Kumquats are citrusy! Sorry, no good title came to mind.

This past week was dubbed "24/7 week of prayer". I wasn't bummed out about this. I was fairly excited to have time officially set aside to pray. Yes, many good things came out of this. Hearts were opened up and issues came out for which needed the strength of corporate prayer. I feel that the people here got a better sense of what community is for, and that is, for intercession prayer, encouragement, working through one another's problems, and having people to rely on and have accountability with. To grow closer as a group means growing closer with God individually and as a body.

An interesting thing happened though this week. My time spent in the designated room for prayer was powerful, meaningful, and significant but I must confess that this past week, I have had the most frustrating time praying outside of that room by myself. The thought that continued to cross my mind was, "Oh, I already prayed today so I won't do it now" I feel that throughout this past week, I completely lost my "never-ceaseing" prayer life. It was too often only those set times that I found myself in prayer, thanking God, giving Him the glory and honour He deserves, imploring answers from him, etc. I feel somewhat depressed not having noticed that earlier. One thing I found really encouraging was what happened before or after myself and Jeremy's Adventures in Odyssey times before bed. This scheduling of time to fellowship together has allowed for connections, confessions, and prayer with each other. He has been a great encouragement in this way.

The school work this past week has been dumped upon us like a draping fishing net in water. It sort of surrounds you, encapsulates you from every angle, and creates difficulty to get out of. Some people have found rips in this net which I think lead to a deeper, darker and less helpful part of the ocean. I however have managed, by the grace of our Lord, to not only get done what is asked of me but with effort of trying to see how it may apply to who I am and my future. Trying to answer questions like, "Will furthering my studies in this contribute or create some foundation to what I may want to do later on?" or "How can I see myself working these ideas or using them in furthering the kingdom?".

This morning at church was the first time that I engaged conversation with someone. The other times have usually been the initiation of others wanting to get to know us Kaleo's. Boy, what a man to have talked today. His name is Dick Robinson. His wife, Doris, died recently and he was having difficulty coming home with no one to talk to. He told me that it was during world war II, 1945, bombs dropping all around, when he met her in the army. I was at a loss from the few words I usually have and had difficulty conversing with him. I feel more and more that I have really been struggling with this inability to engage in conversation, communicate, relate, ask questions, talk to people, even people I know though not well.

I ask that your prayers may include a strengthening of my prayer life, never-ceasing. Pray that I may continue to not only finish my assignments and do well on them but also engage into what I am studying. Pray strength and courage for myself with words to say and questions to ask to all whom I come in contact with, loving them while talking with them.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark