Missions to the World, Kenya, Africa

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Note to the reader: Since our return to the U.S. from Kenya, there has been less of a need for a regularly updated newsletter. For a history and pictures of our service as missionaries overseas from 2001 through 2008, please visit our archived newsletters. They provide a detailed picture of the work we have done for the Lord in Kenya and India as missionaries.

I want to apologize to all of you who have been following or supporting our ministry. I have not been putting out a web newsletter of late because we are no longer on the mission field as most of you are well aware. We have faced many challenges having returned home (or rather to the state of Alabama). There have been many challenges for Janet and I to make the necessary transitional change, and we are still making them as I write this newsletter. I don't want to make excuses, but it has been much more difficult than I would have ever believed to make the change from Africa to Alabama than either of us could have ever imagined.

Our country has changed so much since we left and took up residence in the year 2000. We have struggled to find our place, the place where you call home. We have a nice place just outside of Fyffe, Alabama, but we have not been embraced by Alabamians even as I write this letter to you. I guess that is one of the most difficult challenges that we have had to face. Many of those on the mountain here look at as at outsiders, almost foreigners!

The nation itself has changed as all of you know too. That has been an adjustment for us as well. It almost seemed when we returned that we had come back to a different country. A lot of what we saw in Kenya in the government, we have seen here in the past three years. There is more and more control going on here and all of our freedoms are being taken away and given to those who are not even citizens of this country.

Concerning the ministry, we have not been traveling this year as most of you know by our updates, but that does not mean that we would not travel if the Lord would call us to do so. I am still studying, praying and writing messages as the Holy Spirit gives them to me. Some of them are really powerful and I wonder sometimes why I am receiving so many messages when there is seemingly no place for the gift that Jesus has put within my heart for the body of Christ. If you have never had this feeling or calling for the full time ministry you probably don't understand what I am trying to say, but the care and urgency of what I feel is growing stronger by the day.

I have not received any invitations to minister outside of the local churches here this year. I do not feel satisfied with what I am doing, but must have some contentment in knowing that those in the FCM Church are receiving what God has given to me for them. I continue to minister at least three times a month on Wednesdays and some on other days. I have not received any invitations from other FCM Churches or even Pentecostal churches, probably for different reasons. One of those reasons is that they don't know about the gift, the other is that we are strangers to them and are not from Alabama.

Janet is still working, but is now down to 2 1/2 days a week and can get off to travel when she needs to. The new job of sitting with this new client has been so wonderful for her. She is not hurting herself any longer, but needs to get some relief in her back from all of the lifting of the other woman she sat with. The half day she works with another lady is cleaning, shopping and doing some errands for her. Both of these ladies are good Christian ladies and love the Lord. What a difference to what she was doing with the other job. I continue to be the house spouse, as well as maintaining our 2 acres of land. That is sometimes difficult, but I am so thankful for the Lord's gift of it to us. There is a lot a mowing, trimming, planting of flowers and weed eating to do to keep me busy, but I must say not my real joy.

We are still opening up our home every other Thursday for bible study. We have been sharing on what a covenant is all about and not many of those attending have ever heard from ministers what a covenant is much less the responsibilities of it! I believe that it is the missing ingredient for the church to believe all that Jesus has done for us why he has done it, and why we can believe in what He has said in His word.

We are going to help the new youth pastors in our church prepare for what we are calling New Home Round Up Day. It will be a time when we will reach out to the community to bring back the lost, hurting, and those who need to be restored to the fellowship of the Father and the Son as well as the body of Christ. The day will be one of ministry, fun, fellowship, good food and lots of love to those who attend. Please pray for this event coming up in October of this year.

On a final note, we will be going on a weeks retreat to the mountains of Tennessee in late October, early November. We both need this trip to just get away from Alabama and to hear what the Lord will say to us about next year and what we are to do, if anything, concerning future ministry. Please pray for us that we find His perfect will in all of this and that His Holy Spirit have His way in our hearts and lives as we consider what he would have us do.

May the Lord richly bless, strengthen and keep you the remainder of this year in His tender mercies and love.

In Christ Service and Love,

Rev Gary & Janet Priem