Nobody's perfect // Nobody's worthless

I just had yet another dinner downstairs with our residents. Hot dogs, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. I skipped the sauerkraut. I only like the stuff in Germany. But that’s not why I write. I write because I just had yet another moment of taking in the dinner scene, smiling, and thinking to myself, “Could there be a more interesting group of guys to live with?” And by “interesting” I don’t mean weird, intolerable, or obnoxious, as the word is sometimes used.

In case you’ve not heard, I live in a homeless shelter. But this is not just your run-of-the-mill homeless shelter. Virtually all the residents here have a history of mental illness and drug and/or alcohol abuse. Most, if not all, are also formerly homeless. At first glance, these guys might not seem to be the ideal living companions. Ideal? Maybe not. But I would describe most of the guys here as fun, honest, winsome, entertaining, and harmless.

This might surprise you. It surprises me when I think of my initial worries about moving into this situation. Why is it surprising? Stereotypes. Homeless people, drug addicts, and mental patients are not supposed to be good neighbors. That’s what the stereotypes would tell us. But the fact is, every human being is created in the image of God. Therefore, there are indelible qualities of the divine in each of us. Another fact is that every human being is a sinner. Therefore, there are also qualities of wickedness in each of us. So no matter what label we attach to a person, we will find some good and some bad in them. Nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s worthless.

Regardless of this, my experience tells me that I live with a great group of guys. I genuinely love and enjoy them as neighbors. I’m thankful for them. And I’m thankful that stereotypes are not always true.

November Newsletter

Greetings Friends and Family!

We are getting busier and busier in the Day Shelter as more folks are trying to escape the cold weather during the day. Only recently, while lying in my warm bed on a cold and windy night, did I let my mind wander: “I wonder where my homeless friends are sleeping tonight . . . “ That was a sad and depressing thought. One statistic claims that 3.5 million people in America will experience homelessness in a given year. How blessed are we who consider shelter a given in life?

Not long ago, Matt and I visited one of our regular Day Shelter guests, Bill, in the hospital. Bill’s a guy who has been very open about his life’s struggles and the fact that he does not know God. Early in our visit, he quickly changed the topic from his physical health to his spiritual condition. As bad as his health was, he realized that his spiritual state was even worse. We began to talk about what he would need to do to “get right with God.” His mindset, coming from a rough upbringing without any Christian influences, was that he needed to clean up his act and do more good deeds in order for God to accept him. We began to share the good news that God does not require our good deeds for salvation. Instead salvation is by grace and through faith and repentance. We shared some scriptures and talked for quite a while on the intricacies of the Gospel.

Eventually the patient on the other side of the room, who appeared to have been watching TV the whole time, pulled back the curtain. My immediate thought was, "this could be really good or really bad." It was really good. By God's providence, Bill's roommate was a retired minister. He told us that he had been listening and that he had some things to say as well. He began to eloquently and powerfully enhance the message we'd been teaching. [At this point I began to feel like I was acting in some cheesy Christian movie in the type of scene that never really happens in real life. But no, this was really happening.] Then the former minister's daughter-in-law, a pastor's wife, arrived and chimed in as well. Bill had a 4-person ministry team to help him understand the Gospel.

Bill was very attentive, soaked it all in. I tried a couple times to push him to formally pray to ask God to save him, which he did not do. At the same time I got the strong sense that God was perfectly orchestrating all of this and that Bill was in fact on the path to salvation. Thus, I decided that we need not rush him. We’ve returned to visit Bill a few more times. Each time we learn of other Christians the Lord had brought across his path to encourage and teach him. Bill has acknowledged God’s divine appointments by saying, “He’s all around me.” Bill is trusting God for his healing and is learning more and more about what it means to follow Christ. Only God knows his heart, but Bill seems to have a newfound Hope, who he is getting to know better and better.

I feel this story of God pursuing Bill is evidence of a lesson that God is reteaching me. The more I learn about God and the Bible and life, the more I come to see that apparent contradictions and paradoxes are actually results of our failure to grasp the complexities of reality. For example, who can understand the Trinity: that God is three, yet one? Or how is it that salvation is by faith, yet good deeds seem to be required as well? And what about our free will and God’s sovereignty? In this same vein, Bill’s story is reminding me that we are responsible to be bold and prepared witnesses, yet it is only by God’s power that our words and actions have any eternal impact. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, it is not our wisdom or eloquence that will change people’s lives. Instead, it is God’s power.

I’ve been praying, and last time asked you to pray, that I would have boldness and wisdom in my conversations. That’s all well and good, and I’d appreciate you continuing to pray in that way. But lately I’ve been praying more that God would work and make Himself known to the people we share with. Please join me in this prayer.

Some prayer requests:
* Please pray that God would continue to work in Bill’s heart and life (physically and spiritually).
* Please pray that God would work in the hearts and minds of the many others who we minister to here at Jeff. St.
* Please pray that all of us here at Jeff. St. would be a bold and prepared ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).

Thank you so much for your support of me and our ministry here at Jeff. St. Take care and God bless!

Divine appointment at the hospital

Matt and I had quite an experience at the hospital yesterday. We learned that one of our regular Day Shelter guests, Bill, had been admitted. Bill is one of the guys we have gotten to know best. He has been very open in sharing about the heartache of his upbringing and numerous family tragedies. He is also open in confessing the wide range of sinful behavior he has been engaged in. He is also honest that although he believes in God, he does not know Him as Savior.

Yesterday, he called the shelter asking if we would come visit. We somewhat reluctantly decided to go (we were tired, busy, etc.). Once we arrived we started with small talk, trying to learn what was up. But he quickly began to talk about his need to get his life straightened out. We began to talk about what he would need to do to get right with God. His mindset, coming from a rough upbringing without any Christian influences, was that he needed to do more good deeds for God to accept him. We began to share the good news that God does not require our good deeds for salvation. We need only to trust in Jesus' sacrifice, ask for God's forgiveness, and turn from our sins to follow Christ. We shared some scriptures and talked for quite a while on the intricacies of the Gospel.

Suddenly the patient on the other side of the curtain, who appeared to have been watching TV the whole time, pulled back the curtain. My immediate thought was, "this could be really good or really bad." It was really good. By God's providence (or is it just luck?), Bill's roommate was a retired minister. He told us that he had been listening in and that he had some things to say as well. So he began to quite eloquently and powerfully enhance the message we'd been teaching. [At this point I began to feel like I was acting in some cheesy Christian movie in the type of scene that never really happens in real life. But no, this was real life. This was happening.] Then the man's daughter-in-law, a pastor's wife, arrived and chimed in as well. Bill had a 4-person ministry team to help him understand the Gospel.

Throughout all this, Bill was soaking it up. He asked questions, made comments, and repeated said, "I don't know much about God but I know I need to follow Him." I tried a couple times to push him to make some sort of commitment, but at the same time I got the strong sense that he is on the path to salvation and that we need not rush him. I got the sense that God was orchestrating all of this. He is in control. It was wonderful to pray together (the five of us) and then leave with the assurance that not only were we leaving Bill in God's hands, but at least for the rest of the night, Bill and his roommate would have the opportunity to continue their discussion. We also left him with a New Testament which we know is the mighty sword of the Spirit. So although we did not see a definitive decision to follow Christ, I did not leave dejected but encouraged and hopeful. I expect that God will continue to move in his life. I look forward to seeing what comes about. I look forward to seeing what role I might play. I am amazed at what God has already done and how He chose to use us in Bill's life.

Count your blessings

I’ve been somewhat surprised and impressed by the thankfulness and positive attitudes of many of the homeless folks who I’ve gotten to know. In a recent conversation, one guy told me, “If you saw where I was sleeping you’d say it’s clear that God has been watching over me.” I asked, “Oh, so you’ve found a nice place to stay.” His response showed his positive perspective on a bad situation: “No it’s terrible. Dangerous. It’s an abandoned house. But the fact that I wake up each morning and no one has bothered me . . . that’s a blessing.”

The other day, Matt and I were going around asking our residents if there were any issues we could pray about. One guy, a fairly strong Christian, thought hard for several seconds and then replied, “No. I’ve got no needs.” He’s living in a small, one-room apartment in a homeless shelter and he tells us, sincerely, that he has no needs.

Should I be surprised that there are needy folks who are thankful for what they have? Probably not. Maybe I should be more surprised at the rich who have positive outlooks. After all, the scriptures say it’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to go to heaven. I’ve been thinking about the phrase “count your blessings.” As for me, and most of you reading this, we have had so many blessings lavished on us that counting them can be a pretty overwhelming task. I wonder how many of us don’t even try as a result. Does it seem to be excessive to thank God every day for food, shelter, health, safety, transportation, jobs, and other blessings that we see as commonplace? Maybe it is those who are truly happy just to be alive or to receive a free meal or to have a place to take a shower who are best able to render the appropriate appreciation to the Lord for those blessings. In my life, those things have been a given. I take them for granted. But I must realize that they have been granted to me, by God. How could I not give Him thanks for them?

October HOPE newsletter

Greetings Friends and Family!

This being the inaugural monthly newsletter, let me first fill you in on what I’ve been doing and will be doing throughout my time at Jeff. St. To begin with, we (the HOPE team – Matt, Lindsey, and I) serve the homeless five days a week in the Day Shelter. The tasks are fairly mundane for us, but they are so helpful for those in need. Some of our duties include:

* Checking mail for the 1,200+ homeless folks who use our address who may have no other address to call their own.
* Giving soap, shampoo, detergent, etc. for folks to use our facilities to wash themselves and their clothes who may have no other place to get clean.
* Helping people to store bags that they may otherwise have to lug all around town.
* Serving breakfast daily and lunch most days to folks who may truly be hungry.

To simply be able to help these people with these basic, yet important services is a blessing. But to be able to learn about their stories (often involving broken relationships, lost jobs, prison stays, addictions, etc.) is an even greater honor. In these moments, we can go beyond the physical and minister to the spirit and soul by sharing the Gospel, praying for them, or simply lending a listening ear.

Aside from 30-some hours per week of service in the day shelter, we also stay busy with church activities, HOPE team gatherings, and intentional hours of relationship building with our residents (Wednesday’s focus).

Ironically, one of the most memorable interactions I’ve had with the homeless thus far didn’t even occur at Jeff. St. It was early one Sunday morning, and I was working in the Day Shelter as usual. I took a call from a gal from the church community that I’m a part of here, Sojourn Community Church. She informed me that I didn’t know her but that my director recommended my teammate Matt or me to accompany her as she picked up a new homeless friend to take him to church. I, of course, couldn’t turn down that invitation so we met up and then found her new friend at the McDonalds, just as they’d agreed. He seemed a bit surprised and disappointed that she actually followed through with her offer. But being a man of his word, he went with us. We had a wonderful worship experience and heard some fitting exhortations from the scriptures (Romans 12:9-16). After the service, all it took was my asking, “What did you think?” for our new friend to begin pouring out his heart to us. In summary, his heart and life are broken, in serious need of the Lord’s healing touch. We mostly listened but also tried to console and counsel. As we left church, about an hour after almost everyone else, our new friend was hopeful and upbeat. I was amazed at how the Lord had used us to minister to this stranger turned friend.

The first book we are reading for our HOPE program curriculum is “Under the Overpass” by Mike Yankoski. It’s the story of a young Christian guy who wanted to see if he could truly live out the saying, “All I need is Jesus.” So he decided to give up his career, belongings, and relationships to be homeless for six months. Unfortunately, his radical experiment led him to the conclusion that the vast majority of “church people” are not interested in even acknowledging, much less helping the homeless. One of his reflections in the book reads, “If we are the body of Christ—and Christ came not for the healthy but the sick—we need to be fully present in the places where people are most broken.” Doesn’t this make sense? If we are truly followers of Christ, won’t we follow him to minister among the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed for whom He says He came to minister (Luke 4:18)? For much of my life I’ve been guilty of avoiding the broken and sick. But now I feel strongly that the Lord has led me to such people here at Jeff. St. Daily I thank God for the blessing of being able to be a part of this ministry. I pray that the Lord will give me a burden for “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40) for the rest of my life.

I thank you all so much for your support of this ministry in various ways, especially though your prayers and financial gifts.

Some prayer requests:
* Boldness and intentionality in my conversations with our residents and guests.
* Wisdom in conversations: knowing what to say and how to say it.
* Please pray for my new, broken friend, who I mentioned above.

I’m off to a good start in raising the $600 per month, but I’m still a long way off for the total needed for the year. I’d appreciate you prayerfully considering how you might continue to support our ministry here at Jeff. St. It is now possible to donate online at www.hopeforlouisville.com (go to the "donate now" section). Until next time, take care and God bless!

Complacent Comfort?

I’m already feeling quite comfortable here. That’s what scares me. You see, I just read in the conclusion of “Under the Overpass”: “Be relentlessly suspicious of your comfortable life, and of the comfort zones that render so many Christian fellowships insensitive and ineffective in our communities.” Unfortunately, when we are comfortable we are often complacent as well.

I’ve made a lot of friends among the residents and our homeless guests. But will I be satisfied with this group of friends without pursuing the rest? I’ve had many conversations on spiritual issues. Will I consider those people “witnessed to” without following up on those discussions? It appears that I’ll see many of our guests and residents almost every day. Might I lose the sense of urgency that “today is the day of Salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2)? Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep to show us the importance of one lost soul to Him and the Father. I pray that I will persistently and intentionally spread salt, light, and truth to all who the Lord brings my way.

Associating with the Lowly

We work in the day shelter from about 6:30-10:00 on Sunday mornings before going to church. Today I spent much of that time in our storage closet. Around 9:00, I was told to pick up the phone. Over the phone I met a young woman who needed a favor. She had met a homeless man and had convinced him to go to our church with her, but she wanted a man to ride with them. She had called my director (who happened to be out of town) and he recommended she call and ask for Matt or I. So basically I was in the right place at the right time.

We picked up her homeless friend at a McDonalds and drove to church. We got some coffee, worshiped a bit, and heard a wonderful sermon challenging the church to be a loving community. The pastor challenged us to meet the needs of others, practice hospitality, and associate with the lowly (Romans 12:9-16) – a rather appropriate message, I thought. So after the service, as folks began departing and mingling, I asked our new friend what he thought of the church/message. He had me sit back down. About an hour later, he had finished pouring out his heart and shedding many tears over the desperate state of his life. I mostly listened but also had the opportunity to share the Gospel and a few more thoughts with him. I also shed a few tears, because my new friend is broken and he knows it. Some of his brokenness is self inflicted. He admits that he has been punishing himself for a long time, only falling short of ending his life.

But now he wants change. Now he has friends who want to help him change. Now he seems hopeful. He appears to be the picture of a motto here at Jeff St.: “Hope changes everything.” I’m so blessed to have been at the right place at the right time and to have been able to minister to my new friend. He knows where I’m at, I know where he hangs out, he’s got my number, and he’s planning to join us for church again next week. I pray that this is not the end of the story, but only the beginning. I’d appreciate your prayers for my new friend as well.

How to Entertain Angels . . .

What do you think of when you hear the word “hospitality?” For most of my life I’ve thought of sweet, older ladies who are really good cooks and have nice homes. I’ve been the grateful recipient of this type of hospitality throughout my life. I also think of so many precious missionary wives who I encountered during my days in West Africa. The gift of hospitality seems to be a requirement for wives on the mission field. But me? No, I’m not hospitable. Any why should I be expected to be? I’m just a single guy with limited cooking and homemaking skills. I guess God has not gifted me in that area. Or has He?

Sunday at Sojourn (the church I’ll be attending while in Louisville), I heard a great message on Christian hospitality . . . for probably the first time in my life. I wonder why I’ve never heard such a sermon before. After all, hospitality is a command of God. Not just a suggestion for some Christians but a command for all. “Be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Peter 4:9). “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love . . . practicing hospitality” (Romans 12:10-13). Hospitality is also a requirement for overseers/pastors (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8). The Bible even goes so far as to say that sometimes when we think we’re simply showing hospitality to strangers, we’re actually “entertaining angels” (Hebrews 13:2).

But true hospitality is not simply about entertaining others. At the heart of hospitality are ideas like looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4), inviting the poor/crippled/blind to our dinners (Luke 14:12-14), and accepting others as Jesus did us (Romans 15:7). Essentially, the heart of hospitality seems to be love for our neighbors.

So it seems hospitality is not just for sweet, older ladies who are really good cooks and have nice homes. Hospitality is also for me, a not so sweet young man who doesn’t cook much and lives in a homeless shelter (a very hospitable type of place by the way). And if you are a Christian, hospitality is also for you.

First thoughts

I’ve been living here at Jeff St. for right at a week now. I came here with few expectations, but most of those expectations have been exceeded. The staff here is more fun than I’d guessed. The homeless folks are more normal than I thought. The residents are less scary than I expected. I’m getting up earlier than I’d hoped (6 AM).

Despite that last unfortunate realization, life has been good. I really am enjoying serving and getting to know the homeless and formerly homeless (the 30-some guys who live here) who we see every day. Life here is always interesting. For instance, I just got interrupted by one of the residents who is a Cuban guy who speaks very little English. Despite that detail he’s one of my favorite guys to see around. He always gives a warm greeting, usually in English.

I guess most surprising has been how easy it has been to begin building relationships with the guys here. All the guys living here at Jeff St. have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. I’ve had very little interation with such folks in my lifetime (at least to my knowledge). Yet I’m quickly learning that mental illness does not equate to being “crazy” or “psycho” as we might sometimes describe such folks. In fact, many of the guys seem quite normal. Among them are science buffs, sports fans, and avid readers. But still I must realize that these guys are just like me and every other human being in that we all have our problems - some are just more obvious and detrimental than others. We all need help. God is the ultimate Helper and salvation is the ultimate cure. I just pray that the Lord will use me to point others to Him and to His remedy.

A New Adventure . . .

Greetings friends!

I’ve now got a new adventure to tell you about!

On September 9th, I will move into the Jefferson St. Baptist Center, a homeless shelter in Louisville, KY, in order to live and serve among the homeless. JSBC’s self-description: “We exist to make the entire good news of Jesus Christ known to the homeless of Louisville – meeting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs” (www.jeffersonstreet.org). I will be a participant in their HOPE program (www.hopeforlouisville.com) through which I will serve five days a week in their Day Shelter, helping to meet some of the basic needs of the homeless – providing mail service, breakfast, a storage closet, toiletries, and more. Spending this time in the Day Shelter will lead to in-depth relationships with my new homeless friends, which will allow me to share the Gospel with them in a whole-life sort of way. I will also have great opportunities for service and spiritual growth through my church involvement and the Christian community of the other HOPE participants. I am very excited about beginning this new ministry very soon! I am excited because in recent years I have seen God change my heart to be more compassionate toward the poor and needy. He has given me the desire to attend to both the physical and spiritual needs of people. HOPE is a great avenue through which to channel this God-given desires for ministry.

You have the opportunity to be a part of my ministry through HOPE and JSBC. First, I need your prayers. Please pray for our new HOPE team to get off to a great start: in our training, our relationships, and our acclimation to our new lifestyles. Pray that we will, above all, live lovingly towards each other and the homeless folks we are there to minister to.

Second, the greatest thing that homeless people need is meaningful relationships with Christians that ultimately point to Jesus Himself. These relationships take time to build. To be a part of the HOPE program for a year I will need to raise $6,600. Your financial contributions will allow me to remove the financial burdens of daily life to be able to focus exclusively on loving “the least of these” that Jesus told us are so important to him. And for those giving a gift of at least $50 you can receive a free HOPE T-shirt!

You can send your tax-deductible contributions made payable to Jefferson Street Baptist Center attn: HOPE, 733 Jefferson Street, Louisville KY 40202. Please make sure to designate your check towards my support by writing my Fund ID#: HOPE-0809-KS1 on the memo line of the check. HOPE will send a receipt for each gift given. Do not write my name anywhere on the check as this may negate the tax deductibility of your donation.

As during my time in Africa, I will be sending out a monthly newsletters and blogging about my life and ministry at JSBC. Thus, the former “Faso News” site has now become the new "HOPE News," unless I decide to come up with something more clever. I will also be making a new email list for those who wish to receive my HOPE updates. You can let me know if you are interested in joining this list by writing me at kweetur@hotmail.com.

Also please let me know of others who might be interested in hearing about this ministry or who might like to support me in prayer or financially. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Thanks for all your support through the years. God bless!

Traveling home

It's good to be home in Kentucky. But I had a wonderfully slow and interesting trip back home from Burkina Faso. Six of my fellow West African colleagues and I visited Casablanca and Rabat in Morocco. Sevilla and Madrid, Spain. And Faro (southern coast) and Lisbon, Portugal. After that I traveled on my own for a few days to Fez, Morocco and then New York City. I'll not go into details of these travels except to say that I had a great time with great friends. Saw some more amazing sights from this amazing world. I am so blessed and thankful to have been able to travel as I have. I've put some of my pictures up on www.picasaweb.google.com/kerrylspencer. Enjoy.

Burkina newsletter #36 (the end)

Greetings from Burkina Faso! The life of an international missionary includes many ‘goodbyes,’ but fortunately many ‘hello agains’ as well. Another two years of ministry in West Africa is coming to a close. The ‘goodbyes’ have started. The ‘hello agains’ are coming soon. It has been such a blessing to be a small part of God’s plan for this part of the world. I give God all the glory for all that we’ve accomplished these past two years. His provision and protection have been abundant. I praise God especially for his protection on the roads, as a huge part of our ministry included many, many miles of driving on difficult and treacherous roads. Likewise, although sicknesses came – God provided healing. He provided wonderful friends in my missionary community who made a great surrogate family. In our ministry, He provided much-needed co-laborers. Some of those co-labors will continue ministering even after our departure. The Lord also worked his miracle of salvation in people’s lives through our feeble efforts at evangelism. God blessed in so many ways. I give Him praise and thanks for that. Here are some figures to help summarize the last couple years:

• We hosted more than 130 volunteers from 20 different states.
• Completed research on over 50 different people groups in three countries (BF/Ghana/Niger), involving uncountable miles driven.
• 5 churches are committed to continuing ministry among some of the least reached people groups after our departure. (see last newsletter for a list)
• 1 new girlfriend (more news to come).
• Many new friends: Burkinabé and American.

The Engagement Team (what our team is called – in case you’ve forgotten) has exciting plans for West Africa in the years to come. For one, it appears that there will be someone to replace us here in Burkina towards the end of this year. Our research will continue to be of use to the IMB, the local Baptist Convention, and other mission organizations. God’s work will continue among the peoples we have begun to engage with the Gospel. Also He will surely be working among those who have not yet been engaged. We know this because one day there will be “a great multitude which not one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). This chapter of ministry is closing for me, but I hope to always be a part of ushering in this future reality.

I will leave Burkina around 3 AM on February 28^th. I will fly to Morocco to meet several friends who have also been serving in West Africa. We’ll do a little traveling thorough Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. After that I have a short stop in New York and then I’m back in Kentucky on March 13^th. My plans after that . . . are a bit ambiguous. I will of course be visiting family and friends in KY. But I also will be spending significant time in L.A. – Lower Alabama. For those of you who may not know, I have a girlfriend, Tiffany Folse, who is living there. Our relationship first budded when she came back to Burkina last March (she was a missionary here from 2001-2003). It has been growing and progressing ever since. We are excited to discover what the Lord has in store for us. And of course we appreciate your prayers concerning that.

So this may be the last you hear from me in Burkina Faso (for a while anyway), but I will likely continue to update this webpage and www.picasaweb.google.com/kerrylspencer with pictures from my trip home and any other important news that may come, so stay tuned.

Praise God for:

* His protection and provision during my past two years in Burkina Faso.
* those who will continue to minister to the least reached peoples of West Africa.
* His giving me a girlfriend!

Please pray for:

* safety and good times during my travels towards home.
* the continuing task of reaching the unreached people groups of West Africa.
* Tiffany and I as we seek God’s plans for us.

One last time – thank you so very much for your prayers and for your interest in my life and ministry here in West Africa. I greatly look forward to seeing many of you in the near future. May God bless you abundantly!

kerry spencer

Final thought:

Absence is to love what wind is to fire;
it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.
~ Comte DeBussy-Rabutin

Southside and Pastor Kenny (+ my favorite neighbor)

I just love this little girl (Mai). She's one of the little neighbor girls who greets me about every time I open my gate. I've posted her pic before but I thought this pic was extra-cute.
What do volunteer teams do over here? Well Jeff and Lynn from Southside got into a corn shuckin' contest. OK - not really. They were just helping out. But don't we have machines for this?
This is Lynn playing a kind-of Simon says game with some kids. We were joking that they were all raising their hands to get saved.
These guys were trying to clean out the tubes of the pump well that Pastor Kenny helped get up and running again. The group of folks in the distance are crowded around the actual well. It's a pretty impressive contraption.
Pastor Kenny splashing some water on some of the guys after getting the pump working again. It's a foot pump so the guy up top is doing the pumping.

Burkina newsletter #35

Greetings from Burkina Faso! I’m excited to report that another salvation has come from Southside Baptist’s ministry (by the grace of God) among the Sambla. Ironically the new believer, Isa (the name for Jesus in Arabic), is a Tiefo man. This is ironic because Pastor Kenny and his church are the ones who have adopted the Tiefo. This shows at least two things. First it shows that Burkina is a very diverse mélange. Second: God is Sovereign – He can use whatever means He wants and He likes to surprise us. Southside also continued to strengthen relationships with the people of the village. They are excited about the possibilities in their continued ministry there.

Pastor Kenny, of Davidson St. Baptist (SC), was, at the same time, ministering among the Tiefo. He had the opportunity, on behalf of his church, to provide a broken part to repair one of their pump wells. The people were very excited to have that well back in operation. There is a saying here: “Water is life.” After helping to repair the well we also got to share about Jesus and the “living water” (John 4) that only He offers. Davidson St. and some partnering churches have a number of future trips planned to continue ministering among the Tiefo.

These were the last two volunteer teams before my departure. It is exciting to see that we have five churches committed to returning to Burkina after our departure to continue ministering among these unreached people groups. To refresh your memory, those churches and the people groups they minister to are:

Southside Baptist (Lufkin, TX) – Sambla people

Davidson St. Baptist & friends (Clinton, SC) – Tiefo

Bartlett Baptist (Bartlett, TN) – Vigué

Compassion Church (Raleigh, NC) – Western Karaboro

FBC Pearland (Pearland, TX) – Dogosé

I thank the Lord for them and ask that you will continue to pray for the Lord of the harvest to bless the ministry He has given each of these churches.

Last time I ask for prayer about the unfortunate possibility of my needing a root canal. I am very happy to report that I no longer have any pain in that tooth. It looks like all is well for the near future. Thanks for your prayers.

In recent days I have been doing a little more research and a lot of cleaning/packing/preparing to leave my house in Bobo. The near future will hold more of the same as well as many goodbyes. Today is exactly one month away from my departure from Burkina (Feb. 28). That is a bittersweet thought. I will avoid getting sentimental here as I hope you write you again to try to sum up my time and give some final thoughts before I leave. Until then . . .

Praise God for:

* the salvation that the Lord has brought about in Isa’s life.
* the ministry of Southside Baptist, Davidson St., and the other churches the Lord has led to minister among the unreached peoples here in Burkina.
* the tremendous improvement in the state of my formerly sore tooth.

Please pray for:

* Isa, the new believer in Badara, that Pastor Isa (yes – two guys – one name) will be able to disciple Him in the faith.
* all five of the churches who have committed to ministering to these unreached people groups. Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts and minds of those the have and will continue to minister to.
* my preparations and goodbyes as I move toward my departure.

Again. Verily I say unto you: I am very thankful for all your prayers and support during the past (nearly) two years. You each have been a blessing to me. God has been so good (no surprise). Blessings!

kerry spencer
www.picasaweb.google.com/kerrylspencer

Final thoughts:

Our imagination so magnifies the present, because we are continually thinking about it, and so reduces eternity, because we do not think about it, that we turn eternity into nothing and nothing into eternity.
~ Blaise Pascal

Therefore:

The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings.
~ William Hazlitt

Jesus Film - feet - peak - Elephants

Showing of the Jesus film in Karankasso-Vigue.
African feet.
This is actually the highest point in Burkina Faso. Just about 2500 feet - it's a pretty flat country. Off in the hazy distance is Mali. We were a bit surprised to find that this lady had chosen this scenic place as her personal pounding place. She's pounding corn likely to make into "to" the local staple dish.
Elephants. Notice the tiny baby below the one on the left.
Yes they were very close. (Special thanks to Becky Babcock - all-star photographer - for these two elephant shots.)

Burkina newsletter #34

Greetings from Burkina Faso! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas celebration. We sure did. We were blessed on Christmas Eve to receive news from the Bartlett Baptist team that a lady named Safi had had two dreams of Jesus Christ and that after waking up she believed in Him as Savior. By placing her faith in Christ she has become the first known Vigué believer. That is a miraculous answer to many prayers. Praise God for that! But Safi very much needs your prayers as well. She is virtually alone in her faith in Karankasso-Vigué (aside from the Holy Spirit). Pray that God would provide the means for her to grow in her knowledge and faith.

Besides spending a few days in Karankasso- Vigué with the ladies from Bartlett Baptist and showing the Jesus Film there, we also had a great celebration of Jesus’ birth and then visited the Nazinga game park to bring in the New Year. We saw plenty of elephants, gazelles-type-creatures, baboons, warthogs, etc.

The next 10 days will be busy ones. Tonight another team from Southside Baptist (Lufkin, TX) will arrive. They are coming to continue their ministry to the Sambla people of Badara where they have already seen one person trust in Jesus as Savior. On Friday Pastor Kenny of Davidson St. Baptist (South Carolina) arrives. He is making his second trip and will be doing some evangelism and discipleship among the Tiefo people. The local Baptist pastor who we partner with in Badara, Pastor Issa, is getting married this Saturday (the 12^th) so we will all attend that celebration.

Joyce Hall and Debbie Cook will leave us on the 16^th. Both have made multiple trips to Burkina. Joyce came to be with us for three months immediately after her recent retirement. She is proof that there can and should be more to retirement than taking it easy and staying comfortable. Our usefulness to the Lord’s work never expires. May our readiness and willingness never expire either.

On a personal note: I’ve visited two dentists in the past two days. The first told me I need a root canal. The second (who had much more impressive equipment) assured me I don’t need a root canal. Instead he simply did some minor grinding to help my bite. So right now I’m very thankful to not be having a root canal in Africa, but I’m not sure if the problem is really solved. I’d appreciate your prayers regarding this.

Also it is now official that I will leave Burkina in the early morning of February 28^th. After traveling with some friends, through Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, I’ll arrive back home on March 13^th.

Praise God for:

* the ministers he has sent to minister among the Vigué (Bartlett), Sambla (Southside), and Tiefo (Bro. Kenny) people groups and for Joyce, Debbie, Wade, and Sherida who have spent time among multiple groups.
* the miracle He performed in Safi’s life – bringing her to faith in Christ.
* a favorable second opinion from the dentist.

Please pray for:

* Safi, the new Vigué Christian, – that the Lord will provide the means for her discipleship.
* the Sambla people of Badara and the Tiefo of Ngafongo who we will minister to in the coming days.
* God to give us boldness and wisdom as we share His Word.
* the healing of my sore tooth.

I thank the Lord for the work He is doing here and for the part you and your prayers have played in that. May God bless you!

kerry spencer

Final thought:

If we were sufficient for everything, we might attempt everything . . . but life is short, and we are dull, and eternal things are necessary.

~ Richard Baxter

Christmas photos

Some of our missionary community (plus some visitors) at our Christmas party in Ouagadougou.
Nativity scene mural inside a Catholic church in Kaya - Burkina Faso.
Christmas peppers. Hey they're red and green right? Like those Christmas M&Ms.
The Burkina Christmas flower. That's what I'm calling it.

Christmas tree salesman in our capital.

Burkina newsletter #33

Seasons Greetings from Burkina Faso! FBC Pearland had a very successful vision trip. After seeing some of the many needs here they left feeling a strong leading to come back and do some discipleship training and evangelism with a specific focus on the Dogosé people. We are very thankful for their visit and their concern for the unreached peoples of Burkina Faso. Please pray that God would continue to guide them as they ponder and prepare for their future ministry here.

Currently the four ladies from Bartlett Baptist are living and ministering among the Vigué people. Bartlett is what we call an Engaging Church. What that means is they have chosen to have a long-term ministry among a people group even when missionaries (like me and the Woods) have left the area. Therefore they are responsible for developing their own strategies and taking care of their own logistics (such as transportation/food/translation/money matters/etc.). That is a huge undertaking. As part of preparing for the future we are allowing them to experience most of this trip without our involvement (we’ll join them near the end of their stay). It is hard to leave them on their own but that is part of the weaning process. The Vigué (who claim to be 100% Muslim) just celebrated one of the most important Islamic holidays, Tabaski (also know as Eid al-Adha in much of the world). The team from Bartlett will soon be celebrating Christmas and will have a chance to explain the significance of this holy day for Christians. Please pray for the Lord to open the eyes of the Vigué to the light of Jesus Christ.

The fact that we are not out with the Bartlett team works out well as we have two more volunteers coming in tonight. Wade Whynot is a former volunteer who is coming back with his special friend Sherida. We will be traveling around some and of course spending Christmas together. Our Christmas plans are to celebrate with Pastor Dénis and his church in the morning and then have a dinner with some fellow missionaries that evening.

I recently did a little traveling with William Haun who is an excellent photographer and a serious computer nerd (he knows I love him). He is one of the folks responsible for a lot of what you may have seen at www.gowestafrica.com. If you’ve not been there lately you should check it out – it’s got a new look. I also highly recommend his site www.haunsinafrica.com. His wife, who’s studying to be a doctor, is a spending a few months interning at our hospital in Nalerigu, Ghana. Thus you can find some pretty incredible surgery photos (my personal favorite being the finger amputation slideshow – posted Dec. 11). For those of you with weaker stomachs there are also many great non-surgical photos. You can even find a few references and photos of me (posts begin Dec. 13). While I’m giving you some websites – I’ve recently added some more photos to my page: http://picasaweb.google.com/kerrylspencer.

Praise God for:

* FBC Pearland and Bartlett Baptist – for their service among the unreached of Burkina Faso.
* the safety and health the Lord has given us in recent weeks.
* sending His Son Jesus Christ to “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Please pray for:

* FBC Pearland as they prepare for future ministry in Burkina.
* Bartlett Baptist as they share Christmas with the Vigué people.
* the Vigué people - that the Lord would “open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18).
* Wade, Sherida, and us as we travel and minister together.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support. I pray you are making time to go beyond all the superfluity of the Christmas season to the foundation: celebrating the miraculous birth of the Son of God, God-Himself, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

Final thought:

When I give I give myself.

~ Walt Whitman

Just pics

Red dragonfly.

Waterfalls as the sun falls near Banfora.

Old-timer.

Young Fulani gal.

Burkina newsletter #32

Greetings from Burkina Faso! This past month we hosted another volunteer team on a vision trip to see the reality of lostness among the Komono and Dogosé peoples. A group from the Bifork Association of churches in northern Texas spent several days among these people and, as we have been, were overwhelmed by the needs they saw: physical and spiritual. They are now processing what they saw and are trying to discern how the Lord is leading them to respond to those needs. Please pray for God’s guidance for them. Similarly, another church from Texas (FBC Pearland) arrives tonight and will have a similar vision trip. The only difference is we plan to expose them to several different people groups. They will appreciate your prayers for guidance as well.

As most of you (those who live in the States) are in the midst of another Christmas season, I ask you to ponder places and peoples who have no Christmas season. It is not only that they do not have the cultural trappings of the holiday: Santa and the reindeer, candy canes, snowmen, Christmas trees, or multi-colored lights, for that would be no great shame. But they don’t have a celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Though many have heard of Jesus, and the Muslims even acknowledge Him as a great prophet, they do not know him as Savior and Lord. This is the reality for the majority of people in this country and in many countries around the world. And for people groups like the Vigue, there may not be a single person who has reason to celebrate Christmas this year. That is a tragedy. One that we want to change. That is why Bartlett Baptist church has already sent four teams to minister among the Vigue. That is why several ladies from that church have decided to spend this Christmas with the Vigue – to share the message of Christmas and salvation with them. As you celebrate Jesus’ birth this year, please pray for those who are not celebrating. And consider how God might use you to minister to them. Let us be thankful that we have something to celebrate – eternal life with the Lord, through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Praise God for:

* sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost.
* the Bifork Association, FBC Pearland, and Bartlett Baptist churches – for their interest in and commitment to the unengaged peoples of the world.

Please pray for:

* God to guide those from Bifork Association and FBC Pearland as they seek how the may serve Him in Burkina Faso.
* Bartlett Baptist church as they continue to minister among the Vigue.
* the Vigue people – that some would finally come to accept Jesus as Savior.

As always – thanks so much for your prayers and support. You may find some new photos at picasaweb.google.com/kerrylspencer. May your Christmas be joyous and heartfelt!

Final thought (as a Christmas bonus – an extra quote):

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?

~ G.K Chesterton

There has been only one Christmas – the rest are anniversaries.
~ W.J. Cameron