It has been a busy week. The last week of the month and/or the first week of the month there is necessary time spent working on monthly reports and finances. This month has been particularly busy with helping everyone get their reports put together. Clayton, Mike, and Ashley all had mission and finance reports to write. I spent several hours working with everyone this week formatting and sorting out categories. It has been a lot of fun and a lot of work but it is great when everyone gets out a report that looks good and represents their ministries well.
Mike, Christy and their children are doing great with their internship. They are very helpful and are starting to get into a little bit of a flow of daily life. We meet daily to discuss the day’s events and spend some time listening to and discussing books. Kenya and I are very grateful for the opportunity to share in the beginnings of their ministry and to try and help them. Mike has done some awesome projects already and continues to build and fabricate things that we need. He even taught SS this week when we attended services at Magangani. Pray for Christy and the kids as they are preparing this month for their first time to do Home School. It is a lot of pressure since it’s all new.
We have heard a few times from Clayton and Lindsey and they are doing great in Language school. Although Lindsey was a little sick, she is doing better. Clayton said they took their first test and he felt like they did well. Please continue to pray for them as they study. We are so excited for Clayton and Lindsey both for this chance to be together and grow in the culture as well as closer together. Clayton said that almost no one in town speaks English so they are being emerged in Swahili! I have to admit we miss them already. We had gotten used them being next door but we will see them soon for the International Missionary retreat the end of this month.
Ashley continues to work on getting things ready for school as the kids’ summer begins to dwindle away. They are all having a great time playing but at the same time there is some excitement about starting up, even though they would never admit it. Ashely and Kenya have completely reorganized and redone the school room. We plan to have a big back to school party at the end of this week.
We went to Bible study in Malindi on Saturday this week again because I will probably not get another chance to be with them for a couple months, at least on Saturday. Mike and I sat down this week and I put together our schedule for the next two months. It is pretty busy especially on the weekends. The Bible study was really good I answered a question that was asked last week and it took our entire time. We were asked about Moses seeing the glory of God and if it was possible to see God and live. The questions were really good and I spent a few hours studying this week to prepare an answer. We all had a great time learning together, there was a really good turn out. Kenya had Bible study with the ladies and taught them how to make Corn cakes on a griddle.
Thursday Mike and I spent most of the day in the Gede area visiting Juma, Daniel, and Alfonse. Juma asked us to come by and visit with him to talk about his future and the church in Magangani. It was a good visit. We got to see his new little one. she is so cute and round. We also spent a few hours with Daniel just talking and visiting with his family. We received word that Alfonse was sick so we passed by his place to check on him and to pray for him. We planned to go to church in Magangani to see how the church is doing and to give them a chance to share any concerns.
When we went to church on Sunday at Magangani it was a little disheartening because Alfonse texted and said that he was not going be at church. Then when we got to church we found out that several members were sick and that one of the church members was killed the day before. All of that of course affected the attendance and put a damper on meeting with the church after services. I did speak to some of the men about Alfonse’s plans to to start a work in Mjomboni and for them to discuss it as a church to make plans for the future if Alfonse does go to Mjomboni. Brother Mike taught Sunday School and I preached the morning message. It was a good service.After service we passed by Alfonse’s to pray with him again and share with him how the services went.
We had planned to be in Ole Tuktuk, Masai country, this week visiting James’ family and Karate’s family but…. the Land Rover…that is all I have to say these days to get a twitch in my eye. Yes the Land Rover is in the shop again. This time it is at our normal shop and is getting a complete engine overhaul. They opened the engine up because it was making an awful racket that ended up being a broken rocker arm (not good). I told Fritz at the shop just do it…what ever it needs we just need it running. He said they would do it for as cheap as they could. I went by the shop yesterday and they gave me the prognosis. Complete overhaul of the engine and a new clutch and pressure plate. chaa $$ ching $$
The good news is that after this job we will have a new Engine and Clutch. We have already of recent put on a new Fuel Pump and a new steering box the only thing that we have not put on new is a gear box. I need to put new tires on it when we get it back from the over haul so pretty much it will be a new vehicle. We need to start raising funds to for a new Land Rover. This one should be fine for a little while with all the money and work that has been put into it but it is still going to have problems that older vehicles have. A 2011 Land Rover that has been newly imported and not driven on the Kenyan roads yet would cost about $35,000 any newer would only add to that cost. Please pray with us about this need. In order to get to places we currently minister and especially places that we would like to minister a tough 4x4 that is dependable is a must.
We rescheduled the trip to the Masai for next week after we get the Land Rover back. Pray for this trip because we will be meeting James’ family and sharing the gospel with them. We plan to show the Jesus film in Masai language to James’ and Karate’s family. Please pray for the Ole Tuktuk area that God will raise up Masai men that will establish churches and preach the gospel. We have the privilege here in the Malindi church to minister to a large group of Masai from the Ole Tuktuk area.
Friday night family night we had Muppets night! The kids and the ladies all put on puppet shows and the kids bought items from the Yo Mama’s Munchie Mart concession stand. Then we watched the newest Muppet movie. It was a fun evening. Then on Saturday we celebrated Kenya’s 35th birthday and there was a little fire hazard with all the flames. : )
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