A New Address, Not A New Heart

 Over the millenia humanity lived in an agrarian culture with a natural cycle of seasons. You never planted a new crop without the old one dying out. There was a season for planting, cultivating, pruning, harvesting and then beginning afresh. These days, we are less comfortable with seasons such as pruning. However, to use the words of Dr. Henry Cloud, we must have "necessary endings" so that we might have necessary beginnings.

April's class

We have just experienced a necessary ending which leads to a necessary beginning. As we have told many of our students and congregants who are grieving our move - "we may have a new address, but not a new heart".












Meet Felix Opunde, a new student who
was introduced to the program

Felix Opunde (center)  with Janet and Elvis

through Janet and Elvis, who are lay pastors at a Vineyard Church plant in a tough neighborhood near downtown Nairobi. Most young ladies in this area are pregnant by the age of 13 and 14 and most young guys are sniffing glue and have committed an array of crimes by the same age. Felix is the first one to turn up on a Sunday
morning. He shows up in the trenches and serves in a variety of ways. At the age of 23 he is the first Christian in his family and has become the spiritual compass for the family. His sister now attends the church and there is movement with others. When asked, "Why attend VSM?", Felix replied, "I am now teaching a Bible Study and I don't have answers. If I don't grow the people I am trying to teach won't grow". Felix is but one example of the students who take what they learn and immediately apply it.

Mary, Moseti, and baby Aiden

Sue receiving goodbye gifts

Sue invested significant time with Mary (pictured) who is  the Registrar for VSM Africa and also the Treasurer for AVC Kenya. Mary's life was changed by Sue's investment and patient training.




We were sent back to the US via a party thanking us. In good African tradition, speeches were made, food was eaten, and gifts were given.
We celebrate both a necessary ending and a necessary beginning. While we have left Kenya, it is our hope that Doug will be able to go back once or twice a year to teach and for Board Meetings for VSM. At the same time,  the leadership team in Kenya will pick up the reins and continue to move the ministry forward in our absence.

We are reminded of Paul's words to the Philippians; "In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will will carry it on to completion until they day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1.4-6

for the kingdom,
Sue & Doug

Reassignment by Relocation

Sailing on the Indian Ocean

In these days of social media news travels fast! We imagine many of you may already know that we will be returning to the United States next month and continuing our ministry there. While it is difficult to leave people we've invested in for almost 8 years of our lives yet, we are excited to see what God wants to do in this next season of life.

VSM local teaching Staff.  Noah Gitau, second from left.

Doug will maintain his role as Principal of VSMAfrica and will be returning to Africa periodically both to teach and for Board meetings. For VSMAfrica this is a new season with new opportunities.  Noah Gitau, National Director for the Association of Vineyard Churches, Kenya and a frequent teacher with VSMAfrica will lead the Administrative team that has been ensuring the effective operation of the school for several years now.  

The goal is to recruit additional administrative support to the team -already consisting of a Director of Operations and Registrar – particularly adding to enhance our marketing and promotion.

Students from many countries.

Strengthening and growing the VSMAfrica team is of critical importance with the recent successful and exciting launch of the Tanzanian campus and the possible expansion into neighboring countries. 

For VSMAfrica to continue along the lines of our strategy, we will need to increase capacity both in terms of human resources and financial resources. We have greatly appreciated your past support and ask you to stay the course as we seek to extend the Kingdom of God via learning. 

As we make this transition, giving can still be directed to the Pomona account we've used for the past years.

We seek your prayers as we wrestle with all the logistics of relocating and moving back into our home, purchasing vehicles, Sue restarting her business, and discerning the next steps for Doug. 

for the Kingdom,

Sue & Doug

Connecting Scripture to our World

Ringo Felix, Arusha City Councilman

As it happens, immediately before our Sabbatical, Doug had been in Arusha, Tanzania launching Vineyard School of Ministry (VSM) courses. He was there again last week teaching How to Interpret Scripture. One of the students was a city councilman and church leader named Ringo Felix. As Ringo was heading home one day he was reflecting on that day's lesson on Ruth, and a women's right to inherit land in a man centered world. One of his neighbors joined Ringo as he walked along. He told the story of how one of his female relatives was told by her brothers that her part of the family property she had just inherited from her father, could not go to her according to their culture. What should this woman do?  Ringo was reminded how relevant the Bible is to his world and began to work with this man on a solution.

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Mapping a Church Plant

Later in the course the class was challenged to read how Paul planted the church in Ephesus and then diagram or map out a church plant based on Paul's model. Ringo's team designed their map based on an actual church plant and so merged both Scripture and actual practice.

Christine gesturing.

Relating the Scriptures to real life contexts stimulates passionate conversations and sometimes debate. Christine (pictured on right), is an attorney and church leader. The course helped her process a challenging church crisis, one in which she had had little support. Christine found support in this class.

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                   



This course included an airline pilot, a Bishop, an attorney, a HIV AIDS worker, a youth worker, a city councilman, a couple of school teachers, and several pastors.




                                                                                                                                                        Please pray for:

• the spiritual growth of our students ("knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." 1 Cor.8.1)
• the completion of VSM's registration process here in Kenya.
• the Administrative Staff as they work with Daystar University to ensure our student records are current.
• the on-going funding of the ministry as it grows.