Dear Praying Friends,

Living as a missionary at Kijabe, Kenya, has its ups and downs. Especially since we live on the side of a mountain. As we walk to the Rift Valley Academy administration building each morning, our eyes behold a beautiful sight: to our right is a valley dominated by a dormant volcano named Mt. Longonot. Many beautiful sunsets have been enjoyed by staff and students through the years. When God created the place called Kijabe (which means "Place of the Winds" in Masai) he did a majestic job.

As Superintendent and Assistant to the Administrators, every day we are greeted by "Hi, Uncle Jim" or "Hi, Aunt Kathy" from RVA students who board here. They are here separated from their parents because their parents have a call of God on their lives to serve as missionaries in East Africa. Their parents come from over 65 different mission boards and serve in over 40 countries in Africa, but we are all one in Jesus Christ. Last term we were dorm parents to 15 seventh-grade girls in Swala Dorm.

The Lord has done a beautiful thing in bringing the missionary community and African community together in this place. One day Kiragu, who has been a friend of ours for a long time, came to us because he was concerned that the house of one of his neighbors was falling down. He asked if we would be willing to help raise money to build her a new, sturdy one. He said if we would provide the materials, her neighbors would provide the labor.

The Kikuyu people live all around us here at RVA. Our students take up offerings and do work projects to help people in the local community. Our students often visit the Mai Mahiu Secondary School in the valley below us. It is three years old, and each year we have been able to help them add a grade to their school. Kenyans go by Form I, II, III and IV, instead of grades 9,10,11 and 12. This month we are raising money to help them put up a building for Form IV as well as buy equipment for their laboratory.

Our days at RVA are filled with many meaningful interactions with staff, students, and the local community. We praise the Lord for sending us 35 new and returning staff to make up for the 35 staff who either terminated or went on home assignment in July. It was quite a job to see that each new staff member was met at the airport, set up in a house, and oriented to life at Kijabe. Although our new staff are not as experienced, there is a real spirit of unity on the campus and we are thankful for the good beginning of the school year we have had. It was exciting to hear each of their stories of how the Lord led them to RVA! How we praise Him for His faithfulness.

We have many new students here this year as well. Parents come up to the office on arrival day in order to check their children in. For some of them it is the first time they have left their children in boarding school. I was once again reminded of what a tremendous privilege and responsibility God has given us when one of the mothers looked at me before she left and said, "Take care of my babies!" Tears welled up in my eyes as I felt the pain of separation from those that we love. My heart went out to her. I whispered a prayer for both of us. "With the Lord's help, we will," I managed to answer her.

Jim and I are really looking forward to being back in Indiana from December to mid-April for home assignment. We appreciate what you have done these past three years in order to keep us on the mission field. We hope to be able to share in our supporting churches who have so faithfully supported us.

We also have some exciting family times coming up: Our daughter Bethany plans to get married December 4 and our son Zachary's wedding is scheduled for December 18. They have waited until we get home to get married and we are grateful for that.

If you would like to have us share in your church while we are home, please contact Rita Buchanan, executive secretary at First Presbyterian Church in Kokomo, Indiana. She will be making appointments for us. Before we sign off we want to share with you the fact that Kenya is once again in the midst of a food shortage. The people around us are hungry. If you would like to help alleviate hunger in Africa, you might consider a contribution to the ECO (Extra Commitment Opportunity) #865101, "Hunger and Human Development in Africa." Contact Judith Rodriguez in the Presbyterian Hunger Program for more details: (502) 569-5828.

We are looking forward to a time of refreshing while we are home in the States in the near future and pray the Lord will enable us to be able to share with you what He is doing here in Kenya. Until then, may the Lord grant you His peace and comfort for each day's labor

Because of His love and faithfulness,

Jim and Kathy Long