June 3, 2007

Dear Praying Friends,

Our winter is here, and we are in rainy season. It is getting cooler, and we are having frequent periods of rain. We understand that those in the U.S. need rain. Come over and see us, and get wet! We have plenty!

Our daughter, Sara, son-in-law, Graig, and granddaughter, Melia, plus their team of eight from the University of Michigan, have been with us since May 5th. It has been great having them here to see what we do, and to experience life on the mission field. We have really enjoyed fellowshipping with our family, and spending time with them. Graig and Sara have such a big heart for the Kenyan people, and they love to bring groups here to introduce them to what God is doing.

Speaking of our family, we have a new one with us for awhile. Nathan and Carrie are doing foster care with a four month old baby boy who was abandoned, and brought to the hospital where Pam and Carrie minister twice a week. I am sure that Nathan will tell you about him in their letter. They have named him Isaiah, and he has been a blessing to us all.

Being in a third world country has its aggravations, and this month was no exception. Our phone line was cut four times in over three weeks, so we had no phone service for several days each time. In this country, people are able to sell scrap metal, so thieves can cut the main phone lines, and sell the copper inside. This was very frustrating, as they cut the lines during the night, and when we would be planning to send e-mails or to make a call, there was no dial tone. The phone company has had to replace the line four times, and they have told us that they are going to catch the thieves. We are hoping that they do. Also, we have many times when there is no electricity, so we are challenged, but thankful to God for His faithfulness, and for calling us here.

Graig’s team has been visiting and doing community projects in Kiminini, the area of our newest preaching point, and the attendance there has been growing. There has been a good response from the community, and we have been asked to go into one of their schools to minister, so we are excited about this. Please help us to pray for this new endeavor, as well as for Imani Baptist, our struggling church. Fred, our pastor there, has been doing much visiting, and we have two Bible clubs in the area, but the children do not come to Sunday School, and we are in need of faithful church leaders. Attendance is poor, so we are asking our other church leaders to help us by fasting and praying for this church, as we need to see God work in hearts. This is the church that had a split over a year ago. We have been working with it for a long time, and desire to see God bless this church.

The highlight of our month was a mass wedding which took place this weekend. Many of our church pastors and leaders had never had a church wedding, as there is a dowry system that requires the man to pay a certain number of cows to the bride’s parents before he is given permission to marry her. The amount required depends on her education, ability to work, etc. Since each cow costs the equivalent of over $100, and the parents usually require two or three cows or more, the prospective husbands cannot afford to pay this. So, the couples have a traditional marriage, and are not married in a church. Pam and I felt that it was important for our pastors and church leaders to be married in a New Testament Baptist church, if they were to ministry effectively, and to be blessed by God. So, Graig’s team helped us by making a wedding cake, and decorating Bethel Baptist Church for the six couples that got married this past Saturday. The girls on the team brought their old dresses that they had worn to festive occasions, so these served as wedding gowns. They also took pictures of each couple. It was a thrill to us to see our members from our churches working together to provide the food, and all were excited at this happy event. I was thankful to our Lord for the opportunity to unite these couples in wedlock, as they start their lives by following God’s plan for marriage.

Lord willing, we are planning to return to the States about mid-August to visit our supporting churches, and to see our family. We will be in the U.S. until mid-January, so if you would like for us to visit your church to tell about the work, please contact us soon. We are planning to do a video of the ministry here, so we will be available to visit churches after September 1st. We deeply appreciate each church and individual who prays for and financially supports us, so we want to see you in person to say “thanks”. Please know that we could not be here to work for our Lord without your help. You are a vital part of the work here, so thanks so very much for your prayers, encouragement, and love. May our Lord bless your labors for Him there, and we look forward to seeing many of you later on this year.

Many Blessings in Christ,

Mike and Pam

Couples that were married at the Bethel Baptist Church