We have official dates, and its sooner than we thought!! It is SOO exciting! I will be gone June 25th through July 22nd. It looks like we will leave from Faulker on June 25th early in the morning to get to Atlanta in order to check in and go through security. We will then fly out from there to start our trip at 1:20pm. We will land back in Atlanta on July 22nd at 9:55pm and drive back home. We will fly with both American Airlines and British Airlines on this trip.

There are 6 students and 2 adults officially going right now, and 1 student who may be able to make it to join our group…. so we are smaller in number than the past years. But we are each ready to go and would leave tomorrow if we could. I ask humbly for the prayers of each of us by name.

                             The men: Clay Jones, Daniel Kelly and Richard Trull                                The women: Corinne Faneus, Chelsea Janning, Lacee Sewell, Marinda Trull and Bella Epps.

We will indeed be working with the KTC (Kenya Training Center) and will be working in construction the first few days, our work will range from painting to putting on a new roof. On Saturdays and Sundays we will be in the villages providing a VBS like camp for the children. We are going to try to pull together a youth meeting for all the older kids, but not sure how that will work out because the teens will still be in school for most of our trip. I am excited because at least 1 day if not more each of us (from the team) will be paired up with a Kenyan (same sex obviously) and we will go into their villages, their homes and their lives for the day…. we will get to learn the ins and outs of their cultures and develop bonds with them that I am sure will break my heart as I say goodbye.

It looks like most of the problems in Northern Kenya have calmed down, and it is virtually peaceful… so much so that other student missionaries have already gone into that area and started spreading the gospel. Some of them will meet up with us for a week of our trip, but most of them are working extra hard to bring the good news while the peace is on their side.

Our total price for the trip has gone up about $200 because of gas and oil prices, but I am faithfully praying that the Lord will bring the money and am trusting Him that He will pull this whole thing together for this trip. I know things will fall into place, and the closer we get to leaving the more nervous I am about the whole thing… but I am trying to faithfully hand it ALL over to Him and trust in His plan.

So according to my count that means I will be on a plane out of here in:

82 days!!

OH MY GOSH!! IT IS SO CLOSE!! I covet everyone’s prayers even more now and I ask fervently that you will continue to pray without ceasing for us!

We will have one more super in depth meeting sometime in April with a detailed itinerary of the trip, our specific duties, dress code, cultural differences, etc to get us all ready for this trip. I will definitely keep everyone updated on that meeting as well as through out the trip. Where we will be staying has an Internet Cafe in the lower level so I will be able to keep my blog updated (if the sheer excitement and exhaustion don’t get to me first) so everyone at home will be able to see the trip as it unfolds. I will also be able to receive and send out emails from my account: faulknerkid@charter.net If anyone wants to be added to a mailing list for updates on this trip, please either leave me a comment here or email your name and email addy to me [please make sure to tell me you want to be added to the Kenya updates] and I will set it up to sent out updates (as I can).

Once again I thank each and everyone of you that have sent or are sending me donations in advance as well as humbly thanking each of you for the countless prayers that have been said over this incredible journey. I ask only that the prayers will not cease and that you will not forget that this is ALL for the Glory of Christ and for the growing of His Kingdom! Do not forget the meaning of this trip please, it is NOT a vacation in my mind… this is my duty and I gratefully take the responsibility.