God is always on the line -- along with some trusted friends and the prayer warriors at The Church In the Pines (TCITP), Alexandria. Neil and the other passengers in Cosmas' van were in grave danger. We'll pick this story up later.

Neil's day started at 5:00 a.m., gathering his belongings, having breakfast, and heading with Jim and Francis in the van to preach at Kakamaga. They set off at 6:00 a.m., in a steady rain. They arrived without mishap at the church around 8:00 a.m. Kenya time. The Holy Spirit anointed the worship and preaching. Neil has been telling Ruth there is a blessing on his work in Kenya this year, after our church in Alexandria sent him out. Ruth marveled that the Holy Spirit gave Jay and Neil the same passage on Jesus appearing to the disciples on the Road to Emmaus for their Easter sermons. God also revealed to each of them his love for humor. After Neil's sermon in Kenya, three responded to the altar call for salvation, but two had already been born again and were encouraged to be seated. The one new believer was joined up front by fifteen who eagerly desired to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in tongues. 

Then the Holy Spirit nudged Neil to call two women to come forward. The Holy Spirit showed Neil that the first woman had longed for something. As Neil prophesied over her, she burst into tears of joy, knowing God understood what was in her heart. Although Neil was not given any specifics, the woman knew exactly what God was referring to. She was not asked to divulge any details to protect her from being pressured by her church leaders or others. God will bring his word to pass in the proper time and in God's way when the woman is ready to receive whatever she has been longing for. The second woman was filled with joy with the Holy Spirit's encouragement she received through Neil.

After lunch, Neil texted Ruth, "Morning, deer." [Ruth has tried for 45 years to teach Neil, an avid bow-hunter, never to call her deer.] "Jesus is Risen." Ruth thought, "Yes, dear, Jesus is alive, and is the Lord and giver of life."

Cosmas stayed behind this morning to minister at the church where the conference was held. Then Cosmas brought James and Wycliffe to join Neil, Jim, and Francis on the Kisumu-Eldoret road. Francis planned to continue driving the van, but Francis was totally exhausted. Remembering the close call last year when Francis fell asleep at the wheel, Neil insisted that Cosmas take over as van driver. Cosmas is an experienced driver who funds his ministry by teaching auto mechanics at a junior college in Nairobi. Francis was dropped off at his home in Eldoret at 6:12 p.m. Kenya time (10:00 a.m. Minnesota time). Neil thought they had 5 hours left to reach Cosmas' house in Nairobi, estimating arrival at 11:12 p.m. Kenya time.

In Minnesota this morning, God prepared Ruth with dreams shared by two friends at TCITP. Neil appeared in Holly W's dream, sleeping soundly, peacefully, as Ruth was busy in the background. Ruth told Holly that Neil slept well last night, but Ruth had a fitful night, rising at 4:15 a.m. Later, Deb H, finding Ruth at the front of the church, took Ruth by the arms, looked intently into Ruth's eyes, and said she woke during the night with a picture of Neil flashing across her line of vision and the sense that he was in danger. Deb immediately went into intensive prayer for Neil until that urgency lifted. Ruth reassured Deb that everything had been going so well and that Ruth didn't think there was anything to worry about. Then a little nagging question began to creep into the back of Ruth's mind, "But, what if something is about to?" Ruth shrugged it off and focused on the people at hand. 

Picking up the urgent prayer request from Neil where we left off, Ruth received Neil's text at 8:18 p.m. Kenya time (12:18 p.m. Minnesota time). Ruth was amazed that she was so calm as she fired off texted prayer requests with all the urgency summoned from Deb's dream. However, Holly's dream of Neil at peace put Ruth at rest, realizing God knew all about this ahead of time, and God's got this! 

At 10:44 p.m. Kenya time (2:44 p.m. Minnesota time), Neil texted that they had just dropped James off in Naivasha. The truck traffic was slightly less, but the rain was still pouring, making it almost impossible to see lanes. Traffic had slowed to 30 miles per hour because of poor road conditions. However, Cosmas handled the van well, holding it steady on the road with his excellent driving skills, finally, at 2:00 a.m. Kenya time (6:00 p.m., Minnesota time), three hours later than anticipated, they dropped Wycliffe off at his home in Nairobi. Neil called Ruth at 2:30 a.m. Kenya time to let her know they arrived safely at Comas' house in Nairobi.

Jim will have Monday and Tuesday with Cosmas, boarding his return flight to Minnesota around midnight Kenya time on Tuesday night. Neil is staying with Jim in Cosmas' house tonight and will join our friends, Joe and Karin Medley, tomorrow. Jim has been an excellent team member. Neil will miss his company on the flight home.

Prayer requests:

• Thank and praise God this Easter Sunday for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, making forgiveness for our sins available for all who trust Him
• Thank God for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, empowering Jesus' followers to carry on Jesus' work on earth until he returns
• Thank God for safe travel
• Rest for Cosmas, who led the conference; Francis, who made arrangements and translated for English speakers; the worship leaders and their teams; and Neil, Jim, and the other teachers and translators
• Neil and Jim must transition back into their Minnesota time schedules and responsibilities
• Ruth must transfer all the precious notes from the interviews with caregivers and 57 children in the Kisii District to their sponsor's notifications

Love,

Ruth

Helping Kenya