Christmas Greetings

HOPE

Who is God? How do we know Him? What can Deuteronomy teach us that applies to our lives today? Should I be afraid of the enemy? How can we as a local church manage our resources and look to God instead of man? These and more are questions Moses was discussing with young people in teaching opportunities these past few months. What a joy to help Christians grow deeper and reach higher in their faith.


FAITH

Since Moses completed his Master’s Degree in June, (Congrats, Moses! We’re so proud of him!!) he’s traveled to Tanzania, Madagascar, and Uganda, as well as to the east and west of Kenya to minister in YWAM schools and churches near and far. Our passion is to continue to sow into the lives of young people and we’re so grateful for the opportunities that come our way to do just that. Many of the schools and churches which invite Moses to come to teach do not have the resources to pay for his airfares, and in combination with growing expenses for the kids’ education, we’ve found our budget quite stretched. As volunteers, our needs are met by people like you, who partner with us financially. We need to see an increase of support to meet our needs and request your prayers to that end. If you’d like to know how to set up a monthly gift, or specifics of our needs, please email us!

JOY

When YWAM Mwakang’ani invited Moses to teach for a week on spiritual warfare in their Discipleship Training School, it was an adventure for the whole family to go along and spend a week in the village in Shimba Hills at the coast of Kenya. Jo lived at this same ministry center when she first came to Kenya in the early 90s. The kids were able to jump right into village life, hanging out with the students and helping out around the property and garden. It was so wonderful to get to know the students and staff and see the continued nurture, growth, and outreach that is taking place there, as well as reminiscing and catching up with a few old friends.

PEACE

November and December bring a long break from school for the kids. Lots of varied interests are emerging and growing, such as coding, watercolor, piano, guitar, soccer, and swimming, as well as reading lots of books. It’s a great joy to see, them growing up. Zachary especially is enjoying the break after a lot of hard work in the last few months preparing for the required exams before high school. We are thankful he did well and has been accepted at the same high school which Joshua attends.

Our prayer for you this Christmas is that your hope would be in Jesus, and your heart filled with faith, joy, and peace that only He can bring.

Merry Christmas!

Moses, Jo, Josh, Zack, Marianna & Katelyn

Email: mosesnjo(at)gmail.com Snail mail: PO Box 65815-00607, Kamiti, Kenya

What Is In Our Hands...

New Year’s greetings from Sarh!  May 2014 be the year where your God dreams come true as you grow in trust and faith in His spoken word to you.

We finished 2013 with a staff "feast" at Village des Nations, our campus in construction. It was a wonderful time of meeting together with staff and former students, hearing how God is using them and being challenged to seek Him for greater things in our personal lives [Love like David's Mighty Men (2 Sam 23:1-23:22)], and as a team, celebrating what God has done in our midst.

A year ago as we broke ground on the land, we began what seemed to some to be impossible. We felt the Lord was saying to take what was in our hands already, and that He would use it. As we used all our available finances to manufacture bricks, it seemed like it would be a long road until we were able to build something out of them! But God is so faithful in his provision,we look back at 2013 with thanksgiving as we honored the two Discipleship Training School's that run in very rustic facilities (still under construction,) as well as the Summer of Service that took place. 

Retreat Centre Vison

We continue to dream of the finished Centre and the many things that will take place as we meditate on Jeremiah 29:5-7  It takes trust in God to LIVE when prophets of doom abound, but like the exiles we are reminded to trust in Gods purposes and sovereignty as we seek the SHALOM of our city and nation of calling.

Jer 29:5-7  'Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what you grow in them.

Marry and have children. Then let your children get married, so that they also may have children. You must increase in numbers and not decrease.

Work for the good of the cities where I have made you go as prisoners. Pray to me on their behalf, because if they are prosperous, you will be prosperous too. (GNB)

 
In 2013 by Gods grace we saw the completion of 2 blocks of dorm buildings (pending minor finishing) and the erection of a Dining Hall that still needs a roof, doors, windows and interior work. 

 We also planted scores of trees and the mango trees are already looking good as they have taken better than all the rest.  The Lemons, Grapefruits & Indigenous trees are slower but hanging on.  We have lost half of the Papaya trees to insects and hot sun but are thankful for the stragglers that may yet give us fruit this year.

 

After several years spending our Christmas break with family either in Kenya or the States, we’ve enjoyed being here for December and January, the most pleasant time of the year weather-wise, with cool nights and sunny days.  A special blessing was the visit of Moses’s sister Winnie who spent the month of December with us here in Chad.  We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to host two teams;  January brings the YWAM North Africa leader, with a small regional team.  In February our friends from Churches in Pennsylvania come on a working trip.  We are excited since Jo’s Mom, Aunt Carol and cousin Lisa will be joining the team.

We’ve seen amazing generosity in 2013 and are extremely thankful to you all for praying and going an extra mile where giving is concerned! 

Together in the Harvest,

Moses & Jo, Joshua, Zachary, Marianna & Katelyn Kariuki

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear ones,

I was just reading a book by Brother Yun, called Living Water. (great teaching book to go along with his amazing testimony, The Heavenly Man, highly recommend that you read them both!) A quote from his book:
Oh, if we would have a revelation of God's care and provision for his children, we would never be the same again! He is much better at running your life than you are! 'Humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety upon him for he cares for you.' 1 Peter 5:6,7

We've just spent New Year's Eve thanking God together with our children for the amazing way he takes care of us. Zachary requested that we read the story of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China in the 1930's, and the way God took care of her and 94 orphans in her care as they walked many miles to escape attack by Japanese warplanes. We are so thankful and humbled as we look back over our lives and this year in particular and see the way the Lord has taken tender, loving care of US. He is, indeed, "much better at running our lives than we are!" :-)

Tomorrow the 1st Jan 2010, is the graduation of the Bible Core Course. We are thankful for the privilege of imparting in these students' lives tools that help them discover more of HIM and his ways in His word. They are set for a lifetime of Bible Study, Practice & Proclamation!

Thank you for being part of what God's called us to here in Chad. So many of you have given sacrificially, prayed without ceasing and encouraged us along the way. We are grateful for the opportunity of working together in the harvest.

Many blessings and more adventures in God in this new year!!

Love,
Moses, Jo, Joshua, Zachary, Marianna, and Katelyn

PS Last night just after I wrote this we had fireworks in Sarh to celebrate the New Year. We've never had fireworks here before, but the president was in town so perhaps it was in his honor. Unfortunately, Chadians are much more used to war than to celebratory fireworks, and many people in the village ran away from their homes in fear, and hid in the bush until morning. I spoke to a friend in the market this morning, and she was at an all night prayer meeting, and they, too thought that war had broken out. We've been joking all day that fireworks never brought such revival anywhere else!!! We are thankful it was only fireworks, we've been especially aware of the tenous peace in this nation, seeing the heavy artillery security in town over the past weeks and this week especially. Keep praying for Chad please!