We’re still working on some things, and there’s lots that needs to get cleaned up, but at this point it’s easier for us just to go live with the new design, rather than flip-flopping back and forth like we’ve been doing internally for the last several weeks.

Thanks for your patience as we get things cleaned up.  :)

Did you know you can get NorthPointe updates by way of text messages on your phone? All you need to do is text “NPCC” to 94595. (Your standard message rates apply)

I finally found some time today to find an internet connection and write you a LONG blog. Thank you so much for your continual prayers, we can feel them here even on the other side of the world. It has been a crazy few days so far but I want to report that God has been so faithful.

First off, I am amazed at all God has done since we have been here last. I am writing this blog from the school Emmanuel started, Sirua Aulo Academy. Many of you have been involved in donating financially to the school and I want to encourage you that it is making an incredible difference here in Kenya, one that will transform the lives of hundreds of children for generations to come. Since we were here last, two major buildings (the girls and boys dorms) have been constructed and the enrollment has almost doubled.

It’s difficult to overemphasize how incredible this is. The two things that will help this community the most are sharing the gospel and educating the next generation. The school does both. Not only that, but it’s an incredible ministry to orphans and as Emmanuel taught me, since orphans are near the heart of God any ministry that truly advocates for orphans will be blessed. I can now testify to the truth of that statement.

Emmanuel had time to share the full story with me of how he came to care for orphans. I will give you the super-abbreviated version but I wanted to share it: When he was a young married man with two small children he moved to Nairobi to go to the university. He was so poor that he had to live in the slums and even in the slums he had to go into debt to stay there. Finally, a door opened up for him to work a job that could support his family. The job was at an orphanage near Nairobi.

During his time God opened his eyes to the needs of the orphan. The orphanage was a Christian orphanage run by pastors and Christian leaders. They fed the children, clothed them and gave them a place to stay. Still, Emmanuel came away from his work there so frustrated because he knew that even though they were keeping these children alive, he knew that without a family and without proper education they had no future. Simply stated: orphanages are no place for children to live. Period. But especially when they have no access to education! None of those orphans would ever be able to get a job or be a leader in their community. They were basically settling for survival.

That birthed the vision for the place I’m now writing from: Sirua Aulo academy. In addition to being a top school in Kenya and a place where children hear the gospel, it’s also a place where orphans receive opportunity and hope. They can live here and go to school alongside other children who aren’t orphaned. If you were here you wouldn’t know unless I told you who is orphaned and who is not because they are all doing so well at the school.  Many of them will go onto study in the university, start their own family and break the cycles that caused many of them to be orphans in the first place.
Now for a few comments on all that has happened with Jeff (if you haven’t hear his surgery was very successful…praise the Lord!)

Paul reminds us in the book of Romans that God works ALL things out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. And by the way…”his purpose” that he talks about in that verse is clarified in the next verse when Paul tells us that God’s purpose is to conform us to the likeness of his son. In other words, God uses all things even the crazy, unexpected, bad things to make us more like Jesus.

This is definitely the case with what has happened to Jeff. It has been incredibly difficult and none of us would ever have chosen it to happen, but God has already used it to do so many incredible things…he has been teaching Jeff lessons of patience and faith. He has been bringing the team closer together. He has been forcing us to trust him more. He has brought into our lives Christian doctors and allowed us to see an amazing ministry in action that we never would have even known existed. He has made people pray harder then they ever prayed before. He has allowed Jeff and I to spend extra time with Emmanuel which has resulted in God giving us some incredible ideas for ministry here in the future, things way beyond what I could have imagined on my own. My list could go on and on but suffice it to say that God is still good. He is good all the time. And He uses all things for His glory.

So please keep praying for Jeff, he still has a long recovery ahead and we need to make many more decisions about how and when he can travel safely, but be encouraged that God is in control. We will keep you updated on how he is going as well as all that is happening with the rest of the team. Following this post, I had Luke DeGroot write a blog about what the rest of the team has been doing the past few days since Emmanuel and I have been driving back and forth visiting Jeff in the hospital most of the days. I hope you enjoy! We miss you all and are excited to share more when we return.

Blessings,
Daniel

While Daniel and Emmanuel have been travelling daily to be with Jeff and ensure his comfort, the remaining five of us have been following through with our original plan to visit schools and distribute bibles. We partnered up with the local representative for Gideons International, Pastor Daniel Kipsinga, with the goal of giving bibles to10,000 students here in the Mara region of Kenya. Monday and Tuesday we visited seven schools, and at each location, students from nearby schools would gather. They would welcome us and sing songs of praise, then we spent time meeting the childrenand making sure nobody left without receiving the Word of God. As I write this onWednesday morning, I can report that we have distributed Bibles in either Swahili orEnglish to over 3,000 students.

Sometimes it is difficult to see the impact that this has, because we see so many faces, shake so many hands, and pass out so many Bibles. But when we stop and listen to the head teachers and school leaders, they pour out thanks and blessings. Many of them tell us that it has been their prayer recently that God would bring himself to the students in a real way, and for almost every one of these children, this is the first bible they have ever owned. God is at work here in Kenya like I have never seen before. We have two more days of bible distribution, then we are going to spend time at Emmanuel’s school painting the new girl’s dormitory. Continue praying for us as we connect and share God’s love with the people of the Mara, Kenya!

-Luke DeGroot

As the team joins with Convoy of Hope, they will be serving with the Blatchey family who minister to over 5,000 kids a week. The Blatchey’s have a multi-layered approach to ministry that includes not only sharing the Gospel, but helping physically as well. They have a large piece of property that already includes a good-sized garden and tilapia ponds. Our team will help expand their garden and build a new tilapia pond. This food will help many families on a long-term basis by providing for their everyday needs and empowering them to generate income.

Team Members: Deana Fleming, Joe Lee, Robby Lee, Kim Gragston, Jon & Susan Menton and Diaina Selsor

Here I am with some kids from the orphanage. :)

I feel so blessed to be a part of this on-going training to these great men and women of God! I’ll be honest I’m a little tired right now, but nothing compares to some of these men who will be traveling all night to be back home to preach at their churches tomorrow morning! Pray for their safe travels!

I’m looking forward to preaching at the church tomorrow morning and speaking to seminary students on Monday morning. We are also going to the slums tomorrow after church to visit the schools that NorthPointe has helped start and work with the children there. Our schedule is very full, but we are enjoying every minute of it!

Please don’t let Kevin fool you, he snores like a stinkin’ freight train! I have to rush to get to sleep before him or I’ll be up forever trying to go to sleep! Keri is definitely boosting the economy here in India. Kim has been making some great connections for some future trips. So, if you’ve been feeling the nudge to go on a mission trip, India has many opportunities! Keep your heart open!

I am very thankful and humbled by the servants of Jesus here! Please keep them in your prayers! They are making a difference here in their communities! God’s kingdom is being advanced and I’m seeing it firsthand!

The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.
Proverbs 16:17 (NLT)

So, I was reading from Proverbs 16 today and was reminded of the importance of the paths we choose to walk in our lives. I was particularly confronted with the fact that sometimes I knowingly wander too far down a wrong path, in either my thoughts or actions. Remembering God’s plan and intention for me (to walk humbly, do justice, and love mercy, etc.) helps me to continually choose His path for my life. I just need to keep making course corrections, due to my errant sense of direction sometimes.

Don’t miss worship this weekend… we’re focusing on the paths we can walk, as we continue in our Pslam 23 series.

Worship Times: Saturday at 5:30pm | Sunday at 9am & 11am

Hope you can make it!