Altamont First United Methodist Church

Cazier Update 21 March

21 March 08

To all of you

Thank you for your prayers for our safety, our team's, and for peace in Kenya. It has been a grand roller coaster ride since Christmas...one we do not wish to repeat!

With a high stress level, we lived with possible evacuation on one end of the spectrum to interruption and change of immediate ministry focus on the other. We lived day to day, not knowing what it would bring. Meetings and trips to Maasailand had to be rescheduled several times as travel was not safe. Sometimes school was cancelled or let out early. Many extra curricular activities were rescheduled or canceled as riots would break out in parts of Nairobi. We learned how quickly a country can spiral out of control and how fear can grip a person's mind. We also learned that God is the ultimate Provider and Sustainer of life. That His people are not exempt from suffering and death, but promises to be with us in the midst of it. That we live with the hope of eternal life...His promise to all who believe in Him.

Click the READ MORE for full details.

Cazier Missionaries Overcoming Adversities

"Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God''s will for you in Christ Jesus." - I Thes 5:16-18

Dear Friends,

Please forgive me for the length of this update, but November has been quite an eventful month for the Maasai ministry and Cazier family.

November is traditionally a month when Americans pause to give thanks to the Lord and celebrate His blessings that He has poured out on us. We celebrate a holiday called "Thanksgiving" to gather as family and thank God for family; for His provision for another year; and, historically, for a bountiful, safe, and successful harvest.

As November draws to a close, our family has much to be thankful for, even in the wake of several trials that have come our way this month.

Click the Read More for the full story!

Safe Sanctuaries Workshop - Sunday Jan. 7th @ 6PM

We will hold a training workshop for people who serve in our Children and Youth ministries including Sunday school teachers, nursey workers, VBS workers and group leaders. This workshop will help us learn more about how we can provide a safe atmosphere for children and youth ministries in our congregation. A few examples of what the workshop will cover include: the importance of screening persons who serve in ministries with children and youth, appropriate behavior in working with minors, parental permission forms and other types of forms, as well as things we can do to provide a safe and secure atmosphere for ministries with children and youth. Attendance is expected as we seek to be cooperative with Conference and insurance recommendations. Childcare will be provided. Contact Heidi Wilson for more information.

Lynn & Dori Cazier Missonary Team Update Nov. 18th, 2006

Dear friends,

Lynn's 3 hr surgery went well. Dr. Malone straightened Lynn's nose
and cleaned out the sinus cavity. The surgery wasn't pleasant nor
recovery but he is grateful he had it done. He can breathe easier,
has no pressure on his right eye, just is dealing with some headaches
but they are less than he has had for the last 2 years. He is
scheduled with an optometrist in December as he really needs a change
in his glasses now that everything else is taken care of! We are
hopeful this will also help with those annoying headaches. THANKS
for keeping Lynn in your thoughts and prayers!

Click the Read More for the full e-mail and added information.
Click the Missions Team icon in the upper right to see all the news from our missions team.

Lynn & Dori Cazier Missonary Team Update

The missonary team released an email recently:

Dear Friends and Fellow Workers in Ministry, 20-Oct

Greetings from Decatur, IL! It's cold here; we've had a low of 28

deg so far and around 48-50 is the lowest temperature we have seen the last 4 years.

We've been back in the US four months now and are becoming a little better readjusted to US culture and the pace of life here. Perhaps we will be fully adjusted by time to return to Kenya.

One of the best things about being in the States for this year is that we get to see and report to many of you about how your involvement in ministry with us is making a difference in the lives of the Maasai people. We have been contacting our supporting churches, setting up a schedule, and begun our visits. Don't worry!; if we have not called yet, it does not mean we have forgotten about you! We have about 30 supporting churches that we need to report to, and are trying to schedule to visit them all prior to our return to Kenya in June-July 2007. Please feel free to contact us via our information at the bottom of this email. We'd love to hear from you!

Dori and I will be leaving on a reporting trip to KS, NE, and western MO this afternoon. We would appreciate your prayers for us as we travel and report to these support partners and for Leslie and Cara - remaining here in Decatur for school; and for Crystal - continuing to do well at the University of IL. Our full itinerary, as we have it so far, is also at the bottom of this letter.

Click the Read More link to see the entire letter.