Here are promised pictures from India! A beautiful place with beautiful people.

These two little buildings are the classrooms for the 4 and 5 year olds at the Kibera, Nairobi preschool. Each classroom has 34 children. Right now Kenya Territory is in the process of building new classrooms, very much needed. Kibera is a very large slum in Nairobi and this school is on the edge of that slum. Most of the children at Kibera school are AIDS orphans. They are fed a good lunch at the school, for many the only meal they have each day.

Within the classrooms at Kibera School was this little fellow wearing a Cubs jacket–I had to have him come out and get a picture! The children were very loving and happy to see us. They all want to shake hands–all at once!

Here is the inside view of one of the classrooms, with half of the class showing. Included in the picture is the Kibera Corps officer and the teacher. Wonderful, caring people. God is providing through the Army at Kibera!

Just returned from Kenya, where I spent a week organizing the Summer Mission Team visit coming up in June as well as the plan for our medical intern, a visit with our Central Territory officers the McDowell’s, and also a meeting and dinner with the Child Sponsorship Secretary. I was all over the country and the week was amazing. I can’t sort it all yet, so I just want to share a piece that I can–my meeting with the Cheetahs at the National Park Animal Orphanage. Above, you can see one being fed. Serious hunk of meat.

Here I am, in the cage, petting the Cheetahs!! This was the most fasinating thing to me…and while I was petting them, one purred! I was trying to think why I thought this was so cool, and I realized that for one thing a wild cat that could shred me to bits was letting me pet him. And also, that back in the states if one was allowed to “pet the Cheetahs”, one would be standing in a line for about two hours at Wild Kingdom or wherever. Well, it was a thrill anyway, and a nice break in an otherwise very busy, business-like week!

Captain Kennedy Ombajo, one of the hosts that took me around on the set-up visits. A very gracious and kind man.

Things are very busy and crazy here at THQ Missions! Soon 36 young adults will be heading out to five continents on Summer Mission Team–getting all the communication straight for this is wild. I am very happy as well, that several persons have been approved for longer term missions placements. I am also meeting with the director of Kids Around the World and working on the last details of a mission trip to Sri Lanka. I’ve had a number of requests about Germany in December, and I will be planning a team to Hanover soon. So yes, that is still on. God is at work! There may be something in the future that you might be a part of. The appropriate response to all this is that we all develop generous hearts and consider what sacrifices we are willing to make to be a part of global missions work. I hope that you are in prayer for all the missions that happens through the Salvation Army and the church as a whole. Make prayer for missions a daily habit and then see where God has you fit in!

This weekend is Summer Mission Team orientation. It’s a time where the 36 members of the 2006 Team come to learn about Kenya, Bahamas, India, Argentina, Latvia, Ukraine, along with Coker Creek Tennessee and Champaign Illinois…..it’s an amazing time. Most important they come to learn about what God has to teach them in the months to come and what that might mean for their lives. It is an exhausting weekend with way too much to cover in the time we have. It is one of my favorite weekends of the year, without question. Pray for us!

I was on the phone for 30 minutes (yikes, the phone bill!) with an overseas officer this morning who is hurting in his appointment–so many concerns and so little money. I really feel that the time has come where we need to have a system in place to help our missionaries directly with their “smaller” financial needs; things like toys for their preschools to replace the 30 year old broken junk that their kids are making do with….think of the toys we have here they we just cast aside….fresh school supplies, new Bible curriculum, maybe a washer or dryer….sometimes the needs are not really that big, yet if they were cared for, the missionaries would feel so much support. I’m working on this and have some ideas…we gotta get a team over to this country next December to help with Christmas…yes, we have to help! Another prayer request, and if you want to be a part of this in some way, let me know!

So much has happened in the last month or so getting us ready for the Summer Mission Team, 2007. At this point we have 36 persons going to seven countries. It’s the largest SMT/Service Corps group the Central has ever sent out, and a big project. The SMT will go ministering in India, Kenya, Argentina, Ukraine, Latvia, Bahamas, and the U.S. Orientation is March 10-12, so we are doing much here to prepare for that weekend–it is always great to meet the teams and see them begin to bond–at least we hope they will!

Here is a favorite picture from Rulicov, Ukraine. We met this happy babushka as she walked past the camp/corps one evening with her cow. Life is good.

One year ago we sent our daughter Keri off to Fiji for Spring semester–what a time that was. Here we are in the airport. Since then, we have watched young adults go off to study and serve in Costa Rica (three of them), Guatamala, London, Republic of Georgia, China…..and on it goes. We have three persons currently in line to go overseas for The Salvation Army for one year…..if that sounds good to you, contact me and we’ll see what might be possible. Remember though, in spite of the fact that more and more young adults are going overseas it’s still a big step. Make sure you have been in much prayer about it!

The countdown is on for the 2006 Summer Mission Team applications! Everything is due in to THQ on January 17. If you are an active Salvationist young adult looking for a meaningful, God honoring and yes, life-changing summer, then SMT might be for you. Contact me at chris_shay@usc.salvationarmy.org and I’ll get an application to you pronto. Don’t wait any longer!

Salvation Army canteens on their way out to feed thousands of displaced persons and workers all over the city. Along with hot meals they distributed cleaning supplies, Bibles, toys, and pastoral care–hugs, prayers, and hope.