22 Days

Things have been very busy as I am packing and preparing to return to Kenya on January 6th. In fact I only have 22 days till I return! I have truly enjoyed my time back in the States reporting back to my supporting churches and spending time with my family.

Tonight was a lot of fun! I had a wonderful break from my busy schedule of packing. I went Christmas caroling with my church. We have a few church members that are in nursing homes now or live at home and can’t get out. It was such a joy to be able to sing and bring some Christmas cheer to them.

My Pastor's wife and I

Nat Stooky - a very dear and special lady to me.

Caroling at the second nursing home

Fern Foglesong - another very dear and special lady to me.

November Prayer Letter

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving is just weeks away and soon Christmas will be here. By the time you are reading my next prayer letter, I will be flying home to Kenya! Every time I show my DVD in a church I get homesick for Kenya and the ministry the Lord has given me there. Furlough has gone well and is continuing to go very well. I have had some new churches take me on for support. Some of my supporting churches have raised their amount of support. Praise the Lord! Over the last few months I have continued to travel and report to churches in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri.

The Lord has allowed me to be in some wonderful Mission Conferences and church services. One of the mission conferences I was able to have a part in was my home/sending church’s missions conference. What an exciting week! I am always excited to hear about missions going on around the world and to see new missionaries being sent out. I was really blessed by the testimonies given on the last night. There were testimonies of people who had given to missions through Faith Promise for years. One was a widow who had lost her husband this year. Another was a couple who the Lord has kept their vehicles running as they travel a good distance just to come to church. One young man also gave a testimony of what a blessing it had been to go visit a missionary on the field. Even with the economy the way it is, I have been blessed and challenged to see God’s people still continuing to step out in faith and give so that others might hear the Gospel!

A couple of Sundays ago a Grandma came to me and told me about her 3 year old granddaughter, Kaelin. She kept telling her Grandma that she wanted to go to Mexico. When her Grandma finally asked her why, she said, “I want to be a missionary in Mexico”. Perhaps one day when Kaelin grows up, God will use her as a missionary in Mexico. Only God knows what His plan is for her.

Excitement is building as I prepare to return to Kenya January 6th. In December I will be shipping a 20’ container to Kenya filled with so many wonderful things that have been given to me for the ministry there. Once back in Kenya, I will immediately be locating a place to live in Nanyuki, cleaning it up, and then moving my belongings up there. I will also be busy with the government getting my work permit renewed. Along with all of that, I need to replace the tires on my 1984 Land Cruiser. Much work is ahead of me to get back to the ministry there in Kenya. If any of you feel led of the Lord to help with any of these expenses, it would greatly be appreciated. I thank the Lord for all of my supporting churches! You have been so good to me!

PRAYER REQUEST
- The last $200 of additional support to be raised.
- Shipping of the container and tires for my vehicle.
- Safety as I continue to travel to churches.
- Wisdom for decisions that need to be made and my move as I prepare to start my 2nd term on the field.


Reaching the Children,
Tracie Williams
Missionary to Kenya

Psalm 8 “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beast of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”

I drove the scenic route from Flagstaff, Arizona to Cottonwood, Arizona.

I enjoy looking at God's creation!

I took an hour while I was in Cottonwood to go see the Tuzigoot ruins

I was not tempted to get off! =)

The entrance into the ruins.

God's Family Continues to Grow!

Wednesday night I was at one of my supporting churches in Cottonwood, Arizona. I went to Bible College with the Pastor so it was really neat seeing him and his wife again. Of course their family had grown since I had last seen them. They now have a little girl and baby boy. =)

That night at church I spoke and shared my DVD with the adults and then headed over to the kids class to speak to them. We had a great time together! I dressed up two of the kids as a Maasai man and a Maasai woman as I shared about Kenya. Afterwards I opened it up for a question/answer time and the kids asked some great questions. I then ended the class time with a Gospel presentation. When I finished the pastor’s wife went ahead and gave an invitation. One of the girls responded to the invitation and I got to talk to her. She trusted Christ as her Savior! What an exciting night at church!

Today on my way back down to Phoenix I stopped and checked out Fort Verde. I love seeing places where history took place! I also stopped and saw the Montezuma Castle. It was wow! I have really enjoyed my time here in Arizona. My Heavenly Father truly made a beautiful and amazing world!

The housing for the officers

A cave I found

A First Time

What a week! It started with being in two churches on Sunday. We had great services in both. On Tuesday I headed up to Phoenix, AZ. I spoke in one of my supporting churches on Wednesday night. It was another great church service! Two were baptized that night and another man joined the church. I have enjoyed being back in my supporting churches.

Thursday and Friday I helped the pastor’s wife get ready for their church school to start in a week. On Saturday we went on visitation. Two were saved and a few promised to be in church! Praise the Lord! This evening the pastor and his wife surprised me with tickets to the Arizona Cardinals NFL preseason game. Their daughter got these tickets on ebay for a really good deal. We were only 11 rows from the end zone! This was my first NFL game to go to and probably the last. It was a really great experience!! The night ended with 30 seconds of fame on the camera right before we left. =)

Tomorrow starts a new week and once again I will be in two churches. Have a great day in church with God’s people!!

The Pastor's wife and I

One of the guys near us got into the team spirit with his hair

Tucson, Arizona

These last few weeks I have been traveling through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. I’m in Arizona right now and will be for awhile. The weather here is a lot like the weather in Kenya.

Last Wednesday I spoke in one of my supporting churches. They are having Vacation Bible School every Wednesday night instead of doing it all in one week. After I was finished showing my DVD to the adults and reporting to them about the ministry there in Kenya, I went over to the VBS. Because the group was large they split them into two groups. I did everything twice. Lol! =) There are quite a few Africans that live in this area of Arizona, so we had kids there that were from the Congo and Sudan. I showed my DVD and then I was going to dress up a boy and a girl as a Maasai man and woman. In talking to the kids I found out that several of them didn’t know anything about missionaries. I decided to share my testimony as well as talk about Kenya. That was my first time to be doing something with my hands as I shared my testimony. Multi-tasking is not something I’m that great at. The kids seemed to enjoy listening as I dressed up two of them as Maasai, in the bright red and blue clothes, all the bead work the woman wear, and the tire sandals the men wear. Of course I had to let the guys see and hold the machete. =)

On Saturday the ladies at the church had a luncheon at Mimi’s Café and asked me to speak. I took my time preparing the topic I thought the Lord would have me speak on. Sometimes the Lord leads us to speak on a different topic right before we’re to get up. =) That is exactly what took place. I ended up sharing my testimony and experiences in Kenya as a missionary. There were about four waitresses/waiters that were serving throughout the room as I was speaking. I can’t help but think that possibly that is why He led me to share my testimony. I may never know, but God does!

The Home Going of a Brother in Christ

Ryan Williams, aviation missionary in Kenya, went home to be with the Lord almost a week after a plane crash that took place there in Kenya. He left behind a wife and four young children. Ryan and his wife Dawn were a blessing to me in so many ways. He will be greatly missed! Please keep this family in your prayers as they go through this time.

July Prayer Letter

It's been awhile since I have posted anything. Here is just a little of what I have been doing. =)

These last few months have been very busy and very exciting! While visiting some of my supporting churches in Oklahoma, I have been able to spend time with my family who also lives in Oklahoma. During one of those visits, the Lord worked it out for me to be in Tulsa when my sister and her husband, Jennifer and Adam Travis, flew back to the mission field.

In June my home church had their Vacation Bible School. I enjoyed being there and being asked to have a part in it. In fact I was the ever so sweet “Annie Okie Dokie”. It was a western theme, “Wanted by God”. We had around 100 kids in attendance. On Friday I had the privilege of leading one of the boys to the Lord! Five kids in all were saved that week!

Being in Oklahoma the month of June also included a week of Youth Camp. I was privileged to go with the youth from my church and to be one of their counselors. I had a great time with the youth, visiting and spending time with them. Several young people got saved that week and I got to lead one of the girls from our church to the Lord! What a blessing!

When I’m not out speaking in a church I have enjoyed being at my home church, Southeast Baptist, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This summer, when I have been in town, I have been blessed to work on the bus with my brother and one of my sisters. What a joy it brings to my heart to get on a bus, pick up children, and bring them to church. I am back on the road traveling again and I already miss visiting them on Saturdays and seeing their smiling faces as they get on the bus and come to church on Sunday. I have grown to love everyone of those bus kids! I am thankful that I was privileged to have a part in their lives.

Furlough is going well! A small percentage of my additional support that I needed to raise has been promised. I still have some dates open in September and November. If you would like to have me report about the work you are supporting in Kenya, please contact me at my e-mail address. Thank you for your support!

PRAYER REQUEST
- Meetings to be scheduled for the time that I have left here in the States.
- Additional support to be raised.
- Safety as I travel to the churches and that I will be a blessing to the people.


Reaching the Children,
Tracie Williams

No More Pain

This evening Esther Joy Travis went home to her Heavenly Father. She is now a healthy little girl running around in heaven. No more pain and no more cancer. Thank you for your prayers for her. Please continue to pray for her family. There were many tears shed only because we will miss her sooooo much!

The Latest on Esther

Here is an unedited letter that my sister Jennifer, wrote concerning Esther and how she is doing. Please continue to pray for all of us! I will write another time about how furlough is going.


Hello, friends and family.

Thank you for praying for Esther. I am sorry we have kept you wondering. I have not been able to update till now. Adam and I are Esther's full time nurses now, we went home on Hospice Friday. Little sleep, lots of meds, enjoying and making the most of our good hours together as a family is what we have been doing. Esther's last trip to the KJM barn was to jump one of the school's ponies, that was last Monday. She had of course, pain in the saddle but thoroughly enjoyed it thanks to Pie, a trainer from Pagosa Springs, CO. Her lack of strength and energy has her confined to her wheel chair, the couch, our bed, and our picnic mat. We got her out every chance we had last week to enjoy the beautiful balmy weather. She side walk chalked with her brothers and sister laying on her tummy with pillows under her, I painted her fingernails out there, Daddy topped of the day with bringing the surprise of pizza to our picnic. She ate a whole piece! We would appreciate your prayers for her stomach. She prays all the time "Lord please help me not throw up!" A CT scan was done last week that showed her small bowel was almost occluded by tumor. She barely takes 1-2 bites a day but gastric juices continue to fill the stomach so when it reaches its capacity it empties the wrong way. Her anti-nausea meds cant stop that. The MRI came back showing that her liver is almost full of tumor. Where her lungs on the last scan showed one spot on each, it now looks like pop corn all over each of her lungs. There is also tumor filling the cavity between her ribs and lungs, and tumor pressing on things in her pelvis. Her bone marrow is so invaded that she still needs platelets every day and blood every three to four. This locks her out of all clinical trials or chemos, for treatment her platelets would have to remain at 50,000 for at least 7 day without transplants. Her platelets were 8,000 today that is a critical level, they transfuse at 20,000. What I am saying is there is no way to eradicate or stop this cancer now. Please pray for her eye sight. It is coming and going and blurry at times, this is frustrating to Esther as she rubs to try and clear them. Also you can pray that her awake moments (which have became fewer) will be painless enjoyable ones. For Esther's dignity and to maximize our time together this will be our last update for a while. We will let you know when she is no longer hurting. Please do not send flowers now or later she would rather you gave that money to a missionary or, as a church or family take dinner to the hurting families at your local Ronald MacDonald house in honor of Esther. Thank you for all your love and prayers.

For Him Who Saves and Keeps Us, Jesus Christ our Lord
Adam and Jennifer

More News on Esther

Esther made it through the night. She is now in the hospital here in Tulsa. Her grandparents from Colorado arrived safely. Two weeks ago the doctors went in and removed what they could of the tumor. That has all refilled and it has gone into more organs. Her organs are shutting down and the doctor has given her 2-3 days. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us. Most of the family went last night to be with her. I stayed at home since it was midnight and her little brothers and sister were sleeping. This morning I will be heading to the hospital to take all her little siblings to see her.

Another Update on Esther

Esther is right now being flown back to her hospital here in Oklahoma. She is still with us. The doctors say that kids seem to fight it and hang on for the sake of their parents. Her Daddy has told her that if she sees Jesus to go ahead and go with Him. None of us want her to go, but we all know that where she will be going is a better place and we will all see her again one day. Your heart still hurts and you still cry. The day has been very emotional and it isn’t through. Keep all of us in your prayers as we continue through this time.

Also keep Adam's parents in your prayers as they are driving in from Colorado and won't arrive till midnight or so.

Prayer Update

Many of you have been praying for my niece Esther, who has cancer. Please continue to pray. I just heard from my sister this morning. They had taken her up to Pennsylvania for a consultation concerning another kind of treatment. While up there here temp spiked and they took her in for testing. They found her kidneys are not functioning properly and enlarged and her potassium level is extremely high. They are concerned about her heart and some other organs. She has been admitted into PICU this morning and will be put on dialysis. We are praying for many things, but one is to get her stabilized and back down to Oklahoma were most of the family is located.

Caleb, Jonathan, Deborah, and Esther. Joshua was sleeping on his Daddy's back. =)

The Start of Furlough

I have now lived in Kenya 2 years, one month and ten days! =) About three weeks ago I flew back to the US to start my furlough. For those of you that are not familiar with the term furlough, it is a time when missionaries report back to their supporting churches, visit new churches with the hope of gaining new support, and spend time with their families. I had a good flight. It was my first time to fly with British Airways. I arrived in Tulsa excited to be seeing my family. They were not the only ones there to welcome me back. My Pastor and his wife and some of the people from my home church came to surprise me. I was also excited to see my sister and brother-in-law and their kids, Esther, Jonathan, Deborah, Caleb, and Joshua, there as well. I didn’t know when I would see them because of Esther’s chemo schedule, so it was very special to me to see them there at the airport welcoming me back. Esther, her sister and her brothers were holding up a welcome home banner they had made for me with African animals drawn on it. When you think about it please continue to pray for her and the family. They did another scan on her last week and the tumors have doubled in size, again.

Last Sunday I was in a Missions conference up in Kansas. We had a great day of services and I had a wonderful time getting to know the people. I gained several new prayer supports as well as promised monthly financial support from the church. Today I am driving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to be in a Missions conference at one of my supporting churches.

Last Sunday

Today was my last Sunday here in Kenya before I go to the States for furlough. I have really grown to love the people at Emmanuel Baptist. I will miss all of them greatly!

I absolutely love singing in Swahili and today we, the choir, sang one of my favorite songs in Swahili. Then it was time for junior church. I knew it was my last day with the kids so I made cupcakes to pass out at the end of the class hour. The brother of the missionary’s wife is here on a short visit so we had him come into junior church to teach the kids. We joined together both junior church classes and we barely fit into the one room. Everyone was in attendance plus some! =) I believe the kids enjoyed the guest teacher especially when he tried to use Swahili. He even had all of us teachers laughing! He may have been slaughtering the language, but it pleased the kids that he was trying.

The church surprised me with the gift of a book. When I opened it I saw where several of the people had written notes in the cover. I will treasure that book forever! My single girls group also surprised me with roses and a card. I keep saying surprised because I was not expecting anything and was totally and completely surprised by everything!!!!

Today was the second Sunday of the month and so we had our ladies meeting after church. I really enjoyed having one more time of fellowship with the ladies. We learned a new song that I thought was beautiful. I was very blessed by the lesson that was given. I was challenged and decided that while I am back on furlough I am going to get back to memorizing the book of Philippians. I had started it when I was here in Kenya on one of my short term trips. I had the first two chapters done, but then got sidetracked. My goal is to have the book of Philippians completely memorized by the time I return to Kenya.

I thank the Lord for putting the people of Emmanuel Baptist in my life!

Prayer Request Update and Praise

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog. Thank you for your prayers for the missionary that was to have surgery. Mrs. Weaver came through her surgery well and she is back here in Kenya. They won’t know for a while if the surgery took care of the problem or not. If she comes to mind please continue to pray for her.

I also want to thank you for your prayers for my 6 year old niece, Esther. Please continue to pray for her and the family. The cancer has returned. She started out with two tumors in her abdomen. Within three weeks it had spread to her heart and bones. She and her family are back in the States and she started chemo this week. The doctors don’t hold out much hope, but she is in God’s hands. I find comfort in the thought that she is God’s little girl and He has her best in mind. This is not going to be an easy time for her or our family. Please keep us in your prayers!

My furlough is to start in one week. I will be back in the States traveling and reporting to the churches and people that support me. When I get back from furlough I will be moving up to a little town called Nanyuki. My ministry will consist of working in orphanages, teaching Bible in the village schools, helping start Sunday school and training teachers in the village churches, and teaching the ladies classes in the Bible Institute. A couple weeks ago I drove up to Nanyuki to look around at the housing. While I was there I got to be involved in the chapel service at the Christian school the missionaries started. Several kids responded to the invitation that was given. I helped the teachers divide them in smaller groups to deal with and I got to deal with three girls. As I talked to them I found that two of the girls were already saved so we talked for a while and then I got to lead the third girl to the Lord that day! Praise the Lord!