(August 2008 prayer letter)
Laura and I are brushing up on our Krio as we prepare for our trip. There are just about two weeks until we head back to Sierra Leone. We leave on August 21st and return on September 4th. We’re extremely excited and nervous for this trip. Pastor Menyongar, who we continue to work with, sent us a list of ministry opportunities Change One can engage in, so we have several options for new projects. As of right now, we have completed a water well project, two bathroom/latrine projects, and we have 9 micro-loans for small business under way. The possibilities for this trip include another latrine project, more micro-loans, school sponsorships for children, and/or helping with materials such as desks and benches for the grade school Pastor Menyongar has started. We had originally hoped for a short medical team to come with us, but have decided to postpone it until next year when we can have more time. We are praying about spending 2-3 months in Freetown next summer which will allow for more opportunities for medical missionaries, teachers, and pastors to come. Please keep us in your prayers for God’s guidance as we make decisions for this trip and future plans for Change One.
This will be an important trip for us. It will be Laura’s first trip back since we finished our work with Word Made Flesh. Along with visiting the completed projects we are hoping to spend a lot of time with our friends and the children that we ministered among while we lived there. Because our leave from the field 2 years ago was rather abrupt, we still feel there is a need for time spent healing those relationships.
This is a busy and exciting time for us. Just a few months ago Laura had a much needed surgery to correct some health issues she has struggled with for a very long time. She is still in the process of healing and we are hoping that over time her condition will be completely healed. So far the Lord has provided almost all of the $50,000 surgery costs. Also, Laura has been working on a bill in the State of Ohio that would create an emergency alert system (similar to the Amber Alert system), for missing elderly and mentally impaired individuals. This new alert system went into effect in June.
As for me, I recently finished my Bachelor’s degree at Ohio State and have been accepted as a Graduate Teaching Associate at OSU while I work on my Master’s in Religious Studies. It is an incredible honor and blessing from the Lord. The university will be paying my tuition and giving me a quarterly stipend as I teach classes in world religions and religious diversity in America. Only 6-12 people are accepted annually out of approximately 200 applicants and even less get to teach. It is a great opportunity and we thank God for it.
We appreciate all of your prayers and support for us in this time. Please pray for us as we make decisions on our trip for Change One’s next direction, as well as safe travel and on time flights. Also please pray for Laura’s continued healing. We will send out an update as soon as we return. Any donations you would like to make would be extremely helpful. We would be able to use anything we receive by August 19th.
Thank you again for your prayers. They are truly what guide and move forward the work of God’s kingdom. We look forward to telling you some amazing stories and sharing pictures when we return.
Blessings,
Keith and Laura
Change One International Ministries
No comments:
Post a Comment