Urgent Prayer Needed - Kristen Welsh

I don't know how many of you have been following Kristen Welsh's blog, We Are That Family.  She went with Shaun Groves to Africa in March, 2010 as a Compassion blogger.  It changed her life profoundly and she started, along with her husband and a young friend, Maureen, from Africa, a ministry called The Mercy House.  Maureen is now executive director of this non-profit, Kenya-based ministry, which takes care of pregnant girls in abject poverty and teaches them income-generating skills.  They are just now welcoming their first few girls into the ministry, after several setbacks.

Recently Maureen lost her only sister and her nephew to a preventable disease.

And now, another setback.

Kristen and her family were to leave today for Kenya to help with the start up.  But instead of getting on their plane, they are stuck.  Kristen is in the hospital with kidney failure!

Please pray for this dear family, and for young Maureen? They are so faithful to the Lord's call.  These setbacks are heartbreaking.

At the end of each of the Compassion trips, the leaders, including Shaun, give the bloggers a debriefing.  Shaun asks every time, "Now that you know, what will you do?"

I can't think of Kristen Welsh these days without tearing up. She has sacrificed and prayed and given it all, including the $1000 a month she makes through her popular, award-winning blog.  It all goes to The Mercy House now.  It hasn't been easy on her, or on her husband and three kids.

She has answered the call.  She has done something about abject poverty.  She didn't just go, grieve, get back to normal, and go on with the status quo.  She said in essence "God, change me.  Let me be your hands and feet".

Maybe you and I can't go to Africa, but we can remember this family now in their hour of great need.  Please pray fervently?

Because so few people have time to click on links, I am reposting Kristen's last two posts, which detail the prayer needs:

Today's Post:

We won’t be going to Africa today.

I was admitted to the hospital last night thru the ER with the beginning of kidney failure. Which. of course, was a total shock and something we were completely unprepared for.

Long story short, doctors believe the antibiotic I was on for a bladdar/kidney infection for the last week, coupled with dehydration caused my kidneys to stop functioning right (a rare side effect of some antibiotics).

Please pray that my creatine (kidney function) levels start going down with the iv therapy and that my kidneys start working properly again. About 10% of people’s kidneys don’t recover from this. Believing I’m in the 90%

I’m so mad at satan (and really  heartbroken).

But he will not win.

Thankfully, we had travel insurance and were able to postpone our trip.

Thanks so much for your prayers and love. I feel them.

Yesterday's post:

I stood in the kitchen a few night ago, the reality of what we are about to do, settling in. It wasn’t a heaviness really, more like an O MY WORD slapping me upside the head.

I asked my hubby: “Why don’t you think God asked someone else to do this? Ya know, like someone with a lot of money, someone who wouldn’t have to believe for every dollar.”

“Or someone who had global experience, older kids, an extrovert with a love for adventure (everything I’m not).”

My hubby hugged me. The O GOOD GRAVY feeling eased.

He didn’t say a word. Because bottom line: God asked and we said yes.

And I do feel a lot of peace, especially when I remind myself He used a donkey once…..

I’m not bold. If you know me in real life, it’s probably because you approached me. But from the very beginning when we shared this vision with you-still new and unfolding each day–we knew we could never do this alone. We knew we needed you.

Will you pray for us?

I don’t like to over-spiritualize stuff, but in the last week, I’ve had a kidney infection, my mother-in-law had emergency gall-bladdar surgery, and today, my mom slipped on water and had to have 5 staples in her head (which I will be removing in Africa)-plus, my hubby’s been out of town with his job (but on the way home now). Seriously?  I don’t think it’s a coincidence Maureen brought in our first girl today with two more needy, pregnant girls pending.

Please consider printing out this calendar/itinerary and ask God to use our simple family to encourage and equip the staff, to love on Maureen and the residents, to be Jesus’ hands and feet….

You can download and print the prayer calendar here:  Prayer Calendar

Thank you.