Questions and Answers

 February 11-18
It was a productive week but as always looking back there was much I would like to have done.  However, I am grateful for all that was accomplished. We appreciate all those that read these updates and pray for us. I am working hard on my studies for sermons and questions that have been asked.  I am finding it very rewarding and I am beginning to feel the overflow and gaining direction. Let me jump in and talk about the week. Let me start Tuesday evening last week.

I spoke with brother Joe Morell, Pastor at Flatwoods MBC, about Mike and Christy Vickers and their internship/survey. We are trying to work out the details and goals.  We are looking forward to partnering with Flatwoods to help their missionaries confirm and prepare for their calling. I also spoke with Alphonse in the evening and we rescheduled the evangelistic meeting we planned for Saturday for the next Saturday because of a funeral near the church.

I spoke to my dad a little about him coming to spend some time with us. Pray for this opportunity. I really think it would be good for my dad as he tries to get his life in order. He left Maine and is now in Indiana. He just decided to leave and left…now he is in Indiana. I spoke to him about the expense of the trip and asked him to come up with part of the funds for the trip and our family would try to pay for the rest. Dad really needs to get a job and settle in somewhere. Maybe this is getting deeper into the situation than I should but I worry for him. He has been sober for over two years and has been stable up in Maine with a job but now he is just staying with family with no job and no plan. When I ask him what he is going to do he said he does not know he is just playing it by ear… Please pray for him.

Wednesday I talked with Juma a little and told him about rescheduling the Magangani evangelism. I also sent text messages out to others in the Magangani church. I hope when we meet next week on Saturday we will be able to have a church meeting to talk about how the church is doing and their future plans.

I worked quite a bit on the question on Baptism of the Dead for Saturday. I put together notes for Ricklynn to take to the meeting on Saturday since I planned to go to Singuaya. I worked a little on adjusting our Internet and trying to get it in the best situation. After lunch I was able to have a Skype meeting with Jason Clark and Lauren Wilson in France. They asked me to share a little about how we transition from Bible studies to churches in our work. I shared about the different works here that we have been a part of and even our time with Brother Scott in the States. We talked for over an hour and a half. I enjoyed the chance to visit and see Jason and Lauren. Please pray for the work in France as God continues to lead Jason and Angie and well as Lauren while she is with them.

            After talking with Jason and Lauren I worked a little on Sunday’s sermon.

Thursday I took some time to send out some text messages to church members and visitors. I also went to town to visit with Obed. He was poisoned over the weekend and really got sick but thankfully he did not ingest too much of the poison. The poison was actually meant for his partner but he did not eat the food. Obed ate a little of it. When I went to see him he was already getting a little better but still had some pain.

I  was able to talk to Mwanzani from Gandini. He was staying in Malindi but he is  working in Shanzu  near Mombasa right now. No one at the church had seen on heard from him for a month or so. It was good to talk with him. I continued the rest of the day working on Sunday’s sermon. I was suppose to pick up Dub while I was out but his plane ended up being delayed so I came back home and Kenya and Joni went out after lunch to pick him up. He has been filming in Nairobi and Kakamega the past two weeks.

            When Dub got in we visited a little bit about his trip and he said it all went well. I also posted to our updates about Ashley Johnston who is coming to work with us. Then it was time for Bible Study at the church, which went well. We kept Dub and Joni’s girls Chloe and Adelynn so they could go out for dinner together after Dub being gone for two weeks. We went to Shukarani for supper then back to the house. Chloe loves Shukarani Rice and Supu! 

 

 

Friday I finished up my sermon and worked on putting notes together for the second question that I was given for Saturday. Ricklynn asked how you differentiate between Trials and Temptations? Kenya and I went out for lunch just the two of us to visit. It was a good time to just relax and talk. After lunch I finished up my studies. We all went out Friday night for a special Valentine’s dinner at our new Chinese restaurant. Dub, Joni, Chloe, Adelynn, Sadie, and our family. It was a fun night! Before we left for dinner we had our valentine exchange. The kids made some sweet cards and gifts.    

  

 

 

Saturday I headed out to go to Singuaya after I cut a pipe I was carrying out to the church for their Basketball goal that the 516 missions team left them. They used a wood pole but the termites ate it quickly so they asked me if I could help them with a steel pole. Before running out to Singuaya I passed by the G4S courier office and picked up my duplicate Drivers license that AA of Kenya got for me.  They were good except that my Motor Bike endorsement was not printed inside. This was the problem with me applying with KRA, they said they had no record of my Motor Bike endorsement so it had held up my duplicate for the past year. They asked for my documentation but I did it over ten years ago in Eldoret so I do not have the receipts any more. It looks like I will have to reapply for my motor bike endorsement which is not a big deal since I have it on my US license.

            I had a great day in Singuaya with several of the church members and the pastor, Mwangiri. We talked a little about the building and their progress, William, and their plans for the future. I brought a message then answered questions. It was a great time of fellowship and I love the hunger the Singuaya church has for the Word. After our meeting we went down to the church plot and so I could see their progress. I assured them we would help them with the roof but I needed to pray about it and count the cost before making any commitments. The church was grateful and I am so proud of how far they have come on their own. Up to this point we have not helped them with their plot or building. They purchased half an acre of land and have erected the shell of a building all on their own.  Pray for us as we consider how we can help with this project.  

            On my way home I carried ten folks from the church to a funeral that was taking place along the way. Several of the church members had already gone to the funeral which impacted our meeting. I updated my Sunday sermon in the afternoon. I had preached it for the folks in Singuaya and saw some areas I wanted to change it a little. Before supper I met with Dub and Joni to see if they were both doing ok and to see if they needed anything. They both said they were doing fine. We did talk about a few cultural things but they said they were both ok.

Sunday we had great services. The worship was amazing! We had songs in Luyah, Swahili, Masai, Giriama, and English. I love that the Malindi church is multi-tribal. I feel like the message went well and was well received. After church most of the members went to visit a member’s husband that broke his leg last week to pray for him. I went with Dub, Nicholas, Geoffrey, and Godfrey to pray for Obed at his house. Obed was looking much better and starting to get strength. We all drank a soda together and just visited for about an hour and a half then we prayed for Obed and left.

Dub and I dropped off the other men along the way then he and I went to Jimba. The church had ordered the remaining Makuti (thatched roofing) they needed for their building from several different ladies near the church and they were delivering it. I had told the church we would help with this remaining portion of Makuti so Dub and I came down bring the money. The ladies all had their stacks and Daniel had a list of who had how many. They were counting and moving the makuti into the building. Dub and I ran up to another area and even picked up 170 pieces and brought it to the church. We had a good time greeting everyone and helping a little with the makuti. The building will soon be “in the dry” and ready to put mud on the sides. 

When we left we carried Emanuel’s wife, Winnie and children to her mothers house near Kizingo. Winnie’s mother had an accident on a motorcycle and broke her leg. We got out at Winnie’s family’s house and greeted everyone and went in to pray for her mother. She said she had broken it three weeks ago and still could not do anything but sit. She broke the big bone above the knee. We prayed for her then continued on back to Malindi.

Monday was my day off. Dub headed out to go to Turkana for a week in the afternoon. I played games with the kids and watched home videos with them. They love to watch the videos of when they were babies. I also talked to my dad a little about his trip he was able to get $500 to go towards his trip so I told him I would talk to our travel agent about dates. I also spoke to my mama a little and she is doing well. She broke her ankle two weeks ago but other wise she was well. I did not even know she broke her ankle! I felt bad but it is my fault I need to call more often than every two or three weeks. She is doing well and she said my sister and brother are doing pretty good.

            Today has been good I was able to knock out mission finances and get this update pretty much done all before lunch. I am going to run by immigrations and a travel agency after lunch to try and get Clayton’s paper work started on his work permit and check on tickets for Dad.

            Please pray for Saturday’s Evangelistic meeting in Magangani and the church meeting that it will all go well. Please pray also for our dryer belt to get here this week… I am also planning to visit one of the other churches on Sunday.