2013 JENKINS FAMILY TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS:

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 8^th grader we decided it was the whisper of God to home school Ruth her 8^th 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 5^th 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

ABA = AFRICA BLESSES AGAIN

The Lord taught us how to celebrate Christmas in Africa.    After the Lord’s birth He soon fled as a refugee to Egypt / Africa (Matthew 2:13-23.)   In Africa He was safe and blessed.   

  There is something about the experience of sojourning that displays Africa’s ability to bless.    Home is heaven.   Everything else is temporary.    Home for Christmas means we are where God has called us on this earth serving with family and friends.   

Young Sophia with Jacob and Mona

Our first years in Africa were difficult during the Christmas season.    Yet, those first years taught us that we must display the Lord’s compassion.    The churches we shepherded were open at every opportunity over the Christmas season.   Our home also was full of people.     We assumed there were many who felt a sense of loss at Christmas.    Thus we must celebrate in community.   The Lord is near.   The Lord saves us from all our sins (Matthew 1:21-23.)   In that process of service Africa blessed us.  

Our second Christmas in our Chicago missionary posting had a familiar feel.   Africa blessed us again.    

In our early years in Uganda Jana and I mentored a young couple preparing to marry, Jacob and Mona Zikusooka.   Sophia was in their wedding.     We may have blessed the Zikusooka’s, but we were also truly blessed by their youth.   

Timothy, Gabe, and us with the Zikusookas and their daughter, Jasmine

As time went on the Zikusooka’s moved to Nairobi.    We lost a bit of touch.    Yet, in 2011 when we traveled to Nairobi seeking healing from seizures for our foster son, Gabriel Mugisha Jacobs we stayed with the Zikusookas.    When Mugisha went into seizures our families held him and prayed.     Eventually a drug combination was found and the seizures went away. In Christmas 2011 Africa blessed again.   

Starting over as missionaries can be a very lonely season.    Mystery reigns.    We can be active in prayer and listening.     Yet when asked by donors, “What are you doing?”   The answers only make sense if one understands the missionary journey.

Chicago is not where we grew up.    America changed greatly while we were away.   Being a missionary to America is not “home.”   In seasons like this visitors from “home” are the treasures of earth.    They remind us of the kingdom in our midst.

Jacob and Mona traveled to the USA this Christmas for Mona to do her residency as she

Chrismas Eve 2013 with the Zikusookas

studies for a Ph.D.    An added blessing was for them to visit family and friends.   They spent Christmas Eve with us.   

Then they gave gifts.    One was a kitenge shirt for Dave.   Another was a purse for Jana.   Yet, one was a very deep blessing that proclaimed our future and gave ongoing responsibility.   Jacob gave us an African map key chain.   On the map were nations in which we have served (Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda) colored in.   

 

Then he spoke, “I believe you are just where God has called you to be.    In Africa you can only serve in your location.   In Chicago you can serve the many places of the Diaspora.    Your influence will grow here.”

Last year Dave preached at a Liberian church.   This year Dave preached at a Tanzanian fellowship.  A few days ago Dave was asked to preach at a South Sudanese church.   Jacob told us to have each nation we serve in Diaspora to etch their nation off of the map.    Africa blesses again.

As we come to the end of the year we trust the blessings of our African family.   In relinquishment of being located in Africa we can have greater influence for Christ in dispersion.

Can you make a year end gift to bless our family and ministry?   If so you can send a check to 

ROC Partners
- Jenkins Memo
3007 NW 63rd Ste 205
Oklahoma City, OK 73116-3605

Or you can make an on line donation at https://rocfoundation.worldsecuresystems.com/Donation-Form

Mungu akubariki (God bless you),

Dave and Jana

NEWS ABOUT HOME

We try to a few times per month blog about our journey.    The last 16 months have been ones that have taught us that heaven is truly home and everything else is temporary.    Through God’s grace there are friendships, experiences, and physical places that temporarily feed the hunger for an eternal home.

We wanted to make sure you were aware of a couple blogs we’ve done about “home.”

First, a few weeks ago People Magazine ran an article that misrepresented our Rwandan home as “war-torn,” and that Kigali had “refugee camps.”    Some of our friends, former students, and Christ’s Church in Rwanda members drew our attention to the article; and asked for us to respond.   We honored their request as the Rwanda is peace filled, Kigali has no refugee camps, and Rwanda has shown the compassion of our Lord by receiving thousands of refugees from Congo.    If you would like to read the blog it is at http://www.hekimagreatlakesmessenger.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html.

Second, as we began the journey of starting a new multi-cultural church in Chicago we followed the nurture our mentors to practice old missionary disciplines.    One of those disciplines of “home” is to be a good neighbor.   Practically our years in Uganda and Rwanda taught us the discipline of getting our kids involved in good soccer programs.      Though taking on a multi-cultural church plant in Chicago is the biggest risk of our lives we continue to have divine appointments that remind us of “home.”   Through soccer disciplines Ethan became his high school team captain as a junior and was selected to the All-Conference second team.    Through soccer disciplines Timothy was fortunate to enroll in a magnet school.   God is guiding us “home.” If you would like to read more check out http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2013/10/soccer-is-life-or-everything-i-needed.html.

Third, Jana has done a magnificent job of developing a sense of “home” as we start afresh.     In

our mid-40’s we should be more “established.”   Yet, we’re living like most do in their mid-20’s.   This is our vocation and calling.   In many ways we are like the Levitical priests.    Jana has furnished a “home” beautifully through “picking,” garage sales, and re-sale shops.   Now, our “home” is filled with young children that Ruth and Jana baby sit plus many visitors.   These are the disciplines of “home” that start churches.    Our support is down and we’re praying for 20 new partners.   Jana masterfully explains this calling of “home” at http://jana-joyinthejourney.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-have-heard-levitical-call.html.

Enjoy the reads, and feel free to dialogue with us.

Mungu akubariki (May God bless you),

Dave

YOU KNOW THE LORD CALLED YOU TO CHURCH PLANT IN CHICAGO WHEN:

1.   You got a great deal on meat and cheese, loaded up, and your freezer went out.  The freezer repairman your friend recommended never returned your calls, texts, or shows up.


2. Your car brakes were squealing for days, and then were mysteriously healed. 

3.  Just when you figured out how to finish unpacking you become sick and are in bed for a couple of days.

4   When house hunting your Rwandan friend directs you to a great deal of an apartment just below the only other church planter you know in Rogers Park (neighborhood on north side of Chicago.)
 
5 Your son gets into a magnet school that

requires a lottery and one year wait when a family on his soccer team hears a rumor of one remaining open spot in the 5^th grade.
 
6  Your other son is chosen to captain his soccer team.   He plays another team whose captain also is Rwandese, and your families are old friends.    At the start of the game they break protocol and give a Rwandese embrace instead of an American handshake. 
 
7     Your paycheck is lost in the mail.    Your

credit cards are maxed out.   You are out of gas in the car and almost food in the house, and then the check comes in.
 
8     Your support is way down and you don’t know how you will pay the bills, and then an old friend calls to offer to pay your rent for 3 months.
 
  9.    Your neighborhood looks, smells, and feels

so much like Nairobi you keep expecting to bump into Jim Scudder, Charlotte Hacket, and Larry and Hollye Conway.

 
  10. Of the many new languages you are hearing you can casually pick out words in four of them.