Mumbai, India!!!!

THANK YOU for your prayers. We are here, we are safe, we are enjoying this time!

We remarked today at lunch how grateful we are to be part of a global family and that out of all the people in the world, God chose us to serve in this way. Incredible.

Many of the participants are here and the rest arrive this afternoon/evening, so there's a lot going on here! We will have just over 90 people attending, including local guests and the worship team. It will be a good sized meeting and one full of great joy, I am sure! We wait in expectancy for what God wants to do!

We begin the meeting with a brief gathering tonight for prayer, worship, and a bit of an explanation of ear plugs so people don't eat them like they did in Africa :) and a brief introduction. Tomorrow is when the meeting begins and we are looking forward to it!

Solo just realized today that his visa expires on the 27th and he's not due to leave until the 31st, so please join us in praying for favor as he visits the embassy here... Also pray against fear or discouragement. He and a pastor friend are at the embassy right now.

We are all a bit sleepy and tired, but not bad. We've been busy, but it's good.

Thank you again for all the ways you helped us get here. Your love, prayers, support, and help have been instrumental in things going well. By the way, things are going Very Well! There have been a few glitches, but we all keep remarking how organized and ready we feel. That's good! This team of people is incredible to work with and such a true blessing. It's fun to see their servant leadership come out in this scenario.

Anyway, we love you, we thank you, and we thank God for you!

Jenny

Few Pics from Ethiopia

Hey Everyone! Nate Here. Jenny sent a few pictures of the group at the Ethiopia training. She left Addis on the 17th (Thursday) and is now in Mumbai, India. Things are going great and she is excited about how God is moving among the participants and in her own life. The Training meetings start on Tuesday the 22nd. Blessings to You!

Whole Group minus some secure ones.

And one of her....Just because I can.
They take personal shots of all of the participants at the meetings.
This is Ethiopia.

Update from Ethiopia

Since many of you are so far away, and so many may never make it here, I
will try to paint a picture for you of what it’s like to be here. I know
my simple words can’t do it justice, but I will sure try. Thank you for
your love, support, and prayers... I couldn’t do this without you and I
know I carry each one of you in my heart as I go!

Addis Ababa, Eth-opia thus far has been a country unlike any I’ve been to,
in more ways than I could have imagined. For some reason in my brain
(this is silly, really) I thought that Ethiopia would be more like Kenya.
But it is so different in so many ways. This is a country of many
religions, of much poverty, of beauty that makes your heart ache. There
are people who are poor and needy and I’m sure, though I haven’t seen
them, people with much. They are a warm and friendly people, not as much
so as in Kenya, but in their own lovely way. A way that welcomes you with
a look, with a smile, a quiet way about them. But that is where the quiet
stops. Throughout the day and into the night, all night really, there are
noises unlike I’ve heard before. It even rivals India in it’s amount of
noise. Throughout the night, you can hear the sounds of dogs barking,
music – as loud as possible, trucks driving, roosters crowing (long before
the sun comes up), Coptic Orthodox church PA systems that are so loud, it
sounds like someone is blowing a fog horn in your ear, calls to pray by
our cousins, and banging (not sure what it’s from, but it’s loud). It’s
amazing how loud it can be 24 hours a day. You would think it would quiet
down at night, but it doesn’t.

Our hotel is frequented by UN workers and is very close to a m-sq-e and an
orthodox temple. It’s an interesting place to people watch. The varied
religious activity here makes it difficult. There’s such a big spiritual
battle going on here, it breaks your heart. I have been praying so often
for the people here, for freedom! There have been days I just put my MP3
player in to hear worship songs so I don’t become too overwhelmed with the
oppression here.

The weather here is beautiful. Blue skies, warm weather, cool breezes.
It’s nice, but does get a bit hot in the afternoons, though it’s not
humid. At night it can get downright chilly! The altitude here is 7000
feet, so it makes you feel a bit light-headed at times and a bit
breathless when hiking or walking up stairs.

The people here are varied, thus far I have seen many from Eth., Som-li-,
Sudan, and even China. The Chinese are working on the road crews. They
are attempting to make the roads nicer to drive on and let me tell you,
they need it! The roads here are so intense, sometimes you think you will
vibrate your teeth right out of your head. They would rival some of our
very best off-road courses in America. And since the roads are so dusty
because, well, they are almost all dirt roads (at least the ones I have
been on), everything is dirty. As I type this, I notice a film of dust
all over my laptop. It’s gritty. It gets in your teeth and all over your
body. Maybe I’ll turn permanently brown  from this trip.
We were able to visit a church here in Ethiopia, where many of the members
were forced underground during the years of persecution. It’s incredible
to hear the stories and to see what God has done. It’s interesting and
challenging. Galen preached an incredible sermon, one that challenged me:
how will you prepare a place in your hearts to receive God? 1. God will
come to those who are humble, 2. God will come to those with a contrite
heart, 3. God will come to those who tremble at His word, who revere and
esteem Him highly. It was Christmas Eve here in Ethiopia, so that was
special. Oh, I got to celebrate Christmas twice this year, thanks to
their different calendar.

(Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony)

The food here is interesting. There’s only so much injera a person should
consume and I think my limit was reached before I came. I have only eaten
it twice since arriving. Ah, the food. I think I got a pretty bad case
of food poisoning on my second day here, which left me very sick and very
weak for a few days. Today, Thursday, is the first day I have had energy
and joy for a few days and it’s so nice. I am so grateful for God's
healing touch and for all who prayed and joined me in hoping for recovery
during my illness. Thank you for your encouragement, it pulled me through
some frustrating times. I can tell you this, it’s never fun being sick like that, but
it’s even worse in a foreign country. Thankfully, I have a group of
amazing coworkers who picked up where I couldn’t and blessed me with
releasing me to get well. The first night I was sick, I was awake almost
all night, and for some of it I was just crying out to God, asking Him to
heal me and wondering how I was so sick, wondering why He would call me
here to let me get so sick (how’s that for a faith test?)... But, today,
the first day of the meetings, I am well! I have joy, lots of spunk, and
my smile is back and now for my favorite part of my job: the people!!!!

Most of the participants are here, except a few who couldn’t get visas,
couldn’t get in, or just didn’t come. There are people here from all over
Africa, some from North America, a few from Asia, and it’s beautiful. The
color of their skin, the sound of their voices, the way they move, it’s
all really special. God’s creativity is amazing. I have gotten to see so
many old friends, and finally meet people who have been names on paper and
prayers in my heart for all these months. It’s great. Greatest job in
the world!

This trip has been my hardest so far, no question about it, but it is
good. God has already used so many of these leaders to encourage my soul,
to lift me up, to bring joy. Just to see their beautiful smiles, painted
on the canvas that God gave to them is such an incredible gift. I love
them. I would die for them. I know they would do the same for me. It’s
hard to believe I only have six more days with them. Sad, really... Oh,
funny story, some of the leaders thought I was either very old, very big,
very much a man, or a mix of the above. It's fun to see their shock when
I'm young, a woman, and not big. ha.

Oh, for those of you who know of him, I am sitting next to Benson, the
Desert Boy, he arrived with others from Kenya this morning. So cool. I
keep thinking about his challenge to me last year, that if God is with me
I have nothing to fear. Amen!

After some meetings, dealing with lots and lots of logistics and welcoming
most participants, we heard that some brothers from Sudan were detained
for not having visas, so I jumped in a car with Tariku and one other guy
and we went to the airport to encourage and see what we could do. It was
really hard to get back through immigration and tough to sit and talk to
them. We are hopeful they will get in tomorrow morning, though it seems
unlikely. We are praying for favor and having faith. If not, they will
be deported back to Sudan.

We have just finished dinner, and I am finally “home” to the hotel and
it’s only 8:30 at night. Wonderful. I hope to get lots of sleep tonight
 I plan to plow headfirst into my pillow – it’s amazing how tired
you can get in one day at these meetings. Your brain being on overdrive
all day is hard work!

Thanks again for all you have been to me to get me to this point – for
your love, prayers, and support. Thanks, too, for those of you who helped
me get ready for this trip in so many ways. From the shirts I wear, to
the packets I hand out, it was a team effort all the way! I have also
been reading some of the wonderful cards you sent along with me - thanks!

Oh, yeah. Internet here is difficult, so you may not hear much from me...

And one more thing! On the way back from the airport (on some very nice
roads, by the way-I finally found them!), I saw a sign on a restaurant, it
had a Denver Bronco head (not kidding you) and was called Denver Café. I,
of course, squealed in delight and the driver turned around so I could get
a picture. Ah, my favorite team is even famous in Eth-opia!

Love to you all!

Jenny

-Hey everyone! I am posting this blog on behalf of Jenny. She doesn't have very good access where she is. Here is a picture of us at the airport just before she left. It hasn't been easy but God's grace is enough. Thank you for your prayers. I am so blessed. -Nate