Update December 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

 
We are finishing up this year’s annual Eastern Africa Regional Conference. It has been really an amazing time. 2 Corinthians - God's Grace is Sufficient - Paul mourns over the corruption going on in Corinth and writes of how he rebukes them for Christ. Paul wants us to remember, in our daily strife we need to continue to yield fully to the Gospel - keeping our focus on the investment Jesus made for us by giving His all for me at the cross. Felt like a slap in the face - how we choose to let our weariness take over our life. Also there were workshops - one on 'being a disciple' - another slap - just loving others isn't enough we need to disciple them to be disciples. We need to be more available to share God's truth.
 

Well we are comforted by this time of refreshment and teaching - meeting people from all over Kenya and Tanzania - learning how the 'real missionaries' face struggles and have victories for the gospel all at once. How when we are weakened enough we are more accepting of God's Grace. It is a great encouragement to see this reality in life. Not just assuming we are the only ones feeling discouraged and weary.

 

We praise God for a fantastic term with this great group of girls.  We love our dorm and feel blessed to be able to be a part of their lives. What a job we have... living life with silly, fun filled, imaginative, innocent and blessed young women. Would you pray with us as they grow in their lives, that they will grow closer to Jesus.  We desire for our bond and love for one another to grow more deeply.

 

These are our 12 Simba dorm girls, we are not welcome to share their names with you but a picture speaks a thousand  words. These are our Christmas Celebration days of cooking, crafting, decorating & making cards and gifts for them to have for their families and friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julia and her friends entered the Pinewood Derby Contest  with their hand crafted GNC mobile. You’ll have to ask  her  what it stands for??   Top secret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Requests:

 

As Paul humbled himself to ask the church for payer we too need to rely on you to remember we are in great need of your faithfulness to pray for us. So with grateful hearts, we come to you asking that you bring these prayers before Christ. 

 

  There are feeling of loneliness - being away from loved ones - just not seeing your faces   is hard,  especially when it is time to be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

    Pray for our families at home as they too live life with us in missions.

Friendships are not easily made here. You would think living in such tight community it would be so easy. But having 14 kids and all of the needs and responsibility of running Simba Dorm we face feelings of frustration and loneliness. Pray we find time over the next few weeks to be encouraged in inviting others into our lives to make some connects.

Not being with family makes it so much harder to go through the grief of losing our parents. We know to lean on the comforts of God to fill these losses but it is hard.

 This will be our first Christmas without Lizzy-no need to say more :(  Pray as Liz finishes up this school term and continues to live without us close by. Liz will be overloading her next term with 20 credit hours which will make her life extremely busy and stressful. She will be traveling to RVA in May and staying until Julia’s graduation.

   

Pray for the Simba girls - they have traveled to all parts of the world for this break; Korea, Northern Ireland, Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria Tanzania, & other parts of Kenya. One of our girls is an only child, going from 11 sisters to none & then back again is a difficult transition

 

Excited to be serving the Living God!            

Blessings to each of you this Christmas Season!

                                      

 Steve, Janine, Liz & Julia McLaverty