Jarretts Ministry

Dear Family and Friends,

I want to share some praises with you and hope they bring you joy this day as you hear how God is working in this place. Great answers to prayer have come about this week. On Wednesday, Rev. Kilel (works with us to minister to the orphans) brought to the house a young woman of 18 years of age who had just graduated from Form School. (high school) Scola came to show her appreciation for all our friends---meaning you---have done to enable her to finish school. She was praising God for His faithfulness to her that was shown through your prayers and support for orphans. Her heart's desire is to continue on with either Bible College or Medical School. She is praying and seeking God's direction for her. She just knows that she wants to do and be all that God has planned for her. It is her desire to impact others for the Lord. Philippians 2: 13 " For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Scola showed me her report card which gave me some insight into her abilities. She did excellent work in language studies (English and Swahilli), history and government, and Religious studies. Her skills in mathematics, biology, and chemistry seemed to be severely lacking, and these are important studies for medical school. I pointed out to her that her God-given talents seemed to be in the former

Please respond to pauljar@gmail.com

Jarrett’s Prayer Letter

Volume 7, Number 8

March 28, 2006

Dear Friends and Family:

Our trip to Nairobi was very productive from many viewpoints. Thanks for your prayers for safety in travel. I now have several more prayer requests to add to your already long list for ministry here in Kenya. My apologies in advance for the length, extra commas, and content, as my proofreader has gone to bed with a cold tonight.

We left on Thursday morning under clear skies. The rain which has been almost daily for the past several weeks has ceased, and we have now had a dry week. The farmers aren’t complaining yet. The roads which were in bad shape last month are much worse now after the heavy rains, and no repairs are underway. Large sections of the road are devoid of the 2 inches of blacktop that was used in the substandard construction. It has left either craters or wavy sections of dried mud. In several areas, it is far better to drive off the road onto the shoulder or even farther to the side, except where drivers have done this for so long that this area is also destroyed. The pavement is chipped away on both edges to be essentially a one-lane road, so that drivers have to play “chicken” to see who gives way. The busses and lorries [trucks] always win. Hitting a major, deep chuckhole after many miles of good pavement always takes the driver by surprise, so a bone-jarring

Dear Family and Friends:

We are finally back safely from Nairobi. We had to stay an extra night while the mechanic completed repairs on the vehicle, but it drives really well now. We had plenty of adventures in traveling which I will relate in the next prayer letter. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Paul, for the Jarretts in Kenya

Dear Friends and Family:

We got a call from the nurse in ICU at Mater Hospital that Vicki's surgery went well, and she was doing well post op. All her blood was available, and they even went a day early since the child scheduled on Tuesday didn't have blood donors ready. Thanks for your prayers.

We did hear from Peter and Becki Burke that part of Peter's car was recovered -- that is the frame minus the engine, transmission, and other vital parts. They are waiting to hear from the insurance company, but it would seem it is a total loss.

We're heading out for Nairobi now.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Paul, for the Jarretts

Dear Friends and Family:

Thanks for your prayers. I had requested prayer for Vicki for her heart surgery last week. It turns out that the heart surgery was rescheduled for Wednesday, March 22. They are needing 11 pints of blood to be donated, since she will be on the heart-lung bypass machine. Alice, our Kitoben Children's Home director, is staying in Nairobi with friends, even though she doesn't have much money to live on, including her need to buy air time for her cell phone. Hence our updates have been irregular.

We will travel to Nairobi Thursday through Sunday for shopping and passing out Bibles, car repairs, and maybe the purchase of a cellphone. They are becoming a way of life here and are fairly cheap. The less reliable our car becomes, the more it makes sense to have a phone.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Paul, for the Jarretts in Kenya

Dear Friends and Family:

One of our orphangs, Vicki, will have open heart surgery tomorrow in Nairobi. We have been waiting for the hospital to make arrangements, and it appears that all is ready. Pray for her complete recovery.

One of our cancer surgeries went very well today. The 35-year-old mother left the hospital without surgery, but says that she will return next week. She had no one to care for her 7-month-old baby that was with her. Please pray that she will return for life-saving surgery.

Thanks so much for your prayers.

Paul

Jarrett’s Prayer Letter

Volume 7, Number 7

March 11, 2006

Dear Friends and Family:

We’re eight weeks into our time in Kenya. It seems like time is flying; I guess that either means that we’re excited to be here or we’re getting old. I want to update you on some of the things that are going on here and, naturally, pass on some prayer requests.

I had asked for prayer for Margaret, a 16-year-old girl with a large tumor in her breast. She had been unable to stop bleeding because her platelet count was so low. We were able to give her enough fresh blood that her bleeding stopped. I say “fresh” blood because banked blood that is refrigerated until use has virtually none of the blood-clotting platelet elements. In the US, the platelets are separated out and frozen for later transfusion. So, we use fresh blood as soon after donation as possible.

We observed that after the bleeding had stopped, the level of hemoglobin slowly raised up to nearly normal at 11.1, but the platelet count remained precariously low at 12,000. We wouldn’t electively operate on someone unless their count was at least 50,000; normal is over 140,000.

Our plan was to do a needle biopsy of the tumor and then recommend appropriate surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Unfortunately, the father refused to allow a biopsy. Despite two long counseling sessions with the parents[ the first explaining Margaret’s precarious condition, and the second the need for a biopsy] the father was

Dear Friends and Family:

We are back home safely at Tenwek, but not without some adventures as usual. Marty and I left this morning for Nakuru to pick up the Pajero. This was to be a 3-hour tour [like Gilligan's Island was], one-way. I was driving the Land Rover with the balky clutch that had worked well all the way home from Nairobi last week, and it worked well the first 80 kilometers. The next 57 kilometers it began to slip with increasing frequency until it overheated and just plain quit half way between Kericho and Nakuru. I had borrowed a cell phone from Amy Bemm just in case of any trouble.

I called the WGM accountant in Nakuru to explain the trouble. After an hour, I started the car and was able to drive a few miles further after the clutch had cooled off. Then it quit working again. Within a short time after this, the accountant, Don Bloomster, called back with a plan. A mechanic would come from Kericho where they could tow the car to a trusted garage. WGM Field Director, Terry Duncan, and another missionary, Bill Dearman, would drive my Pajero and another car out from Nakuru. Marty and I waited patiently at the side of the busy road. Some clouds came over and it began to rain, which kept us comfortably cool. We ate our lunch that Marty had packed. Before any help arrived, three Kenyans stopped in a pick-up. One of them came

Prayer request from the Jarretts:

On Friday morning, March 3, Marty and I will drive back to Nakuru to pick up the Pajero. Supposedly, it is fixed and ready to go. Please pray for protection for us as we go, and that the car would be working properly. We will start out about 12 midnight Indianapolis time, and be gone most of the day, I would anticipate.

Another prayer request is for Margaret, a 16-year-old school girl who came in with a large breast mass that looks like cancer. As we have done more studies, it appears more like a large tumor growing up out of her chest into the left breast. This would more likely be a lymphoma, sarcoma, or even a thymoma -- all nasty malignant tumors. Right now, Margaret has hardly any platelets, so her blood isn't clotting from menstruation or the bleeding into her stomach. This may be due to the malignancy or from the herbal treatments that her mother opted for before accepting a breast biopsy -- even now we can't do such a minor procedure for fear of starting more bleeding. She is getting daily blood transfusions -- already five and probably she will need at least that many more. I have told her parents that her life is in great danger. They are all Christians, and we have prayed for God's intervention, since our hands are fairly tied as to what we can offer at this point.

Another request is for our