Update from the Kimbles

Now most of you might be wondering, what have I been up to over the last while. Well, I want to say that we, as a family feel incredibly blessed. I have managed to secure freelance work that is covering monthly expenses. Essentially, the revenue of this freelancing business has grown from zero to covering full living costs. Over the course of four months. This has meant a lot of late nights working on projects. So you might rightly ask, How is everybody? Well, Taryn's business in the travel industry still is on ice. 

But thanks be to God, she received some revenue by taking people on flower tours, these flower tours are basically taking people up the west coast of South Africa, to see the desert flowering. I have inserted some pictures for you to take a look at: 

Taryns health has been a bit of an issue recently. She has to have an operation to remove some benign tumors in her uterus. The process of addressing this health issue, is a lengthy one, because we are using the Public Health Service. The kids are growing up, we have one teenager already in our house, which brings with it unique challenges. And every day, I'm forced to my knees, as we navigate this new phase in our children's lives. Ethan had a birthday recently, and I was an extremely responsible parent, buying him a pellet gun. Something that I could never have as a kid!

And we have discovered and hidden talent. He is an extremely accurate Shot. And much to my dismay he beats me every time when we tried to shoot cans in the yard.

The amazing thing about this freelancing work that I've developed, is that I'm still able to do ministry two days a week. Now you may ask what kind of ministry, Am I doing? I'm involved with the Institute for Transformational Leadership www.itl.org.za.  And what I'm doing with them is helping them to develop their alumni remotely. These alumni are Christian leaders, based in difficult places from El Salvador to Pakistan. And I'm helping them with two major projects at this stage. The first one is the Crowdfunding project. This is actually our second year of running the project, and you will see by the website. 

Using a combination of instructional videos, group zoom meetings and individual coaching we have helped them develop crowdfunding campaigns for projects as diverse as helping retired pastors in El Salvador, to dealing with the crystal meth crisis, and providing rehab facilities in Zimbabwe. These guys are all Christian leaders who are looking to transform lives. They are a diverse bunch of people from El Salvador to Tanzania, all working to grow the kingdom of God and bring his light to dark places. It's an amazing project, and I'm so blessed to be a part of it. Please take a look at the website  ITL crowdfunding. 

Secondly, we've started this new project called seeding enterprise, which is focused on helping people who were part of the Institute of transformational leadership to develop their social enterprises. And we're doing this by coaching them. So, every two weeks, I meet with a group of four different Christian leaders, and help them to develop goals that will grow their specific social enterprise. These enterprises range from a software and website development company in Togo, to a Daycare in Tanzania. 

We have also people running a restaurant in Juba, South Sudan, which provides a space for the youth together, and hear the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. I've attached the profiles of some of the people we working with. So, if you are supporting us we really are grateful for the support. And we pray that that would continue. Because even in the midst of our trials and tribulations over the last year and a bit. God has used us significantly to help grow his kingdom here on earth, and we are.

We have seen the hand of God everywhere, in hindsight. And we just praise and thank God for everything. If you want to pray for us, please do. Thank God for all that he has done for us. He has decided to take care of us because we are the people of  the light, kingdom people. He has taken it upon himself to care for us and provide us the income that we need, while at the same time using us extensively in the growth of his kingdom through the ministry at Institute of transformational leadership.

Rest - Kimble Update

 Dear friends and supporters

I just reread it Genesis chapter 12. This is a high point in God's redemptive story. First of all, it started verse 1 with now the Lord said. I never thought how strange this is after the Babel story, suddenly God speaks to a 75-year-old nobody. He promises them protection, blessing, a blessing to all the families of the world, a great people and land. Indeed, there are echoes of Adam and the creation of man.

Abram does react faith and goes, plus he worships God. But if you read on in the chapter after this towering start, what's the next thing that happens? Hardship comes to Abram say he runs to Egypt despite God's promises. And worse than that, he gets to Egypt in verse 13. After thinking that they may kill him, he says this so you're my sister that it may go well with me because of you and that my life may be spared for your sake. Abram is manufacturing his own blessing for himself shortly after God promises to use him in the recreation/redemption of the whole world.

Who said that the biblical authors didn't have a sense of humour. We are meant to go. That's hilarious. God promises you the world, and instead of trusting him, you try to make things go well for yourself by using your wife. Silly Abram! But this contrast not only tells us something about Abram's heart, it tells us something about our hearts. When we face trials, most of the time, we try to manufacture and exit to the test ourselves, just like silly Abraham. This is despite having a promise all yes in Jesus.

Having been through a period of fiery testing, I feel like God is constantly calling out to me to rest in the fact that Jesus has brought every spiritual blessing to me. The truth of the matter is that seldom do I like Abram consider what God has promised me, the God who is faithful all the time when facing trial or a challenge. Instead, I'm looking for the verse 13 option of chapter 12, say you're my sister that it may go well with me because of you, and my life may be spared for your sake. I'm looking to manufacture a way out of the situation instead of trusting God trusting that he will bring me out of this trial.

So the big question God is asking me today is will I trust Him. Will I trust him even if the immediate future is uncertain?

Sorry it hasn't been a recent update, but I have been overwhelmed by God's goodness; he has provided a large project with a new client. I am learning so much and implementing an accounting system for this client. So I am very grateful to the Lord. Work with this client has allowed me to meet our financial commitments, and I will do so God willing for the next month or two. Taryn has also found work as a hockey coach at the school. Thank you for all your prayers.

Please thank God for all we have in Jesus and thank Him for all that he has done to help us earn a living. Ask that he may help us rest in Him. 

The voice of the voiceless Ps 28

 Psalm 28

1 To you, Lord, I call;

    you are my Rock,

    do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

    I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy

    as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

    toward your Most Holy Place.

It's wonderful to see how the Bible gives voice to the voiceless. Honestly at the moment I haven't been able to put into words an update for you guys. But the 1st 2 verses of this Psalm some up my state of mind. The fact that no matter where you are, no matter what is happening God is your rock. And in fact if that isn't the case we all might as well go down to the pit. I take wonderful comfort from this verse in my present situation. That through my abiding in Christ Jesus I have access to the rock, I know this rock will not remain silent. Seeing the mercy at the cross and through the resurrection I am now in the most holy place I could ever be, in Christ. It doesn't mean that my circumstances are great but it means I have a licence to cry out, cry out for mercy and call to my father for help. So I thought I would just include my prayer for today as an update.

Dear God, only you

 

Psalm 28 verses 1 to my father, I need help. I cannot move the needle to get sufficient work to provide for my family. Lord God, please give me what I need , please be my refuge be my strength. I don't feel like I can carry on and I am so mentally exhausted and emotionally drained. So lacking in confidence. But you, you can be my confidence. You give me hope in the Gospel. You give me a deep understanding of what it means to love you, to know you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your Father thank you that in him I have a refuge so that I can be reminded that I can trust in Him. Lord God, you know what we need, you know that we need everything. We need everything Lord, we are so needy. Please increase my dependence on you helped me to from this day From this moment to just keep remembering. Keep me understanding why It is that you are to me a refuge. And that because of Jesus , I can come without fear into your presence, that he is the perfect advocate. That I can ask you, as a child askes his father, please, Lord, help give us what we need. Help us to understand who you are and what you're capable of...

Amen 

If you want to specifically pray for us please pray;

• That God's will will be done in our application to a church in Singapore (we are currently shortlisted for the job)
• that God would if you will that provide work for Taryn tourism business.
• That God would grant me wisdom and insight as I start a entrepreneurial remote coaching project to help people fund word ministry.
• That God would provide the funds for us to develop accounting aid for faith-based nonprofits.
• That God would use this remote internship we are running to help faith-based projects fund themselves.
• That we would cling to this God who is such a deep wide source of refuge.

Why an the book of Job

Why? and the Book of Job

It makes many of us wonder why. Especially at this time. 

It's not clear why. 

Why did a little bug cause such havoc in a world progressing beyond our wildest dreams, why did so many lose their lives. 

Why there are so many jobless. Why has this impacted some families but not others? Some of them were forced to live under terrible circumstances. 

All by this little virus unseen moving and establishing it's self. 

How to find answers here.

How do we cope with all that has happened to us?

All this seems rather useless and completely out of control. 

Why this is a common question in the book of Job which I am reading. 

Job is constantly asking why the Lord allowed all the things that happened to him to happen. He lost his livelihood, his family and his health. 

Things I have learnt so far in Job. 

We are meant to ask why God can handle our deepest darkest questions. 

The world is not fair, therefore we are meant to cry with those who have lost jobs, loved ones. And not offer easy pletatues 

We are also to seek God, not because he will give us a neat answer, but because he is the beginning and end of all wisdom.

I need to, all of us need to express to God our deep sadness in this worlds failing to be as it should. 

Through our tears we will find God's solution, Jesus. He was stripped, beaten and faced all of his father's anger. Why, well to make the promise of the Kingdom of God real now. 

He was rejected felt hunger and was made to suffer for the father's kingdom.

Suffering in Hope Romans 5v1-5

Buddhists believe that suffering is not real. Paul in Romans 5:1-5 does not deny that suffering exists, he tells us to rejoice in it. Twice in the passage, he says rejoice.

When I first read this passage, I thought to myself, Paul, how can you rejoice when you have not had steady work for 6 months. How can you rejoice when you know that as you cold call people, they will turn you away as you try to build a new business? I think Paul would tell me this: first, remember who you are. Not who you think you are becoming (Sometimes I think I am turning into my father). No, remember who you are today, right now.I am a person who has access to God, I am a person who is drowning in God’s grace. We who are Christ followers are people who are grounded in God’s grace. I am shown grace moment by moment, as I face rejection in job application after job application. I am still standing in God's Grace shower, even at my lowest point, which I will face today, when I receive another ten rejection letters and it feels like if I get one more I will explode. C5.v1-2 We all set up our lives to avoid as much pain as possible. We use things like medical aid plans, retirement plans and on a more basic level pain pills.All good things, but Christians know that we will suffer, but it is how you view that suffering that is important, for it is not without pain, but the key is that we are strengthened as we suffer by a loving father. Christians can rejoice in suffering because they know suffering produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope. The three step faith strengthening process. Growing in faith is a three step process. Suffering is like an incubator for faith. But that made me think, when I think of endurance I think of people who do things with sheer force of will. Like when I ran a 90 km road race, it was mind over matter. The sheer determination to finish prevented any lapses in my character. But that's not what Paul is saying in chapter 5. Paul is encouraging the Romans and us to endure and to build character during suffering. The emphasis is on hope. Our rejoicing in suffering is a product of hope, a hope that never puts us to shame. It is a hope based on God filling us up with his love knowing that we can trust him. All suffering must be viewed from the perspective of my peace with God and my current standing with God. Confident in the knowledge that his love is pouring into me as I endure. Have I ever really grasped how much love that took? Help me to rejoice in all you've done for me and all you are doing for me my father.

December 2020 update

Dear friends.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Corinthians4:7-9&version=NIV

To me this passage puts my present situation into perspective. We are not experiencing what a pastor friend says is Disney land Christianity. What has really surprised me is how much we think we are entitled. Entitled to "fair" treatment by God, we are vocal about the evil of prosperity gospel, yet in some way part of us is expecting comfort as our primary experience as a Christian. Secretly we all want the offer of prosperity gospel- comfort is our desire.

But as you clearly in the passage above and most of the experience of the disciples this was not their experience. So why do we expect or feels entitled to a "blessed" life? Repentance is and will continually be required by me.

So I have applied for  over three thousand jobs. I have more rejection letters in my inbox than spam. I have had two interviews and short listed for two jobs.

Also, I have had some success at in finding accounting and bookkeeping freelance work.I have secured a few more clients. I continue to network in this area.

Also a number of applications for ministry jobs overseas. This is only because I have this option and need to work. I am not angry or disappointed by SA. One application in Ireland has shortlisted me so we will see...

We have also applied for my specialist license that will allow me to drive for uber  next year.

Taryn is earning some cash driving school kids in Paarl. She also has picked up some good work in tourism only to have clients cancel after the presidents address last week...

I have a huge favour to ask I have set up a free training for servant leaders. I realise I can serve all those church leaders and NGO leaders I met in Africa with weekly short training video on my Facebook page and YouTube. You can provide some monthly support for this weekly training video on fundraising, accountability and donor communication. These are all areas I have experience in and will be helpful to Christian servant leaders. You can click the link below and support this project from $3 per month...

https://www.patreon.com/ifsgroup?fan_landing=true

Check this video out for more detail 

https://youtu.be/94RUXr4PphI

So we are hard pressed on all sides but not crushed

Please pray

For rent money we need at the end of December. We are about 3k short.

Please pray for strength to keep going...

Pray specific for a Job for both of us...

Yours in Him 

Clint



 

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