*** February - pray for Madyline, Harrison and Avery. A lot.
*** February - only one week until Trace says goodbye to Burundi. She'll spend 2 weeks in South Africa, connecting with friends and family, and then journey back to the United States to begin what it looks like to provide a stable place for the kids, who have been kind of struggling in this transition. Pray for a house to rent/ or an opportunity to purchase in the school district the kids are already established in. That is the first step to structure and peace.
*** February - Turame staff retreat is coming up Feb 17-18. Pray for great communication and a unified focus.
*** February - you can pray for the IT guy Billy is training. Pray he is eager to learn and excited to implement what he has learned. Pray that Billy's hard work here these last few months will come to a good transition to this local man taking over the IT department and Billy moves from training to assisting.
*** February - 1-3 Trace is doing some training and traveling for photography with YFC Burundi this week. Pray for great communication and for my learners to "get it" because I'm not that great at teaching computer skills!
***February - only 5 weeks till Trace is back in Michigan with the kids - this time to stay. Billy will continue in Burundi till June-ish. Pray with during this next season of separation. And for things to go smoothly in the US - we'll need a house and a car and for our income to continue till Billy returns. Oh yeah, and we are praying for a job for him when he returns in the summer too.
*** January - Samkelo (or "Sam" as he now wants to be called) is officially in the Olive Tree school! He's started on a 2/3 grade level and is doing GREAT. I've even got reports that he nailed his first spelling test of the year. This from a child who was learning his letters when we started working together last year. So proud of him. Continue to pray for his progress and for his teacher, Davina, as she has 16 children in her precious school that all need individual attention.
*** January - continue to pray for our kids. I hear voices getting tired of living in transition and longing for Billy and I to be home and things to be stable once again.
*** January - Trace is traveling for 5 days to do photo story-telling with an organization here in Burundi. Pray for safety, for technical and creative savvy and for her to be able to see God's good work through this country.
*** December - there are many changes going on in the Turame offices. This last week 3 department directors were let go - the directing manager resigned and is traveling back to the US - and a valued intern's time here was finished. Pray with us as a new interim directing manager moves to Burundi in Jan with his wife - and as Turame looks for the right candidate to permanently fill that position. Pray as each family that has ended their season with Turame begins to move into what is next.
*** December - praying for Trace to find her feet here in Burundi. For opportunities to use her giftings in photography to help NGOs tell their own stories in Burundi to open up. Or else for her to find peace in the peacefulness of staying home and simply supporting Billy and having time to sit at the feet of Jesus, which is a beautiful and noble thing in it's own right.
*** February - only one week until Trace says goodbye to Burundi. She'll spend 2 weeks in South Africa, connecting with friends and family, and then journey back to the United States to begin what it looks like to provide a stable place for the kids, who have been kind of struggling in this transition. Pray for a house to rent/ or an opportunity to purchase in the school district the kids are already established in. That is the first step to structure and peace.
*** February - Turame staff retreat is coming up Feb 17-18. Pray for great communication and a unified focus.
*** February - you can pray for the IT guy Billy is training. Pray he is eager to learn and excited to implement what he has learned. Pray that Billy's hard work here these last few months will come to a good transition to this local man taking over the IT department and Billy moves from training to assisting.
*** February - 1-3 Trace is doing some training and traveling for photography with YFC Burundi this week. Pray for great communication and for my learners to "get it" because I'm not that great at teaching computer skills!
***February - only 5 weeks till Trace is back in Michigan with the kids - this time to stay. Billy will continue in Burundi till June-ish. Pray with during this next season of separation. And for things to go smoothly in the US - we'll need a house and a car and for our income to continue till Billy returns. Oh yeah, and we are praying for a job for him when he returns in the summer too.
*** January - Samkelo (or "Sam" as he now wants to be called) is officially in the Olive Tree school! He's started on a 2/3 grade level and is doing GREAT. I've even got reports that he nailed his first spelling test of the year. This from a child who was learning his letters when we started working together last year. So proud of him. Continue to pray for his progress and for his teacher, Davina, as she has 16 children in her precious school that all need individual attention.
*** January - continue to pray for our kids. I hear voices getting tired of living in transition and longing for Billy and I to be home and things to be stable once again.
*** January - Trace is traveling for 5 days to do photo story-telling with an organization here in Burundi. Pray for safety, for technical and creative savvy and for her to be able to see God's good work through this country.
*** December - there are many changes going on in the Turame offices. This last week 3 department directors were let go - the directing manager resigned and is traveling back to the US - and a valued intern's time here was finished. Pray with us as a new interim directing manager moves to Burundi in Jan with his wife - and as Turame looks for the right candidate to permanently fill that position. Pray as each family that has ended their season with Turame begins to move into what is next.
*** December - praying for Trace to find her feet here in Burundi. For opportunities to use her giftings in photography to help NGOs tell their own stories in Burundi to open up. Or else for her to find peace in the peacefulness of staying home and simply supporting Billy and having time to sit at the feet of Jesus, which is a beautiful and noble thing in it's own right.
*** December - continue to pray for safety for Billy and Trace in Bujumbura. The capital city of Burundi has been experiencing some violent attacks lately by unknown rebels. Accounts vary - and it's hard to know who the good guy and who the bad guys are. It seems though that the world is bracing for a political revolt and as much as we trust in the loving hand of God, we'd rather not be caught in a man-driven revolution.
*** November - pray continually for Madyline, Harrison and Avery. Pray that they will be surrounded by insightful, God-loving people who will stand in for Billy and I in our absence. Pray they will make the right choices even when no one is looking. Pray that they will have a deep desire for God and his goodness.
*** November - Samkelo is officially going to Olive Tree school in the new year! What an amazing opportunity for him. Pray with us that the teacher, my dear friend Davina, has the patience, creativity and wisdom to draw him out and help him learn to fill the shoes of the boy God originally created him to be before life got ahold of him.
*** November - back to the doctor for Trace. Thyroid levels are low and we are suspecting adrenal fatigue again. This time we have enlisted the services of a well known holistic doctor in Michigan who specializes in endocrine and hormone imbalances. The treatment is costly and feels slow - but we pray for complete healing instead of putting bandaids on the symptoms that seem to not be able to resolve themselves. It's been over 2 years of struggle now.
*** November - back to the doctor for Trace. Thyroid levels are low and we are suspecting adrenal fatigue again. This time we have enlisted the services of a well known holistic doctor in Michigan who specializes in endocrine and hormone imbalances. The treatment is costly and feels slow - but we pray for complete healing instead of putting bandaids on the symptoms that seem to not be able to resolve themselves. It's been over 2 years of struggle now.
*** March - pray for children. I've heard so many stories in the past few days of children suffering from abuse and neglect. Children dealing with so much more than they should ever have to bear. Children who are already parents, to their own babies, to each other, to their own parents.
*** ***
*** August - still trying to figure out finances. Is this a monthly struggle for most missionaries? Sometimes I feel like I need to be a full time fundraiser or marketer - but to do that, I take away from time and energy of living in to my community and doing what we came here to do. On one hand, it's good to not have things comfortably set - because then we have the potential of taking it all for granted. With the way things are, we are daily aware of God's provisions and ever fully grateful for the generosity of his people who give month after month and hold us here. But, yeah, it's also a bit exhausting sometimes to just have no idea. I'm not sure if I'd like for you to pray for our finances to raise above sea level - or to pray for me to stop worrying and learn to simply live contentedly in what we have available each month. Probably a little bit of both.
and always-
***wisdom, love and grace that flows from the deepest of places and saturates every piece of our lives.
***For strong opportunities to emerge for the people of Zandspruit - not only to step out of poverty, but to grow stronger in character, personal giftings and knowledge and love of the Lord.
*** For fluidity and unity between the center, local leaders, volunteers, government, and local and international partnerships.
*** For the DiCocco children – it’s hard enough being a teenager without adding all that it is to start a life in international ministry. and for DiCocco parents. Who knew being a parent of teenagers was so complicated? Pray that we'll guide them well, love them well, help them well.
*** and that above all – in everything and through everything we do – God is glorified.
