(THIS IS WAY TOO LONG, BUT GOT BEHIND AND NEEDED TO CATCH UP – GOD BLESS)
Greetings from the Airport in Kigali Rwanda,
I have been in Burundi for the past 2 weeks for a tour of most of our Churches. I was able to visit with 33 churches. If you can, go to www.facebook.com/thewootensea and see the pictures of each church.
This year has really gone by so fast. I cannot believe as I looked back over my notes that I have not sent out an update since February. I am so sorry that this has happen. I have been keeping up Facebook posts and hope most of you are seeing me on that, but do know that many of your are not there, so I will update you on some of what we have been doing.
Sharon and Janene are in the U.S. right now. Jessica’s wedding is next summer and God provided a way for me to send them to be with her to do some planning. Janene and Sharon also needed to do some medical checkups for some small issues both were having. They are enjoying their time there but we are missing each other. They are also excited to be with Alice and her parents, Josh and Allison, for as much time as they can.
I have made three ministry trips by myself for extended stays in Rwanda, Eastern Congo and this week Burundi. I had made it a purpose to try and travel to each country and spend 10 days to 2 weeks to try and travel around the regions and visit many more of the churches off the beaten path. I have visited more than 60 churches in these 3 visits. This does not sound like much until you consider that the roads I have been traveling are disasters, to put it mildly in some cases. I have been beaten, bruised, thrown up, down and from side to side. Thankfully my back has held up well.
This has been so eye opening to me. I had done this in Ethiopia last year and was so moved I knew it has to be done. It has brought to light to me, the genuine need and the great sacrifice that many of our Pastors’ make to fulfill their calling. I feel so inadequate when I go and see church buildings made of homemade bricks, mud or even some type of reed or tree limb. Some have iron sheet roofs, some have homemade roof tiles and others have grass of some type. I have visited some places where I see pastor’s who are really on the ball that have started some huge building programs going, as they are obeying the voice of the Lord and taking a step of faith.
I sometimes wish I had access to funds and supplies that when I see a church that is really doing more than they seem they could do, that I could help them some. We have some guys that will never step out and do a work on their own and will only wait for a missionary to help them, but we also have others who have heard from God and move with no assistance from the missionary. Those are the guys we want to help.
Sharon and I traveled to Ethiopia as well in April for a joint Pastor’s and Women’s conference. It was an awesome time and we saw more than 200 leaders gather and got to hear some wonderful testimonies from Pastor’s and especially WM leaders. Sharon had a meeting last year for the first time in Ethiopia and shared with the ladies how to organize. We had more than 10 groups of women give testimonies of starting WM groups, building WM offices and doing projects in their churches and communities.
FAMILY NEWS
After living in the same house in Nairobi for 5 years our landlords told us we either buy the house or move. They wanted over $1 million for the house so we have moved. We looked and looked for months and finally as only God can do, He provided us with an awesome, wonderful, house for a bit less than we were paying. We had to spend a lot of money to get the house back in living shape, small things that add up when a house is not lived in for a few years. We are settled in and it is awesome.
All three of our Kids are in school and are doing excellent. Josh is in an engineering program in Greenwood, SC and is the top of his class. Jessica just finished her 3rd year at Emmanuel and made the president’s list again and Janene finished her Junior year with very good grades, we have not got the final report yet.
Alice, our granddaughter, is just awesome. I miss holding her. She just turned a year and I have realized that I have only held her maybe 5 times over a period of 10 days when I was in the U.S. last year. Sharon is enjoying being with her and got to keep her overnight for a few days when she arrived.
WRAPPING UP
You guys are so special to us and we know we cannot do this without you. God is our source, but He uses you to supply that to us and our ministry. We continue to need your help, maybe more than ever as the global economic depression is hitting here as well and we face more needs in our churches than ever as well. Thanks for supporting us.
If you would like to help me put a roof on a church, buy a property, etc… we really need the help with this. We can do this in memorial or honor of a special loved one. No gift toward this is too small or too large. We have roofs that will go from $1000 to $10,000, and other projects that need more than $50,000 for conference and training centers.
Love from our family to yours.
Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene
Contact us at:
thewootensea@earthlink.net
www.facebook.com/thewootensea
skype – thewootensea
Kenya Telephone – 011254721229236 – we have free incoming calls.
Twitter – @thewootensea
Support Numbers: Support 11531s, Gift 11531g and ministry acct. 11531m
Mail to: World Missions Ministry, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157
Or got to website: http://iphc.org/directory/ron-and-sharon-wooten-0 and give via internet.
