Lee and Anne Marie Pruitt
Background: Before coming to Kenya as full-time missionaries in 1998, Lee was a CPA and Anne Marie was a Registered Nurse in Oregon. Lee, Anne Marie, and their children have God’s passion for the millions of precious individuals who live in dire poverty and despair in Kenya.
Hut Leaders: Tony and Jill Ledford tonyandjill84@yahoo.com
Dear Partners,
Well, life stays full and fun in Nairobi. We are so blessed to be in these roles and to continue to serve the Lord in the capacities He has assigned us.
Things are so good on many fronts. Lee continues to work hard in his role at Rosslyn Academy. Sorting out the business affairs is only one aspect of that role. One of the most consuming parts of his job, and one of the most rewarding, is being a member of the leadership team that supports the superintendent. It is one of the most rewarding because he has this opportunity to work with such Godly men and women who consistently seek the Lord as they lead. Having worked together these past 7 months, collegues get to see the "real" person during times of stress and pressure. These people are "real" all the time and what a priviledge it is to have great role models and co-workers.
Anne Marie continues to love her teaching, and her students. Her preparation for classes is long and hard as she is continuosly learning new curriculum. She also works very hard at making the physics and algebra applicable to her student's lives - which can be very difficult at times! The Lord has blessed her obvious love for her students, especially those that struggle in one way or another. One has come to her for intervention with a different student that is really struggling with her life right now, and her constant encouragement is paying off in new found successes for others.
Suffering has been knocking on the door of our campus community in the form of crime. Anne Marie had shared previously that one of her students was in a terrible car jacking accident and attempted abduction. Another student just went through a similar ordeal. For 1 hour, we did not know if she and her mother had been abducted in the car jacking. We waited and prayed. Soon the phone call came in that said they had walked to safety and were OK. The police found another victim tied up in the trunk of these same car-jackers abandoned vehicle. We thank God for their safety. At the very same time, one of Grace's classmates had her father abducted. He was missing for four days. This news was kept very quiet in Kenya while their home government negotiated for his release. Surprisingly it came to light through international media.
Several of our families have been robbed. One of Anne Marie's students lost an uncle in a violent home robbery. Several mission compounds/homes have been broken into and in one recent incident a guard was killed. A specific area has been particularly hard hit by the car jackers with 6 car jackings in 6 days. One mission family packed up and left after a scare involving their young children. All in all, these events call us to pray and to trust the Lord in the midst of the uncertainty.
In our Small Group study Lee has been introduing the idea of storying. He modeled the method for a couple weeks and then another member of the group took up the role. It is not an easy thing to do when in our group of 10 we speak 5 different mother tongues. Yet, everyone also speaks some English. It is fun and exciting to see how beautifully the Lord displays His message of salvation throughout His word.
Lee continues to meet with his Thursday Bible study on campus. They have been studying how to be a disciple and how to live this journey of faith. Many of this group have been exposed to the Bible and yet constantly ask questions that they have not had the opportunity to ask. The questions are so many! This week the group will begin to study "What does it mean to be obedient to Christ?".
A week ago Lee was able to preach out in a little village called Karura which is outside the area called Gachie. It is a tricky area as there are many thugs and theives in the area but also committed Christians who want to reach out to others. This is part of a group of churches that wants to teach the leaders how to share the scriptures through storying.
We serve a mighty God! The recent earthquakes and confusion in life around us can cause a great deal of anxiety and turmoil in the life of our children and the students of Rosslyn. We pray we are teaching them to walk in the peace and confidence of our Lord Jesus who is always and forever on the throne. We pray that they see the Joy of this journey and learn to trust Him who is leading us.
With thanks for allowing us to be here.
In Him,
Lee and Anne Marie
Pruitt Update – January 2010
Dear church family at RLM,
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with the Joy and Peace we have in our Salvation.
Our break time has been good. We are on such a steep learning curve in our new roles that every day since school started has been full and fast. We are very much enjoying these days and recognize that anything new requires a great time commitment and challenges us.
As you know we returned July 29th and started school August 3rd. We were not required to attended the "New Staff" orientation the week before as our travel dates had already been set. Also, since we have been in Kenya 12 years now, we are not new to the culture.
Overview:
Rosslyn Academy is a Christian International School based in Nairobi, Kenya. The school serves 515 students from K-12. These students represent 41 countries and their cultures. The school serves families from the mission community, from the UN and Embassy communities as well as private sector - those who want their children to have an excellent Western Education so that they may pursue University education in the States or Canada. These include Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and non-Christians. Some of the students come from influential families - Ambassadors kids, big business owners and politicians.
Just to recap our roles:
Lee is the Director of Finance and Development. He is also a member of the Leadership Team (LT) which is composed of the Superintendent, the 2 School principals and the Director of Operations.
As Director of Finance Lee manages the budget, authorizes expenditures, and financial reports to the LT and the Board of Governors. He oversees all banking and investment activities and ensures collection of tuition and fees. Rosslyn operates in the black and values financial stewardship that honors the Lord. This has been difficult this year as the economy tightens and our enrollment is down. Some families are behind in paying their tuition and at other times, Lee has to say 'no' to things that the school cannot afford.
The LT collectively deals with all administrative issues of operating the school. This includes: personnel, physical operations, security measures and policies and procedures along with implementing Board governance. The LT is not always popular, (this I have learned as the wife of a member!). The team is composed of Godly professionals who respect and value one another. They seek the Lord and His wisdom in their decisions and always look to do what is right before the Lord. As with any decision making body, the depths or complexities of issues are rarely known to others.
I am teaching 47 - 9th graders. I have most of them twice a day as I teach them Algebra and also Conceptual Physics. These are core classes for 9th graders. Kids living overseas and particularly in Nairobi have unique experiences. This term I had a student who was car jacked and severely traumatized in the accident and by the deaths of some of the gangsters. She was the target of an attempted abduction and ransom. I had a student whose vehicle was car jacked successfully, (only the vehicle was taken), another whose compound was broken into and their guards severely beaten and injured. Another household had an attempted robbery. On any given day approximately 1/3 of the students have a parent traveling out of the country. I have the opportunity to pray with these students and to share hope in these crisis situations. We have daily devotions and prayer and I take every opportunity to present the message of salvation. I pray it takes root in the hearts of my Muslim and Hindu students.
At the end of term I had 3 students departing - one was returning to their home in South America (his father was a diplomat), one mission family leaving the field due to health issues, and one moving to Rwanda as his parents were assigned to a new UN work there. It is my prayer that each goes from here - changed in some ways, and with the message of the hope of Christ.
Lee holds a weekly bible study for the National staff on campus. Every Thursday 14 - 17 workers come during their lunch hour for bible study. These are the gardeners, cleaners, bus drivers and anyone who is around that wants to come. Again, Lee has found that he needs to begin at the beginning with very basic biblical concepts . Two very positive responses were shared with me just before the break. One, the last day of school was to be a 1/2 day on Thursday. Some of the members of the Bible study approached Lee and asked him to hold study on Wed. as they did not want to miss the chance to have study during their last week. Secondly, the Supervisor is a man named James and he approached me on the last day before Christmas and told me how much the Bible study meant to them as it was the first time they have had an opportunity to openly ask questions about the Bible and discuss "freely" the things they do not understand about the Bible and faith. One member of the group has a ministry to prisoners with his wife. What a great opportunity for him to share with those in desperate circumstances.
Lee also was invited to speak at Robert"s church in Gachia - he shared through storying Jonah. He has an open invitation as the Leaders would like to develop a leader's training on storying and it is just a matter of time as Lee and the churches get organized. (Robert works for us).
Our Church is International Christian Fellowship. It began as a church plant on campus at Rosslyn to reach the UN and international residents living in the area. It has over 300 people on regular attendance. We do not have a pastor. The church is currently contacting organizations that are already sending out pastors and are structured to do so. The church is not a registered organization in Kenya and therefore does not have the authorized to "bring' in a pastor and to get a work permit etc. The church has used pastors seconded from other missions or have various missionaries speak. We have also watched DVD series of Andy Stanly. All church workers are volunteers.
We lead a small home group on Wed. nights from ICF and we are truly international as our group is composed of Africans, Americans, Koreans and Norwegians. Most of our group has had travel and ministry commitments so we did not get to meet much towards the end of the year. We will start up again next week.
A fun thing that Lee did over the Christmas holiday was offer a Basketball Camp to some of the Rosslyn MK's who were here over the holiday. While many families traveled, some of the kids were around and 10 5th and 6th graders participated in a daily camp for 2 weeks of the break. It was a great way to connect on the "student level" for Lee and to provide a fun activity for some of our Rosslyn Staff kids.
Prayer Concerns:
Rosslyn is currently recruiting and finding very few applicants for High School positions - please pray that the Lord will bring the people we need. Kenya does not allow a work permit for a woman that provides for her husband as a dependent. Therefore qualified women - cannot apply if their husbands do not have a way to work in the country. He must obtain his own work permit - this limits some applicants. We can only get permits for single people or a couple if the man is employed by the school. Working at Rosslyn is a ministry as the salary is small with no retirement and minimal health insurance. Those who come have to be "called" to this ministry and most come with some additional support base. During these tough times, teachers may be holding tight to their current positions or are unwilling to step out into a ministry of faith that they will obtain their support. We are thankful for the good elementary teacher candidates that have applied.
Please continue to pray for the nation of Kenya - while in a relatively peaceful time, Kenya still remains "uneasy".
Please pray for safety - Lee recently attended a US safety awareness meeting to update our community on safety issues. Kenya remains at the Highest Security Risk Rating by the US government.
Lee's mom is currently undergoing radiation therapy following surgery for an aggressive cancer. We thank God for her recovery from the surgery.
We miss our children in the states. All are well, but the holiday season seems to bring out homesickness and of course not getting to spend time with our first grandson - adds a little extra pain!. Adam and JC are stationed at Warren AFB in Cheyenne, WY and are doing well. JC is from Fairbanks, AK so Cheyenne is like going home! Danielle and Ryan are in Los Angeles serving in inner city ministry with World Impact. Dante - their first child is now 8 months old.
We thank you so much for your financial and prayer support. It is a great encouragment to know that you pray for us regularly.
We are blessed!
Serving in Kenya,
Lee and Anne Marie Pruitt
* Please note this mailing address is new from our old CMF address*
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 14146 - 00800
Nairobi, Kenya
If you would like to make a contribution you can send a check to:
Real Life Ministries
PO Box 878
Post Falls, Idaho 83887
(Please write "For the Pruitt's" on the memo line.)
Pruitt Update – March 2010
Dear Partners,
Well, life stays full and fun in Nairobi. We are so blessed to be in these roles and to continue to serve the Lord in the capacities He has assigned us.
Things are so good on many fronts. Lee continues to work hard in his role at Rosslyn Academy. Sorting out the business affairs is only one aspect of that role. One of the most consuming parts of his job, and one of the most rewarding, is being a member of the leadership team that supports the superintendent. It is one of the most rewarding because he has this opportunity to work with such Godly men and women who consistently seek the Lord as they lead. Having worked together these past 7 months, collegues get to see the "real" person during times of stress and pressure. These people are "real" all the time and what a priviledge it is to have great role models and co-workers.
Anne Marie continues to love her teaching, and her students. Her preparation for classes is long and hard as she is continuosly learning new curriculum. She also works very hard at making the physics and algebra applicable to her student's lives - which can be very difficult at times! The Lord has blessed her obvious love for her students, especially those that struggle in one way or another. One has come to her for intervention with a different student that is really struggling with her life right now, and her constant encouragement is paying off in new found successes for others.
Suffering has been knocking on the door of our campus community in the form of crime. Anne Marie had shared previously that one of her students was in a terrible car jacking accident and attempted abduction. Another student just went through a similar ordeal. For 1 hour, we did not know if she and her mother had been abducted in the car jacking. We waited and prayed. Soon the phone call came in that said they had walked to safety and were OK. The police found another victim tied up in the trunk of these same car-jackers abandoned vehicle. We thank God for their safety. At the very same time, one of Grace's classmates had her father abducted. He was missing for four days. This news was kept very quiet in Kenya while their home government negotiated for his release. Surprisingly it came to light through international media.
Several of our families have been robbed. One of Anne Marie's students lost an uncle in a violent home robbery. Several mission compounds/homes have been broken into and in one recent incident a guard was killed. A specific area has been particularly hard hit by the car jackers with 6 car jackings in 6 days. One mission family packed up and left after a scare involving their young children. All in all, these events call us to pray and to trust the Lord in the midst of the uncertainty.
In our Small Group study Lee has been introduing the idea of storying. He modeled the method for a couple weeks and then another member of the group took up the role. It is not an easy thing to do when in our group of 10 we speak 5 different mother tongues. Yet, everyone also speaks some English. It is fun and exciting to see how beautifully the Lord displays His message of salvation throughout His word.
Lee continues to meet with his Thursday Bible study on campus. They have been studying how to be a disciple and how to live this journey of faith. Many of this group have been exposed to the Bible and yet constantly ask questions that they have not had the opportunity to ask. The questions are so many! This week the group will begin to study "What does it mean to be obedient to Christ?".
A week ago Lee was able to preach out in a little village called Karura which is outside the area called Gachie. It is a tricky area as there are many thugs and theives in the area but also committed Christians who want to reach out to others. This is part of a group of churches that wants to teach the leaders how to share the scriptures through storying.
We serve a mighty God! The recent earthquakes and confusion in life around us can cause a great deal of anxiety and turmoil in the life of our children and the students of Rosslyn. We pray we are teaching them to walk in the peace and confidence of our Lord Jesus who is always and forever on the throne. We pray that they see the Joy of this journey and learn to trust Him who is leading us.
With thanks for allowing us to be here.
In Him,
Lee and Anne Marie
Pruitt Update – January 2010
Dear church family at RLM,
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with the Joy and Peace we have in our Salvation.
Our break time has been good. We are on such a steep learning curve in our new roles that every day since school started has been full and fast. We are very much enjoying these days and recognize that anything new requires a great time commitment and challenges us.
As you know we returned July 29th and started school August 3rd. We were not required to attended the "New Staff" orientation the week before as our travel dates had already been set. Also, since we have been in Kenya 12 years now, we are not new to the culture.
Overview:
Rosslyn Academy is a Christian International School based in Nairobi, Kenya. The school serves 515 students from K-12. These students represent 41 countries and their cultures. The school serves families from the mission community, from the UN and Embassy communities as well as private sector - those who want their children to have an excellent Western Education so that they may pursue University education in the States or Canada. These include Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and non-Christians. Some of the students come from influential families - Ambassadors kids, big business owners and politicians.
Just to recap our roles:
Lee is the Director of Finance and Development. He is also a member of the Leadership Team (LT) which is composed of the Superintendent, the 2 School principals and the Director of Operations.
As Director of Finance Lee manages the budget, authorizes expenditures, and financial reports to the LT and the Board of Governors. He oversees all banking and investment activities and ensures collection of tuition and fees. Rosslyn operates in the black and values financial stewardship that honors the Lord. This has been difficult this year as the economy tightens and our enrollment is down. Some families are behind in paying their tuition and at other times, Lee has to say 'no' to things that the school cannot afford.
The LT collectively deals with all administrative issues of operating the school. This includes: personnel, physical operations, security measures and policies and procedures along with implementing Board governance. The LT is not always popular, (this I have learned as the wife of a member!). The team is composed of Godly professionals who respect and value one another. They seek the Lord and His wisdom in their decisions and always look to do what is right before the Lord. As with any decision making body, the depths or complexities of issues are rarely known to others. I am teaching 47 - 9th graders. I have most of them twice a day as I teach them Algebra and also Conceptual Physics. These are core classes for 9th graders. Kids living overseas and particularly in Nairobi have unique experiences. This term I had a student who was car jacked and severely traumatized in the accident and by the deaths of some of the gangsters. She was the target of an attempted abduction and ransom. I had a student whose vehicle was car jacked successfully, (only the vehicle was taken), another whose compound was broken into and their guards severely beaten and injured. Another household had an attempted robbery. On any given day approximately 1/3 of the students have a parent traveling out of the country. I have the opportunity to pray with these students and to share hope in these crisis situations. We have daily devotions and prayer and I take every opportunity to present the message of salvation. I pray it takes root in the hearts of my Muslim and Hindu students.
At the end of term I had 3 students departing - one was returning to their home in South America (his father was a diplomat), one mission family leaving the field due to health issues, and one moving to Rwanda as his parents were assigned to a new UN work there. It is my prayer that each goes from here - changed in some ways, and with the message of the hope of Christ.
Lee holds a weekly bible study for the National staff on campus. Every Thursday 14 - 17 workers come during their lunch hour for bible study. These are the gardeners, cleaners, bus drivers and anyone who is around that wants to come. Again, Lee has found that he needs to begin at the beginning with very basic biblical concepts . Two very positive responses were shared with me just before the break. One, the last day of school was to be a 1/2 day on Thursday. Some of the members of the Bible study approached Lee and asked him to hold study on Wed. as they did not want to miss the chance to have study during their last week. Secondly, the Supervisor is a man named James and he approached me on the last day before Christmas and told me how much the Bible study meant to them as it was the first time they have had an opportunity to openly ask questions about the Bible and discuss "freely" the things they do not understand about the Bible and faith. One member of the group has a ministry to prisoners with his wife. What a great opportunity for him to share with those in desperate circumstances.
Lee also was invited to speak at Robert"s church in Gachia - he shared through storying Jonah. He has an open invitation as the Leaders would like to develop a leader's training on storying and it is just a matter of time as Lee and the churches get organized. (Robert works for us).
Our Church is International Christian Fellowship. It began as a church plant on campus at Rosslyn to reach the UN and international residents living in the area. It has over 300 people on regular attendance. We do not have a pastor. The church is currently contacting organizations that are already sending out pastors and are structured to do so. The church is not a registered organization in Kenya and therefore does not have the authorized to "bring' in a pastor and to get a work permit etc. The church has used pastors seconded from other missions or have various missionaries speak. We have also watched DVD series of Andy Stanly. All church workers are volunteers.
We lead a small home group on Wed. nights from ICF and we are truly international as our group is composed of Africans, Americans, Koreans and Norwegians. Most of our group has had travel and ministry commitments so we did not get to meet much towards the end of the year. We will start up again next week.
A fun thing that Lee did over the Christmas holiday was offer a Basketball Camp to some of the Rosslyn MK's who were here over the holiday. While many families traveled, some of the kids were around and 10 5th and 6th graders participated in a daily camp for 2 weeks of the break. It was a great way to connect on the "student level" for Lee and to provide a fun activity for some of our Rosslyn Staff kids.
Prayer Concerns:
Rosslyn is currently recruiting and finding very few applicants for High School positions - please pray that the Lord will bring the people we need. Kenya does not allow a work permit for a woman that provides for her husband as a dependent. Therefore qualified women - cannot apply if their husbands do not have a way to work in the country. He must obtain his own work permit - this limits some applicants. We can only get permits for single people or a couple if the man is employed by the school. Working at Rosslyn is a ministry as the salary is small with no retirement and minimal health insurance. Those who come have to be "called" to this ministry and most come with some additional support base. During these tough times, teachers may be holding tight to their current positions or are unwilling to step out into a ministry of faith that they will obtain their support. We are thankful for the good elementary teacher candidates that have applied.
Please continue to pray for the nation of Kenya - while in a relatively peaceful time, Kenya still remains "uneasy".
Please pray for safety - Lee recently attended a US safety awareness meeting to update our community on safety issues. Kenya remains at the Highest Security Risk Rating by the US government.
Lee's mom is currently undergoing radiation therapy following surgery for an aggressive cancer. We thank God for her recovery from the surgery.
We miss our children in the states. All are well, but the holiday season seems to bring out homesickness and of course not getting to spend time with our first grandson - adds a little extra pain!. Adam and JC are stationed at Warren AFB in Cheyenne, WY and are doing well. JC is from Fairbanks, AK so Cheyenne is like going home! Danielle and Ryan are in Los Angeles serving in inner city ministry with World Impact. Dante - their first child is now 8 months old.
We thank you so much for your financial and prayer support. It is a great encouragment to know that you pray for us regularly.
We are blessed!
Serving in Kenya,
Lee and Anne Marie Pruitt
* Please note this mailing address is new from our old CMF address*
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 14146 - 00800
Nairobi, Kenya
If you would like to make a contribution you can send a check to:
Real Life Ministries
PO Box 878
Post Falls, Idaho 83887
(Please write "For the Pruitt's" on the memo line.)