African Christian Outreach

New Year = New Things

2012-01-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Kerry and I decided a few years ago that we wouldn't make new years resolutions, I guess its the "rebel" in us. Maybe its that my resolutions didn't take after the first 15 days of that year. Anyways, now we try to make changes with some accountability. I know, same song different verse. So over the past month I've been really trying to pay attention to life and see where I can correct some habits that have taken hold in my own life, or my husbanding, or my parenting, or my ministering. The first.... blog more. I have a good friend that should of been a writer or a publisher, heck he reads in a morning than I do all year and always has great streaming thoughts. Anyways, he always encourages me to write, so I'm going to write more on this here blog.
Second, I'd like to memorize scripture with my kids each week. A family verse that we can work on together. RaeRae helped me realize this as we drove down the Interstate heading to Texas a few weeks ago listening to his AWANA CD.
Third, I want Kindness to flow from me. In my quite time I'm reading a great book that another wise man gave me. In it the writer says that "as grace is absorbed in my life, kindness begins to flow naturally and freely."
Fourth, you guessed it, show more grace.
Lastly, realize that God is in control of everything, good and bad. We have some lofty goals for 2012 as a ministry, advances into places that are scary and honestly not the safest of places to be. I've felt God leading us in these directions and yet I still have a fear of them. Funny, He leads yet I still wonder, I really give missionaries a bad name.
So I'm a day into 2012 and its started off pretty well. I've got our verse picked out, I felt like I responded well so far with grace and kindness, and I'm blogging. God in control? So far today, an early morning text informed me that a former student of mine is battling for her life after a car accident. I learning this morning as I sat down to work that a ferry and a ship collided overnight on the coast of Kenya and my first thought was, "oh, no. We have a team of students on the coast doing a mission trip." Just a few minutes ago the airline called and told me that undercharged me on my ticket later this month and need to tack on a few hundred dollars. God is in control of everything????
Yes he actually is Tom. He reminded me that life on earth is precious and not to be wasted, our students are home from the coast, and a church picked up the cost on the ticket change.

New Life

2011-08-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight we got a phone call from one of our campuses where Freshman have just arrived. A group of our upper classmen and staff have gathered to spend the week together, using the mornings to study and grow in their faith and the afternoon and evenings to knock on doors and share the gospel with the freshman. When I answered a giddy staff member with everyone else gathered around him told me that 5 had accepted Christ during the evening. With laughing and shouting in the background from the our crew we couldn’t talk for long before I just yelled, “AWESOME” into the phone and we hung up. Tomorrow and the rest of the week and weekend our group will go back out, knocking and sharing the good news with everyone that will listen. Keep them in your prayers

Let Your Light Shine

2011-04-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

"You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden.”Matthew 5:14

I have spent the past few months absorbing and hanging on to encouraging words and truths not only from God but from Spiritual Giants in my life that the Lord uses to keep “my head up” per say. Just today I was reminded by Larry Parsley via podcast from 2009 that “Sometimes the only explanation for our struggles is to strengthen our faith!” I love it that God can use something Larry said 2 years ago and it be just what I needed to hear today after some discouraging news last night. It is the utmost example of God’s omnipotence.

I also love a book I’ve recently picked up about, well of all things, “Missionaries.” It’s a plea from Beth Moore to earnestly pray and partner with missionaries around the world. I’m so thankful she wrote this book and that she “gets” how desperatly we need our community of believers to partner with us.

Believers in Christ are supposed to be completely connected, not in spite of our varied locations and vocations, but because of them. We are a family, but fragmented; we’re a dysfunctional one. The divine idea for full-throttle function was that God’s people would operate as one entity-or one body-in each generation. We’re meant to be like multicolored Christmas lights attached to one electrical cord called the Holy Spirit and strung strategically all over the earth. Millions of lights on one cord, with the guts to shine more brightly because we KNOW the others ARE there. “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me.” Isaiah 43:10. Witnesses is plural, servant is singular. The entire people are as one servant in God’s eyes. We are each witnesses in a host of ways, but God’s entire people on earth at any given time constitute His Servant-(singular). Her point. You are also called to the world in partnership with missionaries. Likewise, they are called to local missions in partnership with you. This is our “partnership in the gospel” Phil 1:5. It all begins with AWARENESS of each other.

This has meant so much to me since being here. Away from comforts of home and extended family and friends. My survival this year is no doubt a testament to those of you who already “get this”. I didn’t until actually being here. I didn’t realize how powerful those prayers were across the ocean keeping those Christmas lights turned on. I didn’t realize the power of the Holy Spirit. What encouragement and comfort a message from a friend or stranger that a friend had asked to pray for me could mean. I am guilty of Not praying for missionaries enough. I didn’t understand the power. That it’s only by the lifting up of those prayers that I believe those lights don’t break apart. I feel the prayers and they keep me afloat. I thank those of you who have taken this partnership so seriously. I thank you with all my heart and beg of you that you keep us on your refrigerator or mirror or steering wheel or wherever it is that reminds you to keep lifting us up so that the Holy Spirit can work through God’s Servant-(singular-all of us in partnership with Him to reach the ends of the earth).

Blessings,
Kerry

Attitude Check?

2011-02-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

I can't remember if it was from my Kanakuk days or sometime before that, but I do remember when someone would yell "attitude check?", if you were in ear shot you'd yell "praise the Lord!".

Just as I sat down to write this, Helen, one of our house staff walked in and said, "Tom I hear water in you bedroom." I love the sound of water. When it laps against the side of a boat in the middle of the lake, when it crashes onto the shore at the beach, when it flows through the rapids of a river, but no so much when its coming from my bedroom. I ran in to find the hot water heater spraying water all over the closet. The room was full. "Attitude Check"? "What in the world, Lord"!

Today we received news that a missionary that run an orphanage just 30 minutes away was killed last night, his wife raped repeatedly and two children witnessed the whole thing. It reminds me where we are, what we do and how much I've really laid at His feat. "Attitude Check"? "Really, God"!

This past Thursday I got a text from Jonathan, our Egerton University staff director. His text read, "Riots on campus, pray for our safety and pray they don't send us home." Students had been without electricity for 3 days and hadn't been able to cook. They got frustrated and started a riot. Friday by 4pm the campus was closed, students were sent home and the amazing momentum among our students was stifled. "Attitude Check"? "Come on Lord"?

Friday I walked out to start my car. Elias another of our house staff said, "Bwana, you have a puncture (flat)". The day before I had dropped $415 on car repair, one of which was putting a slim in the tires to prevent flats. "Attitude Check?" "You've got to be kidding me!"

This weekend we had our staff retreat. We met at an amazing place 1 and 1/2 hours into the bush. Our cell phones didn't work, the electricity was off when we arrived, baboons yelled and screamed all night. It was amazing! Our staff was able to bond, to rest, to recoup and reenergize. Sydney and Raegan ran around the property like two Masai warriors all weekend (well Masai warriors equipped with lightsabers). I woke up this morning with gout in my right ankle screaming pain. "Attitude Check?" "Pass the pain pills!"

In one of our sessions, Solomon, our campus directors in Eldoret shared about 10 new guys on his campus that were starving for anything spiritual he could give. In November when we met as a staff, Solomon had shared how defeated he felt. He said it was like there was a large cloud over the campus and his weekly door to door evangelism was fruitless. He had two guys that he had to chase every week to connect on campus with. Fast forward to Saturday morning and Solomon was late to the retreat because these 10 guys were packed in his house all night for a sleepover, where no sleep was had because they just wanted to talk Jesus. "Attitude Check?" "PRAISE THE LORD!"

I don't want to sound spiritual, I don't want to be the missionary who's suffering for Jesus, I'm not interested in being the poster child for Faith. My Pastor is the spiritual one (& will run spiritual soundingness around your pastor any day :) ), the missionary who lost his life last night is the one suffering (well his family) for Jesus, and the poster child for Faith can be someone else thats much better looking and really does live by faith daily. But tonight, tomorrow, this week I'm walking in celebration of 10 men who can't take their eyes off Jesus and a sold out staff guy that stuck with it.

"Attitude Check"?
PRAISE THE LORD!

Generations

2011-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday night I was able to spend some time with a group of our students at Egerton University, just outside of Nakuru. The group gathered in the JFK commons, we drank tea, ate cake and I shared some thoughts with them. Our campus director, Jonathan and his group of key leaders are doing such a great job of brining in our 1st year students (freshmen) and investing in their lives. Its fun to not know faces and meet them for the first time. Its fun for them to have no idea why they've gathered to hear me speak because their connection to the ministry is not me, but our staff and student leaders. And its really fun to hear how they came to be apart of the ACO ministry. I met one young man who door was knocked on during orientation week, when he answered two of our 2nd year students asked if they could come in.
I loved how he put it; "I come from a very simple life. We have no electricity at my house, and we go and get the water from the river to cook, clean and drink. When it is night, we sleep and when it is day we work or go to school. I was alone in my room, I had light and water down the hall and was just sitting waiting for something. When the knock came, my life changed. They told me the story, invited me to Bible study and we've been at it ever since. This guy (pointing to one of our 2nd year students who leads a Bible study) he's my mentor, he's my father in Christ."
I got chills! This young man was apart of the GENERATIONS that we long for, talk about, plan for, train for and invest in. This weekend he'll be apart of the One Day gathering for students led by our campus staff at Egerton. I'm praying that he'll get to see three generations of disciples that are ahead of him (Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors) and be excited about carrying on the tradition of knocking on a door next fall, introducing a young Kenyan man from the bush to Jesus, and begin to teach him what he's learning now.
Earlier in the day I visited our new Community Partnership at Njoro Central High School. The school is about 5 minutes from the Egerton campus and is a new site for our students we are discipling to invest their time in. The high school is 5 years old, has 196 students in grades 9-12. Our ACO staff person in charge of community partnerships has done a great job in preparing the way for the Egerton students to get plugged into the lives of these high schoolers through Bible studies and mentoring. They principle who showed us around was so excited about their newly completed science lab. She laughed nervously when I told her that I blew up my lab station in high school because I didn't pay attention to the instructions and just started mixing chemicals.
She said, "bwana Tom, you must be a Peter. One who jumps in faith and realizes what you're doing in midair or a few steps in." I smiled and told her that was the best compliment I'd ever been given.
Have you jumped today?... In the Faith that you hold so dearly, that you sing about on Sunday mornings in worship, in the book that you carry in your hand or that sits on your bedside table filled with stories of jumping? Another GENERATION has the potential of promise because two sophomores knocked on a door not knowing what was on the other side. I wish I had the Faith of Peter most days. Do you?

2011-01-31T03:35:00.000-08:00

This past week I loaded up and headed to Nakuru & Eldoret. I camped out Coppell style (under a roof, with mattress, & hot water) in Nakuru and made a day trip to Eldoret. I stopped along the way to deliver cookies to my police friends that saved me from my middle of the night flat tire ordeal. They were happy to see me.
Our Eldoret team are ALL STARS! They're really excited about graduating their first class this spring and are challenging them to go out into the communities God puts them in and make a difference. I'm really looking forward to an amazing semester. I got to spend time with some of the key students in their ministry at the main Moi University Campus.
ACO staff across the country are excited about plugging in their new Compassion International students. The Nakuru team is in the process of adding 2 new high schools for our college students to begin working in each week. The Nairobi staff are once again leading Saturday morning discipleship training seminars and will try to add a few more OneDay events to create a buzz on campus. I'm looking forward to meeting new faces on the Kenyatta campus just outside Nairobi and traveling to see our staff in other cities.
Nathan-Raegan & Sydney Grace are plugged into school and loving it. They had field day this past Friday and then a sleepover here at the house. Kerry has found a Bible study to plug into and is helping out at the kids school a ton. We're all looking forward to Nani (Tom's Mom) arriving next week.
We thank God for all of you that partner & pray with us! Can't wait to see what God has up his sleeve in the months to come.

My "Camping" Spot

Insurance...Who Needs Insurance

2011-01-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Today I got up, dropped the kids at school, swam a mile in the school pool, met a friend for coffee and was taken to jail. I really enjoyed the swim, had a great time with my friend and would rather not do jail again.
I'd write about the coffee discussion or what Raegan talked about on the way to school, but I bet you're a little more interested in jail. Aren't you.
I was pulled over because the car I was driving didn't have insurance. It actually had insurance but the correct sticker wasn't on the window. The policeman, Simon Peter (pretty funny) asked me if I had the new sticker. I looked through the whole car and didn't see it. His partner, Mary (ironic) then told me my choices. First, I could give them a ride to the Police station where they would then arrest me, thats right give them a ride. Second, they could tow the car and we could go together to the police station and they could arrest me (that would mean walk there). Third, I could buy them lunch. Yep, I know what you're thinking and I did just that. I picked the first choice. I drove myself to jail, its funny even now. Simon Peter, told me he'd detain me until I could pay the bail and produce up to date insurance. BUT, I didn't have the up to date insurance because the persons car I was driving was in the US today and for a few weeks longer. Somehow, my "I Love Jesus" status (see boys and girls don't knock it) got me an exemption to the rule. I was able to leave the car, get my friend I met for coffee to take me to the insurance agency and then return with my proof of insurance and post bail. I'm due in High Court #7 in the morning to plead guilty and pay my fine. They're serious about insurance here. When you visit you'll see how comical that is with what goes on during a normal day of traffic in this country.
Simon Peter & Marry were as nice as they could be. I got Simon's number and we're suppose to have tea soon. All in All quite a day. Some of you didn't understand when I told you over the past few weeks that every day in Africa is an adventure. Tomorrow, well tomorrow I'll be in High Court, no telling what will come of that experience.
Next time a US Officer of the Law pulls you over and your car registration is out of date or your insurance is void...smile, take the ticket and go on about your day. At least you're not in Jail!!

Fasten Your Seatbelt

2011-01-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

In a few days we will board our flight back to Kenya. December has been a whirlwind of activity. We've loved connecting with so many of you and sorry for those of you who we missed. We're so thankful to our Pastor, Larry Parsley and the staff at Valley Ranch Baptist for allowing Sydney and Nathan-Raegan to be baptized on December 6th. What a joy as parents to see our kids take the "holy swim" with such an amazing church family. We are grateful to all of you who took the time to share a coffee, stop by a jewelry party or buy us a meal. Thank You!
We were blessed to spend New Years Eve with two families that we graduated from Ouachita Baptist with. After an amazing steak dinner and a few furious games of Wii Party we brought in 2011 and then settled around the dinning room table to catch up on stories. Its been a long time since I laughed so hard and so long. The second part of 2010 was not the easiest of walks, but the Lord always knows how to refill your cup at just the right time. I'm in debt two those two couples and thankful that they were what God needed them to be as their company energized my soul.
In my quiet time over the past few days I've started a book my father gave to me in 2005. The first day clarified what my focus for the year will be (hopefully it will start a habit that will last a lifetime). The author eluded to three ways that Believers use scripture. The first is from a devotional approach, being encouraged by scripture as it is read and processed. The second is from a 'looking for life answers' approach, seeing what Scripture says about living life and how to make it through the difficult times. The third (the authors suggests is the most important) is spending time in Scripture to learn the mind of Christ. The idea has really stumped me and it intrigues me to begin the journey of having Christ's mind over this next year. How He thinks, How He acts, How He reacts to everyday situations. I've prayed for awhile now that I would have His eyes & ears as I wander through the day. I'm now adding to my prayer..."Lord, give me your mind today". As I spend time in your Word, as I walk in your Call, as I sit down and stand, let me think like you.
I hope that as you fasten your seatbelt and begin this new year that your days will be filled with chips and salsa, evenings with never ending Dr. Pepper fountains and as you lay your head down on your pillows Hot Tamale candies will dance in your minds.
And as I hope for those things, I pray that you'll see Christ come alive in your life in ways you can't imagine in the months to come.
Come and see us in 2011!

Jet Lag, Friends, Cold Weather & the Next Thing

2010-12-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we landed safely @ DFW International Airport. Sydney & Nathan-Raegan were troopers through the entire ride. Kerry & I realized that they finally realized what was happening and what we were doing. Reagan continually asked what time it was and wondered if the airplane was going to leave us. He asked about every two minutes in Nairobi if it was time to get on the plane. Sydney just wanted to stand at the windows in Nairobi and London and watch the airplanes taxi, load and unload. At one point about 4 hours into the Sunday night leg (our flight from Nairobi leaves at midnight and arrives in London at 5:45am) with the entire plane dark and everyone asleep I looked over to see Syd staring at the video screen and rocking back and forth in her seat. I think she's been blessed with the ability to not be able to sleep like her father on a plane.
We return home with excitement, but we leave Kenya with a little bit of "not now". We're excited for salsa, McDonalds, and the people that we will get to connect with. I'm excited about driving in traffic with rules that actually are followed, Kerry is ready for a white Christmas in Colorado and the kids can't wait to see Memphis, they're golden doodle that we had to leave behind in Arkansas. We're all feeling the "not now" because November has finally been a good month after 4 extremely hard ones. They aren't boxes all over the house, our homework actually make sense when it comes home from school, and we'll miss our staff, students and new friends in Nairobi. I've decided in my mind that this is a good thing. Its good to want to come home, after all this is the background of our portrait. We count on our family and friends to be praying for us and supporting us as we experience God's calling in Kenya, so its fun to see them and reconnect. Its also good that we're wanting to go back (two months ago we'd weren't and coming home would of been dangerous). It was good to hear Kerry last night sigh when we slid into the bed with enough blankets to keep the cold out. It was that sigh you know means, "ahh this feels good, this is nice". I felt the same way. It was what she said that reminded me I'm married to an amazing woman of God, "I glad we're not apart of this, that home is over there." I wouldn't rate the Stickney family as the model missionary family. The make your family like this and you'll be able to serve the Lord where ever he places you. Far from it. I wouldn't say we've done the last 6 months in the best way possible, actually life together for 11 years. But I know this... we've trusted God and done the next thing.
My prayer for you and your family during this holiday season is that as you look back on this year and prepare for 2011 that you'll say to yourselves, "we've trusted God and done the next thing".
From the Stickney family to yours... Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. May this season be a sweet time with family and friends and find you following His lead in your lives.

Stop

2010-11-14T02:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was driving back to Nairobi from Nakuru after speaking to our freshman from Egerton University. Riding with me was one of our campus staff, Jonathan and one of our house staff, Tridings. Tridings and I are the same age, have kids the same age and both share the same sense of humor. During 2003 the students at First Baptist Harrison, Arkansas helped him buy an acre of land and build a small house on it. His wife lives there, farms the land and takes care of the kids. Triding pretty much runs the house, cooks for all of our conferences, keeps up with everything that needs to be fixed and is our "ear to the ground" guy with safety and the whatnot of the country.
As you travel from Nakuru to Nairobi you drive through the Great Rift Valley, passing three lakes, rolling hills, plains, forests, zebra, gazelle, baboons, and an extinct volcano. The scenery is breath taking and the traffic is terrifying, its the perfect collision of two opposites. Just after you pass the third lake, Naivasha, you begin to climb the east wall of the Rift Valley and as you crest the top of the climb you can see across the entire Rift Valley. The plains that stretch all the way to the Masi Mara seem to lead on forever, Mount Longonot towers in the middle of the valley and small farms dot the landscape. Like all good entrepreneur some locals have set up lookout points where tourists can stop, take in the view, buy a hot coke and buy carvings or whatever other piece of must have Kenya they can talk you into. I've stop plenty of times with teams from the US and in my travels back and forth now I almost run off the road trying to catch a glimpse as I keep moving to make good time.
Yesterday as we drove past the lookout points I asked Jonathan and Trini if they had ever stopped and looked. Jonathan said he thought his family stopped once or maybe it was a school trip, he couldn't remember. Triding, sitting in the back seat didn't hear me and so I asked again. He said "no, I never have. I've never had the time or the control to ask the bus I was on to stop. Its really beautiful, but I wonder what it looks like standing on the edge?" Tridings is 36, he's driven that road 300 times in his estimation and he's never stopped to look at one of the most majestic God creations in his own country.
During Worship today at church one of the slide backgrounds was of a mountain. When the slide came up, I stopped singing, sat down in my seat and dumbfounded thought to myself, why didn't you stop yesterday? I just kept driving, I had the ability to show something to Triding that he's never seen before and I kept moving. What was I thinking? Am I that driven? Am I that checked out of listening that the words "never" and "control" didn't compute?
YES
Yes, I'm that insensitive, that clued out, that preoccupied.
I always pray for our students to be able to hear God's whispers, the have His ears, His eyes, His words as they walk through their days. I pray the same for me. Yesterday I missed a whisper. Seeing the valley probably wouldn't of changed Tridings life in any great way, but it might have. I might of missed a divine appointment with someone at the spot we stopped. I might of just needed to take in the beauty for myself and see His handwork to remind me of who He is. I will never know.
When the ton of bricks dropped in church on me today it made me realize how quickly I move. I move from this to that with just this amount of time in between for whats planned. I've ordered my day in such a way that my prayer can't be answered. God's whisper is going to fall on deaf ears because I'm on the way to something else.
It reminds me of a story my father used to tell me, funny enough about the same stretch of road. In the early 80's the Kenya Open was a golf tournament that used to attract some of the biggest names in golf. One year Sam Snead came to play and Mom and Dad followed him around the course the first day. After Sam's round, Dad approached him and asked if he liked to fish, and Sam gave a resounding "yes". Dad told him about a great bass lake about an hour from Nairobi, told him he had a boat and that he'd love to sneak him away after his morning round the next day. Sam agreed and the plan was finalized. The next day after Sam's morning round they grabbed a quick bite to eat in the club house and headed off to Naivasha. Dad, intent on getting Sam as much fishing time as possible, had the pedal to the medal. As they drove Sam kept pointing and asking Dad "what's that, who's that, what do they do?" Dad shot back quick answers concentrating on getting to the boat and out on the water. Finally, after flying by wildlife, scenery and interesting sights Sam had enough, turned and looked at Dad and said, "Allen, have you ever stopped and smelled the flowers?" There's a picture I have somewhere in an album of Dad and Sam Snead standing on the bow of the boat both holding huge bass at Lake Naivasha. Every time I see that picture I remember the story and remember the crack in his voice as he got to Sam's line.
As one of my pastors used to say, "Not that your like me, but if you are", I'd encourage you to STOP. Stop and smell the roses, stop long enough to look, stop long enough to listen.
Tridings and I have a date set to head back for the view soon.

Surprises Around Every Turn

2010-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'M A CREATURE OF HABIT and I bet if you thought about it, and were honest with yourself, you'd admit to being one as well. I've discovered over the last 4 months just how much of a creature I really am.
If you would of asked me a year ago where I thought we'd be 4 months into ministry in Kenya, I think my response would of been... settled in the house, kids settled in school, a good idea of our daily pattern, a working knowledge of each of our campuses and a good connection with our national staff team. I didn't know that I'd be where I am this evening as I write this.
The kids had their first day of school at their second school in 6 weeks today.
I've driven all over Nairobi searching for houses and have seen so many that I can't remember if that one has the shower and bath, or the other one has the great living room for ministry, or AHHHHH!
I do have a really good idea about what a normal week looks like, the problem is that normal week exists in Nakuru, not Nairobi.
Praise the Lord, my time on each of our campuses and spending time with staff has happened and I feel like we've got a great team of young men and women with a great plan to change the next generation of students in Kenya!
But my Creature of Habit wants to cry.... I'm learning that God has a surprise around every turn, maybe to keep me humble, most definitely to keep me desperate and convinced to keep all of us in just one habit....dependent on HIM.
I have to look at our 4 months in Nakuru and look through HIS lens, see HIS plan, notice HIS hand in the midst of what looks like chaos. Our ministry is connected to the community in the Nakuru area, thanks to the connections we've made at Virginia Children's Home and with a local high school. Meeting and getting to know three missionaries around the area will help us plug our students into the immediate community around them, helping them develop the habits of making a difference where God places them. I've been able to make it to every campus each month and begin to learn how our staff is reaching out and using their gifts.
It sounds holier than I really am (those of you that know me would agree), but I'm really refreshed at how God keeps us guessing. People tell me to "hang in there" and "keep at it", some here tell me I look tired. I'm thankful for the encouragement and the concern. I really am. BUT I love where God has me, where he has us. It does look and sound like chaos, but if you know the Stickney's (the younger ones that is) you know we've never done anything normal or easy. I love that our students get to watch us live life, trust God and do the next thing.
I want to encourage you to be ready for the surprise around the next turn and look for HIM as you round it! After all I'm a creature of habit and I want to be in the habit of TRUSTING HIM.

So Quick Update:
*Sydney & Nathan-Raegan have moved to the American school in Nairobi called Rosslyn. (Its a long story, ask Kerry she's better at telling it)
*We will move to Nairobi, our home campus will become Kenyatta University, but Tom will continue to invest time on every campus that we minister on.
*We officially have begun partnering with COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL and their Leadership Development Program. One of Tom's focuses at Kenyatta will be the 50+ students they have there. We will be filling the Spiritual Development part of the program on any campus that we have staff on for Compassion.
*We head home December 5th, arriving in Dallas Dec. 6th (we'd love to see you and eat salsa or drink starbucks together)

How you can Pray:
*Safe, Good Housing option in Nairobi (car jackings and break-ins are the norm in some areas of the city)
*Quick transition for Syd and Rae (they loved their first day of school today)
*Great opportunities at Kenyatta University
*Safety for Tom as he travels to the other campuses (the most dangerous thing we do here is driving)
*Kerry to connect with some ladies and moms as she builds a support group around her
*Continued Support from current ACO Partners and New ones that we are able to meet in December & January
*An amazing, faithful, inspiring Young man or Young woman to lead the next generation of students at our home church VRBC in Coppell where Tom left as Minister to Students.
*McDonalds to open a francise in Nairobi :)

God's Random Appointments

2010-10-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever walked through your day wondering if God has a plan for the day? Or for you at all? I can remember my days in Harrison and Coppell, moving from meeting to meeting with purpose and plan in place only to find a "God Appointment" in place. This past weekend such an appointment happened here, not that there hasn't been plenty, but this one has stood out.
We took the kids swimming and met a family from another part of the world. We talked about kids, life, school and other things. Thought I'd met a nice guy who I'd see around here and then. The same family happened to come to dinner this past weekend after Kerry bumped into them and asked them over. My new friends Faith story is amazing! We talked for about 2 hours about his conversion experience from Atheist to Christian. As we talked about faith, his questions were exciting, fresh and fun to answer. What I realized was that his experience was so raw and uncontrolled. So unlike what we might hear in our typical Christian circles. I sent him away with a Bible, My Utmost for His Highest & Messy Spirituality. That should do a good job of confusing the heck out of him or awakening his Faith. Either way I can't wait to see him and see how his "new" approach is going. Funny, I came to Kenya thinking I'd pour into college kids and I'm helping a British born again Atheist develop his faith.
Have you ever walked through your day waiting for God's plan to take shape? I am.

Blow'in n Go'in

2010-09-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

As we finish up September here in Nakuru, I’m really excited about what God has been doing on campuses since students returned at the first of the month. This past week I was in Nairobi and got to meet with three of our staff about a new approach they’ve started. The University is unique from our other campus sites. Because of the number of students enrolled they are always in session. Our staff sometimes doesn’t know if the students they are spending time with are on campus or at home because semesters end and begin in the middle of months. It borders on insanity. When the students are on campus, grabbing their attention with so much going on around them in Nairobi. I challenged our staff during our last retreat to begin to think how they can be most effective where God has placed them. To study their situations and come up with a way to best communicate and do ACO’s bread & butter (small groups & one-on-one discipleship). Our Nairobi Campus Director, Edwin, took the challenge and came up with a great approach. The Nairobi staff gather their key students (15) and spend an entire Saturday teaching a piece of our Basic package (Quite Time, Evangelism, Prayer, Studying God’s Word, Journaling). The staff then takes their one-on-one time during the 3 weeks of the month with each student and encourages, practices and holds them accountable to what they’ve studied. The first session was a hit! The students can’t wait for October’s session on Evangelism.
I’m also really excited about what has been put into place here in Nakuru. You saw the pictures of our 1st year (freshman) picnic where we had 40 students show. This summer our Regional Director for the northern part of the country, Big Vic, took 5 sophomores and did a 2-month internship with them. These students are now leading Bible studies for the 40 freshmen that came to the picnic. Our staff on Egerton is now able to invest in the sophomores as they invest in the freshmen! The NEW piece of helping students connect with their surrounding community has begun as well. Julius Odua, just came on staff in Nakuru to help our Egerton staff connect students in the Virginia Home Orphanage and in two local high schools. The groups will begin going this week to the campuses and 3 different groups will be spending an afternoon in the orphanage teaching and mentoring. The orphanage is in dire need of teachers since all but 2 walked out 4 days in the school year with better offers. The two teachers have been covering 7 classes!
God is at work! Its fun to see and at the same time Satan is not pleased. Please continue to pray for our family as we settle into life here. Everyday continues to be a battle of new things; new experiences and situations that are nothing like our American culture. Pray for Sydney and Raegan with school. Pray for Kerry and I to remain ONE united front, always communicating with each other. Pray that we find some good solid friends that we can do life together with. Pray for our conference next weekend…we’re expecting 60 of our key students from 5 campuses.
With that I’ll say goodbye. I promise to stay more on top of this blog. I’ve sat down every day this week to write this and each time someone somewhere in the country has needed something.

Egerton University Kickoff Picnic for First Year Students

2010-09-05T02:23:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-30T15:55:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Nakuru:

The kids and I are spending our first night in the house by ourselves. Tom is in Nairobi for the night. They don’t seem bothered at all. Can’t say that I feel quite the same. I think I’ll end up sleeping in their new bunk beds with them. So glad we got the full size mattress on bottom.

We are still in the process of fighting day to day struggles of getting the house in order; can the electrician come again today, the water still not pumping up to the tanks, building this and that, the fundis (workers) hauling gravel and materials up my driveway with a wheel barrel 20 times a day, trying to figure out what in the world to use for cat litter, I wish I had on video what the “pet” store owner and his customer said to me and the way they looked at me when I asked if they carried cat litter. Long Pause….”You mean where they use the toilet?” “Most people here use soil.” Duh, how stupid am I, of course I should think to just go dig up the yard and put it in a box and that is exactly the same thing as cat littler. Oh well, at least they had a good laugh. The British Lady gave me a scowl and some explanation about you could use grat. Oh, thanks so much. I’ll run to the Grat store and get some right away. And yes, of course I couldn’t help myself but to ask her what grat was? I wont bother explaining because I didn’t understand what she said, I don’t know if it was the british accent or the you’re the stupidest American in the world trying to buy cat litter in Africa tone that kept me from understanding. We were hoping the month of August would have been us adjusting and enjoying our new “set up” home and helping the kids to have fun every day so they don’t miss home too much. But instead it has been a month filled with workers at the house every day trying to fix one thing or another and us running back and forth to town for materials. The crate arrived the day before we left for Mombassa. I’ve had a total of about 3 days to unpack and have managed to unpack maybe 10 boxes. The great idea of how neatly the ikea furniture would pack in the crate is being second guessed as it seems to take poor Tom about 3 hours to put together each piece. The new coffee table and tv stand however are beautiful in my yellow living room and it brought such a surprising joy today to unpack some knick knacks that made the room feel so cozy. Like the coasters we’ve had since we got married, my faith love and joy letters. So even though I’m surrounded by a maze of boxes in every direction I’m thankful for these small gifts of comfort.

I was hoping to be much more plugged into ministry at this point, but I have only had one night of knocking on doors to share the gospel and I think I will be unable to be involved in the girls bible studies for another 2-4 weeks. Even though it’s not what I had hoped, I know I need more time to get our home in order and get my little ones comfortable in school and myself able to somewhat exist here, like maybe go to the grocery store by myself. I keep reminding myself of a missionary story that I randomly read recently (I’m not the avid reader). She had spent all this training and time in nursing school and missionary training and when she got on the field it seemed that all God wanted her to do was hand out water to the children that knocked on her door daily. She felt so wasted until God finally told her, “Are you willing to “just” hand out water for me all day?” She was a nurse and of course had different ideas for what her being a missionary would look like.

The kids are starting school next Monday and I would be so grateful for your prayers: specifically about:

*Their teachers being kind and gentle

*Adjusting to non filtered water

*Adjusting to food that looks different that especially Sydney probably will

not eat. I’m hoping their not forced to eat their lunches or miss privileges if

they don’t. I am fearful of the British system and it’s strictness.

*making new friends quickly. They are desperate for friends and playmates.

Thank you for sharing these prayer requests for the kids with your Sunday school classes or small groups this week.

Some of you have asked about sending care packages. There is a girl coming from Plano September 23^rd. She can bring several extra suitcases. I have made a list of the items we wish we would have brought more of and if you would like to pick any of these items up and take them by the church. I have asked Jennifer Jones if she would have a box in her office where they could be dropped off. I have not heard back form Jennifer for sure, but if she doesn’t have room, I’m sure we can start a box somewhere at the church, so that maybe we could just get one person to drop them by Plano, Tom’s mom’s house. If anyone is out of town and would like to mail a wal-mart gift card to someone who might be willing to pick these things up in Dallas so you don’t have to pay for shipping, let me know and I can give you a name and address. Please comment if you think you might pick up a certain item under this note so someone else will know not to get that one and also so I can maybe find someone to make a last minute wal-mart trip if need be. It would be great if these items could be collected by September 13.

The list:

-Stawberry or cherry caugh drops

-Honey-lemon caugh drops

-Quacker strawberries & cream instant oatmeal. 3 or more boxes.

(pack packages out of box in Tupperware)

-Apple sauce, ( large plastic jar or disposable cups)

-(6-10boxes) Pop tarts -brown sugar/cinnamon & strawberry w/ frosting (also

pack in Tupperware if possible)

-Tupperware ( set of 20 or whatever set comes in). Please unpack and pack other soft food items in Tupperware to save room; hand me down tupperware would be great too, doesn’t need to be new. If you just want to donate one container.

-Bandaids, (assorted sizes & some large bandage coverings)

-2 bottles of Childrens pepto bismol chewable tablets

-chewable dramamine

-Alka-seltzer

-Sudafed-behind counter kind

-eye drops

-4 Large ziplock bags (freezer)

-4 Sandwich size ziplock bags (freezer)

-Pudding powder boxes ( chocolate, vanilla)

-2-3 Lysol spray

Mosquito repellant

LUXURY ITEMS

2 Franks hot sauce

4 Rasberry Hazelnut salad dressing

2 Thousand island salad dressing

Sonny bryans barbeque sauce

Any good salsa

Velveeta

Citranella candles

Vanilla candles

Large purple or pink dog collar & leash

Baby shampoo ( purple kind, lavendar)

Loreal 28 day hair color, level 2, dark blonde or light brown. NO Ash, Warm or Golden in the name of the color

If anyone is good friends with a vet, I know these are expensive items so anything to help with fleas/ticks would be appreciated.

Flea collar-dogs over 50 lbs

Frontline (dog tick flea killer) for dogs over 50 lbs

Revolution (flea tick/heartworm medicine from vet). for dogs over 50 lbs

Cat flea/tick medicine

Large Horn from a Mac truck!

2010-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Entry #3

I had my first breakdown this week when left to myself in the house for a few hours because Tom was not feeling well.You would have been extremely amused at the fight I had with some shelves and a sewing machine Sunday.. The shelves won.They did not budge no matter how hard I hit them with the 100 year old solid metal sewing machine. Tom was sitting there watching me and calmly said in “Tom manner”, you might need that sewing machine in a few weeks to fix your curtains. :) The next day there were painters and a carpenter at my house. I have a good husband.

The kids are enjoying their new house and yard even though they are anxiously awaiting their bikes and bunk beds to arrive on the crate. Star Wars and Narnia are their huge enchantments right now as they watch as much as we will allow them to on their little portable dvd player in their new BLUE room. They love it. It’s cracking me up that they are perfectly content with their little portable dvd player laying on a twin bed next to each other on their bellies watching. And we thought they needed a TV room in Dallas. So silly, we are. No worries, we’ll have them spoiled and rotten again in no time if the crate ever arrives and their toy room/tv room gets set up. They also are spending a lot of time enacting their star wars and Narnia adventures throughout our yard. It’s very interesting to watch these two worlds of Narnia and Star Wars merge into one.

The tree that fell over the top of the house during the 10 minute hail storm has been removed. The tree cutter guy brought his machete and overlooked the tall ladder and shimmied up the tree with his legs wrapped around it and began cutting. Ropes were tied around the sections that he cut off and tried to be pulled away from the house as they fell to the ground. Only one window was busted during the whole event. Sequinta (our new contractor friend from up the street) has been at the house almost daily solving new problems that occur. He had someone there to replace the window by the afternoon, however because the rains were coming in again, the window pane slipped and broke but was placed gently in to keep water and mosquitos out until he could get another piece the next day. He is trying to find tiles for the roof to replace the broken ones and hopes to have those done next week.

Raegan asks daily when we are returning to Texas. Tonight, we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, friend okra, macaroni and cheese and black eyed peas for supper. Sydney says, “Mom, this taste like “Texas Corn”. And Raegan says, I wish they had cheese dip and salsa in Africa. Bless his heart, not a day goes by that he doesn’t say he misses Texas or wishes he was in Texas

Ellias was so excited about his new push lawnmower that Tom spent one afternoon this week buying. There are no words to express the amount of time it takes to accomplish the task of buying something, rather it be going to the grocery store, not to mention the hardware store. Tom tried to drop me off and run get gas for the stove to pick up another liter of paint, that we had put in the order for 3 hours earlier. The manager says, “Well, you can take my guy to the paint supply place across town or we might have it ready tomorrow.” Well, sure why not. Can you imagine running the paint guy from Wal-Mart in one town over to the next Wal Mart to get the appropriate base paint and bringing him back and then waiting for him to mixi it! Welcome to Kenya. It was at this point in the day that we decided a bank account could wait another day, Since the first day Tom tried to open an account, they told him even if he had a million dollars he could not open it without 5 letters from different organizations recommending him and confirming who he was. However, the opposite of that is to register a child at school, you just fill out the form. No need for certificates of any kind. We are learning to understand the Kenyan phrase, “Tomorrow is a day.”

Our Family Church lesson this morning was on Joshua and the kids memory verse this week is “Do not fear!” Isaiah 35:4. We re-enacted the Israelites following Joshua (tom) into the promised land and looked for scary giants in the yard. (like the massive bird we saw cross behind some flowers) We took notice of all the beautiful blessings of the promised land like the flowers and the strong trees. We talked to the children about anything they might be scared of and prayed together about their bicycles arriving safely, the crate getting here soon, mommy sleeping better at night and safety in travel to Nairobi tomorrow. I highly recommend the pre-K Sunday school lesson for family church any Sunday, but only if your willing to dress up and act out the story together. Thank you VRBC youth for the idea. They did such a good job at the orphanages getting the students involved acting out the stories instead of just listening to them.

Everywhere I turn God is leading me to study Joshua and this move to Canaan. This journey to the promised land. This following of God. This when he says do something, you go first thing in the morning to do it-whenever your morning is, mine is normally not the same time as the rest of the world.

I am so moved today by what Priscilla (one in a million bible study, says). It’s not enough any more to hear the stories of the saints who have heard the voice of God, seen the miracles of God, experienced the power of God. I want to experience the power of God, hear the voice of God and expect the miracles of God in MY life. My I trust that my his power is mighty enough for my seas to be parted. May I be open and ready to hear when he speaks, and to act when he moves.

Blessings,

Kerry

Prayer Request:

Raegan missing home and everyone who meant so much to him

Sydney-keeps making strides in her communication and learning

Kerry-patience with new pace of life, for new relationships & friendships to form quickly

Tom-wisdom, new student orientation at Moi and Egerton University

Safety for our team going to Botswania for 2 weeks to help missionaries there start college ministry

Negotiations to buy house and vehicles

2010-07-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Day 2

Nairobi, Kenya

Team leaves for orphanage tour. Babysitter is not here yet, so I stay. I think (“ Maybe I will read or rest”)

Or…..

Alice needs to go to the Doctor. He says he can see her NOW. Babysitter arrives. I will go with Alice. (“maybe I will read or work on pictures while I wait at doctor’s office.”)

Alice: “Kerry could you drive, I’m not feeling well.”

Kerry: “I guess; should I get my license?”

Alice: “No, it’ll be ok.

Call to Tom. “WHAT? Your driving where? Take your license.”

(“OMG, we are in Nairobi, so much for my plan to learn to drive in 3 months or so in the much slower paced town of Nakuru. It’s Friday of course. Busier day of traffic, even though all days of traffic in Nairobi is CRAZY. Well, here we go, no lessons, no country roads, just masses of people and cars and matatus to swerve between.”)

We arrive at hospital. Parking lot is similar to elementary car pool line on steroids. Cars are parked on each side of me in 1 lane of spots and cars are parked parallel behind the parked cars. One line of traffic is driving between this garbled mess.

Alice: “I’ll jump out here. Go up and around and left and you’ll see a parking lot. Give the man your ticket and he’ll give you another. You’ll see it around the corner.”

I see nothing now but a jumbled mess of cars. I pull forward, I find "up and around and left and parking lot", Parking Lot Closed! Awesome. What now? I will just circle. I don’t know where I am so I can’t get out of parking lot. 5 very slow circles. I’m calling Tom now, what am I supposed to do. He says Edwin is close. He will come to help. A man knocks on my window. I’m nervous about opening it, I’m holding up the circle of traffic. He asks me if I need help; if I would like his parking spot? I say yes, so he gets a van parked parallel to move up, he moves his car and lets me back into his spot. (Did I mention back in? It couldn’t be as easy as pulling into a spot in this jam of traffic. J)

The van pulls back in front of me and I wait hoping I didn’t just trap my self in perfectly to this spot to be robbed. But the man was just a gift from God, who gave me his spot. We joke about praying for parking spots close at Wal Mart. I always think that’s lame, but today I have no doubt God had that man give me his spot. I think, what now. I look down, Alice has left her phone in the car, she has no idea where I am parked and I have no idea where her doctor’s office is. Edwin arrives! He gets out and talks to the guy blocking me in. Their conversation is in Swahili-this day is great motivation for me to speed up my learning of Swahili. Edwin finds out that the man will be there to move when we come out of the doctor, so we set off to find Alice in the hospital. Edwin finds out from the reception where his office is and we head to the elevators. We get on first; we are going to 5^th floor. Other people get on. Edwin nudges me to tell me we must get off. I’m confused but I do. I then ask why. He says. “Too much Weight! This was definitely the highlight of the day getting told to get off the elevator because I weighed too much! I’m loving it. Seriously, it’s getting hysterical. How funny is that. Can you imagine if that happened to us in America, we would be completely humiliated and freaking out about it, but trust me it was just too funny for words. Day 2 in Kenya, get off the elevator your too fat! J Love it!

I managed to drive us several other spots to pick up prescriptions. So driving lessons complete. Nakuru will be like the difference of New York City and West Texas farm roads now. One obstacle accomplished!

2010-07-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

7-10-2010

Thoughts from Kerry:

(my posts will be written like what I would have said had I been talking to you about my day, if you know me you will follow easy, if not you will get to know me and the way my mind processes these new experiences; I hope you will read these as I was telling you the story in person, and my excitement and jumping thoughts never leave room for correct grammar when story telling, so for those writers out there, I apologize and hopefully you can get through it and come to know my heart)

Day 1- Nairobi, Kenya

We’re stuck in traffic on our way home from the orphanage.

It’s hot.

The bus is not moving.

Helem is on my mind. The Lord has connected my heart to him for some reason. He is 14. I thought about him so often after we left last year. He stood out to me. I don’t know why. I wanted to take him with me desperately. I found out today his parents are both dead. He has an uncle who he sometimes spends holidays with.

Candy and Stacy are on my mind.

They sought me out today: I talked to them: sports, where we live, but ran out of things to say. When does Kerry run out of things to say?

The poverty is intense on the way back from the orphanage.

I see a mom give a coin to a man for an ear of corn for her child to eat; they are on a busy corner. The mother is doing something with a bucket; they probably are there all day. What does that child do all day to entertain herself? The child is smiling at me, a huge beautiful sweet smile. Mom looks and laughs, I wonder what the child said to her.

Sydney and Raegan are with Alice.

I want them with me.

Are they ok? Did they eat lunch? They’re across town but it seems like a great distance when I’m stuck in this traffic in a strange crowded city. There’s no getting anywhere fast. Ugggh! Frustrating! I’m not comfortable at this point unless they’re with me. I hope that feeling relaxes.

I’m glad their not on the hot bus!

Why did I not ask Candy and Tracey about their relationship with the Lord? I must be bolder.

Tony (orphanage director) shared how some of the adult workers aren’t so impressed with our teams coming, but he is thankful for each new person who comes to love and bless the children. To show them there are people who care about their future. He says he has learned to take time listen to each person God brings you in contact with. You may learn more from one hour with a person than a week with another. I’m thinking about that now. We only have hours with these children when we visit. No time to waste not having words. I pray I use my minutes more wisely next time.

The Last Few Days

2010-06-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I changed the oil in the car last week and its due to be changed again today. I think that happens every 3,000 miles. Needless to say Kerry, Sydney, Nathan-Raegan and I have been spending some great family time in the car getting to see old faces, meet new faces and give a preview of the next chapter of our lives. We are so grateful for everyone that has listened, prayed for us, shared our expectations and fears, opened their homes, churches, classrooms. We leave knowing that we are not alone, but surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ lifting us up.

The last full week has begun! We're busy trying to get our last visits, Wal-Mart trips and chips and salsa in. Sydney and RaeRae get to attend VBS this week, so they're excited about that (thank you FBC White Hall!). Kerry and I travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas on Wednesday to spend some time with a great college ministry that is going on there. Thursday we pack-up, say goodbye to mamaw and head to Dallas. A night in Dallas to make sure everything has a suitcase to make it to Kenya and then two days with the coolest God Parents in the world in Denison, Texas. We will be back in Dallas on the night of the 4th and 5th.

Kerry has decided there's no place she'd rather spend her birthday (5th) than at Great Wolf Lodge, what a cool mom! The kids will be able to swim their legs off before having to sit on the plane for 20+ hours.

Then its here. Wow, seems like it was yesterday that I sat in an emergency room at Baylor hospital and told my father I thought I might be led to invest some of my energy and time in Kenyan college students. Almost 3 years later its here.

Thank you prayer warriors. We need it.

Blessings,

The Stickney's

From BNC to PCBC and Beyond

2010-06-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

It really is fun not having to go to work. Work the past 11 years has meant that I attend the same church every Sunday. Over the past month Kerry, Sydney, Nathan-Raegan and I have experienced worship in several different places...
From the beautiful organ pipes that cover the stage walls at FBC San Angelo to the beach balls that shot across the auditorium as we sang "Oh, happy day, happy day. He washed my sins away" at Brand New Church in Bergman, Arkansas. To sit "in awe"as the orchestra from Park Cities Baptist Church played and then listen to the single acoustic guitar strum at FBC Harrison, all leading us to the throng of Christ. I'm reminded that God is a "me" God. He's a God that connects with the "mes" in this world because He cares and desires to have a full blown relationship with "me". If this me connects through this, then let him. If this me responds by that, then let her. What I've experienced is what I guess heaven will be like. All of us "mes", in one voice, worshiping our King, our Savior, our Redeemer, our God. It may sound a little off, like that sweet little lady did last night on Americas Got Talent, but it will truly be a worship that none of us have ever experienced before.
Thank you to Brand New Church! Thank you for allowing us to show up and hear how God wants us to have a healthy root system, fed by Him through spending time in His Word.
Thank you FBC San Angelo and the amazing Sunday School of Adult 4. What great fellowship & the food! People if you're looking for some good food.... hang a left off of I30 at Cisco, Texas and don't stop until you're in downtown San Angelo. Ask for Charlie's cook and you'll never go hungry again!!
Thank you to Park Cities Baptist Church! Kerry and I are holding onto the promise from Luke 7, our "faith has saved" us.
Great to see friends at FBC Harrison, meet new ones at Grand Avenue in Ft. Smith and we're looking forward to seeing familiar faces at Valley Ranch Baptist Church soon.
We are praying for Refuge Student Ministry and the 86:12 Mission team as they head to Atlanta next week. Praying for BNC Student Minitries as those young men and women head to Student Life Camp. Holding up students from FBC White Hall and their XFuge experience in North Carolina.
Praying for BNC and your 60 Days. Asking God to bless Park Cities Baptist as you celebrate freedom together as a church family on the 4th and praying for the orchestra as they minister in Russia these next few days. Praying for FBC Harrison and the Guatemala trip coming up. Praying for Grand Avenue's Tanzania group heading out soon.
We thank God for each and every one of you. We count you as friends and family and will carry your prayers and support with us on July 6th.

Moments of Sheer Terror & Reminders He's in Control

2010-05-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today, when I walk out of my office, I won't have an office to walk into on Monday.

I don't want to make more of it than it is. I know many families from my church that have been out of work for a long time, some that aren't sure about their future and a ton who are thankful that they'll walk into work tomorrow with some certainty the future.

Tonight, just before I fall asleep, I'll have these panic thoughts come screaming through my head; "what in the world are you doing Stickney?" These feelings have been apart of my nightly drift into dreaming about todo lists, suitcases, shipping companies or whatever I need to accomplish or didn't the day before since about April. However, the past three nights the "oh, no what are we doing" panics have become just plain scary.

Typing this confirms my feelings, I'm a wienie and don't sound very Christian at all. I can hear my mother now, "Thomas, God is not a God of fear." I think that argument would of been rather interesting to work through as the Israelites walked across dry ground with walls of water on either side and then turned to watch an entire army swallowed up as the sea collasped on them. But Mom is right, scripture does tell us that we need to "fear the Lord", but thats that healthy fear, good fear, be scared of snakes fear. Isn't it? Maybe I don't know what real fear is?

I've got panic down, actually hoping they make it an olympic sport someday so I can represent my country. "and now we go live to the Panic Room (good movie by the way) where Stickney faces off with (go ahead insert your name here) for the singles panic silver medal (yep, silver. Our dog Memphis would have the Gold sewn up).

So Fear or Panic, either way it will visit tonight just before I drift off.

Here's the cool part though. At some point today and tomorrow and yesterday, God touched me on the shoulder and reminded me..."I'm in control here Tom. Kerry, Sydney, Nathan-Raegan are not yours, Kenya is not yours, ACO is not yours. They are mine and I've got this under control". Last week that reminder came in the form of a Dad that met me as I walked out of my daughters elementary school. He stopped me, prayed with me and reminded me that God is seldom early, rarely on time, but never late (He's definitely got some Kenyan blood in him. God, not the Dad). Monday, it was my best friend reminding me that I will board the plane on July 6th to begin, the same day my father began his time with Jesus two years ago. Yesterday it was a quick conversation with a teacher who told me my daughter was doing fine with all the chaos. And today it was Nathan-Raegan's teacher from pre-school a year ago that stopped me in the hallway, hugged me and held on without saying a word. God knows I need to see Him right now and He's more than willing to through random reminders. "Son, I'm in Control".

Tomorrow, when you wake up or after you finishing reading this, do this for me. Allow yourself to react to those, "I should say something" or "I should do something" to encourage or help that person. Allow yourself to be that reminder for people like me that need to know..."psst, I'm in Control". Offices are overrated anyways.

Blessings,

Tom

I Wore a Tie and Wished I Hadn't

2010-04-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

This morning it became officially official. I stood beside my Sr. Pastor and told the church we were headed to Kenya. Surprisingly most of the comments weren't about my departure, but more about my tie. Actually I think it was every one's (including me) way of dealing with the hard truth that God was calling us away. The second comment I got from everyone was how excited they were to see us responding to God's leading.

But it got me thinking... which can be dangerous at times.

I've worn a tie on stage a total of three times at VRBC. The first was on the day I was hired. The third was on the day I was resigned. BUT the second.... well the second was what my Pastor called this morning an "open your eyes" experience. The second happened half way through our ministry at Valley Ranch. I'll never forget the call I got and the two weeks that it started. The second time I wore a tie on stage was as I stood over the casket of the only student I've lost in 15 years of student ministry. I still have his picture taped to the inside leaf of my Bible. I put it there to remind me to ask; remind me to ask the only question that counts in this world. I never did. I thank God that the young man's family knew that He was a Christ follower, but it doesn't quench my thirst because I never asked. I'll never make that mistake again.

I want to encourage you to walk this week in the sobering thought that the people around you aren't guaranteed tomorrow, you aren't guaranteed tomorrow. Ask the question.

I wore a tie to get hired four and half years ago. I wore a tie today so that honestly my mom wouldn't get on a plane, fly over here and spank me on this important day. But I'd give almost anything to of never worn that second tie. Lord... give me strength to ask.

Praying this week for the Stickneys:

*The final details would be worked out and the container to ship our things would be set for mid May.

*As packing begins that it would all make sense where to go and how to go there.

*ACO's Society status to move forward this week, getting us closer to having access to long term visas in Kenya.

*Stress of the unknown and mess wouldn't effect Tom & Kerry's parenting or their relationship with each other.

*Finances to make the move and yearly budget numbers would begin to come in.

*Prayer for Sydney & Nathan-Raegan's Teachers at Greensteads. That God would already be creating a special place in their hearts for them.

*God would put a special person in our lives that would already be in place to assist Sydney with any learning obstacles.

The Future Begins

2010-04-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here We Go Ready or Not!

The two year prayer journey has come to an end. No, we haven't stop praying, in fact praying even more, but we have decided that God is calling us to Kenya full time. Kerry and I are now the Executive Directors of African Christian Outreach. ACO is a ministry that was started by Tom's parents in the early 70's in Kenya. The ministry focuses on Evangelism and Discipleship on College campuses across Kenya. We will be directing staff on 5 campuses spread around the country. Our new home (new to us, built in 1940's) will be in Nakuru, a city about 2 hours north of Nairobi. Sydney (7) & Nathan-Raegan (5) can't wait to see Zebras on the drive from Nairobi to Nakuru and meet their new big brothers and sisters involved in the college ministry.

The next few months (May & June) will be filled with trying to get everything ready to go. Can you help? Of course you can!

First - We could use your prayers!

Pray that our transition to Kenya is as smooth as possible.

Pray that our work visa issues are resolved quickly

Pray that our fundraising goals are met

Pray for health, sweet goodbye's to family, friends and students at Valley Ranch Baptist

Second - We could use your muscle & mind!

Tom will be packing the house, a container with all our things and who knows what else the first part of May

Kerry will be trying to figure out what to take, how much to take and how to get it all together.

If you want to help, want to visit or just want to watch, we'd love to have you!

Third - We could use your money!

No way around it, so I'll just say it. It takes finances to run the day to day ministry, it takes finances to get the Stickney family there, and it takes finances to fill and ship the container.

Tom's last day as Valley Ranch Baptist Student Pastor will be May 31st. We will be traveling to Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio and points in between during June seeing friends and raising support. We'd love to stop bye and see you if we're in your neck of the woods!

We are in the process of building our site. So an online donating tab will appear soon. ACO is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. So all donations are tax deductible.

The Need List

2010-04-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

So many have asked us to tell them what we need, so here it is:

Full Mattress

Twin Mattress

2 Dressers

Coffee Table

End Tables

IKEA Gift Card (we've picked out some things here and feel like the shipping in flat boxes can save us room)

Washer/Dryer

Video Camera

Printer

MacBook

Trampoline

Tools (saws, hammers, nail gun, screw guns, router, screwdrivers)

Raegan wants a telescope for his birthday and won't let me not put it in this list

Curtains (Red, Brown, Yellow, Green, Purple) lined would be great

Sheets

Blankets

Throws (Blankets)

Wal-Mart Gift Cards (for the little things that you can't think of till two days before)

Thank You. Remember you can pray for this list!!