I get up early in the morning to pray for the day and to pray for my family. I have found that I depend much on prayer in Kenya. Interestingly, I was dependent on morning prayer in Peru as well, and to be humbly honest, I thought it had become a cherished habit in my life to arise early and pray. However, when I was back in the US last year, and when my life was normal and comfortable again, I realized that what I thought was a nice Christian habit became easily abandoned. So what I credited to myself as strength of character, I realize now was an acknowledgement of my need for God’s help that I experience on the mission field, but not so much in my home culture. So I arose early in Peru, went back to the US and gave up the habit within two weeks. and then within days of arriving to Kenya I was up early again. Hopefully God will acknowledge my humble faithfulness in need and will forgive my lack of it in comfort. It is better to be weak and understand our dependence than to be self-deceived in our supposed self-sufficiency.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10