Hello dear friends. I hope this finds you well. Here at RVA we just had our Mid-term break. That means there are only six weeks left in this term. That is hard to believe! Things are going well here though it is still an adjustment to not be in the dorm. I would appreciate prayer for me to continue trusting the Lord for the next term and a half. I am tempted to get bogged down in the business and inflexibility of my schedule. I thought I would have more time with my girls, but I am actually so busy with my other responsibilities that it seems like Wednesday nights are my only time to have them over for dinner. I am missing being a part of their lives. Please pray for wisdom in how I can be intentional and creative in ways to have time with them.
            I am thankful that the Lord has provided one girl in particular to mentor. I cover for a dorm on Wednesday nights and we have been building up a relationship during those times. She was sharing with me last week that she was really struggling with a lot of people in her life leaving and having to say goodbye (a common struggle with MKs). I think the Lord knew what He was doing when he put us together so I am hoping to keep building our relationship and that I would be able to encourage her in her walk with the Lord.

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            I wanted to also ask for prayer for my house-helper, Rose. She has become a friend to me and I am thankful for her help. Having a house-helper here in Kenya is a common practice (actually expected). It creates relationships within the community and helps people have jobs. Rose is a grandmother that raises her granddaughter as her own child since her daughter died. Yvonne, her ‘daughter’, has been very sick the last 6 months. She has had many tests that all came out negative and yet she continues to be sick. She missed school for about a month. One other problem is that she is getting beaten every day at school. (A different way of education for sure here in Kenya!) When I first returned, Rose told me Yvonne was being beaten because she didn’t have her schoolbooks. (Rose had been out of steady work since I left in July and could only afford the school fees and not the books.) She had tried writing a letter to the teacher and telling them the situation and that she was now working and would be getting the books and to please stop beating Yvonne. I gave Rose an advance and helped her purchase the schoolbooks and we hoped that would be the end of it. Well that was when I first came and the teacher is still beating her. Rose is at her wits end in how to handle this. Beatings in schools are a common thing in Kenya. She doesn’t know if the situation would be fixed if she changed schools. She is so discouraged and poor Yvonne is throwing up every day. The Doctor thinks she has developed Ulcers. These situations are so hard to know how to handle. Will you pray with me for wisdom in ways I can encourage Rose and if there is anything I can do? I told her I wasn’t sure of answers, but it was something that we need to be praying about for sure. The Lord understands these cultural differences even when I don’t. Please pray for wisdom for Rose as she seeks the best course of action for her daughter. She kept her from school today and said she will not send her back there. (I don’t blame her) Please pray for healing for Yvonne as well. Rose thanks you for praying for them!   Below is a picture of Rose and Me. Sorry for the picture quality 

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            Dad and I had a great time on our safari. We were able to rest and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. It is always one of my favorite things to do. It has been so nice having my dad here. I am thankful the Lord knew my heart and provided the opportunity for my dad to be serving at Kijabe Hospital and living with me. I will be sad to see him go to Tenwek in April!

            By the way, if anyone is interested in coming to Kenya in the next couple of months, I hear flights are at an all time low!! 750$ Round trip is the word on the street! I would welcome you with open arms. :)

In my Bible study group we are still studying “A Praying Life”. I have been very challenged by this book and one of the things that we talked about one week was to look how God “showed up” each day. I want to share an example of how we saw that happen this last weekend. Term 2 is typically our “summer”. Usually we are in the dry season and it is hot and dusty. However, this year it seems El Nino has hit and we have had several weeks where there is constant rain. Last weekend was mid-term and we were going to have parents and kids traveling. We had rain for 4 days straight and our main road to Nairobi was becoming close to impassable. There aren’t really any better options either for getting to Nairobi. One is too muddy when we have rain, another isn’t safe as there are often hijackings along that road and the other is way out of the way and can only be used by a 4x4 vehicle. They are doing much-needed construction on our main road and they had created a muddy mess. Well we were all praying for the rain to stop all day on Thursday, and yet the rains continued to pour down. Friday morning, the day of travel, dawned foggy but with no rain.  Well guess what, as it turns out, the rain actually washed away most of the muddy mess that had been built up and instead of 8inch thick mud, it was just the harder clay on the bottom. God knew what He was doing. We could drive (carefully) on the clay, just not the mud! Isn’t God good?!        
Below is a picture of one of the lanes that goes off the main road. You can see just how muddy it can get!!  :) 

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         As you know, I am serving at RVA through African Inland Mission. As a mission, the goal is to plant Christ-centered churches among all people. They are very focused on getting the gospel to the Unreached People groups. At RVA we are apart of that support group that helps it be possible for some members to serve there. That means you are also apart of that ministry! There is a website AIM has that will send daily emails to you if you subscribe. A part you could play would be to pray for these unreached people groups. (We call them, UPGs) Here is a link to subscribe to a daily email that would give you information about a people group to pray for that day. http://prayafrica.org/3030journey/ if you are on Facebook, you could also check out their page here, https://www.facebook.com/prayafricapage
Please join me in praying for the Unreached People Groups of Africa. Here is an example of the information you might find on the prayafrica.org site.
“Pray for the Antandroy of Southern Madagascar. They live in a dry thorny area, where it is difficult to live. They are pastoralists and farmers. They are usually tall and strongly built, and known for their fierceness and self-assurance. They acknowledge there is a God, but He is far away and not involved in their lives. They look to their ancestors for blessings and try to appease them to prevent curses.
“So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” Isaiah 30:18. Pray the Antandroy would come and see His love and compassion.
We are excited to hear that over a hundred Antandroy have committed to following Christ, in the area of Toliara. Praise the Lord of the harvest! May He work in the hearts of the new believers, that they would “Be strong in His mighty power” Eph 6:10
Population:  930,000
Location and Background:  The Antandroy people live in the arid extreme south of Madagascar.  The name Androy means “where there are thorns”, “roy” referring to a mimosa plant with long thorns.  They have adapted to a very inhospitable environment, covered with thorny bush and frequent severe drought.  It is a constant struggle to find water and famine is regular. Their immediate neighbors are the Mahafaly (west), Bara (north) and Antanosy (east).

History:  Not much is known about the Antandroy history, but according to oral tradition, different clans invaded the area called Androy in the eighteenth century from the east, north and northwest and put an end to the ruling dynasty of the Andriamañare.  The Antandroy then divided into many small entities, sometimes uniting their forces against common enemies, maintaining their independence from the Merina until 1903 when French troops aided the Merina government.
Culture: The Antandroy are usually tall and strongly built, known for their fierceness and self-assurance.  They are a pastoral people, but also cultivate manioc, millet, maize, sweet potatoes, zebu milk, and curd.  They eat less rice than other Malagasy people groups because of the extreme arid climate of their territory.  Their villages are hidden from the main road tracks, often behind cactus fences.  In terms housing, whereas most of Madagascar construct homes from pliable plant material, the Antandroy use wood planks.  Tomb structure and burial practices are very similar to the Mahafaly people group.
Religion:  The Antandroy believe the blessings and curses of life come from their ancestors and by appeasing their ancestors, they can reap benefits.  They acknowledge that there is a God, but they see Him as distant and inactive in their lives. There is no complete Bible translation available in the Antandroy dialect, but some sporadic translation work appears to have been done”


I am so thankful for each one of you. Your support and prayers are such a testament of God’s love and provision through the Body of Christ. Please email me and let me know how I can be praying for you or just an update on what is going on in your lives.
Serving with you,
 Amy

New Year and New Paths

Greetings from Sunny Kenya!

Well I think this update might be slightly overdue, and for that I apologize. I am doing well here at RVA, but it has been a huge adjustment for me being out of a dorm. So I will use that as my excuse for needing time to process it all. :)  That being said, this might be a long update so might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea.

Enjoying time with some of the older nieces and nephews as well as my sister, Beth. 

Thank you for praying for me as I was getting ready to leave Indiana the end of December. We had such a special Christmas this year with all of my family (except my twin and her family) together. It was really special that my brother, Tom, was able to join us for 2 days of family time. That is a huge deal considering his health. Please continue to pray for him and his family. His wife, Christine, is a faithful wife and such a blessing to all who she encounters as she shines with God’s light as they endure together this illness that my brother has had for almost 9 years. They both are a huge encouragement to me and I know others as they continue to trust the Lord and wait on Him for healing.  Right now they are in the process of their insurance coverage
being switched. Please pray the new insurance company will continue to honor the previous one’s coverage. The Lord has faithfully orchestrated so many details of care for them that it is truly a blessing to watch what He will do next. God is our ever-present help, truly our shepherd! 

Tommy was my secret pal :) 

All the nieces and Nephews (except the 3 in Japan) 

My travel, though long, was fairly smooth to Kenya. I had no trouble with my bags and even my carry on bags that were a little too heavy for regulation on Qatar airlines were never questioned as they have been in the past when using that airline. When I checked in, in Indiana, there was a little confusion with my bags being checked through to Nairobi. They said I would have to pick them up in Qatar since I had a 21-hour layover. That was a little inconvenient but I figured, “oh well”. However when I got to Philadelphia, for my flight to Qatar, the agent giving me my boarding pass was looking through my ticket and said, “Why did they not check your bags through?” So I told her and she said that was not right! She made a call and someone came and got new luggage tags and got them squared away all the way to Nairobi! Thank you Lord. She was very helpful and even checked to make sure I had enough things in my carry on for the layover! I landed in Qatar at 6:00am and found my way out to the shuttles for my hotel I had booked through Expedia. The drive was about 15 min. Qatar looks to be a very modern place with palm trees and other tropical plants. But all that is surrounded by sand. It is quite interesting looking for sure! The hotel I stayed at was very grand. I was thankful once again for God’s grace during check-in. The man checking me in asked if I would like to purchase early-check in as normal time wasn’t until 2:00pm (keep in mind this is 8:30am). I was a little flustered because I told him that the expedia agent had assured me that they had already requested early-check in on my reservation, however he wasn’t finding it. After a couple minutes of checking the computer he said he would allow me early check-in on the house this time. I was so thankful! The hotel staff was very hospitable. Just in case you are ever planning a trip to Qatar, be ready to pay a ridiculous amount for anything you get! Haha. It was VERY expensive!  Again, I am thankful for God’s provision since the layover became unavoidable for this trip. I got about 12 hours of very needed sleep there. I was able to get back to the airport with no troubles and made it to Nairobi around 9am (Kenya time) with no further issues. Was thankful to sail through immigration with my work-permit stamped in my passport, (remember that is an answer to prayer from last year that I had that finally!) see both bags come off the luggage carousel, and be greeted by two of my good friends from RVA. We were able to do some shopping and get lunch before making the trip up to Kijabe.

Settling in, well kinda. We had in-service the day after I arrived and I found out what my official duties would be the next 2 terms. I will be working in the main office for a few hours each morning, and then I have a Jr. High study hall and High school study hall coverage. Three afternoons a week I will help in PT (physical therapy). It is fun to use my Athletic Training degree again. :) Apart from the day-time responsibilities I will cover 2 dorms, 1 night a week each. I am sponsoring the 8^th grade class (which means I will be apart of their weekend class activities), leading a 10^th grade girl’s Sunday school class, and am joining a Bible study on Tuesday nights. So I am finding myself very busy.  The hardest times to get used to are the quiet evenings. I miss having my girls in and out of my apartment and the spontaneous chats we had. It has been an added blessing to have my dad here! Right now we are in a small house/apartment while some construction finishes up for another family to move from my house where I will eventually end up and be able to really settle in. I am looking forward to being settled so I can start having people in my home and having my girls come over. The message on Sunday was very encouraging. He reminded us of the verse in Phil. 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is anything excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” The word “think” there means to dwell and meditate. Whatever our mind is “obsessed with” then our actions and thoughts will come out in accordance with those thoughts.  This was such a good reminder for me. I find that it can be easy to keep thinking on the fact that I am not settled in a house and not able to be in the dorm till next school year. When my thoughts are dwelling on those things, then my conversation often turns towards those things and I might start to complain or be discontent instead of being thankful for the different opportunities I will have these next 6 months being out of the dorm. So it was a good reminder to dwell on and remember that God is Sovereign and that He has the perfect plan and reasons for me to be where I am. He is faithful and will take care of the details while I wait on Him and trust Him.
 

Outreach:
On Saturday I was able to go with another staff member and some 9^thgrade girls to Beat the Drum
Orphanage. This is a home for true orphans (meaning they have no living relatives to care for them) that are also HIV+. I don’t know each child’s story but I can almost assuredly say that these kids have acquired this through no fault of their own. But because they are born with it, they also endure rejection from others who are afraid of them and do not want to take care of them. The caretakers of this home are loving and treat the children as if they were their own; they have been taking really good care of the children. They often get kids from all over Kenya because no one else will have them. You might expect there to be a lot of sad kids when you arrive, but instead they are joyfully waving and welcoming you to their home. We brought face paint and a guitar, which were two of the favorites. We also brought jump ropes and soccer balls to play with the kids. The girls ended up having a face-paint “war”. The kids, as well as everyone else, were quite colorful by the end of our time there. :) I really had a special time with 4 of the older girls. I played guitar and sang some songs with them. One song we sang was, “Blessed Assurance”. When we finished singing it, I asked them if they knew what it meant? I went through the lyrics and explained it to them and they also added their own understanding of it. After we finished talking about it, one of the girls asked if we could sing it again? It was so wonderful to sing it with them again as I could tell they really meant it and understood they were singing about their salvation and the joy they had of that promise. The Lord has not forgotten these little ones. They are loved and well cared for. What a joy to be apart of that day.



I will close in saying that my heart is thankful for the Lord and how He is writing each of our stories. There are good days and bad days in our life, but in every day, we have the joy of Salvation and we can praise Him for what He has done in our lives. Please continue to pray that my heart would continually be focused on Him and my life would reflect that joy. I would also ask that you pray for each of my family members and myself; the 6^th year anniversary of my Mom’s home going to Heaven is on the 22^nd of this month. It is always a hard anniversary. At Christmas, one of the best gifts my brother and sister-in-love gave us all was a 4 hour
interview with my Mom that they taped. Tom and Christine have been saving it for us and we all watched a few minutes of it together that day. I am looking forward to sitting with a box of Kleenexes and finishing it.

I pray you all are doing well and enjoying the New Year and the new opportunities God gives each of us to share His love with them. I thank God for all of you. Thank you for your partnership in ministry. I would love to pray for you specifically. If you have any specific prayer requests, please don’t hesitate to share.
Serving with you,
Amy

Kenya Bound :)

                                    Return to Kenya on December 28th 
Dear Friends and Family,
 
      It is with great joy that I get to share with you how the Lord has graciously provided enough support for me to be able to return to Kenya in time for the start of term 2 at Rift Valley Academy. (By the way, that is in 20 days!!!!)
I liked this quote by Hudson Taylor, “Depend on it. God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. He is too wise a God to frustrate His purposes for lack of funds, and He can just as easily supply them ahead of time as afterwards, and He much prefers doing so.” 
Looking back to June when I was wondering what the Lord had in mind when the financial support wasn't there and I was going to need to come home; it was sometimes a temptation to think, "this isn't a good time God, I don't want to leave when I just got back". But who am I to say that? The Lord, in His great sovereignty, saw fit to have me home for the last 5 months. It has been a wonderful time with family and my church family. I have been so blessed by the many things He has taught me during this time as well. It has been a sweet time of learning to wait on Him and be consistent in prayer. Just one of the special bonuses of being home for this extended time was that I got to spend 3 weeks with my twin sister, Laura, and her family that were visiting from Japan. Originally I would have only seen them for 3 days when I was going to be home for the month of December. We had such a wonderful time. It is always so sweet to get to love on her 3 kiddos in person rather then just through FaceTime or Skype! :)Laura and Keisuke Noguchi: Yoshiki, Keishi, and Hitomi 
 
       When I wrote you last, the end of October, I had heard that a donor would be willing to support me with a matching monthly gift of up to 400$ if I could raise the other 400$ needed. The Lord has provided!! Praise Him. Thanks to many of you who were able to increase your already monthly gifts or join my support team. Thank you for your willingness to be apart of the ministry at RVA. It is such a joy to serve with you. I am so thankful for your prayers and encouragement.
       Have you ever heard the phrase, "flexibility is the one of the keys to missions"? Well, I could testify to the truth of that statement. To be honest, I still find myself needing to stretch those "muscles" often. One change I found out about during the last week of November is that for the next two terms I will actually not be in the dorm. I was pretty sad to think about not being in the dorm, but after being at RVA for awhile I understand that it is really best for the girls to have consistency. They did really well with their dorm parents that covered for me for first term and everyone decided it would be best for them to stay together for their Senior year. So what does that mean for me? I will still be very involved with my girls which is great. I will teach a Sunday school, cover a dorm one night a week so the dorm parents can have a night off, help in the main office, help in the physical health clinic for the students, as well as any other job they might have for me to do. :) Never a shortage of those around RVA! In August of 2016 I will then get to start with a new group of girls (Lord willing :) ) back in the girl's high school dorms. My friend that is also out of the dorms for a year said that she thinks I will enjoy this different aspect of a relationship with my girls; having my girls over to my house and just being "Aunt Amy" and not having to be the dorm Mom.
     
 
Could you please pray for a few specific things as I get closer to my return?
I want to Praise Him too! He has provided financially in answer to our prayers. I have my work permit so should have no trouble getting in the country!

• Pray for my heart preparing for the "see you laters" that are coming up very soon. I am thankful that my whole family (except Laura) will be together at Christmas.
• Pray for physical strength and health as I have so much to do before I leave that I know I will need to lean on the Lord and take one day at a time instead of worry about how it will all get done in time.
• Pray for me as I prepare to serve in whatever capacity the Lord provides in the coming months until I am back in the dorm. It will be a big adjustment to live by myself instead of with a noisy dorm full of girls. I know that is going to be very hard. I am thankful though that the Lord has already provided a house that is right next door (we share walls J ) to my friend, Emily.
• Pray for smooth travel. I have had a lot of changes on my ticket so will be calling the airline tomorrow to confirm they have a hotel for my in Qatar since they changed my layover to 12 hours instead of 6. I will also need to purchase an extra suitcase to get things back over to Kenya. Please pray the airlines that connect me through Philadelphia will not hassle me about the extra piece.

 
As before, if you feel led to give either a one-time gift to help with my work-funds (extra expenses with ministry) or become part of my monthly team, here is the address and information below.
 
Make Checks payable to African Inland Mission. Don't put my name anywhere on the check, just include a small note that says the support is for Amy Jarrett (for monthly or one-time gift) 
Support can be sent to:
Africa Inland Mission 
C/O Receipting 
P.O. Box 3611
Peachtree City, GA 30269
 
Thanks for hanging in there with me, I know this was a little bit longer of an update :)
Serving with you,
Amy (Soon to be back in Kenya :) ) 
loved being with my "trin" Laura :) 

One of my favorite things... to be surrounded by a bunch of nieces and nephews :) 

Exciting News

RVA flyer

The link above is a brochure I put together about RVA. Check it out! It might already be old news to many of you, but maybe you will enjoy the layout and a little bit of background info about RVA itself.  

Greetings friends!! I have been so thankful for the time I have had here at home. The Lord has given me so many opportunities to learn more about Him as well as helping me to grow in my walk with Him as I wait on Him and His timing.

 I was asking some friends to pray with me as I was in this waiting period, particularly about support raising and the desire to return to RVA. I didn't know if I should keep pursuing ideas or just wait on Him for how to raise support. The next day I heard from our superintendent at Rift Valley Academy. He had heard back from a supporter that they would be willing to support me personally with a match fund of 400$ a month if I could raise an additional 400$ per month. This is such exciting news! Will you pray with me for God's provision of these additional funds if it be His will for me to return to Kenya?

If you feel led to support my financially or through prayer, please fill out this Pledge Card for Amy . When you fill it out, you can then return it to me with some sort of note saying, "For match donation". Then I can turn that all into African Inland Mission (My sending organization)
Please mail to:
Amy Jarrett
4139 Elkhorn Way
Westfield, In. 46062

If it would be easier for me to send you the pledge card by mail and return address, I would be happy to do that! Please send me an email at amyjarr@gmail.com with your home address on it so I can take care of that for you.

I have a return ticket to Kenya for December 28th, 2015. If I am fully supported by then, I will be able to return to RVA and make it in time for term 2 where I will continue to be a dorm mom to the girls I was with when I had to leave. They have almost completed their 1st term as Seniors! I will actually have 20 girls in my dorm!! That is the most I have ever had, so I know that will be a wonderful challenge. :) Also, forgive me if I haven't already shared this praise. I have my work-permit for Kenya IN MY HAND. :) (well in my passport anyway). My dad was able to take it with him on his last trip to Kenya and the hand-off to RVA personnel for getting it stamped in the passport was successful. So that will be good for the next 2 years. So thankful to have that figured out!

Just a little update of what I have been doing since being in the States. (Besides lots of family time of course :) ) The Lord graciously provided a part-time job with one of the pastors at my home church (Castleview Baptist Church). I am working as an assistant to Kelly Wright. He is over several ministries at Castleview so I am assisting him in several projects at the church. I am really enjoying the opportunity to serve my church in this way. I am also once again volunteering with the youth group and on the music team at Castleview.

I hope that this finds you well and that you have been enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I have been blown away by the beauty of God's creation each day when I am driving about taking in the fall leaves. So beautiful!

Serving with you, wherever the Lord may place us.
Amy Jarrett

August Whirlwind

Back in the USA! Hello dear friends, I am not even sure I could begin to remember all that has happened since returning to the States on July 21st. It has been a very full 3 weeks. I have so enjoyed the reunions with many of my friends and family.

   Before I forget, if you are near the Indianapolis area and able to make it, I wanted to invite you to my sister Becki's house on Sunday, Sept 6th from 4-6pm for an Open house to catch up and hear about the ministry at RVA. I will make a slide show and we will have some finger foods to enjoy while we visit and have some face to face time!! J Would love it if you can make it. It will be a come and go type where you don't have to stay for the whole time so if you can only pop in, please do!

Please let me know if you think you might be able to make it (In Westfield In. I will give you directions of you contact me J )

Update on Support info. I have been in contact with AIM and they said that you can keep giving to the usual Monthly Support if you are willing to continue that while I am on "Home assignment and Support Raising". These funds will continue to support me while I am in the States as I prepare to return to the field, Lord willing, on Dec. 28th in time to start Term 2 at RVA.

I am hoping to connect with many of you while I am in the States, so please let me know if you ever have a time available that we could do that.

Please continue to pray for the Lord's leading and provision while I am home. I am still hoping to return to RVA but I want to listen to the Lord's direction as well if He has another plan. I am really looking forward to the week at Maranatha family Bible and Missionary conference up in Michigan this next week. It has always been a spiritually refreshing and learning experience for me. I am praying that my heart will be open to what He has for me to learn. I loved this quote by Andrew Murray I found in my devotional book last night. "Let me say I am here, 1. By God's appointment, 2. In His keeping 3. Under his training 4. For His time. "

While home I will probably do some babysitting and working on my Certification renewal. The Lord provided an affordable website where I can get an unlimited amount of Continuing ed units for my Athletic Training certification. I am so thankful for this as I was not sure how I would be able to afford to keep it current with the usual price of these classes. Since I am here for HIS time, I know He will show me what He appoints when it is necessary for me to know. J I don't have to worry since I am in His keeping.

Please be praying for my girls who will be returning to school in 2 short weeks!! They will be starting their Senior year and I know will have so many transitions ahead of them.

I will be wishing I was there with them!

One exciting thing with me being home is that I will get to see one of my previous dorm girls a few times! She is starting her freshman year at Anderson University here in Indiana! I can't wait for the combination of two worlds. One of my girls from Kenya getting to meet My family and see where some of my life has been before RVA. J So fun!

love to you all! Hope to see you soon. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them. J

Change in the Air

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
Prov. 19:21

This is the verse that popped in my mind as I thought how to start this letter. I and the administration of RVA had planned for me to stay at RVA for a 2 year term, but it seems the Lord has made it clear that I am to return home instead after only a 6month term at RVA. I am thankful for His leading and the encouragement from many of you and fellow staff at RVA as well. The Lord is GOOD and Faithful. I know that I can trust in Him to show me what His will is and that it will be for my good and His glory.
The Lord also brought this verse to mind as I have been processing all the emotions of what is happening.
 "You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
⁴ Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." 
Isaiah 26:3-4
I have no doubt the Lord had a purpose for me being here these last 6 months. While I don't completely understand the Lord's timing in this, He has given me peace about it all. He has shown me in His word many times over the last month that I do not have to worry; but that He is Sovereign and knows what He has for me. My hope and prayer is that, Lord willing, I will be able to return to RVA in January to continue on with the girls I have had in my dorm for their Senior year. I told the girls that sometimes we don't know why the Lord works the way He does, but that we can trust Him because we know who HE is! I also said that even though I hope to come back, I also want to be open for His leading if it is in a different direction!!

Ok, I should probably back up here. :) I wrote to you all in June asking you to pray specifically for my monthly support situation. After working with AIM and the leadership of RVA we set a deadline for July 8th to see if there would be an answer to that prayer. God seems to have answered very clearly that, at this time, I need to return to the States to raise support. I do want to thank so many of you who gave extra gifts this last month, that was such a blessing to receive so that I could have just what I needed to finish out this month here. Thank you!
 As I said before, our goal is that I might be able to raise enough support for me to return to the field by January of 2016. I would ask that you would be praying for God's direction and provision if that is what He would have me do! Also, please pray for my girls who will be going through a lot of transition at the start of their Senior year. This was really hard (emotionally) on us all. I am praying that the Lord would use this in their lives to draw them to Himself; to learn to trust Him even in the uncertain times.  Pray for RVA to find a dorm cover for the time that I am away and for all those details to come together.

So, what now? By God's grace and strength I will get through a very busy end of the term, one day at a time :). I have many travel responsibilities to get our students on their way to their parents by July 15th. I have dorm-party on Monday the 13th. That will be a ton of fun and very special but also a lot of work. Graduation is on the 16th, and somewhere in there I turn 30!!!! YIKES! :)
Thankfully I was able to change my ticket date from November when I was hoping to come for a visit. The ticket change was very expensive, but cheaper than eating the cost of that previous ticket so I am very thankful that worked out! I will have a few days to pack up before I leave Kenya on July 20th. I will fly into Charlotte, NC and spend some time with my brother, Jon and his family before going back to Indiana sometime before August.

Since I have this unexpected time in the States, I will want to make connections with as many of you as possible. Also, if you think your church or maybe a small-group of some kind; Sunday school, fellowship group, etc would be interested in hearing more about the ministry that happens at RVA, please let me know! Would be so wonderful to connect with you.  We could also grab a cup of coffee :).

Work-permit. Starting to cringe at the mention of that word. haha. We still have not been able to get my permit though it has been approved and paid for. I am not sure what the hold-up is, but God knows! Thankfully I was able to get another extension in my passport so I am legal in the country at least! It would be great if I can still get the permit before I leave so I don't have to mail my passport back to Kenya to get the permit stamped in the passport from the States!

I will try to have more information for you about the time at home as I learn more. This is all pretty sudden so haven't had a chance to make plans with AIM yet.

In all this, I know that the Lord is with me. He has also surrounded me with such a strong support group at RVA, my family, and my friends (you)! The body of Christ is a wonderful thing. Clinging to Him as my Rock!

serving with you,
Amy

just a little bit of review.. :)

Hi friends, 
 As many of you already know, I am serving at Rift Valley Academy as a dorm mom to high school girls. I love the ministry of discipleship the Lord has placed me in here. I have girls from all different back-grounds and it is such a unique place to be. A big part of our ministry is being here to serve Missionary families. RVA allows the children of missionaries to have a great education while their parents continue their ministries and the building up of the church all over Africa without having to leave the field because their kids are now in high school. We are all a part of the bigger picture of reaching the unreached people groups of this world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a humbling and wonderful thing to be apart of this ministry "on the field".  That being said, I am not here by my own strength or abilities. Nor am I able to be without the grace of the Lord and the body of believers that support me and send me. "We know that He gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty." -Elizabeth Ann Seton
That partnership in ministry is key and so vital to all missionaries. We need your partnership in prayer! 

"Mighty prayer- that is the one great spiritual force that will enable the Lord Jesus Christ to enter into full possession of His Kingdom, and secure for Him the uttermost part of the earth for His possession... A person who can pray is the mightiest instrument Christ has in this World." -E.M. Bounds

James 5:16 " The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

    One other aspect of that partnering in missions is the financial side. RVA's staff are all here as volunteers and missionaries with African Inland Mission. We depend on the Lord's provision for our finances. The Lord is faithful and has shown me over and over again that my trust should be in Him and him alone. The Lord often uses the church (the body of Christ) at home to be the senders. We are all a part of the team though, without each other there would be no missions or missionaries. I am so thankful for the prayers and notes of encouragement that my supports send me. 

  Since I am a dorm mom, there are a lot of fun ways to get involved with this particular ministry. I have 17 teenage girls in my dorm, so you can imagine how these girls love treats! :)  If you are interested in hearing more about ways you can get involved in the ministry here at RVA from your part of the world, let me know! I would be happy to give some ideas. Also, if you feel led to support me and to give by financial support, I can give you the information for either monthly or a one-time gift. Just message me with your email address, or if you already have my email you can do that. I wouldn't usually post this on Facebook, or by email, but since I am already over in Kenya it makes it a little more difficult to post by mail! If you are still reading this, then THANKS for your care and interest in the ministry here at RVA. :) 
asante (thank you) 

serving with you, 

Amy