Dear Friends in Christ,

Back when we started deputation in February of 1998, we tried to set a
realistic goal of completing deputation in two years or less.  We believe
God will help us meet that goal.  This week our plane tickets arrived,
and we are scheduled to depart for Kenya on January 17, 2000, which is
within our goal.  God truly is GOOD as the Psalmist clearly states in
Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the LORD is GOOD: blessed is the man
that trusteth in Him."

As we head to Kenya, pray that we will keep our hearts in full surrender
to God so that He can use us to the fullest extent.  It would certainly
be a waste of precious mission dollars if we allowed our hearts to become
cold and unsurrendered.  Your faithful prayer for missionaries, supplies
the necessary undergirding for the work of Christ to go forward in these
needy fields.  Our pastor made a great comment along these same lines the
other day. He said, "Financial support allows a missionary to live on the
field, but PRAYER support allows the missionary to accomplish a
lasting work for God."  How true that is!

Upon our arrival in Kenya, we will be assisting the Simonsens, a family
from our home church.  The Lord has used them in a great way during their
11 years of service in Kenya.  We look forward to learning much church in
an area about 35 minutes out of Nairobi.  The church is called Jumapili
Baptist Church.  The Lord has been doing some exciting things in that
young work.  They have been averaging nearly thirty adults (as well as a
number of children) each week.  Since the beginning of the church, they
have been meeting in a temporary meeting place, but just recently the
Lord has provided a small parcel of land for them to purchase and put up
their own meeting place.  Pray that God will continue to develop a strong
core of people within that young church.

Several weeks ago we sent all our paper work over to Brother Simonsen so
that he could get our work permit application started before we get
there.  He e-mailed me this week and said it is possible for our work
permit applications to be finalized within the next couple of weeks.
Please pray that they would go through!  These work permits are what
allow us to live and minister in the country of Kenya.

For those of you who like to correspond by e-mail, our e-mail address now
and when we move to Kenya is as follows:
<mrains@mail.baptistworldmission.org>.  Our regular mailing address in
Kenya is as follows:  P.O. Box 38 - Thika, Kenya.  Also, any
correspondence sent to our home church or mission will be forwarded on to
us.

Your servants to Kenya,
Michael, Tina, & Ashlyn Rains.