You probably have noticed the missing photos from past posts. Thank you for your patience as we work on correcting this problem!
Brother Lawrence and Sister Joyce are up in the Mount Kenya region visiting family members who are in serious affliction at this time. The work on the Makindu "home front" continues on with many needs and demands. We hope to have more updates soon. Please pray in the meantime!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
How Hungry are You?
It is a wonderful thing to sit down to a full meal three times a day. That is, if you have a good appetite. True hunger is a sense that most of us have little aquaintance with. To eat until we are satisfied and renewed in energy is a great blessing. How often do we take it for granted?
I was reminded of what hunger means as I viewed some recent photos from the ministry in Makindu. Last Sunday a group made the trip out to the Kalembe settlement to hold a meeting and bring some food supplies. "Famine has now began to bite in this area as they did not harvest enough food last season," Brother Lawrence reports. "The congregation has to depend on donated food."
Daniel, along with his wife and four children, are the contact family for this area.
Here Brother Benjamin measures out the "relief maize" (white corn) which is a staple in Kenya. They will grind it into flour to cook as a porridge (called Ugali) to be eaten with vegetables, or cook it with peas, beans, and bananas as a hearty stew.
A group picture of the children. Many are priveleged to have others carry the burden of providing for their needs. A few are not.
Josphine and James are siblings that have been abandoned by their single mother. They are under the care of their old grandmother, and waiting in line for their share of maize.
These families have received their rations. "How grateful we are to have some brethren who care and love us. May the Dear Lord bless them more and more."
"Bidding us farewell after service and sharing of the relief food."
Not far away stand Josphine and James. It is noted: "They are clinging to their share of relief food given to them by the saints." Do we value our spiritual food as much, no matter how simple the truth or rough the packaging? May these precious little ones learn to claim the promise: "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Psalm 27:10)
In Makindu the work on the center progresses slowly as they await timber for the rafters. Here is a gathering for a Bible lesson in the yard of one of the families. "Studying under a tree is normal here when there are no houses of worship," we are told. "The resident houses are so small that a congregation cannot usually fit in. So we hold services in the open."
As seen in the far right of the previous picture, here is "a man and his family who are keen on knowing the truth. But they are not yet saved," the brother writes. "Please, pray for them."
Yes, let us be praying. Is it not a time to be hungry, dear ones? Hungry for those lost in sin to receive the light. Hungry to see God's work prosper in our midst. Hungry to take hold of the words of life and live off of them, as Jesus did. Did not He say, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6)? The Father holds the eternal supplies. The question is, How hungry are you?
I was reminded of what hunger means as I viewed some recent photos from the ministry in Makindu. Last Sunday a group made the trip out to the Kalembe settlement to hold a meeting and bring some food supplies. "Famine has now began to bite in this area as they did not harvest enough food last season," Brother Lawrence reports. "The congregation has to depend on donated food."
Daniel, along with his wife and four children, are the contact family for this area.
Here Brother Benjamin measures out the "relief maize" (white corn) which is a staple in Kenya. They will grind it into flour to cook as a porridge (called Ugali) to be eaten with vegetables, or cook it with peas, beans, and bananas as a hearty stew.
A group picture of the children. Many are priveleged to have others carry the burden of providing for their needs. A few are not.
Josphine and James are siblings that have been abandoned by their single mother. They are under the care of their old grandmother, and waiting in line for their share of maize.
These families have received their rations. "How grateful we are to have some brethren who care and love us. May the Dear Lord bless them more and more."
"Bidding us farewell after service and sharing of the relief food."
Not far away stand Josphine and James. It is noted: "They are clinging to their share of relief food given to them by the saints." Do we value our spiritual food as much, no matter how simple the truth or rough the packaging? May these precious little ones learn to claim the promise: "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Psalm 27:10)
In Makindu the work on the center progresses slowly as they await timber for the rafters. Here is a gathering for a Bible lesson in the yard of one of the families. "Studying under a tree is normal here when there are no houses of worship," we are told. "The resident houses are so small that a congregation cannot usually fit in. So we hold services in the open."
As seen in the far right of the previous picture, here is "a man and his family who are keen on knowing the truth. But they are not yet saved," the brother writes. "Please, pray for them."
Yes, let us be praying. Is it not a time to be hungry, dear ones? Hungry for those lost in sin to receive the light. Hungry to see God's work prosper in our midst. Hungry to take hold of the words of life and live off of them, as Jesus did. Did not He say, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6)? The Father holds the eternal supplies. The question is, How hungry are you?
Monday, October 11, 2010
When the demands get greater
In the midst of the construction of the new center building, the work of the ministry in Makindu has been expanding. Besides many people in the local vicinity needing physical and spiritual encouragement, Brother Lawrence was recently called out to the edge of a game reserve to hold a meeting. He made the trip on a rented motor bike and found a small settlement of thatched huts where a group of hungry souls were seeking God.
The couple on the right with their children were glad to host the gospel minister, and the meeting was held in the "house of prayer" shown below.
The people of the Kalembe settlement have built temporary houses on the edge of the game reserve because they have nowhere else to live.
Their income comes from selling firewood, which they collect from the surrounding countryside.
Despite their poverty and the risk of meeting up with the wild animals that roam this territory, these people have put their trust in God. Let us be praying for them.
Meanwhile, the work on the center is progressing as rapidly as time and resources will permit. The drainage pit is nearing its 20 foot limit, as the diggers are chipping at rock now:
They are planning to line it with cement walls to keep the sides from caving in during the heavy rains.
The building itself is looking more substantial now. Here we can see the cooperation and labor needed to construct the cement-and-wire beams that are being placed on the wall pillars:
"One, two, three, lift!" The wooden form for the cement beam (locally called a "ringto") is hoisted into place.
Mixing the concrete. The water has to be hauled from a distance.
"A real busy time competing to get the roof on before the rains. Please pray for us."
Here the "ringto bars" are put in alignment over the pillars.
Ready for the cement...
More willing workers.
Alvin is exhausted, but hopeful that they will be ready for the roofing soon. The roofing materials are expensive (nearly 4 thousand in US dollars), but the Lord is not limited.
Yes, the needs are abounding, and many demand time and strength and resources we don't have. In the face of such overwhelming odds, let us lift our eyes above it all to the One who supplies our help. In the words of Psalm 121 we can say boldly "the LORD is my keeper" and rely on resources and power that are unlimited. What a privelege to live in the care of the invincible God!
The couple on the right with their children were glad to host the gospel minister, and the meeting was held in the "house of prayer" shown below.
The people of the Kalembe settlement have built temporary houses on the edge of the game reserve because they have nowhere else to live.
Their income comes from selling firewood, which they collect from the surrounding countryside.
Despite their poverty and the risk of meeting up with the wild animals that roam this territory, these people have put their trust in God. Let us be praying for them.
Meanwhile, the work on the center is progressing as rapidly as time and resources will permit. The drainage pit is nearing its 20 foot limit, as the diggers are chipping at rock now:
They are planning to line it with cement walls to keep the sides from caving in during the heavy rains.
The building itself is looking more substantial now. Here we can see the cooperation and labor needed to construct the cement-and-wire beams that are being placed on the wall pillars:
"One, two, three, lift!" The wooden form for the cement beam (locally called a "ringto") is hoisted into place.
Mixing the concrete. The water has to be hauled from a distance.
"A real busy time competing to get the roof on before the rains. Please pray for us."
Here the "ringto bars" are put in alignment over the pillars.
Ready for the cement...
More willing workers.
Alvin is exhausted, but hopeful that they will be ready for the roofing soon. The roofing materials are expensive (nearly 4 thousand in US dollars), but the Lord is not limited.
Yes, the needs are abounding, and many demand time and strength and resources we don't have. In the face of such overwhelming odds, let us lift our eyes above it all to the One who supplies our help. In the words of Psalm 121 we can say boldly "the LORD is my keeper" and rely on resources and power that are unlimited. What a privelege to live in the care of the invincible God!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Built Up Together
This past month has been busy for the ministry in Makindu as they work on the new center building. Their goal is to get it completed before the prayed-for fall rains arrive. Though the work is tedious and hard, the Lord has blessed this time of laboring together. Here are some snap shots of the progress.
The building is being constructed with volcanic stone cemented with clay soil, since these materials can be obtained cheaply.
The stone is gathered from a quarry 30 miles away and hauled to the building site in a rented trailer, pulled by a tractor.
"Carrying the stone blocks to the masons is done by hand, one block or two at a time," Lawrence says. "We do not have equipment such as wheel barrows." With all the heavy hauling going on, he is thankful that no one has been hurt working on the project so far.
Three-foot trenches have been dug for the perimeter of the building.
In the trenches a hired mason has been laying the foundation...
...arranging the stones as the workers bring them.
What a great blessing to have a wheelbarrow loaned for the work!
Here you can see the foundational walls emerging, as the mason mixes the "mortar" to cement the stones together.
At the end of September the stem wall is up and the corner pillars begun. This 30x60 building will be internally divided into rooms, providing a place for the training classes and other activities to be conducted in.
Brother Lawrence at work on the walls. "We mean to go right on until the crown is won..." he says.
It is a blessing to work together in unity and have so many volunteers pitching in.
Near by a drainage pit is being dug. Using simple hand-picks and shovels is hard work. The finished size will be about 20x8x6 feet, which is about as deep as they can get without tools to brake through rock.
By the end of last week the corner pillars had been erected. The building is located on a small lot (100x100 feet) purchased earlier this year. "The owner has reserved for us other 3 plots of equal size and says they will wait for at least 6 months for us to raise the needed money (equivelent to $4,800.00) for them," Brother Lawrence says. "Our God owns every thing and we trust He will provide, if it pleases Him to have that size of the property for the center."
Two of the brothers that have been daily and consistently working at the site are Benjamin, a young minister, and Alvin, Lawrence's son. "Thank God for the young people who seem so dedicated for the service," Lawrence writes. "This frees me for other duties."
In the building of this simple physical structure there is a striking parrell to how God is working to build His church. We that were once "strangers and foreigners" have the privilege of being "builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22) What a wise and able stone mason He is!
If our part seem small or the weight of our responsibility too big, let us remember this is God's building. (1 Cor. 3:9) Praise the Lord, He knows what He is doing! If we rest on the sure foundation of truth, aligned with Christ, our cornerstone, it matters not what place He has chosen to put us. We can rejoice in being a part and let the Lord do the building!
The building is being constructed with volcanic stone cemented with clay soil, since these materials can be obtained cheaply.
The stone is gathered from a quarry 30 miles away and hauled to the building site in a rented trailer, pulled by a tractor.
"Carrying the stone blocks to the masons is done by hand, one block or two at a time," Lawrence says. "We do not have equipment such as wheel barrows." With all the heavy hauling going on, he is thankful that no one has been hurt working on the project so far.
Three-foot trenches have been dug for the perimeter of the building.
In the trenches a hired mason has been laying the foundation...
...arranging the stones as the workers bring them.
What a great blessing to have a wheelbarrow loaned for the work!
Here you can see the foundational walls emerging, as the mason mixes the "mortar" to cement the stones together.
At the end of September the stem wall is up and the corner pillars begun. This 30x60 building will be internally divided into rooms, providing a place for the training classes and other activities to be conducted in.
Brother Lawrence at work on the walls. "We mean to go right on until the crown is won..." he says.
It is a blessing to work together in unity and have so many volunteers pitching in.
Near by a drainage pit is being dug. Using simple hand-picks and shovels is hard work. The finished size will be about 20x8x6 feet, which is about as deep as they can get without tools to brake through rock.
By the end of last week the corner pillars had been erected. The building is located on a small lot (100x100 feet) purchased earlier this year. "The owner has reserved for us other 3 plots of equal size and says they will wait for at least 6 months for us to raise the needed money (equivelent to $4,800.00) for them," Brother Lawrence says. "Our God owns every thing and we trust He will provide, if it pleases Him to have that size of the property for the center."
Two of the brothers that have been daily and consistently working at the site are Benjamin, a young minister, and Alvin, Lawrence's son. "Thank God for the young people who seem so dedicated for the service," Lawrence writes. "This frees me for other duties."
In the building of this simple physical structure there is a striking parrell to how God is working to build His church. We that were once "strangers and foreigners" have the privilege of being "builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22) What a wise and able stone mason He is!
If our part seem small or the weight of our responsibility too big, let us remember this is God's building. (1 Cor. 3:9) Praise the Lord, He knows what He is doing! If we rest on the sure foundation of truth, aligned with Christ, our cornerstone, it matters not what place He has chosen to put us. We can rejoice in being a part and let the Lord do the building!
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