From the Myricks in Kijabe, Kenya:

Greetings,

I hope you are finding ways to stay cool in the states this summer.  Lizzy and I are currently in Blue Springs and we are getting to experience the heat for a few weeks with you all. Kenya has been cool, so the heat has felt good to us so far. Our mornings start out in the low 60's, warming to mid 60's during the day with lots of overcast days. 

It has been good to see some friends and spend time with family. Tomorrow we will begin the college tour in southern Missouri.  We are touring 5 schools with one interview scheduled at College of the Ozarks. It will be a good chance for Lizzy to see different campuses and begin making decisions for her future.

I was listening to our pastor preach this morning about miracles. I wanted to share with you all a miracle that has happened in our life that we want to thank God for. When we left the US last year in August we had enough support to stay in Kenya for one year. We were allowed to go because there was a great need for us to be there, but knew we would have to leave at the end of the year if our support ran out. We know that it is difficult to continue raising support after leaving the US, but we are staying for another year and have enough support to be in Kenya for at least 2 of the 3 terms.  We know that God is who has called us to this ministry. We also know that if God wants us to continue at RVA, he will provide the way for that to happen.  It is a miracle that we are staying at this point and we fully believe that we will complete the year there through God's provision. 

Thank you so much for your support and prayers. We have had a safe, healthy, blessed year and are thankful for that.  Kenya is voting to change the constitution and there is some chance that things could become violent. After the post election violence in December 2007 everyone is trying to be cautious. James will be in Kenya with our younger 4 kids, so please pray for their safety and that they will get along fine without Lizzy and me there. We will all enjoy being back together on August19th. 

We will begin a new school year on August 29th. James will be teaching 4^th grade. He will have our youngest daughter, Rachel. I will be teaching Levi's preschool class at times throughout the school year and helping sponsor Lizzy's senior class. We are looking forward to spending time with the kids at RVA and continuing the relationships with the boys we had in the dorm last year.  We hope that the rest of summer is a great one and that the start of a new school year here will go smoothly too.  Serving Together,

James, Shelly, Lizzy, Luke, Abby, Rachel, and Levi

PS - We would love to hear from you.

The requirements for our Dineh friends in Arizona include funds for building materials for the work that Tacheeni, other Navajos, and John will be doing to make a house habitable for a Native family.  The poverty on the reservation is beyond most of our conceptions.  We don't know all the details but Tacheeni and Deb Scott, as are we, are retired and really don't have the money necessary.  They were hoping that New Summit would be able to alleviate that problem.  The church has graciously given us money to add to our savings to make the trip possible and have promised some funds for material.  It is very difficult to ask for help but perhaps this is one way that you and your family can be a part of the mission in a very specific way.  The Mission Team will receive all the receipts for any materials that are purchased to insure accountability. 

So far only two people are willing to pray for us while we are gone.  That is another very important requirement for our safety and God's continued rule over the mission trip.

Please consider this opportunity as well.  

Carol, John and Nasha Simpson

Doug and Janice Kennedy enjoyed worshiping with us on Sunday, June 6.  I hope some of you greeted or visited with them.  Mission Team members shared a meal and a wonderful fellowship time with them.  They are always grateful for our prayers and support and are interested in the needs and news of New Summit.  They asked that we pray for the following:

   a. Janice's mother had a stroke and heart attack which is a concern for the whole family.  David, who is getting married on the 24th of July, especially wants Janice's sister to be there and so we pray that his grandma's failing health problems won't compromise her trip to Columbia, MO for the wedding or add to the family stress at that time..

   b. Doug is in charge of evaluating the teaching quality in the entire Campus Crusade network.  He will be taking a number of trips abroad for this purpose.  Prayers for discernment, success and travel safety.

   c. The Kennedys have lost about $1000 a month in support, some due to the death or retirement of some of their supporters.  This is a huge need.  They have served the Lord for thirty years in mission.  We need to continue praying for more support and perhaps deciding to give to them directly or through New Summit's mission budget.

  Mission Focus, May 31, 2010

From Andrea and Seth Sears serving in La Carpio slums in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

Praise God that Seth has had the same five young men in his carpentry program the last three weeks, and their relationships and the program continue to grow. 

Pray specifically for Mychail, Rener, Alex, Harold and Honaton, that the Searses would have rich times of studying God's word together, and that He would provide for all of their needs, spiritually and physically.

Praise God that Christ For the City in San Jose has been given $1000 to be used by New Horizons (their ministry outreach).  This means funds to begin buying lumber and producing and selling products.

Praise God that Andrea was able to take a woman from the Restoration House with her out to La Carpio to share her testimony and ongoing battle with drug/alcohol addiction with the young women attending the Refuge's Saturday youth program.

Pray that those young women would make wise decisions and hang on to Christ through all the temptations available to them.

Pray for God's provision of materials and funds for the carpentry program.

Pray for God's provision for their own personal support.  Giving has been low as this year has started.

Pray for wisdom in determining their travel plans back to the States later this year.  Due to the expense of bringing the whole family back, they are praying and thinking through the likelihood of only Seth returning in the September-October time frame to do some checking in and fund raising.

In response to the Rim's house fire, if you can donate, please call Linda @ 816-591-9191.  They lost their ten month old child; have a five year old daughter living with her grandmother, a 4 year old boy recovering from burns, a size 14 mom and a slim dad.

Grace United has need for flip-flops of all sizes, children's and adult's.  Their clothes closet is doing well but shoes are always a need.  Please donate a pair of flip-flops before April 24.

Trips to Haiti are being planned for this July.  If you are at all interested please talk to a member of the mission team: Frank Gile, Robin Fate, Carol Simpson, Jamie Ramsey, Doug or Susan Corkern or Pearl Pruitt.

Simpsons are taking trips to the Navajo Reservation in July if anyone is interested, let them know.

The mission team is also continuing to work with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) on 150 Highway.  A May 1^st date has been set for more yard work.  They are also in need of twin mattresses for the students that will be studying there.

This story comes from the Kennedy family:

In a village in Bangladesh, a group of people who saw the Jesus Film started discussing the miracles they had seen in the film and the death and resurrection of Jesus. Poresh, standing off to the side, appeared to want to talk with the team. He said, "I realize I need Jesus in my life. Please help me to follow Him as my Lord and Savior!" Team members prayed with him. Then they all followed him to his home where he cried and fell at his father's and mother's feet apologizing for his mischievous way of life. Together the team prayed for the family and left. Three days later Poresh's father explained to a team member what happened. "Thank you for the message you conveyed to us. This has changed our family. From now on we want to follow Jesus together." From this one family, a new church plant has begun in that area.

Our prayers and support are felt world wide and involve many people that we will never meet. Our support of Campus Crusade through Austins, Kennedys and Kristin Robinson are just such an example. Not only are they our ambassadors for Jesus Christ, they are changing whole families and places. 

On a personal note, we got a lovely thank you note from the Kennedy's for the money we contributed to the education fund for their son's David and Daniel. David will graduate in May from Missouri and is considering joining the staff of Campus Crusade. Not only have you changed lives through Doug and Janice, now we may have another generation to go forth in His name. He is also investigating some openings in Kansas City in human resources. Please pray for his discernment about his future. On July 24, David will marry Sarah Skorepa. This date is also Doug's birthday and his parent 64^th wedding anniversary.  Wow!!  What a day.

Daniel s going to N. C. State and is applying for some research opportunities in engineering for the summer. Pray that he gets an offer. A job would be helpful as well.  Keep this family in your prayers.

The Medical Team has returned from Haiti. Jonathan Klee and his relief group went to Haiti the last week of February. The group thanks us for praying for them, for the medical supplies we sent and of course the funding we provided. They are home safely (March 2) and processing what happened on their short but difficult time.

I am writing about a number of events from Jonathan's blog. The group had to leave about half of their baggage here in KC but that made the trip easier. Arriving in Fort Lauderdale, they found there had been another 4.7 magnitude earthquake about 20 miles outside of Port-au-Prince doing some damage to the Haitian Community Hospital where they were to stay. After prayerful consideration they continued on to Haiti living in tents on the hospital roof.

There were 24 infant orphans that they got to baby-sit that first night. The hospital can handle about 50 patients at a time. The rest are out in the parking lot. Some have cots but others have to lie on the ground. Some of Jonathan's men fed those outside and the woman stayed up all night caring for infants. Sleep was difficult because of the heat.

Next day the nurses were in ICU and others were helping to organize the pharmacy supplies, which continued on the next day. Some helped in the hospital and their pediatric doctor was able to deal with a number of infants that had severe diarrhea due to malnutrition.

There is so much more information that you might want to read on the blog site for www.perceptionfunding.org.   

Click here for the Haiti Mission Page