2008 Staff Conference

Combatting Pharisee-ism. I'm not sure if that is a word, but it's our topic for this year's staff training. So far the talks have been good, with Dave Johnson kicking us off. I'll update you as we go along. Pray for the Spirit to speak to us and give us insight, repentance, and humility to change where we tend to be Pharisaical. We are staying at East Tennessee State University this week. The campus is nice, but I'm still glad I went to good ole' University of Georgia. ;)

Pray for us this week, if you would. This week is always significant and pivotal to our ministry. Pray for God to encourage us and direct the work of our hands. There is so much going on within WDA's ministry currently-- curriculum writing, continued ministry at our work sites, many churches and ministries asking for training- both internationally and nationally. We need divine discernment and direction. Having all of our staff together each year is a breeding site for brainstorming and decision-making, so we covet your prayers.
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I love hearing about what God is doing around the world through our tiny organization. This morning a report was given about going-ons in Africa. We have WDA associate staff in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and a partnership-opportunity in Ethiopia that would impact 6 million believers. Kenya has been an under a heavy civil war and "ethnic cleansing", desplacing thousands upon thousands and killing many. 2,000 internally displaced persons made there way to a camp set up by Clapperton, one of a our staff members. In this camp, tribes from both sides of the conflict live in peace together and God provides for their needs daily-- both things are nothing short of a miracle. Many have become believers and are being discipled in the midst of war and devastation. We are seeing that the Lord's arm is not too short to save and provide miraculous protection and provision. (Can I get an "Amen"?)

The official message going out about Kenya is that the camps have been closed and everyone has gone home (giving the appearance that the trouble is over.) That is not true. The government camps were closed and the people were left without resources. Pray for the churches to minister in the Lord's name, in His power and ways. Pray for provision for our guys' folks, as well as a powerful work of forgiveness and reconciliation to come out of this, in the long run.

The numbers at the camps in Bungoma have not gone down much. The bill at the market, to buy food and necessities, is up to $2,000 and not as much has been given lately. Pray that those with resources to help would not suffer "compassion fatigue" and continue to be generous and ready to help. The short-term needs are still for food an clothing. The long-term needs are for resources to start micro-businesses and farming to get people back on their feet.

In other news, we are starting a new project. During lunch today we sat around discussing a booklet WDA would like to publish... "How to Live the Christian Life". We are invisioning a long research paper of sorts with lots of go-to-resources (our own and others) in the footnotes. Pray for God's direction; should be a really insightful project-- but a significant undertaking . Someone commented today that Mark Twain once said "If I had more time, would have written you a shorter letter." Sometimes it's more challenging to do a good job condensing something than writing all their is to know on a subject. I think some of our staff feel Twain's sentiment as they tackle significant doctrines and practices, putting them both in laymen terms and short length. Pray for God to lead us.
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I'll be back in Athens on Saturday and visiting supporters for about 3 weeks straight. (Then I'm off to Chicago!) I'm looking forward to visiting with many of you face-to-face before I leave. Hope you all are well!

Thanks for praying for us this week! Abundant love in Christ!