Category: reflections

Re: Prayer for Kathryn’s team

Received a message from Kathryn’s mom tonight. Not much in the way of additional news but just encouragement to know that people are praying for the team.

I found the email list from Kathryn’s recent Uganda team trip and forwarded the request to them. I received a call from Jane Estrada (from the list) who said the whole team had been contacted, were praying, and were forwarding it on for their church to be praying.
We’ve been on the phone or on the computer most of the day contacting anyone and everyone to be praying. We know of at least 3 churches who have this on their prayer chains. We still don’t know what all is going on and/or what might happen when their day begins in about 3 hours from now (approximately 10 p.m. CST). One thing for sure, Kathryn and her team are being COVERED in prayer and the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Ron (Kathryn’s dad) found this verse and I wanted to share it with you:

But let all who take refuge in YOU be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread YOUR protection over them, that those who love YOUR name may rejoice in YOU.
For surely, O LORD, YOU bless the righteous;
YOU surround them with YOUR favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11-12

Hallelujah and Praise His Holy, Mighty, Awesome Name!
I’m sure I’ve missed some from the distribution list above. Therefore, if you think of anyone else to send this prayer request to… please do! Thank so much. We will let you know when a new update is received.

Urgent prayers for Kathryn’s team

I received this email from Matt today, regarding Kathryn’s time in Russia.

Kathryn texted me today. She does not have a computer to send any thing out right now. PLEASE PRAY. I don’t know whats going on. This is what she was saying…
“Keep praying!!! I wish I could tell you more. The caregiver at the orphanage is calling government officials. Many investigations continues tomorrow. KEEP PRAYING SPREAD THE NEWS”
“VBS is canceled tomorrow. We will hide or leave when the government is here. This could affect all Buckner’s work in Russia and directors job of orphanage who let us come”
“also PRAY FOR Svetlana the care giver who is calling the government PRAY FOR HER HEART”
Sunday I had a pulling on my heart to pray for Kathryn, some of it I was scared at the time. I talked (to) Kathryn yesterday and she said they went to a new orphanage that day and were going to spend a week doing VBS. She said one (of) the care givers didn’t want her kids to participate with them.
The last text I got today was “there something very big going on in this place Can’t describe it but there is definitly something stirring in me”
Please pray for my friend Kathryn. God knows whats going on, pray for God’s wisdom and believe in His power that in already in control. Pray for there protection…..

Updates from Kathryn

These were all sent to my old email address, but wanted to be sure I shared them with you all so you can keep my “sister” Kathryn in you prayers as she’s just returned from Uganda and arrived in Russia over the weekend.

I was in an earthquake!! Ok…well, it was actually a small earthquake with very little repercussion. It was definitely a new experience for me and, in a way, it was symbolic of what was happening in the hearts of the people of Rakia and those in
surrounding villages. The people were ready to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and by the end of our time there, 87 new believers were born into the Kingdom of God. Hallelujah!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prayers and financial support. We were kept safe, everyone stayed healthy, and most importantly, seeds of the Gospel were planted. I wish I had time to relay all that the Lord was doing while we were there.
juliet.JPGI do want to tell you about one little girl named Juliet and ask for your fervent prayers. Juliet is between seven and nine years old and she is the head of her household. Her mother and father abandoned her and her four siblings.
When we visited her hut, two of her siblings were at school and two had gone to look for food. All they had was four or five golf ball-sized Irish potatoes for five growing children. They shared a two-room mud hut with a thatched roof (that surely leaks when it rains), with no windows, no electricity, no furniture, and dirt floors.
After we provided a few gifts of water, food, a mattress, and other needed items,
Juliet asked us to pray that she would be able to take care of her family. (When I was her age, I prayed for a pony.) Our hearts broke as we knelt by this courageous little girl to offer her needs up to the Lord. I ask that you would join us in continuous prayer for Juliet and her siblings for the Lord to meet their basic needs, and most importantly, for her to know the realness of His love.
It’s easy to look at Juliet’s situation and feel that the Lord has forgotten her and so many others like her. However, we know that He hasn’t. God’s love for her is so great that HE used you and me, all the way from the USA, to bring provisions to Uganda to meet the needs of Juliet and others like her. We were just blessed to be the vessel HE used.
I’ll be sending you another email shortly as we prepare to leave for Russia on Friday. Thank you for your continued prayers. I can feel the difference its making!!

~Katya
“Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

This was just before she left for Russia on Thursday:

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Russia with plans to visit about 6 different orphanages. Our main focus will be on Vacation Bible School (VBS) and forming relationships with the children so that the Gospel can be shared. Please keep us
in your prayers for

  • safety in travel
  • physical, mental, and emotional strength
  • the Lord’s anointing on everything we do as His servants

I look forward to sending you update emails over the next month until my return on August 4th. You can also read the intern blog on Buckner’s website http://internsatbuckner.blogspot.com.
Thank you so much for your prayers! You are vital to this ministry and our team!
~Kathryn “Katya”
“Let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

And after arriving in Russia on Sunday she sent this:

Our team of seven fantastic ladies has safely made it to Russia yesterday with all of our luggage. Praise the Lord! This morning we enjoyed a contemporary Russian church service and then a nice Russian lunch of chicken crepes…delicious!
This afternoon we will prepare and pack for a week of vacation bible school at an orphanage called Lopoohinka. The interns last month were the first Buckner group to visit this orphanage. We will stay there for six days, coming back on Saturday.
Please pray the Lord will direct our planning and packing for this orphanage of all ages and that the hearts of the children and caregivers will be open and eager to hear the good news of the Gospel.
I urge you to continue in fervant prayer! They are making a difference! I look forward to updating you on how the Lord is working and moving in the hearts of those at Lopoohinka.
~Katya
“Let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Thanks for your prayers, I’ll keep you as updated as I can.

One year ago today

You probably wouldn’t have guessed it from my blogging that day, but one year ago today I met my life, Laurie for the first time ever.
I admitted last night that I was getting a little nervous working that day knowing that we were going to meet and go out for the first time later that evening. I guess I did something right because we’re now married and really enjoying life.
We plan on visiting one or two of the stops we made on our first date later today.
Last year I picked her up and we had dinner at Blue Mesa, then road the trolley down McKinney Ave. and finished it up with coffee at Cafe Brazil.
It’s amazing to think that was just a year ago. It seems so much longer (in a good way). I still laugh to think that one of her roommates thought we had known each other most of our lives after we had dated a month or two.
I am a slacker though apparently – from what I can tell, I didn’t mention Laurie to the blogging world until July 21st. Sorry about that. By then we had plenty of dates under our belt and were “officially dating.”
Laurie I love you and no one thrills my heart like you do. You are all my dreams come true and more.

Jonathan sets out the napkins


Jonathan sets out the napkins
Originally uploaded by Jonathan D. Blundell.

We just wrapped up our first monthly “dinner club” at Casa de Blundell. We had a great time 13 adults and one baby Gracelyn. Our last guests left just before 11 p.m. and we enjoyed some great Mexican food made by all. Aaron and I also partook in some good imported Mexican beer before it was all said and done.
Tonights menu:
Cheese poppers and bacon wrapped jalape̱os РShane and Sarah
Chips, queso and guacamole – Richard and Amber
Beef enchiladas – Blundells
Chicken enchiladas – Josh and Shalyn
Beef fajitas and guacamole – Smiley and Shari
(amazing) Apple cinnamon wraps with vanilla ice cream – Aaron and Keri
We were surprised we were able to get 13 people seated in our humble abode, but we did it and then played a game of Boxers or Briefs afterwards.
We also took two of our old digital cameras and set them out for everyone to snap random photos as they saw fit. One of them has a busted LCD screen on it – so it made for some fun interesting pics. You can see them all on my Flickr account.
A great time had by all I do believe. We’re ready to start planning our next monthly dinner club meeting for next month. Check your e-mail you might be invited. Spaces are limited – we’ll start drawing names from the hat again soon.

The desire for community

I’m still amazed at how often I hear about the desire people have for community – yet so often we’re “too busy” to take time to build relationships, or we’ve “been burned too many times” to take a risk on another relationship.
Even folks who love freelancing and working on their own still desire to build community in their own away-from-work environments.
“The idea for me is forming deep connections with the people who are there,” Brad Neuberg said in a recent video he and other co-workers made. Co-working is a movement to create a community of cafe-like collaboration spaces for developers, writers and independents. “I go to bars and I see lots of people standing around and no one talks to each other and I don’t know why. Yet I go to a house party with lots of people standing around but they’re talking because there’s a shared context… How do you get that magic of a shared identity?”

These programmers have found a way to build community around open source software and technology. As a church we have the common identity of Christ and His salvation yet sometimes you can feel the loneliest at church or around other Christians. How do we build that bridge and knock down those walls?

Some tips from the co-workers for building community and community spaces:

  • Start talking about it
  • Be open with your process
  • Be very sharing
  • The more you give the more you’ll get
  • Be willing and patient in your pursuant of community