Sue and I left home around 6:15 a.m. to drive to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for our quarterly board meeting which is tomorrow. En route we visited my 85 year old sister in Morristown, Tennessee. After the visit, I summarized the visit to the niece in this statement: "This visit was not uplifting." My sister, who is usually talkative and full of live was just the opposite. She only said a few words and dropped off to sleep. I can see a great difference from the last visit. She usually sings to us of her love for Jesus, but she listed to a mixed chorus of seniors from Alpha Baptist Church sing "Give Me the Old Time Religion" and other favorites. I know this fed my sister, Ruby, spiritually. 
Now, about Kenya. We found out that not only are Martin's children with Pastor Andrew, but a number of others who fled their home in Eldoret. We wired funds to him to help with food and bedding.
Now I am tired after traveling most of the day by auto--500 miles. More and more I understand the meaning of "we have this treasure in earthen vessels." But praise God for new days and new energy. His mercies are new every morning! I need your prayers.

Last night, Wednesday, was prayer meeting in our church in Forest VA. A sizeable number gathered as is our custom to pray. There is a prayer journel prepared with all the requests that have been called into the office. An opportunity is given for additional prayer needs to be added. Then the people pray, sometimes in small groups, sometimes led by individuals. We pray in agreement as Jesus instructed us to do in Matthew 18. "Agree" means to make the same sound. The idea is a symphony that is in harmony. "In one mind" or "in one accord" is another way to reflect this idea. One of the things that we prayed for was Martin Shikuku and our brothers and sisters in Kenya. Early this morning, I had the second e-mail from Martin since the post-election violence devastated his village. He received the money that we had sent by Western Union to get reestablished. At Forest Baptist Church, we prayed that this would happen. It did. There is power in prayer. There is power in united prayer when God's children pray in agreement. I am encouraged.

Martin Shikuku coordinated the prayer seminars in Kenya and the Congo--working with Andrew Sakari and Mulumba Placide. He served as my interpreter for the prayer seminars in both countries. He translated the prayer seminar workbook into Swahili in long-hand. He had never ridden on a plane before he traveled with me from Eldoret (the center of the post-election violence) in West Kenya to Nairobi and then down to Burundi. He chose to return home by bus so he could stop in several nations and arrange for prayer seminars in the future. He was on the road three days. Martin is a tremendous preacher of the Gospel. Above all, I firmly believe that he is the one anointed to carry on the prayer seminars in East Africa and Central Africa. If you did not read my blog dated January 7, I encourage you to do so. I am mobilizing prayer and financial support to help him get back on his feet. The family desperately needs clothing, food, and other essentials since their home was completely looted during the conflict. Pray for Anne, since her father was killed.

Since hearing of the post election violence in Kenya with the greatest devastation centering in the Eldoret area in western Kenya, I have been concerned about Pastor Martin Shikuku and his family (Anne, his wife, and four children). Finally, after days of waiting anxiously, the first word came from Martin early this morning. Here is his message: "Praise God that I am still alive and my family. I ran to the police station in town since Dec 31st. The whole villate is burnt down including my assistant pastor's house with everything. I have been sleeping outside on the ground, no food, clothes, house, communication and so on. I managed to go back for worship and thank God that they spared the church with my house though they looted everything from my house. Eleven out of my more than 200 members came for prayers totally discouraged, hungry without a house, some with their beloved ones dead. They killed my father-in-law on Monday and was found on Thursday in the fields around by the police. Now in the mortunary. I have found a small guest house in town when I am trusting God for the money to pay it and at least stay there for this month before I resettle. I escaped my children to Pastor Andrew on Fridday by the grace of God. I have postposed my January 19th and 26th prayer seminars in Eldoret up to Feb 16th and 23rd. We cannot be separated from the love of God (John 3:16 and Roman 5:8). Satan is totally a liar. Our battle is from victory to victory. I am in urgent need of food, shelter, clothes, money, etc. Martin and live alive in Eldoret determined to march forward in the army of the Lord despite of the calamities. Greet Sue and Maggie."
My heart is broken. I weep for Martin and Ann, their four small children, and his congregation at Glory Baptist Church, which hosted the November prayer seminar with Martic serving as the coordinator and my interpreter. PRAY FOR THIS SITUATION>

When Jesus healed ten men who had leprosy, only one returned to say thanks. This was curious to Jesus who said: "Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17). We, too, take His blessings for granted. Many of us are like the hogs eating acorns that have fallen from the tree never looking up to see where the acorns are coming from. One blessing is being able to worship freely on any day of the week, especially on the Lord's Day. I'm thinking of the difficulties Christians have been facing in both Pakistan and Kenya the past few weeks knowing the danger lurking. I have been praying for their safety on this Lord's Day. The reason I am citing these two nations is the connection with the prayer seminar ministry. A number in both nations are now teaching the seminar. I believe much of the conflict is due to spiritual warfare. Satan is unhappy knowing that prayer is where the victory is achieved.

One of my favorite hymns is "Count Your Blessings." One line saids "and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."  For JGHM, it is the time of the year that we finish our annual report for our Board of Directors. Due to scheduling pressures, we have decided to have this quarterly meeting (which is, in essence, our annual meeting) next Saturday. This means giving time and attention to preparing the board report (which includes what we cann the annual report). As part of the process of writing, I have reviewed other annual reports. It is surprising what the Lord has done, which comes out loudly and clearly in the annual reports. The number of seminars and other ministry opportunities has increased year by year. The financial and prayer support have been unwavering. Other years have been blessed, but 2007 was one of the most fruitful of all the twenty-seven years. I am counting my blessings, rejoicing in what the Lord has done through our ministry, and am looking forward to the future.

We have finally heard from Andrew Sakari, one of our Kenya prayer seminar coordinators. He shared that Eldoret, Martin Shikuku's (our primary coordinator) region, is the most affected by the turmoil. Many are without homes, have no food or other needs met. The country is in chaos over the disputed election. People are camping out in churches. One church was burned to the ground killing fifty including women and children. Pastor Andrew said that they are working on plans to bring Pastor Martin and his family to their town for safety purposes. Andrew asked that we pray that God will intervene as quickly as possible so "we can carry on our agenda for our Lord Jesus Christ." During our prayer seminars in these areas in November, Christians were praying for the election that it might be peaceful. Satan, of course, wants the turmoil in order to thwart the wonderful work so many of the pators are doing. Over 500 were saved during the open air crusade that was part of our prayer seminars.

A few years ago, a leading pastor in Tidewater Virginia and I were discussing the prayer seminar ministry. His advise was to make no changes since it is a "unique" ministry. When I asked what he meant by "unique," he said quickly, "one of a kind." When I think about the prayer and financial support that JGHM has had, not only in 2007, but since we began twenty-seven years ago, the word that comes to mind is "extraordinary." What does this mean? It means beyond the ordinary! As gifts come in to enable us to go around the world touching lives, I am encouraged with each gift. Beyond that, I am humbled. It seems words are inadequate to express appreciation correctly. The one comforting thought in the midst of my inadequacy is that God will one day show fully the appreciation for each investment in the Lord. Because of the extraordinary support, we had adequate funds to ministry in nine nations (other than the United States) with every need met. Further, there was enough left over to take care of the seminars in Paris, France, at the end of January, Certainly GOD IS GOOD TO JGHM.

During the past few years, there is abundant evidence that God is working mightily in Kenya. I had the privilege to spend a number of days in western Kenya in the Eldoret area. We have developed many friends there and can say without equivocation that many are prayer warriors far beyond what is found in most parts of the world. Our hearts are burdened knowing that throughout Kenya there is turmoil following a national election. When I read this morning that fifty were killed and many others injured in a church in the Eldoret area, I thought of Martin and Ann Shikuku and the great work the Glory Baptist Church is doing right in this area. I prayed Psalm 91 for them. Although it was not their church, but an Assemblies of God church, I grieve. Please pray for this nation. Satan is obviously not happy over the zeal of so many to do prayer work. He is doing all he can to discourage the Christians and disillusion the unsaved by destroying churches and the work of God. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 and we must use them.

From 1722 to 1723 the great servant of the Lord, Jonathan Edwards, pieced together a list of personal resolutions. He was nineteen years old. Eventually, there were 70 resolutions and several times over the years I have shared many of them with our Reflector readers. The impact of his ministry was widespread and continues today. Let me share a few: "#1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory. #7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life. #8. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and the common circumstances which attend death. #41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in an respect have done better." He sought to "Remember to raed over these Resolutions once a week." I use a new year to review the old year in the same spirit that Jonathan Edwards did and then to look to the future to be more fruitful. When you are 72, you must work while it is day for the night is coming when your work will be over. I strongly believe that one is wise to look at his life and make resolutions to do better.