Miners Habari #28

Jambo from Kenya!

As we write this newsletter, we're currently on school holidays. Another school year has come to an end for our girls – they're already in 9th and 11th grade. It's crazy how fast time flies. At the same time, we've had the privilege of witnessing in many different places over the past few months how God opens doors and brings people together. We'd like to share a few of these stories with you today.

South Sudan

In our last newsletter, we told you about our friend Lobai, who, after completing his advanced training in Kijabe, returned to Kapoeta in South Sudan and opened his first clinic there. Patients are already being treated there – an important step for the people in the region.

We were especially delighted by an initiative from our community: Children raised funds during a charity run, enabling the clinic's laboratory to be equipped with essential equipment. Dear children (and parents ;-)), we are so grateful! Lobai has just purchased the first pieces of equipment. Once everything is installed, the lab will be the only one in the entire state able to perform a complete blood count (CBC). This will make a huge difference for approximately 1.4 million people. We look forward to sharing the initial impact with you in the next newsletter.

We recorded this short video for the children involved. Perhaps something like this would be an idea for your community, youth group, or children's group. It's truly wonderful to see children realize they can already make a practical difference.

Tanzania

Over the past few months, David has also been to Tanzania several times. There, he is involved in a new project specializing in the care of children, including premature and newborn infants. The photo shows a strategy workshop with the team. The goal was to collaboratively develop a clear, joint project plan and concrete next steps from the many good ideas.

It was truly a pleasure to see how much experience, passion and hope this team has – especially for the care of newborns and premature babies in an environment where resources are often very limited.

If you're interested in this topic, be sure to check out her Website The team regularly organizes conferences and further training courses related to Neonatology in a resource-poor African context and has gained a great deal of practical experience in this field.

Soul Care

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that God has entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation.

The longer I (Lisa) live in Kenya, the more I realize: One of the biggest problems for many people is "unreconciliation". It often exacerbates other challenges such as poverty, illness, or hopelessness.

Many people are not at peace with their own history. They carry wounds from their childhood. Families have been embroiled in conflict for years, entire communities are characterized by mistrust. Many believe in God, but do not truly experience his freedom.

One reason for this is that culture often encourages – or even rewards – people to remain unreconciled.

Recently, a participant in a seminar on conflict management explained to me:

„"Confessing and asking for forgiveness doesn't work for us. If I apologize as a pastor or as a parent – as a person in authority – I show weakness. Then it looks like I'm to blame for everything, and I lose face."“
This statement has really troubled me. How can reconciliation happen if no one dares to take the first step?

It is all the more wonderful when cultural conditioning is overcome and pastors openly discuss their "dark corners" in training. That is often where real change begins.

My ministry has changed somewhat in the past year. In addition to the Soul Care Retreats, I now invest a lot of time in building networks and training leaders. My desire is for churches themselves to become places where people can experience healing, acceptance, and reconciliation.

Other things that are going on:

Noemi not only completed 11th grade this year. Her class is also organizing the graduation ball for the graduating classes – from the decorations to the entire event. At the same time, she successfully completed her AP courses. Since she attends an American school, these additional courses are necessary for her diploma to be equivalent to the Austrian Matura (high school diploma). In the photo, she is working on her art project, which explored the question: "How can I describe home when it exists in multiple places?"“

Layla thoroughly enjoyed playing on her school's volleyball team. The team plays at a national level and travels all over Kenya for tournaments – a fantastic experience.

We also treated ourselves to a few days off and enjoyed the coast together with Dani, Gabi, and their children. Such times are good for us and remind us how important family and friendships are.

THANKFUL:

We are currently witnessing the first fruits becoming visible in many projects of recent years.
For God's protection on many journeys and thousands of kilometers on East Africa's roads.
Thank you to so many generous and helpful people – especially for the children's charity run in aid of Lobai's clinic.
That Lisa's friend Zippy has found a job.

HOPEFUL:

For wisdom in the further development of Rooted – the retreats, the new day format and the planned online group.
For the further development of a strong network of trauma healing facilitators and good cooperation with communities.
For wisdom as a family, as we make important decisions for the next stage of our girls' lives in the coming months.

We'll be back in Austria for a few weeks in the coming days. We're really looking forward to seeing many of you again, rekindling old friendships, and sharing what God has been doing these past few months. Here are our dates. If you're in the area, please feel free to drop by – we'd love to see you!