March 2015 Report

March 2015

World Missions Seminar 2015

 

            We arrived in Little Rock a week before the World Missions Seminar in order to help Brother Lynn and Brenda with final preparations. Brother Lynn also wanted us to know the process and how things are done. We enjoyed getting to spend time with Lynn and Brenda and begin to “learn the ropes”. Brother Lynn’s sending church, Faith BC, North Little Rock is so awesome! The members and staff along with Lynn and Brenda do an amazing job coordinating everything and working together. Lynn and Brenda really have strong support in the church and so many that believe in the ministry they do.  

  The World Missions Seminar was awesome! Brother Lynn works hard to get a line up of teachers with experience and understanding of their subjects to make the Seminar a unique opportunity for specialized missions training. He and Brenda also teach many of the classes as well as offer much counseling throughout the two weeks. Truly it was a great time of learning, fellowship, and revival. It was encouraging also to see a number of new missionaries attending the seminar.

 

         We were able to talk to Ben and Anne Fisher at the seminar and they are continuing to pray and seek the Lord’s will about joining the EKM team. Ben and Anne’s pastor Aaron Johnson also attended the seminar, and I got to visit with him about our potential partnership and offered our assistance as they make decisions. We visited with Adam Merritt and his wife as well during the seminar.  They believe God has called them to missions in some capacity. We invited them to come and visit us to begin to pursue what God may be calling them to do. Pray for them as they make their preparations .          

 2015 Pulse Conference 

Not only did we get to attend and teach at the World Missions Seminar but also I was privileged to be one of the speakers of the 2015 Pulse Conference put on by Faith BC, North Little Rock, AR. Dr. Bobby Manning and Brother Chris Bocklage were the other speakers at the conference and they were both amazing! The theme of the conference was community. I spoke on mobilizing the Epaphradituses in our congregations and creating a culture of missions to impact our world. I was so honored to participate in the conference.

 

Clayton and Lindsey's Landy 

     
When Clayton and I returned to Kenya this month we stayed over in Nairobi for a week in search of a vehicle for the Farming God’s Way ministry. Clayton test-drove several different types of vehicles and concluded that the Land Rover was indeed the best option for the areas we work in. We found one that was in the budget and purchased it. So here is the newest member of the EKM Team

Furlough 2015        

 We are making preparations already for our 2015 furlough. It is hard to believe we will have completed another three-year term here on the coast in July. This furlough is going to be a bit different for our family. We are planning to stay in Monticello near our sending church. I will be attending the Missionary Baptist Seminary to finish my Masters degree, and we plan to put the kids in school for a year. This will limit their ability to travel with me as they have in the past, but we feel it is the best thing for them as we enter a new phase of life. Josiah will be a freshman, and we have one more term in Kenya to help him prepare to return to the states for college.

         We plan to visit as many supporting churches as we can to give report, cast vision for the future, and raise funds for replacing our Land Rover. Over the next few months we will be making several survey trips north of Malindi as we put a strategy together of how to preach the Gospel among the Orma, Wardei, and Pokomo. Please pray for our safety and for God to open the doors as we seek to preach in the regions beyond.

  PO Box 299 Monticello, AR 71657

 James Taylor PO Box 811 Malindi, Kenya 80200

Phone 011-254-713289014 missionarytaylor@gmail.com

 

Taylor Tribe

 

This month we had an awesome time at the World Missions Seminar.  The classes were great and the fellowship sweet.  For me the whole two weeks was emotional.  It was as if we relived so much of our life as we listened to the classes about getting ready to go, adjusting to the field, and culture shock.  We have been through so many of the things that were taught, yet it was so good to listen and remember what it was like.  I truly enjoyed teaching the classes that I taught.  I am excited that people are still going and wives are saying yes to follow their husbands wherever God calls their family.  I really do hope that God was able to speak through me as I just simply shared my experience as a missionary wife.  It was an absolute joy talking about all that God has allowed us to do.  Being able to speak into all of the ladies who were there refreshed and revived my heart.  It stirred in me a great desire to be even more open to God to fill me up so I can be poured out for Him in every way.

            The first week of the seminar the kids worked really hard on their DI project.  It was on the weekend between the two weeks of the seminar.  On Saturday we headed to Louisiana and attended the competition.  They were so nervous, but they did a great job.  They were over by about 30 seconds on the time limit but they still did a fantastic job.  It was even a lot of fun going around and watching all of the other groups perform.  Since they were just an exhibition team, they received scores but couldn’t technically place.  But for their level, Ashley said looking at the scores, they would have placed second.  They had fun and learned a lot. 

            The second week of the seminar Mrs. Holly Hartung had lots of activities planned for all the kids.  They went to a museum and the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock. They even enjoyed some bowling and made several new friends.  Mrs. Jeanean Wilson always spoils them; one evening she took them to the trampoline park. 

            The kids and I spent an extra 10 days in Indiana after James left to return to Kenya.  I wanted to check on my mom, dad, and sister after all their health problems.  We visited with my family and James’ family.  It was good to see that they are all doing well.  My mom and sister have pretty much recovered from their recent health issues.  We had time to go shopping and to a fun zone with my mom.  We visited a couple of parks and played games with James’ mom.  My sister and I sewed a dress together.  And the kids even managed an Easter egg hunt with a cousin.  It was nice to have a little bit of time with them all. 

            I jumped right in to the seminar, but I can’t forget to say what a great sending church we have.  When we came in, our church received us like celebrities.  I cannot even begin to write how grateful we are for Pauline Baptist Church.  They love us, are for us, take care of us, and hold the ropes for us in every way.  Our kids have adoptive families that treat them like their own.  Our pastor is a great encouragement to us.  Ben and Esbeida Higginbotham, who serve on our Kenya missions committee, are great friends.  They are true servants.  Ben does so much for us, no one truly knows the behind-the-scenes work he does not just for us, but even for our whole church.  The ladies of Dorcas Circle always make me feel special.  And the worship services were medicine for our souls.  I pray that God blesses Pauline BC in a great way. 

            Our trip back was a little bit eventful, since I misread the itinerary and we missed our flight, but thanks to Jack Story for getting us back on track with only a slight delay.  It sure is good to be back home with James in Kenya.

            Thanks for reading and praying.

 

Raburns Arrival and Attacks

We have been back in Malindi a week and are getting back in the groove. We dropped into the hottest and most humid part of the year. We got in on Sunday and had Monday to unpack then Kenya and I went to Mombasa on Tuesday to pick up Brother Lynn and Brenda Raburn. They arrived after midnight so we did not get in until around 2:30am. Lynn and Brenda will be with us until the first week of June. Brother Lynn is going to teach through the book of Hebrews and put it on video so we will have it for future classes.

I was able to get two months of reports, updates, and finances done this week. It is always good to get the updates out and be caught up on the office work. I was also able to call all the pastors to see how they are doing. We are planning a fellowship meeting this week on Friday and Saturday so we can all come together face to face. We will have lots of preaching and fellowship time to see where everyone is and what kinds of things the guys may want to discuss with each other and the missionaries. 

Some bad news was waiting when we got here concerning our Land Rover. It is still not fixed. The shop opened up the engine again and put it back together only to find it leaking water into the oil the next day. They have taken the head off to have it tested...again. The shop that sleeved the engine evidently did a not do it right which is what caused the engine to loose compression before. I have just left it with the shop to sort it all out. Pray for the Land Rover it has been a bad year... I messed up at first and had a new mechanic work on the engine and it has been down hill since.  Our regular shop has let us down also so we are really just defeated. We are not letting it get us down, we're just trying to be patient as the shop deals with the engineers and they try to get it all sorted out. All I know to do at this point is wait and pray.

            Clayton and I also went to test one of the buggies that I mentioned last month. We went out for about an hour and really got a feel for how they handle. By the time we got back to the sellers house, Patrick, we were ready to buy. We had a few more questions then we asked if the buggies had clear log books or Titles and Patrick said he was in the process of getting new log books to replace the old ones that were burnt in a fire. He assured us that it would not be a problem, but it is a problem. Without the logbook we can not prove ownership or get insurance. The original log books were not in his name but the importers name, so he has to deal with the importers as well as the government to get the log books replaced. Patrick is leaving the country in a month to go to Europe for six months so it really is a deal buster to not have the log books cleared. We told him when he got the log books sorted our to let us know. It was a little bit of a disappointment, but we trust the Lord will work it out if he wants us to have one. 

            Clayton and I got the chance to have a meeting with Alphonse one afternoon in town to talk about how things are going in Mangangnai and Mjomboni. Alfonse says that everything is good, I hope to have some more conversation with him, because just before we left there was a little issue with one of the men in the church. It was a good meeting to reconnect.  It also gave Clayton a chance to set up an appointment to go to Mjomboni to see the fields that he started. 

            I was also able to work on 200 Taposa Hymnals to send up to John Wanyoni and Stephen Labolia in Sudan. John and Stephen are missionaries sent out by Kenyan churches to work in South Sudan. I am glad we can help in a small way with their ministry. John worked hard with the people to translate and put together the Hymn book. We sent a hundred up before but the work is growing and so is the need. While sorting, stapling, and folding the books I thought about how the hymns would be used to praise the Lord in areas where to be a Christian is not safe. Please pray for John and Stephen both as they labor. 

            We attended services in Malindi for Easter. The pastor, Nicholas asked us to do the speaking because he was unsure if he would be able to attend because of issues at work. I taught Sunday School for the adults and Brother Lynn preached the morning message. It was a great Easter service. In the afternoon we had an Easter dinner with Clayton, Lynn, and Brenda, then we hid eggs all over the yard for the kids to find. In the evening we all sang worship songs then watched the Passion of the Christ. It was a day of remembrance of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.

            On Thursday last week there was an attack made by the terrorist group Al-Shabab on a University 215 miles north of us in the city of Garissa that left 148 people dead. Please pray for the families that lost loved ones in this most recent attack on Kenyan soil. Muslims were spared while four assailants slaughtered all others. We have been praying about working north of Malindi between here and Garissa and have even considered that Garissa may be a place to live. The small town of Hola is another place we have considered living and is looking better with this most recent assault. We have a survey trip scheduled in May and we need wisdom and discernment in light of the violence.

            Our family is well and we do not feel unsafe here in Malindi. We are listening to the Embassy and watching the local news to stay up on all that is going on around us. Thank you for those who have prayed for us and have enquired about the situation here. We saw that yesterday Kenya supposedly bombed some Al-Shabab camps in Somalia so it is apparent that Kenya is not letting up on their pressure of the Al-Shabab group. 

          My Aunt Carol that we had requested prayer for the past few weeks went to be with the Lord this week. While we were in the states the doctors found that she had several tumors in her brain. They did a biopsy and found that she had stage four brain cancer and within a week she was gone. I am so grateful we had a chance to visit with her while we were in the states even if it was just a short time. Please pray for our family as they have the funeral this week. Especially my Uncle Ronnie and his girls.

      I was going to go home for the funeral and even started to book tickets but the tickets did not go through and I was very uneasy leaving Kenya and the kids here with the attacks up north. After praying about it and talking with my mama and uncle I made the hard decision not to return for the funeral. This was a very hard decision because I wanted desperately to be there with our family. Aunt Carol was a huge influence in my life and for many others. She will be missed but I praise the Lord that she was saved and because of Jesus I have confidence I will see her again. She and Uncle Ronnie supported our work here in Kenya many times with offerings as well as encouragement. I even got to speak in her church a couple times. I loved her and thank God for her testimony of salvation and love she showed in her life. Her life will be celebrated and remembered.

Nairobi Vehicle Shopping and Back to the Coast

March 18-29

     Clayton and I got back to Kenya on Wednesday March 18th and instead of flying on to the coast we stayed in Nairobi to look for a vehicle. We started our vehicle shopping the day after our arrival. We had to use taxis, motor bikes, matatus, and buses to get around but we managed. Clayton test drove several different types of vehicles, but settled on a Land Rover at one of the first lots we went to. The vehicle was good, but needed several small repairs that the dealer agreed to do. Ibraham was the salesman we worked with and he did a great job except on his estimation of time they needed to fix the vehicle. He said all the repairs could be done in two days...

     We were able to come to an agreement on the Land Rover by Friday evening so we just had to wait and let the dealership work out all the bugs. We thought we would just be staying the weekend then back to the coast on Monday or Tuesday, but that is not how it turned out.  I am getting ahead of myself. Saturday we decided to take a trip to the Rift Valley to climb Mt. Longonot since we were free and Clayton had never been there. We had a taxi pick us in the morning and we spent the day climb up Longonot, which is a dormant volcano, then walked around the entire circumference then back down. It was a 7.1 mile hike and we knocked it out in 3 hours 8 minutes. It was a lot of fun and was so beautiful. Pictures do not do the Rift Valley or Mt. Longonot justice, but I hope they help.

     On Sunday we attended services at Silanga Landmark BC in the Kibera slums. The pastor Julius Ayugu is a very good friend. It was so good to see him, his wife and two of his four children. His daughters Jessica and Susie are in western attending secondary school be we were able to see his twins James and Kenya. Our history with Julius is rich and it was an honor to preach for him in services. He is doing good work in Silanga. It is obvious he loves his people and they love him. It was a good experience for Clayton to go down into the slums and see the inner city life of Nairobi.

    Monday Clayton and I did office work in our room after Ibraham told us the vehicle would not be ready. We went in to the dealership on Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday. By Thursday our window of opportunity was shutting to get the vehicle. Kenya and the kids were scheduled to arrive in Mombasa on Friday night and I needed to be there to get them. We worked out a deal with the dealership that Clayton and I would fly to the coast on Friday and fly back on Monday to get the Land Rover in order to give them a couple more days to finish up the "two days" of work. : ) We had it all worked out and the dealership was going to compensate us for some of our tickets.
     Just before we left I called Kenya to see if she was getting ready to board her plane. She informed me that she had misread the tickets and missed their flights, but that they could get a flight the next day and that Brother Jack Story was still working out the details. This gave us at least one more day to stay in Nairobi so we went back into the dealership after our passionate negotiations and gave them another day to work. They assured us...again... it would be ready.
    Longs story short the dealership did come through and we got the Land Rover on Friday. We celebrated by going out to eat at the Carnivore in Nairobi. It used to be one of the the top 50 restaurants in the world. It is all you can eat meat including game meats. We had a great celebration and were satisfied that our trip was profitable.

    Kenya and the kids ended up getting in on Saturday night in Nairobi. They could not get another flight to Mombasa so Clayton and I picked them up in Nairobi in his new Land Rover. We loaded all 14 pieces of our luggage on top of the Land Rover and headed out on Sunday morning at 4:30am for the coast. Clayton's Land Rover did great and we made it to the coast with no problems. We finally got in to Malindi Sunday evening.