Purchased Airline Tickets Today

It is amazing how much anxiety I feel when we go to purchase airline tickets for our trip. First, there is the nearly $ 1,500 per person that I am putting on my personal credit card. Then, I think about how this really locks us in. It is no longer just a thought and plan. We are now committed because we have spent the money. It also reminds me that I need to get busy and get my support letter written. I am always amazed at how God provides for the financial support a trip like this requires. I am grateful to my employer, Qwest, that not only gives me the paid time off, but also supports my efforts by sending a $ 1,000.00 check to Grace Commu nity Church.

Since October is Ministry Appreciation Month, I would like to share an exerpt from Roy Lessin, the founder of DaySpring.

God has called each of us to serve Him in the place He has us. In His eyes we all have a ministry. Many serve him in a local church through a variety of ministries such as music, teaching, youth work, or by being a part of the church staff. Other serve on the mission field, on the job, at school, or at home.

God knows you and He knows your heart desires to serve Him. You are someone that He will use to make a difference to share his love, and to touch the hearts of others. What has qualified you for this high privilege of being used by Him? Is it talents, your personality, your education, your influence, or your resume? It is none of these; rather, it is the response of your heart toward Him. God is always searching for those whose hearts are yielded to Him so that He can work mightily through them.

Sometimes we can be led to think that God's work is dependent upon us, upon what we do, and upon what we know. The truth is that God wants us to be totally dependent upon Him. He is the Treasure, we are the vessels; He is Vine, we are the branches; He is the Living Water, we are the channels through which He flows.

The apostle Peter was someone who needed to learn this important truth. Jesus taught him the futility of trying to get results through his own efforts by allowing him, an expert fisherman, to labor all night and come up empty. Afterward when He followed Jesus' word to cast out into the deep, Peter pulled in a catch that was beyond his dreams.

As His servant, remember that your ministry is His idea and not yours. He is the One who knows you, who has called you, and who has equipped you to serve Him. Remain true, remain faithful, remain restful, and remain totally dependent upon Him.

God is not looking for those who are clever, but for those in whom He can be wise; He is not looking for those who are talented, but for those to whom He can be all sufficient; He is not looking for those who are powerful, but for those through whom He can be almighty.

So it is my prayer that God will encourage you today as you faithfully serve Him, and the He will use you to bring encouragement to others in a special way during this Ministry Appreciation Month.

Come join a team from College Park, Faith Missionary, and Grace Community churches as we travel to Kenya to serve the students at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). This team will be teaching computer classes to the students, faculty, and families of NEGST. Additonally, we will be providing a VBS for the children of NEGST students. The day care facility located on the campus also serves as an outreach to many of the local orphans and underserved children in Karen, Kenya.

This trip with also include homestays with families from Nairobi Penecostal and Nairobi Chapel Churches. We will also include trips to ministries in the area such as Beacon of Hope, St. Luke's card ministry, and the Tuamini clinics located in the Kibera slums.

We will wrap up the trip with a 3 day, 2 night safari at the Masai Mari game park on the Kenya/Tanzania border.

You can check out the comments from the previous trip at http://kenya06.blogspot.com/.

Interested? Contact Phil Arnold at parnoldfam@insightbb.com or Ed Fischer at 304-257-1108 or edwin.fischer@qwest.com.

Adventures for 2008

This past weekend we started promotion for our upcoming short term mission trip to Kenya to teach computer skills and provide a Vacation Bible School for the students and children at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology(NEGST). As a trip leader, you are always anxious, yet hopeful that God will lay it on the hearts of many to join this team as we go to Africa and serve those who will be a part of the future African church. Since I work in the Information Technology field, it is exciting to be able to travel to Africa and help the students of NEGST learn to use technology to help spread the gospel. Even more importantly, I look forward to renewing the relationships I have developed over the years in my travels to Kenya. I also look forward to experiencing first hand how organizations like KIVA (kiva.org) have used micro-enterprise loans to help Kenyans become self sufficient. I think this is the beginning of a great movement related to "Kingdom Business" where people from the United States use their resources to help Africans become financially independent. This also is an important tool in helping ministers launch new churches in this part of Africa where many new Christians are hearing the Word and becoming Believers.

I look forward to our return to the Masai Mari for a safari. I was amazed as I reviewed our safari pictures from our last trip. I trust that God will bring together a team that is just as motivated as I am to help enable His Word to be preached thoughout Africa. This trip is always the highlight of my year and I always look forward to how it "transforms my life and my priorities". It is truly a blessing to be able to be involved with such an important work.

ed fischer