Dear Friends and Family:

We’re down to the final week before leaving for Kenya, and I wanted to give you some updated prayer requests and praises. God has been faithful to us as He always is and will be. He has provided funds for our trip back and for the initial time we’re there. Since September 11, British Air has discontinued its policy of allowing extra baggage for missionaries. He has moved hearts to give us extra baggage allowance for the things we’re taking back for widows and orphans, along with Bibles, tracts, and Sunday school materials.

Here are the current prayer requests:

1. Please pray for salvation for a Muslim physician and her husband. I have not seen her for a long time. Early this morning I saw her in a dream; she was lonely, isolated, and concerned about her husband’s health. I saw myself putting my arm around her and sharing God’s love. I’m not one who is accustomed to having dreams and visions on a regular basis, but it was clear enough that I was to reach out to her. This morning I wrote her a letter and sent her a copy of our Christmas letter. Would you pray that God would open her heart to the gospel?

2. Pray for our week of packing: that we would make wise decisions on what to take and how to pack it. We need to think of the last minute items to obtain, like medication for six months for Marty and Rachel.

3. Pray for all our family’s emotions and comfort as we face the separation again for an extended time. God is our comforter, but it still is a difficult time. Pray for Paul, Marty, Becki, Debbye, Amy, Laura, and Rachel and for Alicia Bechtle as well as the family and friends at home.

4. Here is the current travel schedule: We will drive to Chicago in our two aging vans on Monday morning, January 7. We will leave about 9AM. Our daughter Beth and John Bechtle will be our drivers. Pray for good weather and safe driving and no car trouble. Pray for the check-in that afternoon at O’Hare International. I have no proof of British Air’s waiver for extra luggage other than the assurance that it is noted on our flight information in the computer. The flight leaves for London at 8:15PM CST [7:15 Indy time]. We arrive in London at 10AM [5AM Indy time]. Pray for sleep on the plane as well as seats together. We have a 12-hour layover at Heathrow until 10:25PM [5:25PM] on Jan.8. We plan on visiting our Tenwek friends, Dr. Dave and Amy Brown who are in London for some schooling. We then arrive in Nairobi at 9:55AM [I: 55AM Indy time] on Jan.9. Again we need to sleep. Then we have errands to run in Nairobi buying groceries and supplies before the 3-hour drive to Tenwek. In reality, the time in Nairobi and driving across Kenya is probably more risky than the flights and travel in the US.

5. Pray for wisdom for the committee for administration and expansion of the Education fund for orphans and children of widows. God has answered many prayers in setting up this fund and already 43 children attended school this fall because of funds from this program. A similar number are in the process of being evaluated, but we want to have even more children involved. Should we ask the committee to appoint a full-time administrator for the project as the program expands under the direction of the committee? The only current administrative cost is for gasoline for trips to investigate the potential recipients of aid. The administration has been done thus far by the pastors who may be pretty busy. These and other issues we don’t even know about at present will undoubtedly face us.

6. Adjustments: For Paul to adjust quickly to the jet lag and the demanding routine of the hospital schedule after six months with no surgery or night call. For toleration of the malaria prophylaxis medication by all. For everyone’s re-adaptation to the cultural differences.

7. For sensitivity to God’s leading in areas of ministry. We know many of the areas we will be working in, but we want to be sensitive to God’s promptings to become involved in areas where He is working.

8. For personal spiritual growth and sanctification [getting rid of the things in our lives that are not pleasing to God and becoming more like Jesus].

9. For Marty’s back: she is improved, but still has quite a bit of pain and doesn’t tolerate being on her feet for too long. We haven’t yet been approved for the new insurance because they are studying this issue.

10. Pray for our parent’s health. Each is fragile, but stable at the moment.

This is a long list, but we appreciate your standing with us in the work God has called us to do. We are happy to hear from you when we’re on the field and would be happy to pray for your needs as well. When you write to us, we will try to at least acknowledge receipt of your e-mails. If you don’t get an answer or acknowledgment, it probably means the e-mail didn’t get through. Keep sending it! Our system has been unreliable because of inconsistency. Don’t send us files larger than 40 Kbytes and remember that we don’t have Internet access, so we can’t read online greeting cards. We don’t open e-mails that have no subject or from an unknown sender, and forwarded messages make us nervous as well because of viruses.

Serving Jesus with you,

Paul for all the Jarretts in transit on three continents

Contact Information:
Home Address: 9906 East 200 South, Zionsville, IN 46077
Kenya Address: P.O. Box 39, Bomet, Kenya, East Africa
Jarrett’s Support Address: Acct 2355, Samaritan’s Purse PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607
E-mail addresses: jarretts@maf.or.ke Home Telephone: 317-769-3302
AGC Tenwek Area Education Fund [sending orphans to school] contributions: Checks payable to and send to: Christian Foundation of Indiana, 8445 Keystone Crossing Blvd, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Indicate for Tenwek on a separate piece of paper.

Tags: