Photos from our trip

To view photos from our October 2007, trip to Burkina Faso, please visit our website, www.setsailministries.com and click on "Gallery" or click here.

The Dust of Africa (Random thoughts from our trip)

Dear Prayer Partners,

        The longer you stay in West Africa, the more you realize that the dust permeates everything there.  Your hair, your clothes, your feet, your house, your bed, everything.  In the United States, most of us live in a concrete and manicured grass world, and dust is something we wipe off of our book shelves, not something that we get on our feet and clothes while walking to church. 

 

        As we returned home after our trip (almost 2 weeks ago now!) and began to unpack, we found that the red-dirt dust of Burkina Faso was coating our bags, our shoes and even our feet!  Yet even as we wash it off, we are reminded that just like the dust coats the "physical" things, our spirits and minds are coated with the thoughts and memories of our time in Africa.  Every experience in life makes a lasting impact no matter how small, but big experiences sometimes make a more noticeable impact.  Our time in Africa has without a doubt changed us.  The experience is still too new for us to quantify exactly how so, but we know that changes have happened.  We would appreciate your continued prayers as we listen closely to our Father to help us understand everything that we need to know from this trip.

 

        Our time there was difficult in many ways, but primarily because of our "cushy" lives in the U.S.!  With no AC for much of the trip, we were at the mercy of the ceiling fan in our room and a few extra ice cubes in our water bottle to bring coolness.  The food was very healthy (heavy on vegetables and simply prepared) but different than what we usually eat at home.  Starbucks and On The Border were nowhere to be found!  Yet, these delicacies are not essential for life, and we knew that we would return home soon enough and be able to enjoy them again.  And yes, it was impossible to walk around outside without getting dust on your feet, shoes or clothes, but we only noticed it because we don't experience that at home.

 

        The Jewish people in Jesus' day had a saying which translated, meant:  "May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi."  The implication of this phrase is that a person would follow so closely behind their spiritual teacher that the dust kicked up by the feet of the teacher would begin to cover the person following them.  It's a great reminder that it should be our joy to follow that closely to Jesus.  On our last Sunday night in Burkina, as we walked to church in the dark, Joshua walked behind us carrying a flashlight.  I could literally see the above saying being acted out: that the dust raised from our steps was covering him.  It is a joy to know that Joshua is following in our footsteps as we follow closely behind Jesus.  Soon enough, he will be following Jesus on his own, just as he already is in many ways.

 

        The words of this blog may be long gone by the time Joshua is old enough to read them, but regardless we want everyone to know how pleased we are with our son.  He was simply fantastic on this trip, taking everything in stride.  In fact, many situations he handled even better than Kristine or I did!  The heat didn't seem to bother him as much, he was able to curl up in his seat to sleep on the planes, and he never complained about the food that we ate, even if it was unfamiliar to him.  When we asked him what he most enjoyed about the trip, his first response was "Praying for people."  The second was, "Playing with the other kids."  He did both of those things remarkably well.  He loved shaking hands and saying "Bonjour, ca-va. ("Hello, how are you" in French) to everyone.  Wednesday morning, he woke up sad and crying because he missed his African friends; so we took time to pray for many of them.

 

        We have much to process from our time in Africa.  The people that we met were wonderful, spirit-filled followers of Jesus and we believe that the connections we made were not just for this one trip, but that God will connect us again with many of those same people in the future.  We saw God do many amazing things through us, and yet there are other prayers that we have not seen answers to yet.  We stand firm in faith concerning the things that God has spoken to us.  Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?"  We know that He is working beneath the surface in our hearts to make us the people that He wants us to be, so that He can use us in the ways that He desires.  We remember this is true even in times that we don’t see Him as fully as we would like to.

 

            In keeping with the “sailing” theme of our ministry, I would like to offer the following summary of our trip:  This was our “maiden voyage” so to speak, and the first chance to really test out our “boat”!  We realize that we are not expert sailors yet, and we have the blisters and bruises to prove it!  Sometimes we were unprepared for how quickly the Holy Spirit filled our sails and we got “burns” on our hands as the “rope” pulled through too fast.  Other times, we slipped and fell on the “deck” until we adjusted to the size of the waves.  Yet, the thrill of “sailing” in the open ocean, riding the waves up and down, and feeling the wind in our hair was exhilarating.  Now that we are back in our home “port”, we feel that we are to rest from our journey and begin to “re-provision” for our next journey.  Whether that will be across the street, somewhere in the United States or around the world, we don’t know yet.  We await direction from our Captain.

 

            We will be finishing our official trip summary soon and sending out a printed copy in the mail to everyone.  In the meantime, we have posted a bunch of photos on our website.  There are no captions, but you can at least get a sense of what our trip was like.  Please go to  www.setsailministries.com and click on “Gallery” to see the photos.  If they do not show up on the page, you may have to select “Refresh” in Internet Explorer.  You can also click on each of the small photos to see a larger one.  Once again, thank you for your continued prayers for us.  You are a great blessing to us.  May God richly bless you as you follow hard after Him.

 

-Jeffrey

 

Just wanted you to know that we (& all our bags!) made it to Atlanta. We are waiting for our flight to Denver. Almost home!l

Flight departure delayed by 3 hours! So keep praying! We will still have 1.5 hours in Paris. Love u all.

Sermon went great! God is moving in Yako! We're in Ouaga now having dinner & will catch our scheduled flight back home. J K J

It's official: Kristine & I are tag-team preaching tonight at 7:00 PM. Please pray for wisdom & release of the Holy Spirit.

Our Last Post for This Trip??

Dear Prayer Partners,

            Greetings again from Yako!  We so appreciate your prayers and encouragement for us over the past few days.  We are still here at the Sheltering Wings orphanage and basically taking things 1 day at a time.  As Kristine mentioned in our last blog, God has seemingly been very quiet in the past few days.  We were encouraged on Friday morning when He clearly told each of us to wait patiently for the harvest here in Yako.  We were able to do some ministry out in the village on Friday, but our village ministry time today was cancelled.  We mostly stayed around the orphanage here and interacted with the kids in different ways.

            Currently we plan to stay here in Yako tonight (Saturday) and attend church here with Ruth tomorrow morning.  We have great hope and expectation for what God is going to do tomorrow.  It is possible that 1 or both of us may have the opportunity to speak to the congregation tomorrow afternoon or night.  If so, we will stay here in Yako again on Sunday night and then go back to Ouaga on Monday. Our return flight on Monday is not until midnight, so we have plenty of time to do so.  If we follow this plan, then this is likely the last blog entry that we will write until we return home and then we will send out a trip report (or 2 or 3!)  Please pray for smooth connections as we travel to Paris and Atlanta before returning home to Denver.

            If anything changes in our schedule, we will try to let you know.  If God makes it very clear, then we are open to staying here a few extra days, but we have not heard that clearly yet.  Please continue to pray for wisdom in this decision.  All we can tell you is the same thing that we are praying:  "We earnestly desire to complete everything that God has called us here to do on this trip.  In the big picture, it is cheaper in both time and money to stay a few extra days now, than it is to return later.  We are certainly open to returning again in the future, but at the same time, if God has more for us on THIS trip, then we want to be faithful to obey."  We trust that Jesus will show us the Father's will, as it is Him that we are here to obey."

           

-Jeffrey

 

P.S.-Joshua wanted to type something into this blog so here it is: "ethbnmnvbrcxzaqwsdertyuiop!!"

 

Friday Blog Entry. Keep Praying!

Dear family and friends, we are sorry that it has been awhile since writing this blog. The times we can get online are minimal and we sometimes just want to sleep instead of post! The warfare here has been intense; defeat and depression waiting to pounce at any given point. We are honestly weary with the battle. After deciding to rest in Jesus and let go, another wave of attack hits and we are at it again. Please, please pray that we would stay victorious in the battle. I am seeking to claim the word last May that we will have the victory without a battle, without the fight. That we would see Him work in power and might but I am weary. The strategies are not always working; we need fresh revelation from Jesus about the enemy's plans, we need refreshing in the strength of Jesus. Please join us in the Throne Room to hear the battle plans and to know how to walk out the future. You are dear indeed to us and we treasure every minute you spend on our behalf, lifting us up to the Father. We need to be awash in His love and power.

            Not all has been negative. Tuesday night we had the "name ceremony" with the older kids. About 15 out of 25 came to the meeting (the others were at a special choir practice). We read the meaning of their name and then Jeffrey and I prayed over each one with Ruth translating in French. We felt this was a very powerful time with them and Jesus. I received many prophetic pictures over them and was able to share what the Lord was saying. The most moving for me was praying over the single girl present and a young man who suffers from dwarfism. I really felt the love of God wash over the girl whose name means peace; I saw her walking in a battlefield and watching Jesus. The places where her footprints were would spring up with flowers releasing a wonderful fragrance to Jesus. Wow. Jeffrey felt a strong directive from the Lord to wash the feet of the young man. He was a bit embarrassed but Jeffrey talked about the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus to give Him honor and that Jeffrey wanted to give honor to this young man who has had so much persecution. We were almost all crying as we "crowned" him this honor and victory. Overall, we felt all the kids had an amazing destiny: God's chosen ones whom He has not forgotten, something special in the dark under the heavens. The last three nights, we have been visited by several of these same amazing boys who have asked us questions about Jesus and for more prayer regarding the things on their hearts. What a precious thing! The Lord has given us words and verses for these guys to hold onto-bless His name!! Jeffrey especially has been approaching some to ask about their hearts and encouraged this extra outpouring. Pray that wisdom and the love of Jesus would flow. They keep asking him when are we leaving and if we are coming back to see them. He gets choked up every time.

            As we struggle knowing what to do in the time left, we read a card from a dear friend that had Rev. 4:1 : "Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this." Jeffrey received two pictures, one of millet grain being poured out and the other of a foundation trench being filled with gold coins. We sense an unprecedented outpouring of Jesus coming but haven't witnessed it yet. We are currently in this fire of testing. We need to know if we leave tomorrow for Ouaga. If we stay longer here in Yako, there may be chances to meet with the women at Ruth's church to preach and pray over them-my heart is there. It's just that we are so in turmoil and not hearing clearly in this. This morning we woke early (before the rooster!) to cry out again to Him. My journal entry for this morning with Jesus was this:

            "Papa, come quickly. We need Your help, Your wisdom on when to leave. What is Your plan?

            Little One, there is much to be done.

            Papa, please speak more. 'Done' here? 'Done' at home? Elsewhere? We need Your clarity, Your wisdom. My heart yearns when thinking about talking to the women about Your abundance. I am leaning toward staying longer. For doing all that is my heart. What is in YOUR heart. I find myself loving these people and don't know how to leave.

            Behold, little one, I come."

 

Jeffrey joined me in the living room and we each said "what do YOU know?!" Jeffrey's verse was James 5: 7-8 : "Be patient…until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious harvest from the land. See how he keeps up his patient vigil over it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand." So we are committed to wait here a bit longer. We trust the breakthru is coming. Pray and intercede please. I hate waiting!

            The village visit planned for Thursday was cancelled because Lynn's truck broke down. This morning we were able to go to other villages where the sponsor child was not in school. We prayed over many many people in the village today during visits: blindness, seizures, epilepsy, stomach problems, etc. Dear, sweet ones with no hope but for Jesus. Jeffrey is a tower of faith and strength when praying for deliverance and healing. He does not seem to be tired or discouraged; it's awesome to see. Joshua did great at the village seeking out the kids (even the shy ones) and shaking their hand. Some of the little ones are terrified of his white skin and start crying which bothers him but after knowing why he just seeks out the older ones! His favorite thing today was handing out bead necklaces and candy to each kid. He even volunteered to help them open their suckers when they could not get the wrappers off. Apparently, he's a pro!

            And so, my wonderful prayer partners, the urgent need is deciding about how long to be patient and what to do while waiting. Ruth's pastor has extended an offer for us to speak to the congregation at various times, but that would mean extending our flight home for a few days. We are willing and able to do so…we just need clear direction from Jesus. We do not want to leave if His work through us in Yako is not complete. 

            Tomorrow we may be helping out with distributing food to the widows in the area (is this living the Bible or what?!) and possibly more village visits. We have not met our little girl yet but are trusting God will work all out. We love you!!!!!   As always, thank you for partnering with us.

 

-Kristine

 

You know you are in Africa when...

You know you are in Africa when:

1. cold showers are a luxury
2.  mac and cheese causes more excitement than Christmas
3. you speak to American visitors in halting French (oops!)
4. sweet chubby babies are only seen at the orphanage
5. rice and sauce is considered a meal
6. frogs peep in the screen door at night and you cheer when the gecko gets the bug at the window
7.  Joshua is thrilled when baby goats and piglets saunter by in a courtyard
8. babies get 2-3 baths a day
9. tears flow during intercession and prayer over the people
10. everyone greets you and shakes your hand
11. a new sink sponge causes rejoicing
12. you crave meat!
13. a clown car doubles for a taxi (we squeezed in 8 once in a 4 door car)
14. potholes look like ditches and bridges are upside down (to allow water during rainy season to flow over them!)
15. Your morning job is to cuddle babies
16. you are woken up at 3:30 am by a crowing rooster under your bedroom window and you dream of rooster soup (see #12!)
17. After praying, sweat begins to run down a child's face that was originally burning with malarial fever
18. A courtyard of kids raise their hands to accept Jesus after a simple message of how much He loves them
19. you shake all your clothes out before putting them on
20. a text message gets a reply in a minute but it takes 1.5 hours to log onto the internet!

 

            Hello family and friends!! Many have asked for things to pray for and so this blog will be full of news and concerns. Life here is both difficult and wonderful. The heat is so intense: hot in the sun, hot in the shade, in the house, under trees, in the courtyard… you get the point! Sometimes it starts to get to us. Jesus has been so faithful to bring us breezes to keep us going.

            Our biggest battle right now is discouragement sneaking in. We are hungry for revival, hungry for the touch and presence of the One who satisfies. Hungry for direction and wisdom. We are not here for a "nice vacation" and then to return home, back to a "normal life." We want so much more. Zechariah 9:11+ speaks of returning to the Stronghold and relying on His blood to cover us. We have also been asking Him to bring the rain of His presence (Zech 10). At one of our lowest points of faith yesterday, incredibly, a thunderstorm pounded the orphanage, not once but 10 times. We all teared up. After Oct 13^th, Burkina's rainy season is over and they NEVER have rain this late. It was clearly the Lord speaking that He is mighty and that He will indeed rain down!! Ruth, the orphanage founder and director, also cried and was so encouraged by the Lord's sign. Those of you interceding on our behalf, thank you! We feel your prayers and petitions, we are humbled by your commitment to us, we are floored by your messages of encouragement and visions for us. May He fulfill them all and receive all praise.

            At the village Jeffrey spoke of in the last blog we were excited by the local translator who has just accepted Jesus recently. He was so excited in the car after our visit saying: the words just flowed out of him like it wasn't even him talking! We got to tell him it was the Holy Spirit doing the talking!! We were all on a high as we praised Jesus for flowing in power thru each of us. This was the village we felt a girl was healed of malaria, a mom of depression, and another mom of epilepsy and mental issues. Lynn, one of the Americans living here who runs the school and sponsorship program, was so encouraged to have us there and be supported in her effort to bring Jesus to the villages. We will be doing more village visits to pray on Thursday. This is where I feel my heart is, where I am most passionate (the babies are a close second!). Continue to pray Proverbs 3 over us, especially verses 1-14. It's huge that we don't focus on the natural and what is on the surface.

            This afternoon around lunch we will be praying over a little girl with cerebral palsy who is in a wheelchair. We are praying God is glorified in her healing. Tonight is when we are going to be praying over the older kids here, "prophesying" over them using the meanings of their names. There will be about 15 kids to pray over. May the Spirit be strong and clear in what He wants to say over these precious ones. May we have His heart, His wisdom. Pray it is a powerful time of ministry. They need His direction, His love, His touch. I am excited but also a little nervous. Before we left, I felt this was something Jesus wanted us to do while we are here in Africa so we are just jumping in! The older kids know a bit of English so pray too for clarity and Jesus to translate!

            Our schedule for the next few days is cuddling babies, going to the town market day (Wed. AM), a reservoir where produce is grown (Thurs. AM), and the villages (Thurs. PM). Pray we have continued direction, we see with the eyes of Jesus, we have continued opportunities to minister. This could also be times we may connect with our little girl. (Although I could pack up many of the kids here to take home!)

            Joshua is doing really well. His favorite playmate is a sweet girl about 5 with a beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes, Faozia (pronounced Foss-i-ah). They race plastic cars, stack chunky legos, and chase each other. What a precious sight. He always loves to check on "his babies" and is impatient to do so every free moment. Ruth has been regaled with praise songs the usual 24/7 and luckily, loves it! He is excited to string beads with them when we get a chance to do so with the beads we were able to bring. He LOVES to whack spiders in the house and jump after the toads outside! His new favorite thing is to play soccer in the evening with the older boys; they are very sweet and let him kick the ball, laughing when he gets sidetracked by his dancing and air drumming!

            Love each of you dearly. May Jesus reveal His heart to each of you, may you look for opportunities to show others His heart.

 

-Kristine

All in All - Ephesians 1_23

**Please note: If you receive this via email, please do NOT reply to it, as it will post on the blog website if you do so! Thanks!

 

Greetings family and friends from the city of Yako, in Burkina Faso!  Our stay here at the Sheltering Wings Orphanage is going very well.  We just got back from Sunday morning church at a local Assembly of God church that the orphanage staff and children attend.  We were truly blessed to be able to worship Jesus with believers from another country and language.  Most of the locals here speak Mooré (and no we don't speak it even though our last name is Moore!)  Some also speak French, so Pastor Etienne ('Steven' in English) preached in Mooré and another man translated into French.  Ruth Cox, our host here at the orphanage, translated for us into English. 

 

We are settling in here for the week ahead.  Our surroundings are just the bare essentials: a bed, a dresser, a bathroom, simple food and no AC.  But our hearts are full as we take opportunities to minister to those around us.  The children here at the orphanage are well taken care of and are fortunate to be in a loving Christian environment when the alternative for many of them was surely death or life on the streets.  But even here some have conditions most people would agree that only advanced medical care can cure.  Fortunately we know One who can cure all! 

 

We have learned that just as Jesus "carried" our sins (all of them, not just a few) 2000 years ago on the cross, He also "carried" our sicknesses and diseases.  In Isaiah 53, the Hebrew words used for "carry" are exactly the same.  If you believe that He carried your sins for you so that you do not have to, then you can believe that He carried your sicknesses too.  So truly we are all healed in the spiritual realm; bringing that healing into the physical realm of Earth is the responsibility of those who follow Jesus. 

 

And we had opportunity to do just that yesterday evening.  We went with another missionary, Lynn, and a local translator to a small village on the outskirts of Yako to visit a family where some of the members have recently begun to follow Jesus themselves.  She taught a brief lesson to the children (about 20 altogether between several families) and then asked if Kristine or I had anything to add or share.  When we had first arrived at this "courtyard" (the central area in between a number of mud-brick huts) I noticed a girl about 7 years old who was lying facedown on the ground in a pile of just-harvested peanut plants.  Another girl walked by and kicked her in the side and she didn't even move.  The Holy Spirit kept whispering her to my heart as we listened to the lesson about Jesus' love.  When Lynn asked, I immediately asked what was wrong with the girl and could I pray for her.  The answer was: malaria and yes we could pray. 

 

Kristine, Joshua and I made our way over to the little girl named Irene.  With all eyes on us, we anointed her with oil and began to pray.  Her skin was very hot to the touch when we began.  But as we prayed, worshiped and praised Jesus for carrying her sickness for her, she began to cool off.  She broke into a sweat as the fever broke, and a few minutes after we prayed for her, she joined the other kids in the group!  What an amazing, mighty God we serve.  We praise Him that He has given such authority to men to administrate His Kingdom on Earth.  Yet, as it is written, we "do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to us, but rejoice that our names are written in Heaven." (Luke 10:20)  Jesus clearly said that if we do all kinds of miracles yet do not know Him, we will not enter Heaven.  So this is our balance: to know Jesus more and more intimately, and to bring His Kingdom to Earth. 

 

After we prayed for Irene, we were asked to pray for a little boy with heart problems.  Afterwards, he indicated that he could breathe much better than before.  We know that Jesus was working on the inside of his body even though we couldn't see as much on the outside.  In the same way, Kristine also prayed for a lady suffering from severe depression and for another with epilepsy, and we know that God is no respecter of persons: He heals one the same as another, for His power knows no limits.  We believe they were healed as well.

 

So rejoice with us at what God is doing!  In addition to working through us, He has taken care of us in so many ways: Ruth, Lynn, Nicole and Ami have been great hosts here in Yako (Nicole and Ami from the US are each assisting at the orphanage for 1 year), the food has been great, we have not gotten sick and I don't believe we've seen more than 1 mosquito.  And pray for us that we would be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  Even though we still have over a week left in Burkina Faso, there are many things that could be done.  We ask for wisdom.  Thanks for joining with us through prayer.

 

-Jeffrey

 

We've made it safely to Yako, our home for the next week or so. Looking forward to how God will use us here. Keep praying!

He is Always Faithful

Already we are stretching and growing. These days in Ouaga have been crammed with stuff. The heat is intense (100+). The pace has been crazy. But the African people have been so amazing, so precious. Our translator, Mamoudou, has been extremely eager to please and wanted to show us every sight to see in his city. We have visited 4 orphanages, a park, the shopping district, the international school for MKs, and various missionaries here. The orphanages were appalling in how bare and minimal their resources but the people were incredibly sweet and the kids-so precious. I sang to two sweeties "Jesus, loves you…" They were mesmerized and their eyes never left my face. Wow! Jesus so hungers for these little ones to know Him. My thoughts lately have been about abundance, how He always takes our little and pours out His fullness. These dear ones have nothing and yet He pours out His joy on them. One place was like a halfway house for mothers. The head lady said they were orphans who had gotten pregnant; orphans having orphans. My heart broke. But as we smiled and Joshua entertained, joy was in their sweet smiles and welcome in their eyes. And just like Heidi Baker, I could see Jesus reflected there.

            Another wonderful experience was meeting with Jonas, national director of Compassion. A gracious and Godly man. After talking with him, we asked to pray over him and it was so powerful. I felt Jesus there and began crying while praying for Him to pour into Jonas and fill him to overflowing with mercy, the Spirit, and wisdom. Afterwards, Jonas thanked us and said that he has been feeling poured out and totally empty, that he had been moved when we prayed that he would be filled as he emptied himself, that he had never heard that and he was amazed. Wow!! Jesus is so good, is He not?! All our thoughts, our dreams, our struggles are intimately known to Him! We are thrilled to be here to speak His words. Pray for many more opportunities like this.

            Jeffrey has been amazing to watch here. I am so moved as he connects with the people here. Each man he passes he greets in French and shakes their hand. Their once somber face blooms with a huge smile. Jeffrey showers respect and real concern on them. Its so awesome. He is the same way with women, and the kids surround him to bump fists and laugh. Joshua loves to call out "bonjour" and "ca-va" (hello, how are you) to all on the streets. The kids LOVE him and all want to hold his hands and touch his shirt and water bottle. He just stands real still and tries to talk to them (in English!). Its so precious. He also loves to hold the babies.

            Our prayers are that we want to know "what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…," that Jesus will smooth out the path before us and behind us, that as we leave this morning for Yako we would be an incredible blessing to all of them. One more thought: the air here is thick with burning. Cooking fires mostly, some trash burning. But it reminds me to burn, to offer all, to offer myself, to be an alter where praise continually rises. For yes, I am desperate for more of Him. May you, our dear family and friends, burn with passion for Him. Be willing to lay it all out for Him. He is more than enough. He is worth everything. Know we think of each one of you and are praying for you.

-Kristine

Trip Update #1

10/16/2007 11:00 AM Burkina Time

 

"O taste and see that the Lord is good."  Psalm 34

 

We've tasted.  We've seen.  He's good!!  Our trip has begun with great

success.  We got our first our chance to pray at the airport when they

said, "We need to see your paper tickets."  We didn't have paper

tickets; only electronic tickets.  So we prayed.  We have learned that

because we live in the Kingdom of God, we walk in His authority as

son's of God.  We prayed, saying simply, "Jesus, it's You who have

called us to this trip, so we declare that nothing will hinder Your

will."  We got on!

The rest of our travel to Burkina Faso was uneventful.  We arrived

tired after 24 hours of total travel time, but we arrived safe and all

6 of our bags arrived on time and safely.  Again, we praise God for His

goodness, His kindness and His great love for us.

 

-Jeffrey

Departure day is finally here! As I type this, we are in Paris waiting on the flight to Ouaga. Pretty tired after long flight.

Newsletter-text only

Newsletter and Prayer Requests  •  Number 5  •  October 10, 2007 

"Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters…'Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert'."  Isaiah 43:16-19    

 

Dear Family and Friends!           

    As the departure date for our trip draws near we look back and realize all the amazing things that God has done for us over the past months.  What a blessing it is to walk in Kingdom Authority as "sons" of our Father in Heaven! (In the Kingdom, even women are considered "sons".  Our authority comes from the fact that we are "seated with Jesus (the Son of God) in heavenly places." Ephesians 2:6)  Rejoice with us in all that God is doing. 

    This will be our last update to you before our departure.  Be sure to read the UPDATES section below for instructions on how to receive updates from us during our trip.

 

PRAISE REPORTS:

1. Documents.  We have received all necessary documents!  We were approved for 5 year visa's for Burkina Faso (for the same price as a 1-year).  So if we return in the next 5 years, we will not have to pay that cost again.  Thank God with us for His faithfulness and provision. 

 

2. Our Host Families.  Our various hosts in Burkina have been more gracious than you can imagine!  We are very blessed by their hospitality and willingness to help us in so many ways. 3. Trip details.  The daily details of our trip have come together nicely and we feel that the Holy Spirit is clearly leading us with wisdom.

 

URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Health.  Each of us has had some level of a cold in the past weeks, and we are asking for complete healing before we leave.

 

UPDATES:

1. Itinerary.    Though subject to change, here is our current itinerary:

Oct 14:            Depart Denver.  Connect through Atlanta and Paris.

Oct 15:            Arrive in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso

Oct 16-17:       Meet with Jonas Sawadogo, the National Director for Compassion International in Burkina Faso; meet with other missionaries and friends.  We may visit some orphanages and/or churches in Ouaga as well as a few of the "tourist" sites!

Oct 18:            Travel to the city of Yako, about 2 hours northwest of Ouaga

Oct 19-24??:   Minister at the Sheltering Wings Orphanage in Yako, in whatever ways God leads us

Oct 25-26:       ?? Not sure yet!

Oct 27:            Return to Ouaga

Oct 28:            Attend Church with Mamoudou, our local translator; visit other friends and pack

Oct 29:            Depart Ouaga

Oct 30:            Return to Denver 

 

2. Contact information.  

    This part is very important.  Our website is not yet fully functional (although it may be by the time we actually depart.)  Nevertheless, here is a website where we will post updates, prayer requests, and hopefully some photos:  file://www.setsailministries.blogspot.com/  For those of you familiar with the term, this is a "blog" website (which is short for web-log).  It's no different than a "regular" website, other than it's an easy way for us to post text and photos.  The most recent "post" from us will always be at the top of the webpage.  You can check it out as often as you like.  You can even register (for free) and post your own comments about our post, but that is not necessary to simply view the text and photos.

    Also, we will do our best to send out our updates by email.   The emails will be text only (i.e. not a PDF file).  Sometimes, we may send you an email and then direct you to the website to view photos.  Our goal will be to send out 3 updates during the trip.  We may send more, or we may send less!  If you haven't heard from us in awhile, there might be some problem with your email software receiving emails from the email address above, so just check the website instead.

 

OTHE PRAYER REQUESTS: 

1.  Clear leading into ministry opportunities by the Holy Spirit.  We have tried not to over-schedule our time in Burkina, but rather allow lots of time to "stop for the one" who may need a touch from Jesus through us.  We want to be wise about how we use our time, but also not miss any opportunities. 

 

2.  Rest.  The last week or so has been a flurry of last minute activity, as we have purchased items to distribute to various people in Burkina, packed those items, repacked those items, and finalized our trip plans.  We want these last few days before our departure to be a time of rest as much as possible so that we enter the trip rested, healed, and refreshed for the tasks that God brings before us. 

 

3.  The adoption of our daughter.  We believe God will do what He said He would do.  How He does it is up to Him!  Pray that we listen clearly, and obey what we hear and that we do not try to "help God out" by making our own plans.   

 

4.  Joshua.  Joshua is VERY excited about this trip!  Several months ago, we told him that when the leaves started turning colors, we would be going to Africa (how else do you describe a long time period to a 3-year-old?!)  When he saw the first yellow leaf on the tree, he was disappointed to find out that we were not going to Africa that very day!  But the long wait is almost over, and his "countdown calendar" is almost empty, so that must mean that we are leaving soon!

    In the past few weeks we have had several prophecies about how God is going to use Joshua on this trip.  This is another confirmation of the fact that God told us to go "as a family".  Joshua is going to minister along side of us, not just tag along, and he will tell you that if you ask him!  Please pray, not just for his safety, but truly that God will work through him to minister to those that God brings him into contact with, especially other children.  There is no such thing as a "junior" Holy Spirit, so on this, his first mission trip, we want him to experience all that God desires for him. 

 

5.  Luggage.  Please pray that our bags arrive on time, that we don't have any problems with customs because of the large amount of supplies (new items) we are bringing with us, and that we don't have any problems with theft as we transport everything to the various places.

 

    As always, thank you for partnering with us through prayer.  We have been greatly blessed by your support, encouragement, challenging questions, and gifts.  We pray that God will richly bless the seeds that you have sown into this ministry, so that you will reap a bountiful harvest at the right time.   

 

Jeffrey, Kristine & Joshua Moore

Our Maiden Voyage

Welcome aboard to the Set Sail Ministries Blog! Check with us periodically for updates, newsletters and photos of our trips!