Answered Prayers!

When someone has asked me to pray for a specific need, I always appreciate feedback afterwards, and that's what today's blog is about.

It was a joy to see the display and hear the report of Marlene Luartes's sojourn in Kenya last Sunday. Her table with photos and artifacts showed that she was actively engaging the local culture while she was there, and gave us a wonderfully aesthetic taste of life in Africa. Her report was not only encouraging in terms of what Africa Inland Mission is doing in terms of air support for multiple mission efforts, but enlightening in her description of the large slum area near their base. It was also interesting to hear of the challenges of confronting Islam in that context, and this should guide or prayers on behalf of missionaries as well as in other parts of the world where that challenge is prevalent. It is easy to see how even a short term mission experience can be helpful and effective. This was especially encouraging to to all of us who prayed for Marlene during her sojourn there.

I also asked you to pray for Peter Rehrmann in his final pursuit of ordination last week, and I am happy to tell you that he passed both the committee hearings and the Presbytery examination with flying colors. Few of us have to face anything in our professional lives as grueling as becoming a teaching elder in the PCA, and we should be thankful that there is now another ordained PCA minister in our community. We should continue to pray for Pete and Jenna' as they launch their church planting efforts in the Marana area.

For these and many other answered prayers, we say "Father, thank you!"