Dear loving, giving, and praying Friends,

Today is Mother’s Day—May 13, 2001. This morning in church our elementary choir sang about a mother’s love. Special days like Mother’s Day help us to look back and remember those whom God brought into our lives to help "bring us up." I (Kathy) thank God for my own mother who has gone on to be with the Lord. When I was with her, I knew she loved me and was one of my biggest supporters. I miss her. There were times, however, when my mother was not there. In God’s faithfulness, he brought other women into my life to "mother" me during my growing up years. One of those ladies is still alive and I want to honor her today for being there for me and for answering God’s call to show me a mother’s love when my own mother was unable to. Although this dear lady, Janet Cree, is in her mid-80s and I am in my mid-50s, she is still loving and mothering me from afar. She always sends me an encouraging note tucked in my birthday card, Christmas card, Easter card, and I just received a beautiful Mother’s Day card from her. Best of all, I know I am often in her prayers. I think that is when a mother’s love is most perfected—when we are praying for the children God has given us. One thing I am sure of (being a mother myself of four precious children) God hears and answers a mother’s prayer!

Today I want to introduce you to a couple of African mothers who need our prayers. The first one is Mrs. Charles Karanja who lives at Kijabe Town (just a few miles from us). On March 26 of this year her husband passed away with liver cancer, leaving her with nine children to care for. She is pictured here with her children, who are from ages 17 down to 2 years old. As you can imagine, each day is a struggle to find enough food to feed them. Providing school fees for all of them to go to school is almost an impossibility. Her oldest daughter had to quit school at 8th grade. Please pray that God would give her the courage and wisdom to bring up these children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Presently, the Rift Valley Academy (RVA) is sending maize and beans to help this family, but we know they have many needs.

Jim and I both covet your prayers as we continue on here at RVA trying to role-model and care for these children at RVA. Each of them is precious to the Lord, and we need Him to empower us daily for the ministry here.

We want to thank you for your prayers on our behalf through the years. We serve a heavenly Father that is a father and mother to us all. He knows each of us intimately and is able to meet our most intimate needs. I want to share with you a story of what happened this past week to one of our 7th grade dorm girls. Sarah, who already had a broken leg, fell while going down the stairs to her dorm. In order not to hurt her leg anymore she fell on her arm and it broke. She now has a broken leg and a broken arm (both on the left side). This little girl’s parents are missionaries in Mozambique. One of her friends in the dorm told their dorm mom she was angry at God that this happened and asked Him why he had not allowed her to be there to help when her friend fell. This little 7th grade girl told her dorm mom that God whispered to her, "I was there." Isn’t it wonderful how Jesus says "suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not—for such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

I pray on this Mother’s Day that you will once again become as a little child and crawl up in your heavenly Father’s lap and allow Him to "mother" you as only He can!

God bless and love you each one. Thank you again for your love, prayers, and support for this ministry in Kenya to the children of missionaries and our African brothers and sisters.

Jim is in Bristol, England, for two weeks of meetings. In June he will be traveling to the States to attend meetings in Pearl River, New York. We love you.

In His Arms,

Jim and Kathy Long

The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 38