After contacting the Mayo Clinic we did get some good news.  They have written a new letter for Rael to give to the US Embassy concerning her and Morrice's visas.  The new cost for her exam will be $7831.  That's less than previously quoted.  And so, we are thankful and praying for provision to help cover the exam, airfare, hotels, etc.  

While David was last in Kenya with Hayzlee they visited an elementary school, Bright Star Primary School, started by Heartland Worship Center Church of Naigoma in Naigoma Village, where there is no school. However, the heavy rains are destroying the school's mud structures.  This has caught the government's attention which has led them to want to close the school at the end of the year.  However, if they can build a more stable structure they can stay open.  The school itself not only teaches reading and writing (which these kids would not have learned had it not been for the church starting the school), but they're also getting Bible classes daily.  Also, on Saturdays, students can attend additional Bible classes if they want.  School in Africa isn't free, however they have set up a system that allows families to bring food to help feed the students rather than money. In other words, the school is not intended for monetary gain, rather to serve the students.  However, around $7000 is needed to build a permanent structure.  IF we can raise $3500 an anonymous donor will donate an additional $3500.  Again, we are praying for provision so this ministry to the little ones can continue.  Check out some pictures below!

If you're interested in giving, you can give at hereamiafrica.com and specify which ministry you'd like your donation to go to. Or, checks can be sent to HERE AM I Ministries, P.O. Box 64, Bedford, IA 50833.
As always, 100% of your donations go to the ministry.

The Conference went well, and we were blessed by our time together. Hearing how God is moving in so many ways was uplifting and encouraging. Some photos are attached below.

We know many couldn’t attend the conference, but that doesn’t mean the message of God’s work can’t be spread! So, we’re asking for your help.

Social media is great, and we certainly appreciate any sharing happening there. But the truth is, face-to-face interaction is better. And we would love to get out there and speak at your churches or groups. If you know of a church or group, please contact us, or have them contact us. We’d love to share what God is doing in Africa with the pastor’s school, children’s school, children’s feeding programs, clean water, church plants, Rael, Silas, etc. He’s on the move, and that’s worth sharing!
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The US Embassy did not give Rael and Morrice their travel visa. See the note below from David:

For those that may not be aware: Rael is the wife of Bishop Morrice Okiring in Kenya. They are subsistence farmers with their main focus on ministry. Morrice is founder of Jesus is Lord Safe Water Ministries. He has sent out people to begin 4 or 5 churches.

Rael has been with a broken hip for 10+ years but for the 1 year where a surgeon in Kenya repaired that hip. But, it only lasted a year. Since that surgery failed she has had great difficulty and harm to the hip and leg. Even to the point of the steel rod that had been put in her leg bent and protrude out of the skin. She has battled infection and great pain for more than 1 year now and we have had no success in getting a doctor and or hospital in Kenya to help.
We thought that the Lord had done something when the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota had agreed to examine her.
Today, November 12, They had an interview at the US Embassy in Nairobi Kenya with hopes of obtaining a visa to travel to USA. That visa was denied because the letter from the Mayo Clinic stated that the normal cost of exam is approximately $16,000.00 dollars and Morrice could not show financial assets to cover the cost,
So I am asking for prayer for Rael. She is in great pain at all times. Please pray that God may give her relief from the pain: that HE will give wisdom and discernment for the next step; and that HE may provide all that is needed to heal her.
The process for the visa must begin all over again, meaning apply for visa with a $350.00 fee, and travel to Nairoobi for interview. Difficult for Rael and very different from what we all know here as travel.
I know, and they know also Romans 8:28, that God will cause all things to work to good according to HIS purposes. But there is still a disappointment and a let down on the human side. So pray for their peace and joy in all this too. She has been great through all that she has been through, sharing the Lord along the way.
Thank you for your prayers.

David Spencer
HERE AM I Ministries

In Galatians 6:9 Paul says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do no let lose heart." Going back to the Psalm 1 post on Monday, we know there is a contrast between those who follow God and those who do not.  And, for those who follow, there was never a promise of ease.  On the contrary, Jesus says, "...‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20) Living for God in a world that is, at its very core, against God can be exhausting. Doing that which we are called to can appear to be fruitless, or even pointless.  But, as Paul said, "...in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." And so, the hope of today's post is to reiterate Paul's encouragement - that we set our eyes on God and not on our circumstances.  Or, as Paul tells the Colossians, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3). We can be heavenly-minded because, praise God, heaven is the end result!  We can have hope and strength because we know what God has done, and where we're going to end up because of it!  

Psalm 103:1-5 really puts it in perspective:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

When we grow weary we can remember the forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, mercy, and provision God has given us. And, the Psalmist says don't forget these things because of the rejuvenation it has in us, restoring to us the vitality of youth! To not grow weary in doing good, we can remember all the good God has done. We can remember that He does not grow weary, but on the contrary He offers strength to those who wait for Him, as Isaiah says in Chapter 40:

"Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31

Today we'll be in John 1:35-51:

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God! The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying? He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, a Stone).

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Throughout this passage we see three people reaching their world in the same way - they led people to Jesus. John the Baptist points out Jesus to his (that is, John's) disciples and tells them to follow Him (that it, Jesus). Remember, John was quite the spectacle at the time.  Apart from the camel hair suits and grasshopper and honey diet, he was preaching about the soon to come Messiah and challenging the religious leadership.  At the time, the Pharisees were the pinnacle of religious goodness. And yet, John was not only speaking out against them (even calling them a bunch of snakes!), he encouraged his own disciples to stop listening to his own message and follow Jesus (not the Pharisees).  John's calling from before birth had been to proclaim the coming Savior.  And once he knew that Savior, he led others to follow Him.  

Likewise, we see Andrew, one of John's disciples, bring his brother Simon to Jesus. And, once Philip met Jesus, he eventually took Nathanael to Jesus, even though Nathanael was skeptical.  So, we see a very important aspect of ministry and missions.  Often we are very concerned about our own convictions, and even our denominations.  We focus on getting people to church or Bible studies.  We encourage them to listen to certain pastors/teachers, read certain authors, etc.  But, how much more if we would take them straight to Jesus - to talk about what He's done in our own lives, how He's changed us, and what love He's shown to us through the cross. The goal of reaching the world is not to make disciples of pastors, authors, or churches, but disciples of Jesus.  Furthermore, we in our personal lives need to know Him to bring people to Him. In order to lead others to a relationship with God, we must also have our own relationship with Him. The beautiful thing about Jesus is he never puts up a wall.  We can be as close as we want to Him.  And, He desires that intimacy with us - an intimacy that can't be found in religious actions. No, He wants us to know Him personally, not just know about Him. 

Therefore, let us come as close as we can to our God and Savior, Jesus.  Let's truly know Him that we can truly introduce the lost and dying world to Him.  Because, He is the way of Salvation for all.

To continue from yesterday's thoughts, we'll return to Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, 
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season, 
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, 
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The first paragraph contrasts the follower of God from the worldly person, the second paragraph carries a comparison. The idea of a tree has multiple facets, and we'll explore a few of them.

First, the tree is planted by the rivers of water.  As mentioned yesterday, the godly person is dependent on God, just as the tree is dependent on the river.  There can be no tree without the water because the water has dissolved within it the minerals and nutrients needed to actually build the tree.  It's a strange thought, but the very building blocks, the atoms, that allow the tree to grow come from the minerals taken in from the roots.  In other words, without the water providing the minerals, there can be no growth for the tree because there are no building blocks from which the tree can be built.  In comparison, the godly person cannot grow in their faith or sanctification apart from God.  Furthermore, Romans 10:17 takes us deeper, saying "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." The river for the people of God to draw from - the source of that which builds us into the person God called us to be - is the Word of God. And, that which God has called us individually to be is the point of the sanctification discussed yesterday.  Therefore, we must draw from the Word to be sanctified.

Secondly, the tree produces fruit.  Not to be weird, but the sole purpose of fruit is plant reproduction.  The apple tree doesn't spend all its energy and effort to make sweet fruit for itself.  Rather, the sweet fruit attracts the animals which eat the fruit, and with it disperse the plant's next generation, the seeds.  The godly person also will produce fruit, spiritually speaking.  As we grow and mature, as we become more sanctified and conformed into the image of God, our lives should produce attitudes, actions, and responses that are attractive to those watching.  Our reactions to hard situations, how we deal with adversity, and especially our grace to those who wrong us are all the fruits the world should see in our lives.  It is through this that the seeds of our faith, the sharing of our hope through difficult times, can be taken and dispersed.  The mission field starts for us each individually in the fruits we produce.  And again, the building blocks for the plant come from the minerals in the water, and the same spiritual building blocks for spiritual fruit must come from the pure water of the Word.

Concerning unwithering leaves, I'd like to spend time discussing photosynthesis and things, but instead I'll keep it short.  From a ministry standpoint the leaves are a source of shade and refuge.  The godly person should be a place of refreshment and encouragement.  The fruit is attractive, but it is best enjoyed in the shadow of the tree.  And it's among the leaves where animals can find refuge from a harsh world.  We should be the same to the outside world. And, the larger the tree grows, the more leaves and shade is produced.  It is the same in our lives.  The deeper our roots grow into the Word, the more leaves we produce, and the more refuge we can offer! 

Lastly, we see another contrast in the third paragraph. The ungodly are like chaff, while the godly are like a tree. Chaff is the part of the plant or seed that is not usable. When harvesting wheat the seeds would be thrown in the air with a basket, that the wind may blow the chaff away.  This is very different than the deeply rooted tree.  The chaff has no stability.  It may seem harsh to compare people to unusable and unstable things, but the fact remains that apart from God, we really have nothing to stand on.  Our works become our own, and there's no eternal value to them. Our philosophies become founded on ever changing cultures and men's ideas.  Not so for the Word of God! It is stable and eternal.  As Jesus said in Mark 13:31, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will never pass away." The beautiful thing about God is that, when we come to Him, He makes us something new, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." The good news is this: God can turn chaff into trees! And, He's called each of us to be the fruit-bearing, shade-casting, ever-growing trees to spread that message to the world, whether in Walmart or Uganda.  We are all called to be witnesses and missionaries.  May we dig our roots in, that we may grow and fulfill that calling.

There's less than a week until the Mission Conference in Maryville, MO.  We thought we would share some thoughts concerning missions over the course of this week to not only set our minds on the conference, but also to share the Word. There is still time to RSVP if you're interested, either through the Here Am I Facebook Page, or email us at hereamiafrica@gmail.com! The conference will be held at the Maryville Community Center on November, 9th, from 8:30am-4:30pm. Speakers will include our very own David Spencer, Jeff Kennedy and Casey King of HERE AM I Ministries, and Greg Stout of Safe Water International Ministries. We'll have worship with JC Dirks and Eli Masilko. Plus, lunch will be provided! All are welcome to attend! Now, onto the the Word!

Today and tomorrow we're going to look at Psalm 1:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, 
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season, 
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, 
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Hebrew poetry often contrasts two ideas or themes.  In this case there's a contrast between those who follow the Lord and those who do not.  From the first paragraph we see what the blessed (or literally, "happy") person doesn't do, implying that the ungodly person does do these things. Ultimately, the blessed person is separate from the "wisdom" or ways of the world - not following the world's way of thinking (counsel of the ungodly), doing things the world's way (path of sinners), or judging as the world judges (seat of the scornful). On the contrary, the blessed person delights (or, longs for) the law (or, instruction/direction) of God, focused on it all the time, as the ways of God are also contrary to the ways of the world. In other words, the more we seek God and what He has for us, the less like the world our lives should look, if we truly want the blessing God has for our lives.

God has called all of His followers into a closer, completely dependent life with Him.  That alone is contrary to the world's ways.  We aren't supposed to need anyone! We're supposed to be strong and independent! But God knows our absolute need for Him.  And, He wants us to be dependent on Him. Why? Because His way is best for us! Blessing can't come apart from Him! (Just as the tree the blessed man is compared to in the second paragraph is dependent on the streams of water to bring forth the fruit, have unwithering leaves, etc.....but we'll get to that tomorrow!)

The bottom line is this: in missions, the ministry, and the life of the believer, God has called us to be set apart, or sanctified.  Sanctification means what we do, how we live, and how we deal with others is different than the world's way of doing things. And apart from being what's best for us, sanctification is the primary way the world can see the power of God in our lives. This is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Sanctification is key to really reaching the world, whether in our families, towns, or even in Africa.  Our lives must be contrary to the way of the world.  And, we pray God continues to lead us into that sanctification, that the work of missions God has called each one of us to, may be done God's way and in His power.