Home: News Archive: June 2008
40 Days to Go!
Painting, cleaning, storing, packing. There is a lot of it happening in the King household. Meanwhile, life continues unabated. A fundraiser barbecue for daughter Angelie's Africa mission trip reminds us she will be leaving home before we do. Then there is Karen's chocolate rosebud and butterfly operation in the kitchen. She is making them for daughter Alisa's wedding to save money...a reminder that Alisa will also be leaving home before we do. Here's how the schedule looks--
July 12 -- Alisa's wedding
July 13 -- Angelie flies to Swaziland, Africa
July 21 -- George and Karen depart for England
Speaking of Angelie's Swaziland trip, here is an excerpt from her letter on the subject:
Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world. The AIDS crisis was acknowledged in 2004 as well as a humanitarian crisis due to the combined effect of drought, land degradation, increased poverty and HIV/AIDS. I will be flying alone to Swaziland (scary, I know!) and meeting my team there... We’ll be going to orphanages, hospitals and out on the streets at least once a week during this phase, but the main goal is to grow in our relationship with the Lord and become more burdened for the lost. The next 12 weeks are called the “outreach phase,” where we will be doing practical ministry, which will be anything from preaching and teaching, to digging a water hole for a village.
To receive the whole letter or for information on how to donate to Angelie's missions trip, contact us and we will send it to you.
Highlights from George's Recent Trip (May 19th to June 4th)
I experienced an unusually strong sense of God's presence the whole time I was away. It appears that the Gambia Spiritual Life Conference was a real encouragement to the group of faithful servants there. One of the team members there had this to say to my ministry colleague Jack Shiflett,
We certainly enjoyed having you and George here. The only negative thing we can think of to say about your visit is that it was too short. We are walking around Ndungu Kebbeh humming the songs George shared with us. And as for me, I've signed up for the next 20 years.
My eyes were also opened to the food crisis facing Gambians right now. As a Gambia colleague relates:
A few nights ago I went over to my neighbor’s home to visit in the evening. I found my friend Ndey and her family of nine gathered around a bowl for their evening meal. I soon noticed they had none of the usual rice or millet in the bowl. There was only a little lettuce and a few drops of mayonnaise. As Ndey urged me to join them, I made up excuses about having already eaten. When I got home, tears began to stream down my face. I thought of them going to bed that night still hungry and how several days before Ndey had not eaten even one meal...
To receive more information, just ask. ABWE is accepting donations to purchase 600 bags of rice for distribution in a poor Gambian village. Earmark your gift "Gambia Rice Project -- Account #760003". In the meantime, we would do well to pray for rain for the Gambia.
You can view pictures from my Gambia visit here and here.
Relevant News Headlines from England
As I boarded the plane to leave the Gambia on May 29th, I was handed a complimentary copy of Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. I was captured by the frontpage headline:
Decline of Christian values 'is destroying Britishness':
Rise of radical Islam is filling moral vacuum, says bishop.
The well-written and compelling article reminded me that we have a valid ministry to do in England. You can read it online here.
Later, during our 4-day visit to Birmingham, England, someone at church wondered if Jack and I had run into any trouble with the law, based on a May 31st news headline:
Christian preachers face arrest in Birmingham: A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham.
No, it wasn't us. But you can read about it by clicking here.
I hope this helps you understand some of the religious and social dynamics of our new ministry environment. We go trusting in God who gives wisdom and strength for the challenges ahead.
Thank you for praying and giving.
George
June 9, 2008
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