Mark & Barbara Phippen have recently retired from serving with AIM in Nairobi, Kenya. Mark was Clinical Team Leader for Tumaini Counselling Centre, and Barbara taught English to pastors and their wives on the campus of Africa International University. “We look back with wonder and gratitude for our years of being involved in Africa, a wonderful and beautiful continent, with many kind and faithful people. We first visited Kenya in 2010, spent a month there in 2011, and soon after became full-time members of Africa Inland Mission. We lived in Nairobi during 2014, 2015 and some of 2016, and were based back in the UK from mid-2016, though I (Mark) have made a number of trips back to Nairobi since then… Now, we have done our best to ‘end well’ and leave things in others’ hands to continue to the work… We have learned that Jesus is our Shepherd-King, as the Bible teaches. As King, he commanded us to “Go!”, and as Shepherd he said “I will go with you!” And he led us in unexpected directions, but always went with us.  Now he says, “Retire!”, but gently adds, “I will go with you!”, so we are not concerned. We are adjusting to this change, and suddenly feel very tired. And we are not rushing to fill up the time. We are taking six months to think and pray, in order to discern what comes next – although continuing to support family remains a priority. We are unsure what the future holds, but we know that it is not ‘ours’ to do with just as we want, but rather we seek what God has in mind for us – and his ways are perfect – far more satisfying than anything we could think of!  Please pray for us as we end one ‘season’ of life and start another.”