Ken Nsimbi

Ken Nsimbi came in on Tuesday evening to Vienna Airport. He was supposed to be with the Ballard Team in July, but God had other plans in mind.

Ken is from Kenya. Well, here is how he put it, “I was born in Kenya, have Kenyan citizenship, a Ugandan passport and residence in the USA.”

He speaks English & Swahili (maybe other languages, but I don’t know about that, yet.).

Ken has been using Hip Hop as an outreach tool in the city of Seattle, WA. for some time now. He dances, plays the drums, bongo, sings, has some martial arts experience and loves to watch movies. Above all that, though, is his obvious love for the Lord Jesus and people.

We asked him to give thanks last night when we sat down to eat our midnight snack (no, that’s not a typical part of our schedule) - but we asked him to give thanks in his native tongue. We bowed our heads and he prayed, “Dear Lord Jesus...” We all busted up! Of course, he was kidding and then proceeded to pray in Swahili. WOW! What a beautiful sounding language! Heaven is going to be amazing! Especially because we’ll all be able to understand each other no matter what language we will speak!

You can see pictures of him here: http://www.ballardchurch.org/Creative.html He’s the only black guy in the pics. As you can see from the pics, he’s quite an energetic, fun-loving guy. We’ve grown to love him very quickly and are looking forward to seeing how the Lord’s going to use him during his short time here in Slovakia.

More blessings!

What can we say? We’ve been blessed -- again! We’ve been praying for some special funds to come in to enable us to purchase a lawn mower (our last one was stolen in all the storage/moving over the past year). Well, Ballard Chuch of Seattle, WA., blessed us with some “leftover” funds from their ministry trip here in July (check out our previous PnP about that) and told us to use it for Ken Nsimba’s visit (he arrives this evening in Vienna to help us kick off our Hip Hop Club) and whatever else we needed. So, yesterday, I bought a Husqvarna lawn mower.

This is the first time since we’ve been in the house (Aug. 1st) that I’ve mowed the lawn. Our landlord called over a young man with a weed-whacker on July 30th. I got so desperate when the grass grew out, that I actually cut the front lawn with a scythe! I must say that it looked pretty good, but it took waaaayy too long.

Anyway, I mowed the front, side and main part of the back yesterday evening - TWICE! Why? Because it was so long that I had to use the highest setting for the first cut, and then drop it down 2 notches for the next cut. It’s still not at the length I want, but it looks a LOT better - and I’m sure the neighbors are happier as well.

Well, all that to say that the Lord is good and even cares about our lawns. Thank you, Ballard Church & Pastor Mark! We pray God’s richest blessings on you all -- even if you hadn’t donated special funds for a lawn mower! ;-)

Starbuck's Stingy!

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
And don’t crave his delicacies:
7 For as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

GUILTY! I have to confess that there have been a few times (okay, maybe more than a few) that I (or my wife & I) have been entertaining guests who are coffee drinkers and the thought has crossed my mind many times as to whether or not I should share my “precious” Starbuck’s coffee with them - especially if they are Slovaks and have never had the experience of a cup of Starbuck’s coffee.

It’s not that the coffee is too expensive to share with those with “lesser” coffee life-experiences, but that it is so hard for us to get Starbuck’s coffee here. The closest Starbuck’s is still almost 4 hours away and in another country!

Oh well, I guess I’m just as stingy as the next guy - it’s just a matter of finding out where our “stingy boundaries” lie, right?

Forgive me, Lord, for being stingy with my Starbuck’s coffee. I will share it - freely (ouch!) - with those with whom You bring into my path.

9/11 Remembered

Even as today, we commemorate 9/11, the attack on the W.T.C., it is indeed a solemn remembrance. At the same time, though, we celebrate the spirit of the American people - the “can-do” posture and the “we-will-rise-from-the-ashes” Phoenix mindset. We remember so that we can continue. We look back to get a better picture of the future. We examine what happened to prepare for what may/will happen.

Every time I hear of another terrorist plot being undermined or stopped short, I am thankful for those who said, “This will not deter us from our freedom. Instead, it will strengthen our resolve to continue to be a nation of freedom.”

Thank God for men willing to commit to battle wrong. To stop injustice. To protect the innocent.

The USA is not a perfect country, not a perfect government or society. But it is a wonderful place to call home. As an American living now 10 years outside of the US borders, I still say that I am proud to be an American and thankful for all that my country affords me to be, do and have.

God bless America. God bless us all.