Upcoming Mission Trip to

This last month has been very busy with preparations for a mission trip to Israel, Kenya and Ethiopia. We have also been working on a rather involved effort to return to Russia the first two weeks in October followed by two weeks in Ukraine, if God will permit!!  

The trip to Israel begins, by God's grace, August 9th.  Like all the Countries that our Lord has called us to, it began with relationship. We have very dear friends leading Messianic congregations as well as brothers and sisters there that God has called to political leadership. It has been over two years since we have been able to be with each other because of the pandemic!  It will be an exciting reunion and one our dear Lord has always blessed with wonderful fruit!  My stay in Israel is very short, less than a week- August 9th to August 16th.  

From Tel Aviv I fly through Cairo to Nairobi, arriving on the 17th at 3:30 in the morning (poor Enos)! I am meeting our dear brother Juan Carlos Jimenes there and by God's grace our wonderful sister, Gabrielle Weber, will be joining us as well!   

Our main involvement is in four schools, three in the slums around Nairobi- Amson Ctr., Graceland and Kidstar.  On the Westside of Kenya is our largest school in the Bukara region.  All combined, we feed about 1200 kids a day, 6 days a week for between $2.50-$3.00/ month (per child). It is hard to find a cup of coffee for that amount these days, but it is enough to save a life!  It is such a thrill to watch these beautiful kids eating their only full meal during these 6 days, laughing, teasing each other and dreaming of completing an education that will allow them to have a job to provide not only for their own families but their parents and siblings who are sacrificing so much now so that they can attend school!

Obviously we couldn't serve that number of meals for that amount of money unless we had scores of volunteers that collect the food, prepare it, and serve without receiving a dime!  My dream is that we could someday provide enough food that these volunteers, who are doing everything they can to help their kids  have access to a healthy meal, could also receive a plate of food for all their hard work!  So, part of my job this trip is to see how sustainable the work is there and how we might be able to alleviate even more of the suffering, as our gracious God makes provision out of His riches in Christ!  

Enos Mutoka is our leader there in Kenya, whom many of you have met!  He is doing a great job and, in fact, is up for a position on the County Council ( election day- August 9th ), that could be a tremendous help!  But, as a father in the Lord, I worry about all the evil and corruption in politics there and am praying for God's Will, and only God's Will to be done!!  

We leave Kenya August 26th for Addis Ababa, the Capitol of Ethiopia. We have so many wonderful, loving partners in the work of Christ there that it is hard to be apart so long between trips! In the last two attempts we were prevented from entering the Country, last year because of Civil War and the year before because, while in Kenya, I picked up malaria, a severe infection and a kidney stone all at the same time!  You powerful prayer warriors, we need your covering the whole way!! The Work that the Holy Spirit is doing is stunning but not unnoticed by the agents of hell... But again and again our God has caused us to prevail though every challenge He has called us to!! Praise His glorious, all powerful Name!  Jesus!!  

We have some tremendous entries to follow on the blog from both Russia and Ukraine!  But first, these next steps I mentioned above, as we run the race to win on this wonderful journey of faith God has called us to around the World!  With much love, jerry