Happy Spring, parents!
I have just written to the MKs on the ismk email system. I thought I would drop you a note as well. We are in the process of hiring the SOM staff, booking the places for the events, hiring the caterers, and setting the schedules. It is a fun time!
I have received questions from many missionaries and MKs about the changes to the MK program this summer. It will be challenging for us to be able to do everything that have done in the past, with less time. However, the MK program will continue to effective, and a great time for MKs. Over the course of the past four years, we have been fine tuning what we do, in order to make the MK program more effective. This is just another step in that process. The key is the presence of the Holy Spirit. I know that God is going to meet us, and move among us.
Also, pray with me that God will direct the right staff and the right leaders for each program. Staffing the program is always something we do with prayerful consideration. We believe that the people working with our kids are critical in the overall function of the program.
I recently returned from a trip to central Eurasia and India. It was a wonderful time seeing TCKs in the “natural habitat.” Let me say THANKS to all of you that made that trip such a great experience!
The MK MISSIONS trip still has openings for MKs. Is your MK interested? We would love for them to join us. There is the possibility of significant funds coming from your (00) ADP to help them with this trip. I would love to see 3 more MKs sign up to come with us to TANZANIA! It is a trip of a lifetime! Contact me if your MK is interested.
Cristi Alexander has been in the MK office for two years, overseeing our MK publications. Recently, Cristi went through Candidate Orientation, and is now itinerating to minister in Central Eurasia (pledges - 294597 J)! We will miss her, but we are excited for the opportunities that God has for her in missions. With Cristi moving into full time missions, we have hired a new person in the office – Amy Reasoner. Amy is a sharp young lady, with great skills that will bless your MKs. We would like to officially welcome her to the office!
Cairo 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Teachers Needed!
I have just returned from a trip where I was able to meet with many of our MKs in Central and Southern Eurasia. It renewed my passion for teachers in our MK schools. There is a great need for teachers at the schools our MKs attend. If you are a part of a school that needs teachers, would you contact me? I would like to put together a video of places that need teachers. Let me know if you are interested, or have a need for teachers! I believe that our MKs need to have qualified teachers, from year to year! They deserve the best we can give them, and we want to help make sure that happens.
If you have followed these newsletters, you know that we have an MK Missions Trip scheduled for July this summer. Area Director Greg Beggs is helping us put together this trip. I truly believe it will be powerful! We have some updates to that trip that you need to know about. Because of the unrest in Kenya, we have changed the country to Tanzania. We will be doing youth and children’s ministry for our entire time there. No experience is necessary!
Currently, we have 8 people registered for the trip (after a couple had to cancel). I have room for a total of 15. I believe that our MKs need to experience missions for themselves, and that this is an amazing way for them to do that. I believe that God will use these trips to direct our MKs back into missions. Often times MKs are in one region, one country, and they never actually experience what missions truly is. They have heard mom and dad, and they see it through the eyes of someone else’s call. I want to make missions personal!
Would you consider presenting this trip to your MK? I know that airfare and costs are difficult, but I also know that God provides (even for little missionaries). I have seen MKs raise the budget, and it is a huge faith builder! The cost of the trip is airfare plus $1,000. If you are in Europe, we can pick your MK up on our way there! Your MK can meet up with us. He/she doesn’t need to fly to the States to be a part of this trip.
Please contact my office if you are interested! We need to work on airplane tickets, but we still have enough time. Don’t hesitate! Let us know. I will be going on the trip, and will get to be a part of the ministry time with the MKs. Last years trip was powerful, and I know that this one will be amazing as well!
I know that you are all thinking about the changes to the summer programs. I want to let you know that even though the schedule has changed, we are committed as ever to provide the highest quality program possible. As I have been going over the schedule for the events, I am excited to see what God is going to do. Pray with us that God will touch the lives of our MKs. I always ask that you pray with me that the Holy Spirit will be poured out in a fresh way. I am passionate about our MKs being filled with the Holy Spirit – and I want you to pray with me that God will move among our kids again this summer!
If you have followed these newsletters, you know that we have an MK Missions Trip scheduled for July this summer. Area Director Greg Beggs is helping us put together this trip. I truly believe it will be powerful! We have some updates to that trip that you need to know about. Because of the unrest in Kenya, we have changed the country to Tanzania. We will be doing youth and children’s ministry for our entire time there. No experience is necessary!
Currently, we have 8 people registered for the trip (after a couple had to cancel). I have room for a total of 15. I believe that our MKs need to experience missions for themselves, and that this is an amazing way for them to do that. I believe that God will use these trips to direct our MKs back into missions. Often times MKs are in one region, one country, and they never actually experience what missions truly is. They have heard mom and dad, and they see it through the eyes of someone else’s call. I want to make missions personal!
Would you consider presenting this trip to your MK? I know that airfare and costs are difficult, but I also know that God provides (even for little missionaries). I have seen MKs raise the budget, and it is a huge faith builder! The cost of the trip is airfare plus $1,000. If you are in Europe, we can pick your MK up on our way there! Your MK can meet up with us. He/she doesn’t need to fly to the States to be a part of this trip.
Please contact my office if you are interested! We need to work on airplane tickets, but we still have enough time. Don’t hesitate! Let us know. I will be going on the trip, and will get to be a part of the ministry time with the MKs. Last years trip was powerful, and I know that this one will be amazing as well!
I know that you are all thinking about the changes to the summer programs. I want to let you know that even though the schedule has changed, we are committed as ever to provide the highest quality program possible. As I have been going over the schedule for the events, I am excited to see what God is going to do. Pray with us that God will touch the lives of our MKs. I always ask that you pray with me that the Holy Spirit will be poured out in a fresh way. I am passionate about our MKs being filled with the Holy Spirit – and I want you to pray with me that God will move among our kids again this summer!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Katherine is back home!
Katherine arrived back in our home on Tuesday. She is actually very sad to be leaving the hospital! She had everyone at her beckoning call, all the food she could eat, nurses taking care of her every need, and her parents sleeping in the recliner next to her bed... just in case she needed them! She had it all!
We just want to say thanks to all of you for praying for Katherine. She is doing a lot better. She is still on anitbiotics, and will stay home for a few days. We are hoping that she will be able to go back to school on Monday. Today Dargan went by her school and picked up all of her assignments she missed... she has lots of catch up work to do! We are all sleeping a little better, and we are happy to be home again as a family!
Thanks again for all your prayers!
We just want to say thanks to all of you for praying for Katherine. She is doing a lot better. She is still on anitbiotics, and will stay home for a few days. We are hoping that she will be able to go back to school on Monday. Today Dargan went by her school and picked up all of her assignments she missed... she has lots of catch up work to do! We are all sleeping a little better, and we are happy to be home again as a family!
Thanks again for all your prayers!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Katherine needs prayer
Hey friends,
Katherine is still in the hospital this evening. I am sitting here next to her bed wishing there was more I could do for her. She came through the emergency appendectomy on Monday, and has been doing okay in the hospital. Today our surgeon came in and told us some disheartening news. Her white cell blood count has gone up to 17,000. It should be below 10,000. From what I understand, that means she is fighting infection in her body. She is on a very strong antibiotic as well. If her count does not go down, it will probably mean another surgery for her. We know that God has a plan, and we believe Him for her healing! Please pray with us. Thanks for your prayers.
Chad
Katherine is still in the hospital this evening. I am sitting here next to her bed wishing there was more I could do for her. She came through the emergency appendectomy on Monday, and has been doing okay in the hospital. Today our surgeon came in and told us some disheartening news. Her white cell blood count has gone up to 17,000. It should be below 10,000. From what I understand, that means she is fighting infection in her body. She is on a very strong antibiotic as well. If her count does not go down, it will probably mean another surgery for her. We know that God has a plan, and we believe Him for her healing! Please pray with us. Thanks for your prayers.
Chad
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Katherine's Appendectomy
Hello friends around the world!
I just wanted to give you all an update on Katherine. Friday night she came home from a friends house with a tummy ache and not feeling well. Throughout the night she was throwing up and running a fever. None of us slept too well! I called our family doctor on Saturday, but she seemed to be getting better - no more throwing up. He recommended that we go ahead and take her in to the urgent care anyway. Saturday afternoon we went to urgent care and saw a doctor. His diagnosis was a urinary tract infection. We took her home and started giving her the medication. On Sunday she was not throwing up, and her fever was being kept under control with tylenol/ibuprofin. We had a superbowl party at our house Sunday night... she stayed on the couch in our room, still not feeling up to par. Sunday night she just kept complaining of a stomach ache, and her fever still kept coming back.
On Monday morning we took her back to Urgent Care. After spending all day at urgent care they decided to do a CT scan on her. She had issues drinking the liquid, and opted for a tube to be placed in/through her nose - to put the liquid in her tummy through the tube! Immediately after the scan, she threw up everything! Thank God she was able to keep it in for the duration of the test!
They immediately sent her over to the ER for an appendectomy. When we arrived in the OR, the surgeon and operating staff were waiting for her. I was amazed at how quickly everything was proceeding. They were waiting, the OR was ready for her, and we didn't have to wait at all for her to go into surgery. I guess the hardest time for us was when she looked up and asked us if she was going to die. It was a difficult day all the way around, but sending her into surgery was tough!
About 2 hours after she went into surgery, the doctor came out and gave us the good news that everything went well. She definitely had a ruptured appendix, and had a really large absess growing in her abdomen. They cleaned her out, and sewed her back up! She is now recovering at the Cox South Hospital in SGF. The doc said she will be in the hospital "the better part of a week."
It has been neat to see how God has worked in all of this. We have had people offer to pray with us (that we have never met before); our doctor at the Urgent Care happened to be someone that Chad plays basketball with at James River AG. Didn't know he was a doctor! The hospital staff were very attentive to everything! It has just been obvious that God's hand is in all of this. Why do bad things happen? We don't know why (we could get in a long talk about that one) - but we do know positively that God is in the midst of it all! When we suffer, He is with us, and He is helping us. It is a growing experience to go through trials - and hopefully we all learn to lean more on Him through these challenging times!
I have often thought of a young MK out in the Pacific, on a small island, who had an emergency appendectomy just a couple of months ago - i think in December. He did not have access to a hospital, and had to fly to Australia (8 hours I think) to a medical facility, with a ruptured appendix. When we have difficult times, we can only look at all the circumstances and realize how blessed we truly are!
Thanks for continuing to pray for our little princess!
Chad
I just wanted to give you all an update on Katherine. Friday night she came home from a friends house with a tummy ache and not feeling well. Throughout the night she was throwing up and running a fever. None of us slept too well! I called our family doctor on Saturday, but she seemed to be getting better - no more throwing up. He recommended that we go ahead and take her in to the urgent care anyway. Saturday afternoon we went to urgent care and saw a doctor. His diagnosis was a urinary tract infection. We took her home and started giving her the medication. On Sunday she was not throwing up, and her fever was being kept under control with tylenol/ibuprofin. We had a superbowl party at our house Sunday night... she stayed on the couch in our room, still not feeling up to par. Sunday night she just kept complaining of a stomach ache, and her fever still kept coming back.
On Monday morning we took her back to Urgent Care. After spending all day at urgent care they decided to do a CT scan on her. She had issues drinking the liquid, and opted for a tube to be placed in/through her nose - to put the liquid in her tummy through the tube! Immediately after the scan, she threw up everything! Thank God she was able to keep it in for the duration of the test!
They immediately sent her over to the ER for an appendectomy. When we arrived in the OR, the surgeon and operating staff were waiting for her. I was amazed at how quickly everything was proceeding. They were waiting, the OR was ready for her, and we didn't have to wait at all for her to go into surgery. I guess the hardest time for us was when she looked up and asked us if she was going to die. It was a difficult day all the way around, but sending her into surgery was tough!
About 2 hours after she went into surgery, the doctor came out and gave us the good news that everything went well. She definitely had a ruptured appendix, and had a really large absess growing in her abdomen. They cleaned her out, and sewed her back up! She is now recovering at the Cox South Hospital in SGF. The doc said she will be in the hospital "the better part of a week."
It has been neat to see how God has worked in all of this. We have had people offer to pray with us (that we have never met before); our doctor at the Urgent Care happened to be someone that Chad plays basketball with at James River AG. Didn't know he was a doctor! The hospital staff were very attentive to everything! It has just been obvious that God's hand is in all of this. Why do bad things happen? We don't know why (we could get in a long talk about that one) - but we do know positively that God is in the midst of it all! When we suffer, He is with us, and He is helping us. It is a growing experience to go through trials - and hopefully we all learn to lean more on Him through these challenging times!
I have often thought of a young MK out in the Pacific, on a small island, who had an emergency appendectomy just a couple of months ago - i think in December. He did not have access to a hospital, and had to fly to Australia (8 hours I think) to a medical facility, with a ruptured appendix. When we have difficult times, we can only look at all the circumstances and realize how blessed we truly are!
Thanks for continuing to pray for our little princess!
Chad
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