Hi all,
I’ll start with some personal news. Chris’ bathroom issue at the group home day program has been resolved, and much faster than they have acted on things in the past – thank you for your prayers!
For me, my pacemaker battery alarm has alerted me it needs replaced. It sounds like a London police siren in my upper chest. My cardiologist told me 6 months ago the battery was getting low, and that probably sometime in October the alarm would sound it needed replaced. He said to call them when it happened to schedule the outpatient surgery. He was so relaxed about it!
So there Chris and I sat in the car at 10:59am last Friday, when suddenly from my upper chest I hear the loud sound of a London police siren blaring for 30 seconds. I’m glad traffic wasn’t moving at that moment, which was the Lord’s timing, or I would have pulled over to let the emergency vehicle pass, lol.
Chris was looking around for an ambulance to pray for, then when I realized what it was and told him, he asked so tenderly: “Are you okay dad?”
The next day, Saturday morning again at 10:59am I was shocked to hear the London siren again. I didn’t know it would repeat as it is rather hard to ignore. But wait, there’s more: Sunday morning in house church it went off – they could hear it in the next room. When I called the cardiologist’s office Monday they explained it goes off daily because their experience has been that ‘old people’ often forget the alarm sounded if it only sounds 1 day – so it was set as a daily reminder. I didn’t think I was THAT old, but I guess they thought I knew. lol
So sometime between November 5 and 20th I will have not just the battery, but the whole pacemaker replaced – yes, they replace the whole thing in the latest example of planned obsolescence. It is a simple procedure, but still a minor surgery. Thank you for your prayers.
There are several other things to cover in this newsletter:
You’ll notice the Zoom meetings planned in mid-November announced above. Also, this month’s audio teaching on the 7 churches sets the stage for next month’s study on The Revelation. The messages to the 7 churches are full of customs and cultural clues, that really help explain what Jesus said and why He said what He did to them – and it is just as relevant to us today.
You can also see above some of the amazing things happening in Kenya with the KWOWI (Kids Without Walls International) kids, what a blessing, thank you sponsors! In Uganda, with over 400 house churches, there are many children needing care, thus KWOWI was formed 2 years ago. All the children KWOWI cares for have been designated by Social Services as being at high risk.
From KWOWI Director Valerie:
In Uganda the children have attended a school that our main leaders Edward, Margret, and their team started as these kids had no other opportunity to attend school. Sixty orphans are living at the school full-time, while 140 more attend the school every day and walk to and from their home, which is often quite some distance. It has been life-changing for each and every child and family, as many of them had no other means of attending school.
However, it has become evident that the school is not sustainable in terms of the current facility (1 bathroom for all those children, for example), government regulations, economics, and time capacity of our Ugandan leaders. Their system is patterned after the English boarding school system, as they were once a colony of Great Britain, so we are making changes accordingly.
Between now and January 1, they will transition from the 1 building to 2 dormitories (1 for boys, 1 for girls) fully capable of sleeping all 200 children. The children living in the dorms will receive 2 meals a day, medical care, bedding, and clothing, which is lacking in most homes. We have even had parents come to Edward and Margret asking KWOWI take their children as they don’t have food or money to care for them. So this will be a huge blessing for many families. They will be cared for by a matron for girls, and a patron for boys, and will be protected by a security guard.
All the sponsored children will begin attending government-run schools in January, returning to their dorms in the evening. All the sponsored kids will have Bible Studies and community time at the dorms each weekend. The older kids will receive vocational training skills so they have marketable skills when they graduate school.
There are many 1 time expenses to make this move between now and January 1, roughly $7000. That includes everything from building bunk beds and buying bedding for those beds, to bathroom and other supplies.
Because of the great need, we have been caring for 30 unsponsored children who are awaiting sponsors. So we are looking for sponsors for those 30 Ugandan children so that no child is turned away come January, as we must limit our care to just sponsored children.
If you would like to sponsor a child or donate towards this cause, please donate on http://www.KWOWI.org, or on www.cwowi.org with a note for the Uganda transition.
Thank you to each and every sponsor who has given so faithfully over the past 2 years. These kids lives are being transformed, and we are very hopeful for this new season in KWOWI Uganda.
Socialism can be delayed, but…
Some of you will remember that I’ve shared this before: I felt a different spirit attached to the presidential race between John Kerry and George Bush back in 2004. When I asked the Father what spirit that was, He said: “It is the spirit of socialism. It can be delayed, but it won’t be stopped.” I asked where it came from, and He said: “It came from Europe, for there are those in this country who think this nation should be like Europe. But that’s not what I’ve called this nation to.”
That means this US election is about either delaying what is coming, or opening the door to fully let it in. We are told to “Pray for kings and all in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.” I Timothy 2:2. That’s really all we want – that we Christians may live quiet and peaceful lives in godliness and honesty. All over the world for Christians, that is getting more difficult to do.
But more than that, we must first look daily into our hearts to what the Lord is asking us to do. Whatever decisions before us, the God decision will be the one leading us into a greater depth of adding to our faith knowledge, moral excellence, consistency, self-control, godliness, and agape’ love. (II Peter 1: 3-8)
We can’t be looking ‘out there’ so much that we lose sight of our daily walk with Him in the things that matter. The word disciple means ‘learner’, ‘pupil’, ‘student’. When we decided to become a disciple of Jesus, we signed up for a life time of learning, changing, growing. Paul wrote the Philippians in 1:6: “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion to the day of the Jesus Christ.”
We should not create a stumbling block for Him within us as He continues His work inside us, by ignoring what He is asking us to do today. If we continually look ‘out there’ for news about tomorrow, while ignoring Him within, we only hurt ourselves. Get that peace in your spirit, let your mind focus on that peace.
Be informed yes. But let Him be your news source – if you hear fearful news with your ears, measure that against His presence in your spirit – feel that peace? That peace means He has it under control, and you can be at peace. So know what is going on, but let the Lord’s peace be the umpire in your hearts and minds.
Thank you for your prayers for our family.
Thank you for your financial support
We appreciate you and pray for you.
John & Barb, Brian & Amy
