Tentmaking and all about Abigail
| Dear All, Thursday’s Bottom Line: Pastor Mark made it to Nairobi and has led the first of his three “Tentmaking and Ministry” seminars. Scott’s back is somewhat better. He and Hellen have arrived in Naivasha where he will do a DM seminar and BT seminar on Friday and Saturday. Hellen’s true heart is revealed in the story below. Thursday’s Prayer Requests: 1. Pastor Mark to connect well with the pastors in Juja, Kasarani, and Kitegala; his seminars to greatly encourage and challenge them. (This is Take the Challenge, after all.) 2. Scott’s next two seminars to be full of energy, information, and practical applications. 3. Continued healing for Scott’s back 4. God to prepare now the hearts of all the disciple-makers coming for the DM retreat Sunday through Tuesday. |
| Thursday’s Details: Pastor Mark Phillips is a bi-vocational pastor serving a church in the southwest Missouri town of Pineville. Like the Apostle Paul, Mark not only works hard as a pastor, he also works hard at another job. He has earned the right to be heard as a “tentmaker” in ministry, and we are so blessed by his willingness to come to Kenya and share his wisdom with the pastors there in three different seminars. We expect to hear good reports from those attendees soon. Hellen is one of our three Kenya national DM leaders, and I hope that from our recent updates, you’ve been able to appreciate the great groundwork she has laid for disciple-making in Busia, Kenya and Tororo, Uganda. Hellen also oversees TTC’s outreach into the Long’onot region (named for a volcano there) some three hours northwest of Nairobi. That’s where Scott is now, and he’ll be teaching in Naivasha, a growing city some 20 miles from the volcano. Hellen, a single mom who is a pastor and who runs an elementary school that serves hundreds of students, has a missionary heart and is the one also spearheading TTC’s outreach to the Long’onot region. Scott said, “Hellen shared an amazing story with me. When I went to her house last week, there was a young girl there. You might remember all the floods they had in Kenya this spring. Some water was trapped behind a bridge and after some time, it broke through and created a torrent that swept away many homes. “Hellen decided to take a team to go visit the flood victims. This happened in Long’onot where we held a DM seminar last year. We have several DM groups in the area. While that team was visiting there, they met a grandmother who had been staying with her daughter and granddaughter. The grandmother had gotten up in the middle of the night to pray. She finished about 3 AM and was getting ready to sleep when she heard a loud noise. “That noise was the flood. It swept the house away, and the grandmother lost consciousness. She awoke with her 9-year-old granddaughter on her shoulders. Those two were rescued, but the mother died. “Immediately after the flood, the girl stayed with her aunt, but her aunt had her own children and could not even provide food for the girl. When the team from Hellen’s church came and the young girl saw Hellen, she immediately ran behind her and hid behind her. When Hellen got in the car, the girl ran to get in the car as well. “After praying about it, Hellen decided to take the girl in. She now lives at Hellen’s place and attends her school. Hellen plans to take her home to visit family for holidays, but will help her as long as she wants to stay. Her name is Abigail.” Isn’t that a wonderful story?!? It’s one thing to have a heart for someone; it’s another thing to take the person to raise. What an example for all of us, and God bless Hellen. And Abigail!!! And Pastor Mark, and Scott, and all the pastors they are ministering to in five different seminars in four locations over these next three days! And God bless YOU, as you continue to support all those folks with your prayers. = ) Patty |
MaryWow.