From Laura Lanser:
Hello Church,
I have a little catching up to do! We finished out our week in Korr with no more rains but plenty more discussion. Please continue to pray for rain in Korr. Pray, too, for the Christian leadership there. The missionaries that retired were amazing people and their retirement has left quite a vacuum. It’s time to sink or swim for the men they’ve trained up and while we’re confident they are up to the task, these men still need our prayers.
The plane taking us back to Nairobi arrived 45 minutes early on Friday. We were finishing things up at the house when Pastor David heard it overhead. We threw our things in the truck and scrambled to the airstrip. Thankfully, we made it!
At the missionary compound back in Nairobi we connected with many different people. I wanted to relay to you an encouraging message from a young woman working in Lebanon. She shared with us many that wonderful and amazing things are happening in the Lebanese and Syrian church right now as a result of the political instability. Times are dark there, but there is much growth and much fruit, to the praise of our Lord!
I flew back into SeaTac last night and Nancy will be staying on in Nairobi for two more weeks doing professional development for teachers and administrators in Kibera. These trainings, which she has done in different parts of East Africa over the last nine years, constitute the bulk of the Foundation’s work. And it is much needed! Through helping their teachers and administrators she is shaping the hearts and minds of African children for Christ. In an region more and more influenced by Islam, with many Muslim schools (well financed from the Middle East) gaining influence, this work is more important than ever.
Additionally, over the next two weeks Nancy will begin training two Africans, Violet Malongo from Kenya and David Acellam from South Sudan, to teach these trainings themselves in their own countries. Both are students from her courses at Westminster Theological Seminary in Uganda and leaders in their communities. Please pray for them!
I will keep updates from Nancy coming. Hope you find them both inspiring and encouraging! Thank you all for your prayers.
Laura
From Nancy Price (after first day of training in Kibera)
“Today was the first day of teacher professional development in Kibera. The organizers had agreed with me on 50 participants, but they had actually expected 40 – 45. I had planned for 60, which was a good thing! They actually had to turn away teachers after I ran out of both books and there was no more space to cram one additional chair into the hall. The four organizers had to stand outside. Tomorrow they plan to exchange the plastic chairs with arms for those without arms, hoping to gain a bit more space to move around in the room. It is a good thing there was no need for people to move out quickly because they were in there packed like sardines! Despite the lack of space, the power interruptions, and the heat, the teachers participated well, and seem eager to return tomorrow.”