Dear Family
and Friends,
Our Lord
said, “I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground
will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will
produce lots of wheat. If you love your life, you will lose
it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. If
you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me
wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you. (John
12:24-26. Contemporary English Version.)”
A little
over 2 months ago, our family left all we had dreamed of, labored for, and a
community we had lived with for 19 years. We sensed a call of God
to return to our passport nation. We sold all our earthly
possession except our memories. We came to the United States city
of Chicago as missionaries.
When told,
“Welcome home.”
We
responded, “Home is heaven. This is just a temporary
assignment.”
An old
missionary friend of ours described the emotions of this transition as “It felt
like death.”
Yet from
death to all that seems like life on this earth springs forth great fruit.
This month
we ask your prayers for the following matters:
1.
Thanksgiving
for the reunions of life. We are reconnecting with family,
friends, and supporters. A special delight was last week seeing
our foster son, Gabriel Mugisha Jacobs thriving (For more news see http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2012/08/visiting-gabriel-mugisha-jacobs.html,
and photos see http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.452694121418131.107475.100000326419518&type=1
2. Thanksgiving
for the discovery of new friends and opportunities.
Within a few blocks of our Wheaton home live friends of ours from Africa’s
Great Lakes (Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, and Congo.) Posted
signs are even translated from English to Kiswahili. (For more
news on our first month in the USA see http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2012/07/1st-month-in-usa.html.)
It is obvious we are where God has called us to be.
3. Our
children’s adaptation to life in the USA. In a few weeks
they will all start school. Please pray for their academic,
athletic, social, and most importantly spiritual adaptations to the USA.
4.
Wisdom
and discernment as our family begins a new missionary journey.
Chicago feels much like Kampala in 1993 and Kigali in 2005. May
God be glorified through this journey of discovery and service.
Mungu akubariki (God bless you),
Dave and Jana
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