Another week has gone into Eternity. I wonder how many souls have gone out into a lost eternity? I wonder how many of those had an opportunity to trust the Lord or how many did not hear the good news because someone, somewhere did not obey God's call upon their lives??
Our minds are constantly thinking of mission work and far off lands that we know and love and which have a special place in our hearts. However, lately it has been good for us to attend numerous missionary meetings and to be reminded of other lands and mission fields other than those we work in ourselves. We thank God for those who are serving God at home and abroad today; seeking to share the good news of the Gospel with young and old. We also are reminded that we have a mission field right here on our doorstep. Not everyone is called to go abroad; God needs people at home in every walk and occupation of life. God can use you just where you are. We believe that Kenyan people are the best suited to reach the Kenyan children and that Ugandan people are the best suited to reach the Ugandan children. This is why we provide lessons, materials and training for these dear people. To help and encourage them as they share the Word of God with those in their vicinity. As we have met many dear Kenyan and Ugandans over the years, we have always been challenged by the vision and determination they have to serve God. Please pray on that we will continue to be an encouragement to them. Please pray that we will always have willing hearts to listen to their ideas and their advice as we work alongside them. Our Bible lessons for children continue to be available in Kenya and Uganda. However, the next intake of application forms will not be until October. Please contact us or our offices in Nairobi or Malaba for more information. If you are not aware of our lessons and would like to know more, please also contact us. Please pray on for Eunice and Joyce as they distribute and mark lessons and also visit Schools and Churches to explain the materials and share the Gospel with the children. They visit many places and this often brings it's challenges as they meet with many people from numerous backgrounds and beliefs. Pray that they will know wisdom as they face various situations. Funds for transport in Nairobi have been very low in recent weeks and this has held up the work. Please pray that God will provide for Eunice to return to her normal duties and to be able to be of assistance to children's workers in the area. Please remember William and I here in Northern Ireland. We have quite a number of commitments over the next few weeks and appreciate your prayers for these. This includes sharing in two children's meetings, a house meeting and having our stand at a missionary convention for a number of evenings. We are also looking forward to meeting with other mission workers at an upcoming meeting. William will be bringing the message at the Old People's Nursing Home this week and will be arranging and leading some other meetings over the next number of weeks. William will also be working on an aspect of the presentation which we are planning for our 10th Anniversary Service and I will be putting some things together for that as well as continuing with other aspects of the ministry each day. We appreciate your prayers. We value very much your prayers and interest in the work and trust that you will continue to stand with us in the coming days.
2 Comments
This morning I was chatting online with a Pastor in Kenya. He was sharing some needs that are in his Church regarding children's ministry and some construction. We got to talking about how God is faithful and always knows our need. I shared with him something which I had read earlier this morning.
It read.... "When we wait ON God, HE is waiting till WE are ready; when we wait FOR God, WE are waiting till HE is ready." We talked about how God knows our need and is always on time. Sometimes we are waiting until He is ready to give us our desires. For whatever reason and whatever purpose, sometimes God sees fit to keep us waiting. Sometimes He is ready and willing to give our desire, but we are not ready to receive it. Maybe God just wants to teach us patience, to teach us to depend upon Him and not on man. Maybe He knows there are things we need to learn and making us wait, pray harder and lean harder is the best way to teach us. Maybe we will appreciate the answer more when it comes. There may be things we don't know or understand, but we know that God's timing is always best. As I talked with this Pastor this morning; the need he shared about was financial. Funds which were needed for the Church. Genuine funds which were needed to enable the work of God to continue. As we shared together, there was something that Pastor didn't know. We, in Feed my Lambs, also had a financial need. There are always funds needed for the work, but this was an urgent need. Something which was due and today was the deadline. I had promised those concerned in Kenya that I would email them today. William and I and our team had earnestly prayed and sought God. Today came and we were wondering what was going to be written in that email. However, as I spoke online with that Pastor about God's timing being perfect; I heard the post come through the door. It contained a cheque for the amount we needed. Praise God. He is never late. He is always on time. Please pray that this Pastor friend and His Church also experience God's provision in the same way and if you feel you could help please do not hesitate to contact us and we will share more about his ministry and what the funds are required for. In this instance it was financial. However, when we talk about God meeting our needs, it isn't always financial. Pastors, Missionaries, Children's workers, we all have needs in our personal lives and in our families. Farmer, Teacher, Housewife, Parent..... we all have needs. Those needs can be so varied, but they are the desires of your heart, that you seek God for. If only we can all learn to wait on God's time and to know that He will give us our desires when HE is ready and when HE knows that WE are ready. Of course, for the unsaved, the greatest need is that they trust the Lord as their Saviour. We thank God for playing a small part in God's work. Pray on for our team in Africa as they faithfully serve amongst the Children's workers and the young people. Pray on for the many Pastors and others who volunteer with us and help to distribute the lessons. Pray for the children who are taught the Word of God in Schools. Pray on for William and I as we seek God's will for our lives. We have quite a lot on over the next few weeks with very few free evenings. When we are at home, there is preparation to be done for numerous meetings. Pray for us as we work on the charity registration which has a deadline of 12 October. Pray for us as we plan the early stages of new ministries. Pray for us as we soon will prepare a new prayer letter and new presentations for meetings and also for our anniversary service. There are so many things to be doing in these days and we thank God for the opportunities to serve Him. As we all seek to live for God each day, let us remember that His timing is best and our lives are always the richer for waiting on God to work things out rather than trying to put things in order ourselves. When we wait ON god, HE is waiting till WE are ready. When we wait FOR God, WE are waiting till HE is ready When we wait ON god, HE is waiting till WE are ready. When we wait FOR God, WE are waiting till HE is ready We travel many miles around the country as we represent and share the work of Feed my Lambs. We don't mind the travelling at all. When I used to travel on my own I enjoyed the quiet time. A time to clear my head after a busy day and be prepared for the meeting ahead. I used to secretly dread the few times when someone else would come with me (other than my dad) as I missed the quiet.
Since William and I began travelling together to meetings; both before we were married and especially since we were married; I have changed my view. I have come to love these times in the car together as we travel. It's a time just for us away from everyone and everything else. A time when we can prepare our hearts after rushing about during the day and a time when we chat....lots of chat! Those chats are usually centered around the same subjects. Feed my Lambs being the main one. Talking about the work. The challenges in the work. The memories of trips. Planning about the future. Talking about how God has led us this far and about how He is leading us for the future. Many things are covered in those little car chats. Sometimes I chat too much....but on the whole we are likeminded when we have these conversations and I desperately miss William on the rare occasion I travel a long distance alone. We have had plenty of opportunity for these chats this past week as we have travelled back and forwards every evening to Bangor. We had the Feed my Lambs stand at the annual missionary convention. We thank God for every opportunity we had to share about the work of Feed my Lambs. It is a privilege to serve the Lord. We thank Him for those who showed an interest and asked questions about what we do. We are grateful to have fellowship once more with many other missionaries which is an encouragement. We met one such missionary at a previous similar event in another Church and he put our names forward to yet another Church for an upcoming missionary convention. We thank God that we will have our stand there in a few weeks. It is amazing how God connects and gives more opportunities. Please pray for us as we prepare. Please pray that more opportunities will come in for us to share the work at meetings. Please pray for numerous ministries we are currently praying through and planning. Pray that we will know God's leading in all. Thank you for your prayers over another week. Pray for Eunice in the Nairobi office as she has a lot of lessons which need marked at the moment. As a result of our committee meeting a few weeks ago she also has various other task to complete which will then enable others to do their part, so please pray that she will have opportunity to do this. Pray for her as she communicates with those who using the lessons with children. Pray that she will continue to be a help to them. Petty cash is currently needed in order for her to travel around as part of the work. Pray that this will soon be available. It is very difficult to work without this. In our office we also have lessons packed and ready to be sent to Joyce in Malaba. Pray that funds will soon be available to enable this to be transported. Do pray on for Joyce as she works in that area. She also needs petty cash to enable her to travel with lessons to some centres. It is so vital that children are able to avail of the lessons. Joyce also has been asked to teach the Word of God in a few Schools and plans to take one week each month to do this. Pray that funds will be available for her to travel. It is our aim that children will have a good grasp of the Word of God as a result of using our lessons. We do not just distribute the lessons and leave them to get on with it. They are encouraged to memorize Scripture. Recently we made the decision not to present Bibles to a particular School as we felt the lessons had been rushed and copied. Our reasons were explained to the teachers and the children are retaking the lessons. This has happened a few times; it is hard to take this stand, but essential if the lessons are to be used correctly and children are to learn effectively. This past week William has been busy; along with others; painting the hall we attend on Sunday evenings. He has really enjoyed doing these practical tasks for the Lord. The week has gone fast as he has been working as normal during the day and then painting in the evenings and on Saturday. We thank God that every occupation and talent can be used in HIS work. Yesterday, (Sunday) we were due to be back a the Old People's Nursing Home for our monthly meeting. It was to be William's turn to share God's Word. However, the home has been closed for a number of days due to sickness so the meeting was cancelled. We will return, God willing, in September. Please pray for this ministry. It is out of our comfort zone, but the Lord has really helped us in the 4 meetings we have taken so far and we have enjoyed serving Him in this way. I have been in the office this past week; a little during the day, but mostly in the evenings. A slightly different routine at the moment. As always after a mission trip, there is a long to do list. We thank God for progress made in the various tasks I was dealing with last week. This involved initial planning of new teaching materials; typing up minutes from our committee meeting in Kenya; listing items for printing over the coming weeks and planning amendments for them, as well as other tasks. We thank God for new opportunities for ministry which have opened up during and since our recent time in Kenya. Some of these were new ventures which were revealed while we were there, while others are ministries we have been praying about literally for a number of years. We thank God for bringing things together and making things clear that we have prayed about for some time. We look forward to sharing more about these ministries over the coming months as things are finalised. Pray that these will be used for God's glory. From the elderly to the children and I thank God for His help as I shared from the Word of God using an item from our home during the children's spot in our Church yesterday morning. Thank God for these opportunities. We also give thanks to God for helping in some "official" things. One particular issue has been an ongoing struggle for quite some times. We have been trying our best to do what we needed to do but continually seemed to hit a brick wall. No-one really seemed to be able to guide us through to completion. After more hours of searching online, I finally was connected to a person who could help and who works for the organisation in question. Previously even the "official" people couldn't advise us! Thankfully we now have a clear picture of the procedure, requirements and what we need to do. Whilst we are able to put some things in place while here in the UK, most of the work will have to be done when back in Kenya. We do not anticipate it will be an easy or straightforward process, but we are delighted that we finally seem to be getting somewhere and at least know what we need to do, what we can do here and what we need to do when we return to Kenya. Praise God for this breakthrough. Please continue to pray for the financial needs of the work. As well as the petty cash needs mentioned above, we also need just over £1000 by the end of this month in order to pay various bills which will become due then. This includes; but is not limited to; the rent for our Nairobi office. We thank God for His provision for this over recent months, especially in regard to the arrears in our previous office. We thank God that everything was paid up to date and we appreciate very much the interest shown in this need and the prayers of God's people. However, now that we have moved, the need is not over, we still need to pay the rent each month and we ask that you continue to pray for God's provision. We have had a few issues over recent weeks which have been out of our control and we would ask you to pray that things will soon be sorted out. The week we really appreciate prayer as William and I represent Feed my Lambs at the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention. We will have a stand/literature table at the event and look forward to sharing about the work we do. We appreciate your prayers for us as we head shortly pack the car and head off to get set up. Then, as we travel back and forwards each day, please pray that the Lord will be with us. We will be coming and going from home at different times of the day and evening this week so pray that the Lord goes before us in all of the activities. Pray that there will be those who will be interested in the ministry of FML and that there will be those who will take our literature and pledge to pray for the work in Kenya, Uganda and even here in Northern Ireland. Thank you again for standing with us. We appreciate it very much. It is such a privilege to serve the Lord and we are thankful for every opportunity to do so. We thank God for helping William as he spoke in a meeting last night. God is good. The next few weeks will be busy here as we prepare for numerous other meetings and events. Pray that God will prepare our hearts to speak to children, to speak at an old people's nursing home and to share about the work of Feed my Lambs.
Pray on for Eunice and Joyce and others as they work directly with the children, specifically with our lessons. We thank God for helping them. Most of you will know that we have recently returned from a time in Africa. We thank God for His help throughout the time we were away. We are also thankful for the time we have had to reflect since returning a few weeks ago. There is always a lot to process and we thank the Lord for His leading and guiding. He is leading step by step regarding new ministries and opportunities and we are excited about what the next year will hold. Pray that we continue to know His guidance and that we will continue to obey. We believe that many things we have prayed; some over recent months and some over the course of years; are now beginning to fall into place. Pray that we will know wisdom in every situation and be sensitive to the voice of God as we step out in His will. We thank God for the faithfulness of Joyce, Eunice and the others who assist us. We are so glad to have those who are burdened for the salvation of children working alongside us. We thank God for local people who have a desire to serve the Lord amongst their own people. They will be effective in reaching the children and indeed the adults in a way that we never can. Please pray on. It has been a very busy number of weeks and we thank you for your continued prayers for the work even while there has been no update here.
August is also shaping up to be a very busy month and taking on new commitments at this stage doesn't look possible because of the amount of days on the calendar that have something written on them! Please do pray that we will make time to be still and listen to the Lord. It is easy to be overtired in these days and to be always rushing around like Martha, serving. Pray that we will take the time to be like Mary. To sit at the feet of the Saviour and listen to His voice and direction. In recent weeks Feed my Lambs has been approached about various new ministries and opportunities to share the Gospel. Each will involve quite a big commitment of both time and resources. Pray that we will know the leading of the Lord and guidance in every individual ministry we pray about. Pray that our team in Africa will also know the Lord's leading and guidance in these matters also and that we will be united as we go forward. Thank you for your ongoing prayers for each one of us and for the boys and girls we are reaching. We thank God for His help at the Holiday Bible Club in our Church this past week. It was a privilege to work amongst the boys and girls and we thank God for each one who attended. We especially praise God for one child who indicated that they had trusted the Lord as their Saviour during the week. We pray on for each and every child who attended and trust they will all come to know Him as their own and personal Saviour.
It was certainly a busy week travelling and ministering and we are feeling a little tired now. We thank God for His continued help. As we look at our programme from now until the beginning of September, we wonder how we will ever fit everything in. We continue to appreciate your prayers that we will know help in every aspect of the work. We know that people are praying for us and we thank God even for some answers to prayer over the past few days. God is good. Do please continue to pray on for Joyce and Eunice in Africa. Pray that all will know health, strength and provision for their ministry. Pray that Eunice will quickly make new friends in our new office location in Nairobi. We appreciate so much the work they continue to do for the Lord. Please continue to pray most of all that boys and girls will come to know the Lord as their Saviour. We thank God for the continued privilege it is to serve Him.
As we sent out our most recent prayer letter this past week, we looked back at how God has been blessing over these past months. If you don't receive our prayer letter please do let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list. It can be received in printed form or by email. There have been so many opportunities to witness for the Lord. We thank God for every lesson sent out by Eunice and for every child who has heard the Gospel from Joyce. We thank God for Kenyan children here in Northern Ireland whom we have had contact with and we look forward to more opportunities. We have been associated with the Kenyan Association of Northern Ireland (KANI) for around 5 years and I (Pamela) am now on the committee. We are excited about our future with working with those who are from Kenya and who have a love for Kenya. Following a meeting this past week, it looks promising that William and I will be organising more children's outreach here in Northern Ireland later in the year. Please remember us as we pray through this opportunity and discuss with others involved. Pray that we will very clearly be guided as to the timing, format and everything which will be involved. We are looking forward to this opportunity very much. As shared in our prayer letter, William and I are now taking a meeting in an old people's nursing home once each month. We have taken 4 meetings so far with the most recent just yesterday. It is such a privilege to witness among these dear people. Yesterday there were quite a lot of visitors there because it was Father's Day, so it was a good opportunity for them to hear the Word of God as well. This incoming week we are helping with the Holiday Bible School in our own Church and looking forward to it very much. Pray for leaders and children alike. Of course we are very excited to let you know (if you haven't yet read our prayer news) that we will soon be travelling to Kenya for a short visit. Please pray with us as we plan, prepare and go. Pray that we will know God's clear guidance and direction in every aspect of the trip. Also this year we have meetings to speak at regarding FML; William is booked to speak at some meetings and taking on some other new responsibilities in God's Word; we will have our stand at a week long missionary convention; we are having a special meeting for the 10th Anniversary of Feed my Lambs and somewhere in the middle of it all we are taking a few days holiday. God is good and we look forward to continuing to serve Him. Busy but exciting days ahead. We speak often of Joyce who works with Feed my Lambs. The photo above shows her two children. The little boy is 2 year old Joseph. Over these past days Joseph was critically ill in hospital. We sent out an email to our prayer partners and posted the need on Facebook. Many people across the world were praying for little Joseph, including of course, his many friends and family in Africa.
We would like thank everyone who prayed. We are delighted to let you all know that he has been discharged from hospital. God really heard and answered prayer. Please pray that the medical bills will be provided for also. So today, in this blog we simply want to Praise God for His goodness and His faithfulness to this wonderful family. There are so many things to give God thanks for. Our prayer letter is currently being printed and will be posted later this week God willing. Email copies will be sent out later today. If you are not on our list, please contact us if you would like to be kept up to date with what God is doing. Finally, our sympathies go to Eunice from our Nairobi office who lost an aunt. The burial was on Saturday. Please keep the family in your prayers. The Nairobi office will be closed this week. Please send an email to [email protected] if you require assistance in the meantime. Last week was busy with an event of a different kind. We were delighted to be able to join in with Mardaraka Day Celebrations which were being hosted by the Kenyan Association of Northern Ireland. William and I have been involved with the KANI for around 5 years and have attended previous events. Recently I took up a post on the committee and have enjoyed all of the preparations for the event.
So the van was full to capacity with keyboard, computer, projector, PA system, activities for children, tables, Gospel literature and other leaflets for organisations which may be of assistance to Kenyan people living here in Northern Ireland. Others had worked so hard putting together traditional Kenyan food including a "Goat" BBQ!! It was lovely to have so many come together with our common interest being the land of Kenya. Hearing conversations in Swahili and being surrounded by Kenyan flags can temporarily make you forget you are in Northern Ireland. William has been very unwell this past week and spent some time in hospital. Although still feeling very tired and uncomfortable at times, we are thankful that he is not suffering the severe pain of last Tuesday. He has been off work for one week now. We thank God for helping him to attend the event on Saturday although he was exhausted afterwards. We just feel so humbled to have these dear friends here in Northern Ireland and amazed that God has given us such a love for the wonderful people of Africa. Our hearts are heavy today for Eunice, who works in our Nairobi office. She has lost an aunt. Please pray for the entire family at this time. Pray also that God will provide funds for her allowance so that we can send it out to Eunice to enable her to travel upcountry for the funeral. She will appreciate your prayers and support. |
Read on for...regular updates and thoughts from Northern Ireland and Africa... Archives
August 2022
Categories |