Today while we celebrate our Independence Day in the US, we remember also those who don’t enjoy the same freedoms as we do. We remember states where corruption, violence and injustice is rampant and inhabitants are ruled by fear.

We especially are in mourning with our friends and partners in ministry, International Justice Mission in the wake of the deaths of their staff member, Willie Kimani, IJM client, Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri. They were killed following their abduction in Nairobi. Read the full story here.

IJM EXISTS TO PROTECT THE POOR FROM VIOLENCE, AND WILLIE KIMANI’S LIFE WAS TAKEN WHILE COURAGEOUSLY PURSUING THAT MISSION.
—GARY HAUGEN, CEO of International Justice Mission

Find out what you can do to help here: http://www.ijm.org/help-for-kenya. Our prayers go out to all the families of the victims, and to all those connected and impacted by this tragedy.

Jesus came into the world to intentionally confront the effects of the Fall, to take on the suffering of the world upon himself, and by the power of God redeem it, by his body being a conduit of God’s grace for the sake of the coming of the Kingdom of God and the revelation of his glory,. And that’s what we are to do. As followers of Jesus and his very body on earth, we are to intentionally confront the effects of the Fall, take on the suffering of the world upon ourselves, and by the power of God redeem it, with our very bodies being a conduit of God’s grace for the sake of the coming of the Kingdom of God and the revelation of his glory.

-Bill Haley

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.

-John Henry Newman