In the rearview mirror

Looking back over the last two months and all the things that have happened, we feel incredibly blessed. We could not have even dreamed that in two months we could experience so much. We are very grateful and honored for so many faithfully following along and praying with us along the way. God really answered prayer.

The thing that seems to stick out to us as we reflect back on our experience is the faithfulness of God. That He will provide for every need wherever he leads. May not be what we want, but it will be sufficient, for He is sufficient. He protected us through sickness, political instability, a night evacuation, mosquito bites, spiders, cockroaches, homesickness, and more. He paved the way by getting visas to us in time without a signed passport, raised the necessary funds through so many generous people, a strange large metal canister mysteriously being waved through customs, the list goes on and on. Jehovah Jireh.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act." Psalm 37:4-5

We went to Africa with a number of questions. The first was looking for reassurance that this truly is the career path that God would have us follow. We were interested to see what life would be like overseas for an extended period of time. To see what we would have to give up to live overseas in remote areas. God really gave us a sense of desire to go long term and also great opportunity to see how missionaries live in a number of different places in east Africa. It allowed us to see how life would look there with a family, schooling, shopping, and having different cultures all around. It is not without challenges, but in our mind very doable. We also had a great sense of fulfillment and excitement about the work being done. We can't think of a more rewarding and exhilarating life to live!

"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?" Luke 14:28

The other two questions we had were whether or not God would have us join with MAF long term or if Africa is where we should go. While neither of these questions have received definate yes or no, we were able to get to see so much of MAF, including multiple programs as well as have day visits with two different AIM AIR programs. We have learned a lot and have a few more questions to ask other organizations to see how they compare. We will have a couple years before we are ready to apply to a mission, which gives us some time to continue to research and pray for where we should go in the future. We were very impressed with MAF and AIM AIR and are so grateful for their time and wonderful hospitality. As far as Africa goes, we would love to go back, but don't feel a definate "calling" to that area of the world that would cause us to limit other areas God may send us. We greatly enjoyed the people and culture there.

"Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned him, and to which God has called him." 1 Cor. 7:17

We have so many great memories of our time in Africa. Not all are good, but necessary. God grew us individually and also as a couple. We were stretched in many ways, but not broken. God was very gracious in dealing with our attitudes, expectations, and frustrations. There was quite a fear in going of not knowing what to expect and whether or not we would be up to what awaited us on the other side of the world. Having now seen and experienced, much of that fear is gone, and we eagerly await where God will lead us in the future.

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

If you would like to stay updated on what is going on in our lives, send an email to CalebWinter@gmail.com and ask to get our quarterly newsletter by mail or email if you do not already.

Happy Thanksgiving a world away!

What a joy it is to reflect back on our trip and all that we have to be thankful for. Today is our last full day in Congo. We will be flying to Uganda tomorrow to stay until our plane leaves Sunday for Amsterdam and then on to Seattle and then Spokane. Our trip has been more than we could have ever imagined. So many great memories, some not so great, but God has been so very good to us.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess. 5:18

Things here have been pretty busy over the past week. Emily had the opportunity to go to an African wedding. It was a lot of fun to experience the style of the wedding ceremonies here and the joyful way they celebrate. We were also able to have a couple wonderful evenings with the national neighbors that live behind the house. They came over for an american meal and then we joined them for a great African feast. The food was very good and the company even better. Things at the airport have been busy as well. Three Food tents were transported up to Dungu (in 6 full round trip flights) to start food distribution centers and help feed the people there. Thank you to all who were praying for food for those people. God is answering. Caleb was able to go on a few flights transporting relief agencies, missionaries, sick people, pastors and government workers.

"I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30

Today we had a great Thanksgiving celebration. All the Americans came over to the Stritzels for a wonderful meal. We were even able to get a turkey here in Bunia, although once all the feathers were off, it was only 3 1/2 pounds including the bones, so we had chicken as well to supplement. We even got to watch the butchering right outside the back door. It is hard to believe it is already this time of year since the temperature rarely gets below 70 here. It will be quite the wake up call to get off the plane back home to a cold december! We have been greatly blessed and have so much to be thankful for. Our health, protection, friends and family that have been so faithfully praying, and most of all our great salvation. God is so good.

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For...how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2:1,3

This will most likely be our last post from Africa. We will probably have one more with final thoughts and reactions once we return to the states. Please pray for travel mercies, luggage connections, etc. We can't wait to see many of you in the coming days and weeks. We will be in Spokane for a little while before heading back to Michigan for Christmas and New Years. We would love to share our experiences in more detail with those who are interested - just let us know!

Another day at the office

Well, we have been back in Bunia, Congo now for almost a week. We have been helping out here at the Stritzels house with a number of house projects. Painting, making lamp shades, building a room in the garage, and setting up an inverter. When there is room Caleb has been able to go along on different flights throughout Congo. Here is an example of another day at the office for a pilot here.

"Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Cor. 15:58

The day started at 7, traveling to the airport, preflighting, loading and then departing around 8. First, a flight from Bunia to Entebbe, Uganda went relatively uneventful until upon final approach into Entebbe we discovered there was no avgas that day. So the passenger was dropped off and then a quick run up to the MAF Uganda airstrip just north of Entebbe provided the necessary fuel requirements for the rest of the day.

The next leg was from Entebbe to Goma, DRC. That flight included flying over gorgeous lakes, around active volcanoes, over rebel occupied territory, and into a runway that had been shortened by lava flow a few years ago. We dropped off the two passengers and their baggage and then prepared to load the next group for the return trip to Bunia when we discovered instead of 275 kgs of people and baggage there was 460kgs of people and baggage awaiting us. We could not take all of it, so the people had to sift through their luggage there on the ramp to get down to the max we could take.

The return flight back to Bunia included a little more flying through rebel territory, flying with low clouds and rain, flying over large freshwater lakes, skimming the african savana at 500ft to see buffalo, elephants, hippos, and many other animals, then flying along a 16,000 foot tall mountian range, around some more weather and finally descending back home into Bunia. What a trip!

We then emptied all the passengers and luggage, secured the airplane and drove back home, stopping first for the herd of cattle also using the same road. All this by 5:00.

We have been having some great experiences here during the home stretch of our internship. We thank you for all who are praying. God has been very gracious in answering prayers. We came looking for direction and answers about the future and although things are not difinitive for all our questions, God has been true to his promises.

"For all the promises of God find their yes in Him (Christ)." 2 Cor. 1:20

While there is still a lot of fighting and rebel activity, there have been some encouraging reports. Like you read earlier flights are still going into Goma, the rebels are still outside of town, but supplies and food are getting to refugees there. Also in the north in Dungu flights are getting in and out of there as well, trying to get food and medical supplies to displaced people there. There is still a large problem with Congolese troops running from rebel forces, although outside Nyankunde last week there was a skirmish where they didn't run and inflicted some casualties on the rebels. Most importantly continue to pray for the church. It is in much distress and there is much opportunity for ministry and outreach.

Return from Nebobongo

Well, we are back from Nebobongo. Nebobongo has become well known due to the work of Helen Roseveare who was a missionary doctor for many years including during the Simba rebellion in the 1960's. We ended up staying 6 days in the village which is about an hour and 15 minute flight (Cessna Caravan) northwest of Bunia. Our time there was a struggle and also very enjoyable. Looking back it was an incredible blessing and experience for us. There is a German missionary family living there, Bernd and Anni Lutz, with their 3 elementary aged children along with 4 short term (9 month) German missionaries. It was great to see how they are ministering to the community through girls clubs, bible studies, and prayer meetings. It greatly encouraged us in how we can reach out to the community we will be serving in someday in the future.

The week was a challenging one for a number of reasons. One was that there not really much for us to do. We didn't speak the language to communicate with people and everyone else was busy going through their normal weekly routine. Although this was a struggle at times, it did allow us a lot of time to talk about what we had experienced with MAF, Africa and missionary life in general. It was great to "catch up" on all we had seen and done.

Another challenge was Caleb getting sick, as well as the majority of the Lutz family. Due to something we ate (the mushroom pasta sauce is currently suspect) there was a very fitful night of sickness followed by about 24 hours of almost continual sleep and slow re hydration. Finally early tuesday morning the fever broke and food began to look good again. We got to see first hand some of the challenges of living in such a remote place. There were no Sprites or Saltines to help with an upset stomach. We had to heat water on a kerosene burner for showers, fought off cockroaches, spiders, and tiny biting ants on the bed which found Emily very tasty (Caleb-not a bite).

The week did have some great joys as well. After Caleb had recovered, we were able to go with one of the short termers to the secondary school and join his english classes for the day. We told about our families, school, american life and then answered questions they had for the remainder of each class. It was a lot of fun to hear their questions ranging from the recent elections to marriage customs to US foreign policy and welfare system. They found great amusement at the fact that Caleb is only 23 and even more that Emily is older at 24!

The greatest joy was the friendliness of the people and the openness of the community. Most of the other places we have been, everyone has walls around their houses for security. In Nebo it was nice to walk down the paths and be able to wave at people in front of thier houses. Everyone would stop and greet us; we even had someone stop their bike, get off and shake our hands before continuing on his way. The few that did speak english would come by our house and talk with us and pray with us, which was a great encouragement to us. When the people heard that one of Caleb's flight instructors was Bill Kilgore, (who lived in Nebo at one point while they were in Africa) we became instant celebrities! It was really neat to see how much of an impact Bill and Jan and their family had made on the community and people in less than a year of living there. Bill and Jan - Nebo says Jambo sana! (and can you pay for their school bills :-)

Here are a few verses that ministered to us this last week and thought they would be encouraging to you as well:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called accorging to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"For we do not have a high priest (Christ) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..." Hebrews 4:15

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, not the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

"In him we have obtianed an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." Ephesians 1:11

Out to the bush

Well tomorrow morning we are heading out to Nebobongo, a more remote village to spend 4-7 days. We will be out of contact during that time. At one time there was a pilot and a plane based there, but not now. There is a missionary couple there we will be interacting with. Hopefully we will be able to encourage them and also bring in some much needed supplies when we come.

A couple days ago we were also able to visit Nyancunde, which is where we thought we would be helping MAF relocate back to from Bunia. Just before we got to Africa though militia came back through Nyancunde looting and causing trouble. MAF has not been located there for about 6 years, but the buildings look as if it has been uninhabited for a quite a few decades. Many of the roofs have been stolen from previous invasions. It looks like it will be a while until MAF moves back in, but we were able to encourage the national workers there that MAF is going to return someday and that they are not forgotten. At one time it was the central hub of MAF Congo with 6-7 planes and a number of pilots, maintenance hanger, woodshop, communications hub, and much more. Now it is very much a ghost town. It can be hard to understand why God would decree such destruction to occur to such a vital ministry. It is a good reminder though to those of us preparing to go that there is still much work to do. We are not continuing the ministry but expanding it. Not filling a spot, but influencing direction. Pushing forward from the status quo, bringing the gospel to places it hasn't been, or at least hasn't been this generation.

Please pray for the people of eastern congo. There are hundreds of thousands that have been displaced because of the termoil. So many with no shelter and no food. There are many people displaced to the north of us near a place called Dungu. There really isn't a way to get food to these people either, the airstrip nearby is too hot to go into, and the humanitarian organizations are trying to figure out how to get help there. There are also a lot of recently displaced people to the south of us out of Goma on the Rwanden boarder as well. It has been in the news a lot lately. The ceasefire was absolved by the people who initiated it. Please pray for peace, it really doens't look like there is an end in sight. This kind of thing has happened a number of times and the people are at the end of what they can take. They need a hope that tomorrow may be better than today. Ultimately there is no real hope apart from Christ. Please pray for Christ to change their heart, that they might find hope in Christ.

"For to this end we toil and strive, becasue we have our hope set on the living God" 1 Tim 4:10

Thank you to all who were praying. Here are some prayer requests, some new, some not answered yet.

Praise - Health. Caleb's cold seems to be gone now, we'll find out tomorrow for sure during the plane ride :-)

Pray - For the people of DRC, for peace to reign in the country, wise leadership, and most of all that they be reconciled to God through Christ.

"and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." Col 1:20

Pray - For displaced peoples in both Dungu and Goma. For food to eat. (great to pray at dinner time :-) For disease not to spread.

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35

Pray - For our visit to Nebobongo, that we would be able to be an encouragement to the missionaries there in a place where it would be easy to get lonely.

Pray - For continued wisdom as we learn more and more about Africa and MAF.

Pray - For God to continue to work in us to make us more like Christ, and through us, not with our strength but His.

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:11

Back in Bunia

Hey everyone, we just arrived back in Bunia yesterday afternoon. Our time in Kampala was very good, we moved houses for the last week and stayed with Stan and Pam Lincoln. He is the maintenance specialist for the Congo team and since they do their maintenance in Uganda, they are stationed there. Caleb really enjoyed the last week of maintenance on the Congo Cessna 206, a plane Caleb is very familiar with from Moody. He was able to help out and even got to do a cylinder change which is a rarer occurrence. It involves taking a section of the engine apart and replacing some parts. Emily continued to plug away at her sewing project. She was able to finish the couch cushions even admist all the power failures and they look great!

We did get the chance last weekend to visit AIM AIR in Entebbe. It was a lot of fun to spend time with the Weeks family. He previously flew for the Army and also worked for a helicopter company before feeling called to Africa. They have been here for almost 3 years. We also got to see the smaller operation they have in Uganda with 2 airplanes and 3 pilots.

The last couple days we visited Eupulu, a town in DRC which is on the edge of the second largest rain forest in the world (Amazon is the largest). We got to meet some new people who work with zoos and organizations that preserve different species. They mainly work with Okapias, which only live in the DRC. They look like a cross between a horse and a zebra. It was a nice mini vacation on our way back to Bunia.

Today we were able to go to church for the first time here in Bunia. It was a french service, which made it a little harder to understand, but Sheryl let us know some of the outline and what texts he was using. It was neat to see people worshiping knowing that God understands French and loves to hear his name in it!

"The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." Psalm 98:2-3

Prayer Requests:
-For our time here in Bunia, especially with not being able to communicate as well with the people because of the language barrier.

-Health, Caleb is recovering from a cold that makes flying not so fun.

-Peace and safety in Congo, there are still activities off to the north and recently south in Goma where there is a cease fire (for now) with the UN.

Thanks to all who are praying! God has been showing us great things!

"Normal" life in Uganda

Well, things have settled down a little bit here as we have been in Kampala Uganda for almost two weeks. Caleb has been at the hanger everyday working last week with the MAF Uganda staff on a 206 and did a sheet metal project on a Caravan installing a rudder gust lock. This week he has been helping the Congo staff as they are in town for maintenance on their Caravan. He has really enjoyed it and getting to meet a lot of different people in a short time. He also got on a maintenance flight and a Cessna 210 flight to the east side of the country and even got to see where the where the Nile river starts way down here in Uganda! It has also been really enjoyable to see another program as well as the Congo program, as the Uganda program and Congo ones are very different in staffing and countries they are located.

Emily has been helping at the Wunderli house and also helping Sheryl with a sewing project. They have a son Joshua who is 5 and daughter Zara who is 3 and both are full of energy. She has also been able to go to the market and see what shopping here is like. We have been going with the Wunderli's and Stritzels to Calvery Chapel on sunday mornings, it is an english speaking church and seems very much like the US. There is a lot more english speakers here in Uganda and not so many in Congo. It is looking like we will remain in Kampala the rest of this week for the Caravan maintenance and then Congo's 206 is coming in as well, which will take us almost to the end of the month. Lary has come out with the Caravan to help with the maintenance and Dave's wife and kids have gone back into Bunia. There is activity north near Nyankunde, which is eventually where MAF would like to move back to, with looting by the LRA (lords resistance army). Things seem pretty stable in Bunia, and some things have been set in place to get better information on violence and looting activities in the region. A contingency plan has been put in place with levels of security and action based on the activities in the region.

We will be visiting with AIM AIR in Entebbe (about a half hour south of Kampala) on sunday evening and most of monday. They have an operation out of Entebbe airport and we are excited to visit and see a different side of AIM AIR. Please continue to pray for wisdom on MAF and AIM AIR as we visit and whether or not God would have us serve. We have been learning a lot about MAF and how the organziation works, even talking to the regional manager, of the Africa region, who is visiting for the week. Both MAF and AIM AIR are great organizations and we are excited about what God has in store for us in the future.

Thank you to all who have been praying, we have really been enjoying our time here in Kampala and have settled a little bit into a routine. We have loved getting to meet so many great people and brothers and sisters in Christ from so many cultures and backgrounds. It is awesome to think about all the different cultures praising Christ in heaven, each in their own way.

Suprise - We're in Uganda!

Hello from Uganda! We weren't expecting to be here for another week or so, but Friday after the last post, due to a skirmish outside of town there was a precautionary evacuation of MAF families. There has been activity north of Bunia in the past couple weeks with the rebel army creating conflict there. The rumors were that the rebels were approaching Bunia and that is why we left. As it turns out it was not the rebel army, but rather a small militia having a skirmish with police forces while trying to steal cows on the other side of town. All that to say we are safe and are now with the MAF Uganda staff (a part of the European branch) here in Kampala.

All the families here have been so welcoming. We are staying with two moody grads, Simon and Pam Wonderly. Simon is from Switzerland and Pam from Scotland who met at Moody and have been here in Uganda for the past 7 years. Information on what actually happened is still pretty limited, so we are waiting to find out more info of what is going on before decisions are made to go back in. We were planning to be here a week from now for the maintenance on the airplane, so we may stay here until then. The two pilots are still in Bunia, with their families in Uganda with us. Here are some ways you can be praying:

Praise - everyone is safe and the evacuation flight went well even though it was at night and Lary hadn't flown at night in about 20 years (Caleb was more current than him!)

Praise that much is being learned through the process for future work in Eastern Congo.

Pray for stability in the Bunia area, the UN is pretty passive (due to only being able to defend, not attack) and police forces are bribed easily.

Pray for the decision making process as discussions are taking place about when it is safe to return

Pray for Lary and Dave Jacobson as they are staying in Bunia flying while their families are here in Kampala.

Pray for the people of Bunia, the rumors that came through created quite a panic scene with people remembering the past when the rebel army came through killing people in the streets with machetes. Pray for peace in their hearts and that they would seek God for their protection.

Pray ulitmately for God to do a work in the land that there would be peace with each other and most importantly peace with God through Christ.


"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"
-Romans 5:1

The land of Congo

Well, much has happened in the last few days. We left Nairobi and got on a Kenya Air Boeing 737 and flew to Entebbe, Uganda. We were met at the airport and waited about an hour for the MAF flight to arrive. We then met Lary Streitzel who we are staying with in Bunia and he flew, well Caleb flew (from the copilots seat) from Entebbe to Bunia, DRC. We have been doing very well here. Bunia is a major center for UN operations in Congo, as they try to keep peace and calm with the rebel activity going on. There has been a lot of activity north of us, and a lot of troops have been flying out to help up there. Bunia seems pretty safe with all the UN support. We have been pretty busy already in our time here. Here are a few snipits of some that has gone on:

Caleb rode along in the Cessna Caravan one day as it traveled to a number of stops to pick up people, cargo, and even shuttling fuel (since fuel is not available every airstrip). It was a lot of fun and a lot of work loading and unloading the airplane!

Caleb and Emily both went with Sheryl, Lary's wife, to two schools for orphans. We spent the morning visiting each classroom and watching them learn and the teacher's teach. We didn't understand much since everyone spoke Swahili and they were being taught french. The children are taught the gospel in school and they stress that God is the one who provides and cares for them not the school.

It was evident that God was answering prayer during the customs process getting here. The only time our bags were even opened was leaving Nairobi. We were bringing in a pressurized canister about 3 feet long and 12 inches in diameter and we were a little apprehensive about getting it through customs. The one time they did open our bag (1 bag) it was the other duffle bag we had and they asked if there was anything metal in there, the only thing was our camera so it was ok, all the while the bag right behind it held that big metal cannister! Praise God.

Thank you to all who are praying for us. We feel very blessed. We are here in DRC for a few weeks and then the plan is to take a trip back to Uganda when maintenance comes due on the caravan and spend a week there for the 100 hour inspection. The plan is that both of us will go along with Lary and Sheryl to visit and get a feel for what Uganda is like. There are also plans for spending some time in Nebobongo, DRC for more of an "out in the sticks" experience.

"Let the nations be glad and sing for joy..." PS 67:4

Jambo from Kenya

Well, we got safely into Nairobi last night and have had a great day here. Thank you to those praying, it was evident that God has been taking care of us, even down to the airplane meals. We got the last chicken meals available and didn't' have to have the vegetarian ones :-) We had two long airplane rides, but had movies on demand so we caught up on the movies we didn't want to pay to see at a theater. We got into Nairobi around 8:30pm here and had to wait in line for a while for visas, but then picked up all our checked baggage (definitely the Lord's work) and said hi to the customs officer who smiled and waved us out to the street where we were picked up by George an AIM AIR driver and driven back to the guest house, which is more like a hotel.

This morning we went to the hanger and were shown around, the first person we saw was a moody student who was a year ahead of Caleb in Spokane. Not too much later we ran into an AIM AIR pilot who had been to spokane a year and a half ago and did a consultation flight with Caleb. Later in the day the roles were reversed and we got to ride in the back seat while he went through his 6 month "checkup" with one of the evaluation pilots here. Emily's lunch made a surprise reappearance, but the rest of the flight went without a hitch. We even got dropped off at an airstrip while the pilots did some more landing/takeoff training and got to talk to Charles, a local man who really wanted us to support his 6 year old daughter through college, or at the very least convince the pilots to take her on an airplane ride. We had to decline both offers, but it was fun to interact with the people as they watched the airplane take off and land.

We have greatly enjoyed our time here in Kenya, but tomorrow will be leaving for Uganda and then on to DR Congo. Please continue to pray for travel connections, customs and for continued adjustment to the time change. Also, please pray for communication as many people in Kenya speak english, but very few do in the places we are headed. Our french and swahili are not as far along as we had hoped :-) We love you all! (we'll try to get some pictures when we have a faster connection)

Forward to the past (not back to the future)

Well, the bags are packed and we're ready to get on the airplane this morning. We're heading to Kenya first and then on to Uganda to then get into Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya is 10 hours ahead of Spokane time and the other places are pretty close to that as well. So we're blasting off forward in time to get there, but many of the places we will be going will be very much ancient and primitive in lifestyle and technology. Many are primitive in spirit as well, living as though Christ never came. This is why we are going, to aid and support those who are proclaiming the light of the gospel in a dark part of the world. And to proclaim that gospel ourselves through actions and perhaps, the spirit will help us overcome the language barrier and share what Christ has done in our lives.

We are very nervous/anxious/scared whatever you want to call it about what awaits us on the other side of the world. Things are pretty uncertian as to what exactly we'll be doing each day, we don't speak any of the languages, we have never met the people we are living with. But God has been very faithful so far in this journey through getting the internship in the first place, raising enough money to go, and then getting the visas to us quickly with an unsigned passport. We trust Him, and this is where He leads. It is not our bravery or courage that takes us overseas (we wouldn't be going if that were the case :-), but rather its a work of Christ in our hearts that compels us to go. To have God demonstrate his power and mercy and love through us as we go to places the world doesn't know exist, to peoples who will some day be at the great wedding feast of Christ. A day we are very excited for. We greatly appreciate all of you who are praying. Here are a few specifics you could be praying for as we travel.

1. Flight Connections/Getting through customs without too much hassle
2. Meeting up with AIM AIR in Nairobi - communication and logistically
3. Connecting with MAF in Uganda
4. Health and Stamina during long plane flights and travel days


"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord."
2 Corinthians 4:3-5


"And I, when I came to you brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

God comes through - again

We got our visas in the mail this morning! God is very faithful and allowed quick delivery of our visas. It was especially sweet because God showed his power over people and nations in that we got our visas without a problem, and we had forgotten to make sure that Emily's passport was signed! It has become more and more obvious that God is paving the way for us to go to Africa on Saturday. Thank you to so many of you who were faithfully praying. We have been greatly encouraged by many of you. We are really excited about what He is going to do in the coming months. For those interested we have posted our travel itinerary below. We have a short stayover in Nairobi to visit Africa Inland Mission which has an aviation base there. Please pray for connections and meeting up with them in a very large airport.

"If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey." Numbers 14:8


ITINERARY
SERVICE DATE FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE


KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 04OCT SPOKANE WA SEATTLE WA 1030A 1131A
KL 7112 SATURDAY SPOKANE INTL SEATTLE TACOMA
V ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: DE HAVILLAND DHC-8 400 SERIES
AS 2327 FLIGHT OPERATED BY AS ALASKA AIRLINES
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 04OCT SEATTLE WA AMSTERDAM 1255P 740A
KL 6034 SATURDAY SEATTLE TACOMA SCHIPHOL 05OCT
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-200
NW 0034 FLIGHT OPERATED BY NW NORTHWEST AIRLINES
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 05OCT AMSTERDAM NAIROBI 1015A 740P
KL 565 SUNDAY SCHIPHOL JOMO KENYATTA
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-200
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KENYA AIRWAYS 07OCT NAIROBI ENTEBBE 1255P 210P
KQ 412 TUESDAY JOMO KENYATTA
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: BOEING 737 ALL SERIES
PASSENGE
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 30NOV ENTEBBE AMSTERDAM 1055P 535A
KL 562 SUNDAY SCHIPHOL 01DEC
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-200
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 01DEC AMSTERDAM SEATTLE WA 115P 240P
KL 6033 MONDAY SCHIPHOL SEATTLE TACOMA
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-200
NW 0033 FLIGHT OPERATED BY NW NORTHWEST AIRLINES
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLI 01DEC SEATTLE WA SPOKANE WA 400P 455P
KL 8061 MONDAY SEATTLE TACOMA SPOKANE INTL
T ECONOMY AIRCRAFT: CANADAIR REGIONAL JET 700
AS 2516 FLIGHT OPERATED BY AS ALASKA AIRLINES
RESERVATION CONFIRMED

Pray for the mailman

Hey Everyone, just a quick update on the visa situation. The health deptartment would not write a letter like we asked so we are left waiting until our appointment wednesday to get our shots. We then will airmail it to headquarters in Nampa, ID and then they will send it to the Embassy to get the passport stamped and clear us to visit. It will then need to get back to us before we leave (9 days from our appointment), so please pray for fast travel and expedited time at the Embassy. We know that nothing happens outside of the complete control of a soveriegn Christ, and we are eager to see how God shows himself faithful yet once again.

"For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of th Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:26-28

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understnading, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Visa faith opportunity

Hey Everyone, just making sure this blog thing works and also to ask you to pray. We are trying to figure out visas to go to africa and we found out yesterday that we need a yellow fever shot just to get a visa. We had scheduled all our shots for next week, but that is going to be too late. there are no openings before then to get the shots done so we are going tomorrow to see if the dept of health here will issue a letter to send to get our visas stating that we are going to get the shot next week. Pray for this all to work out and for us to get our visas and also for attitudes as we get through some stressful times. Thank you all for praying.