The Wow Game Encourages

How do you teach design that sells and encourage excellence at the same time? The "Wow Game" works to set standards while gently developing skills and a positive experience.

Over the past couple of years widows, orphans and students have been learning how to make beautiful earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Creating beautiful jewelry is great therapy and moves them towards financial freedom. The ladies and kids first learn how to combine the beads to make a piece of jewelry of their choice. We encourage earrings because more earrings sell than any other piece of jewelry. Next as a group we show each other our first designs for a vote. Is it "wow" or "just OK?" If it is just OK we encourage them and suggest changes to the design to train their eyes to see how different elements come together. We tell them not to feel bad but to learn because we want their jewelry to sell and we all need to be teachable. They respond well and when they get a "wow" vote and everyone claps, the sense of accomplishment is written all over their faces.

The Rock needs volunteers to sell the jewelry to friends or at crafts shows. We have packets of 20 pairs of earrings that are easy to sell and priced at $15-$30 per pair with natural stones, unique African trade beads from Kenya, all with either surgical steel or sterling silver posts. Proceeds go to support the mercy homes, scholarships, mentoring and the widows small business development. As The Rock is able to sell the jewelry we are able to pour back into the jewelry making businesses along with supporting other projects of The Rock Outreach. If you are interested in sell one packet please call me at 214-366-0425 and I'll deliver them to you.

Baskets-Not Now...

Earlier I mentioned the basket project and God is taking us step by step as we discern what His will is for the ministry. The baskets were well received in Hong Kong by the buyers but the pricing was not competitive with what the Chinese are charging in the low end basket market. We were told the baskets were more appropriate for the boutique market due to the design, unusual style weave and weight. Many of the baskets take 8-10 hours to weave and we wanted to create sustainable businesses with a decent income for the Africans. Also the timing for launching this project may not be what God has in mind. The U.S. economy, the training needs for management in Africa and the logistics are there for a slower ramp up but "zoom zoom" is not an African concept. God's timing is perfect. If we had gotten an order we would have had many challenges and deadlines to meet and this is particularly difficult in Africa. We are sensing that this is a long race and requires patience, perseverance, training and extensive planning to be successful in helping the people we serve to be equipped to do business.

God is so personal and knows what is best for us. Many times he shows us things that make things less complicated as we turn to him for answers to our prayers. He is always faithful in answering "yes, no or not now." This was a "not now" for many reasons. We continue to explore other opportunities for open and closed doors. Your prayers have been greatly appreciated.

Seizing High Ground in World View Battle

Last night as I watched the season finale of 24, I saw Jack Bauer calling for a muslim cleric from what Jack surely thought was his deathbed. They “forgave one another their sins” and Jack supposedly got peace.

When I looked at the news this morning, there was a big fuss over Gideons putting Bibles on a desk in the office of a public school in Frisco. Then there also was a story about supposedly finding the “missing link” to prove Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Just another day of relentless pounding against the Christian world view.

At The Rock, we are working to develop a new generation of leaders who are lights in the darkness -- full of grace and willing to speak the truth in love as revealed in God’s Word, the Bible.

The greater the darkness, the more profound the light. That’s why I’m so glad that Dan Panetti, director of world view at Prestonwood Christian Academy, will be conducting a live Christian World View videoconference Sunday May 24 from Dallas to our Rock university students in Kampala Uganda.

We want all of our scholarship students to be able to think critically (as opposed to being critical people) and to compete vigorously in the marketplace of ideas. Dan will exhort them not only to live their faith, but to seize the high ground in defending it. -- Mark

What It's All About

We are so encouraged and excited that God has used The Rock in the past week to make huge changes in people’s lives! As we trudge through a difficult economic environment, God is doing great things in very personal ways for Daniel Mwangi and his family in Kenya, along with Joanitah Nyanda in Uganda.

Daniel is a leader in The Rock’s Kingdom Builders Development Group in Kisumu Kenya, which disciples businessmen. When tribal violence broke out last year, his retail business was destroyed and he was forced to flee with his family for safety. They tried to start over in different locations but faced one hardship after another which led to the family, which includes his wife and three children, being temporarily separated.

Now that the tribal tensions have eased, Daniel is ready to move back to Kisumu and The Rock asked donors to stand with him financially in helping rebuild his once thriving business. Within minutes of the request being sent out by email, a donor responded with the full amount! Now Daniel’s family is reunited and the Kingdom Builders are welcoming him back with open arms.

Joanitah is another praise! Several Rock supporters spent a day as car hops for Sonic to earn money for her to resume her schooling at Uganda Christian University. Others responded to The Rock’s email plea for Joanitah and still more pitched in at a Rock women’s luncheon.

Now Joanitah, whose parents died when she was an early teen, is re-enrolling for university. The young woman, who has overcome trials through her strong faith in the Lord, had sat out a year of schooling after completing her first year. Had she not been able to re-enroll this month, she would have lost all previous credits.

It’s these kinds of stories that make all the ups and downs of ministry worthwhile. Whatever it takes, it is worth all we have to see God producing fruit in these ways. -- Mark

"Do we go or not go?" Baskets Answer

Two years ago some ladies and youth showed me their beautiful banana fiber and papyrus baskets. I brought some back to the U.S. and some of you bought them as gifts. The Rock African Arts begins! Recently the basket ministry overflowed from Uganda to Kenya. In February we trained over 100 weavers with the idea of creating small family businesses, while discipling the weavers at Deliverance Church-Kisumu,Kenya. Everyone was excited to learn a new skill and even the university scholars and businessmen got involved. Creating a product that was not only beautiful, but could sustain a family motivated all of us.

God opened a door with a U.S. basket wholesaler to do a market test in April so everyone jumped on board and we sent our samples to Hong Kong to the company's showroom. Now comes the test. Would we be able to compete with the pricing of China, Vietnam, and Thailand? With the economic situation would the U.S. companies want something new that was more expensive? Would they like the designs, materials and see the baskets as unique? Preliminary reports are good but we needed an order to move into high gear...

Dan Vick, Mark and I began putting together all the production plans, financial forecasts, packing and shipping requirements to "count the costs." Next came the decision of who would go to train the management, launch the home businesses, monitor design and do quality assurance. God was working on our hearts, because Mark and I had total peace about moving to Kenya for a year or so if the Lord wanted us to jump start the project. Being former entrepreneurs we knew what would be involved. God never wastes experience when He gives us skills.

Could God be providing a way for us to continue our work in Africa in a different way? Funds for our usual trips three times a year have dropped off due to the economic downturn. Could He be providing a way for us to return, and at the same time provide the university students the opportunity to gain practical work experience before graduation? Being faith missionaries means being totally flexible and going with the flow. Many times God is multiprocessing more than we ever know. It reminded me of the transformational cycle of the ministry.

Mixed emotions? You know how women are. I love serving in the U.S. as a mentor mom for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and had hoped to do it next year. Also it is my last year for Bible Study Fellowship next year and I so wanted to complete it. Our daughter Audrey is having our 5th grandchild this summer and the heart tug of the grandkids is ever present. I talked to Audrey the other day and she said, "Mom whatever God's will is for you is fine." Living in Columbus, Ohio we don't see them as frequently as we did when they were in Texas so whether we were in Dallas or Kisumu we would see them the same. God is always in the details. So you see God is doing something. As Mark says," something big is happening underneath the surface but we don't know what it is." Even close friends have said, "go for it, we know how you love Africa." Please pray for us to have clear open doors and closed doors and for wisdom and discernment.

God's Waiting Room

God always answers our prayers, "yes, no, or not now." But what about the "not now" answer? What do we do? I have found strength in prayer, peace in scripture, encouragement from ladies in my Bible Study Fellowship group and open doors where I've had a glimpse of what God may be doing. We are told to be alert and watchful in scripture to what is going on around us. Mark and I marvel at the fruit of the Rock ministry in just 3 years so we must look back and see what God is doing and be patient with the next steps. Are we to stay in the U.S.? Should we move to Kenya? How does He want to use us in the lives of the students, women, business men and kids we are serving? What is God's best for what we should do? Many questions and many prayers are coming to mind as I sit quietly in His waiting room.

When your life is way out of control from a worldly perspective but God is in control there is an unbelievable peace, sense of excitement and anticipation. I don't know what will happen in the next couple of months but I know one thing. God is faithful, in all the details, has provided for us in amazing ways and knows exactly what He is doing.

Thanks to all of you who have stood with us and prayed through this amazing journey. We are always lifting you in our prayers and appreciate your faithful friendships.