Meeting at Kimooini

Brother Lawrence reported on a blessed meeting at Kimooini last weekend, despite the long walk to get there.


The trail (a 5 mile "short cut") took them through an area that is flourishing from underground springs that come from Mount Kilimanjaro, which is located SE of Makindu, in Tanzania.

Here is a view of Kilimanjaro, covered with clouds.

"The poor populace that lives around here uses the trees for their own survival and the area for grazing their animals," he notes. "The Lord has simply made a way for them to survive in this poor area. Glory to His name."


"For the young people, it took only two hours to get to Kimooini. But for us older people it took about three hours. But we were in time for services, praise the Lord."

Here is the youth/children's service. There are around 70 people total in the Kimooini congregation, with most being seekers and around 10 newly saved. Brother Lawrence is glad to see what God is doing among them, though time will tell where their hearts are.


Here the sisters are preparing rice for the afternoon meal.

He adds: "These people are desperate for a reasonable building. Land is so cheap that we feel we can easily acquire that in good time, but they will need a building. They are so poor that we have to train some in income generating skills. Please, pray for this as we ourselves have simply not much time to earn our own upkeep and to spare to train others freely."

Weary miles, aching legs, grains of rice, helping hands, seeking hearts... these all are part of the work of God, which we catch but the smallest glimpses of now.

What will God do when we offer Him what we have?

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

If you had stopped by the work site last week, you would have come upon a busy scene of activity:

Philip and Alvin continue to help build the firing stack...

...while a delighted group of children get their picture taken. Duncan and Dorcus (see September 2010) are among those helping. Isn't a joy to see their happy faces?

The goal of making 8,000 bricks was finally met last Saturday, and laid out to dry:

When the stacking is completed, a coating of cow manure will be added "which will help to spread the fire evenly within the stack of bricks" we are told.

Meanwhile a second drainage pit is being dug.

"The work is going on slowly," Lawrence reports, "but we are grateful to the Dear Lord for all His goodness. Please, continue to pray for us."

Yes. Whether physical or spiritual, the work does go on slowly. We need patience and endurance. And we need the joy of the Lord as our strength.

Here, a two hour walk from Makindu, brother Alvin joins the Kimooini congregation for worship. "Alvin is a friend of the children," his father says. "He loves to play with them."

Friendship and fellowship are encouraging. But it is in the presence of God that we find true refreshment for the labors of life.

Jesus is the living water and the bread of life in the midst of a weary, barren land. "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," He says. What better reason do we have to rejoice than when we have His peace in our souls?

It is brother Philip who leads the congregation here.

Though he lives in Makindu, he travels to minister to those at Kimooini. "He was in a Penacostal Movement that had him confused," says brother Lawrence, "and the Lord led Him out. He is learning truth and doing all his best to live it. He has some way to grow, but that is the Lord's work when the individual is humble and hungry. Please, pray for him and his family."

Firing bricks

To complete the brick making process, the clay blocks have to be fired. Here Philip is at work making the "firing stacks."



Brother Lawrence describes the Kenyan method of firing:
The bricks are arranged in such a way that there is a space left between the bricks at the bottom of the stack. This space is used for firewood.

A fire is lit when the stack is well arranged and covered with mud. The bricks bake to a reddish color and are very durable.

And I believe there is a parallel lesson in the making of our lives. We are only "earthen vessels" after all, but the Master knows just how to make our lives useful and durable for His purposes. He buries us so that He might burn us out.

Here is the description of one who had experienced it: "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7) Those fiery trials don't feel like praise and honor and glory - they are steaming hot! But by believing we are promised a beautiful result. And that is something to rejoice about, isn't it?

Not in Vain

We need a vision that goes beyond the present struggle. It is so easy to feel the monotony, the lack of results, the endless demands and ask ourselves "am I making any difference, after all?"

Brother Lawrence reports about progress at the building site: We are no longer expecting the heavy rains and the brick making season has come. The work has now taken a full swing at the site...We have to fetch water on bicycles and a wheel barrow some two miles away. We must be careful of the meager finances and I personally have to supervise the work most of the time (in between several weekly Bible studies). So it is going slowly, but we are blessed as we work.

It is only the red clay soil...

It is only one bicycle load of water (and two miles is a long way to carry it)...

Lawrence (below) inspects the bricks for defects. They will be used for the partition walls inside the main building.

It is only a brick... only a bit of mortar... only an earthen wall...

...but it is building upon faith in a living God.
And it is not in vain.

Brother Philip (left) has been a helpful support at the building site.


Isn't it encouraging?
When we give the little we have, whole-heartedly, into the hands of God...
When we set out to trust Him... with no turning back
When we contend in prayer, meeting each doubt with a promise...
When we come boldly to the throne of grace... acknowledging our limitations and need (no matter how great it is)...
will we be disappointed?
No, it is there our Father's full giving is only begun.

Though no rains have fallen, the water drops still send a message of Divine faithfulness. He doesn't forget.

Our little, committed into the hands of the living God, will never be in vain.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58