Tip of the Week-- October 2, 2014

Starting a new series here on the blog.  On the recommendation of a good friend (thanks Erin Krause), I'll be offering a tip of the week, inspired by my real life experiences, every Thursday.  They will hopefully make you laugh (and maybe occasionally reflect), but the real goal will be to get you to come to this space to see the prayer requests.  

So with no further ado, the tip of the week:

I know it SOUNDS like a good idea, but do not attempt to take picture frames in your luggage.   No matter how well you think you’ve packed them, they will not make it past the baggage handlers.  Those people break things for a living.  You just end up with nothing to hang your pictures in and shards of glass in your shorts.

Prayer requests of the week:

1. Praise the Lord for a good trip back.  Flights went well and all my luggage arrived. (Well, the picture frames didn't do so well...)  Continue to pray as I settle in to life and work here.

2. There is a great deal happening at the hospital right now, as it is malaria season and a busy time for the delivery room as well.  Unfortunately, our staff isn't immune to all this either.  Pray for their health and stamina.

3.  Pray for those of us in administrative positions at the hospital.  Pray that we would have lots of wisdom as we work toward the future of what the hospital will become.

4. Pray for the nursing department as we look into restructuring the way we run the administrative side of things.  Pray that the Lord would raise up leaders among our Malian nurses to take some key leadership positions.

5. Praise the Lord that the three young man I was discipling before leaving for the States in April all seem to be growing in their faith.  Continue to pray for Adama, Issa, and Khalifa.  Also, pray that I would be effective as I reconnect with some of the young men that have been asking questions about faith and a relationship with the Lord.

6. Pray for a young man who works at the hospital.  He has faced several difficult challenges in recent months and is receiving very little support from his extended family, due to the fact that he is a beliver.  Pray that we would be able to find good solutions for the challenges facing him, and also that he'd reamin strong in his walk with the Lord.