Dear Friends and Family,
Despite my attempt at a fun title, this isn't going to be a great newsletter. Sorry!! We just really need some prayer.
I (Joy) have been sick for over a month now-- a cold that turned into acute bronchitis that has most recently been accompanied by a severe sharp pain under my ribcage when I breathe. The doctor started me on a four-day course of antibiotic injections yesterday, and I can detect a slight improvement, but as the doctor said (in much nicer terms, of course), I waited too long for help and the resulting large amount of time it will take me to feel better is my own fault.
The problem is, a team of 12 North Carolinians arrived today and will be working at the Discovery School starting on Monday. I need to be at my best in order to coordinate their 5 day short-term mission trip, continue helping out the three volunteers that are living with us, and give our boys the attention they need. The need for us to give them attention is even higher than normal since all the boys are all fighting colds, and Micah still cries almost every morning when we drop him off at school.
The NC team agreed to carry 12 boxes to Burundi for us, which was a major answer to prayer, but unfortunately only 2 of those arrived with them today on the plane. Our best guess is that the others are stuck in Ethiopia. Lord willing, with the help of your prayers, the boxes will all arrive on tomorrow's flight. Please do pray A LOT, because these boxes contain all of the Discovery School curriculum for the next two school years as well as around six new laptops for the Discovery School's fledgling computer lab. Please pray also for safety for all as the team and our volunteers make trips around town and up into the hills in the afternoon after working at the school, and that the team will be blessed and be a blessing.
Jesse has been asked to lead a Bible Study on Leviticus. This will be a big challenge since he has never taught that book before. Preparation time is difficult to find in the midst of teams and other busyness, and Kirundi does not have many words for abstract concepts like holiness (protestant translations have the Holy Spirit translated as "White Wind;" Catholic translations as "Pure Heart"), and these concepts are very important to applying the theological concepts of Leviticus to today's believers. He will need wisdom to know how to explain things well. The study started today and will be every Saturday for the next three months.
He is having a major fibromyalgia flare up as well...
No paragraph on busyness-- I figure after all that it's sefl-explanatory!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!
Joy
