Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings to each of you in the name of our loving God, whose goodness is fresh every morning.

This has been an extremely difficult week. We have felt your prayers and love more than ever and are grateful beyond words.

I have wondered how to begin this email and just what to say. While sitting at the computer watching a sun bird fly in and out of its nest to feed it young, I realized I should definitely use the phrase that is used by all our Kenyan friends and colleagues to begin good news or bad news.

GOD IS GOOD! GOD IS SO GOOD!

I will start with good news! Sr. Alice Limberia's daughter, Lois, was pictured in the "Nation" newspaper this past week for receiving an award from Ernst and Young as the top student in Kenya in CPA I financial accounting for last year. (Sr. Alice is my closest friend. She is the midwifery tutor at the school of nursing.) Lois is one incredible young woman. She is bright and extremely hard working, focused, and motivated. We are all so proud of her and pleased for Sr. Alice. Yes, God is good!

I mentioned in last weeks email that we were experiencing some problems because of a student from this area that was failing and some people in high places were determined he would pass. To our great sorrow this situation has escalated beyond our wildest imaginings. This past Wednesday, 26 Jan. 2000 our entire student body of the nursing school went on strike. The school was officially closed as of 3pm that afternoon. Today is a special meeting in Nairobi with the church officials to try and make a decision about the future of the school and hospital. We would ask for your prayers that God's will might be done in this situation and that truth might be victorious.

Though I am not working in the school, I am busy with meetings, writing reports, creating a data base and when I find time preparing future lessons and grading case studies. So you see, I am busy and I am hopeful!

Yesterday, the hospital had their yearly Covenant Service. Bill and I attended and as we participated I could see God's hand in the service in such real and tangible ways. After numerous scripture readings, hymns, and a moving confession, the congregation prayed the following covenant prayer:

"I am no longer my own but yours. Your will, not mine, be done in all things, wherever you may place me, in all that I do and in all that I may endure; when there is work for me and when there is none; when I am troubled and when I am at peace. Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded; when I find fulfillment and when it is lacking; when I have all things, and when I have nothing.

I willing offer all I have and am to serve you, as and where you choose. Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. May it be so for ever. Let this covenant now made on earth be fulfilled in heaven. Amen"

My broken heart began mending as I was reminded Whose I am and Whose will I want to fulfill. Oh yes, God is so good!

Now for a bit of hospital news! The hospital presently has three orphan babies. We actually had four but one just went to an orphanage where she will stay and be taken care of until she is around 9 months old and then the her grandmother will take her home and care for her. That baby's mother left her when only a few days old on one of our nurses door steps. The mother died less than a block from the nurse's home.

One of the orphans has been named Millennium as he was born on New Year's day and brought to the OPD and left on the waiting bench. All of them are now in our pediatrics unit. No one has any idea who the family of the three remaining are. The hospital will care for these three babies until arrangements can be made for their future.

Please pray for these three young babies. With the difficult times that the people are now facing financially due to the draught and the general situation in Kenya and the "major disaster" of HIV+/AIDS there will be more orphans, more suffering, more death. But in the midst of even this, we can say with blessed assurance God is good.

For quite sometime I have ended our emails with the phrase, "In His Grip". I have never felt God's hand holding mine more firmly or more lovingly than today.

In His firm and loving grip,

Jerri and Bill

You can answer this letter at savuto@MAF.org

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