I am writing an
update to share with you that I am rapidly approaching a road of
uncertainty.  On Sunday, April 19^th,
I will close out my time in Kenya, possibly for good.  I know that a season of rest awaits me and
for that, I am truly grateful.  However,
I am currently plagued with a wide array of emotions.  The majority of which, are how do I end my
time in Kenya?  What closure do I
need?  How do I end my time here well?  Then of course, the other obvious thing is
what's next?  Let me start by telling you
that I currently don't have any answers to these questions.  I have a tremendous peace about this season
of my life coming to a close.  Also, I am
eagerly excited about figuring out what is next for me.  I know that the Lord is revealing his steps
to me as he prepares me.  I know that he
is challenging me to step out in trust and in faith in ways that I haven't
yet.  The Lord is growing me and
fathering me into a man who is after his heart. 
I have been feeling for some time that the Lord is asking more of me now
then what I even feel capable of.  There
are times where I want to "turn tail" and run because I am afraid of what the
Lord is going to ask of me, but then he gives me the strength to press on
towards his obedience.  Then I also
realize; what can the Lord ask of me that I have not already given.  I have given up safety, security, a seemingly
normal life, a career, money, an essentially my own life.  Therefore, I have nothing to fear.  Ultimately, I continue to arrive at a fuller
understanding that I am his beloved.  He
always takes care of his beloved.

This season of my
life has been the most difficult that I have ever walked in.  I have faced more emotions and
discouragements then I ever have.  It
seemed like one thing after another kept battering against me weighing me
down.  Thankfully, the Lord used this to
teach me so much.  I don't think I have
ever had a season of such intense growth and understanding as this one.  The Lord used this time to remind me that I
am his; that my entire identity can be summed up in that, "I am his."  I certainly feel comfortable saying that my
leadership has never been challenged as much as it was during this season of
life.  I learned a lot about perseverance
in this time.  There were so many days
when I found myself asking, "Is it even worth trying anymore."  I had to weekly fight off the temptation to
become disengaged altogether and just drift through my time here.  Every day, I had to tell myself that God has
called me here for this time and this season so I need to soldier through
whatever comes my way.  He certainly did
not call me to complacency or apathy.  It
pleases me to say that the Lord gave me strength and fresh perspectives each
and every day to flourish even in the midst of turmoil.  The Lord spoke to me very clear about
this.  He told me that my responsibility
is to grow wherever he plants me.  In a
way, I guess that I could summarize my time in Kenya by that.  The Lord planted me in the desert and
challenged me to figure out how to grow. 
I am so grateful for this because I did! 
I'm also very grateful for those that encouraged me or lifted me up in
prayer because I certainly would not have made it through this time without
you.

I wanted to close out this update
with a few prayer requests.

·        
Pray that I can end my time in Kenya well.

·        
Pray for safe travels for the team and me as we
leave Sunday night.

·        
Pray for wisdom and discernment as I try to
figure out what is next.

·        
Pray that the Lord will show me what it means to
have a season of rest.

·        
Pray for my heart, as it still needs more
healing.

Thank you again for making all of
this possible and for allowing me to walk out my relationship with the Lord in
front of all of you.