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!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Weak, Base, Despised
Living conditions in this desert region of Kenya certainly don't look impressive by our affluent standards. Growing up in poverty poses many difficulties. Here we are given a glimpse into the lives of several local children that this ministry is endeavoring to help.
Grace Mbungi is in her second year of high school and has been recently saved. She is one of Tabitha's granddaughters and was home from school the last time Brother Lawrence visited for a Bible study. The school had expelled her because she couldn't meet the payments. Her desire is to study at the new Bible Center in between her acedemic studies, but she is hindered by her desparate need of money for school fees and other expenses. Like any other young person, Grace wants her life to be useful. After her own studies are complete, she hopes is to train other orphans in skills that will help them be self-supporting.
Here is the kitchen (brick building) and storeroom (thatched hut) of Alice Kimanga, a 67-year-old widow that lost her husband many years ago.
When her daughter-in-law died, and her son disappeared and never returned, Alice was left to raise her two grandchildren, Duncan and Dorcas. Their house was built by supporters, and the ministry has been supplying food and helping with school needs. At this time they have only have one pair of good clothes, which the children save for attending the worship services and other occasions.
Duncan Kimanga Mutisya is 9 years old, and shows great interest and intelligence in the children's services that he attends.
His sister, Dorcas Nzilani Mutisya, is five. She suffers from the loss of her mother and doesn't remember her father. "Dorcas is a little behind," Lawrence reports, "but the Dear Lord is able to lift."
This is Wambua Moyanga, age 13. He and his brother, Alex (next photo), lost their mother six years ago. Their father married again, but is gone most of the time looking for jobs to support his family. "The boys are attending services with us," Lawrence says. "We have been feeding and buying them clothes, as well as meeting their school needs since early this year."
Alex, age 11, has been eager to serve God, and recently witnessed to his father. He even has been helping with the construction of the first building in the center, which has required a lot of time and hard labor recently. Since they have not been able to afford to hire workers, the stone and water hauling, digging and foundation work have been all carried on by the ministry and volunteer helpers like Alex.
Weak, base, despised, yes. But such "God hath chosen" to further His work, His way. (1 Cor. 1:27-31) Do we dare despise these "small things" when God is the Champion of such? It serves us well to remember that He has called the poor of this world "Blessed... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It is here He delights to show His power and love. Do you know that privileged place in your life?
As the dear brother wrote just today:
What a blessing to be an heirs together with Jesus, children of the heavenly King!
Grace Mbungi is in her second year of high school and has been recently saved. She is one of Tabitha's granddaughters and was home from school the last time Brother Lawrence visited for a Bible study. The school had expelled her because she couldn't meet the payments. Her desire is to study at the new Bible Center in between her acedemic studies, but she is hindered by her desparate need of money for school fees and other expenses. Like any other young person, Grace wants her life to be useful. After her own studies are complete, she hopes is to train other orphans in skills that will help them be self-supporting.
Here is the kitchen (brick building) and storeroom (thatched hut) of Alice Kimanga, a 67-year-old widow that lost her husband many years ago.
When her daughter-in-law died, and her son disappeared and never returned, Alice was left to raise her two grandchildren, Duncan and Dorcas. Their house was built by supporters, and the ministry has been supplying food and helping with school needs. At this time they have only have one pair of good clothes, which the children save for attending the worship services and other occasions.
Duncan Kimanga Mutisya is 9 years old, and shows great interest and intelligence in the children's services that he attends.
His sister, Dorcas Nzilani Mutisya, is five. She suffers from the loss of her mother and doesn't remember her father. "Dorcas is a little behind," Lawrence reports, "but the Dear Lord is able to lift."
This is Wambua Moyanga, age 13. He and his brother, Alex (next photo), lost their mother six years ago. Their father married again, but is gone most of the time looking for jobs to support his family. "The boys are attending services with us," Lawrence says. "We have been feeding and buying them clothes, as well as meeting their school needs since early this year."
Alex, age 11, has been eager to serve God, and recently witnessed to his father. He even has been helping with the construction of the first building in the center, which has required a lot of time and hard labor recently. Since they have not been able to afford to hire workers, the stone and water hauling, digging and foundation work have been all carried on by the ministry and volunteer helpers like Alex.
Weak, base, despised, yes. But such "God hath chosen" to further His work, His way. (1 Cor. 1:27-31) Do we dare despise these "small things" when God is the Champion of such? It serves us well to remember that He has called the poor of this world "Blessed... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It is here He delights to show His power and love. Do you know that privileged place in your life?
As the dear brother wrote just today:
Greetings in the name of the Almighty, who is sure to care for all His business. I was praying this morning and the Lord led me to Math. 2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh". After reading the verse I was amazed at the great love and care that God lavishes on His own. He will certainly supply all that is needed to accomplish His errand--strength, wisdom, patience, and material. Thank you very much for prayers.
What a blessing to be an heirs together with Jesus, children of the heavenly King!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A Visit to some Makindu Orphans
I've been eager to meet of the people of Makindu that we have been hearing so much about, and I expect you have, too. And now we have the opportunity to do just that, so hop on a bike and join me for a trek into the Savannah countryside.
Today's visit will be to Agnes' homestead. Since it is about a 10 kilometer (6 mile) ride, we'll need to stop and rest along the road. Here is Lawrence's son, Alvin, who is often involved in visiting the orphans in their homes.
After a good hour trip, we bump up a winding lane between barren trees and dead bushes. "It can be beautiful during the wet season," we are told, "but it is the dry season now."
Here is the house where Agnes and her grandchildren sleep. Since the death of her two daughters and their husbands (due to AIDS, which is a common but sensitive topic to these people), she has been caring for her five grandchildren in desperately poor conditions.
Agnes (who prefers to go by her second name, Tabitha) comes out to greet us with three of her grandchildren. She has no job and with the recurring drought it has been nearly impossible to provide for her family on her 10-acre homestead. She receives the food we have brought gratefully. She would like to attend the meetings in Makindu, but it is impossible because of the distance. It is a blessing when someone can come out to hold short services and have a Bible study with her.
Progress is being made on her new house, and we stop to help a little before we head on. Clay soil is common and so, with enough water to make bricks, Tabitha has been able to build cheaply. Some good neighbors have helped, and the visiting ministers give a hand when they are able.
Simon Shadrack Mbungi is Tabitha's 17-year-old grandson. He is planning to be trained at the Bible Center in basketry, a skill which could help sustain the family. Along with his grandmother, he will learn how to make food warming and cooking baskets which have a ready market here.
Until the new Center is ready, Simon lives in this little house next to his grandmother's.
Before we leave, we stop by the homestead's toilet shelter. Though these people live by the barest necessities, it is pleasure to see the courage and hope they have shown by making the best of them.
Our long ride home gives us many things to think about. The dry landscape reflects the difficult conditions that these people live under. "If we get enough rains in October, we will be blessed," our guide tells us. "Please, pray that we are blessed with them. If the rains fail, we are in for a very severe famine until the next rains come in March."
Let us pray, too, that these dear ones will be sustained by the water of Life in the midst of their loneliness and hardship. It is our place "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). Why? Because that is where Jesus is - right among "the least of the these," carrying their load and loving them through it. Am I one with Him?
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man will serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be..." John 12:25-26
Today's visit will be to Agnes' homestead. Since it is about a 10 kilometer (6 mile) ride, we'll need to stop and rest along the road. Here is Lawrence's son, Alvin, who is often involved in visiting the orphans in their homes.
After a good hour trip, we bump up a winding lane between barren trees and dead bushes. "It can be beautiful during the wet season," we are told, "but it is the dry season now."
Here is the house where Agnes and her grandchildren sleep. Since the death of her two daughters and their husbands (due to AIDS, which is a common but sensitive topic to these people), she has been caring for her five grandchildren in desperately poor conditions.
Agnes (who prefers to go by her second name, Tabitha) comes out to greet us with three of her grandchildren. She has no job and with the recurring drought it has been nearly impossible to provide for her family on her 10-acre homestead. She receives the food we have brought gratefully. She would like to attend the meetings in Makindu, but it is impossible because of the distance. It is a blessing when someone can come out to hold short services and have a Bible study with her.
Progress is being made on her new house, and we stop to help a little before we head on. Clay soil is common and so, with enough water to make bricks, Tabitha has been able to build cheaply. Some good neighbors have helped, and the visiting ministers give a hand when they are able.
Simon Shadrack Mbungi is Tabitha's 17-year-old grandson. He is planning to be trained at the Bible Center in basketry, a skill which could help sustain the family. Along with his grandmother, he will learn how to make food warming and cooking baskets which have a ready market here.
Until the new Center is ready, Simon lives in this little house next to his grandmother's.
Before we leave, we stop by the homestead's toilet shelter. Though these people live by the barest necessities, it is pleasure to see the courage and hope they have shown by making the best of them.
Our long ride home gives us many things to think about. The dry landscape reflects the difficult conditions that these people live under. "If we get enough rains in October, we will be blessed," our guide tells us. "Please, pray that we are blessed with them. If the rains fail, we are in for a very severe famine until the next rains come in March."
Let us pray, too, that these dear ones will be sustained by the water of Life in the midst of their loneliness and hardship. It is our place "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). Why? Because that is where Jesus is - right among "the least of the these," carrying their load and loving them through it. Am I one with Him?
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man will serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be..." John 12:25-26
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