Breathe..That Is the Key

Hello dear friends,
  I wanted to write and thank you for your prayers for me and my girls. We are entering the last 2 weeks of term and clearly feeling it. I am doing well, though physically exhausted. Please pray that I would finish the term well and with Joy. It is so easy to get distracted by the crazy "to do" list that I have and I want to be intentionally living with joy even amongst the crazy schedule.

 Please be praying for the 12 girls in my current dorm as well as the 16 girls from my last dorm that are preparing to graduate in 2 short weeks!! This is a huge transition time for them as they are not only going to college but also leaving their home here in Africa and adjusting to a very different culture and way of life in
 N. America, Europe, or Korea. They have come home many nights lately, subdued with the realisation that they are experiencing many "lasts". Pray that they would grieve well but also look ahead with excitement about the future the Lord has for each and every one of them.

On Saturday, our dorm went to Naivasha for our end of the year Dorm Party. We had SUCH a special time. I was so thankful that we were able to go even though our road situation out of Kijabe has been a bit of a nightmare recently with the heavy rain and fog. We were planning on taking a bus, but were not allowed to at the last minute because of unstable road conditions. I was thankful that 3 staff members were willing to help us out, by driving us and giving up a day of precious time when the schedule is so busy. We had a great time of relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather and camp ground that goes up to Lake Naivasha. I know the girls really enjoyed the time together. Some of them said, "It's funny that we forget how much we like each other when we hang out. Usually we are so busy doing our own thing, we take that for granted." I am thankful for the Lord's leading and prompting for me to find ways of providing opportunities for these girls to find healing and friendship among each other when they have been living together for a year with tension and not much unity as a dorm. Thank you for your continual prayers for Suswa Dorm!

Suswa Dorm: Back row to front: Stacy, Jo-ine, Sarah, Emily, Danieke, Me :), Mary, Tirza, Heather, Kalie, (middle) HaYeong, Minju, Haley, Phoebe, Suzann, (Front row) Amy, Sophia, Yealin, Cindy, and Abby 

Great that the restaurant would seat our whole group together :)

The girls stand out against the grey skies and grey water  of Lake Naivasha :)

                                             
On Wednesday, I will host a Graduation Open House for my 28 Senior girls that I have had in my dorms the past 2 years. The school schedule is so busy I haven't been able to put a time together with them all, so I am really looking forward to that. On Saturday the Senior class will head to the Coast for their "Senior Safo" (class trip basically) for almost a week. Exams for my Juniors are next week, and then it is graduation! In the mean-time, I have to start packing up for what I hope is my final move (4th move in 6 months) for at least the next 2 years. Lord willing, I will start the new school year in a dorm with the current 10th graders. So that means I will get them for 2 years as Juniors and then Seniors. :) YAY!

I appreciate your prayers for strength and health as we finish this term. The whole term we have had a nasty virus going around campus that knocks people out anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Please continue to pray for protection for me and the girls as we finish the term well. I would also like to ask you to keep praying for the girl who I talked about in my last letter. Her parents made the decision to withdraw her from RVA. I am praying that the Lord would continue to work healing in her heart and that she would find her joy in Christ and His salvation.

Love to you all. Would LOVE to hear from you, even if it is just a quick hello and something you and your family are up to. It is always so encouraging to hear from home. I am very excited about my up-coming trip to Japan as well. I can't wait to see my nieces and nephews! Also my trin, Laura, and I will get to celebrate our 31st birthday together (though a few days late) which is something that has been a rare treat in the last 10 years since she has been in Japan!

Serving with you,
Amy

Still Alive :)

Hello dear friends, 
I am so sorry for the long absence in-between letters and updating you. Because of that, this will be a long one as there is a lot to update you on! I can't tell you how thankful I am for your prayers and responses to my last email. The Lord has been answering those prayers. Praise Him! The last 6 weeks with the girls have been so good. I told them last week during our dorm devos that I had completely forgotten to share with them my testimony and how the Lord brought me here because I have been so comfortable with them. They have embraced me so sweetly and been so intentional. I did finally share with them last week and it was really special to hear how the Lord used some of the things in my life (like my mom passing away from Cancer) to encourage a few of the girls and prompt one to share with me her experience with a family friend that passed away from a battle with cancer. She hadn't ever really allowed herself to grieve him because she didn't know who to talk to. In this "job" as a dorm mom, I am constantly reminded of this verse, though I think it applies to all of us, and is such a sweet reminder to me of God's love and comfort and how He created us to live in community and together.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
 
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
Family Dorm night: Playing Apples to Apples 
 
I would ask that you would continue to lift one of my girls up in prayer. She is struggling with some deep emotional issues and not in a healthy state of mind to deal with them. Please pray that the Lord would be working in her heart, that she would either accept Him or if she is saved, that the Holy Spirit will work in her heart to show her the truth and she will start the process towards healing. I am praying that God’s truth would pour into her heart and replace those lies she is choosing to believe with His light.  

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My volleyball team ended the season May 18^th, and we won our JV league. It was so much fun to coach these great girls, though I am definitely appreciative of a slightly less busy afternoon schedule since being in the dorm again. I am continuing to help in the Physical Therapy room for 3 afternoons a week. Since Rugby is this term’s main sport, they are keeping us busy! :P
My JV girl's Volleyball team 

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We just had our mid-term break this last weekend and I was able to get away with some wonderful friends to a house in Naivasha (about 1.5hr drive away). These are friends that I have joined since January in a Tuesday dinner “club”. We take turns hosting each week. This group has been such a wonderful support and I am thankful we could have this special time away since many of them will be leaving RVA in July, either for a year-long home assignment or for good (for the foreseeable future). Another difficult part of the life at RVA is the constant transitions. I would appreciate prayers as I look towards those transitions coming up and saying goodbye to so many friends. We are experiencing about a 60% turnover in staff this year.
Family Photo :) Tuesday Dinner Club 
Each of the special ladies in this picture are leaving in July (or sooner). (Except the little one :) ) Going to be so hard to say "See you later" 

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  My girls and I were all ready for a break. There has been a NASTY virus going around the campus, which has been ongoing for about a month. I have had this cold since the beginning of the term and several of my girls have been sick with it as well. Please keep praying for physical health and protection for our campus. With such a busy lifestyle, it is hard enough to keep up the pace while healthy, let alone while being sick.
 

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An exciting thing to look forward to will be our end-of-term dorm party. Because of a lot of things going on at the end of the term, we will be going earlier (June 25^th) as a dorm to celebrate. In another effort to make this a special term for these seniors, we are going to a campground/ restaurant on Lake Naivasha that is a favorite of mine. We will hang out there for the day where they have a sand-volleyball court, a comfortable lounge where we can play games, and of course we will eat great food! :)  Because there are 20 girls in my dorm, you can imagine this will be a little bit more costly than just cooking for the girls myself. If you are looking for a way to bless these girls in a unique way and help support me in the cost, you could send a one-time gift to AIM by mail.
To do this, make your check payable to AIM and include a separate note indicating the missionary name and that this is a one-time gift. Our mailing address for contributions is:
Africa Inland Mission
Attn.: Receipting Department
P.O. Box 3611
Peachtree City, GA 30269-7611
You will get a receipt by mail, and attached to that is a form you can use for future contributions. 
 

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In an effort to wrap up this letter, I would like to share two more personal family prayer requests. Many of you have met my younger sister, Rachel before. Rachel has autism/Aspurger’s; though socially speaking, is fairly high functioning on the spectrum.  She has been on a decline for the last 2 months. We are not sure what has triggered this decline though have our suspicions that this could be some sort of emotional breakdown after a relationship she had with a young man ended before my Dad was heading back to America to be with her.  The best way to describe her current state is that she is living in an alternate reality. This is, of course, scary and painful to see her like this for my whole family. Rachel has been a blessing to our family in so many ways. She has taught us much and we are asking the Lord to restore her health. We trust that He is good no matter what He has in-store for our dear sister. Please be praying specifically for an appointment to open sooner with a neurologist instead of June 24^th. Also be praying for strength for my dad, as he is her main caretaker right now. We are praying that we would be able to find a person that could help be an at-home caretaker a few days a week to help dad. Being so far away has been very difficult on me and many of my siblings who live on other continents (in Japan and England) and even out of state, Colorado and South Carolina. Please join our family in praying for Rachel.
My sister, Debbye, and husband, Aaron with their 4 boys; Paul, Jarrett, Declan, and Leo, and our sister, 
Rachel, at Easter. 

 
Please also pray for my brother, Tom, who will be having his final round of Chemo on June 14^th. I am going to quote my Dad here, “Although he has not had significant improvement in his condition, our family prays that he will still see healing on this side of Heaven. This is his 9th year of this disabling illness, myalgic encephalomyelitis. Thanks be to God, he and his family remain in good spirits and see many blessings in ministering to many others around the world in this illness community with whom he is in contact. We praise God for what He has done and will do in the days ahead. Please pray for his upcoming treatment and recovery."
Picture of my nephews, Andrew and Austin with a poster of their Dad (my brother, Tom). The #millionsmissing movement was hosted a couple of weeks ago to bring awareness of the millions of people who suffer with "hidden" illness like M.E. Thanks for praying for him.. What a special family. 

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I am so thankful for each and every one of you who have joined me on this journey that the Lord has me walking right now. Sometimes life can be full of trials, but our God is great and gives me hope even amongst these hurts.  1 Peter 1:3-9
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
 
Our hope is not found in “comfort and ease” on earth but in our relationship with Jesus Christ who gave his life for us. He died on the cross for our sins. If we believe in Him and trust in His work on the cross, then our hope is in HIM and we look toward heaven where we will live with him eternally and worship Him. Oh how I look forward to that day.  Recently the Lord has been reminding me to keep looking to the cross. Dear friends, the cross is where our hope lies, not in things or people of this world. Isaiah 53:3-6
 
"Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
 
If you made it this far, thank you for sticking with me. There has been a lot going on as you can see! Please let me know if I can be praying for you. I want to share one last exciting "thing" that happened on May 2^nd. My niece was born, making the count, 35 nieces and nephews and 1 great nephew. I was so honored that my twin, Laura, and her husband, Keisuke, named this cutie, Eimi (pronounced Amy) after me. What a joy. I am so excited to meet her in July once our school year is on break in July. (Graduation is July 14^th and I leave on the 17^th) 

                            Keisuke and Laura Noguchi Family. Yoshiki, Keishi, Hitomi, and Eimi :) 

Serving with you, 
Amy  

Change In The Air... Again.. :)

Hello dear friends,
We have been on break since March 23rd and will have a couple more weeks of break before the start of term 3. And I have some exciting news!
 I am finally allowed to make this public (though I just found out on Monday night so it hasn't been too long). RVA administration asked me to go back in the dorm for term 3!!(April 23-July 14th)
I am SOO excited to be going back in the dorm, even earlier than I thought.

I will be taking over for a couple that has been in the dorm for the last year and a half. It is going to be a challenging situation since there has been some on-going tensions in the dorm. Please pray for this couple as they transition out of the dorm for the coming term.. They love these girls and it is very hard for them to be leaving the dorm. I will be stepping in to a Junior/Senior girl's dorm. There are 12 seniors and 8 juniors.

SO, that means I am moving for the 3rd time in 3 months. Woohoo! haha. God has provided a wonderful community around me, so I know I won't have to do it all on my own. I am just praying for the girls and I to really have a good term together. The Seniors especially will be tempted to check-out and be done with RVA. I am hoping the Lord would give us a special bond even for this short time. I know all of these girls, so that is really helpful that they know who I am, even if they don't know me well. They will still be dealing with quite a shock learning that their dorm parent is different and all that goes with that change. Please be praying for them (and me) as they work through this time.

Dad and I enjoyed a wonderful Easter with friends here at RVA.. We started the morning with a sunrise service over-looking the Rift Valley. Then had a brunch and dinner with two different groups of friends. I was able to talk to most of my family on FaceTime that day too, so that was really special. 


On Monday my dad and I went with some other friends to Hell's Gate National Park (little over an hour drive from here). The park was named by the Maasai people. Hell's gate sits next to Mt. Longonot, which is a
dormant volcano. It erupted many many years ago and its effect on the many rock formations and cliffs that make up Hell's gate is obvious. Part of our group did some rock climbing, (I attempted, didn't make it too far up, but enjoyed the challenge :) ) then my friends and I climbed through the gorge. It was a very physically demanding hike and I was so proud of my dad for keeping up! :) I am adding some pictures of the gorge hike below so you can get a good idea.  (One of the more challenging sections) We had to wait for one of these groups to go UP the rope and then another group to go DOWN the rope before it was our turn. 
friends: Mary Howell, Katie, Ryan, Dad, and I

I have a couple of other adventures lined up for the remainder of the break. Of course I planned these before I knew I was going to have to move and get ready for a dorm! Oh well.. you can just pray that the Lord would give me strength and a sharp mind to take care of all the details. :) I left meat out on the counter today to put in the crock-pot. We didn't have power for an hour and a half and so I couldn't work on the meat then, so I started packing and getting ready for this weekend's adventure when I realized too late that I had forgotten about the meat!! Thankfully a friend had made some dinner and offered me and dad some food. :)

This weekend I am going camping with some other friends on the Maasai Mara. I am SO excited as this is something I have always wanted to do. Yes there are lions, hyenas, baboons, and leopards etc. and yes, we probably are crazy, but still, I am excited. :) (Update from when I wrote this) Back from a VERY RAINY camping trip  on the Mara.. Had so much fun though we were a bit soggy and I got sick. Too much beauty around in the Mara to complain though. Loved it! Will just have to go back and try again another time when it isn't so rainy. We heard lions during our first night. They were right across the river from us.. That was a little scary to say the least. :) 
This is a view of our campsite from across the river. We found the lion tracks from the night before. EEK! :) 
One of my favorite parts of safari!! Holding on tight and enjoying the ride :) A friend of mine got this shot of our Land Rover going through the water. 

 We will move on Thursday (tomorrow) and then the next Tuesday I will head to the coast for a vacation with friends and a ministry opportunity with another organization where my friends and I will run a VBS program with their kids.
So there is a lot going on before the end of this break!! Thank you friends for your love and support.

Sorry if this seems a little disjointed. I wrote it last week, then realized I needed to wait to send it because I couldn't make it public until everyone was notified. SO a little delayed, but still in need of prayer. :)
Serving with you,
Amy 

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