March 18th, 2007: Lord I Need a Revelation

First of all I need to apologize for not updating for the last 6 months. There is no real excuse except that life gets busy and transitioning back to the real world from the ship has made time fly. I have also struggled with the existing IT leadership and that has been a big distraction hindering the work I know God has for me.

I continue to struggle with the IT department. A week ago I offered to resign from IT. The CIO declined my resignation and has asked me to give him a little longer to change people's attitudes. I told him that I think he over estimates the power of his British charm, but I would be willing to wait several months before I make my decision.

I am in need of your prayers!

Most of my life I have jumped out of bed every morning ready to take on the world. Lately I find myself dependent on the alarm clock to wake me. I know this is based on my frustrations. But I miss waking to the calling the Lord has laid on me; I don't want to wake to an alarm. Excuse the pun but the thought is ...well....ALARMING. I need to feel that hunger again, I want to thrive in His will not simply survive. Zana looked at me one day and said, "I don't like this mark, I want the man back that would attack every day as if it was his last chance to get the world for God." I agreed, I miss that man too. A wife can be such a great blessing! She simply confirmed in my heart what I already knew.

So now I pray and ask for your prayers as well.

My prayer is that if it is God's will that I stay here that He fill me once again with burning desire to not simply survive here but thrive. However, if it is His will for me Zana and I to bless another ministry that he gives us the wisdom to know the path He has for us. Unfortunately we have many options in front of us to serve the poor in Africa and Asia, we must find out what God would have us do and not simply what is the easiest or coolest opportunity.

March 17th, 2007: End of the Spear

We finally got to watch the movie "End of the Spear", which came out while we were in country. The girls were fascinated by the story and its message that like Christ we are to give our lives for the poorest people not simply have it taken. The fact that the movie portrayed Jim Elliott as a little bit of a goof ball making monkey noises in a kitchen scene, made them think that Jim and I were a lot closer than name alone. There have been many times I have goofed with them by acting as an ape. I told them I only hope that I can have the strength of faith that those men and more importantly their wives had.

March 3rd, 2007: Destination Imagination

We traveled to Dallas for Jessie to compete in a Destination Imagination competition. Its a competition where kids have to find solutions by thinking out of the box. Their challenge this year was drama emphasizing difference in cultures. Zana was the coach. They were able to place 5th out of 18 teams. Not bad for their very first time. I'm so proud of both of them! Cailin even got a medal for being their mascot.

Christmas, 2006

Christmas in Texas, OK so there is no snow only rain; much like West Africa. Except......THERE IS WALMART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The girls had wanted electric scooters that they saw in movies on the ship, so we got them some mini electric motorcycles for their Christmas present. We decided to get a palm tree for a Christmas tree, well just because were strange.

December 9th, 2006: Pri-Med in San Antonio

We drove to San Antonio for Zana to attend a medical Pri-Med conference. Zana needs to attend several of these to catch up on her CEU's since we were away for 2 years. The kids and I got to do the tourist thing, we visited the Alamo and the Ripley's Museum. We even did our best Nacho Libra impersonation. We got to meet up with our friends from Budha TX, Scott, Karen and Reese Martin.

November 17th, 2006: Eric Williams Wedding & the Ranfts

We flew to Maryland this Weekend to visit Ted Stephanie Ranft. Ted is a former Inktomi Co-Worker who supports our efforts with the orphanages in Africa. We were also able to attend Eric Williams' wedding in Virginia. Eric was a good friend onboard the Anastasis and it was really exciting to see him start this new chapter in his life. We were also able to hook up with 2 dozen friends from the ship who also made their way to the wedding. We finished the weekend by meeting with our supporting church in Waldorf, Maryland. Ann from the Kenyan orphanage was there and I was able to present my findings from the trip we took. The church was extremely generous and raised over $4,000 for the kids. I am hoping that we will be able to get Living waters to finish their well project.

September 17th,2006: Kenyan Orphanage

I have traveled to Kenya to do some assessment work with the New Hope orphanage in the uplands, ouutside of Nairobi. It has been an amazing time the orphanage sits at 8,000ft on a series of rolling hills and valleys. This is one of the richest agricultural areas in Africa and they grow everything here including plums, bananas, corn, kale, cabbage, red beans, potatoes and carrots. The orphanage is amazing the girls wake at 5 am to do their chores of cleaning the orphanage and cooking breakfast. They have 4 cows and 10 goats for milk and chickens for eggs. They have 2 donkeys to haul water up the steep hills to reach the orphanage. They presently have to buy water from down below. Living waters had drilled a bore hole but it requires a electric pump to draw the water up the 300ft. They charged them $15,000 to drill the well 2 years ago but ever gave them a pump. I will definitely see if we can leverage some sort of solution, this is insane they are buying drinking water to make concrete and clean the floors. The children are amazing!!!!!!!!!! 90 girls acting as the best behaved children you have ever seen. They start the morning at 5 am and do their chores till they get dressed at 6:15. Then they line the halls and sing praise songs in English and the native tongue for 15 minute and conclude with 5 minutes of prayer. They do this in the evening as well before lights out. You have to understand the temperature stays between 50 and 60 degrees and the weather is always damp with mist, these girls are running around in flip flops and open shoes for the most part, wearing multiple items of clothes, the little girls wearing pants under their skirts. They always wanted to hold my hand, and theirs were always like ice. They never complained!!!! They have a joy of the Lord in them that is unimaginable they are so thankful that God has brought them to this home where they have 90 sisters and 15 brothers to call their family. Most of these girls have become orphans because of AIDS, though praise God none are infected. They have had to take in boys this last year because there is no where else for them to go, they have built a boys quarters next to the stable and chicken area. Several of the boys have severe retardation or epilepsy that their families have abandoned them. They have also taken in babies that have been severely malnourished and left for dead. There is a 3 year old there right now who weighs 12 pounds and looks like a 6 month old infant. They showed me pictures of him when they got him 3 months ago his boney legs had been curled under and could not be straightened. It looked like there was nothing but skin and bone. You could see his whole pelvis through his bum. He has now fattened up a little an looks like a thin 6 month old. The woman who runs this place is Mama Ann, she would give Mother Teresa a run for her money. She not only clothes and feeds these kids but she takes care of all the deserted old woman who live on the margins in cardboard or tin shacks near railroad tracks. She feeds them and gives them blankets and clothes. These grandma's come to the orphanage twice a week and pray on their knees for hours as they thank God that this place is taking care of the children where they can't. To hear these women crying to God in thanks is an experience that shook me, they were thanking God that these children might know the love of God and family. That they would go to bed tonight with a full belly and knowing that these girls had a chance for a future beyond what they have know. This orphanage stresses school, they have financed 4 of their oldest students to go to University in Uganda and 20 are attending boarding schools to attend the British version of high school. All of this and the clothing and feeding of 100 children and another 30 old ladies and orphans who refuse to leave the bush and the medical bills to help bring their new arrivals back to health or to try and treat the epilepsy and other neurological disorders these children have. They do this on less than $24,000 a year that they raise through donations. I have never seen so much done with so little. Truly I am witnessing the hand of God in action. What started as a retired couple having dozens of orphans camped on their floors has become a work of God. I want to be a part of this!!!!! No Christian could walk away from this and not be changed. To hear children helping each other do their home work while others are scrubbing floors, tending the fields or livestock, boiling water for food or tea all the while singing or humming praise songs and truly thanking God that He brought them here. At night a generator is run for 3 hours to allow their homework to be done and after as the lights are out you could hear spontaneous laughter like some giant pajama party and then a small voice would break into praise and the rest would follow. It is easy to feel that your own praise pales in comparison. If they can do this while living in conditions similar to the early 1900's, how loud and often should my songs of praise be heard.