2019 Pittsley Post 2

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Waypoint 1: Michigan

Josiah Other Youth at InterCity

Since our return to the United States about five weeks ago, we have been serving in several areas:

First, we have continued to serve at our home church in Nairobi. Through online calls, Jenny and I have continued to meet with two couples for their pre-marital counseling. I have also been able to sit in on an elders’ meeting to discuss and strategize about church-planting opportunities in Nairobi.

Second, we have been meeting informally with Detroit area pastors to reconnect and to update one another in our respective ministries and to think about possible ways that we can continue to seek partnerships for the sake of the progress of the gospel in Kenya.

Third, we have had several formal meetings with churches to report what the Lord has been doing in Kenya. We've visited our three supporting churches in the area: First Baptist Church, Lake Orion; Community Bible Church, Trenton; and InterCity Baptist Church, Allen Park. I'm thankful for opportunities to preach and teach adults during the Sunday school hour in addition to sharing a summary of our missionary work in Kenya from the last several years.

We will be travelling to Virginia this weekend for a quick trip to a supporting church in the Richmond area. Please pray for safe travel and fruitful meetings, both with the church and with individual members who have invited us to more personal meetings.

Our Ride at First Baptist Church, Sterling Heights

After a final week here in Michigan on a family retreat with InterCity, we’ll be moving to the Syracuse area where we’ll stay to report to our church partner there.

Pray for us as being away from our home in Kenya, our normal routine, and our beloved church family has stretched us physically and spiritually. Pray that the Lord would help us make the most of this opportunity as we seek to serve him in any way he chooses.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers for us!

Goodbyes—and Hellos

The first week of May marked the end of our final semester of classes before returning to the States to report to our church partners. We are looking forward to time with friends and family we haven't seen for some time, but we're also sad to leave our church family here.

During the second week of May, I worked through oral exams with my students. It is always gratifying to see how well the students who give themselves to their studies do in answering difficult questions from Scripture.

Next came our strategic planning meeting with Pastor Doran. He and Pastor Ben Edwards came from our sending church to help EABST think through what it needs to do to continue improving as a school for pastors in Nairobi. Two Kenyan pastors also attended the meetings, and their input was indispensable. I'm so grateful for everyone's insight and help, and our team is eager to implement what we've learned.

After a brief team retreat to Lake Nakuru, we have been bustling about in meetings, tying up our discipling studies, and praying with many of our dear friends here that our God would keep and grow us until we meet again. One special delight was the opportunity we had to meet Tamanda, one of three babies born to members of Emmanuel Baptist. We hope to meet the other two little ones before we leave.

Keep us in prayer as we prepare for our time in the States. There are many last minute details to attend to, but God has been kind to continue grant solutions to issues one step at a time.

Three Sermons, Two Weddings, One Historic Confession

While continuing to teach pastors at EABST, I've had the great privilege of preaching this month at Emmanuel Baptist Church. We made it all the way through the book of 2 Peter in the last three Sundays. The Lord has been teaching us about combatting false teaching by making our calling and election sure and by growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Having the opportunity to preach about the new creation from 2 Peter 3 on Resurrection Sunday was a special delight.
In other news, Emmanuel Baptist Church voted this last week to officially adopt the New Hampshire Baptist Confession (slightly revised) as its statement of faith. We see this as an exciting step toward equipping the members to proclaim and protect the gospel by giving them a tool that summarizes what we believe the Bible teaches about itself, God, man, sin, salvation, and other critical matters. Please pray for us as we seek to be vigilant for the truth in a world captured by the father of lies.
However, the truth of God is not merely meant to be known or even just to be defended. It's meant to be lived out. And one of the greatest opportunities to live out gospel truth is in the context of marriage. (See Eph 5:22–33.) That's why we're elated by the two weddings EBC has had this month. Jenny and I worked with both couples during their engagement to help them prepare to take these big steps together. Walking with couples through pre-marital counseling has greatly strengthened our own marriage as well.
Please keep praying for us as we seek to hold fast to the gospel, to live it out, and to make it known.