Update: answered prayers and continued attack

Following on to the good news from the previous post, Tom is doing well in Poland. Here is a note he sent to Connection Ministries, forwarded on by Jerry Waggener:

Thanks Pastor Jerry for the support, prayers and love. Indeed I am happy to be in Poland almost week now. I am spending much time resting in bed and enjoying the presence of my family.

Anna is happy I am here and that she can help take good care of me.

My broken thigh bone (Femur) is responding well and this is my 7th week. They say on the internet that it take 8-12 weeks to recover almost fully so I am praying that by then it is well. So I am really resting and thanks for prayers.

Regards

Tom

Evans also continues to do better. He's still recovering and wrote yesterday, "I have to visit the hospital again, but all in all God has been gracious to me and now I am well." He also wrote that the children are doing fine and always ask about their friends from America.

We praise God for the positive developments, but at the same time Satan has not relented in his attacks - a couple of weeks ago, the church lost one of their senior members to malaria. George Ochieng was a leader at the church, serving as an interpreter during Sunday services. In the midst of their continuing loss and with the leaders that remain stretched ever thinner, they need to see God move in power and repel Satan's continual attacks.

Summon Your power, O God; show us Your strength, O God, as You have done before.
Psalm 68:28

Tom in Poland!

Not long after posting earlier this week, I heard from Tom that he has made it to Poland and is there with Anna and the children now. He made the trip much sooner than he had expected and there are so many reasons to praise God for it - for one, the whole family is together now and Tom has finally gotten to meet his new son John (who's now more than 3 months old!) For another, Tom has more confidence in the Polish doctors than some of those in Kenya and he hopes to get better advice and treatment for his ongoing healing. Most of anything now, though, Tom finally has the chance to just relax after over a month of chaos in Nairobi.

Prayer is needed for those in Kenya as they continue to manage things while Tom is gone. They're no strangers to doing this of course since he has traveled a number of times, but still we pray God's blessings on them. Pray also for Tom's time with his family, that they would be given new strength, be brought closer together as a family, and that God would speak to and direct them in their time away from the "field."

A few more updates

A few days ago I had the chance to talk with Tom directly for the first time in several weeks. Most of our conversation revolved around catching up on everything that had gone on and the whirlwind of emotions and thoughts he and his church have been through over the past month. After we talked through the events and reactions both in Kenya and here in New Mexico, Tom closed that part of the conversation with the thought that there is nothing to do but to keep pushing forward. I encouraged him that we are all still behind the work going on in Korogocho and want to see great things happen there, and our prayers are still with them.

While things continue to move forward at the school and church, something else at the front of Tom's mind is how to get to Poland as soon as he can. He still hasn't met his son John or seen Anna in close to four months, and as of our conversation was waiting on word from the doctors as to when he would be able to fly out. We are hoping it will be before the end of April, but I haven't yet heard confirmation from him whether this will be the case.

I am so anxious to hear how things are going with the church, the children's new home, and all the other "ministry" things, since it has been now over six weeks since we've heard anything specific. Patience is the key, however, as there is clearly still much to sort out - emotionally, physically, and logistically - from the accident. I am being challenged to remain confident that God will continue the healing and ultimately move His kingdom forward, and this can only take place in His time. I ask you all to stay strong in prayer; to ask God to act as a refuge, provider, and healer on behalf of the Abungus, Evans, and the rest of those in Korogocho; and finally to remain confident that He who began a good work will indeed carry it on to completion.