Couldn't have said it better myself...

The Washington Post's 'Mensa Invitational' once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are some of the winners:

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

Intaxication : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
(I know, right?)

Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
(This is my favorite!)

Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
(If only this were real...)

Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Arachnoleptic Fit (n): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
(I can totally see this! But, I totally can't say it!)

Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
(Hmm, brings back memories of Veracruz...)

Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Does anybody have any of their own they'd like to contribute?


ht: Mean Jean

Retreat Pictures: Sunday

Before coming home from our wonderful weekend away, all the Fair Oaks ladies gathered for a group pic. Aren't we cute?

Retreat Pictures: Saturday Beach Trip

So, none of us had to break out the sunblock, but the mist over the rocks made for a gorgeous ocean scene.



Two of the four Karens in our group of ladies



Self-portrait



I thought he was pretty



Gert & Edna

Retreat Pictures: Saturday

Though our location (beach town Monterey) was incredibly beautiful, the weather forecast promised a continuation of the heavy rain and strong winds we've been having, so we expected to huddle indoors all weekend long. Praise God, Joy was not shy to ask God for a day of good weather... and this is what we awoke to the next morning!



Yes, that's a sunrise... the first sun we'd seen in a week!

Following our Saturday morning seminars, a group of us Fair Oaks ladies piled into cars to visit the Monarch Butterfly habitat in Pacific Grove.



Isn't this beautiful?

Fortunately, none of us were injured by the nature:



Me & my cool roomies (Evelyn & Bethany):



(The afternoon also included a scenic trip to the beach, but I will put those pictures together in a separate upcoming post.)



That evening, we concluded our day with a grand time at "Fellowship Night" with our fearless leaders (don't worry, they only dress this way on special occasions)! Thanks, ladies!

Retreat Pictures: Friday

This past weekend was my first women's retreat with Fair Oaks (and first denominational event, well... ever). It was great to get away and spend some time with our fun ladies in beautiful Monterey, CA (one of my most favorite places). I hope to eventually blog about some things God has been bringing to my attention, but for now I'm going to keep it light with a photo journal of the weekend.



I love road trips!



Our hotel room was gorgeous... this picture is proof that I sing in the shower!



My beloved Joy did an amazing job as emcee for the weekend.



Our main speaker, Sheri Rose Shepherd, was phenomenal. (I must admit, I almost didn't come to retreat because the description of her ministry "His Princess" sounded overly sappy and cliche. I'm so glad now I took the chance!)

What goes up must come down...

Remember how as a schoolchild, you would write something on a slip of paper, put it in a balloon, then release them all into the sky? (I don't think the environmentalists allow this anymore) I never really thought about the balloon eventually floating back down to Earth, or who might find my little note.

Apparently, a fisherman in Japan recently found just such a note, originally released fifteen years ago! You can find the original story here:

TOKYO (AFP) - A letter that a young girl in Japan sent into the sky in a balloon some 15 years ago has been found on a fish hauled from 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) below the Pacific.

A fisherman found the still legible piece of paper sitting on a sticky flatfish in his catch on Thursday, along with a torn-off string and the fragment of a red balloon.

He opened the folded paper, discovering it was a handwritten letter from a six-year-old girl at an elementary school in Kawasaki, 150 kilometres (93 miles) away from where the fish was caught off Choshi port.

The sender, Natsumi Shirahige, and her friends released letters as part of events to mark the school's 120th anniversary, which was in 1993.

"Our school is 120 years old... If you pick up this letter, please write to me," the letter reads, listing the school's address.

The 52-year-old fisherman said the letter was a nice surprise.

"I've been in fishing for a long time but this is unbelievable," the smiling man told the Asahi television network.

Shirahige, now a 21-year-old university student, said: "I can't get over the wonder of how the letter survived 15 years. I never expected I'd get a reply this way."

Statistically Speaking

I've just begun a new Seminary class on Pastoral Counseling. It's an intensive course, consisting of four all-day class meetings as opposed to six or eight short ones spread over the semester. So these last two days, I've been in class from 9-4:30.

It's been pretty painless, since the prof gives us a break pretty much every hour. And the material has been really interesting so far. We've delved into reasons for pastors to counsel, obstacles they encounter, and dangers that loom over them. We've also begun to work on counseling skills like tracking a conversation and asking good questions.

Along the way, our prof shared with us a number of interesting statistics. I'd like to pass them on here. I don't claim these prove anything, nor do I vouch for their accuracy. But our prof is kind of a research nut, so the numbers are probably pretty good. So read these over, and let the wild conjecture begin!

- 25% of people in the world today live in cities. In 25 years, that number will increase to 75%.

- 3000 books are published daily in the U.S.

- The amount of printed information in the U.S. doubles every 8 years.

- There is more information presented in one week of the New York Times than you would encounter in a lifetime in 1850.

- The ten most popular jobs in 2010 will not have existed in 2004.

- 80% of all health problems in the U.S. are caused by lifestyle (nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking, etc.)

- 1 out of every 8 marriages in the U.S. began on the internet.

- 1 in 10 Americans will experience a severe depression this year.

- 1 in 2 Americans will experience a major mental health issue in their lifetime.

- In a survey of American clergy, only 13% said they felt prepared for the counseling needs of their congregation. 85% wanted more training in counseling.

- Only 2 professions are equally distributed across America: teacher and pastor. There may not be a doctor within 100 miles, but there's always a school and a church.

- Your liklihood of having an affair as a psychologist is 3-5%. Your liklihood of having an affair as a pastor is 15%.

Isn't Christmas Over Yet?

Since Katherine's gone to a women's retreat this weekend, I thought I'd put in a little work to keep the dust off of the blog. To get thngs rolling, I need to do a little venting.

I've been making a fair number of trips to Starbucks lately, and my drink of choice is the grande brewed coffee. It's cheap, it's delicious, and it meets my needs. Also, I enjoy the great variety of coffee blends: Cafe Verona, Yukon, etc. They're all delicious.

So here's the problem. I am perhaps the only person on Earth who dislikes the Starbucks Christmas Blend. I find it too citrusy to be considered real coffee. Thus, the yuletide, that special time of year when the Christmas Blend reemerges, is for me marked with inferior coffee. I am always thrilled when the Christmas Blend disappears back into the shadows, making way for far superior blends.

Today is the 26th day of January, 2008. So why is it that, on this very day, at two different Starbucks locations, I was offered the Christmas blend? It's not Christmas, is it? In fact, it's nearly February. And yet, I'm made to suffer at the hands of crappy coffee. Is there no justice? Must I drink decaf? ACK!!

I thank the Almighty for the advent of Casi Ciello, a full-bodied and rich coffee Starbucks is pushing this month.

So mark my words: if I ever become Supreme Dictator of the Universe, my first decree will be that Christmas Blend must disappear on December 26th. Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

Knittin' Wizards

I've got my next project all picked out. It has to do with a book I've been eyeing a long time (over two years), and finally brought home with me. The book is:




Isn't that cute? Unfortunately, I can only work on one project at a time, so I had to pass up this one:



...which is a real shame, because who doesn't need their very own knitted wand cozy?

And the nominees are...

Wow, I'm really on a roll with posts about movies. Well, I won't apologize. The nominations for the 80th Annual Academy Awards have just been released. Which means, it's time for Gary and I to pursue our annual tradition of seeing every film nominated for best picture. (Movies in italics are ones we've already seen) Let the games begin!

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Achievement in Directing

Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

"Just so you know, people who have seen this movie have complained about motion sickness..."

So, G-Dub and I went to see the movie Cloverfield last night, and
I. Loved. It.

Here's why:

Firstly, it's so rare nowadays that movies maintain any semblance of mystery- usually a trailer gives away so much, there's no point in going to see the movie because you already know what happens. With Cloverfield, pretty much all I knew going in was that it was a New York City disaster movie... what else would anyone need to know? (Hence my lack of specifics below, should any of you be planning to go out and see it)

Secondly, this movie is different than your typical disaster flick- it's a dizzying thriller which deals less in fakey effects, and more in the real fear of trying to survive in the midst of the unknown. It gives you just enough disaster to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it doesn't indulge itself with too much gore and cross over into campiness. It's a movie that makes you ask, "what would I do?"

Thirdly, I appreciate that the story is told through a unique perspective, which really captures the humanity of the main characters and brings a freshness to the storytelling. Though the erratic motion of handheld video can be dizzying and frustrating at times (for some, to the point of inducing motion sickness... not in our theatre, fortunately), there is a heightened sense of panic and immediacy, as you join the characters in their quest for survival.

Though I doubt this movie will be up for any Oscar nominations, its a perfect movie for anyone looking for a good popcorn flick to see with their buddies. My only recommendation? Don't see it alone.

Movie Night!

Where can you go for a fun, safe & free movie?

COME TO FAIR OAKS MOVIE NIGHT!

Invite your friends and family - it's not only a great reason to come together, but is also an outreach to our community.

This Saturday, January 26th, from 7-9:00 pm at the Fair Oaks Worship Center.

Facing The Giants

Never give up. Never back down. Never lose faith! After six consecutive losing seasons, high school football coach Grant Taylor believes things can't get any worse. He's wrong. With fear and failure seemingly defeating him at every turn, the downtrodden coach and husband turns to God in broken desperation. Trusting that God can somehow do the impossible, Coach Taylor and his Shiloh Christian Eagles soon discover how faith plays out on the field...and off.

Facing The Giants is the movie that reminded us all that with God, nothing is impossible. Isn't it time to relive all of the big-game excitement as faith and football collide in this feel-good hit of the season? Or better yet, experience it for the first time!

Rating - NR

For directions, click here.

Kenya Update - Violence continues in the slums

Kenya's continued descent into chaos leaves me sickened and numb. I am frustrated that a country could let go of democracy so easily. I am afraid for my friends, most of whom live in Kibera, the center of much of the violence. I pray to God that He would intervene and bring peace to this nation before things get any worse.

Of the 23 countries we visited during our 2006 mission trip, Kenya was the only place that I cried when I left. I felt so at home there. I loved the people so much. I constantly dream of going back, and now I fear that the place I loved so deeply will be damaged so badly as to be unrecognizable.

I am so grateful and relieved that I have been able to remain in contact with our dear Pastor Mike. He sent me the following e-mail this morning. Though things are still very bad, I am grateful that He and our other pastor friends are alive.

"I thank God for His protection, I had been a hard moment in our country especially the days for mass action. Kibera was the worst place. I saw many people dying with the life bullet and tear gas.

We were just in our houses and very hard to get food because going out to look for food was impossible, those who died in kibera yesterday should be more than twenty and in hospitals is a great number.

I know one day God shall bring peace in kenya. Continue praying for us here in kenya, life is not easy food is so costly and the money is not enough but I thank God for the life for we are still safe. Pastor Jackson and Pastor Levi are also protected with the blood of Jesus we thank God for that. Pastor Mike"

Please continue to pray for Kenya, that the government would get things under control quickly. I can't imagine the country moving forward peacefully without a re-election. Pray that the violence would cease and that the 250,000 displaced people would have safety, shelter, food, and medicine. Pray that the police would bring order, and not provoke more violence by harming innocent people.

If you would like to help, you can donate money to provide food for the hungry in Kibera; you can give through the Adventures in Missions ministry by clicking here.

On the Road Again...

Hallelujah! After two long months of being chauffered like an antsy 15 year old, I've finally dragged my butt down to the DMV, waited in all the lines, filled out all the forms, and got a replacement for my expired drivers license.

If you've been following this blog, you may remember the timely moment that I was informed my license had expired - while trying to get through security at the SFO airport.

After that memorable experience, I went to the DMV website, printed out an application, filled it out and mailed it in. When I called to check on it, I was told that it was being processed and should hear back soon. This week, my application was returned to me in the mail, with a short note indicating I would have to come in to the DMV office, pay a fee, and take any necessary tests. Argh. I could have had my license weeks ago if they hadn't teased me with that unacceptable form...

Anyways, I am happy to report that no tests, written or driving, were deemed necessary (huge sigh of relief here). In a few short weeks, I will be getting a new license complete with updated picture, address, and weight (ack). Until then, I'm not letting my temporary driving papers out of my sight!

So, consider yourself warned to stay off the sidewalk... I'm back on the road!

The Power of Prayer

So many times, I feel that I don't even bother to pray because I don't expect the miraculous. I do desire to grow in my faith and reliance on God, so it's important to remind myself of God's power and the ways I've seen him work in my life as well as in the lives of those around me.

This encouraged me, and I hope it will encourage you as well: an incredible testimony from some of my South African friends:

God is doing amazing things in our schools!

The other day, there was a big UCSA Praise and Worship meeting at Jacques' school. Just before they started, Jacques noticed one of the students who is very involved in occult practices. He knew she had probably come to the meeting to bring disruption, and just prayed softly in his heart that Jesus would "knock her of her feet" during the praise and worship.

Well, the meeting went well, but a couple of minutes afterwards, the office of the school sent a message to Jacques that he must please come to the office immediately to help carry a girl who could not walk. When Jacques reached the office, there was this girl! Her legs couldn't move!!! :-)

No one knew about the prayer, but I'm sure that girl knew that Someone with greater power than her at touched her. The school immediately took her to see a doctor, and the doctor could find NOTHING WRONG with her! (medically speaking) She was able to walk again soon afterwards, but her whole attitude has changed towards Jacques and his ministry! God is so faithful!

When we least expect it, He shows up and does the Xtraordinary!

Now, that's what I call melon carving!

Where on earth does one learn to do this?






(This last one is a Japanese Crane and Tortoise)

Survey: Non-attendees find faith outside church

For Christians, this should be an interesting and challenging article, from last Wednesday's USA TODAY.

Some of these statistics really astounded me. It seems that so many people believe in God, and are willing to discuss issues of faith with their friends, but are not interested in visiting a church to pursue their faith. As a life-long churchgoer, I am astonished that this reality has been virtually ignored by church leaders.

Here are some highlights of the article:

A new survey of U.S. adults who don't go to church, even on holidays, finds 72% say "God, a higher or supreme being, actually exists." But just as many (72%) also say the church is "full of hypocrites."

Indeed, 44% agree with the statement "Christians get on my nerves."

Most of the unchurched (86%) say they believe they can have a "good relationship with God without belonging to a church." And 79% say "Christianity today is more about organized religion than loving God and loving people."

"These outsiders are making a clear comment that churches are not getting through on the two greatest commandments," to love God and love your neighbor, says Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. "When they look at churches … they don't see people living out the faith."

But despite respondents' critical views of organized religion, Stetzer is optimistic. He cites the finding that 78% would "be willing to listen" to someone tell "what he or she believed about Christianity."

And 71% agreed that "believing in Jesus makes a positive difference in a person's life."

"What surprised me is the openness of the hard-core unchurched to the message of God and Christianity — just not as expressed in church," Stetzer says.

New forms of community, such as Internet Bible study and prayer circles, also mean some people don't believe they need a church, Goff says.

"So much of American religion today is therapeutic in approach, focused on things you want to fix in your life," he says. "The one-to-one approach is more attractive. People don't go to institutions to fix their problems.

"The question for evangelism now is: Do you have a take that is authentic and engaging in a way that works for the unchurched?"

By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Whooooooooo are you? Who? Who?

We use a tool called Site Meter to monitor the daily traffic of visitors to our blog. Though we can't see WHO they are, we can see how many people visit each page, and where they are located.

Here's a fun graph that shows the locations of this blog's visitors:


I'd love to know who's out there, so if you are reading this, I invite you to take a second to answer a few of these questions in the comment section:

1. Who are you?
2. How did you find this blog?
3. Are you a regular reader?
4. Do you have your own blog? If so, please leave a link to your URL.
5. Do you have any topics you'd like me to blog about?
6. What is one fun factoid about yourself?

Dedicated Ditchers

This story about a Mexican boy who glued himself to his bed in order to avoid going to school, reminded me of Jacques, one of our teammates on the World Race.

Our South African friend had apparently hated school as a young child, and would do whatever he could do in order to stay home. One of his favorite routines was to fake a headache or stomachache, and stay home sick.

During one of his "episodes", his parents became so concerned that they took him to the hospital. Rather than admit his deception, Jacques continued to put on the act of an ill child for the doctors. He was so convincing, the doctors believed that he must have had an appendicitis, and sent him in for surgery!

So, they sent him in, put him under, and yanked out a perfectly healthy appendix. All this, so Jacques could avoid a couple days of school! Now, that's impressive!

ht: YS Update

Choices

I took a stroll through my neighborhood this week, to soak in a little bit of sunshine while I still could, and to test out one of my Christmas presents.

As I examined my neighborhood through the viewfinder of my new digital camera, I realized just how much attitude depends on perspective. Depending on my focus, I can experience a situation a variety of different ways.

Looking at the stream that cuts through our neighborhood, I can focus on the ugly trash, or the the beautiful flower. They are both reality... but which will my gaze be drawn to?














Do I bemoan the rubbish, or revel in the magnificent?













Do I look left, or right?












Why is it, that when I'm walking down a path, I can choose to fix my gaze on the scenery that delights me, but as I journey through life, it's so hard to hold on to the moments of joy? How can I learn to not get caught up in the rubbish, the things I wish were different, without resorting to blind denial?

My desire for this coming year is to fully live out Philippians 4:8 -

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Ouch!

Last Sunday, during our high school small group time, I had the following unfortunate conversation:

9th grade boy: "Check out this song on my ipod - it's by the Cranberries."

Me: "The Cranberries?" (As in, hmmm, 9th grade kids are now loading the Cranberries on their ipods?)

Him: "Yeah, they're Irish." (As in, I assume you've never heard of them)

Me: Oh, I know. I was just thinking how that takes me back to high school."

Him: "Yeah. I have old music."

Dang... I guess I walked right into that one.

Help our Kenyan brothers

Adventures in Missions is accepting donations for those who would like to help those trying to get food in the wake of the recent violence in Kenya. They recently posted the following information here on their website:

Kenya Update 2008: Election turns violent but you can help

The latest news out of Kenya is that over 300 have died and 70,000 have been displaced in the wake of a flawed election. Please help us reach out to the poor who are most affected with a donation to help us buy food for the orphans in the slum of Kibera. Any money you give will be wired directly to our base to buy food.

Click here to give.

The country’s economy has shut down and most neighbors at our Kibera base simply have no food to eat – the situation is dire and they are desperate. Alex is an example. He is a close Kenyan friend of ours who was shot in the uproar and languishes in a hospital with minimal care.

Our Kenyan staff has asked God what he would have us do and they feel that he wants us to help provide food and share the love of Christ in tangible ways. Yesterday some of the poor in our neighborhood were able to buy a few small vegetables at a very inflated price. Those in the slum who already struggle to get food on a daily basis are suffering the most.

When we buy food, we work with local pastors to distribute it to those in the worst condition. There are a few staging areas beginning to develop and two have been identified thus far that we are going to try and fund.

Please help bring hope to this horrible situation.

Here’s how you can give.

E-mail from Pastor Mike

I am excited and relieved to have finally heard directly from one of our Kenyan Pastors. Pastor Mike says:

Hey friends,

Thank you for your continue praying for our country kenya I know God is going to entervin and soon we are going to have peace that we have been having.

It has been a hard time for us for the houses we have been seeing them being burned all over the country, people being killed, looting taking place to the most of the shops and house. Toi market was burned, it is very hard to buy food, we also don`t have shops to buy things, we sometimes go to town,. We don`t sleep at night for we are to protect our property from looting. The security is not good it has forced us to do the protection at night. I normally sleep at midnight or at 2.00 am.

I thank God and you for your prayers and also God`s protection.

God bless you. Please pray for kenya.

Pastor Mike

It's raining cats, dogs, and iguanas...

It's an unusual time for Californians. We're experiencing a phenomenon not unknown in other regions of the country. Yes, it appears winter has revealed itself.

Water is dumping from the heavens, gusts of wind are beating upon us (in some regions up to 150 mph), there are power outages, airport closures, blizzards, and ocean swells.

Of course, we haven't seen nothing like the USA Today report on Florida:

"At Bill Baggs Cape Florida state park in Key Biscayne, iguanas were falling out of trees Thursday. The cold-blooded reptiles go into a sort of hibernation when temperatures get too low, even if they are perched in branches. Most woke up again when it got warmer later in the day."

Iguanas falling from the trees? Now that's cold.

Praise God

From Kayla Phillips' blog:

Kenya: No rally on Thursday

I spoke with Michelle this morning and she informed me of what happened in Kenya earlier today. The million man march that Raila (opposition leader) had called for was not successful in convening at Uhuru park. The police stood their ground in surrounding the venue and allowed noone in. Thousands of people were kept in Kibera by military police blocking the routes out of the slum. Despite the supposed "shoot to kill" order, the military police only shot into the air above the protesters and used water cannons to disperse the crowds. They played a game of cat and mouse all day trying to subdue the crowds until finally at 4pm the police left Kibera. Some groups within Kibera responded with more violence, mostly burning homes, shops, and churches. Michelle said the news is only reporting one death today from the police/rioters conflict.

Slumdwellers from Kibera were held back, but those from a neighboring slum, Kwangaware poured into the streets towards town causing much damage. Several businesses along Ngong Road where our apartments are were torched and destroyed. The rioters were not able to get in the gate where our apartments are located, thanks to an electrical fence surrounding the area.

Amidst all the violence, I suppose it could have been a lot worse today if the rally had happened, although many Kenyans think otherwise. The popular opinion is that if the rally is allowed, the violence will diminish. The protesting people are not able to see anything happening for change and they are desperate. They do not feel heard and that seems to be the cry behind the rally. Within the crowds people chanted "put down the stones" to other protesters. The cry for peace is deafening.

Both political sides are still standing their ground and the word is that Raila has called for another go at the rally tomorrow (Friday). Political figures from all over Africa and the world are now conversing with the leaders of Kenya in hopes of somehow restoring order and peace in the land.

There are videos and stories all over the web if you're interested in learning more. This video I found this morning was one of the most recent ones put online:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7160000/newsid_7169900/7169928.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Thank you for continuing in prayer covering Kenya. We stand strong with our brothers and sisters trusting that our God is Mighty to save!

Kenya Update

From Denise Roberts, Adventures in Missions staff. The Pastor Mike she mentions below is the pastor we worked with when we were in Kibera. We spent time in his home and attended his baby girl's birthday party.

I called Pastor Humphrey the pastor of Toi Calvary tonight as I'd seen pictures on BBC of Toi market having been burnt down and wanted to let him know we were praying for him and his church. He reports: "The church is still standing." What!? I saw the pictures. I know the church is in the middle of Toi market. How is that possible. "They tried to burn it with fire but fire can't burn it". Mind you, this church is made of nothing different from the surrounding stalls that have been reduced to rubble: tin, plastic and wood.

Ten families from the church have had their homes and all their posessions burnt or looted but "No one has lost their life. Even the small children are all safe." "Only God we depend on." He asks for prayer for the families who have lost their possessions and homes and for peace but sees this as "the Lord taking over".

The next phone call was to Pastor George the project manager of our school. He also asked for peace and echoed every person I talked to tonight: there is no food in Kibera. He asked for special prayers for a planned rally on Thursday where those backing Raila are asking for 1,000,000 people to march. George's thoughts on it: "Many people will die." We are asking for you to gather with friends and be in fervent prayer for Kenya from 6pm Wednesday night to 6 pm on Thursday. Fast if you are able. Call your Church's prayer chain. Have friends over for a prayer meeting. We need to actively be on our knees before the throne for peace to be restored. Please email and let us know you will join us in this: deniseisinkenya@yahoo.com

I also spoke with Eva who is seeing that they are okay with food today but has just heard that her father, upcountry, is extremely sick and is obviously unable to go to be with him.

I spoke with Francis who we help with schooling and he reports that he and his family and neighbors haven't slept much since December 26th when the chaos began. They are also in fear of their houses being looted or burned and have no food. They also live in fear knowing that many people have been killed in their area.

Pastor Mike again echoes that there is no food. All the shops on Olympic and in most of Kibera have been looted and burned. People tried to come into his house as they were going house to house killing Kikuyu but he was able to explain that he's not Kikuyu and they were satisfied and left (God alone!). He is hopeful that the US Ambassador and the British Prime Minister are now going to meet with Raila and Kibaki and work on a solution.

That is the report for now. Keep praying. There is much fear. But there is also a feeling that God is in control and He alone can right this situation and quell the chaos.

Again, please join us in active prayer from Wed. 6pm to Thursday 6pm for peace to be restored, tribal tensions to ease, safety for all our friends and loved ones and special protection for our Kikuyu friends who are at special risk.

God is in control and "Loves Kenya so much" (to quote Pastor Mike).

Pray for Kenya

While we are enjoying a lazy New Years holiday, many on the other side of the world are fearing for their lives.

The recent election in Kenya was an opportunity for Kenya's first peaceful transition of power since gaining independence from Britain in 1963. Kenyan voters became suspicious when Odinga, sitting president Kibaki's challenger, lost an initial lead of hundreds of thousands of votes. The US, Britain, and EU have withheld congratulations to Kibaki due to concern regarding 'voting irregularities'.

Unfortunately, concern gave way to anger and violence as mobs took out their frustration along tribal lines. According to the AP, "Kibaki's Kikuyu people comprise the largest ethnic group in Kenya and are frequently accused by other tribes of monopolizing business and political power. Chief among the critics are members of another major tribe, the Luo. The president's rival, Raila Odinga, is a Luo." At this point, over 250 people are said to have been killed, including at least thirty burned to death while seeking refuge inside a church.

As an American, it's difficult to understand the desperation that comes from a lifetime of poverty and tribal tension. While Kenyans should certainly have the right to express their need for a fair election, it's heartbreaking to see people turn on one another to the point of killing the innocent.

Our church has a missionary family inside Kenya at this time, they wrote me to say:

"We are about 45 minutes to one hour from Nairobi... We are in the bush a bit so we are safe and it is quiet here but we know people whose families have been affected... The stores are closed and there are a lot of people who are feeling desperate. Please pray for a quick resolution to this situation. Our daughter was suppose to head off to school today but they have postponed everything until the 7th and we are praying there will be peace by then. This is something God needs to deal with. Thanks for your prayers. Pray specifically for the Slums areas where a lot of the violence is happening."

Please pray for a swift and fair political resolution, as well as provision and safety for those stuck without food and water.

You can read more about the story here, here, or here.