We began our move to Africa with a two year commitment to you and to Rift Valley Academy. Those two years are finished in July. The decision is does God want us to stay and continue in ministry at RVA, or does He have another plan? After much prayer and counsel, we feel that God wants us to continue to minister here for at least four more years. That would be through Braden and Preston’s graduations.

Why Africa? After 26 years of youth ministry in America, why would we move to Africa? After all, are there needy students in America? Let me share five good reasons and the most important reason.

1. We have the opportunity to provide spiritual direction for an entire campus of students and staff.
2. RVA has some of the brightest, most gifted students in the world.
3. Many of these students grow up to be missions-minded adults. One former student told me that 25% of his graduating class are on the mission field, and at least 10% of the remaining class support him and his family financially as they serve on here in Africa.
4. Missions is the greatest way to spread the life-changing news of Jesus Christ to a world that desperately needs His love. The U.S. Is rapidly declining in the number of missionaries being sent.
5. Many of the missionary families who send their children to RVA could not continue the ministry God has called them to if it weren’t for RVA. One student told Jennifer and me that her parents pick her up at the airport and drive 16 hours into the bush to their home. In that village, there are no other missionaries. This student is 16, and a majority of the girls her age are pregnant. She has nothing in common with them. A ninth grade boy in his first year at RVA told me that this was the first time he has lived with students his age who spoke English. One important thing RVA provides for children of missionary families is social growth and development.

These are incredible reasons for our continuing ministry at RVA, but not the most important. In our own search for God’s will concerning our family, I am reminded that the most important quality God looks for in our lives is obedience.  I would be lying if I said these past two years have been easy.  We have been stretched in many ways; but as we are stretched, we are drawn to the arms of Jesus where we find comfort and strength.  To pursue obedience is a matter of faith and trust, believing that God is in control. Jennifer clings to Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  We are encouraged to obedience by the words in Luke 9:23, “He said to them all:  ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” 

The easy thing is to say, “We have served two years; we have done our part.” But God has called us to this ministry. How long? We are not sure, but right now we know He wants us to continue at RVA.

Financial Needs

Right now we need to know who is willing to continue to commit to our future support. We thank you so much for committing two years of financial support. Will you pray about continuing to support our family as we serve on the mission field at Rift Valley Academy?

Praise the Lord, we just heard from a church that has been praying for us, and will now be able to support us financially for $100 per month! What a blessing from God!

Home Assignment—Our plan is to return to the U.S. to visit family and raise more support from mid-July through Christmas 2012. We have a couple of huge prayer requests regarding that:

1. We need a house to live in, hopefully in the Blue Springs area. We do own a house in Grain Valley, but the missionary family living in it won’t be going back on the mission field until June 2013.
2. Our support level is about $2,500 per month lower than it needs to be, so we have a lot of work ahead of us!
3. Speaking opportunities,we would be glad to share our experiences of what God is doing in East Africa and our ministry. Do you know of a church or group who would like to hear? Contact us!
   

   First Place! Way to go Suni Dorm!

Just before bed I heard a scream. Running into the kitchen, I found Jennifer bent over looking at something. It didn’t take long to see what she was looking at. The boys had all run in by now and she had a clear container to trap one of the biggest spiders I had seen in my life. With another squeal, she slammed the container down over the spider. Preston, Trevon, and I took the container (with a lid) to the neighbors’ house.

They took one look at our scary, hairy capture and were pretty sure of his identity, but looked him up online to confirm. Sure enough, he is a common “wolf spider”. He is a relative to the common spiders you have seen throughout America, only bigger. Much bigger! He was over 2” in diameter, with one of the biggest bodies I have seen outside of the tarantula family.

We took the spider back home and decided to keep him overnight. The next day our boys dropped a small beetle into the container, hoping to see the spider eat. After ignoring the bug for a couple hours, one boy yelled out, “Larry’s eating the bug!” Next thing I knew, the boys had named him “Hairy Larry”. In a search for more food, the boys found another spider of a different species. It was a little smaller, so they thought Larry wouldn’t have any trouble. After ignoring each other for a short time, the two spiders began to fight. Larry won, but only after being bit by the other spider. The boys new pet had won a spot in their hearts and immediately they felt bad, even grieving that they had hurt Larry. For an entire day, Larry was looking more dead than alive. Finally he came out of it and was acting normal (whatever that looks like for a wolf spider!). A few days later we turned Larry loose…outside…FAR outside.

Life has heavy issues

Why would our family grow so attached to a spider? Recently our family has been praying for some heavy life issues. Every time Trevon prays out loud, he prays for a man named Daniel who needs God to bless his peanut farm so he can feed his family. We have also been praying for a family whose father died a few months ago. He was a nurse right here on campus and his youngest sons were two of Trevon’s best friends. Another heavy prayer request of our family’s has been for Trinity, a 9 year old battling life threatening problems in California since birth. Just a few days ago Trinity went to be with the Lord. Her struggle is over, but her family, who are coworkers and close friends of ours, grieves. Our next door neighbors, who have grown to become some of our best friends here at RVA have just lost their Dad/grandpa to cancer.

Death is all around us here, whether relatives of friends of ours, or like the auto accident we came upon yesterday.   Death is more real to those living here in Africa, than where we grew up in the U.S.

Here, our family is constantly reminded of this truth from God, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Life is short; we have no guarantee of tomorrow. What will be the eternal value of what we are doing with our lives? How are we spending our time? How are we spending our money?

These are heavy issues. The African people rarely plan their lives ahead of today because life and death are so integrated; they don’t count on tomorrow. If they live till tomorrow, that is a blessing from God. Keeping a pet spider for a week or so can be a great diversion from adjusting to the heaviness of life, and death.

I’ve had the wind knocked out of me again! This time it wasn’t the hill we live on here at RVA. Gathering for prayer at the very start of “Outreach Day”, our fifth and sixth grade dorm boys met with Jr. high girls and a few Sr. high boys who also volunteered. As this mixed group of students and adults came together, we were given the news that the orphanage coming to visit us was made up of children from birth to 13 years old, but only 24 of the older kids were coming to visit. If having to live in an orphanage isn’t enough, each of these children are HIV positive.

It wasn’t the fear of this horrible virus that knocked the wind out of me. I am glad for what we learned about HIV in our three weeks of Africa Based Orientation when we arrived in Africa. Basically, it is nearly impossible to get this virus from a child during normal interaction on the playground or in the dining hall.

What knocked the wind out of me was the thought of coming face to face with the very children I have read about and heard about. Children who likely have lost both parents and probably even aunts and uncles to AIDS. Children whose lives are forever impacted not by their own choices or actions, but by the choices of someone else. Children, not monsters or freaks. Children.

Clinton is a new friend of mine. He is ten years old, the same age as our son Landon. He has an older sister, loves to play on the playground, play soccer, and eat hot dogs. In fact, Clinton ate at least three hot dogs, potatoes, carrots, strawberry jelly, and more. He even had a couple of glasses of milk to wash it all down as I sat next to him at lunch! You wouldn’t even realize that he is HIV positive.

This little boy, and the 23 others, looked totally normal. Watching them play games you couldn’t tell any difference from other kids. The orphanage did a good job of clothing them, and based on their physical appearance, these children are receiving good nutrition. Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs and good nutrition can help these children live a fairly normal life. If they miss just one of the daily doses of their ARV, tuberculosis, or pneumonia, or some other common illness will wipe out what is left of their immune system. If he stops taking his ARV, Clinton will not see his 20^th birthday. Even with his ARV, he may not live past his twenties.

As I try to catch my breath again after spending half a day with these wonderful children, a question goes through my mind. For the past week, my 11^th grade “Doctrines of the Bible” class has been wrestling with the thought, “Why would God create people who would never have an opportunity to hear the Gospel?” The question I find myself wrestling with is a similar thought, “Why would God create these children, knowing that they would be born with HIV?” I am reminded of the character of God, that He hates sin but loves the sinners. One of the reasons He hates sin so much is the consequences of sin. The consequences are far reaching. Each of us can testify to the destructive effects of sin in our own lives.

Our purpose in “Outreach Day” here at RVA was to share the love of Christ with others. God certainly loves these children we met and played with. I’m not sure how much of that love they felt and saw from us, but I know I have come away touched by God in a huge way.

Can you hear my heavy breathing?  Can you feel my heart pounding?  I have just come up the hill with our first aluminum container of milk.  The hillside that RVA is built on would be a tough climb back home in Missouri, but add to it that we are 7,500 feet above sea level.  Every time we arrive back at our dorm we are out of breath!  I know, it is good for us.

To get milk for our family, I took our three liter aluminum container down the hill to the cafeteria.  They receive milk straight from the farm, pasteurize it and separate the cream.  I felt the side of the aluminum container after the worker filled it, and it was warm.  Not the way we are used to getting milk back home!

Beside our house all four of our boys are playing a pick up game of soccer with four of our dorm boys.  I cannot tell you how impressed I am with each of the eight boys we will have in our dorm for the next year.  Two fifth graders and six sixth graders.  Their parents are some of the most incredible people I have ever met.  Some work deep in the bush (one family drove 16 hours to get to the closest airport for the two and a half hour flight to Nairobi).  Others are in countries that can be very hostile toward Christianity.  Yet each of these eight boys has a sweetness, and tenderness toward Christ.

We are in a brotherhood.  Not just because we are in a dorm with 13 guys (Jennifer is the only gal), and not just because almost everyone in our dorm has brothers and no sisters, including Jennifer and I, only one of the fourteen has a sister.  Thirteen of us have only brothers!  No, we are a brotherhood, because we are all on the mission field.  All of the guys in our dorm were very open in welcoming each other, even the new guys.  There is a lot that goes into that brotherhood, and I will try to cover more about that in future blogs.

Tonight, as I was tucking in three guys I asked if any of them wanted to pray before I turned out the lights.  Two hands shot up before I could even finish asking, so I let them both pray.  What I heart from these two sixth graders just blew me away.  There was a childlike faith and genuineness from both of them.  After amen was said, I was trying to wipe the tears from my own eyes and quickly turn off the lights.

I also learned a new term tonight.  “Missionary Midnight”.  Missionary midnight hits about nine in the evening.  A missionary’s day is so full that nine p.m. feels like midnight.  Jennifer and I have felt that every night since we left America!

Good night!

Have you been to an amusement park recently?  My boys and I like the feeling a good roller coaster will give you!  This time in our family is reminding us of riding on a large coaster.

The emotional extremes are intensifying.  The highs include the great joy of new life and ministry at RVA:  especially new friends and co-laborers.  The lows include the deep sorrow of saying “see you later” to close friends and family.

Just a year ago, our family was in New York attending “Candidate Week” for Africa Inland Mission.  Looking back we can see that we have come so far down this road.  At times we have been tempted to feel quite alone on our journey, as Trevon looks in this photo. But quickly God brings us gentle reminders that we are definitely not alone, He is with us.  He has also brought together a wonderful team over this past year who is with us in thoughts and prayers.  Thank you for walking this road with us!

Writer’s block.  Remember those times you sat down to write a paper, but couldn’t figure out where to start?  As I sit before my computer to give you an update on what has been going on in the Hildebrand house, what should I write about?  What on earth would you like to hear about?  Hmmm…..

Should I write about Preston’s game winning goal in soccer on Saturday, or the terrible loss his team faced Sunday afternoon?  Should I tell you about Trevon’s very first game of T-ball on Saturday morning, and how he threw and batted the ball because of the time mommy spent practicing with him?  Or perhaps I need to tell you of Landon missing his soccer game Sunday afternoon to be at one of his final practices for a kid’s musical at church next Sunday.   Should I tell you about Braden being fitted for his “Who” costume and “Hunter” costume at Christian Youth Theater on Saturday?  Would you have any desire to know that Braden’s musical will be viewed by several thousand people in the course of seven performances on Mothers’ Day weekend?  I could tell you about the extra time Jennifer and I spent this week in preparation for and leading worship in a special service on Friday night and the Sunday morning services in our church.  Maybe I need to tell you about the presentation Jennifer and I gave to the missions committee at a church in Lee’s Summit on Sunday afternoon, or the spaghetti dinner fund raiser we took our family to at another church that night?

There just isn’t much going on in our family right now that I could tell you about….

Hildebrand’s Jar of Manna

This jar is a reminder to our family of God’s provision. All through the Bible God encouraged His people to remember His wonderful works. Throughout this journey to the mission field God has shown His hand to us in truly miraculous ways. Each item in the jar represents a way God has revealed His plan and provision to us. Each item has a numbered puzzle piece attached so that you can look up the details on this sheet of God’s specific provision.

1. Photo of Tim and Lori Myrick and their family: We have been praying for years about the possibility of moving onto the mission field. God blessed us with developing a friendship with this family while they were home for a year on furlough. As we began hearing of their new location for ministry in Kijabe, Kenya, and the school their sons were attending, God used them to tell us that now is the time and Rift Valley Academy is the place that He wanted us to go.
2. Reckless Faith by Beth Guckenberger: Sue Vogt handed us a copy of this book, knowing the heavy life-changing decisions being bathed in prayer at this very time in our lives. This book was perfectly timed as we were inspired by every page of Beth and her husband Todd living life with a reckless faith in Monterrey, Mexico. God helped us to overcome the fears we faced in our journey to Africa, and He gave us the courage to step out in faith.
3. Three Bible verses: In the beginning stages of our journey, God used three verses to encourage us. Psalm 5:3, “O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Mark 2:1-12 is the story of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus as He was teaching in a house. The four friends of this crippled man could not find a way to Jesus but rather than give up, they got creative and broke through the roof. In these economic times we knew that we would be tempted to give up, but instead God gave us creative ideas in raising our finances.
4. A flashlight: In a conversation with Tim Myrick, Jennifer told him that one of the things keeping us from going on the mission field was fear. Tim’s response to her was that God will not illuminate the entire path before, us but will be faithful to show us what we need for that time. The more steps we take, the more God shows His faithfulness as He continues to light our way.
5. Streams in the Desert devotional book: in the early stages of our prayer for this journey, a friend would send quotes of what she had read that day from this devotion book. Totally apart from these email conversations, another friend ordered a copy of this devotion book for us. We have been greatly blessed as we include it in our morning quiet times with the Lord.
6. Woods Chapel family: to truly begin this journey, our family had to attend “Candidate Week” at the New York office for Africa Inland Mission. This was going to cost far more than we could afford. During this time God used our church family to give us the courage to obey Him in this HUGE step of faith. In less than two weeks, our church family provided enough money to cover the trip and use what was left over to start the process of raising our finances. Throughout this journey our church family has prayed, encouraged, and given of their time and finances as they have walked with us. We are truly thankful for our church family.
7. Our first prayer card: one of the first things we needed to begin raising support was a prayer card. Linda Morgan is the best family photographer we know and she quickly squeezed us into her schedule to take a group of photos we could use.
8. A Gideon Bible: Two months after we were accepted as missionary appointees, our church had a guest speaker booked to preach in the Sunday morning worship service. This Gideon could have been from the U.S., or from anywhere in the world. God is far bigger than that! Tito Musyoka lives only two hours away from where we are moving! His wife is a doctor who has served AIM missionaries and will probably work with our family! Coincidence? If God knows when a sparrow falls from the sky, and how many hairs we have on our heads, how much more does He care about us?!
9. Family Farm Day: God put on the hearts of Jennifer and a good friend a couple of non-traditional fund raisers. Everything in this outdoor carnival was free because of generous donations from community groups within our church and many other friends and neighbors. After 50 volunteers had assembled and were ready to begin, we received word that an anonymous donor was willing to match up to $5,000 any donations given that day. At the end of the day $5,700 was received and the matching gift brought the total to $10,700! Praise the Lord!
10. Holiday Homes Tour: In December we invited the community to tour six homes beautifully decorated to display the joyous celebration of Christmas. Four of the six homes were from Woods Chapel families, once again showing their great support. Over 60 volunteers helped as more than 300 people attended either Friday or Saturday. A combination of ticket sales, bake sale, and raffle brought in $6,600. We have also seen this event help raise awareness regarding our move to the mission field and we have received several new ministry partners as a result of this fund raiser.
11. Purchase of a completely furnished home: How do you furnish a home on the mission field? There is only so much room in a suitcase! Our minds were set at ease when God brought along this opportunity to purchase complete furnishings all in one package from a family who is heading back to Canada this summer.
12. Laura’s Run: Shortly after “Family Farm Day” we were hit hard by the news of the death of a close friend’s daughter. On Halloween night 16 year old Laura was killed by a drunk driver. Her mother is one of Jennifer’s closest friends and was very involved in helping with our fund raisers. Within a few weeks, Laura’s older sister envisioned having a 5k walk/run in memory of Laura that would aslo raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. Jessica and her mother where talking about what good cause they should support with the money when they realized that Laura would want it to help us on our journey to the mission field in Africa. The morning of the run, eight inches of snow tried to rob us of our joy, but more than 600 registrations and several hundred braving weather showed great support. Approximately $15,000 was raised by this event.

We woke up at 5:00 am to three inches of snow on the ground.  The day before and the day after were both sunny and beautiful.  But this day was special, it was the day of “Laura’s Run”, and we ended up with eight inches of snow when the storm finally ended.

The weather was one thing that we could not control, and it was the one thing that did not go as planned.  In spite of our own plans, God brought forth a beautiful day that was absolutely wonderful.  The Reynolds family learned that their friends are not the “fair weather” type!  This is what Jessica Reynolds wrote on the Laura’s Run Facebook page:

“The Reynolds Family would like to thank everyone for their love and support. Thanks to all the runners and walkers who fought the horrendous weather to come to Laura’s Run. The day wasn’t what we had envisioned , but we improvised and brought the event indoors. It worked out and still hundreds of wonderful people show…ed up. We had over 600 people register! And we raised over $15,000 for the Hildebrand Family’s mission to Kenya, Africa summer 2010. Our beautiful Laura would be so happy. She touched so many lives and continues to touch people in many ways. We continue to miss her and we will always love her. Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

The Kansas City Star reported on the run and has some great photos you can see by clicking on this link: Kansas City Star article on “Laura’s Run”. And if you are a Facebook user, you may find Laura’s Run at this link: Laura’s Run.

It is 3:00am and I can’t sleep.  Anxiety.  So much going on, so many decisions to make, so much more support to raise, Laura’s Run only a week away, and so much more floods through my mind.

My brain is reminded of Philippians 4:6-7,

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

My brain knows this, but my heart is lagging behind!

God brings a song to my heart, “Hosanna”, by Brooke Fraser of Hillsong United.  The first verse draws my attention to the throne of our Lord:

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

[Chorus]
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

As the second verse begins, God reminds me of my call to youth ministy, and more specifically, the students I have poured my life into at Woods Chapel and the ones at Rift Valley Academy that I will soon meet:

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith
I see a new revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We’re on our knees
We’re on our knees

My heart is beginning to experience comfort during this time of personal worship.  The song goes into a bridge:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Jesus, you are deserving of our praise.  Thank you for soothing my heart this early morning.  It is now after 4:00am and I think I am ready for bed again.

I love you Lord!