Countdown to Kenya!

Just over two months ago I quit my job. My intention was to get all of my display materials, DVD presentation and meetings lined up for deputation and get on the road. Then things started happening. My hard drive crashed, taking all of the above mentioned materials with it. Then I found out that I would have to appear at court hearing in a work related case at the end of August. Then one of the doctors whom I have been seeing for my wrist injury decided the best recourse was a cortisone shot, which caused my wrist to swell up and made driving impossible for four days and further delayed getting on with treatment and out on the deputation trail. To say the least, I had trouble understanding what was going on, why there were so many delays. But God had a plan.
Since I began working with the Sangs on the Job 31 Project we have all been praying that the Lord would open the door for me to join them in Kenya and spend some time getting to know them, the children they are working with and to help out in whatever way I could. To me it seemed impossible, but so did sewing 165 uniform bottoms! The tickets alone were nearly $2000. About a week ago, I was prompted around 1:30 in the morning to get up and look online to see if taking a different route might not be cheaper. It wasn’t. But when I looked at the original routing the price had dropped $800. I don’t think I got any sleep that night, and if I did it was too full of excitement to qualify as such.
You see, when I quit my job, I had a little money tucked back in my ministry account for getting started on deputation, though my preference was to use it for a ministry project. Had I started out on deputation as I planned in early August, chances are that money would not be there now. It would have been spent on travel expenses. But the Lord, who knows what tomorrow holds, held me back.
This morning, I purchased a ticket to Niarobi, Kenya. Lord willing, I will be leaving Billings on November 1st and will spend one month with the Sangs. This has all happened so quickly that I do not know for sure what all I will be doing while I am there, but I know that the same God who has orchestrated this trip so far, will orchestrate it to the end!
Please be praying! There is more to be done between now and the time that I leave than I can even comprehend at the moment. Here are some things to be praying about:
1. For hearts to be prepared and souls to be saved.
2. Visa Application – Because this has come up so quickly we are a little pinched for time. Please be praying that the process goes smoothly.
3. I would still love to take a nurse (or doctor) along, but do not know anyone that is available to go. If you or someone you know would be interested please let me know as soon as possible. This person will be responsible for the costs of their own airfare, visa, vaccinations, travel insurance, personal expenses, etc. We also have a need for basic medical supplies.
4. Teaching Materials – In addition to any lessons for the ladies and children that the Sangs may want me to have ready for the month there, I will also have 2 lessons to prepare for a ladies retreat that our church is hosting October 30th, my usual Sunday School lessons and a couple of articles that I am supposed to be writing for a website. Please be praying for wisdom, clarity and even speed as I work on all of these.
5. For a few things here in the states to be resolved before I leave, especially for the completion of the data recovery from the hard drive that failed. The diagnosis and treatment plan for my wrist is also important. I had an MRI done this morning to determine whether or not it is going to need surgery and should find out more on Friday. At this point I am inclined to wait until after I return if it turns out that it does need surgery. Either way, this will add some difficulty to handling luggage.
6. For Health and Safety. For endurance and strength. Traveling is always wearing. Traveling alone for a minimum of 30 hours with a hundred and twenty-five pounds of luggage to keep track of and get in and out of customs and through security is exhausting. (Sounds like I’m looking forward to that part of the trip, doesn’t it?!) I know that this will be both a physically and spiritually challenging trip, but the Lord gives strength unto His people (Psalm 29).
I am excited, and a little bit nervous, about what lays ahead. The things mentioned here are only a fraction of what is going on and needs to be attended to in the next 25 days. I need your prayer.
If you would like to get involved in this trip in anyway please let me know.
For His Glory,
Rachel Miller
Grace Baptist Church, 3616 Broadwater Ave., Billings, MT 59102    406-208-7332