February 2, 2007

Dear Praying Friends,

We trust that your year so far has been a good one. We are reading that there has been some snow and cold weather there. This is expected this time of year, so hopefully, you will have a good Spring.

In our part of the world, it is hot and dry, and we have had major water problems. We have had very little rain, so rivers are low, and this makes it difficult for the Kenyans to get water. The officials at the Kitale Water Company did not pay the electric bill to the electric company, so that water could be pumped to the city, and to businesses and homes. There is so much corruption here, and the citizens pay their utility bills, but the money does not make it to the proper sources. For nine days, and even now, there was no water, so doing laundry, bathing, cooking, etc. was a challenge. Supposedly, they finally paid the bill after much pressure from the citizens here, but some homes, such as Nathan and Carrie’s, have only received a very small amount of water. Pam and I did get water, as we are on another line. Also, our phone lines are tied together in eight places, so this makes it interesting, to say the least, especially when monkeys travel across our lines all of the time. When trials like these come, we are reminded how much that we take for granted, and are so thankful that God is ever present, and supplies our needs. We are thankful for His faithfulness, when people are not faithful.

Pam started teaching in a community about three kilometers from our Imani church on Thursday, and had seventeen women in attendance. She is teaching really basic information about cleanliness, how we get sick, how to care for children, pre-natal care, lessons on malaria, pneumonia, dehydration, colds, ear infections, nutrition, etc. There is a Bible application at the end of each lesson, so Jared, one of our pastors, does this teaching, since he is our community development coordinator. Jared has also found another Kenyan nurse, who is a Christian, who will be assisting Pam sometimes in the de-worming clinics and teaching. We started the de-worming clinics back after the holidays, so have been going to a few schools to teach children and parents about these parasites who can do so much harm. We hope to reach out to more communities later on, and do teaching, so that many diseases can be prevented.

I started mentoring our leaders individually now, and am really enjoying this. I spend an afternoon per week with each of them, and am visiting with them, working with those who are pastors on their messages, and just getting to know them better. I am hoping to help them to grow spiritually, and want them to find their own leaders in the churches that they can mentor. I really enjoy teaching in our Bible Institute, too. Both of us are teaching Men’s and Women’s Bible studies now in both churches, too, so this is additional mentoring. We teach at Bethel Baptist on Wednesday evening, and at Imani Baptist on Fridays, and hope to train leaders there to take over and teach later on.

We have started our Bible clubs on Saturdays back after the holidays. Some of our Bible Institute students are working with these children and teens. We hope to reach as many children as we can with the good news of Christ’s saving grace, and to disciple and mentor them. We want them to be excited about serving our Lord, so pray for us as we start two more clubs soon.

That’s about all of the news from here this side of the world. Thank you so much for your prayers and interest in what God is doing. The challenges of being in a third world country are many, but God is so faithful to provide for us, and to answer our prayers. What a privilege it is to be called here, and to present His message to so many who are stepped in tradition, witchcraft, and are blinded to His truth. Thanks so much for “holding the ropes” for us there, so that we can be here. You are definitely a part of what God are accomplishing. May our Lord richly bless each of you in this new year, as we work together to bring many into His kingdom while the door is still open.

Your servants in Kenya,

Mike and Pam
I Corinthians 15:58