October Update

This past month has been consumed with helping secondary students, preaching in church, spending time with friends on a visiting medical team, a safari in the Masai Mara, time in Nairobi, coaching football and … house shopping. Yes, after six years of living in an apartment in an International Insect Research compound (ICIPE), I am looking for a new place. The management was forced to raise the rent again, but this time it was a 50% increase. It has surpassed a reasonable threshold in a rural place like Mbita which has forced me to begin hunting for a good rental. I am a little excited about the change, though also hesitant at the same time. My current place has 24 hour security and electricity, running water and indoor plumbing and it is also furnished (including a refrigerator). I have looked at several options and found three reasonable ones but each has its issues. The one house has no electricity and would take a major investment in solar power right off the bat. Another place has everything except a reasonable landlord. He doubled his rent when he saw my white face come through the gate, assuming I am filthy rich. The third place is great except it is so tiny and has no running water. So I still don’t know where I am moving to, but I am preparing by getting some furniture made, buying a mobile internet modem and researching alternate power sources. I don’t enjoy the process very much, but it is a good faith building experience as I learn to trust God more and know that he will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches.

For those of you who have not read my blog or the CGA website, one of our students passed away this past month. Barak Ochieng had been in the hospital battling stomach cancer for the past four months. Six chemo treatments helped to clear the cancer from his stomach, but it had already started to spread to his spine. In the seven years of life that God gave him, he impacted many others in a positive way with his infectious smile and servant’s heart. Barak will be dearly missed by his family and the entire CGA community.

Our 8th grade class at CGA is focused on their National Exams coming up on November 10-12. The teachers squeeze every free moment to provide extra help for them or assign them practice exams. Exam fever is a very real thing that affects students all across the country because of the huge amount of pressure on this one exam that will determine if they can go to secondary school and what kind of secondary school they will go to. I was pleased to resume teaching the 8th grade class this term in Bible. As their focus is directed almost entirely to the exam and themselves, we decided to study the book Purpose Driven Life. I love teaching the book and helping the kids to understand the purpose that God created them for, especially during a very stressful and difficult time in their lives. The students have responded well, particularly in the area of forgiveness. That is difficult for all of us, but in their culture it is rare. They have shown an openness and sincerity about forgiving some of their classmates, teachers and family for things that happened a long time ago. These students are at a very critical time in their lives and it is exciting to see the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.

Please pray for:

1) Pray for a good place for me to move to. Pray for a place that will be a blessing to me and that I can use to bless others.

2) Pray for our 8th graders as they sit their National Exams on November 10-12. Pray against anxiety and sickness and pray for them to be bold and confident in what they have learned and how hard they have worked while in Primary school. Also, pray for their success.

3) Pray for my old vehicle to sell quickly and for a good price

4) Pray for God’s word to continue to take root deep in our student’s lives. Pray that they would be growing to become more like Christ daily and impact the world around them for His kingdom.