Sawyer Scoop March 2011

Greetings from the Sawyers. We are currently on the countdown of heading back to Kenya for our second term. We have less than 4 weeks left!!! We fly out of Atlanta on March 30th! We hope this newsletter finds you all doing well as well as gives you some information you may or may not know. Enjoy.
How can we help?
One of the number one questions we were asked this year while being on furlough and traveling all over the place was “What can we do to help?” It is always nice to hear people ask this. Most people grab their wallets tightly while asking this question because in the world we live in when people think of missions and missionaries they are used to being ask for something, usually money. I personally like being asked this because I want people feel like they are a part of the Gospel being spread in another country, and the question gives me the opportunity to educate in how that is possible. There are 3 things I have come to realize when it comes to missions. You either GO, SEND or you DISOBEY.

In our day and time we like to take Matthew 28:18-20 and give ourselves an excuse saying, that is only for missionaries. In fact however, it is for Christian’s period. If you call yourself a Christian you are to be making Disciples. When it comes to the going to the remotest parts of the earth as Acts 1:8 tells us that is where missionaries come in handy. Remember the church in Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas were set aside and the whole church did not up and go but sent them. They were as much a part of fulfilling the Great commission. It takes both the Goers and the Senders.

So here is my answer to “how can we help?” 1. Pray for us. Prayer is a huge part of our ministry in Kenya. I have no doubt that we have been kept from diseases and other certain dangers because of the people back home that pray for us. I also have no doubt that because of faithful people praying for the ministry we have been able to witness the Lord calling people to Himself. Be aware when asking us for prayer requests, we can keep you pretty busy.

2. Finacially. It takes people committed to giving on a monthly basis for us to be able to stay and do ministry and other projects overseas. We are not permitted to be employed to make money overseas, so we depend on the faithful people and churches who God has called to give faithfully every month. A couple interesting facts most people don’t know. It takes about the same amount of money monthly to feed our family as it does here in America, the only difference is it takes us a 12 hour round trip to get it. Gas is about $5-6 a gallon on average. $1 given to us each month is the same in U.S dollars for you, but changes based on how the shilling vs. dollar is doing. For example- Gas may cost us $5 a gallon one month and $7 a gallon the next, all while staying the same amount in shillings. Like cereal? When it is available a box of fruity pebbles can cost around $8 a box!!! Coffee lovers, like creamer? Flavored creamer is $10 for a small container. (Glad I don’t like coffee, but my wife loves it). Our mission does not financially support us; they have to raise their own support just as we do. Starting this year they had to start taking 5% of our funds. How to support the Sawyer’s Ministry. If by check: make check payable to Masters mission with note attached saying for Travis and Laura Sawyer. You can now donate by PayPal. Just go to our blog (www.thesawyerscoop.blogspot.com) and click on donate online. There are several ways to donate.

3. Communication, Either by letter, email, Skype, chat or taking a plane trip to Kenya. When we are in the bush we always enjoy letters or emails. They just make you feel like you are still a part of people’s lives back home as well. There are days when we receive an email that no amount of money could replace. We have people that come visit us that I would not take a dollar amount to replace their visit. It is a huge encouragement to us when we hear from or see folks that come to visit us in Kenya.
I encourage all of you who are reading this newsletter to ask yourselves “How am I involved in Christ Command in Matthew 28?” not just my church but me as an individual as well.

It has been a good year for us. It has been forever long but seems to be leaving quickly now with less than 4 weeks left. We have traveled over 30,000 miles and slept in many different beds. Last night as we were back home at my Dads house, Savannah our 3 year old woke up in the middle of the night and Laura heard her in the kitchen saying “where am I?” The kids have been amazing this year, they are real troopers. They are excited to get back as well which thrills our souls. We don’t want to be the missionaries that drag our kids along because it is what the Lord has called us to do, but rather it is our whole family that is actively involved in the work.

We have been healthy all year which is a change for us. Seems we always have some weird something going on in Kenya, but we did not escape America without getting colds. I think at the moment my whole family has a nasty cough.
Please continue to pray for the work in Kenya. We ask that you would pray for the Lord to bring more souls to Himself. There is no greater thing in this world than to see people coming to their Lord and Savior for the first time.
We are also taking a 40 foot container back as we did the first time around. This time though we don’t have but a small percentage of stuff on it, the rest belongs to all of our other families in the Kenya field. I would ask that you keep them in your prayers as well. Pick a family and pray for them once a week. Here are their names: Hind’s, Richardson’s, Heidorn’s, Teasdale’s, Woodworth’s, Russell’s and Johnson’s. The last 2 families are on the same station with us so remember them especially as they have to put up with me all the time
We love you all and thank you for your continued support during these hard economic times as well as your prayers for myself and my family.
In Christ,
Travis, for the Sawyer clan