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:
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