The wheels on my bus are still going round and round... But the "Check Engine" light came on...Mechanics are playing "Rock-Paper-Scissor" for who fixes it...ah the one who lost is now cussing...Maybe I should be concerned?  I have a longer trip on Monday morning to Dubuque.

This weekend is pack the suitcases and actually see want fits in and what may need to be shipped.
We plan to move our storage trailer to my brother's place over Thanksgiving week and from then on be living out of suitcases until we finally leave for Africa.

Yes our time to go to Africa is getting closer!  Our fund raising at the end of this week went over the 90% mark if I have figured correctly.  And there is an great effort to get this to 100% in the next two weeks to be able to start our training at MTI the end of November.  We really would not like to push it back into January, but that is in the Lord's control.  We have about $6000 of on going support needing to be pledged.

Thanks to all who keep us in your prayers!

The first week of October was beautiful in Cedar Rapids and we truly are enjoying this weather.  God paints a wonderful masterpiece before the winter cold and snow arrives... and we don't mind missing that snow part.

We are in our last portion of fundraising and several new supporters have partnered with us!
We hope to be fully funded in the next two weeks so that notices of ending employment and plans to attend the Mission Training International in November for "PILAT" and December for "SPLICE" can be made; and finally to arrive in Kenya around Christmas.

We will be in Kirksville, MO next weekend sharing on missions, and after that our schedule is "open".
This weekend I will be filling the pulpit at a the Prairieview Church in Norway, Iowa.
Lori continues to be busy at the doctor's office and it is flu shot season... yes she got me with one...
I'm staying busy with school bus driving plus phone and email contacts to potential partners in missions.

We are getting more excited as we move closer to our time of departure for Kenya, and then almost overwhelmed by the list of details needing to be done... we appreciate your prayers!
Blessings,
Ernie

Special Blessings to Ruth Cooke who has been serving at the Kima International School of Theology in Kenya.  She is currently returning to the USA to obtain medical treatment and our prayers are with her.

Now that leaves KIST without a nurse until Lori and I can get there, so the we pray the remaining funding that is needed will be pledged in this month of October!

We have over 75% of the Living Link budget pledged and we are praying for partners to step up and finish this fund raising process.  If my figures are correct we still need about $8000 per year for the three years we plan to serve at KIST.  (That is about 12 pledges at $700 per share, or 23 pledges at a dollar a day, or 8 pledges at $1000 per year - P.S. one time pledges can be divided over the three years.)
We are truly blessed by those who have chosen to be our support partners!

Adam our oldest son is in the final stages of training for deployment and we request prayers for him and the family he will leave in Cedar Rapids.

Our granddaughter Kaylee watches as her daddy is sent off on deployment and Joel wants to hang on to dad too.  Michelle will have her hands full while he is gone, but she has a good support system thankfully.
We have been blessed to be so near to them and able to help in this time.
Speaking of time, I need to be on my way to get the school children home on the bus I drive.