| As with countless others around the world, we, at Serving in Jesus’ Name, are waiting upon the Lord, our rock and fortress, the One in whom we take refuge, until this storm passes (Jeremiah 16:19, Psalm 57:1). When worry or fear creeps into our thoughts, we remind ourselves that God is in absolute control of all things in heaven and on earth (Colossians 1:16-17). He, who has inscribed our names on the palms of His hand (Isaiah 49:16), counted the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30), and stored every one of our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8), has a plan for us, a good plan (Jeremiah 29:11). He is faithful, so we can be assured that in His perfect timing, He will enable us to perform the good works, which He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). When we become unsettled about the mountain of items ready to ship, we think with gratitude about the treasures stuffed into our three storage units, bulging attics, and my garage. We praise the Lord for the overflow that will go towards filling the next container. We look forward to the day when the nearly 20,000 articles reach the hands of the 4,400 orphans and school children in our Kenyan network. We take joy in the joy these things will bring, and we take comfort in the comfort they will afford. The projects at St. Paul’s Primary School in Western Kenya are complete except for painting Scripture on the latrines and water tanks, which driving rain is delaying. When the 700-800 children enrolled at St. Paul’s return to school once Kenya “reopens,” they will have new 4 new latrines, a washroom for the girls, and a supply of water on the grounds for the first time. We are so grateful for the faithful crew of hard-working men who we can entrust with each of our projects. What an amazing blessing to have project after project go perfectly, within budget, with no materials going missing, and no problems with shoddy workmanship or construction deficiencies. May the Lord richly bless these men for their integrity and strong work ethic.  Our other projects in Kenya are on hold while the country is under “shelter in place” orders. Since construction work in the Western Region is permitted to proceed, we had hoped to provide work for our crew by replacing the mud 1st grade classroom at the Mirembre School, but without explanation, Western Union has blocked the ministry’s money transfers to Kenya. It breaks our hearts not to have the new classroom ready for the children on their first day back at school, but as with everything else, we must patiently go through the process of working with WU to get our account’s privileges reactivated, even as we praise the Lord for the strong protections our government has implemented to help ensure international money transfers are going for the purposes intended. As I read through a report from a huge international Christian children’s ministry this morning, I was reminded that while our work may be on hold, the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts and minds of those we serve. The living, active Word of God in the thousands of Bibles, spiritual books, and other Bible-based materials we have sent to Kenya and other areas over the past 3 years is not idle. It continues to deliver words of truth, bring hope to sorrowing and fearful hearts, and delight souls with the Lord’s promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20), to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and to give us abundant life on earth and for all eternity as we put our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior (John 10:10, John 3:16). On a cheery note, we continue to make life-giving Scriptural treasures from donated frames and other items. When a friend, Mercy, donated 8 appliques she purchased in the islands eons ago, but never found a use for, Anita, part of the SIJN Prayer Team, embroidered Scripture onto them. We plan to frame and hang them in sets of 2 on the walls of 4 Kenyan orphanages. In facilities where a single piece of art is a rarity, these colorful baskets of flowers will draw thousands of children and adults throughout the coming decades to read the precious, holy Word of God switched on them, and we can be assured the Lord will do an eternal work through His Word, which He promises will not return void to Him without accomplishing the purpose He intends for it (Isaiah 55:11).  We continue to pray for all who have lost loved ones to the Corona virus and who are suffering physically, emotionally, or financially as the world struggles through this pandemic. During in this time of heartbreak and uncertainty, we are ever grateful for the Lord’s provision for this ministry and for the privilege of serving Him by sharing His Word and love with those He puts in our path. We are thankful for each of you who support us with prayers, financial contributions, donated articles, projects, and help sorting, packing, and transporting boxes. Be assured the God who sees us (Genesis 16:13), sees all that you do to serve others.  Blessings, Kathy Carlin, Executive Director |
