There and Back Again... A Tale or Two from Peru :)

                                                             Pisac Valley 
Hola Friends!
I wanted to take a minute to update you on my trip to Peru.
Last week I had the privilege of traveling down with the WGM member care team. We were able to lead a retreat for the missionaries that are serving in Cusco, Peru. I am thankful for your prayers for our time there. Thankfully I never got sick from the high altitude even though we were up 11,000ft! That was a big answer to prayer as sometimes that seems to really effect me.
                      Member Health Team bookends (Left: Ned and Marlene McGrady, Right: me, Mike Banks) And then the Strongs are the couple in the middle left with Jesus and Kristen Vega and their kiddos; Josh, Lucas, John, Alexis, Diego, filling in on the right with another WGM MK Josh Zimmerman) 
There are 2 WGM family units serving in Cusco. They do a lot of what some would call "side-by-side" ministry with the local Peruvian church. To name a few; they do a lot of mentoring, hospitality, church leadership, and soccer ministry. This was the first time their field has been able to have a retreat and they were so excited to have this refreshing time in God’s word and for some much-needed physical rest. They were also really excited to worship the Lord through song in English. They are not used to being able to worship in their heart language each Sunday.  The adults focused on Sabbath while the kids focused on God as our Anchor. The one family who has 5 kiddos are facing transition up ahead and so as I was praying about what to teach them,  a verse in Hebrews kept coming to my mind. So we studied Hebrews 6:19  

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner
place behind the curtain”

I wanted to remind the kids about how our hope in Jesus is secure; that He is faithful to His promises and His word. He swore by his oath because there is no higher authority than Himself. These will always be constant. Even amidst the changes and unsteady circumstances that they may face, they can always trust Jesus. We talked about how do you trust someone? It comes from when we KNOW them and how we do that is being in God’s word and learning more about Him and His promises which will never fail. It is so important for them to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him of their own, not something they can BORROW from their parents' faith. The other focus we had was that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Again, I wanted the kids to have their eyes turned back to Jesus as they face yet more changes in their lives. We talked a lot about doing transition well and how they can start processing about it. Thanks for your continual prayers for the Vega family. They have an 18 year old girl named, Alexis, who will start at Bethel University in the fall. She is really struggling with the move ahead and is just now learning she needs to start preparing for this transition herself instead of fighting it. Please keep her in your prayers! The Strongs are the other couple there and are nearing retirement. Doughty is a fellow “Kenyan” and we enjoyed talking about his time at RVA as a boy and him growing up there.

This trip was so exciting to be apart of as it really gives roots to what we do in Member Care. It’s good to take care of people from afar, but it isn’t the same as getting to be on their own turf and seeing their lives and ministries in action. I am so thankful again for how the Lord has provided this job for me and I appreciate your continual support in walking through these different ministry trips and times on the field with me.

One of the funny parts of this trip was trying to remember to speak Spanish! Between my twin living in Japan and me living in Kenya, I am always trying to learn new words in Japanese and Swahili. Well you can imagine which languages came to my brain first when responding to the Peruvians.. haha, I am sure they thought I was a crazy American.

I loved being in the Andes Mountains. WOW are they beautiful. Such an amazing display of God’s creation. The retreat was held at a hotel in what is called “The Sacred Valley”. The Pisac village is full of Inca ruins and is home to a lot of mystic practices. Everywhere you looked, there were terraced ruins from the Incas’ farming practices. We could see that lots of foreigners come to Pisac to visit the shrines that are there. There are witch doctors and shamans there in the valley and it is a very spiritually dark, yet beautiful place. They definitely need Jesus in the Pisac Valley! 
We got to stop at a Llama and Alpaca rescue center as well as another animal rescue center where we learned more about Peru’s Quechua history and their beautiful wool textiles. It was so neat to watch the ladies weaving their beautiful designs that are kept only in their heads and passed down generation to generation.

These little girls walk up to you in the village square and say "Picture?" while holding up these baby animals..I was puddy in their hands. :) 

One of the days we also HAD to take a chocolate tour where we learned all about their cacao harvest and the production of CHOCOLATE. 😊 Cacao beans are one of their main exports. They don’t do a lot of the production there as it takes costly machines to make the chocolate. They leave that to the Swiss and Belgians as we all know. 😊 Thankfully, since they do produce some there, we got to test lots of fine, Peruvian chocolate. 

Just for fun.. a Hairless Peruvian Dog.. No one seems to agree with me that they are so ugly they are cute.
 

Again, I just want to thank you for sharing in this journey with me and I pray that you are well and are encouraged to hear how you can keep praying for the Strongs and the Vegas in Peru. Please keep praying for more workers for the harvest.    
² And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. -Luke 10:2
Serving with you from COLD Indiana, (seriously, can it be spring yet??? Not used to this non-equatorial living) 😉
 
Amy
 
 

October Greetings

Wow! Well here we are and it is October 4^th and I bet you are wondering where in the world I am?? :) Literally right?! que the music... "Where in the World is Amy Jar-r-ett" sung to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego...dah dah dah. 
 
Well as I write, I am sitting in a Starbucks enjoying the flavors of the season (Maple Pecan Latte) and trying to think how to summarize the last few months for you. 

Special being with my twin, Laura and her family. Little Tomomichi with us :) 

 I am so thankful for how the Lord provided the time and ability to make this trip around the world to see supporters and family. Being with Laura and her family in Japan was such an encouragement to me and I think it is safe to say that it was a huge blessing and encouragement to them as well. :) (Since she said that, I can say it hehe). Please join me in praying for the Lord’s provision of a home for them on their new land. The Lord’s timing and obvious blessing on their land purchase was soo cool to see. Their land is almost back-to-back with the Churches’ retreat home where they meet for Sunday service each week. The land has no house on it so they now are waiting and trusting to see what God will do as they seek different options for their new land while hoping to be able to live on the land itself eventually.  Another prayer request is that the Lord might raise up co-laborers for their church plant and their ministry of tent-making (or in this case, vinyl house making ;) ) living that the Lord has called them to in Rankoshi. Sorry for that bad joke, I just can’t resist sometimes! You can blame my dad as I have been accused more and more of having a dry sense of humor.

 
When I returned to the States on August 28^th, I started babysitting for my brother, Jon’s, family. It was really fun to get to spend extra time with Gabe, Asher, and Ansley as well as their exchange student, Andrea, and our niece, Christina! It kinda seemed like I never left the dorm. :) I was really thankful to get to see Jon and Sharon on my last day and then had to start driving north.
 

Beach time with the South Carolina Family. 

I was so happy to see one of my dorm girls at the University of Tenn in Knoxville on my drive up. You can tell I have been out of the States when I wasn’t thinking about college football affecting my drive on a Saturday! Thankfully I was able to time it right and still get the chance to visit for a while. I would ask that you continue to pray for my girls’ transitions to the States. Pray that they would stay close to the Lord and seek Him first as they navigate so many new experiences. Also pray that they would stay strong in the Lord and find good friends that would build them up and challenge them to grow now that they are on their own and out from the “protection” of their family and RVA. I have since been able to see 3 of my other girls in Michigan. Last week I went up there to pick up some of my luggage that a friend had brought back to the States for me so I didn’t have to lug it around the world. :) It is so surreal to see them and have all these shared experiences in Kenya and then know little of what their world is like now. We had to squeeze a lot of conversation into a little time, but hoping it will work out to go see them down the road. :) 
 

Seeing my girls in Michigan!!! :) 

So how am I doing? I get that question a lot and honestly I think I am doing fine. Sometimes I don't really know what to feel as it kinda seems like I am back for a visit, but then I realize I don't have the sense of urgency to fit everything in like when I have been home for a few weeks at Christmas.    I think many of you know that I got a puppy when I moved back to Indiana. Of course I had told myself I wasn’t going to, but when you see his face you will know why I couldn’t resist him. :) I think he has been good for me and is forcing me to put down roots in a way. The other emotions of transition might be waiting under the surface and I don’t know what more to do except keep looking to the Lord and trusting Him. He has truly given me a great peace about being home. I am enjoying the time with my family. I am enjoying being back in my church family and I am looking for ways to rest and also grow. I was really thankful to go through a mini transition conference with my future Mission. It was such an encouraging couple days being with other missionaries transitioning back to the States whether for good or for a year. The focus on Rest and Sabbath was also such a good reminder as that is what I am experiencing now.

Beorn Jarrett :) My Newfoundland puppy 

 
Would you pray with me that the Lord would help me to live each day intentionally, looking towards Him in everything I do?  Pray that I would see those who are hurting around me and that I would be able to also reconnect and build up community with those around me. It is hard to “start over”. It can feel isolating and the temptation is to feel sorry for myself that I don't have any friends instead of reaching out. Pray that I would have consistent time in God’s Word and that the lack of a schedule wouldn’t be a temptation to miss that time with Him.
I will be in Indiana for most of October and then head west for time with Pat’s family, my best friend’s wedding, and a MK Caregiver training conference all in Colorado for most of November. I am so excited to be in the States for fall!!! It is definitely my favorite season. (Though with temps in the 80s the last week I am not so sure we are in the fall yet. :P ) 
 
I have had a few people ask, so just to clarify that I am still able to receive support through AIM until January. So if you are a monthly supporter, the last monthly gift would be in December! This time is such a blessing to me and I am thankful for your generosity and care in allowing me the opportunity to take my home assignment time. My new job with World Gospel Mission will start in January 2019. 
 
As always, I would love to be praying for you. Please let me know how I can pray!
Serving with you, (Now in Indiana!!!)
Amy Jarrett 

Update from Japan this time :)

Konnichiwa from Rankoshi, Japan! :) I am currently at my twin’s house with her family for the next 20 days. I wanted to write you and let you know how the term finished and to thank you for your prayers.

My girls finished strong and we had lots of great lasts as a dorm and in Kenya. I am thankful to report that all my girls who needed visas to study in the US were given their student visas and will be able to start University in the fall.

 Senior girls of 2018 and Aunt Amy :) 

I will have 1 in Germany, 2 in the UK, and 1 in New Zealand. The rest will be in the States (spread out). My brain is already turning with ideas of how I can make it to see each of them this fall before I start my new job. :) I don’t think I can actually see all of them, but I will definitely try to see many of them. I think it is so cool that I will be starting my new season in life at the same time as them in the States. I have told them over and over that they all have a home with me any time they want to come visit good ol’ Indiana :).

Graduation was a very special day. I am thankful for all your prayers and for the Lord’s grace as we made it through 2 years together as a dorm. There were lots of ups and downs, but I know the Lord was faithful and taught us so many things in the good and the hard times. There were many tearful goodbyes with both my girls and many of my friends that have been like a family to me in so many ways. I am thankful for the time the Lord had for me at RVA and was so blessed to be a part of the ministry happening there. I can’t wait to see which of the students that have come through RVA will return to the mission field or how they will serve the Lord. Please continue to pray for our seniors who are now going through a huge transition to a new culture and a new normal. It is a difficult change on many levels and I am praying that through this time, the Lord would draw them to Himself and they would seek Him always. As I write this, many new staff have arrived at RVA and are starting New staff orientation. Please continue to pray for the ministry of RVA as they continue to seek how to grow as a community and putting in place new procedures and policies to hopefully help with the increasing need for child safety and internet/media safety that became such an apparent need last school year.

After the term finished, I started on a 6-week journey back to the States. :) (Taking the long road home I guess) I was able to see my sister, Beth, in Cambridge, England for a few days. It was so nice to see her home of the last 5? years and meet a lot of her great friends! I also got to cheer her on for her rowing races (called Bumps) for 3 of the nights. That was fun to finally see as I have seen pictures or videos of her doing that, but never seen her rowing (or any real races in rowing for that matter). We had a great time together and got to also check out some really great places nearby.

Bethye and me in a Lavender Field 

I then headed to Switzerland to see my good friends and supporters, the Malgos, who were from Castleview and Indiana but have moved back to their home in Switzerland. It was so wonderful to be with them and they so generously showed me many of the beautiful places there. I was thankful for the encouraging conversations with them and it was so sweet that they we able to relate to me in many ways after living in the States for 7 years and then returning back “home” but not really feeling as if they “fit” anymore. I know the Lord will be with me and I am thankful that He has already put many people in my life that can encourage me and I hope that He will use me in the same way for others.

Amy, Josia, and Mirjam 

Following the time with the Malgos I was able to go see my friends Tina and Enrico Hengst in Dresden, Germany. I met Tina and Enrico in Kenya when they were serving at Tenwek Hospital for 6 months last year. It was so fun to be with them in their home and see their beautiful city. I also was encouraged by our time together and thankful for a chance to see where they live.
 

Tina and Enrico 

Now I am in Japan to see my family here. I love when I get to be with my twin and her family. It is hard that we are so far apart so I am thankful I can spend a month here. Please be praying for them as they parent 5 busy kiddos and God’s wisdom as they seek to purchase land for their farm. Their church family comes once a month to have a worship service with them. This is a great encouragement to them as they are very isolated from Christian fellowship in their town that is 2+ hours from Sapporo where their church comes from. They are hoping to reach the people of Rankoshi where there is no church currently. (the nearest evangelical church is 40 minutes away) Recently a friend, who goes to school with Yoshiki (1^st grade) attended Bible camp with Yoshiki in Sapporo for 3 days. We are so excited that he decided he wanted to accept Jesus! Please pray for Hiroto to grow in his relationship with Jesus and that his mom and grandparents would be accepting of that relationship and also be interested in Jesus.

Eimi (said like Amy :) )  2, Keishi 5, Hitomi 3-almost 4, and Yoshiki 6 loved their necklaces from Kenya :) 

So! I can finally tell you all about the new job that the Lord has provided! Back in April at the World Gospel Mission (WGM) field retreat, where I help most years with their children’s program, the Member Care directors approached me about a job. They had heard that I was finishing my time at RVA and both thought that maybe I would be just the person they were looking for to add to their Member care team. As they talked about their vision for another team member, I was so excited. Remember how I asked you to pray for a job that was either in Ministry or would allow me to have enough time to take part in a ministry?? Well everything they talked about sounded like it had been almost tailor made for me. They asked me to pray about it and I agreed I would. I excitingly messaged my family about it and they also thought it sounded perfect! I started praying about it then and long story short responded and said I was very interested. I applied for the position and interviewed with the director and another person at WGM… They have offered me the position and I have accepted. I will help with elementary age TCKS (third culture kids), reaching out to our single missionaries, administration needs in the office (remember my other job at RVA has been to work in the office as the principal’s assistant) and several other focuses. WGM has been really understanding about my need to transition and have time for re-entry and reconnecting in the States. I will start in January, 2019! WGM’s headquarters are in Marion, Indiana which will allow me to live close to my family that is still there. I will probably live halfway between Indianapolis and Marion. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am blown away how God has provided this job. I am so thankful that I can still be involved with Missions, Kenya and be close to home at the same time. (WGM has missionaries serving at Tenwek and Kijabe among other places all over the world) What a great God we serve.

I get back to the States (South Carolina first) August 28^th. I am looking forward to catching up with many of you this fall! Besides traveling to see family and my girls, I will also do some training for my new job and hopefully a course in Biblical counseling that College Park offers online.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support over the years. I am extremely blessed and encouraged over and over by many of you. Because of the Lord’s provision through you, I am able to take time to transition back to the States and I am grateful.
Please let me know how I can be praying for you!!! It would be my joy to do so.

Serving with you,
Amy
 

6 Weeks down, 6 Weeks to Go!!

Hey Friends,
 
Don’t worry, I am still alive! Haha, I know you haven’t heard from me in awhile and I am so sorry about the gap in communication. To say the beginning of term was busy would be an understatement. And now here we are and it is June 4^th and we just had our Midterm break. This means we only have 6 more weeks of school and 7 more weeks till I move away from my home of the last 6.5 years!!! You can imagine the emotions that are swirling for my girls and me.

Leading worship with some of my girls one Sunday 

 
This term I started back with 20 girls in the dorm. One of my girls who had lived with a family on lower station for the last 2 terms moved back into the dorm. I have been so thankful for the growth I have seen in her life and the ways she is working to be back and apart of dorm life again. The other big thing that was happening for the first month of term was Volleyball season. I coached JV volleyball again and really enjoyed it though it always adds a big time commitment to my schedule.

Family Night... Dad and Rachel were here the 1st weekend of term after their time at Tenwek.

JV Volleyball team 

May 9^th brought an extremely special visitor to Kenya. J My nephew, Tyler Jarrett, came to stay with me for a month. I can’t believe it is already time for him to go back to South Carolina on Wednesday night. It has been so wonderful to have him here. He did a physical therapy internship with a friend of mine down at Kijabe hospital and has plugged in rather seamlessly to life in a dorm full of high school girls and life at RVA. I’ll have to forward you on his perspective once he writes his update. J It has been so encouraging for me to have family here and getting to have him be apart of my life here and get to know my girls.
 

Tyler and Me 

I am feeling the crunch of precious time. I feel like there is so much to say and do with these girls. I am trying to make the most of time, be intentional, and trust the Lord for the rest. Please pray for me and for my girls. Pray for good conversations and meaningful times spent together. Pray that the girls would continue to seek the Lord; that they would make their faith their own and b

e preparing for life outside of RVA.
 

Tyler led devos one Tuesday night. Spoke about making your faith your own and how to continue in your relationship with the Lord...plugging into fellowship of the Local church, plugging into a mentor relationship, plugging into God's Word, and plugging into a local youth(christian) group while at College. It was so good! 

Ty and I got away for a weekend to enjoy a Safari!! 

I have a big answer to prayer! I can’t share details yet, but it is very possible the Lord has provided a job for me in a type of ministry starting in January 2019. This opportunity came out of no-where in April and I have been praying and pursuing it since then. I am really excited to share once I am allowed to about it and have you share in my excitement of how this job could be a perfect fit for the gifts and desires the Lord has put in my heart and it is in Indiana and close to home! I will let you know! Please keep praying for patience as I wait to hear from the people and trusting the Lord if this goes through or even if it doesn’t.
 
This term I have been doing a Bible-study with friends called “Abide” from 1,2, and 3^rd John. It has been a really sweet reminder of God’s grace to us in giving us assurance of our Salvation.
 
Please continue to pray for my girls. I have several who are really struggling this term. There are so many things they have been working through but I know that one overarching theme is this looming transition they are facing. Thank you for praying for us. Pray also for families of the girls. Some will take a home-assignment to help their senior adjust while others will have to send them on their own. If you have ever sent a child to college, I think you can imagine the heart-ache they are facing!

3 of my girls were part of the very first girl's rugby team at Blackrock Tournament in Nairobi. 

 
I have had several people ask, so just want to let you know that as we approach July and the end of my time here in Kenya, if you are supporting me financially through AIM, you can continue to support me through December 2018 if you feel led. Because I have been on the field for 2.5yrs, AIM will allow me a 6-month home assignment to reconnect with supporters, family, and friends. It will be important to rest and readjust to culture and prepare for what the Lord has next. I will do a lot of traveling this summer to see friends and family and then be back Stateside by late August. Over the fall months I hope to travel around the US and see some of my RVA kids starting college as well as reconnect with many of you! If this job goes through that I mentioned earlier, I will need to look at housing and things like that this fall as well. I would appreciate prayers for me as I face this transition. I am so excited to be moving back to the States and will be so thankful to be near a lot of my family. I am excited for my girls and this next season of life they are facing. I know all these things, but thinking about saying the “see you laters” to my girls, my friends here, my home and the beauty of Kenya etc… that is the hard part!! It is starting to hit me pretty hard and I would appreciate prayers for leaving well and everything that entails.
 
Thank you for praying and please let me know how I can be praying for you.
Serving with you,
 Amy
 

Happy Easter!!

After the Easter Sunrise service at Tenwek 

Happy Easter Dear Ones! He is Risen!!
We have home videos from when I was little that I can never get out of my head and think of every Easter. Laura and I (my twin) had the HIGHEST pitched voices you could imagine. (sorry family, thanks for loving us anyway haha) we would yell, “JESUS IS ALIVE!!!” over and over while looking for eggs during our hunts with my dad capturing every minute at my mom’s request. :) He had one of those big video cameras that you held up on your shoulder and weighed about 10 pounds. :)  While this is a funny memory to think of, it also makes me smile and say to myself, “Jesus is ALIVE”. That is a true and wonderful statement to reflect on.  Jesus arose from the grave and conquered sin and death.

² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” –Matt 28:2-7

So as we reflect on this resurrection Sunday, I am reminded that I serve a living Savior. By his death on the cross for my sins (and yours), and then His burial and resurrection we are granted the greatest hope of all. Our sins have been atoned for and by His finished work on the cross we are saved. It didn’t stop there though; Christ was raised from the dead and is sitting at the right hand of God! Praise Him!
 

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” -1 Cor 15: 55-58

 
We have VICTORY through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Because of Him, I am able to have that victory personally, as are you!  I’m still not sure exactly how Easter eggs entered the picture, but if it points us to remembering that JESUS IS ALIVE and that reminds me of the victory I have in Him then I am all for it. :)
 

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KUW dorm Senior year Banquet We love our KUW Sweatshirts :) 

2^nd term here at RVA ended with several challenging things happening in my dorm.  As seniors we had banquet, re-entry seminar –or transition seminar, choir tour, and preparations for Interim trips. With AP exams approaching and end of term creeping up, my girls were stressed to the max. I've learned a lot about other stressors that face our teenagers these days growing up in a digital world with information galore at their fingertips. It isn’t all-bad, but there are definite problems that arise from all of this. I talked with one girl who said, “Aunt Amy, it is hard for adults to understand the comparison and insecurity that we face on things like Instagram or Snapchat.” It is easy to be quick to think, “honey, comparison is everywhere and its always been that way” however, the more I work with this generation it becomes clearer to me that there is something I can’t truly comprehend because it doesn’t hit me the way it does them. There are similarities of course but in the age of social media, I am not where they are. They constantly have things in their face and can be tempted to be consumed by it. The answer for all of us doesn’t change. We need Christ’s love in our hearts to see that we are made in His image and that we are only complete by Him. To know and believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and be fully present and content in God’s sovereignty, trusting that He has us where we are and the time of life we are in at every moment for a reason. My prayer is that I would be faithful to remind my girls constantly of this truth. I myself wrestle in different ways of staying fully present and not looking back sinfully to the past or worrying about the future.

A couple of weeks ago I was really struggling with fear for my family. I knew I was not trusting the Lord and knew truth, but asked some friends to pray for me because I was having trouble fighting it. In God’s loving faithfulness, He showed me my sin and reminded me of His truth. I was reading a book called, “None Like Him” by Jen Wilkin. This book is about God’s attributes in which we cannot be like Him (and why that is a good thing). This particular chapter was about God being Eternal. She talked about how we often want to be eternal in the way we look at our circumstances and want God to make things beautiful in OUR TIME. How the problem lies not with His timing but with our perception of it. She talks about our need to live in the present fully. How it isn’t wrong to look back at the past, but when our desire to cling to the past with sinful nostalgia, or when we idolize what once was, or resenting losses etc. overrides our trusting in Him and His timing of our days we are not living in His time.  It isn’t wrong to grieve or miss those we have lost, but it is wrong to covet how it used to be.
Then at the same time, how am I looking at the future?? Am I looking forward with sinful anxiety and anticipation that causes me to not be fully present in the now? Again, it isn’t wrong to look forward to the future, but how am I looking? Is it looking for an escape, am I dreading the future and the fear of the unknown? Matt 6:34 reminds us to not be anxious for tomorrow because today has enough trouble of its own.  Do you see where I am going with this? All I could do was repent of my fear at this clear message from Him. Our God is a personal and loving God. He didn’t leave me in my worry and anxiety, but gently showed me His truth and gave me the peace that only comes from Him. I know this is getting long, but I was so encouraged by this that I pray it might encourage some of you who may be wrestling with something similar. I definitely shared this whole chapter with my girls and was so encouraged by the wonderful discussion we had about it. I shared how I had been struggling but that the Lord is faithful and is not leaving us to our own resources and strength. Praise God.
 
Also, I wanted to say again that I am constantly aware and thankful for your prayers for my girls and me. I had 2 girls at the end of this term that went through some personal difficulties. They both ended up on compassionate leave -1 for the last week and a half of term, and 1 for a few days-. I was so thankful for the Lord’s protection of both of these girls and how He is working in their hearts to get help and how He provided a way for both of their parents to get here and be with them at their lowest points. The Lord gave me a deep calm about both of them and I know it was His strength helping me to know what to do and what to say. At this point, I was extremely exhausted from lack of sleep after several days of illness for some of my girls and myself. Physically I was busy, tired, and spent but I had just been studying about God’s strength and I know He was giving me a chance to share in His strength and sufficiency. Thank you for praying!

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On the way to Jinja, Uganda.. We passed over the equator :) 

My week-long Interim trip to Uganda was a blast! It was hard to get up the energy to be excited about the time, but I knew once we got on the road, I would enjoy it. We drove 12 hours each way to Jinja, Uganda. We had the opportunity to experience many different ministries where we looked at each place through the eyes of “When Helping Hurts” which is what we were studying for our trip. The idea being, when helping, there is a good and better way to help. The main thing we wanted to see was; were these orphanages, churches, seminary, and other cultural scenarios focusing on, “Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development?” It was so neat to hear our kids process and look through this lens as we had the privilege of being exposed to many different ministries.  Each evening we ate with a local pastor or missionary so we could ask questions and learn from these faithful servants. 

On one of the Islands on Lake Victoria, we worked along side high schoolers from the school there (in the solid colorful shirts) to do a service project of cleaning up the biggest village on that island. It was so neat to do this with the kids there. 
 

I love this quote from the book, When Helping Hurts,

“ The goal is to see people restored to being what God created them to be: people who understand that they are created in the image of God with the gifts, abilities, and capacity to make decisions and to effect change in the world around them: and people who steward their lives, communities, resources, and relationships in order to bring glory to God. These things tend to happen in highly relational, process-focused ministries more than impersonal, product-focused ministries.”
Of course we had some fun being on Lake Victoria, rafting the River Nile, eating lots of good food, as well as just spending time together as a group. We had 6 kids and they were a blast!! My co-leader, John, and I would just sit in the front of the van laughing at the kids joking around and teasing each other.
 

feeling confident after the first rapid 

then the terrifying experience of flipping on the 2nd rapid. 

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I just spent the first week of our Term break at Tenwek with my Dad and Rachel where I enjoyed getting to visit with many visiting doctors from all over the States and catching up on lots of rest! Dad and Rach will be there till the end of April so dad can cover the OB department while long-termers are on their yearly retreat. Next week I will head to the beach to help with the Children’s program during that same retreat. I will stay an additional 4 nights for some vacation time with some friends so I am really looking forward to that time.
 

Term 3 starts April 21^st. Please pray for my girls to have special times with their families as this is most-likely there last time at their home as many will go straight to the States,  Europe, or the UK, right after Graduation for college.

 

Thanks for sticking with me if you made it to the end. :)  My nephew, Tyler, is coming in May for a month. You can imagine I am ecstatic!  He will work down at the hospital with a friend of mine in the Physical Therapy department, as that is what he is studying at Clemson University now. I will also coach JV Volleyball again so will start the term off busy as usual. :)
Please keep praying for the transitions for my girls and me. I know the Lord has a plan and am excited to see what He has for each of us.
I would love to hear from you! I pray for you all often and thank God for you.
Serving with you, Amy 

Term Two in Fast Forward Mode

Wow… So it feels like I have taken a deep breath and suddenly it is almost February. Term 2 is “shorter” in length at 11.5 weeks compared to the 13 and 12 weeks of Term 1 and 3 respectively. That being said, while short, it is jam packed with activities and seems like not many days to rest.
Wanted to share a few prayer requests and praises as well as an update on some changes ahead.
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Please pray for my twin, Laura, who is going to be induced tomorrow. This will be her 5th child! She is praying for a private room so she can rest and have Keisuke stay with her as last time she was in a quad. So thankful for this new little nephew to come. :) 
 
 Thank you for praying for my time at home. It was very restful and filled with lots of family time. It was wonderful to see many of you as well! I was so thankful to have time with the fam and most of us got to be together for Christmas which was really special. We missed my twin and her family and our niece Christina who live in Japan and Australia. It was as hard as ever to say goodbye but I definitely felt a strong pull to return to Kenya to be back with my girls and finish well. We have a little over 5 months left of their senior year and my last term here. I hope I am not surprising anyone with that news as I haven’t purposely withheld that, but my goal was to talk with as many people as I could in-person about this decision. The Lord has given me peace about finishing up my time here at RVA. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that the Lord will show me in His timing and I am thankful for His faithfulness and I know that wherever I am, he will be with me and I have no need to worry. While there were many reasons that led me to praying about my time at RVA, I think one of the main ones was the need to be close by to family. After losing my brother last year, it has been a very difficult year for me emotionally and I think that it would be wise to have time to heal and be close. (Of course, my family seems to be spread out over quite a few continents anyway, but at least I would be close to some of them. :) )
I would appreciate your prayers for all my girls and I as we work through transitions. We all are having to think of the important “lasts” and being intentional to end well. I know my girls would appreciate prayers for the daunting tasks of choosing universities and for the Lord’s provision as they apply for as many scholarships as possible.
 

The girls and I love our new Dorm Sweatshirts :) 
Family night at the beginning of the term. 

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My prayer for the future once I am back in the States is that the Lord would provide a job in some type of local ministry or that I would be able to get a job that allows me to also have time to invest in ministry. Thanks for joining me in praying for this.
Since I will have been on the field for a 2.5 year term I will be allowed to take a home assignment until December 2018. If my supporters are willing and able, I am allowed to receive support through December with AIM. When I get back in September to the States, my goal will be to reconnect, rest, and hopefully have a chance to share more about my term. During that time I will also start looking for jobs. I am so thankful the Lord has already provided a home with my sister, Susie and her family who have graciously offered me a place to stay. I know I am so blessed to have a family that would all quickly share their homes with me in an instant and I don’t take that for granted, as that is often one of the biggest stressors for missionaries going on home assignment or leaving the field. A praise connected to that is that the Lord has continued to supply my financial needs through many of you. Last year it didn’t seem humanly possible that I would be able to finish on the field through July even, but Praise the Lord I am fully supported through July now. I am blown away by the generosity of my supporters and so thankful for that provision.
 
Please continue to pray for peace in Kenya as ongoing conflict continues from the elections. Our superintendent just sent us an email and said, “The opposition candidate is still planning to be inaugurated as ‘the peoples president’ on the 30th of January.  He is also calling for a massive demonstration on that day. Should the event go forward, it is likely to generate considerable tension and the potential for violent clashes between police and opposition supporters is high.” We have been told to not travel into town that day as well as the days following.
 
Please pray for a few of my dorm girls who are really struggling through some personal issues.
 
Please pray for boldness and courage for me to not shy away from difficult conversations with the girls. The Lord has laid it on my heart to share more with the girls about some patterns I have seen in their speech that is very culturally “correct” but is not in any way biblical. My hope is that I can help them see that just because culture says “truth” is one way does not mean it is right. Ultimately I pray that their hearts would desire God’s truth and learn to be discerning of what is culture and what is true even if it means you might be spoken against. I am studying “Gideon, Your Weakness, God’s Strength” with my Bible study group and was thankful for the reminder that the Lord has placed me here for a reason and He will equip me to do His will. I love this quote, “As mothers to our children, as employees in the workplace, as part of His body in our local church, or as influences in our communities, God has deliberately positioned each of us to be His representative, beckoning our ailing culture to Him-one person at a time. Yes, our calling will look different from Moses’ and Gideon’s. But no matter what God’s plan looks like in our lives, His hand is on us to wage war against the enemy within our spheres of influence.” Like the judges of the Old Testament, we are called to, “1. Unify the people of God. 2. Fight against the oppression of the enemy. 3. Operate by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. “  I loved that reminder of God’s empowering us in our weakness. My fear of confrontation and someone arguing with me in a group has kept me from speaking up. I have confessed that fear and am thankful for this wonderful reminder. Thank you for praying for me to follow through and study God’s word as I prepare to talk to the girls about this issue.
 

Caring Community- Random groups by grades get together 3x a term. I host with my friends, the Kinzers this year and we have a great group of 7th grade girls. :) We joined another group and did country line dancing. We all had a blast! 

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Looking ahead briefly: Junior/Senior Banquet is Feb 16^th! My girls are so excited to sit back and enjoy BQ this year instead of doing all the work like the Junior class is doing now (and they did last year). :) 
Interim trips in March- I am co-leading a group to Uganda where we will focus on learning about “When Helping Hurts”. I can give you more details later, but for sure I am looking forward to finally rafting the Nile which has been something I have wanted to do since 1999 when I first came to Kenya and learned you could even do that! :) 
 
Thanks for sticking with me in this mini book. :) I guess I had lots to think about when I finally set my fingers to typing.
Love to you all and please let me know how I can be praying specifically for you. I am thankful for you.
Serving with you,
Amy