1.
Early in 2013 we noticed how
much America was in need of church planting missionaries. When Jana and I asked the kids, “If we
church plant what type of church should we plant?” They responded, “Multi-cultural.” When we Googled, “Chicago’s most diverse
neighborhoods” we found them to be on Chicago’s north side where Sophia had
lived from September to December 2012 (http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-who-settles-refugees-chicagos-north-side-104781,
http://www.examiner.com/article/study-discovers-chicago-s-five-most-diverse-neighborhoods,
http://loyolastudentdispatch.com/2011/01/15/census-shows-rogers-park-most-diverse-neighborhood-in-chicago/,
http://www.tenthousandripples.com/tenthousandripples.com/crp.html.) Once again, Sophia led the way.
2.
A few of
us who had been blessed by Rwanda realized that no Genocide Commemoration was planned for the Chicago area. Thus we
began organizing one. A Genocide
Commemoration was held at the Misseo Dei Church in Chicago on Saturday, April
13. The grieving were comforted. Some of those unaware of Rwanda’s Genocide
were informed. (For more info http://en.igihe.com/news/rwanda-community-in-chicago-marks-19th.html)
3.
Caleb chose to instead of spending his high
school senior year in a new high school to take a GED and enroll at the College
of DuPage (a local community college.)
He did tremendously well. He
played in the band. He served with The
Crew (Campus Crusade.) He became part of
a new church plant, The Church at DuPage.
He was accepted at Wheaton College, plays in the band, and like Sophia
is in Work Out (Theater group) We are very proud of Caleb's resilience. (To read more http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2013/05/caleb-jenkins-definition-of-mk.html)
4.
During the summer we were homeless without
either a place to stay or the resources to pay rent. We used this season to visit family and
friends and explain the vision( http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2013/09/were-expecting.html.) In August Dave and Ethan came back to
Chicago to try to start. Rwandan friend,
Alba Kamary found an available apartment in our budget. Our upstairs neighbor is Lewie Clark, a fellow
church planter among the Jewish community.
Jana’s prayers for good neighbors were answered (http://jana-joyinthejourney.blogspot.com/2013/09/homeless-no-more.html.)
5.
All of our kids had been home schooled at some
point in our missionary journey except for Ruth. As we considered the complexities of
navigating Chicago Public Schools as an 8th grader we decided it was
the whisper of God to home school Ruth her 8th grade year. We’ve greatly enjoyed her daily presence in
our home. She is blossoming as a
photographic artist. 
6.
We registered Timothy for a fall soccer season
before we had enrolled him in school.
At his first game other parents asked, “Where is he going to school?” Dave responded, “We have not figured that
out yet.” Other parents made some
phone calls. Three days later he
started school at Waters Elementary, a fine arts magnet school. It was the timing of God as Timothy got
their 1 remaining 5th grade opening during the last day they
accepted new students.
7.
Ethan began the school year at Chicago Hope
Academy – Chicago’s only non-denominational preparatory high school. He played soccer, was chosen as one of the
team captains, and made Second Team All Conference. We’re thankful for how African soccer
nurtured both Ethan and Timothy’s success and adaptation (http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2013/10/soccer-is-life-or-everything-i-needed.html.)
8.
We spent Christmas Eve with Jacob and Mona
Zikusooka’s family, old friends from Uganda and Kenya. We had done their pre-marital counseling
many years earlier. When Gabriel
Mugisha Jacobs was having seizures we stayed with them in Nairobi as we sought
medical care. After 18 months away
from Africa it was very good to have old friends near during the holidays. They gave us an African map and blessed us
with having it colored in with Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda nations we had
served. They blessed us with a belief
that our influence would grow in Chicago by serving Diaspora from nations
different than our African locations. They
asked for us to record each time we served a new nation on the map.
9.
In 2012 Dave had preached at a Liberian church
in Chicago. In 2013 Dave preached at a
Tanzanian fellowship and a South Sudanese church. We colored in those nations on Jacob’s map,
and trusted Jacob’s blessing for our future.
10.
In 2014 Ignite Church Planting plans to join our
partnership ( http://www.ignitechurchplanting.com/.) Also, Abilene
Christian University plans to begin a Chicago cohort for their masters in
Global Service degreehttp://www.acu.edu/academics/gst/prospective/degrees/global-service/ ) and has asked for Dave to be a supervisor of a one year ministry internship.. Thus we face 2014 with hope in what God will
continue to do through our dream of shepherding East Africans as church
planters (http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2013/08/10-point-vision-of-shepherding-africa.html.)
Our ministry is only possible due to the generous support of
people like you. Some of our historic
partners were unable to continue their financial support of our family’s
ministry in 2013 and our funding was very low. Yet generous surprise donations helped us
make it. December is usually one of our
key months in fund discovery. Can you
make a year end gift?
You can give via the following methods:
· Monthly bank draft (email us for form)
· On line Credit Card 1-time or monthly (https://rocfoundation.worldsecuresystems.com/Donation-Form)
· Check: use following address:
ROC Partners
3007 NW 63rd, Ste 205
Oklahoma City, OK 73116-3605
Memo: Jenkins
Thank you for making the past year possible through your prayers, encouragement, and financial gifts.
Mungu akubariki (May God bless you),
Dave and Jana
