GIVING TUESDAY!!!

Today is GIVING TUESDAY!

Consider giving a ONE TIME GIFT this Christmas or a REOCCURRING PLEDGE that will help spread the GOOD NEWS and LOVE of Christ to the unreached tribes of northern Kenya! Your gift will help provide clean water, orphan care, and discipleship to a community in Kenya! THANK YOU and have a blessed day!!

#GivingTuesday #JamaaYamMungu #FamilyOfGod #FoglemansToKenya

CLICK HERE TO GIVE --->>> Click to GIVE today!!

I belong to Christ

I want to start by saying I have debated on writing this post for a couple weeks now but finally decided to in hopes that it might help and encourage someone else :)

 The past couple months that we have lived in Oklahoma have been a whirlwind!  We were all so excited about how we would be close to family and friends, get to be home (for me, Kenzi) for holidays and loved ones birthdays, and we were really looking forward to sharing with everyone the vision the Lord had laid on our heart about the work God is doing in northern Kenya.

Our first two months back were not as I had expected.  I envisioned fun dinners with family, lots of laughter, eating with friends at some of our favorite Oklahoma restaurants, and to be busy.  Now, all of that DID happen.  But for starters, I did not expect to be sick with allergies all the time.  I am not sure if this season was the worst ever but it sure felt like it for me.  I would wake up sneezing, eat lunch sneezing, hang out with the family sneezing, eat dinner sneezing, and go to bed sneezing. I felt like I could not catch a break.  Even with taking medicine, it was never ending. I actually thought about moving just so I could feel better.

On top of that, I felt like my body was falling apart to which I blamed having a baby on. One day my back would hurt--WHY?--because I had a baby, next day my foot would hurt--WHY?--because I had a baby, next day my arm would hurt--WHY?--because I had a baby.  I had convinced myself that all women who had babies had the same problem and that it was probably normal.

While I was BEYOND excited to hang out and see family and friends, I had become so stressed out with making sure I spent enough time with everyone and that I was of service to them whenever they might need help.  All of this because I kept hearing this little voice saying, "you are only here a short time so you better make sure you spend as much time with everyone as possible because you are choosing to leave them and move to Kenya."

Speaking of Kenya, I had to find time to share with people this great vision God has given us.  We were so excited to share with everyone but I was beginning to feel stressed and doubted that anything good was going to come of it.

Needless to say, I WAS OVERWHELMED! At night I would cry and talk with Mark about it in hopes that he would somehow fix it and make everything better.  But we didn't feel connected, our weekly prayer time (as a family) wasn't happening, and we both felt like we were carrying the others weight.

Finally, one week I decided to challenge myself to go on prayer walks everyday.  This was a time I knew Emma would be entertained by nature and I could just walk, pray, and share my thoughts with God.

It was on one of those walks that I felt God telling me that I had let Satan get into my thoughts and that is what was causing all my stress.  I was distracted and not focused on the ONE who had called Mark and I in the first place.  I was believing all these lies of how I needed to make everyone happy, that Mark and I did not need to go on date nights because we would be together in Kenya, and no one  will want to partner with us in going to Kenya because I was too scared to talk to people.

It was at that moment I decided to start praying through the lies and start saying what I knew was true:

 I BELONG TO CHRIST. 

In John 16: 33 Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I had been so focused on taking matters into my own hands or expecting my husband to fix everything that I forgot to TRUST GOD.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding"- Proverbs 3:5

I then began to recite that I am a child of God, He is the one who created me, He is my protector and provider, He will never let me fall from His hand, He is my healer.  To my surprise, I then started to feel all my stress be lifted off of me.  Believe it or not, that week I started to feel better and my body did not hurt anymore.

Sometimes LIFE can feel very overwhelming.  We might feel out of control, stressed, and burdened, and seek others to help fix what is going on.  But the truth is ONLY CHRIST CAN.  I want to encourage any of you who might be feeling something similar to this to try praying and casting your cares upon the one who cares more for us than anyone else. 1 Peter 5:7 says,

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

HE CARES FOR US! How amazing is that! Thank you Jesus! Something that I have learned is when we let Christ lead and direct our lives things tend to work out a lot more smoothly than when we take control.  For that, I am so thankful! 

I pray this has helped bless and encourage you today!

Blessings,

Kenzi

Living Water

You have probably seen them.  The staggering statistics of so many children that die every day around the world due to the lack of clean water are all over the place.  Sometimes I (Mark) look up the numbers and become overwhelmed by how large the issue is and how it impacts so many aspects of community life such as health, jobs, and education.  Other times, I even see them and forget that each represents an amazing and wonderfully made child of God.

Lately it seems that I have been surrounded by this information. I'm not going to lay out for you all that I have learned, but to know that by the time you finish reading this, the probability that a child has needlessly died because they have little or no access to clean water is enough of a reason for me to try and help make a difference.

This last weekend, I had an amazing opportunity to be a part of a manual well drilling training.  After moving to Oklahoma a few months ago, multiple friends and family told me about a local organization called Water4.  I of course, with a passion of working in Kenya to help out with this global crisis, jumped at the chance of joining the guys for a weekend of being in the field and learning from those that have been doing it for years.

Water4 has an inspiring process of working to empower locals to start their own businesses with the equipment, training, and resources to help bring clean water to their own communities.  A manual well drilling team and process uses a variety of augers, drill bits, percussion instruments, ropes, pulleys, and locally made pumps allows for a more sustainable way of working for those in need.

The training I received covered the global need for such work, their strategic solution and process.  We covered a basic overview of what to consider in the drilling process such as community communication, site selection, soil and rock types, hydrology, etc.

Here are a few pictures from my time there:

The picture above shows how the auger is used to drill down section by section. 

Once a hard rock layer is reached, ropes, pulleys, and heavy percussion tools are necessary to make headway.  And of course, don't forget the hard effort it takes to lift it all and work as a team.

This final picture is an example of heating pvc pipe to make different connections and build our own pump on site.

I unfortunately was not able to attend the final two days of the training to see the finished product, but that is a taste of what I was able to see and be a part of.  I know that I didn't do justice to sharing with you the process and work that goes into it all, but please check out their web site to learn more at www.water4.org.  They have some pretty interesting videos that you would probably enjoy as well. 

Not only did I love that chance to learn and practice these techniques, but greatly enjoyed the company.  The other men that were a part of the training are headed all over the world with desires to follow Jesus and serve those in need through empowerment and well drilling.  Not only do we have a common passion of serving our brothers and sisters with a physical need, but also to share that whoever drinks of the water Jesus gives, will never be thirsty again (John 4:14). Seeing more of the bigger picture of how God is continuously working around the world is pretty cool.

Connecting back to what I started with, I feel privileged to have learned more about one way that I and others can help make a difference.  So if you ever get overwhelmed hearing about the most recent statistics and feel that it is impossible to do anything about it, maybe try to remember that God is still in control and that each number represents a single and real child we have the opportunity to love.  We may not be able to change the whole world for all children, but we can try to help the life of one child. 

Have a blessed day and thanks for reading!

Living in the Present

I have always been a person who looks forward to the next great adventure.  If there is no great adventure ahead, I think of places I'd like to have an adventure.  When the great adventure finally happens, I am excited, happy, and immediately start to think of the next great adventure.

Why is this?  Why is it so hard for me to live in the present and fully enjoy the adventure I am currently in?

I have figured out that before these adventures happen I envision what they will be like, the awesome things I will get to do, the people I will get to meet or hang out with, the sites I will see (all of this going on while I am currently in a great adventure)....the list can go on. Often times, I think about these events so much that when they actually happen, it's not as exciting.  Plus it distracts me from the adventure I am currently in. I have a problem.

Hi, my name is Kenzi and I have a problem living in the present.

The truth is out.  Everyone knows now. Please don't judge me.  This is not a new problem.  I have struggled with this for years now.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

Today, I am starting new.  Today, I am learning how to live in the present.  So much life happens in the present that I feel just passes me by because I am so focused on the future and what lies ahead. I'm not talking about not planning for the future.  I am all for that.  I am talking about mentally, physically, emotionally being present.

I always feel most present when I am in nature.  Why is that?  I think it is because we have to be present.  We have to use all our senses while hiking, swimming, biking, rock climbing, etc.  Well, I don't want to only feel present in nature.  So, I am learning to turn off the TV and put my phone down while my daughter is awake.  Now listen, I could watch hours of a TV series on Netflix, but I am learning how fast babies really grow and I want to make sure I am soaking up every minute I can with Emma.  I keep hearing "she will be in college before we know it" (cue ugly cry)!

 I also find it is easier for me to be in the present when I am trying new things.  This can be anything from doing yoga on top of a building with a friend to trying a new local restaurant with the family.  Maybe for me, living in the present means doing things that use my focus and attention. One thing I have know is that when you let God direct your path for the day, no one day is the same.

As we are preparing to move and live in Kenya, I pray that I am able to learn how to live and rejoice for the new and present day.  A reason I really want to learn how to live presently is because I don't want to move to Kenya and try to build relationships with individuals and be focused on my next trip home or our next great adventure.  Now, of course I will be missing my family and things back home, but I want to be fully there in the present with the people of Kenya.  I want to know them and I want them to know me and in order for that to truly happen, I need to be mentally present. I love the quote by Jim Elliot,

 "Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." 

It is so easy for us to think about the next adventure and to live in the future.  It is a lot harder for us to live in the present.  To intentionally focus our time and attention on something that is happening in the here and now.  I pray that this next year I am able to learn to live in the present and trust the path God sets before me daily.  

Blessings,

Kenzi

Garage Sale

Come join us and help support the work God is doing in Kenya! There will be all types of items such as tables, couches, kitchen items, as well as baked goods! Come check it out or just come to visit. Either way we would love to see you there! 

**If you have items you would like to donate to sell please contact Mark Fogleman at mark.fogleman301@gmail.com

Trust in the Lord

We are surrounded by transition in all stages.  Each and every day continues to bring something new and we are enjoying it.  First of all, we are excited to share is that our daughter Emma Hadassah Fogleman came into the world on June 17th! She came 10lb 2oz and 21 3/4in long and is so beautiful! Nothing compares to the feeling of holding your precious child.  We of course are learning how much work it takes to care for Emma, but are loving it!  We thank all the family and friends that have helped us during her arrival.

Emma Hadassah Fogleman

From the title of this post, we just wanted to share that our trust in God is what has been carrying us through.  We are learning that no matter how much you may plan something on your own, life sometimes has unexpected turns.  An example of that is Emma's arrival.  We had the plan of Emma coming naturally on her own timing with automatic nursing etc, but Kenzi ended up having an induction and c-section for a variety of reasons.  Trusting Jesus through times of pain, restlessness, and even concern for finances gave us a peace that He was with us.  We praise God that both Kenzi and Emma are healthy and doing well.

In our last post, we wrote about the vision trip, where we visited, and feeling the Lord's presence as we visited Northern Kenya.  As we continue to take steps toward Kenya, we are going through another transition.  We just finished an amazing Foundations Training with our sending agency at the beginning of May and with their blessing are starting our partnership development (prayerful and financial) and also building our personal accountability and care team (Home Team).  Our living and project expenses will come from financial supporters that desire to join us as we join Jesus in Kenya (there is a link on the right if you would like to make reoccurring and/or financial support).  And our Home Team will help us as we launch and live in Kenya through a variety of ways from the US.

This process too has had its ups and downs.  After our training, we came home pretty pumped up and came up with a list of some different individuals to ask about joining us and our Home Team.  As a result of a variety of reasons such as our church going through a huge leadership transition and everyone being so busy, the response of some individuals was not what we expected.  We have had to be honest and bring all this before the Lord as we continue to seek Him and what we know the the call on our lives.  We know that He will provide as we follow Him.  The advice and encouragement from the staff at our sending agency has been great and we really appreciate it.  Although we still need to quite a few to join us, we are still excited and are continuing to pray that God raises up more people to join us as we seek them out.

We also are having to trust God as we continue our communication with the local church and ministry in Kenya.  As we would never want to just move into an area and do our own thing without permission, we understand the importance of joining the locals in the ways that God has been already working.  Sometimes it is hard to feel that you are not in control or that you may be taking a step back, but we have had to rely on God to continually open doors and our eyes to see our next steps clearly.  Although some details are yet to be worked out, we are grateful that the local pastor is excited to have us join him and our future partnership.

To sum it all up, we would have to say that we must first seek His kingdom, and He will work out all these other details.  Choosing to trust rather than stress continually brings us back to the feet of Christ.  We are not expected to know it all, but are simply created to know Him and make Him known.  We are learning more and more each day about the present Kingdom of God and how we can be a part of it, in Lexington, KY and across the world.  Please pray that we will be salt and light today as spouses, parents, co-workers, etc and that God continues to use and prepare us.  We are all in some sort of life transition and can take it day by day through the power of Jesus.  As the humble cross-cultural witness Jim Elliot once said, "Wherever you are, be all there." Have a blessed day!

Where You Lead, I Will Follow

We first want to apologize for the long delay in updating.  After our trip to Kenya, we had a lot to process and even more to pray about. We both learned a lot about ourselves on this trip and even more about how our plans can sometimes differ greatly compared to what the Lord has planned.  One thing is for sure and that is where the Lord calls you to go, you go.

When we first started our journey to Kenya, Mark and I both prayed that wherever it was we were to serve, that we both would have a peace about it.  To be honest, since returning, we had been wrestling between two locations.  The first place was where we had pictured ourselves serving, a place we were familiar with, and a place both of us loved and so badly hoped it would soon be our home.  The second place was new, different, came with a bit more adventure/challenges, and the need was greater in this small community.  We had to let go of our plan and learn to embrace where the Lord was directing us.  Once we both finally spoke the words of where we felt called, a peace that surpasses all understanding took place in our no longer confused hearts.

With all of that being said, we are excited to share that we plan on serving in Northern Kenya!

While the work we will be doing is not yet set in stone, there are many areas of ministry that will allow us to serve the community.  There is one, possibly two orphanages that we would love to work alongside.  The first has many children who have HIV/AIDS.  This home has been around since 2006 and it houses around 30 children.  While we toured the home, I couldn't help but notice very few beds that actually had mattresses on them.  These mattresses looked like the ones we would throw away and let sit in the rain by the dumpster.  Other beds just had a blanket on them to help cover the springs. For some reason this really tugged at my heart.  Why did these kids not have mattresses? Who can I call so these kids can have mattresses to sleep on?  It was then that I asked the director, what their biggest need was.  I expected her to list material items...such as mattresses.  She explained that they are in desperate need for food. This home had a pretty decent sized garden in the back and even some dairy cows and chickens, but because of the lack of water, it was hard for them to get food to grow in the garden.  It was then that I had to put things into perspective.  Food is more important than mattresses.  The director told us that she is currently not able to take in any more kids because she simply cannot feed them.  This broke my heart.  We are looking forward to potentially working with this home and seeing how God works in the lives of the children.
The second location is in the early stages of becoming an orphanage.  A proposal was written up by a man in the community to get government funding to start an orphanage in a local village.  He would like to provide love, care, and empowerment for these beautiful children.  God has laid both of these homes on our hearts.  Please join us in praying for each of these homes as they grow and develop.  Please also pray for the opportunity to partner with one or both of these orphanages.

 Mark with one of the kids 

Mark and I with the Director

Our friend playing with some of the children

We stayed with a family that serves a local community in a variety of ways such as by helping to put in water filtration systems and through different health projects.  Mark is looking forward to possibly working with surrounding communities to help with the water filtration systems.  While we visited the village we had the chance to walk around and see different reservoirs.  There is not only great potential in this community for improvements in clean drinking water, but also to help introduce God's Living Water.

This reservoir was put in by the British many years ago.  They had hoped it would help this community for many years. This is the place that many people and their livestock get water.  It is also a place they rinse their cows off after receiving a flea dip.  While it looks like a lot of water that can last them a long time, it is loaded with a lot of unsafe bacteria.

This is a spring where some of the community comes to get their water.  The women usually do most of the manual labor, such as collecting water.  Needless to say, the women had a good laugh when the white men showed up to get their white women water.

A Dam built by the British. 

The above is just an introduction to the life in this part of rural Kenya and there is so much more for us to learn.  We are both excited about the adventure and are looking forward to seeing how God may use us in this community.  

In other news, we are taking our next steps with the sending agency as we are attending a get to know you  time with them this coming weekend. It's going to be a great time of getting to know the staff.  This should help us learn more about how this next year should look for us as we continue to prepare for cross cultural work in Africa!

Please keep our trip and training, decision making, and the health of Kenzi and baby girl in your prayers.  Thank you all for your continued support!

Blessings, 

The Foglemans