10 hours til takeoff (Alton)

It was an interesting Christmas, to say the least. It was a much more hectic holiday than usual with opening presents, having Christmas dinner, and packing into the wee hours of the morning. For me, this break from school hasn't offered much free time, although it has brought a lot of excitement and fun. I have no doubt it will continue to do so over the next two weeks.

I do not know if there will be an opportunity for me to write here while in Kenya, but if I can get online I'll be sure to give yall some information, stories, and specific prayer requests. I'll be keeping a journal so I'll try and recreate some semblance of daily blog entries when I get back. And, of course, I'll try and get pictures and such on here.

I am very excited about this trip, although it still hasn't really sunk in yet. Pastor Jackson, a local Kenyan pastor who has played a key role in everything Port City's done over there including founding the orphanage and organizing this retreat, said he's had 350 kids sign up for the conference. That is a lot more than we were expected, and I'm pretty sure they are still accepting kids. While this may create some logistical complications, it is truly a blessing to have an opportunity to reach so many kids.

I need to get some sleep, but I didn't want to leave for this trip without giving this information and, more importantly, giving a few things that you can pray for. Please pray that:
-The kids who God wants to speak to through this camp will get there.
-Brett, Mark, Dave and I will allow God to speak through us while talking in main session, and that everyone on the team will facilitate life-changing conversation in small groups.
-Safe travels for us and those going to the conference as students.
-Kenyans can put their trust in Jesus and not things of this world, including Barack Obama. As remarkable a man as he is, we know that he cannot fix all of America's problems, much less Kenya's. Pray that they will find a greater Hope than any man could ever offer, a hope for freedom and new life.

Should have posted this a while ago. This is the team going:















Here's a youtube video of some of the boys at the orphanage from an earlier trip by people in our church. It's so cool to think in 2 days I'm probably going to meet these kids, plus hundreds more! I wish I was as musically talented as they are.


Well, bout time I get some sleep. Tomorrow night New York City, next night Kenya. Hope to write here again soon. Feel free to email me any comments/questions.

God bless!
Alton

Update (Alton)

I recently sent out a new batch of support letters asking for prayer. It contains some of the same text as the first one but also has a lot of new information that was not available when I sent the first letter. For those of you who did not receive this letter, here's a copy of it:

Dear Recipient,
I have been given the opportunity this Christmas break to travel with a team from Port City Church to the Mama Helen’s Rehabilitation Center, an orphanage for boys, in Nakuru, Kenya. We will be in Nakuru from December 28 to January 6, and during that time we will hold a four day youth conference for the forty boys at the orphanage and up to 200 students from local churches.
The team has met several times over the past month and a half to prepare ourselves spiritually and culturally and to plan. We are planning to use a passage from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. The six large group sessions will each be based on one of the six pieces of armor (belt of truth, helmet of salvation) from the passage. Within this context we will emphasize that God loves them, wants to have a personal relationship with them, and sacrificed Jesus to make this possible. This message will be conveyed primarily through the large group sessions and small group time. My role on this trip will include leading a small group, organizing and participating in games and skits, and speaking in front of the large group. I will be giving the talk on the shoes of peace.
I am very excited about sharing God’s love with the children I will encounter on this trip, and I want my friends and family to share in this excitement. So, I have created a blog at tokenya.blogspot.com with Darby Simmons, another highschooler going on the trip, where we will share our thoughts and experiences before, during, and after the trip. My hope for this blog is that those who give money and prayer to this mission can see the results and share in the joy that comes from loving others as God has loved us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I encourage you to lift this mission up in your prayers and check out the blog. If you would like any more information about the trip or have any questions, please call or email me.

Sincerely yours,

Alton Russell

In other news, I've gotten all my shots and prescriptions. I had to get Hepititus A, Tetenus, Yellow Fever, and Malaria shots.

Pray that the team can get the trip paid for, be prepared physically and spiritually, and are safe during their holiday travels. Pray for those in Kenya who are preparing for this conference at the same time that we are, and pray that God will make a way for the students in Kenya who He wants to be at this conference to get there.

Thanks!
Alton