Looking back is always good…

it makes us appreciate how far we have come with relationships, and adjusting to a totally different culture.  But most importantly we can look back and see all that the Lord has provided for us, and in ways we never expected.  We can also see how much the Lord has taken away from us, and in ways that don’t line up with our logical thinking. Does God love us less when things don’t go our way?  NOPE – he loves us more then we can ever imagine, and so He is just simply putting us back on track when we get derailed.

We have loved watching the boys grow and learn so many new and different things, and how much our worldview has changed and widened. I believe, if we aren’t growing, and learning new things and exercising our minds in new ways, and constantly pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones – we become stagnate and worthless for the kingdom.

I got pulled over yesterday at a traffic stop and the women instructed me to, “activate my hooter…..”  I thought that was a very odd request, and really, what did it mean?!?  I really thought she was saying to “turn on my water” – which would also make absolutely no sense…but as I continued to smile and look at her as if she had just landed from another planet, she reached into the car and tooted the horn a few times and said, “this is activating your hooter!!”

Like I said before, always learning new things…….

On another note, we still haven’t heard anything from the city in regards to the extra lot, but we are continuing to move forward.  The chess board was completed this past week, Meshack and many others worked hard to level the ground, lay the tiles and install a cement boarder to hold it in place.  Rob was able to work with men in the community to install a patio area at the front entrance of the church, a great outreach opportunity.  Lastly, a group from the UK were here and able to get the new jungle gym assembled.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being a part of giving this community and these children a safe place to play and an opportunity to hear about God’s glory.

A few prayer request:

• If the extra lot is in God’s plan for Ext. 23 – for us to get it.
• As we continue to work with the local community, that they see their need for Christ.
• To find 2 people that would be willing to help with the ‘after-school’ program that we would like to start January 2017.
• The on-going discipleship with men and women in Ext. 23.

Below is a short clip (sorry – the lighting is a bit off) of all that is currently happening at Ext. 23.  Less than a week after the jungle gym was installed, Rob caught a glimpse of Nathi playing with the kids, and stood in amazement at how many little ones were there.  May they all come to know the Lord, and see their need to be a change in their own community.