I Saw What I Saw by Sarah Groves

Mmmm...cookies!

 We have been so blessed the last several weeks to be involved with the ministries in our church. As we come to the realization that our time in California is short, we treasure our relationships here and the time we have with our friends and family. We are so thankful to our support team who has really stepped up and have been gracious with giving us their time, talents and resources for the glory of God and the furtherance of the gospel.

God has been teaching us patience through the last few weeks. Jonathan and I attended the missions conference in Murrietta at the beginning of January. One of the things that God has been impressing on my heart is that it's not all about the ministry. Yes, ministry an important part of the way God moves in our lives and through the lives of others but us being in ministry isn't about us giving to others as much as it's about our relationship with God. Or "making cookies" as Jay Dangers of New Hope Uganda illustrated in one of the sessions at the missions conference. When we make cookies and invite our kids into the kitchen it's never about the cookies part as much as it's about the relationship we build with our children in the process of making cookies. The cookies are just a biproduct. If it was just about making the cookies I certainly wouldn't ask my two-yr. old to join me in the kitchen. He would just slow down the process. That is what ministry should be. It's always been about us becoming closer to God and it's never been about the cookies! (Despite the fact that it is so tempting to lose yourself in a huge batch of fresh, hot-out-of-the-oven, chocolate chip cookies. And don't even get me started on the ice cream! (: )

This has given me a different perspective on why this process seems to be taking so long. Our hearts are willing to go and sometimes I think to myself "doesn't the world need to hear? Don't we need more people on the mission field? Why aren't we there yet." I believe that God desires and longs for that close relationship with us and desires that we share that with others and that must always be our focus first. To love God with all your heart, soul and mind. 

Praise be to our Father!

Adrienne for the Ferg4 

Nairobi Here We Come!

Alright everyone, the Ferguson Four are heading out to Nairobi again! We are going to be visiting Nairobi during the last half of June. The purpose of this trip is to visit DSM, the ministry we hope to partner with. Jonathan and Adrienne will be visiting the schools and meeting with the pastors. We are excited about this trip, and are interested in finding out how well our boys are going to do on a plane for 17 hours...Please pray for us!

If anyone is interested in learning more about our upcoming trip, please email us and we will be more than happy to fill you in on the details.

Jonathan
mungubariki@gmail.com
Adrienne
ferg4africa@gmail.com

Care Team Meeting

Hello everyone!

Tonight we are meeting with some people who may join us in ministry on our care team.  A care team is a group of people who are "back home" and who assist with keeping us on the field.  Care teams help with areas such as logistics, communication, prayer, re-entry, and other things.

Please pray for this team, that God would bring them unity and joy working together.

God Bless!

Jonathan 

Delays

Hello Everyone!

So...if you haven't heard yet, there has been a few adjustments made to our timeline. We have been asked by Paul and Marcia Cowley to come out to Nairobi one more time before making the big move, in order to get a chance to teach at DSM, and for our families to meet in person. Due to the fact that the Chesboros (who also work at DSM) will be on furlough from December through May, the earliest that we will be able to head out there is late May - early June. After this short trip, we will then finalize our plans for departing permanently to Nairobi.

Please pray that God would direct our steps as we go through this time of change. Pray that He would give us patience.


Blessings,
Jonathan

Pray for Calvary International Fellowship

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to drop a quick note to ask you all to pray for CIF, a Calvary plant in Githurai, a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi. The owner of the building that the church meets in shut the doors last week, as he is having repairs made on the building. There was no warning, and there is no timetable for the reopening of the building. It appears that the church will meet outdoors for a while, while the plot of land they now own is made ready for construction of the new church building.


For all of us Refugees, we understand meeting outside, and know both the trials and joys that this brings. Please keep the church in your prayers, and pray for the Compean family as they continue to minister to the people of Githurai.

Jonathan

Kenyan Olympians...Way to go!

I came across this article from a Kenyan paper today. Kinda cool!

Basking in the Olympic Glory, We Are All Kenyans

The Nation (Nairobi)

18 August 2008

By Macharia Gaitho
Nairobi

WE'RE IN ONE OF THOSE periods when we need to watch television broadcasts from far-off lands to become Kenyans.

Pamela Jelimo, Richard Matelong, Janeth Jepkosgei and Brimin Kipruto all did us proud on Monday with a fantastic medal haul of two gold, one silver and one bronze in just two track events.

Almost every place where there is a television set, Kenyans have been glued to the little screen yelling, cheering and screaming in unison.

Nobody gives a moment's thought to the ethnic origins, race, political affiliations or religious beliefs of the athletes doing their best to bring glory to Kenya at the Beijing Olympics.

They are Kenyans, period, and it is the Kenyan flag that is being paraded round the track and raised at the awards ceremony.

We all stand up and shout ourselves hoarse applauding a Kenyan victory, not a Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, Giriama winner.

And when we lose to one of those darned Ethiopians, the groan expelled with the agony of defeat again encompasses the entire Kenyan nation irrespective of any of the puny sub-nations within.

There is something notable about this Olympic season: The decibel count from our noisy politicians has gone down. I don't know whether that is just a blessed coincidence or some realisation that they will get scant attention when Kenyans are preoccupied with much more important things during this time.

As we cheer on our boys and girls in Beijing, it is a real blessing, so far at least, that our attentions have not been diverted by the destructive sabre-rattling ethnic jingoism that our so-called leaders usually employ to divide us for selfish ends.

Actually, it is real wonder that not a single one of our leaders has come out to demand ethnic balance in the team.

No politician has taken to the stumps to demand that his ethnic group get its fair share in the team. There have been no calls for a Commission of Inquiry into the way the team was selected and why some tribes were left out.

Not even Parliament has bothered to send a select committee on a Beijing junket in an effort to establish the ethnic background of each team member and whether there was corruption, nepotism and ethnic bias in the conduct of the Kenya Olympic trials since 1964.

Neither have there been any calls for affirmative action in team selection or moves to address historical injustices that have given some communities domination when it comes to securing Olympic tickets.

Sports truly unites us and relegates all those diversionary issues to the back-burners where they belong.

Let's pray that true peace comes to Kenya, the peace that comes only through the love and grace of Jesus Christ!

Neema na Amani, (grace and peace)

Jonathan (for Adrienne, Josiah and Christopher)