10,000 Reasons

Driving from Montana to Colorado with Daneen, I had one of those “gratitude moments” in my life.  Those moments when your heart and soul are overwhelmed with gratitude to God, when emotions get the best of you and tears start rolling down your cheeks, when you feel so blessed and know that you will never be able to repay others for all they have done for you (but you still want to try).  

Do you know what I am talking about? 

We were somewhere in the middle of Wyoming between Buffalo and Cheyenne and Daneen had taken over the driving duties so I was relaxing in the passenger seat.  As the new car DJ, I played Matt Redman.  
My mind went back to almost exactly two years ago…

When I came back to America on furlough in 2012 my first stop after leaving home in CA was to visit my old Missions Pastor from Seacoast, Jodi, who was then living on Long Island in NY with her husband Dan.  It is ironic that my first stop was to see Jodi, because that is where my journey to Kenya began 12 years ago.  Jodi was an integral part of the process of deciphering God’s call upon my life and preparing me to follow that calling and move to Kenya.  During my brief visit to Long Island in 2012, Jodi gave me the 10,000 Reasons CD by Matt Redman.  It was probably a pretty insignificant gift in her eyes, especially to Jodi who has always been so incredibly generous to me.  This little gift was a real treasure to me! Living overseas, it is hard to stay current on the latest music and I always feel a step behind when I return to America.  Over the course of the next 3 ½ months of traveling, I did a lot of driving.  Many of the vehicles didn’t have connections for my iPod so most of the time I stuck that CD in, cranked it up and worshiped God.  In my singleness, I always loved driving in America on the open road because you feel so free. 

We are the free, the freedom generation

Singing of mercy

You are the one who set us all in motion

Yours is the glory

There’s a fire in our hearts and it burns for you

It’s never gonna fade away

We are the free, and Yours is the glory

-“We Are The Free”

But at times, driving long distances by yourself, you can also feel a bit lonely.  I recalled one time in Montana in 2012 while driving my friend’s old 2001 Honda CRV between Great Falls and Billings, I was feeling really lonely.  I was asking God “When are You going to bring me someone to share my life with?” After popping in that CD, I gave it all back to God (probably for the 10,000^th time in my life).  I told him that my life belonged to him and I completely surrender to His will for my future.    

What heart could hold the weight of your love

And know the heights of your great worth

What eyes could look on your glorious face

Shining like the sun

Your name alone has power to raise us

Your light will shine when all else fades

Our eyes will look on your glorious face

Shining like the sun

Who is like you, God?

You are holy, holy, holy

God most high and God most worthy

- "Holy"

Less than a week later (in 2012), in Portland, Oregon I met this beautiful, amazing woman with a heart for Africa!  After a short courtship and engagement, about 7 months later, Daneen’s good friend Tim was playing two of the songs from that Matt Redman CD in our wedding in Longmont, CO… "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" and "Holy". 

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I’ll worship your holy name

- "10,000 Reasons"

After an amazing 1 ½ years of marriage, mostly living in Kenya and a few months of travelling around America, here I was listening to that same powerful CD with my wife, driving in our “new” car (which happens to be that same 2001 Honda CRV I drove 2 years ago) with 211,000 miles on it.   

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger

Your Name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

I felt grateful for all of the blessings that God has brought my way, but I was also excited about what lies ahead.  We had just finished our cross-country tour.  We spent the past 3 ½ months reconnecting with personal supporters and CGA sponsors and partners, giving different presentations and speaking in a number of churches.  Now we are heading towards a very unknown future.  We have no future job lined up, don’t know where we are going to live long-term and are simply trusting God to show us in His perfect timing.  I have no idea where we will be or what we will be doing 4-6 months from now, but I know God is faithful and I want to continue to praise the name of the Lord! 

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Driving down the road at 80 mph (the speed limit in Wyoming), Daneen and I were “singing like never before.”  My emotions got the best of me.  Tears were pouring out, but I didn’t care a bit.  I am a blessed man.  God has been so good to me in so many ways, and he has used so many people on this Earth to show His love for me.  From Jodi who has been there from the beginning, to Paul who gave us a car, to an amazing group of supporters all over Montana, and others scattered across America who have faithfully prayed for us through the years and invested their hard-earned money in God’s work in a small  town in rural Kenya... God has demonstrated his generosity and love through them.   

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore!

BLESS THE LORD!!

The Final Frontier

MONTANA.  

We refer to it as: The Final Frontier. 
Mostly for it’s vast undeveloped land, with long distances between towns, where the people have an altruistic hospitality and appreciation for the outdoorsy lifestyle.  Montana is the 4th largest state, but ranked 48th in population density, and very interestingly has the same GDP as Kenya which has about 40 times more people!

We also refer to it as the final frontier because it’s the final location for our travels around America on the Team Pete Roadshow.  We’ve greatly enjoyed and appreciated all of our travels (all 15 states), yet we’re equally looking forward to finishing the journey and finally unpacking our suitcases...for the last time!

Montana is known as “Big Sky Country” for it’s wide-open countryside with a view that stretches for miles.

Like most large states, Montana is very diverse in it’s geographical features.  From the plains and winds of eastern Montana to the Rockies in the west, each region offers unique beauty.

Big Sky is a ski resort town located in the heart of the Rockies and made Daneen feel at home!!  We were blessed with an incredible gift by our friends at Peace Lutheran Church in Belgrade.... 3 nights in a cabin in Big Sky!!!  The back of the cabin opened up to the Gallatin River which gained it’s Hollywood fame from the movie “A River Runs Through It”.  All the fly-fishing scenes in the movie were filmed on the Gallatin River.

We appreciated the 3 days of rest, rejuvenation, reading, relaxing, quiet time, breakfast in bed, and simply time together in our own place.  We have been traveling for over 3 months and ever since we left our home in Mbita on August 13th, we haven’t been in our own home…alone!



We loved the opportunity to explore God’s beautiful creation around the area; including hiking to Oseul Falls which is now 80% frozen!

Our time in Montana was filled with visiting and sharing at 6 awesome partner churches: Community Bible Church (Glendive), Faith E (Billings), First Christian (Billings), Columbus Evangelical (Columbus), Peace Lutheran Church (Belgrade) and Harvest Springs Church (Great Falls).

We met with many personal supporters along the way and enjoyed sharing with them the great work God is doing in Kenya.  Work that we wouldn’t have been able to be a part of without their sacrificial, ongoing financial support and prayer! We also met with many CGA sponsors who loved receiving a personal update on their sponsored student as well as the ministry as a whole.

One of the best blessings of our time in Montana was getting to be with Martha, a CGA Alumni.  Martha is currently studying at Oklahoma Christian University.  She spent her Thanksgiving break with us in Montana; sharing at churches about the impact CGA has had in her life.  We had a fun time also experiencing a few “firsts” with her; building a snowman, ice skating, a ferris wheel ride and seeing a bear at the zoo!

In Summary....

Montana was the final stop of all our travelling this Fall.... and one of our favorites!!

Thanksgiving Update

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him in Thanksgiving"  Psalm 69:30

THANKSGIVING

We have been celebrating Thanksgiving for the past 3 ½ months!  Yes, that's right, 3 ½ months!  During our transition of leaving Kenya and returning to America, we have felt incredibly blessed to have lived and served in Kenya.  We are also thankful to the teachers and staff at CGA for teaching us so much, and allowing us to minister there.  We are thankful for the precious young children we have been able to teach, coach and mentor.  We are thankful for the friends and family back in America who have journeyed with us by praying for us and supporting us financially to live out this calling on our lives.  

During our "American road show", we have tried to appreciate all the special people along the way who have invested in our lives in one way or another through the years. God has been so good to us and so have all of you!  Thank You!

OUR TRAVELS CONTINUE 

Our Team Pete Road Show is still in full swing.  It's been a great privilege to see different parts of this beautiful country, reconnect with old friends and share in many different settings about what God is doing in Kenya.  We are currently in Montana and today enjoyed a lovely snowy weather!  We have been blessed with many opportunities to share with churches, college groups, schools and supporters.  Our blood is more used to the climate in Kenya so it feels extra cold here, but we are slowly adapting! 

MARTHA

The most exciting part of our time in Montana is the opportunity to have one of our CGA Alumni along with us. Martha Akinyi is in the U.S. as a student; studying Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University. Joe taught Martha Bible and Math at CGA, and also coached her in soccer and basketball.  He has seen her develop from the time she was in 5th Grade until now when she is a 22 year old young lady. Even though she doesn't have much public speaking experience, she is a natural at sharing her story and expressing how God has guided and directed her life.  

CGA has never before had a Kenyan share about CGA in the U.S.!  It is wonderful for people to see the fruit of CGA and hear how the ministry impacted her life.  We think it is extra special to have her here during Thanksgiving.  She has gone through many difficult challenges in her life; being born into a poor polygamous family, losing both of her parents before she was 8 and being separated from her siblings. Yet, through it all, she has maintained a spirit of Thankfulness.  She appreciates everything given to her and every opportunity which comes her way; and she has made the most of each of those opportunities.  I know as missionaries we should be the ones impacting others, but I think Martha has had as much of an impact on our lives, as we have had on hers!  Read more of Martha's story on our blog.

DEBRIEFING AND RENEWAL

Our week of Mission Debriefing and Renewal in Colorado Springs in mid-November was very impactful.  It was immensely beneficial to be around other missionaries who were returning from the field and adjusting to life in America; facing many of the same challenges we are.  There were great group discussions, thoughtful insights, good reflective exercises, eye opening individual counseling sessions, and also many laughs.  We processed and learned to grieve what we have left behind, and focused on how we can integrate what we learned to value about life in Kenya into our lives in America!

One theme which resurfaced throughout the week was to GO SLOW!  Life in America is much different than overseas and everything goes at a much faster pace. Jumping right back on to the fast-moving-American-train can give you whiplash!  It is much better to start slow.  Multiple facilitators advised us as a group and as a couple to consider the idea of dedicating some time to rest, rejuvenate, reflect and seek God.  We are still trying to figure out exactly what that might look like for us.

OUR PLANS

After finishing our travels in Montana on December 10th, we will return to Colorado for a week before we head back to the airport to visit Joe's family in California and then Daneen's family in Pennsylvania for the Christmas Holiday.  On December 31st we will return to Longmont, Colorado which will be our home base for the short term. 

We are not sure what we will be doing or where we will be living next, but we absolutely trust that God will show us in His perfect timing.  The first few months of 2015 might be a time of rest, transition, re-tooling and preparation for what is next.  We are considering jobs and careers in many different fields including ministry/non-profit organizations, churches, coaching, education and athletic administration.  We are truly not leaning in any specific direction, but are open to all opportunities available and ultimately desiring God's will for our future.  We greatly value your prayers during this time!    

FOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS

If you are looking to give a special Christmas Gift this season, consider giving a gift of $15 to provide a child with food for a month or $50 to provide an entire family with food for a month.  Our goal is to help nourish all 300 families associated with CGA during the Nov/Dec school holiday. Learn more about Food for the Holidays on the CGA website.

  

PRAY FOR:

- Our travels. That we would be a blessing to others, that God would speak through us when we have opportunities to share and that God would provide the funds necessary for both CGA and the Suba Lakers to continue impacting the younger generation of Kenya.

- Our future. That we would remain patient and listen closely for God to lead us and guide us to what he has next for us. For insight to what a time of "rest/retooling/listening" might look like for us.

- Our reintegration process which seems to be up and down at times.  Pray for us to get hope and strength (physical, mental and spiritual) from God and to capture all that he has for us each and every day! 

- Healing for Daneen's neck and back. We believe healing is coming!  Pray for strength to make it through each

Thank You for being a part of our journey! 

CGA Alumni Spotlight: Martha

Martha Akinyi.

A CGA Alumni currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University.

Joe taught her Math and Bible for several years at CGA, and even coached her in soccer and basketball, and has been close to her family during his time in Kenya.  We are looking forward to spending time with her in the coming months!

This is her personal narrative of her life story which shows the impact of CGA and how she is being a light for Jesus by giving back to the world, after persevering through extreme challenges.

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Born in the small village of Mbita, Kenya, I did not expect anything big out of my life. Nobody decides what family they belong to. If that were possible then I would not have chosen my family. My father was a polygamous and my mother was his third wife.  I was the sixth child of my mother; 5 boys and 2 girls. My father died in 1996 when I was 4 years old and my mother died four years later.  My siblings were divided among relatives and it wasn’t until I was 15 that I met all of my brothers again.  My younger sister and I were sent to live with a neighbor, Helen, and her sons. 

Growing up as an orphan in Kenya, I have learned the value of every opportunity. I was unfortunate to not have a complete family,

but I am happy that out of everything I had to go through growing up, I am more than victorious. Maybe I was just not lucky... or maybe there was something God wanted me to learn from the whole experience.

It all started in Christ's Gift Academy when I was blessed to be among the kids who joined Kindergarten in 1999. I now have effective communication skills, can read and write, and I have a good reputation for knowing Bible verses.  That knowledge was instilled in me through CGA.  All the time that I spent there as a student molded me into who I am today.

But, even with all that happened, God still gave us a place to call home. I am grateful that God used Helen [my guardian] and CGA to give me another chance in life. I am glad that I made it through high school in a community where female education is not valued.  It is a community with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and a large number of teenage girls drop out of school because they get pregnant and have to stay home to take care of their babies. This is where I was born and grew up.  I am glad that amidst all of this, I made it and I am currently pursuing my degree in mechanical engineering.

I remember vividly those times early in my life when we hardly had a single meal in a day; when we slept on the floor on a very small mat without a mattress; when we had no clothes to put on; when some of us were not able to go to school because of the financial status of the family.

Everything has changed and I have opened a new chapter in my life.

It has now been one year since I set my feet in the United States. This is an auspicious point of my life having come this far.

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Martha came to the U.S. in August 2013 to attend Knoxville College. After her Freshman year, she spent her summer in Houston serving as an intern with Impact Ministries. Read about her internship serving inner-city youth in Houston. She has now transferred to attend Oklahoma Christian University to study Mechanical Engineering.  Her story is one of the many beautiful success stories of CGA Alumni.

Pacific Northwest

The Journey Continues...

After a great time at Daneen’s home in PA and then our East Coast travels, we headed to the Pacific Northwest for two weeks.

First stop: Seattle.  

Our main purpose in going to Seattle was to reconnect with Bethany Presbyterian Church, a longtime supporter of CGA.  We were able to meet with their Kenya Missions committee to give them an in-depth update on CGA, as well as our future plans. We also shared about CGA during the 4 minute "News from the Front" at the start of each of their weekend services.  It is a special church that does so much for their local community and all around the world.  

We also enjoyed reconnecting with many friends; a long-time friend of Joe's who is a missionary in India and recently got married; a few of Daneen's friends from college, Peace Corps and Uganda; as well as several other friends.  After church on Sunday we watched the Broncos – Seahawks Super Bowl rematch... not from the stadium but a restaurant just outside of Seattle with our old neighbors from Mbita who also recently came back to the U.S. from Kenya.  There weren't as many people in the restaurant as there were at CenturyLink Field, but at times it felt just as loud!  (They're serious about the 12th Man!) 

One of the biggest blessings of our time in Seattle was that we were invited to stay with friends from Bethany Presbyterian who have a great view of the Puget Sound.  

Next stop: Portland 

On Monday, we boarded the BoltBus to Portland.  It was a cheap way to travel ($19 each) and we even had free WiFi onboard the bus!  We definitely never rode on buses like that in Kenya.  Portland has a special place in our hearts because Daneen lived there for a while and it's where we first met each other and began to fall in love!  Many dear friends still live there so we enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with them.  We hosted another small intimate gathering with friends to share about CGA, Suba Lakers and us, and had another gathering of CGA supporters at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.  

We also spent a morning at Forest Hills Lutheran School and shared with all of their students. Forest Hills began a partnership with CGA in recent years and has found ways to involve their students with ours.  We were lucky to squeeze in time with a number of friends while also hanging out in the Colombia River Gorge for the day! One of the Portland highlights was being able to attend a wedding of our friends Garret and Heather (also our wedding photographers).  It was a special time attending a wedding together (our first since being married) and seeing God's union of another fabulous couple!   

Before leaving Oregon we spent a day in Corvallis with a CGA board member (and good friends) and then took a drive up the beautiful Oregon Coast to enjoy some of God’s great creation with the cliffs and the waves.  

We feel privileged to travel across our beautiful country and catch up with so many people that are close to us, while also sharing about God’s work in Kenya!