Nkatini e Nkai (God’s Story)
Vol. 1; Issue 7 November 15, 2008
(If you prefer not to receive our prayer letters, then please advise us)
Dear Mandy, here is our latest ministry news from Northern Kenya in East Africa. September and October went by quickly, but God’s blessings on the ministry and us have been abundant.
OUR BLOG HAS BEEN UPDATED!
Go to: http://samburuteacher.blogspot.com to see new photos that we post there. We do not include pictures in this prayer letter, because sending over 650 letters via email over a slow connection is not practical.
Eph 2:19-22
Eph 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Eph 2:21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
Eph 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
We witnessed the body of Christ at work these past few weeks as the Apostle Paul describes in these verses from his letter to the Ephesians!
ALMOST THERE
Much of our focus since our last prayer letter has been work to prepare for the opening of the Samburu Bible Training Center. Now we are eagerly awaiting the opening on 30 November. To reach this point, we worked to:
· Repair the foundation,
· Add electrical wiring and fixtures,
· Repaint the exterior and interior spaces, and
· A fellow missionary painted a very nice sign to the gable facing the main road into town.
Future work in the next week includes building proper chairs and tables and the addition of a generator shed. Long term, we still need to add a pit latrine, water tank, and shower room before students can be boarded.
The curriculum for the first stream of trainees will be presented each month in one week modules. Twenty-four hours of classroom instruction will take place during the week. The first stream of trainees is expected to be working men and women who can arrange to be away from their work for one week each month. This modular approach will require 22 to 26 months to complete.
We will accept a maximum of 12 trainees so that individual instruction can be available to each of them. The basic curriculum is well accepted in East Africa, and it includes ten courses that will provide a sound, but basic theological foundation for lay pastors and church leaders/servants. In addition, each student will learn a set of evangelistic chronological Bible stories so they can effectively reach people who are oral learners. The English based program will be translated into Samburu for the trainees to maximize understanding. This will be a challenge to say the least, but we are confident that God will reach these people so they can become trained to present the gospel and disciple the Samburu people.
At the end of the training, each trainee will receive a certificate of completion. So, our prayer is that these graduates will remain among the Samburu people to evangelize and disciple believers.
Please pray that our final preparations with the Samburu Bible Training Centre will go well.
UPDATE ON THE THREE CHURCHES AND BIBLE STUDIES
In our last letter, we gave you some details about three churches where we minister directly and indirectly.
· The Lokuto church may have found a piece of ground where they can worship in peace. A catechism class was started in September by Ken, and he has a core group of six believers experiencing their first discipleship classes.
· The Lkrutto fellowship has consistently averaged 75 to 100 children each Sunday school session, and we see 30 to 40 adults (mainly women) who come to worship the Lord. Working with Timothy Lesimalele as the Samburu speaker and pastor in-training, we have almost finished the Book of Genesis.
· AIC Maralal continues to serve the Maralal community at large. Ken has finished the Book of 1st Timothy, and he is beginning 2nd Timothy in the two Bible studies with church leaders. In addition, Reverend Chepkwony has started a cell group among the Kenya Police who are stationed in Samburu District. Together with his wife, Jane, and Ken they are reaching out to these policemen and their families.
· Finally, another small group of believers in the Yare manyatta very much desire to have a church planted among them. Catechism classes are underway for them as well. So, please pray that we can find a Samburu man to be trained to lead this fellowship of believers.
Please continue to pray for these distinct communities of believers and our ministry among them.
NOMADIC MINISTRY
As time goes by we learn more and more about the Samburu people. They are fundamentally pastoral people who live a difficult, nomadic lifestyle. This nomadic lifestyle is due to their pastoral tradition. They will travel long distances to graze their cattle, goats, and camels.
Some of the Samburu are more settled than others. In our area, the women and children are very settled in their manyattas. Their men travel long distances with the animals, but the women and children stay put. This is not the case as you move farther north among the Samburu. They still live traditional lives where everyone moves wherever the water and grass can be found for their animals. We recently attended a Nomadic Ministry seminar farther to the north, and it was an opportunity to learn from other missionaries about this lifestyle and the strategies for reaching nomadic peoples.
Fundamentally, the Samburu people are still oral learners, and they are more receptive to an oral approach with the gospel. Having said this, however, the people in our area are gradually changing. Many want their children to be educated, and they are fencing their plots where their homes are located. This is significant. Men still remain elusive to the gospel while the women and children here are very receptive. Consequently, we must train men who will reach their Samburu brothers and sisters whatever the conditions or circumstances knowing that each set of circumstances presents significant challenges.
We ask you to pray for us as we work with our Samburu church leaders to identify a strategy for reaching the Samburu men in our area.
UPCOMING MINISTRY
· Youth work day to help clean the plot where the training center is located will take place on 16 November. The local youth will be rewarded for their help with a movie, soda, and snacks.
· Our annual AIM Spiritual Life conference will take place 21-24 November just outside Nairobi.
· The Samburu Bible Training Center formal opening is scheduled for Sunday, 30 November. Church leaders from Nairobi will be in attendance, and all three of the churches mentioned above will be in attendance to celebrate the opening.
· A work team of 36 Kenyans will arrive on 5 December to erect posts, trusses, and tin corrugated roofing for the Lkrutto fellowship. (It is possible that they may also do the same work in the Yare manyatta.)
A SIGNIFICANT NEED
On our blog site, we have reported a genuine and serious need to replace our vehicle. Our existing vehicle is a 1989 Mitsubishi Pajero with 205,000 km on the odometer. Reaching out to people in difficult locations is not possible without a replacement vehicle that is suitable for bush travel (e.g. Land Rover, Land Cruiser). Travel to and from Nairobi is also becoming more difficult with this vehicle, and we are averaging $500 per month in repair costs. This level of maintenance cannot be sustained. Our preference is to replace this vehicle with a 1995-1997 Land Rover Defender 110/130, 3.0 liter diesel. The estimated cost is $25,000; existing vehicle equity is $7,000; a shortfall is $18,000.
Our home church, Westview Community Church, is asking for help to meet this need. If you wish to assist with this serious problem, then please email the Westview missions committee at missions@westviewcommunity.com.
We are praying for your help.
PRAISES
· In September: Susan celebrated her 57th birthday; Marla, our oldest, turned 37 years of age; Alex, one of our grandsons, was 8 years old.
· A supporter provided funds that enabled us to purchase a new generator.
· The ministry is going very well in all areas.
· The Samburu Bible Translation team has finished the first draft of the Book of Luke which will be the foundation for the Samburu Jesus Film Project.
OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS
Please pray for the upcoming ministry described above.
Please pray for some special ministry we have with street kids and HIV positive people.
Please pray for the new believers that Ken is teaching in preparation for baptism.
Please pray for Robert and Joseph as they begin a new home school curriculum soon.
Please pray for the people highlighted on our blog.
Please pray for our upcoming road travel!
Thank you again for your continuing prayers and support, and remember: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew (19:26)
Let Our Hearts Be Broken... 
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