April 2005 Update

Hello All!

Sorry this update is so late in coming!!! My computer decided that it would
be fun to get a virus and completely crash, so that put me behind in
everything for a while!

Trip to Morocco
I just got back from a trip to Morocco with 6 other people from Mountainview
International church. It was an amazing experience--my first time in Africa
and my first time in a Muslim country. It was definitely different! It's
so close that you can see Spain from the beach, but you step off of the
ferry into a different world! Our purpose for going was to bring supplies
to an orphanage there, and to spend some time with some Christians who live
there--our trip was basically in their hands, so we didn't really know what
to expect until we got there!

We got to spend alot of time talking and praying, as well as walking around
the city and experiencing the culture a little bit (Moroccan food is
amazing!). We also got to help out with a music club with some of the local
kids, and then the next day we went to a soccer match with a group of girls,
and then went to an outing at the beach with the same kids we had seen from
that morning and the day before. It was great to spend some time with them
and get to know them. On Sunday morning, some of our group went to the
international church while three of us stayed and helped get sandwiches
ready for the outing to the beach that afternoon with the kids. I really
enjoyed trying to communicate with one of the women who worked in the house
where we stayed. She knew a few words of Spanish, so we tried to teach each
other Spanish and Arabic words. The last night we were there, a few of us
got to help deliver some of the baby supplies to a house for unwed mothers.

I'm still trying to mentally "process" the trip, and probably will be for a
while, but it was an intense and amazing experience. I was honestly just
blown away with the realization that these are real people that God loves
passionately. It's one of those things that I have heard or said my whole
life, but I was blown over with the realization that it is actually true.

I'll probably be talking about this trip for a while, and hopefully more
coherently when I have time to sit down and put my thoughts and feelings
about it in order. It was definitely an awesome experience, though.

Traveling Yet Again!
I just got home late Monday night, and this Friday, I leave for a conference
in Holland--I'll be there about a week, and then the day after I get back,
we have our Leaders' Community retreat at Mountainview. Once that's over, I
plan to sleep for a couple days straight! Seriously, though, pray for
strenght and rest, as this is a really busy month.

Looking to the Future
We're in the process of developing a vision document for Mountainview's
Oasis ministry---focusing on internationals in the city center. On April
30th we will be meeting with internationals involved with Mountainview who
are living here long-term, to discuss where we are going as a ministry,
involvement, etc. We really want all of us to play a part in making the
Oasis ministry what God wants it to be, and for people to catch onto the
vision and be excited about getting involved. Please pray for us as we're
getting ready for the meeting, and for God to really continue to work
through Moutnainview's presence in the center of Madrid.

Also, I will be coming back to the States May 18-August 1. I'll probably be
contacting alot of you in the near future about getting together and talking
about what God has been doing this past year, the doors for ministry He is
opening, etc. I'm excited to see everyone again!

Family Update
It's been a while since I sent out a prayer update about my niece and
nephew, because of computer issues and travel, so here's the latest: Please
pray for Katie. Because of a hemmorage that was on her brain, there is alot
of fluid buildup around her brain that the doctors are trying to drain, but
it has been too thick. It's looking like they'll probably have to put a
shunt in (a drainage tube directly connecting to her stomach that stays in
for life), but they have to wait until she's up to 4 lbs., so until then
they are planning to put in something like a catheter that can drain
continually ( that was probably the most un-scientific explanation ever, but
you get the drift). Tomorrow morning the doctor is going to decide whether
or not to transfer her to Vanderbilt for the surgery. Pray for God's
healing and wise decisions by the doctor. This is really stretching our
faith to trust God in this.

Sam is doing really well--he may get to come home within a month or so.
Still be praying for his continued growth and health.

Also, pray for my sister (the mom) Kim and my brother-in-law Adam. Pray for
God to give them the peace and strenght that can only come from Him, and
that He gives them rest.

It's been really hard to be so far away while all this stuff is going on.
My sister is my best friend in the whole world, so I can't count the number
of times I've almost decided to pay whatever amount of money it takes to be
home right now. Pray for me to be able to entrust my family to God this
next month.

Thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. You
are SOOOO important!

Peace,
Kelly