Kenya Unrest

The international news channels are just beginning to report on the unrest in Kenya following the elections from December 27th. It is a tragic situation and could easily grow worse. I will not provide all of the details, as those are more easily understood by reading the reports on CNN or other news channels. However, I will tell you that many people are being killed, houses are being burned, stores looted, and there is general chaos throughout the country. Most of the students that we work with are from Kenya and are very concerned. Pastor Kennedy lives in Eldoret, which is where most of the killing is taking place and is where the church was set on fire while people were inside. Because it was the Christmas holidays, the students are still in Kenya and are being directly affected by this. Please pray for their safety and for peace to return to Kenya. Also pray for missionaries in Kenya and for wisdom in what to do. We have some missionary friends from Uganda who are stuck in Kenya after going there for Christmas vacation.

This is having an indirect impact on Uganda, though nothing like what is happening in Kenya. Currently, the Uganda/Kenya border is closed and is anticipated to stay closed for the near future. Because Uganda is a land-locked country, almost all of the goods and supplies come from Kenya, including most groceries and all fuel. Currently, fuel supplies are extremely low and will probably be totally depleted within 48 hours. Gasoline (petrol here) has gone from $6/gallon to $12/gallon and appears to be totally gone. Diesel was $8/gallon this morning, if you could find it. I went to three stations before I found a place willing to sell me 5 gallons. If this lasts much longer, the food supplies will also start to run low. This creates a tension of it’s own and people were driving more aggressively than normal today. I narrowly avoided a bad accident when I fortunately noticed that someone was trying to pass me on the right while I was turning right. Since we drive on the left hand side of the road, this would be like someone passing you on the left while you were turning left in America. This has happened to me twice in the past week. I always try to check my side mirror to ensure that no one is doing this, but it is hard to always remember. Driving is so crazy here!

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year with our friends from World Gospel Mission. We had a good time and enjoyed the fellowship. We are looking forward to 2008 and seeking God on how best to order our lives for this year.

One of the reasons that we came to Africa was I felt like I needed to be more involved in our sons’ lives. We felt like being on the mission field together would allow us time together in ministry and that I would also have more time at home with them than I had in America. Well, I allowed my schedule to get way too full the past 8 months or so and realize that I need to be more purposed with my time. Because we are in student ministry, our weekends and evenings get quite busy since that is the time that students are available. Unfortunately, it is also the main time that I can see my sons. I was gone at least four nights a week and usually totally occupied on teaching and preaching over the weekend. We are trying to guard against such a hectic schedule this year.

We are diligently planning to be together more as a family. We have set aside Friday nights as family fun night and a time that we will spend together having fun as a family. This was when I had discipleship group the past year, but I will have to move it to a different night. Sunday nights and Wednesday nights are going to be times set apart for family spiritual nights where we will pray, sing, and study God’s Word. Since our boys are going to Heritage International School beginning tomorrow, they will now be at the same school where I teach each morning. This will also give us more time together.

We know that whenever we return to America that my work schedule will be demanding and that our boys will get involved in sports again. Though we do our best to keep these things in balance, we know that we will never have as much time together as a family as we do now. We need to make the most of it.

Please don’t think that we are pulling out of ministry to be a family. I will still be doing most of the things that we did last semester. It is just that I will try to be home at the same time that my sons are home, and will not take on so much preaching at other churches.

Wishing you God’s best in 2008! I will write another blog as soon as I can about how we spent Christmas. Some of the pictures that I posted are from then.

Kevin for the Tribe