Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Kevin Olson

image004 Thank you so much for your prayers for the work and the ministry in Uganda and India.

After two weeks in Uganda, this is the fourth day in India.

There were some great encouragements in Uganda that I would like to update you on and the training in India was in session the morning after arrival.

Before more updates, some prayer requests include:

- The flooding of the Krishna river in the state of Andra Pradesh is very severe. It has never reached these levels. One large hydroelectric dam has opened all of its flood gates but the incoming water is double the outflow. The water could begin going over the dam before the peak flow hits. Water has already entered the dam and the power has been shut down. Literally hundreds of thousands of people are moving to temporary shelters. Thankfully there have been relatively few deaths. The town, Porta Lanka, that the church we were to visit today is being evacuated, so we won’t be going there. Other AFLC churches along the river’s path are also of concern.

- Our family has also been experiencing spiritual warfare. Everyone of us in our own area of weakness has had to deal with something. Somehow those type of things encourage me more than discourage me. It means that ministry is happening and that the battle to be won is the Lord’s and not something I need to worry about.

Here are a couple of people that I want to give you a snap shot of.

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The first is Chris, he was Nate and Rhoda’s gardener. From age 13 on he has been away from home, earning a living on his own and even providing for his family. His history is rough, with illness and problems, but in the same way the Lord has been working in and through him. He was miraculously cured and given a new start on life. This past June he and Sarah were married. They did well to have both the traditional African introduction and the Christian marriage at the same time. Marriage has it’s own challenges as it did for Chris and Sarah, but God is good and has carried them through that as well. Last week, Sarah and her mother-in-law were going to one of three funerals in his family. The motorcycle tipped over and Sarah broke her arm.

Even though he has faced more trials than most of us can imagine, God has carried him through them all and the Lord is using him as a young man to teach and lead pastors that are twice his age. Pray for him and the ministry the Lord is doing through him.