Fundraising Update

Hey there, friends!

Many of you received our update in February that covered where we are on our fundraising. (Side note: If you would like to get our newsletters e-mail me at audreymarndt@gmail.com or chasevarndt@gmail.com) Since then we've raised about 50% of our annual support and about 20% of our outgoing support. At the end of February, we spoke with Wytheville Presbyterian Church at their Elevate Gathering, which is a monthly contemporary worship service. Shane and Emily Sledd have been friends of our for years since our time at King. Shane and Emily both work with youth at WPC and I know they are great at what they do!

In mid March, we met with a community of believers at First Presbyterian of Pulaski. Following worship, we ate spaghetti with members after the service and shared our story! We're thankful to say that they have committed to partnering with us while we follow God's call! As we develop new and current friendships with individuals and churches, we are recognizing how thankful we are for this relational piece in this fundraising process. It's been humbling as we've seen God through others who are ready and willing to share themselves and their resources with us! 

Later in the month, Chase and I traveled to Rawlings, Virginia where some of my extended family resides. My grandma, Lucy Ann Traynham, grew up and was married at Concord Presbyterian. After her passing in 2008, she left money to the church and some of it was spent this year to buy supplies for the Stop Hunger Now Program. Chase and I worked along with my parents, Uncle Randy, Aunt Debbie, and my cousin Tori and roughly 40 other individuals at Concord to create the packages of meals to be sent internationally! It was very meaningful to be involved in the packing and I know that Grandma would have been thrilled to see 10,000 meals packed to be sent to help those in need. Mama was able to reunite with her cousins at my great aunt Cece's house and we enjoyed sharing a little bit about Kenya. After our visit with family, we drove to Williamsburg to meet up with my siblings for dinner and walk around Colonial Williamsburg. On Sunday morning, Liza took us to her church in town!

In early April, we look forward to sharing with First United Methodist Church in Martinsville, VA. FUMC is another special church from home since my great aunt Marian is an active member there and I have spent many a night with Brian and Amy Mateer, FUMC's youth directors, attending and being a part of their group in high school! One of my favorite aspects of fundraising is seeing and remembering the people that He has brought into our lives for particular seasons and those who have been present throughout. As we wait on the Lord's timing in this endeavor, we are grateful for what He is teaching us!

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! -Isaiah 30:18

Called

As I sit back and remember how I felt called to Kenya, the only way I can explain it is by God's overwhelming grace. I remember vividly the first time I entered McDowell County, overtaken by the beauty of the area and equally overwhelmed by the poverty around me. Many houses were abandoned, broken into, like they had been lonely, unoccupied for many years. As I snuggled into my sleeping bag and put my head on the pillow those evenings, I remember staring at the top of my bunk bed paralyzed by the poverty that I had seen. It was then that I first realized that classes and socioeconomic status even existed. I learned that the world really was hurting and quite broken (not because of the lack of material things, however). The need hit me right in the face and I knew it could not be ignored. I had no choice to leave and only to learn. The concept of what was "mine" was forever altered. I was fourteen years old on a team of fifteen or so people traveling to McDowell County, West Virginia. 33.3% of the people living in McDowell County are below the poverty level. We were only there for 7 days, but they were the 7 days that changed my life. I remember being confused almost and in awe of the joy in the hearts of the people with so much less. I remembered them hugging us and saying, "You will never know how thankful we are."

After this trip, I started the forever quest of questioning and exploring what a missional life was and how could I ever justify living my life without giving myself to help others in need. I simply couldn't. From this point on, I was fascinated by people and stories and culture. This interest led me to go on trips during my time at King to Camden, New Jersey, which was inner city poverty, much different (but similar, too) to the areas of West Virginia. As Father Doyle, a priest who works for the good of Camden put it, "I wish you could see the children of Camden, trying to grow up like so many flowers in fields of old tires and broken bottles. Oh, if I had a dream it would be that the world of little children would be soft and beautiful as our tender God first intended, before we tore his dreams with our greed and neglect." As I think about the differences that are present between those two areas within the United States, I remember that there are people everywhere (stateside and abroad) who do not have basic needs met: safety, food, shelter, water. When I began my counseling program in the fall of 2012, I had little psychology background so I found all of these ideas as fresh and interesting. In human development, I learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that suggests that there are basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfillment needs that all need to be met and that these needs motivate our behavior. Although Msalow never used a triangle as his model, this is how it is often portrayed:

As we live and work in Kimana, we will be developing and assessing ways to systematically create sustainable resources to address those needs. With the idea of "holism" as our target, we hope to reach out and address the needs of the whole person not necessarily just one area or one need. I've come to the conclusion that there is always going to be something that diverts our attention from the need, especially in Western culture where focus is on our individual success and achievement. I, too, have had moments of wanting to excuse myself from helping others. It's HARD to help others. It's risky, complicated, and messy at times. Committing to a life like this can be draining physically, emotionally and mentally, (He never said things would be easy), but I do believe we're all called to be a part of it. I struggle with how I can do this. I do know that serving is the most valuable thing that we can spend our time doing and it's also where I've found the most meaning in my life. I've found God with and among those people. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."(Matthew 25:25) I'm asking God to help me to recognize where need is and how I can practically and effectively help. Right now, I'm learning about this during my counseling internship in Pulaski County. I come face to face with intense need almost daily and as I drive home, usually with a tear down my cheek, I pray and ask God for how I can somehow begin to make the days less heavy for even one precious child or an overburdened parent.

Most of you who know me, know that I am a Frederick Buechner fan. The faithful and artful way he articulates pieces of life continues to leave me speechless. So, I'll close with an excerpt from his book Wishful Thinking: 

"Poverty"
In a sense we are all hungry and in need, but most of us don't recognize it. With plenty to eat in the deep freeze, with a roof over our heads and a car in our garage, we assume that the empty feelings inside must be just a case of the blues that can be cured by a Florida vacation, a new TV, an extra drink before supper.

The poor, on the other hand, are under no such delusion. When Jesus says, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) the poor stand a better chance than most of knowing what he's talking about and knowing that he's talking to them. In desperation they may even be willing to consider the possibility of accepting his offer. This is perhaps why Jesus on several occasions called them peculiarly blessed.

1st grade classroom at Camden Forward School: Camden, New Jersey

Overwhelmingly Blessed & Overwhelmed

I pride myself on being ahead of the game:  I plan, I observe, I anticipate, I am ready for 90% of the things that are thrown my way.  I always try to be a few steps ahead of the game.  However, I have learned over time that God doesn’t play the same game I am, nor does He play by my rules; and often, much to my pleasure, He continuously surprises me by how He surpasses my needs and wants with His great goodness. 

            
Originally this was going to be a New Years post, but life got in the way.  So much for that resolution of not procrastinating…To keep you all up to date, lately we have been doing a lot of traveling to different churches and visiting with different couples sharing what God is doing in our lives and our mission in Kenya.  It has been over this month and these travels, amidst all the busyness and “campaigning”, trying to express what we feel God is doing in our lives and our hope and vision for Kenya, in trying to get others to join on our journey (something I originally thought would exhaust and overwhelm me in a negative sense); I have been overwhelmed by His presence and goodness to us. 

            
To elaborate, I, like many other westerners, am very self-sufficient.  I like to do things my self without any influence or aid from others.  Over the last year, God has been continually teaching me, how much self-sufficiency is a façade.  Not only are we called to rely on Him for everything, the whole idea of a church body, of unity, depends on Christians relying on each other in areas that they lack.  Thus with unique spiritual gifts we make up one body, the church.  This too I have found is even more so the case in missions.  As I have spoken about before, we being called as missionaries, are not in this mission in Africa alone.  We are on this journey together with those who are in prayer for us, those who have supported us, those that may come visit and work along side of us, our Kenyan brothers and sisters on the ground, and those friends and family who are our support structures and sanity back in America.  It has been on our recent travels, spending time talking with these individuals who are interested in our mission, to join us on our adventure (whether by support, prayer, or community) that we have been more encouraged than exhausted.  We have been blessed by those who are devoted to Him and serving Him in His kingdom work, and in doing so have served and encouraged us on a journey that they are now a part of too. 

            
Over our travels I have been amazed and encouraged at how God has used new relationships, old relationships, and people we do not even know to continually bless us.  We have had support and prayer come from individuals and churches that we had never heard of before.  I have also been overwhelmed at how relationships that God has placed in my life from the time I was a small boy, with childhood friends and families whom I have grown up in their homes alongside their children, have blessed us and how those families have come along side us to serve Him and join in His work to all the nations.  I am overwhelmed and blessed to think that all along God knew these relationships would not just last for a season, or a semester, but would come to fruition again, to join along side one another in one accord for His work.  So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, we are overwhelmed and overwhelmingly blessed at the love we have been and are continually being shown in and through you.  

Christmas

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

As Chase and I patiently wait in God's timing as our journey to Kenya begins, it reminds me of the excitement of waiting in expectation for the coming King, born not in a castle or high place, but a stable where all could gather near. What a comfort to be reminded of how God continually pursues us at each and every turn and especially this season through the birth of His son Jesus!

Merry Christmas to all!

Kicking at Darkness, Til it Bleeds Daylight

My perception of mission work was drastically altered the first time I set foot in Kenya.  Somehow, I had the skewed vision of being the enlightened crusader on foreign soil out to share the gospel in a dark land where there was no Light.   However, I quickly learned that this was not the case.  When I first went to Kenya I saw evidence of His work everywhere, ranging from a local entrepreneur giving up the corrugated tin to fix his own leaky roof, to the love and kindness of Maasai women inviting us into their homes to share a cup of chai. God was already there! I was left with my shaken view of missions and the question “Lord, what am I here for?” There are 60% of the Maasai that have not been reached with the gospel, but I was struggling to share with them. Was there a way I could be more effective in this diverse culture and language?  In college I had been studying sustainable growth and development, focused primarily on agriculture.  It was during this time, with sustainability on my mind, and my feet in Africa, I began to think about how I could most effectively be used to further the gospel.

             
The main issue I encountered while in Kenya, besides reaching the unreached, was that of a distorted gospel.  Most people were not able to study the Bible for themselves, whether that was an issue of language, reading ability, or knowledge of how to study something inductively.  Therefore, many of these people were easily lead astray by false teachers or those in search of making a quick shilling (dollar). If we could train leaders in the community to combat this plague of false teaching, that were already more fluent in the language and culture than I could ever hope to become, we could reach people and places that I could never reach in quite the same way.  In this way it seemed to me that discipleship was a more effective path than evangelism, that as in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, and Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” I was only a part of God’s work, and once these methods were taught and absorbed, for it to be truly sustainable, I would someday be working myself out of a job, for success without a successor is no success at all.  

This is our vision in Kimana, Kenya. To establish a pastoral training and community development center that will be focused on meeting the needs of the whole person while teaching them to study the Word in a culturally contextualized way.  So that, in this way, they, as James says, “may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  We hope to be able to establish a place where local community members may come for any need they may have and that it will sustain itself within that community, long after we are gone. By doing this,  we are not creating a dependency that will cause this mission to fall when we leave. We have faith that God will accomplish this work through  local pastors and leaders. They will pick up the torch and continue to let God do the growing.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Let us give thanks for this meal, saying, we thank you, Living God.
For this breath, for this heartbeat, for the gift of these companions, we thank you, Living God.
For this nourishment and flavor, for soil and sunlight, air and rainfall, for all to whom this food connects us, from field to farm and store to table, we thank you, Living God.
As we share this meal together, may our thirst for peace be strengthened and our hunger for justice deepened, until all are fed, and safe, and well. We thank you, Living God. Amen.

-a prayer by Brian McLaren

photo by Michael Thornton, Ngong Hills, Kenya

FAQs

Hello, friends!
A heartfelt thanks to all who have been praying for us in this adventure and for taking a few moments to read our blog updates. Today marks our first official time telling the story of what God is doing in our lives as we begin to partner with the Strangs, serving the Maasai people of southeast Kenya. Chase and I set up a table at Northstar Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, the church where we attend. It was encouraging to speak with other missionaries, college students, individuals, and couples who were interested in what God is doing. Here's a little cell phone snapshot of our table below. (Chase didn't know I was taking a picture.)

Since we shared a lot of this information today, I thought that this week I would clarify a few questions that may be floating around!

A few FAQs:

Where are you going?

We are planning to work in Kimana, Kenya on the border of Kenya and Tanzania near Olitokitok. In Kimana, you can look over into Tanzania and see Mt. Kilimanjaro clearly on most days. Kimana is about a 3.5 hour drive from the capital city, Nairobi.

How long will you be there?

We have committed to at least a three year term, but are going under the banner of long term missionaries, and are waiting to see where and how God leads.  

Who is supporting you?

We hope to be supported by friends, families, churches, and individuals.  We are raising our own support which gives people the unique opportunity to become more involved with our mission to Kenya.  Therefore, we are relying on your support: prayer, financial resources, interest, Skype calls, and visits to Kenya from people who want to play a part in God's work in Kenya.

What organizations are you working with?

We are under the The Antioch Partners (TAP) that base out of Houston, TX. TAP provides member care, financial and missional accountability, helps us with fundraising, covers us in prayer, and insight due to their number of years experience on the mission field. 

www.theantiochpartners.org (TAP website)

http://www.theantiochpartners.org/arndt/ (Our biography on the TAP website)

We will be working with Maasai Special Project Fund (MSPF) throughout our time in Kenya. This nonprofit was started by Fred Foy in 1990. The goal of MSPF is to provide a Theological Training by Extension center Oldoinyo Kiti to enable local Maasai pastors to study the Bible without having to leave their families. The hope is that this center will also meet other needs of the community by providing resources for education and health and wellness.

www.mspfonline.com (MSPF website)

Who are the Strangs?

We are working with Dr. Rev. Fred Foy Strang and his lovely wife, Cecily Strang, who have been mentors to us since 2008. During our time at King College, Fred Foy and I connected over our passion for East Africa. I had just returned from Ntagatcha, Tanzania before starting my freshman year at King. Chase met Fred Foy in 2008 and they bonded over their love for Jeeps. We knew Fred Foy before Chase and I knew the other existed! Fred Foy was excited for our passion for the people of East Africa and has taken both of us to Kimana. He married us on August 5, 2012. Cecily has been a friend and mentor throughout me knowing Fred Foy and is currently working on her Ph.D. in nursing research. Hopefully, I can help Cecily where I am needed as she educates the community about malaria prevention.

When do you hope to leave?

If funds were raised, our hope would be to depart around October 2014.

How can we support?

-Prayer!  We need your prayers as God leads us on this journey of support raising and holistic ministry.

-Financial Support: We are in need of both monthly and annual donors; we have committed to long-term ministry in Kenya and as a result your provision will enable us to keep serving, confident of God’s provision.  http://www.theantiochpartners.org/arndt/ (Click on donate under our profile)

-Referring others to us: If you are part of or know a church or churches that are looking for missionaries to support, whether in Africa, to the Maasai people, or even just in holistic ministry, we would be thrilled to come and share with them the work that God is doing in Kimana, Kenya. 

-Future involvement with us on the field.  If it is a Skype call or a visit to work with us on the field, we would love for you to be somehow involved with us as we continue on our journey.  

What do we plan to do?

Our goal is to provide holistic ministry to the Maasai.  For the first year, we will be primarily engaged in culture and language learning building up some preexisting relationships in the community as well as developing some new ones.  It is during this time we will be assessing needs in the community and some ways to meet those needs even further.  We are looking at ministering to the all the Maasai peoples needs, not only their need for Christ.  One of our main objectives where a need is present is the the need for theological training for Maasai pastors.  With Chase's background and M.A. in Intercultural Studies, Chase hopes to work alongside Fred Foy in pastoral training and the development of the Oldoinyo Kiti, a Theological Training by Extension center. 

We also hope to be involved with agricultural development, provide clean water, work on construction projects, teaching and/or tutoring in ELL (English Language Learning), and healthcare methods within the community. Additionally, I hope to explore and advocate for the mental health needs of the area since I'm currently earning an M.S. degree in Counseling and Human Development. There is a possibility that I will work in partnership with Cecily Strang in holistic ministry (the combining of mental wellness and physical wellness) as she seeks to teach malaria prevention and education in the area and around the globe. Hopefully, students from King University (formally King College) will spend some time in Kimana for study abroad experiences within their different disciplines in the future. I would enjoy working as a coordinator and leader as far as getting teams and individuals acclimated to the culture of the Maasai in Kimana.

During our weeks of working and internship we're continuing to set up times to meet and talk with various churches. We're getting a few dates on the calendar, which is exciting! Between my internship, work, classes, and classwork, I've had less time to devote to this than I would like. Thankfully, Chase has gracefully picked it up between working his full time job.

Mark Yaconelli, in the book Dangerous Wonder, put this experience well when he said, "What moments! What holy moments! To be in the presence of God, frightened and amazed at the same time! To feel as if you are in the presence of Life itself, yet with your soul shaking in both terror and gratitude."