Missions Update

I sent out an email containing an attachment with this letter in it. I thought I'd post it on here to give an overview for all who read this!

Introduction
When God put a desire on my heart to go places beyond my experiences or imagination, I believe he also had expectations of me to live a life beyond that which can ever be predictable. It has been a blessing to have you in partnership with me in all that God is working through me. I wish to tell you that none of it has been without immense gratitude in my heart for the prayers and financial dedications you have provided. I am eager to hear how God has returned the blessing to you because of your support with-in the past 18 months. I want to share with you a review of what the Lord has done through me the past year and a half.

The Past 18 Months

In June of 2005 you helped me board a plane to Kara, Togo for 6 weeks as an intern with the Kabiye Missions team. While in West Africa I spent a full month in language learning with the 8 other interns that accompanied me for the summer. This experience taught me the constructs of many African languages, often using letters not in our own 26-letter alphabet.
Following 6 weeks in the heart of Kabiye land living with the missionaries on the field, I hopped in a truck and rode 19 hours north to survey the Dogon people of Mali of their receptivity to the Gospel. This trip immersed me into a culture that was 80% Islamic and only 10% Christian. Through this experienced I gained a greater understanding of the power the Gospel can portray in such a strong Islamic community. The experience of being on survey also taught me the process of planning and executing a venture into a land where I am an alien.
Upon my return to the states I began my last semester of school at Harding University. In October I was invited by two very experienced missionaries, Amos Allen and O’Neal Tankersley, to return to the area they planted churches for 19 years. I accepted the invitation on a step of faith, trusting God would provide for me if it were His will. Indeed, within a 2 month period you helped send me back to Africa in January of 2006. I spent almost a month traveling from Nairobi, Kenya across to Kigali, Rwanda.
My second trip to Africa taught me many valuable lessons on the phases of missions in East Africa. Many of the churches I visited in Kenya were 5-15 years old. I was able to experience the long-term affects of different mission’s approaches in a matter of 5 days in the Eldoret region of Kenya. Not many other places in all of Africa is this possible, but your support gave me the opportunity. After my time in Kenya I ventured across other parts of East Africa experiencing the facilitation of different mission works in Jinja, Uganda; Kampala, Uganda; Mbarrara, Uganda; and Kigali, Rwanda.
The work I observed in Western Kenya was begun in the late 1970’s, where as my time in Rwanda was spent with missionaries Dave and Jana Jenkins who had just moved to Kigali less than a year prior to my coming. This amazing spectrum of missions from 1970’s to the present has given me a unique perspective on tested and tried mission’s principles throughout all of East Africa. Thank you so much for taking me there.




Looking Ahead
September 2, 2006 marked my life long commitment to Sara Beth Ritchie. Sara is a dedicated woman of God who has agreed to follow my lead where ever God takes us. Little does she know how much her trust in God has inspired me to take my faith above and beyond what it was prior to my meeting her. Sara Beth and I have both committed to pursue a dream God has shared with each of us… full-time mission work in Rwanda, Africa.
October 14, 2006 marked another significant event in our lives as God confirmed his plans for us by providing three other families committed to the work in Rwanda with us. Little has been determined in the development of our team, however I want to invite you to begin praying for this great blessing. We have, however, set a target launch date of August of 2008. Over the next two years Sara and I will be traveling the country in search of congregations and individuals willing to partner with us in this long-term mission work to the people of Rwanda.
If you know of any churches searching for a partnership in the work of the Gospel outside of America, please feel free to contact me. If you know of someone who would like to receive this Quarterly newsletter please tell them to contact us at the information provided below.


Because of Jesus,



Thomas and Sara Ritchie