Jambo! (Hello in Swahili)
We leave today for Kenya. Please pray for our team of 28 as we travel - that British Air won't go on strike and that the volcanic ash situation would not affect our travels. It is obvious that God has something powerful going on because of the potential satan has created to prevent us from doing our work.

This team has worked hard and raised over $90,000 to be ambassadors the next 2 weeks for Baylor and moreover for the cause of Christ. Here is the link to the KENYA SPORTS MINISTRY TEAM BLOG.
Enjoy our daily reports.
With love from a grateful heart,
Kim

New Lily

Every Friday beginning January 22nd, I have met with Yang "Lily" Huo. She is an international student from China who was in my graduate class in Facility and Event Management last fall. We have talked about Jesus and His Love each week. In week two, I gave her a Bible and she began to read in John. The Friday before Spring Break, I asked her if she wanted to pray to receive Jesus. She said "no" and told me that the next day was her birthday and the next day (Sunday) she would have a "new birth day." (Sidenote: after our meeting, I sent her an Facebook message in Chinese - thanks to Google translator :) ). This is a picture of Lily and me and below is the email I received on the following Monday.

Hey Kim, I follow Jesus last Sunday you know. I prayed to God "I am a sinner, I want you to save me and give me a new life. I know I still need to face lots of difficulties, but I am afraid anymore because I know you love me." A little boy baptized that day I am not. My friends said it is okay. So I think Jesus is already in my heart. But I still confuse about I am a Christian or not since I haven't baptized.


You are really amazing! You typed Chinese! How did you do that!? I love it! Thanks for your love! You are very important to me! I don't know why this happens in Waco, TX. I hated TX last semester. I didn't have friends and nobody cared about me. I suffered the most darkness life in my past 22 years. Every day , I dreamed to back to California where has many people love me. (I never homesick since I get 100% independence in US! My mother is a helicopter mother. HAHA) But new Lily was born in Waco, TX where she hated for a long time. But now, I don't hate Waco, TX anymore. I think God gave me that period of time is to build my personality for preparing step into the fierce society. And after suffering those painful life, I know what is the most important thing and cherish what I already get.

The new life is really warm and light. Thanks God's plan! Looking forward to seeing you after the break!
Lily

LENT 2010

Today is the day...the first time I have ever observed Lent. I have attended a Baptist church all of my life but never learned the "seasons of the Church" with regard to things common to the Catholic faith such as Advent, Epiphany, Fat Tuesday (which I commonly attached to Mardi Gras followed by Ash Wednesday (which is today) Lent, etc...so as we approached the Advent season (prior to Christmas) I began to wonder what it was really all about and began to study what I could find.

There are 40 days and 6 Sundays of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. It is widely considered a time of prayer and preparation prior to celebrating Easter. Forty represents the number of days Jesus walked in the wilderness and endured the temptation. My "lent partner" is MJ Jones...who introduced me to Catholic worship several weeks ago and coached me up on what is common practice and why. I have also enlisted several accountability partners just to check in with me. Accountability is the only way I know how to walk.

So, for my first year of observing Lent I chose the traditional fasting from desserts and sweets as a worshipful act of sacrifice. I also decided to forego all music and talk radio in the car when I am driving alone (to and from work or wherever). This silence will give me additional time to pray for those I do life with....family, friends, students, etc. As this came about I realized that I really rely on talk radio since I have a 25 minute commute to and from work. So, to replace that with prayer time will be a challenge but I am confident it will reap benefits far greater than being in the know on sports or politics or news. I am expectant and excited to see what all the Lord will do this season of Lent.

Lady Bear Hoops in State Farm Tip-Off Classic - BAYLOR OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Tomorrow is the State Farm Tip Off Classic. The Baylor Lady Bears will take on the Tennessee Lady Vols in Knoxville, TN. The tip off classic is usually two games; however, this year it is only one. It is the first regular season game for both top ten ranked teams. You can catch the game on ESPN2 at 4:02 pm CST. Sic'em Bears! Grrr! I BELIEVE!

It is a rare night when I don't have something BAYLOR to be present for...but the truth be known, we had a football game this afternoon and now I am hanging out at the cabin waiting for my houseguests to arrive - watching both battles of crimson and maroon - some Big 12 football (OU v TAMU) and some SEC football (MISS ST v Alabama). I do love college sports - especially since I work with college students. What they can accomplish on the field or court in addition to studying and going to class truly amazes me.

Here are a few pictures of me and some of the BU athletes that went to Kenya together this past summer. Lindsay Palmer and Melissa Jones play for the Lady Bear basketball team. They are in Knoxville, TN right now getting ready to open the season with the Lady Vols. God has something special going on in the Lady Bear locker room. I can't wait to see what all He has in store for this season and this team.



LJ Johnson and Lotto Smith play for the Lady Bear soccer team. They just finished their season in the Big 12 tournament. They made the tournament and had a good season all around. I will confess that I went to more soccer games this season than I have in my whole life combined. It truly makes a difference when you actually know the players.


MJ Jones, Lindsay Palmer and Bryan Swindoll (BU football) are here in a shot of "the back of the bus" which I cannot divulge what may or may not have happened back there, suffice it to say, these student-athletes know how to give their heart away and leave it all on the court or field, or in this case country. The other picture is of Wes Yeary, the sports chaplain for Baylor. He is our fearless leader. I could say alot of things about Wes, but for now I will simply put it just like the Bible - Wes loves others well. He sure does.

5 states, 4 months, 3 countries, 2 players, 1 God

Well, I have felt guilty for not blogging, guilty for not finishing the Kenya section, and guilty for not keeping in better touch...but today I am free...I am free to blog about the dozens of things I have done in the past (almost) 5 months I have not been blogging.



Let's start with a girls' trip to London in late June. My niece, McKenna, was turning 12 so I took her on her first overseas trip to the UK. My mom had never been "across the pond" so she came along. Ironically enough, when we bought tickets it was one child, one senior, and one adult. It has been a while since I considered myself the adult but that is just how it fell out...strickly on age. Ha!

We saw all the main sights in London from the Tower to the Eye to the Palace to the Hard Rock Cafe. We saw the Lion King and used the Tube for most of our travel. We also took a train to Scotland and saw the castle and bought some "Scott Plaid" to commemorate our ancestry. Scotland was beautiful. When we got back, we met some friends in London and surprised mom. Below is a picture of me with Amanda McGrath - a student who was on the Kenya trip that was in London when we were.

First week in October, Elizabeth and Walker Williams came to town to reconnect with old friends, see some BU football and we had an impromptu 2nd birthday party for Walker Paul Williams. If you scroll back two years, he was born here in Waco and lived the first 3 months of life right here in the Ponderosa. He has grown so much. He is so much fun!

In October, I went to Colorado for the Big 12 & Friends Conference and also met up with some old friends. Sherri Bearden Hutcheon from high school lives just south of Denver and Hope Rountree West, a friend from Kanakuk, lives in Highlands Ranch. It was so good to catch up with each of them and see how the Lord has worked in their lives. God is good. From Colorado, I flew straight to Springfield, MO to spend the weekend with a dear friend from Branson that I used to work at Kanakuk with ever summer. Trish Helsel is like me in that she used to coach and within one month of each other, we each switched out of coaching and teaching to what we are doing now. Our lives are parallel except that we don't live close and she is married with 3 kids - I'm not old enough for either of those! :)

The very next week, I flew to Michigan to see a former student / now friend whose husband is doing his residency in Michigan. We had a great time...the leaves were brilliant colors and we went to the "Big House" to see the Wolverines pulverize DSU...oooooohhhhhwwwwweeeee!! We also watch three of Madea's movies and just laughed hard. The weekend ended with some yummy gelato...the likes of which I had not tasted since a trip to Rome, Italy about 8 years ago.



Since that trip, we have had Baylor Homecoming and this past week - the beginning of basketball season....yeah baby. How I love the Lady Bears. This year is especially meaningful because I went to Kenya with Melissa Jones "MJ" and Lindsay Palmer along with several BU soccer players. This is going to be a fun season because I have seen not only their athleticism but also their hearts. More on that. So now you are caught up I hope the pics do justice to the glimpses I saw of God in nature as well as familiar faces.



God is Good - All the Time! All the Time - God is Good!

Kenya Day 4 & 10

"My dear boy, Walker,
I have thought of you today and thanked God for your young life, your loving mother, your strong father and the Christian legacy of your grandparents.

I am in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya to be exact. This morning we got up at 4:30 and left at 5:00 to go feed street children before the day unfolds. They are not supposed to be on the street in the daylight or they will be arrested. When we arrived we met about 30 young men, most of whom do not know their own birthday. They sleep on the street and gather bottles or papers to turn in for money. They take the money and buy glue to sniff so that they can get high to mask the hunger pangs. We shared some scriptures and prayed with them and gave them some milk and bread.

When I looked to the left, there were three moms each with a baby in her lap. The are all living on the street. There was Zan who had Baby Stacy (10 mo), Rachael had Baby James (14 mo) and Ann who had Baby Steven (18 mo). They fed their babies with the milk and bread and I prayed for each of them some of the same prayers I used to pray for you when you lived at the Ponderosa. It choked me up. It was hard to see these young kids who sleep in their mother's arm on the street in the cold.

My dear Walker, as you get up each day, hug your mother and kiss her and tell her how you love her. Hang onto you dad's leg or arm and feel his strength and thank him for working hard to provide for you every day.

And today, as your grandparents come to visit, love on them in your own way and tell them thank you for their love, encouragement and support. Zan was kicked out of her parents' home when she was 17 because she was pregnant with Stacy. Her parents have never seen the baby and are mad that she wasted all those school fees. So, hug your grandma and grandpa today for loving your mom so much.

Your mother has been schooled with two university degrees and she chooses to stay at home with you. That should tell you that you are loved. You are so important to all of us. Your life has beed designed by God and you are made in His image, just like little Stacy, James and Steven except that you have the advantage of love and hope. Hold on tight to Jesus for He has ordered your steps. He has called you to a special role. You are a lover of people. You have a heart of compassion. You will make a difference in this world.

I doubt if you will ever meet or play with Stacy or James or Steven this side of heaven; but just know that you will make a mark on this world for the name of Jesus.

I love you Walker Paul Williams. I love your parents and am grateful for the way they love and care for you. Give them all the love they can handle TODAY.
Your loving Aunt Kim"