Strader’s Survey Trip and Singuaya Building

 The Strader Family

April 15-27
Strader’s Survey Trip and Singuaya Building
    Kenya left the country to be with her family and the Strader’s came in right behind her. This was John and Amber’s official survey trip. John was our intern back in 2010 so he was pretty well aware of the work here but it was Amber and Eleanora’s first trip. We were super excited for their arrival even though it was in the midst of a crazy time. I am thankful that Sadie was here to continue with school and help keep things afloat while Kenya was gone. Once John and Amber arrived they jumped in also and we managed to make it until Kenya returned but I am jumping ahead.
    I felt bad because John and Amber got in on Wednesday morning early and we had not gotten the guest house ready for their arrival. Baby Sarah was sick on Tuesday so Mama Cedric had to leave early to take her to the doctor so she forgot also to get the guest house ready. I was pretty embarrassed and Kenya was mortified when I told her but John and Amber were very gracious. I ran and got towels and everything and got them at least pointed in the right direction.
    Once John and Amber were sorted out in their room we had a good meeting to talk a little about the trip and how things have been going. It was a great visit that set the stage for the trip. After our meeting John and Amber went to get a little rest since they had not slept in like three days.

    At lunch time we had a little one year birthday party for baby Sarah. Sadie even baked a cake and everything. Although Baby Sarah was not feeling well and could barely set up because she was dizzy we still sang, gave gifts, and ate cake. I hate  that Kenya had to miss it but we made the best of it.

    Thursday I took John, Amber, and Eleanora out to tour the town and see Malindi. Again it was Amber’s first trip so it was a good chance to talk and give her a one time over. In the afternoon I began to get things ready for the building project in Singuaya that we had scheduled for Friday and Saturday.  I was able to get everything needed and loaded up so that we could roll out in the morning.  John taught our evening Bible study in Malindi and did a great job.

    Friday and Saturday were big building days days in Singuaya. John and I headed out on Friday morning and picked up Emanuel, Alfonse , Nicholas, Noah, and Kleopus before heading to Singuaya. We had a great day of building ! The fellowship was great. The only bad thing was it was incredibly hot and there was no shade to work in. Needless to say we drank a massive amount of water. My jeans and tshirt looked like I had just jumped in water. The sweat was pooling up in my shoes it was so hot but we all pressed on and got pretty far on the first day.  The church provided lunch for us. They asked me to bring the food from Malindi because it was cheaper and they gave me the money back for everything. They paid me back with a little plastic bag full of coins. No doubt it was their offerings for quite a while. I was so excited to see them step up and take responsibility for the food purchase and cooking.

    When John and I got back to town after dropping everyone off we picked up Dub, Joni and the girls from the bus stage. They were in Nairobi working on the Bible Institute project and filming another couple classes.
       Saturday I went back to Singuaya after picking up Alfonse, Nicolas, Noah, and Kleopus. Brother John stayed behind to go to Malindi to teach Bible study and visit with the folks in Malindi. Day two of building was just as hot but as the roof started to go on we were able to have a little shade. Since none of us were really builders we had to correct several things along the way. I also had to make a run to Marafa to buy some more Mabati (iron Sheets) to make sure we had enough. We originally planned to be done around lunch but with all our little set backs we did not finish until around 7pm but… we finished. We were all so glad that we got the building ready for the church to meet in on Easter Sunday. I only wish we could have been there for that service.
    We put in a lot of hours and I was so proud of all the guys that participated in the building project. It was a joint effort by Malindi church, Jimba church, Magangani church, and Singuaya church. One of the biggest take aways was the time to sweat and bleed TOGETHER.

    On Easter Sunday John preached a great resurrection message for us. It was so weird not having Kenya with us. In the evening we had our normal service together only we had a  big crowd with our family, Sadie, the Straders, and the Wests. After service I worked with Dub on a few questions he had for the last of the classes he was finishing up.

    On Monday the 21 I took John, Amber, and Eleonora to Gede to visit with Daniel Mbuvi and Alfonse Maitha. We also passed by the Jimba church building and Magangani church buildings. We had a great time of fellowship Daniel and Alfonse’s families. We ate lunch with Alfonse and it was so good. In the Evening we all went out for a good-bye dinner for Dub, Joni, and the girls. It was their last night with us after three months of working here in Kenya on the Bible Institute project.

    Dub was able to get 11 classes finished and on DVD, footage for Mac Med ministry, Eddie Williams, and Ernie Hopper ministry videos as well as rework some old videos we had. Dub did a lot of work while he was here and traveled across the country several times to video. I appreciate him so much and all the work that he did. We are so grateful for the work and time that he invested in the ministry here in Kenya. The video work that he has done will be used for years to come. Dub is still planning to make DVD’s that we can distribute to the other missionaries here in Kenya and so we can have back up copies of the classes. Along with all the work Dub did we now have over twenty classes on video that can be used.
    We had a great dinner together and our kids all gave them cards to tell them Dub, Joni and the girls that they would miss them.
    Everyone loaded up in both of our vehicles to go to Mombasa for a fun day with the Wests and Straders. We went out for an awesome brunch at Java House then spent the afternoon at Haller Park looking at the animals. When we left Mombasa we dropped Dub and his family off at a hotel so they could get a little rest before their 3am flights. It was a really fun day just visiting and talking.

    On Wednesday we went back, again, to Mombasa for Orthodontist appointments for the kids but more importantly to pick up Kenya! We managed to survive the week without Kenya thanks to everyone pitching in around the house.  We also took the Straders by the Mall to look at what was available as they continue to do their survey. The kids and I went to the play area for a relaxing time before we headed out to the airport.

    It was so good to see Kenya after only a week. I have been gone on trips or Kenya and I together have been gone for a weekend but this was the first time the kids and I had to be without Kenya for a solid week. We made it with my root beer oatmeal, sausage hot dogs, and of course Shukarani. Kenya had a good trip and I know it was good for her and her family to be together during a very difficult time.
    With Kenya back in the house it was back to normal for the most part. Kenya took John, Amber, and Eleonora out for the day to shop a little ands they looked at a few houses. We had tried to look at some house when John and Amber first got in but we were not successful. Kenya was able to get in touch with the guy who helped us get the house we are currently in. I spent the day in the office working on administration stuff.
    Friday John and I were out the door at 5:30am and going to Miritini for class with the men at Mnara wa Kweli LBC. John had never met the men in Miritini so we arranged for some class time so John could meet Elli and the men as well as give them some teachings. John did a great job of sharing some lessons on evangelism, which is a subject that John is very passionate about . It was a great day with the guys. We left after lunch to make the long 3 hour drive back to Malindi but it was a good chance for John to get a final look at the over all work. It also gave Kenya and Amber a day to spend together to talk

    When John and I got back he and Amber went to Turtle Bay in Watamu for a night out together. We kept Ellenora for them so they would have a chance to talk about their trip together and just get away and enjoy the coast a little. Little Eleonora was a jewel. We had so much fun with her, she is so full of personality. John and Amber are doing a great job with her. Saturday when John and Amber returned we all had a meeting in the office to discuss their trip and to give them a chance to ask us any questions. I think that they were able to accomplish all that they wanted and needed to for their survey.

    We all attended services at Magangani on Sunday. I taught Sunday School and brother John preached the message. Alfonse was not at church because he had been robbed on Friday night and was not feeling up to coming. After services we went by to see Alphonse with Juma. He shared with us how a group of men in the dark jumped him and knocked him off his bike then beat him up and stole most of the his stock. Thankfully a motor Bike passed by and his assailants ran off or he may have been hurt even worse. He did not appear to have any major injuries just bruised up. We prayed with him then headed back to Malindi.
    Sunday evening was filled with packing for everyone. The Straders were preparing for their  departure and our family and Sadie for a trip to Nairobi. I Skyped with a church in Louisiana for about 30 minutes giving a report and answering questions during their morning worship service. We did get a chance to visit a little more before Kleopus came to pick up the Straders to take them to the airport.

    We really enjoyed the time with John, Amber, and Eleonora and it has excited me for the future. I really believe that God is building a team ministry here with men of various giftedness but the same vision. It is going to be awesome to see how everyone fits together and what God can accomplish as we preach the Gospel here on the coast.

Family Deaths and Singuaya Preparations

April 10-15
Family Deaths and Singuaya Preparations
    After the Masai Trip I took a Thursday off to recuperate. We found out Thursday also that Kenya’s Grandpa passed away on Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer. Kenya’s mama was dealing with all the details. Kenya decided after talking with her dad that she would not go home for the funeral. It was not an easy decision but the Straders were coming and Kenya felt that her mama had good support and seemed to be doing well. 
     I went out to Singuaya on Friday to meet with the church concerning their building needs. They have done a great job getting things ready for their building and have done much of the work themselves. The rains are just around the corner so they urgently needed to get the roof on so that is why I immediately went to see them after the Masai trip. I have spoken with the church already but we could not really build until April anyhow because their Pastor Mwangiri is finishing up secondary school so he was not free until school closed in April.
    I had a great meeting with the church members that were able to come. It was a pretty good turn out considering most were in the fields getting things ready for the rains. Mwangiri, Furaha, several mamas, and even William came in for the meeting. We discussed the size and all the materials that would be needed. Thankfully there was a man that cut palm trees into boards near the place we were meeting. He was working on a project for the local school so he was available to give us some advice. We looked at the cost factor and decided to hire the local man to make all our boards for the roof. We agreed with him on price and time frame. I was glad we found someone local to get the wood from so we would not have to bring poles all the way from Malindi.
    We also set a date for the project and I asked the church to take care of the food for those that came to work. I was pretty sure that I could get some to come from the other churches to help us. The church agreed to take care of the cooking and purchasing the food. By the time the meeting was over I felt very confident in the project and was super excited for the church. I left the meeting to return to Malindi while the members continued to discuss the details and talked with the local “lumber dude”. I gave the church the funds to pay for the wood then departed.
    We did talk briefly about the Gandini Church and how the Singuaya church was helping them by sending Furaha to teach since Jonathan was not around. We did not go into a lot of details about the situation in Gandini I just encouraged the church if they could help that was great and that I was hoping to visit the church in the near future to see what was going on.
    William walked me out to the Land Rover while the others continued to talk. I told William I was so glad to see him and gave him a hug. It had been a long time since I had seen William face to face. I really love William and he has so much potential but he has made a mess of his life and has destroyed his testimony with everyone around him. No one trusts him and for good reason, but I still love that rascal. I told him I was glad to see him and I was praying for him. I also told him we were still friends but our relationship as far as ministry was different now and I hoped that he would allow the Lord to help him restore his testimony. It was a good moment with William that I hope defines our new relationship and allows for room to grow. I could say so much about William but it is enough to say that God has taught me many lessons through my dealings with him.
    On my back to Malindi I say Lawrence from Gandini church walking along the road headed to Garashi. I picked him up and we had lunch together in Garashi and talked about the church in Gandini. He said that things were not good and that Jonathan had not been in Gandini for more than two months. He said that he was teaching when Jonathan was not there but if he is not there usually William’s ex-wife Mama Faith would read a scripture and they would sing because it was only mamas and kids. He said there was other issues and I told him that I would try to come as soon as I could to meet with the church. I was thankful to the Lord to see Lawrence but a little discouraged to hear of the condition of Gandini. Please pray for the Gandini church and for opportunity to meet with them and encourage them.
    It was a good Weekend in Malindi with the normal activities. However Sunday’s worship service really stunk! I know that is bad to say maybe but it was really bad. Our normal keyboard player and choir leader were both gone so that through things off a bit. One of the Masai guys “tried” to play for us but it was terrible he just could not get with us and he only knew one tune and he played it loud and fast. I finally had to turn his volume down and Geoffrey asked him to stop playing. It was not just the music there was just a heavy spirit for no apparent reason. The Good news is that after services Baba Jennifer who we have been praying for got saved. I preached on what being a Christian is and he told me after church he was ready to be saved and become a Christian. AMEN!
    Monday we got word from our family back in Indiana that Kenya’s Brother In-law Curtis had died of a massive heart attack on Sunday night.. It was terrible news especially since Saturday they had buried Kenya’s Grandpa and the next day this happened. Kenya’s sister did CPR for 15 minutes until the paramedics came but it was too late. So it was a traumatic experience to say the least. As soon as we got the call I started looking for flights for Kenya to get home with her family. She continued to talk to everyone on the phone to get details and by the time she was off the phone we had flights booked for her and she was packing to depart that afternoon. She was to leave at 4pm so we told the kids everything and got her all packed up and we were on our way to Mombasa to the airport.
    My uncle , Kenya’s grandpa, then Curtis all passing was a lot to happen in a matter of a week. It has reminded us that we are entering a new phase of life with our families and making the distance between us a bitter reality. I remember on deputation and even on furlough folks saying, “I could never go on the mission field I love my family too much” and I would always think, “I love my family too”. I know they did not mean anything by their statement but it always kinda rubbed me the wrong way. We love our families so much and our hearts ache for them when they suffer and we can not be there. Just as true is the fact that we do not get to celebrate in person with them in the good times either. Such as my brother’s up coming wedding the end of May. I will not be able to attend due the expense. I am not sharing these thoughts to complain it is just a reality and one that we are feeling more as we again enter a new phase of life. We praise God for allowing us to serve Him here in Kenya and these feelings do not change our resolve to be faithful to our Lord and His calling. We know there is a cost to serve and God has given us and continues to give us grace.


I almost forgot to share our dogs latest Kill….we were told it was an Egyptian Mongoose.

Masai Trip Oletuktuk

April 6-9 Masai     After services and the business meeting in Malindi, Josiah and I loaded up with Karate, his brother and another Masai to start our trip to visit Karate’s family in Ole Tuk Tuk. We have been planning this trip for a while with brother Ernie Hopper. Brother Hopper is working with a church in the Ole Tuk Tuk area already and is closer to the area than we are by about ten hours. We minister to a large number of Masai from the Oletuktuk area who work in Malindi so connecting Brother Hopper with them would present the possibility of ministering to their families also. Karate had a friend he wanted Brother Hopper to meet with also who was wanting to start a church. So this was the purpose of our visit, and also to visit with Karate’s family and continue to build relationship.
    After services we went with Karate by his place with several other Masai and loaded up a boat load of stuff on the Land Rover. Karate was taking several things home as well as carrying  things for others. We had tables, a bed, bicycles, a bucket of lard, a bunch of other house hold items, and a bundle of walking sticks. We were pretty loaded down.There were about fifteen Masai that showed up at Karate’s before we left, most of them have visited us at one time or another. It was good to see everyone. I really love hanging out with the Masai guys. They do not treat wazungu like other tribes do. They are a proud tribe and pretty self reliant. They for the most part are just comfortable with who they are and where they come from. The cool thing is once you are in you are in. The guys around us are always laughing and joking with each other it is just a great environment.
    We drove to Voi on Sunday and got us a half star hotel. Josiah and I gave it a half star because it had a fan. Josiah and I stayed in one room and the guys stayed in the other. We left Voi Monday morning after breakfast and headed towards Taveta. Kleopus told me about a short cut through Kenyatta’s shamba so we would not have to go through Taveta so we gave it a whirl. It was the bush for sure but a beautiful drive and we some how managed not to get lost. We met up with Brother Hopper at Ilasit with the church he is working with there. It was nice to meet the men, have lunch with them, and introduce them to Karate.

    After lunch we all (including Brother Hopper and a Masai pastor from Kajiado) went back to a place called Rombo to stay with Karate’s aunt. It was Karate’s first time to go to his aunts house so it was a big deal for everyone. We met up with Karate’s Aunt and she showed us around Rombo a little before taking us to her house for the evening. It was pouring down rain so it was pretty cool out and a little yucky. First thing once we were in the house was of course MILK. There was fresh or Mala “Aged Butter Milk that has curdled”. Ernie and Josiah had the fresh but I am all over the mala. Especially after I watched Moses shake it up for twenty minutes straight then popped the top on the gourd.

    After the milk we had a chance to introduce ourselves and just hang out. It was obvious that Karate’s aunt and Uncle were pretty well off since they had electricity and a block house. His uncle works for Kenya Power and his aunt was a teacher but now does several private businesses like running a small shop, renting out apartments they had built, she also sews and makes Masai jewelry and clothing. We are used to visiting Karate at his mama’s and she is not well off they just live like normal Masai so this was an interesting experience to meet this side of Karate’s family. I think even for Karate and his brother it was a new experience.
    We sat and watched Christian Masai music videos a lot of the evening and just talked. I brought the Jesus Film in Masai and we watched it also up on the wall. It was a small private viewing but everyone really enjoyed it. Karate’s Aunt Tereshia slaughtered one of their sheep and cooked us an amazing spread of food! Granted it was about 11pm when we finally ate because of the cinema and the visiting. She for sure slayed  the fatted sheep for us and we all feasted. Aunt Tereshia said she wanted us to remember our visit with her and the best way was a feast. We ate a tremendous amount of food!

    After dinner we went to a small guest house that had prepared for us and it was an amazing night of sleep in the cool air coming down from Mount Kilimanjaro. Ernie, Josiah, and I slept in a little despite the rooster crowing and cows mooing. We were up and ready to go by 7 but Karate said we missed the clear view of the mountains at day break because once the sun was up the clouds moved in. We had planned to leave out early to head over to meet up with Karate’s friend to talk about the church he had started and the possibility of working with him but… we spent the morning visiting and trying to break away. We got a small tour and had to take pictures of everyone and of course the cows.

    I got some pretty sweet shots of Josiah in the cow pen. He was not happy about walking around in the urine and manure of the cows especially when it soaked into his shoe. So when you see the pictures below that is why he is not so thrilled. This was one of those trips for Josiah that he hates me during the trip but after wards we laugh and have good stories to tell… Everyone enjoyed dressing Josiah up for a few snaps also. Josiah did well even though he was a bit uncomfortable. I told him to consider how many kids his age would ever get a chance like this to hang out with Masai not as a tourist but as their guest. It was not a lot of comfort in the moment but good memories! Oh and it did not help that all the Masai children and even adults were asking if Josiah was a girl…He was not impressed.

  
 We finally broke away to head toward Karate’s home area and to visit with his friend. We would have liked to visit more with Karate’s aunt but for time’s sake we had to head out. It really was a great visit. Ernie left some tracts with Karate’s Aunt concerning salvation. She is a very devout Catholic and very active in her church, however she seemed to me to have a testimony of salvation in the way she spoke of the Lord. She is like many that think all churches are alike. Brother Hopper was excited about this relationship and the possibilities in the future.

    We got on the road and started towards Karate’s home. We passed by His friend’s place and spoke to him about the church that he had started and about his faith and teachings. The meeting was not super long but the short of it is that the fella really does not even have a testimony of salvation nor did any of his people that came. He has a Pentecostal background but the Pentecostals in the area will not have much to do with him because he has multiple wives. He is seeking someone, anyone, to help him especially with a building. He had scheduled a meeting with us and with another group later in the month. We gave him some tracts and books on Salvation. We tried to talk a little to him but he really did not want to listen as much as he wanted to talk.
    It was a good introduction meeting and maybe the Lord will open up this opportunity in the future. I told bother Hopper if I were working in the area and lived closer it would be a good opportunity because he says he has a group meeting regularly and they need teaching. However we live so far away there is little to help with from a distance. Hopper is about to leave on furlough for a year so for him to interact with this group it would have to be in the future. This story is played over and over again…opportunities are everywhere but laborers are few! We could put a missionary in the Ole Tuktuk area and give him contacts to multiple families and Christians that need teaching immediately.
    It was a good meeting and Karate said he would followup with the man and even confirm if they are really meeting or not. So even Karate had doubts about the man’s story. Hopper agreed to this portion of the trip because he wanted to respect Karate and we had no idea how close Karate was to this man both relationally and geographically. It turns out that he is an acquaintance of Karate’s and it is pretty far from Karate’s Boma. We will see what happens.
    After our meeting we prayed together and headed to Karate’s. The man we met with I believe went by John also came with us to Karate’s. We were welcomed to Karate’s Boma by the women singing and greeting us. Josiah and I saw several of the guys that have attended our church in Malindi including Saitoti who we have not seen for a long time. Saitoti was back home doing business and was not planning to return to Malindi so it was so good to see him. We have made a few trips now to Karate’s several of the faces were familiar.
    Once we were welcomed by the ladies with singing the ladies passed by and greeted us as well as all the men. Of course after this welcome we sat under a tree and got our cups ready for some Mala! The milk was in abundance this trip so it was on tap anytime we wanted it. We drank up and continued to greet Men as they arrived to include the local Moran warriors. Very quickly Karate came out with a nice sized goat that was to be our supper and the Moran warriors took it outside the Boma to slaughter and roast.
    Ernie, Josiah and I followed and I asked if I could actually slaughter the goat at which they were very happy. On the way to slaughter the goat Ernie thanked me because they were just getting ready to put the Mala milk in his glass and Ernie HATES milk, let alone rotten milk. I got down with the Moran and used my knife to cut the Goats throat.

When the blood started flowing it was captured in a bowl and the Moran immediately passed it around and drank the blood. I did not participate in this I only watched in amazement. It was still warm from coming out of the body.

    After the slaughter Ernie and I returned to the Boma to visit while Josiah remained with the Moran to watch them prepare the goat for roasting and the rest of the food. When we got back to the Boma Saitoti had not forgotten Ernie and his need for milk and lucky me I got another cup… The Mala is chunky so it is a bit hard to swallow not just due to the taste. Hopper said at one point he almost lost it. It was fun to watch him choke it down!

    We took a little tour around the Boma with Karate and even passed by and prayed for a new born baby and his mother. The Masai love their cattle and goats so the tour was really important. It was pretty cool also because Hopper knows about cattle so to him it probably meant more than to me. After our tour we went out to eat our goat that we slaughtered earlier. We ate the meal the traditional Masai way. We gathered into a small circle and the meat was brought from the fire and one man cut it and gave it out to each of us as we ate. The first thing was the Liver… then some ribs, and the tender lion… it was all delicious.

    Hopper and I were so blessed to be a part of the meal and to just be hanging out with brothers and friends. The Moran did all the preparation of the meal and dividing of the meat into the various sections. There is meat for the men, women, children, and of course for the Moran themselves. After the meal we were talking with the Moran they wanted me to take some photos. They loved that even in the pitch black the pictures still came out. They were a fun group of guys just laughing and cutting up with each other. This night was what Ernie calls ones of the Jewels of being a missionary. You can not put into to words kicking back with Masai warriors eating goat, shooting the breeze, and laughing.

    Once supper was over we showed the Jesus film in Masai for everyone on the side of the Land Rover.  They wanted to wait until the meal was over so everyone could enjoy it.  Afterward the pastor that had traveled with Ernie gave a presentation of the gospel and closed everything out. It was an impromptu meeting but we had a good little turn out.
    By the time the movie was over we were ready for bed. Josiah and I slept in our tent and Ernie, well…he slept on top of his car. He designed his roof rack so that he could sleep on it with a net. It was a beautiful night! I got word also while we were in the village that my Uncle Jimmy had passed away. I was so glad that I had gotten to speak with him before I came out to the village. Kenya had texted me because the network was coming and going. I would have to wait until I got back to Malindi to call my Aunt but I had warned her I would be gone for a few days our last conversation.
    Josiah, Karate, a goat, and I were up early and on the road before 7. Karate went with us so he could carry the goat to one of his brothers and so he could show us the “short cut” out. It was foggy and cold most of the morning as we drove and we were driving in the “bush” I mean the “real bush”. At one point our visibility was only about 30 feet in front of us but Karate seemed to know where we were going so we pressed on through woods, shrubs, mud, zig zagging all around. I was amazed just thinking of what we were doing…It was so quiet and felt like we were a million miles from anywhere and in some ways we were.

    As the sun continued to  burn off the fog we began to see signs of bomas and people again. We passed by to give the goat to one of Karate’s brothers and when we arrived I realized it was one of the men that has visited us at church in Malindi several times. It was so good to see him. He told us his wife was taken to the hospital because she was bitten by a snake but that she was going to be ok. We had to have some chai before we continued on our way to Salama where we would catch the main road.

    We left Karate’s brothers place and started off into the bush again, this time we dropped down into a river bed and it was not completely dry… There was mud everywhere but we managed to press on. After a couple of minutes we heard the honking of a Motor bike horn and saw someone flagging us down. When the rider made it to us it was one the men we had just left. He had seen that we were going the wrong way and followed our tracks to tell us that we should not stay int he river bed because of deep holes ahead that we could get stuck in. He lead us up out of the river bed into the woods where there was no road at all just grass and trees. He took us back to the road that we needed and we continued on our way. We were grateful for the help and quick reaction of Karate’s brother, otherwise our day may have turn out much different.

    After hours of driving we finally made it to the main road where we dropped karate and gave him money to take a motor bike back home. Josiah and I spent another 8 or 9 hours in the Land Rover finally making it back to Malindi. We really had a great trip and I think accomplished much in a short time. Please pray for the Ole Tuktuk area there is fertile ground for the gospel but the need is laborers.

Malindi Pastorate

I want to change the format of the updates a little to try and focus more on the journey rather than the events of the journey. I apologize for the “this happened then this happened” rather than sharing the details of the story that God is writing through this ministry. Early on when we wrote of the work here it was vibrant and alive but I feel in some ways that updates have fallen in a rut and have become more a log book of daily task rather than sharing the intimate details and again the journey.

April 4-6

Malindi Pastorate
    I was up early on Friday April 4 to take Dub and his family to the bus stage. They were going to Nairobi to do some filming of classes with Brother Hopper. Joni and the girls went with Dub on this trip.
     We did manage to get our van back on Friday April 4 after the transmission was replaced. It is amazing what overloading and driving over a small mountain that is suppose to be a speed bump can do… Actually it can do about 1500 dollars in damage but anyways… Can’t wait to get another van to replace this one. 
    Saturday and Sunday were good days at Malindi Church. We had the monthly business meeting and I told the church that they need to call a pastor soon. I have enjoyed pastoring the church in Malindi the past year but it has taken it’s toll on all the other churches. First LBC in Malindi is thriving and I feel like stepping in and pastoring to help stabilize the Malindi church is what was needful but now it is time for them to call a pastor and continue on. There are a few candidates but we will discuss it more in the May business meeting. I would like to see the church call a pastor in June before summer groups start coming and everything the summer has in store.
    Let me share a little about the pastorate at Malindi. Our approach to church planting has been to focus on using the non pastoral method but early last year the Malindi church asked me to help them as pastor because they were not doing well and had no one willing to serve as the pastor. I believe it was what the church needed and what I needed at the time. I have truly enjoyed trying to “pastor” the folks in Malindi and give leadership and Biblical teaching. I have learned over this past year “pastoring” is not really possible as an Mzungu (white person). I can provide leadership, teaching, and love on folks but to pastor I feel has not been possible.
    When someone shares a problem I can not really say I understand. I did not grow up in a mud hut or without water or without electricity. I do not understand true poverty or the way an African thinks and processes information or makes decisions. We have tried over the years to be students of culture but it is no substitute for the real thing. Kenyan churches need Kenyan pastors. It is the only way to have the intimacy and the understanding that is needed in a pastoral relationship. Ultimately when they share an issue with me the expectations are different from me than from a fellow Kenya and it is a barrier that can not be overcome completely.
    I really feel that for the church to progress forward now they need a pastor and I am feeling in my heart the draw to the other churches and their needs. The cost of pastoring Malindi has been high for the other churches. I have not had a lot of personal contact with any of the other churches in the past year. The pastors and preachers have come in for classes but that does not help to get a pulse of the churches. All of the churches are in need of encouragement and continued care. This work is so young still. I really want to focus on evangelism among the churches and encouraging the pastors in their ministries. The first step is to be relieved of my responsibilities to Malindi.
     I am so proud of the men and the pastors and the churches for their patience as I have labored with Malindi. They have shown nothing but support but they are all in need now so please pray for First LBC Malindi as they call a pastor soon. If the church is not able to survive after this year of leadership and growth then I am not sure what else we can do to help. I believe the church has a strong core and is very stable right now.