What a Weekend

Friday night Hunter and Chandler went to the youth group at Open Baptist for the first time - they had a good time and will go again.  Friday evening Peter and Tirello came over for a visit.  Peter is the tech ministry intern at OBC.  They are expecting their first child in December and are looking for a place to live.  It was nice to visit and share "baby" stories.  They will be doing the course "BabyWise" so we shared some of what we had learned through our experience.  Saturday we invited the Blankenships over for a cookout.  The Blankenships are IMB missionaries in Botswana serving all of the IMB missionaries as business and logistics managers.  We have really enjoyed getting to know them and their family.  They had 3 extra boys with them (MK's from Lobatse) so my boys loved having a large group of guys to hang out with. Scott and I enjoyed the fellowship and advice. They have been in Botswana for 6 years and have so much wisdom.  We learn a lot about the country and culture when we talk with the Blankenships.  On Sunday we enjoyed worshipping at Open Baptist Church - Gaborone.  This Sunday was not much different from the last except that the "aircon" (as it is called in Botswana) was on and there was one empty seat beside me.  Therefore I was praising God for my comfort!!

Pastor Norman is doing a sermon series titled "Something happens when churches pray".  Yesterday was on the church praying for a lost world.  He was really challenging his church members from Acts        to be more mission minded.  He talked about how the church met together and prayed and God told them to set apart Barnabus and Paul and send them as missionaries.  He challenged them to be a missions sending church.  He shared that OBC is some 30+ years old and has never sent a missionary from their congregation.  He challenged the church to pray and to be willing to send their best to the lost world.  The challenge made me think about ADBC sending us to Botswana.  I remembered Clay sharing that in the 50 years of the churches history Scott and I were the first to be sent. There are days when It still seems surreal and I have those "why me? and why us? moments.  But hearing this sermon I was reminded of how God works and calls and sends people - ordinary people just like me.   During the service Pastor Norman asked for anyone who was at the service who was in Botswana as a missionary - whether short term or long term - to stand.  I was amazed at the number of people... there were probably 20 who stood including us. He thanked us and thanked God for sending us to serve in Botswana.  He reminded his church that God doesn't just send people to help and serve them - He calls them to go too.  Pastor ended the service by sharing news that the Lord is working in the heart of one of their young women and is calling her to serve.  He asked that everyone return that evening for a special prayer service for missionaries - the ones that are here serving and the ones that God would call out of their midst.
Scott and I along with Jeff and April Sukup (the couple we lived with when we arrived) were asked to be a part of the evening service by sharing how and what God had called us to do in Botswana.  We were also asked to share some specific prayer requests.  After we both shared the pastor introduced the young woman who is sensing God's call on her life.  Her name is Kaz.  She is a precious girl (21) that is still in University at UB (University of Botswana).  She shared how God is working in her life and how he had been working throughout her life to lead her to this point.  She shared how God had impressed upon her at a early age to study French.  She had never had any exposure to French but knew that was what she was suppose to study at University.  She shared how hard that is to go to University and make French your major when you haven't had introduction to the language in High School.  She will graduate this coming May top of her class.  Praise the LORD!!  This is just a tidbit of the testimony of GOD working in her life.  She feels called to go to northern Africa which are French speaking countries to be a career missionary.
After the three of us shared the church broke up into 6 small groups where we spent time together in prayer. We prayed for Kaz, for the church to be ready to send a missionary, for the mission stations (small churches and groups) that the church already support, and we prayed for the Sukups and Shipes as we serve in Botswana.  It was such a blessing to be in a small group to be prayer over and to be able to pray for Kaz and the church.
Please join us in praying for: 1. Kaz - that she would continue to seek God and where He has for her to go.  2. Open Baptist Church - that they would be ready and willing to send one of their own to the mission field.   3. The missions conference that OBC is hosting this weekend - for encouragement for all of the mission pastors in attendance and for awareness for the congregation of mission possibilities for themselves.  4. Scott and myself - that we would be good representatives of our own mission and what God has called us to do at this mission conference.  5. That we would be good hosts For the 2 pastors and one of their wives that will be staying in our guest cottage during the conference.  6. Hunter, Chandler, Parker, Josh and Joe - that they would continue to settle well and would begin to feel that Botswana is home.  7.  Makenzie - that she would be encouraged and stay strong in her faith as she is missing her family and we are missing her. 8.  Peter and Tirello - that God would provide a home for this couple and new baby.
We love you all and appreciate all of your prayers!
Tonya