Orientation

Do you ever wake up and need to do a quick orientation?  A few times in the last few months I've found that I wake up and I'm disoriented.  I first look to see where the light is and orient myself to where the windows are - sometimes that tells me where I am.  If not, without opening my eyes too wide, as I wake up very slowly, I take note of where the door is.  If that doesn't do it - I feel around to see if I'm in a double or a single bed. Usually by then I have remembered where I am!

Although my physical surroundings keep changing I know that wherever I am I need not fear for the Lord God goes with me.  The Lord goes before me . . .  how encouraging.  (Deuteronomy 30:6, 8)

I stayed quite busy in September.  My parents came up to NJ from Florida for a few weeks and we had some good family times, like a picnic at the Cape May Point State Park.

Then we were all able to visit with some of my mission champions at an Open House on September 14th.  

Joy and Lindy Phillips chat with Bryce Hogan

And among other things I traveled to the southeast, further disorienting me each night!

It was great to catch up with friends and former WGM volunteers . . .
. . . . like Laura Denison, (volunteer to Tenwek with her husband Dr. Mark Denison, circa 1986) enjoying beautiful mums at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville.

. . . . and former VIA Whitney Smith McMunn who spent 1 year in South Sudan 2012/13 as a CHE facilitator,

. . . . and former Asbury Manor Dinner Club friends (circa 1983-85), Rev. John and Kathy Kearns and their church family at Christ Harbor UMC in North Point, AL

And then I caught up with my long-time Tenwek neighbor from years past, Linda Parks, in Mayberry, oh, I mean Mt. Airy, NC.  

. . . . and others who I didn't get pictures of, including my brother and his family.  Sorry guys!

I loved attending the Missio Nexus Leaders Conference in Atlanta as well.  

"The movement of people brings with it new cultures, ideas, beliefs -- and their hearts are more OPEN to the gospel."  Topics discussed were Immigration and Migration, Globalization, Urbanization and Exploitation.  I'm constantly reminded that God is bringing the Nations to North America - what an unprecedented opportunity to share Jesus love with people that are our coworkers, neighbors, and students in our schools.  

I'm now back in Kenya and preparing to orient some new volunteers who will be going into South Sudan in less than two weeks.  South Sudan is more fragile than ever!  Detailed prayer info in my next blog update.  Praying that Jesus will bring His Kingdom to the people of South Sudan who are experiencing a lot of disorientation.