Dec. & Jan. Update from Ken in Garissa, Kenya (w/ photos)

We want to thank God for his love and faithfulness in the year 2008. This far he is Ebenezer! We have seen God work in and through us as we have sought to make him known. Our greatest priority as a family remain to know him intimately and to make him known—the process of making him known may not be as quick as we want but we have rested in him. Time and space will not allow for us to testify how God has answered our prayers this Year—it has been amazing to see him at work. We are not able to take Christmas break because of a number of things that we need to finalize before the beginning of the year. We are currently building extra classrooms to take care of more students next year. Our National Examination results have just come out and we are happy for the excellent performance of our students—our leading student has 413 marks out of 500.

Ken standing next to classrooms of Life Frontier School



Our excellent Academic Standards have caused high demand for the school—we are having to increase our intake hence the need for more class rooms—this new one is likely to be finished early January.



Through our efforts to distribute “water guards”, villagers were able to drink clean water.


Our Carmel being loaded on to a trailer—it was the best Carmel during our Annual North Eastern Province Agricultural Show—talk of ways of opening the way for the gospel!



Anna (first right) blowing candle during her fourth birthday party. She was joined by other kids including Tim (3rd right). Eunice is giving some instructions.


Please, do pray for Peter and Zakayo (our Jesus film staff) who are in missions this week screening “Jesus film”. Pray for many to know the Lord and for protection upon Peter and Zakayo.

Kenya is holding election this coming Thursday—pray that we will choose godly leaders to lead us for the next five years.

We thank you for standing with us as we seek to make Christ known among the least reached people groups.

We wish you Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2008

Ken, Eunice, Tim, Ann

Our First Post for Chris Curry, Missionary to Myanmar

Hello!
Life has been BEYOND hectic. I've been working here in Bangkok and running up north meeting with Pastor P. There's so much fruit coming from the ministry there and it's so encouraging. I'm grateful that I can take part helping them. I finished up the New Testament Survey curriculum which they're now using and will start the OT Survey curriculum. I also JUST finished the Website which I hope you will take time to check out. http://www.goldentriangleministry.page.tl/ There's a lot of information about the ministry and it'd be good for you to know what all has gone on, what's going on and what will be going on there.

I've been very encouraged by our one-on-one leadership meetings. We've been talking about team work and Pastor P. is REALLY putting it into action by sending people out in pairs and having them work together as a team to reach people in a specific area. In the past he sent them out one by one which isn't exactly how Jesus sent out His disciples. So, it's great to see that our time spent together discussing team work is showing fruit. He said that they're catching on and enjoying working together. Now this area (Wa State Army area by Mine Sat) has over 1,000 believers! In our next meeting, we're going to focus on how each of them can better develop themselves as leaders.

I have something to share with you that's wonderful. God really opened the door of opportunity at Wall Street Institute (where I teach English). Yesterday, almost all of the teachers were sitting in the teachers' room chatting and the loudest and most openly agnostic guy at work starts asking me about Christianity. The first thing he asked was, "So, you're a Christian, right?" And I replied that I am. Then, he asked if I believed in evolution. I stated that I didn't believe in macroevolution and that there isn't any evidence to prove it. I told him that the 'missing links' between each species and monkey to man have been disproved by many leading scientists and it would take more faith to believe that than to believe in an intelligent creator who designed animals and humans separately. He then told me about how some scientists (can't remember what kind...some sort of physicists???) become Christians because of their research. I responded that when I was studying Phi the other day on the Internet and the 'golden mean' it made look to God and wonder at how great he is.

Then, he asked about the church I go to, and I was able to describe what our worship songs are like and how they enable us to enter into God's presence and feel the Spirit. From there I explained how Apple is a fairly new Christian and how she was able to enter into God's presence for the first time just about a month ago. I described how she felt goose bumps and then started to weep. I'm sure they couldn't help but notice how excited and happy I was to share how Apple was able to 'feel God' for the first time. I told them that I know that she is definitely a Christian and not just a Christian for my sake because she was able to come to God and personally feel the Holy Spirit.

They all just sort of sat there dumbfounded and didn't know what to say. They could have easily argued against something like evolution, but how could they argue about our mystical union with God in the Christian experience? That one moment looking at everyone gave me insight into their lives. It was as if their emptiness was revealed and a hunger for depth and meaning in their life was just beneath the surface. It was encouraging to share and to open their eyes to the hunger that lies in each human life that we Christians sometimes forget about. We need to share with them the hope that is within and God will give us the words. Thank God that he gave me the opportunity and the words for such an awesome time to witness with such a large audience!
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Cor. 4:7 NIV

Apple and I are doing well, but haven't seen much of each other with our schedules. We're reading a book together to help prepare us for marriage (May 31, 2008) and we have another premarital counseling meeting in December. We were glad to spend Thanksgiving dinner together and had all the fixin's. I got off work (WSI) at 9 pm and we dashed to the Conrad Hotel for their special Thanksgiving Buffet. YUM! We're looking forward to having time to spend together to celebrate Christmas both on the 24th and the 25th. Philip Ahone's daughter and her family will visit us from Yangon, Myanmar during that time and we'll celebrate together here in Bangkok. Kelly and Angie Hilderbrand might be free to have dinner with us on one of those days as well.

This week, I'll start filling out the forms to become an FMI Missionary. Please pray that will go smoothly. I'll also leave you with some more prayer requests below.

I'm grateful for you and thank you for your love, prayers and support!
-Chris

Prayers:
Answers to prayer and thanksgiving:

Thank God for safe travels up North.
Thank God for all the support and provision.
Thank God for the opportunities to share His Gospel and love at work.
Thank God for all the souls coming to Him through outreach efforts.
Thank God for loving Christians I'm in contact with both in the U.S. and here who encourage, pray and support.
Thank God that Apple is deepening her walk with Him through prayer and worship. We've also started meeting with a premarital counselor.
Thank God that I'm able to meet with Pa Khim and that our meetings have been productive.
Thank God that Pastor P. received the Foursquare Foundation Grant I helped write up 4 months ago ($80,000 USD over 2 years).

Requests:

Please pray for a deepening relationship between Apple and I and the Lord.
Please pray for focus and clarity with the work I have to do with Pastor P. I don't have a lot of time and need to have a very disciplined schedule and a clear plan.
Please pray for continued opportunities to share the Gospel at work....AND fruit.
Please pray for safe travels up to the Golden Triangle.
Please pray that my work permit will be completed soon without any hitches...it's still not completed!
Please pray for increased financial support from the U.S. I'd like to be supported full-time by May, 2008.
Please pray that Pa Khim and I can communicate with each other effectively (his English is quite poor and I need to simplify things).
Please pray about processing the application to be an official Foursquare Missionary.