Prayer Bulletin

We apologize for how out of touch we have been the last few months. We basically got buried in adjustment and also were without an internet connection for some time. We generally try to only ask for you to pray about 4 items each month, but his month we just need more prayers. We hope we are not burdening you.

We had wonderful holidays. In fact, it will be one of those memorable years. Our home was filled with many guests – particularly friends from the Kampala Church of Christ in Uganda. Also, we hosted several large parties for Christmas and New Years. The Lord has given us a wonderful home to share with others, and a remarkable number of friends. In Africa both visitors and rain are seen as blessings, and we are receiving both in abundance. We see so much of the steadfast loving kindness of God in our move to Rwanda.

1. Thankfulness:

1. Arrival of our possessions: All of our shipment from Uganda arrived in November. It was the easiest shipment to clear that we ever received. We can’t find anything missing. A few things were broken, but they were repairable. We are now off the floor and sleeping on a bed. The Lord gave us tremendous favor from Rwanda Customs agents, and we are rejoicing in the simple pleasures of life.

2. Teaching at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology: Dave started teaching the Liberal Arts component of Engineering Ethics last week. It’s a manageable amount of work involving 2 hours of lecture for 5 weeks, and then the class will be taught by engineers for the remainder of the semester. KIST is one of the most rapidly advancing universities in Africa, and we feel very fortunate to be on its campus. This opportunity is enabling us to secure a visa as we settle into Rwanda, and giving us many opportunities to develop friendships with faculty and students.

3. Small Group Growth: We started a small group bible study on Thursday evenings that we hope will provide a core of leadership for future church planting in Kigali. It was slow to start, but we are averaging over 15 people for the last few weeks. Attendees are university students and lecturers, a New Times reporter, a Rwandan government civil servant, Non-Government Organization leaders, and middle class business people. We will divide the group in 2 in the coming weeks due to its growing size.

2. Wisdom: We have received so much favor the first months we have been in Rwanda. The Lord’s kindness expressed through supporters in the U.S. and Rwandan friends has been amazing. Yet, in coming months we will be making some large ministry decisions that could effect many future years of work. We ask your continued prayers for God to give us an exceptional measure of wisdom during the initial stages of establishment in Rwanda.

3. Health: Again, the Lord has taken very good care of us. We have had a few colds, but no major tropical illness. Sophia survived a monkey bite with 4 stitches. Thankfully, a doctor was nearby when she was bit and she previously had a rabies vaccination. (We’ll write more details later.) However, Dave in particular has struggled to sleep through the night. Sometimes it leaves him very physically weary. We suspect it is due to both Rwandan spiritual dynamics and adjustment stress. Please pray for our sleep to be completely restored.

4. Children’s Education: The Lord seems to be gathering a wonderful community of Americans in Kigali. One of the necessities for us all to stay in Rwanda will be to develop an educational system for our children. Though Rwanda has been very good for our family we have yet to feel we have found a long-term workable educational option. We are working with approximately 12 other American families to develop an American Christian School by September 2006. It appears we will have at least 32 American children enrolled. Please be in prayer that we can recruit teachers, have great wisdom, and make the necessary preparations.

5. Beard’s Arrival and Support Raising: Kyle and Luz Beard are now being overseen by the South Plains Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. We rejoice that they have found this support base. They currently are in the final stages of support discovery with a target date of arriving in Kigali in early May 2006. Please pray for their remaining support to be discovered, and for them to have a timely arrival in Kigali.

6. Timothy’s Adoption: We will be traveling to Uganda tomorrow evening to finalize Timothy’s adoption. Our court date will be on Wednesday, January 18 at 9 a.m. Please pray for us to receive favor and for this to go smoothly. We are all ready to have Timothy be an officially registered and certified Jenkins.

Again, thank you for your support and prayers that sustain our family and ministry.

Imana ikurinde (May the Lord keep all of you),

Dave Jenkins

P.S. This year’s Oklahoma Christian Lectureship will feature a Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday, January 25 that will focus on Rwanda. If you will be in Oklahoma City on those dates please make plans to attend. (Thank you Bob Young, OC Lectureship Director for organizing this prayer breakfast.)