Have Faith through Trials!

Hi all,

So my friend and sister who was helping me for the last month has returned safely to England, thanks so much for your prayers. Unfortunately, her laptop was stolen from her luggage in the Freetown airport, which is a big shame and inconvenience...it's really disheartening when you put so much time, work, love, and effort into a country, and grow to love and trust the people, only to have something like this happen and make you feel like no one can be trusted. However, I am remembering that people are human, and especially in post-war countries, where hardship is everywhere, things like this happen often...it is not a reflection on the people here that I love and trust so much, nor on the future this country has. The missionary pastor from Nigeria, who is working here in Kabala just had his motorbike stolen, and he went through the same emotions...a loss of trust, disappointment, and discouragement...but this morning, as we were talking, he really encouraged me by saying that things like this often happen as a way of trying to discourage us from the work. "Never lose your love for God," he said to me, "or what they have stolen from you will be far greater than what it actually was." This is so true...it's sometimes hard to have faith and trust when things like this happen, but we must press on and continue the work..disappointments may come, trials may come, but we must continue. Please keep Katie in your thoughts and prayers and pray God would provide for her, either by someone returning the laptop somehow, or through giving her the opportunity to find another one.

As for the work, this is an exciting week! We are continuing with the HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse education this week, which I hope will prove to be encouraging and empowering, although difficult at first. I am also having several meetings this week with the CRC Church staff here, in terms of partnering our program with them, so they can run it and head it up when we are not here. We are hoping to partner the program with the CRC church here, as well as CRC churches in BC, because there is a group of CRC churches in BC already interested in providing funds and help to Kabala, especially in the areas of education and HIV/AIDS counselling. So pray that all these meetings go well! The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few...I am praying that many of my SIerra Leone colleages and friends will help to partner with us and take owndership of this work. I will update you all after the meetings take place.

Thanks so much for your love & support! It's amazing to have such a strong network of people who care and are interested in this work back home in Canada.
Much Love, Krissi