April Monthly Report

  “Our vision is to be a ministry of eternal significance that impacts the cause of Christ through the advancement and multiplication of His churches.”

 

 April 2014

TEAM MINISTRY

     It has been our desire from the beginning that East Kenya Missions be a team ministry.  Over the past six years indeed it has been a team effort. God has brought many short-term teams, interns, and individuals to invest in the work He is doing. I can say with confidence that the Lord has used this ministry to impact eternity both locally and globally. We cast the vision to our church from the start to pray for five families to be sent to the coast to preach the gospel. We now are seeing God beginning to bring that vision to a reality.

     We want in this month’s report to introduce and promote those God has called to serve alongside us. We believe God has great things in store for all these missionaries and for the expansion of the Gospel on the Coast of Kenya and beyond. Lord willing by the summer and by the end of this year we will have a tremendous team on the ground ministering.

     We do not want to neglect to recognize the national leaders that we are working with and training.  It is a great privilege to serve along side some great men who love Jesus and are eager to learn. We are on the verge of not just addition but multiplication as God continues to grow this work. 

 

Ashley Johnston

Home School Teacher

     Ashley Johnston will be arriving in July to begin a one-year commitment to home schooling our children and ministering with us. Ashley has served as an intern for the past two years and is well acquainted with the work here. Please pray for Ashley as she seeks the Lord’s will for her future even beyond her one year with us. Her sending church is Greenacres MBC, 4802 Benton Rd, Bossier City, LA 71111. 

 

The Strader Family Final Survey

     This month we were blessed to have John, Amber, and Ellanora Strader with us for their final survey trip. This was a chance for the Straders to come as a family to visit the field as well as collect valuable information as they prepare for their arrival in November this year. We had a lot of great conversations and dream sessions that only excited us more about what God has planned for Brother John and his family. The Straders are continuing to do deputation work and are in need of prayers and support as they get closer to their departure. The Straders sending church is Creekmont BC, P.O. Box 506, La Porte TX 77571.

 

The Howells

 Farming God’s Way

     In June Missionary Clayton Howell will be here on the field with his new wife Lindsey. Please pray for the Howells as they make the transition here on the field and begin language school in the fall.

We are super excited to see how the Lord uses the Farming God’s Way ministry to continue discipleship among the existing work and to expand into new areas. Clayton and Lindsey are going to be an amazing addition to the team. The Howells’ and Farming God’s Way Ministry’s sending church is Pauline BC, P.O. Box 299, Monticello, AR 71657.

The Vickers Family

Internship/Survey

At the end of June the Vickers Family will be on the ground with us serving as interns until November.

The purpose of this internship is to confirm their family’s calling as missionaries to Kenya as well as laboring with us. The Vickers are continuing to raise funds for this internship and need your prayers that the Lord will make His will clear as they do this internship. The Vickers’ sending church is Flatwoods MBC, 2709 E Main St, Mountain View, AR 72560.

 

James Taylor PO Box 811 Malindi, Kenya 80200

Phone 011-254-713289014 missionarytaylor@gmail.com

Taylor Tribe   

 

     This month was a bit of a trying month for my family back in the states and I was able to go home for a week to be with them.  First my dad was rushed to the ER with internal bleeding.  Then my grandpa who had been sick for over a year battling throat cancer passed away.  Then the very next day after he was buried my brother-in-law, only 35 years old, passed away unexpectedly of a massive heart attack.  When my grandpa passed away, my dad was on the mend, and I decided not to go home; but when my brother-in-law passed away, I knew that I needed to be there for my family.  Sometimes we aren’t able to be with our families for deaths, weddings, births, graduations and so forth.  It’s part of the sacrifice we knew came with serving the Lord on a foreign field.  But I am so grateful that the Lord provided, and I was able to go home to comfort my sister.  One of the reasons that I decided not to go when my grandpa passed away is because John and Amber Strader were coming, and I wanted to be here for Amber to be able to show her around and answer her questions.  The Lord worked it out though, because I had never left James and the kids, so Amber just jumped right in helping Sadie with the kids, cooking, and even laundry.  I was able to return 3 days before they left, so it was nice to get a few days to visit with Amber.  I am super excited that she and John are coming.  I think the Lord is going to use them in a great way and I look forward to our friendship together in this ministry. 

I was only gone for 7 days, but a lot happened while I was gone.  Of course John and Amber’s arrival, which was quite a mess. With my quick exit from the country, their rooms didn’t get cleaned in the vacant guesthouse.  I don’t even want to think about the amount of lizard poop that may or may not have been on their bed and in their bathroom.  Bless Amber’s heart, she just took the sheets James managed to find and it didn’t phase her.  Once I got over the mortification I felt, I decided if she can handle lizard poop on her bed, she will do just fine living here.  Then I was supposed to make a 1^st birthday cake for Sarah, Mama Cedrik’s baby, so Sadie managed to make a very nice one and they had a small party for her.  Also the Wests left, so I didn’t see them off since they were still in Nairobi when I left.  And in the midst of all that, James brought out his inner chef and made the kids some gourmet breakfast dishes such as root beer flavored oatmeal and left over hotdogs turned sausage. When I Face Timed the kids from the states and they told me of their delicacies, I was proud that they were definitely making some memories.

The kids are still doing great with school.  This has been a really good year.  I think they will get completely through their books this year.  That may be a first for us.  Sadie has been awesome.  And we are sad that her time with us is coming to a close. 

I would like to thank everyone who filled my email and facebook messages with encouraging words and thoughtful prayers this month.  Thank you to those who sent offerings to help with my ticket, especially Dorcas Circle.  You ladies are so very kind to me.  I love you all. 

Thanks for reading and praying.