Despite what we believe...

 God is in control.

 He makes it clear over and over again in the Bible that we can trust Him, yet we still question Him. I know that I was supposed to go to Africa so I went. Was my life at risk? To our gauge of common sense, yes, but Gods ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is perfect. His word says that He will lead us into all truth. So I took Him at his word and followed what I believe is what He wanted me to do and now here I am back home and alive. We must trust the Lord if we want to please Him.

 I trust His heart for me. It is safe to trust the Lord. He leads us beside still water. He restores our soul.

 The trip was amazing and I collected a lot of info. for future trips. I went there with a pretty open mind about what we would be doing and that proved to be the way that we needed to approach it.

 They said that in the past teams have come with there agenda of things that they wanted to do and so they just let them do what they wanted to do.

 Though we shared a lot with them. I feel like the people who where really impacted were us.

 They know scripture so well and live there faith out in such a way that I aspire to.

 I asked questions and  tried to find the heart of what was going on with the different organizations and programs. We witnessed so much that I had to write it down lest I forget.

 This blog sight wouldn't let me blog while I was over there, so I will over this next week try to blog some pieces here and there of events that took place.

 I will say this. God used this trip to smooth out some of my rough edges. 

 He continues to humble me as I learn more about His heart for us. We are not to stand by and watch life happen. I believe that God wants us to engage in life. Life in the church. We must know His word well. "In the begin God was the word",  to know Him I believe we must know His word. 

 I will write to you soon...

Kim writing; on behalf of Kyle...

Kyle asked that I FORWARD you the breakdown of his trip over the past few days. This is a recap written by his team.

We just arrived at the guest house in Kitale after leaving the Pokot.  The trip was bumpy, but the scenery was beautiful through the mountains.  The Pokot are a primative and tribal group.   They raise cattle, goats, and corn.  They do not eat the cows as that is their currency, and they cannot preserve that much meat.  

 
We saw the well the New Life sponsored.  Since then, 4 additional wells have been drilled throughout their land for a total of 6.  The Pokot have donated some land to City Harvest for a church, and other buildings as they see fit.  City Harvest will eventually have their own well, but it is not drilled yet.  
 
The Pokot were eager to learn and were very welcoming.  They are in need a full time missionary, church, secondary school, preschool, and basic knowledge on farming (other than corn) and hygiene/ health.  A team of 6 people from City Harvest joined us on the trip.
 
We had no health concerns except some sunburn and a sore throat.  A few of us even drank from a well with no problem (yet).  We travel back to Nairobi in the morning. 

Kyle will try to write again soon but he says computers are hard to come by among Rhino's and Monkey's.  :) Kim

Hello from Africa...

We arrived safely last night and I just got to pray with a guy on the side of the road that his mother would be healed.  We went to a market this morning sponsored by City Harvest.   Everything was made by the people in the HIV/ AIDS support group and they distribute all proceeds to the members.  The flight was good but a little rough in some spots; my heart is bothering me a little more than usual today so please continue to pray.  I feel that I am exactly where God wants me to be and don't question at all making this decision to be here.

Goodbye American...

comforts.

 Hello discomfort for the sake of Christ. I count it all joy friends when I face trials of many kinds for it develops perseverance and faith.

 Even this morning my chest hurts. I am faced with the reality that the aneurysm could break. I am not being brave at this point(or stupid), I am trusting in what I believe the Lord has told me.

 Yes he still speaks. Through the Bible, other christ followers, heck He has even spoken through an ass.

 I trust Him with my whole heart, I lean not on my own understanding. I believe that I will be healed and given a new heart. I ask Him to search me and know my heart. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

 I would encourage all of you who have not made Jesus Lord of your life. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

 Where do you get your peace? Where do you get your joy? If it isn't Jesus Christ, it will fade. That is not a question.

 He has come so that we may have life and have life to the full. 

 

 My wife and parents are on board with this choice the go to Africa and they believe as well that there will be a miracle. When there is know that it was because of Jesus.

 Goodbye American comforts.

Life is so short...

 and we know so little. Time tells the story that we attempt to tell prematurely.

Only God know all things. Only He knows what tomorrow brings and how to bare the burdens that are on my shoulders.

 God is so faithful. Neither death or life can separate us from the love of God.

 Its so funny I always wondered what I would do in this situation of being faced with a potentially life altering decisions. Trust God and what I believe He called me to and to be where He called me to be or trust man.

 I will tell you this. It is not because I am brave that I am deciding to go through with this trip to Africa. 

 I am going through with this trip to Africa because I finally trust Him with my whole life and want nothing if not to please Him. It is not about being a super Christian, it is simply about trusting Him everyday. 

 I need You Jesus more than ever. It hurts. I trust that You God are healing me and setting me free for my good and Your glory.

 We leave tomorrow I will see you all again. God is good. He knows.

I can feel my heart beat...

in my whole body.

 Just wanted to communicate more of the things that are and have been going on in the natural.

 Yesterday I went to see the surgeon. Accompanied by my close friend Jordan, we went to face the music and listen to the expected bad news that we assumed we would hear.

 When the RN for the Surgeon placed the stethoscope up against my chest yesterday, she all but jumped and said "Wow!"

 She explained that there is a rating system that they judge the sound of the heart by to determine how bad or good it is 1-6. 1 being good 6 being very bad.  She said that I am an easy 4-5.

 She was very personable and I was grateful to have someone who cared be the one to give me such a bad report.

 After preparing me for many of the realities that the Surgeon would bring to the table when he came in Amy left and the Surgeon came entered the room.

 He was a pleasant enough man, though seemingly young to be among some of the supposed 'best in the city'. He was well spoken and very informative. He explained that what I need is a new valve and a new aorta, that it is most likely genetic and that we are "lucky that we found it now at my age in someone like me who is very active". My aorta is extremely enlarged and ready for surgery now. 

 "Here are your options" he said, " ... artificial or tissue."

 He then began to unpack what each option looked like.

 Artificial-  a mechanical valve and aorta that is almost but not quite as hard as a diamond.

It is a one time open heart surgery  and it lasts a lifetime.

Here is the catch. I couldn't snow-board, rock-climb, mountain bike, kayak. Basically I would need to stay away from anything dangerous or anything that could make me bleed because I would be on a very strong blood thinner the rest of my life. 

 Tissue- once the tissue valve and aorta ,which the origin of the tissue is unclear, is placed in me. I am "normal" for about five years. Then they break open my chest cavity and have to replace it because the shelf life is only five years in someone of my age.

 I told the Dr. that I would think about these options but that I was and I am believing God for a miracle.

 Ok there are the facts...

 

 

Pray...

 I was cleared to go to Africa. 

  My wife, the team and my family all have peace about me going around the world.

 I was assessed for surgery today. They didn't offer good news.  I will update you all accordingly.

 But trust me when I say PRAY. We are praying for Healing and that is exactly what it will take.

  I am trusting our living Lord Jesus Christ for a miracle; I know that all of this sounds crazy to some of you. So again, I am glad that this is not you.  May  all your faith and trust in Jesus be increased. He is the same yesterday today and forever.  There is a bigger story going on here. This existence is not just about us. I pray the His Kingdom come and His will be done.

Wisdom and discernment must be used...

 in this next 72 hours. Will the pastoral staff and the surgeons make me stay home? I am open and have nothing to prove in going. If the pastoral staff of our church is to uneasy then I don't have to go. I am still planning on it and headed towards it until I am told to do otherwise.

 I am going to meet with the surgeon right now.

 It is interesting to me that not many of you have encouraged me to trust the Lord.

 All of you have been very supportive so far and I do choose to trust the Lord with all of my heart with out doubting that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. Because He knows the plans He has for me plans for a hope and a future. God is the faithful God and trustworthy to the end.

The Dr.'s reality...

was discovered. My aortic valve we knew needed replaced. That was never a question. We knew we needed to get it done quick because I was already showing symptoms and we wanted to above all else get it before I  had  an aneurysm which is most often resulting in death (John Ridder just past away because of this).

 Yesterday we discovered that we are to late for this. 

 I have already had the aneurysm. It just didn't tear or burst. 

 So I am literally 'living on a prayer.' (I know you all loved that song)

 I am scheduled to leave in six days to fly around the world and be there for seventeen days. 

 Kimberly is having a hard time with this, understandably.

 The Dr.'s are ready to book me for the open-heart surgery, but Africa...

 I trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not on my own undersanding. I choose to acknowledge Him and trust that He will direct my paths.

 

Don't mean to be Debbie Downer but...

 I just found out a couple of weeks ago that my heart is not working properly.

The Aortic valve has shut down completely and has calcified. This translates for us laypersons into ' I need a new one'.

 Yes this is a big deal... I am 26... My wife and I are doing better than we ever have... I am finally heading in the direction with my life that I have always wanted to... I see light at the end of the tunnel and now? Now this? This thing that I can't control? This thing that is out of my hands? 

 I am not being dramatic friends. I have been instructed to not get my heart rate up at all.

 I hear some of you responding, 'that isn't fair!'.

 To you I would say this" it isn't you that this is happening to", but if it were what would you do?What do you believe? Where do you stand? 

 

 I am still leaving for Africa in seven days and I trust the One and Only Savior JESUS to take care of me in whatever way  He sees fit.  I am believing for a miracle.

  However, if my heart stops beating now, don't worry about where I am going. I promise He is the way the Truth and the Life and I will be going to a place that He is making ready for me.

 To those of you who know me and to those of you who don't. This is me and where I stand.

 I guess we had better be right about what we believe...

Cheers

Kyle

 

Who are we to think that one person or even a small group of people can make a difference?

  I wrestle with this question and will always wrestle with it.

Who am I that I would make a difference?

 I can sit comfortably in this tension. I love people and they move my heart. So I am paying alot of money to go around the world to see if I make a difference to a person. A person and not to mention a small group of people have made a huge impact on me multiple times, and so we go. There will be nine. Nine of us from all walks of life, going around the world to love people.

 Now something tangible that I would like to see is what kind of produce can be grown in this region of Kenya.

 

 I did a test in a little plot of fill dirt in my back yard with basil.

 I had children plant three rows of basil with little to no help by me.

 It grew and it tastes good. 

 Now it wasn't "organic" soil, but it is what I have available. 

 People in Africa have what they have and so the ? is how can we help them be more sustainable with what they have? We are not looking to recreate the wheel that is already turning. We simply want to add to.

 I leave a week from today and am full of anticipation of the ways we will get to love these people.  This blog space will hopefully be where you can find the process in which I am in, on a semi-regular basis.