A Blessed Family

Being back in the US is both a blessing and a challenge. Lindy and I both agree on this. The challenge first of all:

It's hard on our hearts to be away from 9 boys we love like our own sons. We're not there to see them working hard in their studies. We're not there when there are issues with them getting along, being tempted by their former lives, or having questions about life. We're not there to have them come run out to us and give us huge hugs and expect us to immediately go play soccer.

It's also hard on our hearts to be away from our other friends. Our ministry partners are some of the most dear people to us. We miss hearing Thomas whistle while working in the yard. We miss listening to Deo teach the boys. We miss hearing instruction rise from the Bible College building. We miss seeing them grow in their service. We also miss our friends. We miss spending time at the Keytels. We miss the laughter from Mark & Su. We miss the sarcasm from Johnny Lawrence and the softness of his sweet wife Jen. We miss KVC, the Chanceys, homegroup, Peter & Peace, the roads.... uh... no, we don't miss that!

But there are so many wonderful things about being here. It's not the convenience of buying things we miss. It's not the fast food places. It's not even the well-lit roads or orderly traffic. We enjoy family. We enjoy being around those families and friends who have built into us a love for something more than ourselves. Man, it gets me choked up just thinking about specific people! Guys, we have saints who lend us their vehicles without blinking an eye! We have family who welcome us into their homes and share their meals with us! We have others who serve us! We have some who even drive from Michigan JUST BECAUSE THEY LOVE US AND WANT TO BE WITH US!!! Seriously??? Wow,... What have we ever done to earn the love from a group of people who shower us with goodness?

It's in these times that my heart renews itself. It is so easy to become jaded and bitter toward the world. Try living in a place where they shoot people in the streets, abandon children in sewage drains, and would kill you just for the shoes on your feet! Try living there knowing that you might as well put a target on your chest each day as you leave the house because the enemy has such a influence on a great majority of people in this place.

So, yes, I am renewed by being here. My wife has been loved on so intensely that I'd have spent any amount of money to get her here for such a blessing! Friends; family; The Thompsons are so grateful to you all! Whether we've been able to see you face to face this trip or not, we love you. Your prayers, your love, your support, your interest in us has blessed us like few experiences on this earth can provide. So we say, "thank you" yet again!

We are a blessed family, indeed. Knowing that in two places we are loved and missed, brings us an overwhelming sense of joy. May we show you our gratitude and not merely tell it to you. We serve because we have been served! And as Michael Bowers once stated one Sunday, "Guilt won't compel you to do anything, but gratitude will!" (my paraphrase)

This is the picture of an extremely blessed family!

NOTE: In the next post, we will share with you some new and exciting things upcoming within the ministry and how, even more specifically, you can continue to be involved with us!

Videos From Camping

Ok, so here are 3 videos from our camping trip. They're short, but quite hilarious. Since we went, the boys all ask, "When can we go back?" I feel pretty sure that we'll be doing that again. Anyone interested in joining us???

Mount Longonot is a dormant volcano. The inside of the crater is about 2 miles across. It felt like something out of Jurrasic Park. (I think I heard the music playing in the background)

Nicholas Mutonga may not make it in the PPPBRSA (Professional Ping Pong Ball Rump Shakers Association) but he would make a great break dancer! This is the game where they have to be the first to shake all the ping pong balls out of the tissue box attached to their backs. It was quite funny to watch them attempt this ridiculous feat!

Dan and Patrick go heads up.

Hope you enjoyed watching a glimpse of the fun we had. Wish you could be there! In fact, the boys kept asking, "When are we going back?" Anyone want to join us???

"O' A Camping We Will Go"

I have discovered that, when it comes to camping, boys in Kenya are no different than boys in America. Both are loud. Both will eat anything and everything in sight. Both have way too much energy and put it to use in ... well... less than intelligent ways (such as running around trying to smack each other in the face with glow sticks in the dark whilst declaring, "I'm Obi Wan Kenobi, you're Count Duku. Now let me cut your hands off!" hmm..., wonder where they got the Star Wars reference?) And both certainly don't have to be taught how to have fun.

Mount Longonot - standing on the rim and looking inside

So we went camping at Mount Longonot. This is a dormant volcano just outside of Nairobi. It's breath-takingly beautiful and it was the perfect spot for a 2-day camping trip with the Saint Boys. Dottie and Lindy were so awesome with helping prep meals for the experience and several other friends volunteered their tents. We went with 3 but ended up using only one. It was large enough to park a jet inside! (which helped when bodily emissions started coming from the boys end of the tent!)

Rusty, Frank, and I provided the "adult supervision" for the trip. What this means is that we were responsible for teaching them dumb jokes, ridiculous songs, and authorized to occasionally yell, "LION!!!!" when we were climbing up the mountain. Yeah, it was awesome. I love camping. Nothing is quite as nice as having your body covered in dirt, sweat, and the smell of smoke while trying to sleep on a cobblestone ground in -234º and trying to explain to boys who have lived outside in the streets why it's so much fun to travel to the middle of nowhere to sleep outside in the cold and eat food without any utensils (because we left those behind). What's not to love about that?

Like I said, boys do some "less than intelligent" things.

Well, Julius loved it! Dan kept asking if we could do it again next week. Chinji didn't want to go back to Nairobi and James... well... James likes everything. However, Patrick Thuku found one thing he did not like: being on top of the mountain! Yeah, he's afraid of heights! He just sat down on the edge of the rim of this crater whilst holding a small root. He refused to let go!

They practically ran up the mountain, all the way around the rim, and then back down the mountain! Did I ever have that much energy?

That's Chinji, Julius, and Johnny waiting for us near the top... waiting impatiently I might add.

During the evening, we had an awesome Bible Study on creation. We sat under a canopy of radiant stars that screamed God's sovereignty. Rusty asked them what are you thankful for? Their answers were honest and heart-warming. "I'm thankful for my brothers here and that God has not forgotten me," answered Julius. Wow... that says it all. Indeed, God has not forgotten these boys. He is refining them and using such sharpening stones as Mount Longonot, the Saint Boys Project, Frank Shealy, and Rusty Knight to do it. I look back at these boys and am so proud of where they've come. I watch and listen to them demonstrate that they are being transformed into saints.

Soon, they too will look back and see what I see. And it will be then that they REALLY start growing even more!

Our boys! (from left to right): Johnny, Brian, Patrick (low), Julius, Chinji, Nicholas, Dan, and James.

Stay tuned for a few videos from our trip. Trust me, you don't want to miss these! They are hilarious!!!

A taste of NC...

We are really enjoying the team from Wilksboro here with us now. They are real "go-getters". They have not only spent entire days pouring themselves out to Kenyans, but then they come home and wash dishes for me. Precious, precious people. Do you know Frank and Dottie Shealy? Well, if you don't, you should. They are part of our accountability board for OSM and their hearts for the lost are just absolutely amazing. They are the ones who got this group of amazing men and women to come stay with us and share God's love with the Kenyan people.

Here you go: Meet Frank and Dottie Shealy

Now that you are on a first name basis, allow me to tell you about the rest of their team.

Lon and Kay Chenoworth are the pastor and pastors wife of Bastist Home Church in Wilksboro.

Also among them there is a long time, precious supporter of OSM Cathy Lockhart who is about to complete her 5th trip to Kenya.

Mark and Teresa Church we just met for the first time and let me tell you- they have a spectacular testimony!

And last but not least, we have a couple that is 73 and 75- Norma Jean and John. I just love that they weren't afraid to leave the comforts of home to come over here and be hot, sweaty, tired, and ride on these bumpy roads. So if you are a little older, but have struggled with the desire to serve in overseas missions- Norma Jean and John should give you the push you need to get over here! :)

Right now the team is on their way back from spending nearly a week up country in Kakamega doing more conferences. I look forward to sitting down with them this evening and hearing their stories.

The women's conference last week.

Just a little something extra for you:

Yesterday the boys were so cute! Chris and I arrived right at lunchtime and they were all eating. Mama insisted that we share a plate… and I never turn down food. After I ate, I leaned back on the stairs I was sitting on in hopes that our tiny Thompson would start moving about. Sure enough, it happened. The boys were hysterical! It was like it REALLY hit them that I'm not just getting fat, but there is a baby brother or sister in there!

They were asking so many questions!

Julius: "Does it hurt?" Me: "No. No pain"

James: "Can it breath?" Me: "Well, it breaths water while it's inside me."

James again: "What does it eat? How do you feed it?" Me: "The baby eats what I eat. There is a cord that goes from here (showing him his belly button) to me, so if I eat ugali, then the baby eats it also. " James then breaks out into hysterical laughter showing Dan his belly button. I think he was obsessed with his button the rest of the day.

Dan: "Is the baby playing football (soccer) in there?" Me: "Yes, I think it is."

I got such a kick out of them. I look forward to the next conversation like this we have with them!

Familiar faces...

Do you remember these faces?

Do you remember the first time you saw them? And what about their story?

I sure do.

I'll never forget it as long as I live.

I thought it was PAST time for you to see how these kiddos have been growing. They are really thriving in their school at Berith. In fact, it's time for Sylvia to go to a new school. She has outgrown and outlearned that school. I love watching her mother all the other children. I realize I'm partial, but I just think she is one gorgeous little girl.

Please pray for Brian (far left) as he is now 9 years old and the size of a 4 year old. Though he is learning and developmentally doing well, his body was so effected by being so malnourished. Paul, his 2 year younger brother, has outgrown him. Both are small for their ages but especially Brian. I'm concerned about this effecting him later and him being ostracized for not only being Ugandan but his size as well. Please pray for healing for him- that his normal growth pattern would be restored. He will always have a special place in my heart!

A few weeks back I showed them my big belly and asked them why I had gained weight. Sylvia said "A Baby?" and another little girl named Stacey said "It's true!!"

This week when we went to Kibera, most realized I'm much bigger than I used to be... all except Paul who is so used to me grabbing him up in my arms. I bent down and he jumped into my arms giving me kisses and we both nearly fell over. The teacher reprimanded him in swahili saying that he's too big and I'm too big for him to do that. It made me sad to look at his little face when she told him that. He looked sort of disappointed. I thought "Is my Paul really getting to big for me?"

Singing songs at the school in Kibera

Sandra teaching the kids a new song

This school was really struggling with whether or not they would continue because they did not have enough kids to keep it open, but God provided them with 31 students! They are all very young as it is more of a nursery school. It seems to be thriving now!

This is Dottie, holding baby Dottie who was named after her!

Home Group

We have been blessed to have "home group" here in our house each week. On Thursdays, various families and individuals that live in our area, come here to fellowship and share on a more intimate level. One of the beautiful things that something like this affords is the closeness that can be formed between believers and their families. It's such a special time to Lindy and I because when the door opens up around 7:00pm, in walks families like Tom & Juanita Matthews who work translating God's word into various languages for indigenous peoples. The Davies walk in with their Welsh background and zeal to try new things to reach others. Peter & Peace Mutuma come with their Kenyan heritage and hunger for more. A Norwegian family has been attending for a while and all their kids come with such a wonderful personality and charm that everyone enjoys talking with them. We have South Africans, Americans, British, and Costa Ricans who are choosing to make this place at this time a part of their week.

Lately we've been talking about "Family" and how special believers come to understand family when they recognize the church is a family. I love the discussions and views. No one has exclusivity on insight or understanding, so we must be open to hear the thoughts of each other. I've found the comments of my family to be very helpful in uncovering my own misconceptions of various parts of the Christian life.

You know, being away from my family in US hasn't been easy, but God has widened my family and allowed us to see that is even more spectacular than I ever imagined! I often say, "I have very few friends, but I have quite a large family!"

Father, thank you for giving me hundreds of brothers and sisters and placing them in my heart!

We Need Your Prayers!!!

Friends and family, I write this to you in the midst of, what I believe to be, a serious spiritual battle. For the past several weeks our ministry has been under attack by the enemy and he's swinging hard! We have been hit by serious family problems with 2 of our partner's families. We've had challenges with integrity issues from another that we never saw coming. And today we've just learned that the landlord where the Bible College is located is about to sell the property and building right out from under us. And there is nothing we can do about it. These, along with a few other tiring issues has really worn us all down.

I am writing to beg for your prayers. We do not need anything else. We need your earnest prayers to our advocate in Heaven. He sees and knows everything that's going on. He is not silent. But we know that our prayers are powerful weapons that God has gifted us for such purposes as this.

Would you all please take a few minutes to lift up our partners?

Would you also pray for strength to withstand the enemy's assault?

Would you pray for discernment so we can be as obedient to God as He desire of us in all these challenges?

Would you pray for reconciliation for specific team members and their families?

Would you pray that God would use this for His glory?

Your prayers are a serious part of why Lindy and I are enjoying being pregnant. We believe that prayer DOES alter life here on earth because the One we pray to hears them and acts.

Thank you for listening.