October Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the month of October 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• Kakuma Refugee Camp
• When There is no Road
• Congregations Planting Congregations
• Photos in Focus: Pokot, Turkana, and Kakuma

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For the safety and well-being of God’s people in Kakuma Refugee Camp
• For the people of Naurien, that God continue to encourage and sustain them
• For the continued growth and faith life of the congregation on the mountain top

   And we praise the Lord:

• For the successful visit of New Hope of Mooresville, NC
• For Krista’s good health and the health of Baby Trump as he prepares for life outside the womb
• For Shauen and the team’s safe travels to remote areas of Kenya in October

  If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - October 2011 (PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

September Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the month of September 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• ELCK Partner's Consultation
• Swahili Continues
• A Note from Josiah (21 months)
• Facts in Focus: The Swahili Language

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For a successful visit for a new Congregation Connect Partner, New Hope Mission Church of Mooresville, NC
• That the ELCK continue to grow and flourish as a church
• That we are able to have a recognizable and excellent Thanksgiving celebration

  And we praise the Lord:

• For Ruth, Shauen’s Swahili teacher
• For Krista’s good health and the health of Baby Trump as he prepares for life outside the womb
• For the Bible Study Krista recently began attending

 If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - September 2011 (PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

August Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the month of August 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• Vacation Bible School on the Kenyan Coast
• Give Clean Water Now
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Photos in Focus: Josiah at VBS

Our prayer requests this month include:

• That the Gospel seed planted in the children who attended VBS be nurtured and flourish
• That the adults who heard of Christ and His works or saw a depiction of His Gospel in a film show come to faith
• That the burden be eased for those who walk miles to fetch water every day

  And we praise the Lord:

• For the success of St. Andrew’s first team trip to Kenya
• For the Spirit’s work in those who professed new belief in Christ and that they be encouraged in their new faith and protected from harm
• For the work and vision of givecleanwaternow.org

 If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - August 2011 (PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

July Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the month of July 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• Goodbye Jeff, Hello Tim and Megan
• Appreciating Our Volunteer Coordinator
• Pastoral Leadership Institute - International
• Finally Settling in to Nairobi
• Photos in Focus

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For our GEO missionary Jeffrey Ross as he returns to seminary in the United States
• For a successful orientation and beginning for our new GEO missionaries Timothy and Megan Dooms
• For a healthy pregnancy
• For a successful resolution to our ongoing conversation with the Kenya Revenue Authority

  And we praise the Lord:

• That Shauen has been able to begin language study again
• That we are able to stay in our current home and signed a good lease
• For the good work of Catherine, our Volunteer Coordinator

 If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - July 2011 (1.02Mb in PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

red24: Power Rationing

Red24 is our international personal security advice and response provider. They monitor security activity, incidents, and factors in the region that could have security implications. They then send notifications to their clients of any events that could jeopardize the client's security along with advice to optimize the client's personal safety. Red24 is but one of the ways LCMS World Mission keeps its people safe on the mission field. Today we received the following notification from red24:

Kenya: Authorities are set to impose rolling blackouts across parts of the country as of 27 July as a means of dealing with an ongoing energy supply crisis. The areas likely to be worst affected by the blackouts include the capital, Nairobi, as well as the Rift Valley province and western parts of the country where power rationing is scheduled to take place daily between 18:40 and 21:30. Areas in Nairobi to be particularly affected include the Baba Dogo area which will be subject to power rationing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the industrial area on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and the North Rift area on Tuesdays and Fridays. Authorities further indicated the possibility of regular power outages in parts of western Kenya due to problems in transferring electricity to the area. Power rationing is set to remain in place until at least mid-September. A severe drought in East Africa has led to water shortages at some of Kenya's hydroelectric dams which are believed to be responsible for the bulk of the country's electricity supply. Clients in Kenya should anticipate disruptions to electronic-based services such as banking, fuel dispensing, internet and telecommunications. Furthermore, visitors to the country should be aware that the blackouts may increase levels of criminal activity, particularly in large urban centres such as the capital, Nairobi. As a precaution, travellers should refrain from walking alone after dark and ensure that their places of accommodation are secured at all times. For further information and/or advice call red24... 

Overall this is a fairly mild alert - we've received far more serious ones in the past. But it's never pleasant to hear you may be subject to planned power outages in addition to all the other ones!  -Shauen

Do you enjoy our newsletter?

While we have many friends, family, encouragers, and supporters who receive our (roughly) monthly newsletter by email, we also have a list of about 100 people who receive it through the good ol-fashioned postal service. We've always enjoyed printing and mailing these ourselves from Africa - the sense of accomplishment is substantial when you have to lick at least 2 stamps and one flap for each of the 100 envelopes (there are no sticker-stamps here). Even though we delayed mailings to double-up newsletters the cost has become prohibitive. So we've reached the difficult decision to hand over this privilege and request help distributing our printed edition from within the United States.

We're therefore looking for someone who is willing to help us out by taking on the monthly responsibility (and costs) for printing and mailing our newsletter to about 100 addresses in the US. If this is something you or your congregation would like to do for us and our other supporters who don't have email, please send me a note to Shauen.Trump@LCMS.org. Thank you so much! -Shauen

Dooms are soon to arrive in Kenya

East Africa enjoys many short-term teams that visit for one to two weeks, short-term volunteers who serve for one to six months, and GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach) missionaries who serve from six months to two years. Part of the joy of my work is to match those willing to serve with the needs of the churches we work with.

I'm happy to share that in about one month's time we will have two new GEO missionaries serving here in Kenya. They'll be working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya's National Project Coordinator, Rev. David Chuchu, who works out of Kisumu, about six hours from Nairobi. They'll be primarily working with the ELCK's 1001 Orphans child-sponsorship project and the Project24 program to build rescue centers. Learn more about this young couple, Tim and Megan Dooms, and their work at their website www.hujamborafiki.blogspot.com or support their work at www.lcms.org/dooms. We're excited to see them here - please pray for them and praise the Lord for the workers He raises up! -Shauen

Four Anniversaries, Four Countries

A month ago on June 9th, Shauen and I celebrated our fourth anniversary. Shauen had a two-week trip to Tanzania scheduled and because it's not very fun to be left home alone with a toddler, no car, plus be alone on your anniversary, Josiah and I went with him. As we celebrated our anniversary in Tanzania, I thought back on our previous three anniversaries. Our first anniversary we visited a friend in New Orleans. Our most romantic anniversary to date. We stayed at a romantic bed and breakfast and had a wonderful time. Our second anniversary was in Uganda. I was pregnant with Josiah and still feeling morning sickness. Nothing says "Happy Anniversary" then running to throw up the lovely breakfast Shauen had made me. Our third anniversary we had just returned from our two-week trip to Paraguay. We were in Nairobi for two short weeks before leaving for Tanzania for language school. Shauen was recovering from a very bad cold/sinus infection and at the same time was trying to find and buy our new vehicle since we couldn't import our old truck from Uganda. That evening, we immensely enjoyed a No Bake Cheesecake that had been sent to us. I don't think we actually ate the whole cheesecake in one sitting, but it was that good that we certainly wanted to! It was delicious! So, after celebrating in the United States, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania where will we be for number five? I told Shauen that unless it's Paris or Rome, I don't feel the need to celebrate in a new country next year! This is one tradition that needs to be nipped in the bud.  -Krista

June Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the month of June 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• 1,000 Baptized Among the Sukuma People
• MOST Dental Team Visits Nairobi
• Baptizing a 4,000 Year-Old Sukuma Woman
• Photos in Focus

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For the unreached among the Sukuma people
• That we make time for language study
• That we find a way to meet the increase in rent at our compound
• That Kenya’s IRS equivalent forgive the $115,000 in penalties and interest demanded from a 2007 audit

  And we praise the Lord:

• For the 1,000 Sukuma, including Esther, who heard and responded to the Gospel
• For Josiah sleeping through the night
• For the work of MOST Ministries around the world

 If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - June 2011 (988K in PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

First 100 Days

Presidents are often critically evaluated after their first 100 days in office to get a measure for how they act. It seems those one hundred days allow sufficient time to learn the ropes and push through the most important items on their agenda. Well, my First 100 Days have come and gone (last week). And while I'd love to present a list of majestic accomplishments, I'll share instead some of the challenges that I've encountered. My first one hundred days were a bit overwhelming - I could use your prayers.

February

• I take over responsibility for the East Africa Field Office in Nairobi, Kenya, an office that has been in place for at least ten years
• I am informed indirectly that one of our three church partners in my area has democratically voted on an issue of theology and church practice that has implications for the nature of our partnership - the scramble begins to see exactly what they did and exactly what that means for our relationship
• I am made aware that another one of our three church partners in my area is on the verge of splitting and in the process of excommunicating one of their bishops to prevent a wider schism - an LCMS-affiliated (but not LCMS-employed) missionary is involved in the conflict
• I am informed by our landlord that the rent on the compound our mission has rented for six years (which comprises our home and our office building) will "substantially" increase when the lease is up in October, that our lease does not allow subletting of office space (which we are currently doing), and that the new lease will be a year-to-year lease instead of long-term - househunting and the search for office space begin while we wait to hear what "substantially" means

March

• Our mission's registration with the Kenyan government to operate in Kenya as a Non-Government Organization (NGO) is revoked without explanation, the implications of which are unknown - we continue to operate in the meantime under a non-profit business license
• Our landlord indicates they will bring in an appraiser to value the property - still no word on the exact amount of increase - househunting and the search for office space continue
• We have a "security incident" at our property late on a rainy night - our excellent night guard performs admirably despite a non-functioning mobile panic button (turns out the mobile panic buttons they've been carrying for six years are not even connected to an alarm system) and the security response company that our guard called on his phone executes on-the-spot justice to the one suspect they manage to apprehend - we immediately replace the mobile panic buttons and have the security company give us a quote for a complete system replacement

April

• Our property is appraised, the results are presented, and we are informed that our rent will almost double in October - the search for new housing and office space continues but costs show to be on par with the rent increase we've been quoted

May

• Our landlord appears flustered that we are pursuing other property and requests we submit a counter-offer to be considered when their board sits in June - I promptly do so
• Six days into a fourteen day deadline, our office receives a demand to pay an income-tax-in-arrears bill of US $178,000 from an audit completed in 2007 - we immediately schedule an appointment and begin negotiations with the Kenya Revenue Authority
• My First One Hundred Days is complete

Now don't get me wrong. These are just the challenges that have come in my First One Hundred Days. I've also enjoyed the actual work I'm here to do - teaching, visiting, preaching, and working with short-term teams. But these are some of the distractions (mostly still unresolved) that are taking up substantial chunks of my time. Fortunately, God is at work, even in the distractions. Please keep us in your prayers!  -Shauen

Got a leak? Get a bucket.

A few months ago we had some water damage in the ceiling in our bedroom. It was getting worse so I called the landlord to take a look at it while we were out of town. It was all nice looking and repainted when we got back. Just last week I asked him what he found. Here's how it went:

Landlord: There was a leak in the roof, so someone put a bucket up there to collect the water.

Me: A bucket? In the attic space?

Landlord: A bucket. It was full. Overflowing.

Me: A bucket? In the attic space? To catch a leak?

Landlord: When it overflowed it dripped onto the ceiling.

Me: Was I supposed to be emptying a bucket in the attic after it rains?

Landlord: We emptied it. Then we painted.

Me: Um. Okay.

I'm still not clear if they actually fixed the leak or if I'm supposed to find a ladder, crawl up there, and empty some bucket every time it rains. I think I'm just going to forget about it. I got enough buckets to worry about already.

-Shauen

Network Supported Missionaries

We are Network Supported Missionaries with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Our work does not receive funding from the budget of the Synod or the budget of LCMS World Mission. Instead, we are supported directly (although funds are tracked and managed by LCMS World Mission) through family, friends, and supporters just like you.  You are the people who commit to pray for us, encourage us, and financially support the work God has put before us here in Kenya and Tanzania.  We have always served under this model, so it's not new to us or to our supporters.

One great thing about serving in this way is the very direct connection we have to so many people and congregations across the United States - people who pray for us regularly and encourage us with letters, cards, and care packages, people we have relationships with who know and recognize us when we are able to visit them. The direct connection is one of the most powerful aspects of this model. Some of our congregation partners list me as an "Associate Pastor" and we do feel that a significant part of this ministry is sharing with those in the United States the good news and amazing accounts of what God is doing here in East Africa. Finally, under this model there is no limit to how many missionaries can be sent! Anyone who feels that call and is qualified can be sent as a missionary - God raises up their own network of support that isn't limited by any organization's budget.

We are thrilled to be YOUR missionaries to this part of the world. Below is a statement recently issued by LCMS World Mission to describe the network-supported model.

-Shauen

"What is the network-supported model?

"Missionaries that are serving through the network-supported are sent by the LCMS with the backing of many faithful prayer and financial partners. They walk together with the staff of LCMS World Mission, who train the missionaries in stewardship, process and maintain all donor gifts, make logistical arrangements, consult with the missionaries on their communication with their network, and help the missionaries form more connections, strengthening the ministry network. These various networks send missionaries to the field to which God has called them and sustain them throughout their ministry.

"Career missionaries employing the network-supported model may fill a variety of roles. They may supervise, disciple, and mentor GEO missionaries, train indigenous evangelists and pastors for mission and ministry, oversee human care initiatives to share the Gospel in word and deed, plan theological education programs, or serve in other ways.

"As they begin their service with LCMS World Mission, these new missionaries spend time in the United States connecting with supporters and building a network of partners who will walk alongside them as they answer God’s specific call to a new ministry. When missionaries begin serving under this model, they also receive training and guidance from LCMS World Mission. This time is a valuable period of getting to know members of the body of Christ who will support God’s work through the specific ministries of missionaries.

"Once they are on a mission field, missionaries maintain regular communication with their network, so they can continue to pray for the specific needs of their missionary family’s ministry and celebrate with them when they see God working in people’s lives."   

-LCMS World Mission

Househunting

When we heard that our rent would increase substantially, we began looking at houses and office space here in Nairobi. Most LCMS missionaries in Africa work out of their homes but here in Nairobi we have a larger mission team, a national worker who needs an office, and an historic (6 years) presence where our mission partners know we can be found.

Our family has been on the road since April of 2010, so to hear only months after we arrived in Nairobi that we may have to move within a few months was barely short of devastating news. Immediately we stopped unpacking and quit decorating our new home. We had spent a few hours looking at homes in Nairobi last year when we came through the area just to get a feel for what's available. There wasn't much in what we considered to be a "reasonable" price range.

With a very active toddler and the expectation that part of our job is to host the many visitors who come through Nairobi, this time instead of focusing on price we focused on features and figured we'd get a feel for the price as we saw homes. We need at least 4 bedrooms (two are often used by guests), a yard, and a good kitchen (rather a rarity since most people, ourselves excluded, have a cook who makes due with whatever kitchen is available), and security included. Doesn't seem too unreasonable. In days and days of looking at houses we found only ONE that came in at less than $2,000 per month - and that's at today's very good exchange rate.

Nairobi, you see, is rather like the capital of Africa. There are other countries more developed, like South Africa, but to get anywhere in Africa you have to fly through Nairobi. There are wonderful conveniences to living here - shopping malls, movie theaters, and a few American-style restaurants. A lot of aid agencies and mission agencies are based in Nairobi. Relatively speaking, it's an easy place to live. There's a huge United Nations Office here and Embassies for just about any country you could think of. Consequently, there are a lot of foreign workers living in Nairobi. Housing prices reflect that high demand. And, as you can imagine, office space is also at a premium.

Office space downtown is around $1.40 per square foot. That doesn't include electricity or internet access or housekeeping or partitions or anything like that. It's $1.40 per square foot for an empty space. All the way out in our suburb of Karen, office space goes for a more reasonable price - $1 per square foot.

So what's the solution? We have the privilege of living in Nairobi - we must live here to work with the national church and the teams and visitors that come through. We want to live here because of the conveniences and access to Western goods. But if we accept the cheapest house we found and factor in the cost of renting office space in Karen the monthly expense is beyond belief! In fact, it's even beyond the rent of our current home and office after the increase in October.

When our currently landlord heard we were shopping around they suggested we provide a counter-offer. I penned a very nice counter-offer and submitted it. I hope they accept it. Their Board of Directors is supposed to consider it in the next couple weeks. Hopefully we'll get word soon and we can begin unpacking again, begin decorating our home, and feel settled for the first time in a year. The only thing we can't recover is all the time we've spent looking at housing. We'll let you know how things work out - in the meantime, please keep our housing situation in your prayers. Thanks!  -Shauen

Update on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 9:20AM by Shauen & Krista

~ The East Africa Field Office compound with our house on the left and the office on the right ~ Our landlord has come back with a counter-offer to our counter-offer. We've only seen a draft of the lease at this point so nothing is signed yet but I don't think we'll be forced out.  It's only a 3-year lease but that's better than they had originally proposed. With a few changes in the way we do things we think it'll work. It's still a substantial increase in cost but not as high as originally feared. We'll need to rent out a full floor of our office building to offset the price increase. Of course, that will also bring additional costs as we'll need to hire an additional guard for normal office hours and we'll need to divide the compound so our house is more isolated from the office to protect us from the increase in pedestrian and automotive traffic. But it could work. We'll let you know when we've signed and are finally able to call this house a home (for at least the next three years)!  -Shauen

That Trusty GPS

When we arrived in the States last fall, my parents gave us a Garmin GPS because they didn't want us to get lost in the course of our drive from Seattle to Orlando. Her name is Samantha - at least that's the name of the voice that we selected to give us directions. She helped us out many times - not the least being finding the closest place to stop for lunch when Josiah woke up from his nap! As we prepared to return to Africa I was happy to find I could purchase and download maps for Africa! It works pretty good much of the time...

So let's see... Samantha, I want to go from our office (where the school bus is) to Kibera Springs of Life Lutheran Church.

That's not far. There's no direct route, but not far. Let's see... As the bird flies how far away...

4.9 km - that's nothing! Take me there!

Ah, yes... Calculating my route. Probably going to be further than 4.9km...

WHAT!?!?! How in the world is Samantha trying to get me there!?!?

Ah, yes, of course. Kibera by means of the Ethiopian border - the obvious route. Why in the world can't I get there from here?

I think smarty-pants Samantha is too smart for her own good. Like I don't know that road is dangerous - I'm the one who had to teach YOU where that church is! Thanks a lot, Samantha.   -Shauen

Mar-Apr-May Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the combined months of March, April, and May 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• MTC Manager's Training
• Grace Place Gathering
• International Confessional Lutheran Conference
• Facts in Focus: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya

Our prayer requests this month include:

• That the rent increase at our new home and office is manageable so we don’t have to move
• For Shauen as he continues to adapt to his position as Mission Facilitator
• That we make time for language study
• For those who teach in Mission Training Centers across Kenya

 And we praise the Lord:

• For Josiah sleeping through the night
• For Shauen’s safe journeys in Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya
• For the time of rest and fellowship at the Grace Place Gathering

If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes - March, April, May 2011 (772K in PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!

Where are all the Christians?

2.2 billion people around the world self-identify as Christian. 78% of Americans do. 80% of Kenyans do. 52% of Tanzanians do. Do you?

In this image, darker color corresponds to a higher percentage of the population identifying as Christian. Clicking on the image will take you to an interactive version of the same with more details about the data and sources.

Citation: ChartsBin statistics collector team 2009, Christianity Adherents by Country, ChartsBin.com, viewed 23rd February, 2011, http://chartsbin.com/view/7k3.

Nuru - Lutheran Hour Ministries Kenya

~ Lutheran Hour Ministries ~ Have you seen a movie lately? It's been a few months since Krista and I saw one. But what if you had never seen a movie... ever...? And what if you had never watched a television? And what if the only Jesus you had ever even heard rumors of was this western white Jesus who spoke English? ... Then, what if the first movie you ever saw was The Jesus Film and Jesus spoke your own language?

Film shows in settings like this are a regular part of Lutheran Hour Ministry programs all over the world. In Kenya it's the same. Nuru, which means "light," is the Lutheran Hour Ministries branch in Kenya. Last week my coworker, Catherine, and I paid a visit to the director of Nuru to talk about opportunities to work together, especially with short-term teams visiting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK).

Nuru has a lot to offer. They have a Bible Correspondence Course through which they have accumulated a database of over 30,000 Kenyans interested in study of Scripture. They have film show crews. They have the capability for radio broadcasts, although they don't currently have any programs on the air. They lead Equipping the Saints workshops for evangelism training. They have prison and hospital visitation programs. They use drama, sports, and music to reach children and youth. They are experienced in utilizing media to reach God's people.

How can we work together?

One ELCK partner who comes to Kenya through LCMS World Mission uses an eyeglass clinic as a service and attraction for the community. In the course of one week at a number of locations throughout Kenya, this large team provides eyecare and corrective lenses to tens of thousands of people. While there, those people hear the Gospel message at least twice, are introduced to local church leaders, and are invited to hear the Word of God at the Lutheran church hosting the clinic. What if, I asked, Nuru partnered with the eyeglass clinic team? We could invite the people who come, people who - perhaps for the first time in their lives - are seeing clearly, to come again to the church later in the week and see the Jesus Film? One of the first things they ever see clearly in their lives could be an account of what Jesus has done for them. What an opportunity! What a partnership!

Together we talked about the ministry God is doing through our respective organizations and brainstormed what it might look like if we worked together. A short-term team coming to do door-to-door evangelism with a local congregation could request Nuru blanket the area with radio broadcasts in the month leading up to their trip. They could request a showing of the Jesus Film during or after their time in-country. They could even make use of the database of Bible Correspondence Course participants to access a targeted and interested demographic to invite them and get the word out in the community. It could be a great partnership.

But we don't enter into such partnerships lightly. We must be cautious to stay within our specific mission (don't go outside your area of expertise) and avoid burdening other organization's funding. Nuru has their own programming and strategy. They have their own budget and their own budget limitations. We must think ahead - what happens if there are a dozen short-term visiting teams who are all requesting Nuru support? Will that overwhelm Nuru's strategy, personnel, or resources? But we also know that when partners work together, the results are often far beyond what they can do separately. Let us hope and pray that together in new and creative ways, Lutheran Hour Ministries  and LCMS World Mission can witness and participate in God's amazing work here in Kenya.  -Shauen

Rainy Season is Here

~ Josiah in drier days ~ Since we arrived in Kenya on January 9th it's been dry. And even a little hot. Well, hot like in the 80s. A few days ago everything changed. The rains have begun! The temperature is still pleasant but only up into the 70s now and at night we found that our quilt doesn't quite cut it - time to pull out the thick blanket. Oh, yeah, and Josiah's mud clothes. Wow does that kid like to get dirty. Yesterday we changed his outfit three times. -Shauen

Dec-Jan-Feb Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the combined months of December 2010, January, and February 2011 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• Agricultural Seminars with the Meyers
• Houges Retire from Africa Mission Field
• Return to East Africa

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For the work of Tanzania’s Lutheran Church in East Africa
• For our family as we settle in to our new home
• For Shauen as he adapts to his position as Mission Facilitator

 And we praise the Lord:

• For Josiah sleeping through the night
• For the safe journey and good health during our time of home-service
• For Josiah sleeping through the night
• For the 12 men who graduated from Shauen’s TEE class in Uganda
• For Josiah sleeping through the night
• For a successful and safe journey with the Meyers in Tanzania

 If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes for Dec 2010/Jan/Feb 2011 (897K in PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!



Sept-Oct-Nov Field Notes Published

Field Notes for the combined months of September/October/November has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• Shauen's Ordination September 26th
• Grateful for God's Abundance (our conversion van)
• Home-Service: We're Visiting!

Our prayer requests this month include:

• That Josiah will begin to sleep through the night (pray extra hard for this one, please)
• For the remainder of our home-service time: travel mercies and good health
• For the upcoming graduation of Shauen’s TEE class in Uganda
• For the upcoming ordinations of five Ugandan vicars

And we praise the Lord:

• For a successful end to Swahili grammar school and a safe return to the States for home-service
• For our van
• For Shauen’s Ordination
• For safe travels and excellent weather thus far in our journey
• That we can celebrate holidays with family this year

If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes for Sept/Oct/Nov 2010 (809K in PDF format) from thetrumps.org now!



That Josiah will begin to sleep
through the night (pray extra
hard for this one, please)
• For the remainder of our home
-service time: travel mercies
and good health
• For the upcoming graduation
of Shauen’s TEE class in
Uganda
• For the upcoming ordinations
of five Ugandan vicars