Heading home!

Hi folks! Well my doc said I was good to go home this morning.

Thanks so much for your prayer and faithful support.

Pat Kenney

Sent from my iPhone

tell what's happening

I've often wondered why missionaries don't write back to their home churches and supporters more often. And as I stared at my blank blog screen for the 4th or 5th time this week, I began to identify. Tho a lot has been happening, putting it into words or a format that's interesting and compelling reading doesn't come natural to most of us. 

So this week I've met and/or talked with a bunch of missionaries, counseled some, encouraged others, made new contacts, visited support teams and missions pastors and friends and home fellowship and it's all a lot like last week and the week before and the week before that :-) Like so many other missionaries/pastors/servant leaders we do what we do as unto the Lord without a lot of fanfare and splash. We often are repulsed at bringing attention to ourselves or our work because all glory belongs to the Lord. And yet the nature of our Christian community is one of sharing and caring and not isolation. A vital part of fellowship is communicating what the Lord is doing in our lives even if it doesn't seem like much in our own eyes.

Others are blessed in ways we may never know by our "routine" faithfulness to His call. So tell others about the Lord's work in your lives. Tell how He is blessing and sustaining and chastising and empowering. We often are moved and challenged and grow thru the witness and testimony of those around us.

And I get to share a new 'hospital' testimony next week as I'm having surgery Monday morning to repair a few hernias related to my previous surgeries! Thanks in advance for your prayers!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Better

Good Monday morning! Just a short note to say I'm feeling a lot better today. Thanks for your prayers. Yesterday, after meeting with the support team for one of Shepherd Staff's missionaries in Romania and the leadership of CC Poway, and receiving a lot of prayer from them, my physical discomfort began to ease up. I thank God for His mercy!

Today I meet with my surgeon to go over the hernia repairs scheduled for next Monday. Tomorrow I meet with another missionary family preparing to return to Russia. Lot's of email to catch up on before next monday. Love you all!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Interlude

Thanks to all who were praying for my recovering from another obstruction that landed me back in the hospital last weekend. I got home Monday, but all week I've been weak and still hurting - just not as bad as last Thursday. And again I have to wonder, "How does this all fit?" I know in the Lord's sovereign plan He has a purpose for everything - but He usually seems to draw us thru the trial that we might learn to trust it all to Him - and later down the road we see the benefit of staying true and close to Him - even in the storms!

So I'm trying to pace my self since this last incident sparked surgery scheduling to finally schedule my hernia repair surgery for next Mon. the 26th.

This setback and the upcoming surgery as forced me to cancel a trip to Phoenix for some Shepherd Staff Training last week and a conference up in Spokane I was supposed to attend the week after my surgery. I also had to cancel a Sunday Morning teaching op at CC Mid Valley in Encino on the 25th. Frustrating, because I want to be telling you all about the new work I'm doing with some wonderful missionaries - but that will come.

Again, thanks for keeping tabs on me - and your prayers for next weeks surgical procedures would deeply appreciated.

In His Arm's,

Pat

Hospital

Once again I find myself confined to a hospital bed at Kaiser.
Thursday evening, as I was packing for Phoenix, I felt the sharp
stabbing pains of a small bowel blockage. Needless to say I didn't
make it to Phoenix!

This one has been rougher than 3 months ago - but God is still faithful.

I may go home by Tuesday.

In His Arm's

Pat Kenney

Sent from my iPhone

Mission's Conference

Well I've been representing Shepherd's Staff at the annual Calvary Chapel Mission's Conference going on thru Thursday in Murrieta. I'm having a great but exhausting time meeting folks from all over the world. Many have shown serious interest in the ministry and resources available and followup from all the contacts made will keep us hopping for the next few weeks!

I pray you're all having a blessed week!

In His faithful care!

Pat

New Year

What will 2009 bring? After 2008 I'm a little more cautious in asking that question. '08 was surely an emotional roller coaster for me. In many ways it was a very hard year - dealing with surgeries and hospitalizations and long recoveries, continuing to work thru the grieving of the loss of my Joyce, and no longer pastoring Calvary Escondido. It was also a year of many victories, new relationships, and new ministry opportunities. The greatest joy of '08 has been watching my son renewed in his relationship with the Lord and growing in his daily walk. Both my son and daughter have been such an incredible support to me thru a very difficult year. Another huge blessing has been the opportunity to serve the mission's ministry of Shepherd's Staff.

As I now await the scheduling of still another surgery I understand that life and ministry goes on regardless. Rather than putting everything on hold again "til I'm better," I'm instead moving ahead with ministry and life and the Lord will work out the timing. I love the Lord and so desire to know Him and His Word closer and deeper in this coming year. His promises are sure and He will never leave or forsake me! Psalm 1:3 assures me that "he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in it's season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper!"

2009 is sure to be filled with God working inside and out. Perhaps this will be the year that the Lord brings His church home! If He chooses to wait a bit longer, then we all have more time to serve Him and each other and to continue reaching out to a very hurting and hopeless world with the light and truth of the good news of Jesus Christ!

Press on!

In His Arm's,

Pat