Wedding in the Village, December 2008

the unique climate that is found in kericho and it environs make so many come back home (from abroad) for ceremonies like weddings, etc.




above and below are some photos of the tea fields and hills around kericho, kenya, east africa.



it is quite beautiful.

recently, some people came from as far as japan to grace the occasion of a wedding. the bridegroom works in the united states and the bride was residing in Kenya.

many people applauded the parents of the two for taking care of the their son and daughter until they were ready to get married. i was not left out of this wedding as i am a distant relative to the bridegroom. i was happy to have been invited to join this happy occasion. in fact, i loved it!

enjoy the rest of the slideshow of wedding photos.

it has been a busy year in 2008! i pray you have a wonderful and blessed 2009!

God bless,
Pastor Jonah

Village Kids have Fun Time in 2008!

hello friends,

kids are always left out of the Christmas schedules here in Kenya, but this year we had great plans to see that the kids played and enjoyed themselves! for some of them it was their first time to play in the 'so called swimming pool.




i loved watching them! it was lots of fun and i also enjoyed seeing them dance and get to know new friends.



enjoy these pictures as they are a true picture of what many kids around the world do. we are grateful to one of the hotels in the city (where i live) which brought these items and charged a small fee for its use. we are also grateful to God for helping this to happen.



Jonah

Prayer Request

Kids start back to school in January and will need funds for school fees as well as for school books at the higher grade levels. Check the link below for the school books needed by the secondary four class 4 and 5 and pray the needs can be met. To help you calculate the cost of items, one (1) Kenyan Shilling is roughly equal to 60 cents. The exchange rate has fluctuated wildly in the last year and so we expect this rate to fluctuate up and down a few cents over the foreseeable future.

http://www.kenyaliteraturebureau.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=36&curPage=2&sortField=sortorder" target=

Christmas in the Village 2008 - Kericho, Kenya, East Africa

hello,

i hope u had a wonderful Christmas. most people spent their Christmas with family; others in the church, still others visiting new places, etc.

here in Kenya, most people spent their time with family, and the next thing when you spend your time like that, what comes to mind often is the food that is most needed as families converge. it is always a challenge for village folks to afford this and we had to chip in and help a few families deal with this need.

we bought each family sugar, rice, wheat flour, oil , salt, etc. this was a complete Christmas party for a family of ten kids. i was so excited to see them happy and enjoying the fellowship and the food together. in most of these pictures in the slideshow, u will see the packaging [of the food] going on. we had to buy everything in bulk so that the prices could come down. we had a great Christmas and i look forward to 'jumping' into the next year on january 1st, 2009.



let's keep praying for ISRAEL to stop this war on terror. i just wish there was a way they get the hamas militants without injuring the kids and the innocent.

God Bless
Jonah

Boys are now Men

hello,

it was pomp and colour, after the boys who had been separated from their mothers to stay with their fathers for a month came out from seclusion. in seclusion (during Kalenjin initiation and circumcision rites) the boys learned life skills that will steer them during their adult lives.

it was a great joy to see them looking rested, happy, and really, very handsome. we (church leaders) have been praying with them and it is my prayer that what they learn during their seclusion will be enough for to help them move ahead in the teen years.

the boys are now 'Morans' and are expected to guard the community (this was how things were many years ago anyway). we taught them God's Word and were happy to see them ready to accept Christ a few days before they came out of seclusion.

have a great day and enjoy the pics.

Kalenjin Circumcision & Initiation

hello,

the month of December is always like our summer here in Kericho, Kenya, as the rains stop for a few weeks.the month of December has also become a time for a long time now, that my people group,(the Kalenjin) were involved in circumcision of the boys. I'm told that in some other countries,circumcision is done when the baby boys are 8 days old or so. in our communities, we circumcise when the boys are between 10-12 years and they are also given lots [of teaching] of life lessons.



as a church we have used the ritual time of circumcision to "meet the people where they are. in our nearby communities we have over 100 boys and we hope we can reach all of them for Christ before they graduate after 30 days of seclusion in the bush.
u can read more about circumcision in the following. i was reading through some of them myself and these articles give the pros and cons concerning circumcision. just know that true circumcision is that of the HEART.

enjoy reading
http://www.kalenjin.net/newsite/content/view/678/234/
http://www.cirp.org/pages/cultural/glass2/
http://www.kenyarunners.com/pages/167371/index.htm


God bless.
Jonah
Note: For some reason the first link does not appear to be working at the moment. I'm leaving it up as it was working when the post was uploaded and hopefully will become active again. The other links appear to be working fine.

JESUS CALLS THE CHILDREN (& Pastor Jonah Calls the Children's Writers)

hello friends,

it is always a great joy to see young ones coming to the saving knowledge of Christ through Vacation Bible school (VBS). this week alone we were able to reach about 100 boys and gals in the village through VBS.

in VBS we have games, songs, colouring, making puzzles and memorizing scriptures. this year our theme was God's LOVE

we divide the students into three levels:
-beginners - those in kindergarten
-lower - involves those in lower grades
-upper - those in upper grades.

we do this every vacation (when the term end's and the kids are free, like this month of December ). what a joy to see so many of them committing to serving God even in these last days.

on another matter, i will need your prayers and volunteerism (am sorry i can't pay u). i am greatly involved in writing and editing children's books. if u are gifted in writing simple children's stories, let me know (kericho120@yahoo.com). u will not need to travel over to africa (though u are most welcome). the internet is a great help.

Thinking Globally

hello friends,

it such a great joy to think globally.

in the photo slide show u will see me posing with some of the gifts that were given to our church through our bishop. i hope u enjoy the pics.



please note that wherever you live, your country is in this picture. we will surely continue to pray for each country to enjoy the peace that He (God) alone can give. it will be our joy to do so.

God Bless
Jonah

Jiko Jiko Jiko Jiko Jiko

hello friends,

please pray. we are getting nearer to our tenth jiko. though we are halfway now as five jikos are now being used. what a joy this is.

i pray that we might continue to trust in Him the more. thanks a lot for those who have contributed to this and those who will in the near future.

Notes: In the slideshow above you will see the built up area of mud and bricks which is the new stove and counter area for cooking. You will also see a woman I call "Mama Jiko" holding the "jiko" pot. Mama Jiko makes these pots. These are mini ovens and placed over the holes in the built up stove so that food can be cooked more efficiently, with less smoke and with less wood.

Ordination

hello friends,

what a joy it is to qualify for ordination in your church. it is the same for these friends and their families, who after serving faithfully in the church have been able to be ordained. most of them have served more than 20 -30yrs in church leadership and it was a great challenge for them to accept this call to serve even more.

it was also a great day for me to see friends who have mentored me over the years getting to the top and i was really excited. some of them have given me opportunities to serve with them in their churches. what a joy this was.

i was also privileged to introduce myself to new friends that i made that day. it was truly a great day for me.

enjoy the pictures



Jonah

1000 Kenyan Leaders - Part Three

hello friends,

this is the 3rd report of the recent leadership conference held in kericho.

the graduation night was very crowded both with people and with the program. those who attended were issued with certificates of attendance. there were farewell ceremonies for the conference goers as well as our teachers. we sang songs and received the final blessings in terms of the word of God.

our final Word was clear.

"Move with haste......and reach Samaria and Judea and to the ends of the world..."

i believe this is the same message i have for you.

look out, reach out to your friends...pray with them. the Lord is coming soon. have a great day and enjoy the pictures.



Pastor Jonah

1000 Kenyan Leaders - Part Two

hello friends,

i still have more information from my week long stay at the leadership conference. it was a very busy time for me and those that attended the conference. there were many "sideshows" and i intend to give u a few of them today and maybe part of this week to give you a better idea of what was happening here.

Women:
i observed that the women really love to sit in front of the conference hall. they were always the first in the hall too and were the initiators of the whole program in the hall.

Food:
to get food you were expected to queue up to the cafeteria. the food served mainly was 'ugali' (made from corn), beans/meat, chicken, rice etc. i learned this past week, that it is difficult to keep people in the line. everyone wanted to be the first. i had a hard time doing this 'job' of being a prefect.

Waiters:
our waiters are people who are used to the workings in the kitchen and serving large groups. they usually serve up to 600 students in the school, but at the same time they felt that our conference was a big one for them and a little more challenging (our number was 1000) as it contained people of various ages. watch this spot from time to time, to hear more great stories coming along.




Pastor Jonah

1000 Kenyan Leaders

hello

we had a wonderful one week leadership seminar this past week here in kericho. we really learned a lot from the facilitators who came from far and wide. what a joy it was to sit with leaders who have been teaching about leadership around the world.

i really love getting to know the delegates myself. we had over 1000 leaders from Kenya. it brings great joy to my heart as i learn that indeed we are all in the same battle, and some of the struggles i was going thru are the same struggles that my friends are going thru.



thanks for your prayers for this meeting. what a great joy this seminar brought to my heart. adding to my joy in attending this meeting was that i was appointed as one of the leaders to coordinate the meeting. after a week of meetings i am just heading home to have a warm shower (we usually have cold ones), a good rest for the weekend and service on Sunday.

have a great day and God Bless
Jonah

The Joy of Jikos

hello friends,

we are witnessing more jikos coming up.
what a great joy this is. many new people in the village want to own this precious thing after seeing others in the village and how it is helping them.

in my last update on jikos i wrote that we hope to have at least 10 jikos set up in village homes before Christmas. we still need 7 more to make it possible for us to make 10 before the start of this year's Christmas. this would help us to make a difference in a quarter of our households. [here are some photos of the 3rd hut to receive jiko in the village.]



pray that we can achieve this. we do hope to have great smiles from the families in our community for their blessings. and these smiles bring us great joy when we can give joy to them.

otherwise know we are really so excited that we and you...can make a difference in the lives of these dear ones. let's wait for more of these great smiles.

Jonah

Suffer the Little Children

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hello friends,

ministry to the kids is the greatest joy of all.
over the past few weeks i have been going out in the village with my brothers and sisters to reach the little ones for Christ.

what a joy to meet them in their current situations and to see them happy. i realized that at the end of the day, getting the boys and gals to be friendly takes just a short time.

I love it when I can share the love of Christ with these little ones.


Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.


enjoy the pics
and God Bless
Pastor Jonah

Enjoying His LIGHT and LOVE

soon we shall celebrate and and enjoy the "fruits" of this wedding that recently took place here. this is my great expectation as the young couple [in photo above] who married looked very excited. we are so happy that the two young people love God and are ready to serve Him.

many, many years ago, our weddings were traditionally done in the pitch of the night. but when the LIGHT [of God] came calling we had 2 change and now we do this [wedding ceremonies] in the middle of the day.

what a joy it is for the whole community, including the children, to witness this wedding. this is what is happening here as you people in America celebrate your Thanksgiving holiday.

Psalm 118:19 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: His love endures forever."

Because He lives,
Pastor Jonah

Awakened by "Jikos"

my village is getting awakened again and again by the new jiko's that have changed the way the village is viewing itself. everyone is talking about them [jiko stoves], and the people are very excited.

in the pictures, u can see me comparing the old form of stoves

From Awakened by "Jikos"

we have been using with the newer kind that consume very little firewood.

From Awakened by "Jikos"

i have also spent time talking to the women in the village about the need to change and embrace this newer wood efficient jiko.

From Awakened by "Jikos"

we are planning and hoping that before the start of Christmas, we will have at least ten of these jiko stoves spread all over the community. this dream can be achieved with your help. if you wish to support a jiko stove or two, a breakdown of costs is provided below...also, we would be pleased to send you some photos of the stove(s) you are sponsoring if you will send us your email address.

thanks for your prayer and your support.

God bless.
Pastor Jonah

Project Cost for making, delivering and installing one Jiko Stove:
Jiko (pot) Ksh.600
Cement 850
Bricks (20) = 300
Transport= 1000
Labor = 1000
Total: 3750 Kenyan Shillings or $48.00 US (approx. 6 months ago the cost was $61.00 US). Now is the time to give and make the funds stretch to meet Kenyan needs.

Rain of Blessing

this past sunday [november 16,2008] i can say was a blessing in two ways. we had the message preached and, at the same time, the rain ..rained on us ...just after the first service! [rain in kalenjin culture symbolizes blessings]. my speaking was cut short by the rains and everyone had to run here and there to take shelter.



i later checked and found out that our temporary structure is in dire need of repairs. we need to find another 'tent', so that it can cover us. please pray that we can get this; or even a simple polythene just to cover us when the sermon is going on.

but as u can see, we still had a great time, though walking home was slippery after the service. Enjoy the pics and pray with us.

Jonah

A "Jiko" for your Thoughts

hello,

i am just so excited to announce that we have our first pioneer jikos ready and in use...

this is what we are thinking will be the face of Kenya, Africa in the months and years to come.....
Electricity and gas here in Kenya amount to being used by a small number of people, less than ten percent of the population, why..it is expensive and beyond reach of many....

and this economy wood saving jiko...i hope will dot many homes in the villages both in my community and the rest ..as it is affordable...and it's advantage is that it will save our forests and keep the rain coming.

This indeed makes me so excited today as i see this mama enjoying using it ..it makes ma heart warm...hope it makes yours too.

have a great day

jonah

Note

Project Cost for making, delivering and installing one Jiko Stove:
Jiko (pot) Ksh.600
Cement 850
Bricks (20) = 300
Transport= 1000
Labor = 1000
Total: 3750 Kenyan Shillings or $48.00 US (approx. 6 months ago the cost was $61.00 US). Now is the time to give and make the funds stretch to meet Kenyan needs.

President Elect, Barack Obama

hello friends,

we join you folks in the united states in welcoming your next president to the White House. this was indeed a historic election. America has proven again that it is the home of Democracy.

we, here in kenya, Africa have been following this election carefully. we hold a small attachment to OBama himself, whose father came from KOGELO village here in kenya, though he was raised almost in totality in hawaii, by his gracious and most loving grandmother. personally we owe a lot to this woman, who sacrificed a lot for Obama to get to a good school, etc. she is our Hero, though she went to the Lord a day before the elections.

Kenya has been celebrating...and we surely love Obama. we pray that He will rule America, with humility and prosper its people.

Long Live America,
Jonah

Thoughts on U.S. Elections

hello folks,

i know u are going to vote on Tuesday. here in Kenya we are praying that the best candidates win. we are truly learning a lot from you folks in the way you run your campaigns and we do hope that this will be the best election ever for the United States.

here in Kenya, the newspapers have been awash with pictures of McCain and Obama as though they were fighting for their seats here. some of the newspapers here have even gone an extra mile and endorsed their candidate, though we are over 14 hours away by flight and thousands of miles away. the world has really become a global village.


we are hoping that the elections will be peaceful and that the best candidate wins. the world is waiting; waiting with bated breath, to see who between Obama and McCain will be the new occupant of the House. i mean the White House. Vote wisely and know we are praying for you all.

God Bless
Jonah

Kids' Outreach

hello friends,

this past week was my greatest week.
i have been interacting one on one with the kids in the community and trying to teach/reach them about Christ.
most schools could not allow kids to go to school for three days or so as the rest of the kids were sitting for national examinations so when i was visiting in the community and
handing flyers to the kids about Christ, i felt in some way that the kids were learning something.

personally i was converted to Christianity through the same strategy. i feel so touched when i can get to meet kids who are ready to accept Christ at such a young age. please continue to pray for abigael and debra (those in the pics) as they grow in Christ.

because He lives,
Jonah

School Uniforms in Kenya!

[Photo caption: Bro. & Sister shop with 4 orphans]

we want to thank God for providing some uniforms for these kids who so much need these clothes. many of them had been praying and waiting for a time when they can be able to have some new clothes and go to school. i am really happy that with the help of the leaders that we have, these kids were at long last able to have the clothes they so much needed.

there are still alot of needs..here, but as the Lord leads we will be able to get the needs of all these kids met.

just a little background on this ..we had to pick the kids up and travel with them over to a small city where these clothes are sold. the kids were very excited though the weather was a bit cold that day. this picture is of 4 of the kids who went shopping but the list of orphans who received clothing from this donation is longer: caroline c., gladys c., vienna c., victor c., evaline c., kipkoech k., underson k. and ebigael c.

otherwise receive the greetings of this small group, which is a part of the bigger group of orphans that we work with here in Kenya.

have a great day and God Bless

Because He lives
Jonah

Note: Many of these orphans are not related but the letter in their last names represents the time of day they were born. That is how the people are named in Kalenjin country. Like my last name Kipkorir, means I was born in the morning.

Building the Church

[Photo Caption: Temporary Church Shelter]

this past two weeks has been great.
we have been trying to roof the church and we still lack a few iron sheets to complete the building...we need about 70 iron sheets (each cost about $12. US) @ a total cost of $840 U.S. pray that we can get this so that we can complete the church as we have been trying for years to finish it..

we also had a small destruction from wind, on the side of wall of the church, since it had not been covered as we could not afford it at the time. we were informed by the builders to see that we finished roofing as quickly as possible to avoid other damages to the existing structure.

please pray with us for this need to be met.
otherwise have a great day.

Slideshow of Damage to the New Church


Pastor Jonah

School Visits Underway

i have been very busy going to schools and meeting high school students. they just got back to their schools for their last semester. we have 3 semesters here in our schools.

the third; this semester is going to be be filled with lots of work for students. this will determine whether the students will move to the next class or they have to repeat the same class in some cases. this is also the semester where those students who did not take their work seriously decide instantly to be very serious students.

i have started hitherto to visit this schools. i have about 20 schools to visit this semester pray that all goes well. at the same time, we thank our government for allowing us to visit these schools. i have read that in other countries...it is not allowed for for one to visit schools....for religious purposes.

otherwise have a great day
because He Lives,
Pastor Jonah

Travels: Kenya, Uganda

For the last two weeks i have been traveling a lot. i was first in a meeting in nazarine university for university students ...and we had an exciting camp there. u can get more info from this link http://www.anu.ac.ke/africaablaze/

i had also a camp meeting in kericho, kenya for kids and teachers and i was involved a lot with this group here. we were about 100 of us there.

i was also fortunate to travel to kampala, uganda for a conference on evangelism....many leaders from around the world attended......about 400 attended...we were about 20 from kenya and on the picture is a group from kenya and my former classmates from college that we met together in this rare occassion...most of them are working with unreached people groups in Kenya...pliz pray for them...Bill Thomas was one of our teachers...and lucky i found his website...though i was looking for the luis palau ministry that supported our stay there....(i got to know them in these travels).

here is Dr. Bill's website and description of this meeting http://www.bill-thomas.org/sept2008.html

have a great day and God Bless
Jonah

p.s thank God that i was able to go this meetings though ...i was told of this meetings last minute and the cost involve in the travels... when i got the invite, God worked miraculously ....all credit goes to Him

A Friend Ordained

hi

one of my greatest friends and mentor, (Cheruiyot) was ordained yesterday. it was a great day for him as he had served in the church for over 28 years, after graduating in the early eighties from seminary. he had also served in the adhoc ministries before.

Recently he was blessed and gifted with car and this makes his work easier. i was privileged to be among those who joined him in praying and congratulating him...i was so moved by this great gesture by the ordinating council to give him this opportunity to serve. he will be ministering by serving communion, dedicating children, among other roles that goes with this....

enjoy the pics and continue to pray for the immense work ahead of him.



Because He lives

Jonah

p.s. i have been to various conferences with him. the most notable is Amahoro in Uganda 2007.

Pokot People - Eager for the Gospel

hello,

in many instances in the Bible we have been encouraged to learn from each other. throughout the Bible from Genesis through Revelation we find that Protege's (mentors) have been build over time..... and the results of this ....is the Bible that we hold so dear today,and evangelistic messages that reached far and wide.....

we in Africa are so much grateful to the people from the west who came through the hardships of the 19th century to preach and build schools and hospitals.....for us...Through this we were able to learn something..and be who we are today...back in seminary ...we learn through the great works of Luther, John Wesley, Calvin and many others who influence today's theology ..and Evangelism. The most notable, is the one we refer to as the father of modern missions,William Carey, who influenced today's modern India to accept Christianity. This was no mean task, as he had to learn their language and write evangelistic messages that has touched the church of India and the mission world. It is from him that we got the greatest words in modern missions "Attempt Great things for God, Expect Great things From God".

this of course is a challenge to the modern church, ..we tried this a week ago by sending about 20 young people to a remote part of Kenya, called LOSAM in west Pokot (near the border of Uganda. what a challenge it was..to them..since they had never been there. but i guess they learned a lot out of the the 5 day experience living in tents....and cooking their own food......and preaching, and building a church for them.

one of the most exemplary was Thomas...who has been to the same place twice now..and always wanting to go.....He is a new Paul to me.....He loves missions and is truly called of God. Maybe one day he can be a missionary to this unreached people group.

before i end let me ask u to pray for the Pokot's need for churches to be started, need for evangelists, need for doctors, eye specialist (common ailment in this area), engineers to dig boreholes, and schools...., there is also a great need for veterinary experts.....as this is a place of so many camels, goats and cows.....Please pray.....




thanks for reading and God Bless
Jonah

Following the Footsteps

hello,

yesterday (saturday) was a great day for me. My cousin was graduating. he graduated with a Bachelors degree in Theology. actually, he is following my footsteps as i graduated from the same seminary 6 years ago.

i marvel at the mercies of the Lord that helped him graduate since each year about two thousand $ was needed for his education needs. actually he had to stop his studies for a while as he could have graduated last year. i thank God for His grace, enabling me to help where i could in this venture. our parents were not able but with God all things were possible. the last five years has been a marathon for him and for myself as we spent long times in prayer; hoping that he could graduate this year.

his last semester we had to live together so that the cost for boarding could be cut off. but as usual,it was hard. friends who could help were few. But God remained true and Bernard graduated yesterday. the future now is clear. we look forward to the time when he will go to graduate school and get an MTH. but for now he is going to minister to the Muslim folks, as that is the passion in his heart. Pray for him. (Proverbs 16:9 A man's mind plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.)

in the other pictures are folks from home, his mother, and our grandmother, as well. in one picture is the sister of my friend Kennedy. Kennedy and i graduated together 6years ago and he sent his sister to study here too. she is going to Wesley seminary in Mississippi this September, God willing. otherwise enjoy the rest of the pictures.

Living to Serve

this is a story of Mr. Koech. he has been serving for over 40 years in the college i attended...he came here while he was young and now he is old. he is about 70 years of age.

he rides home in his bicycle and has little to show for the toil and hard work that he has had over the last 40 years...but he is happy to have served here.

he told me of a number of missionaries that he worked with. some of their kids are now doctors, pilots, and many other things...he played with them and cuddled them... and now they are far away...

my thoughts are that ....service in its true sense demands a lot of dedication and love for it.........this is what has made Koech to serve here for the last 40 years..... without regret.....and he is still ready to serve even more.....

I love his charisma, his attitude to work ....and his being able to read and write at his advanced age..without the aid of spectacles. he rarely goes to hospital though Koech is nearing about 70 plus years now....and he still rides his bike home.....Praise be to God.

in the other picture u see me admiring a car that was about to be dedicated to its owner. this is mitsubishi 4x4. it looks good for africa where roads are sometimes impassable.

i hope u enjoyed this moving story....otherwise have a great week.

Because He lives......
Jonah

Feed the Hungry

hello everyone,

this month has been a very busy one for me. we have been involved in visiting homes that have been affected by the post election violence. we feel that the people have not really healed from the political situation that happened here.

we pray that the government will come in and help the situation with the people who have been affected by the violence and especially thru a joint venture to address the dire food issue in this country.

we are experiencing a very high inflation rate of 31%; making food very expensive. crop failures also seem imminent in this country and that will likely mean more food price increases. please pray for continued rain so that the food prices of crop foods can be contained.

here are some of the pictures taken of recent corn distribution to needy orphans and caretakers earlier this month. if you can help feed the people, please let me know. otherwise we value your prayers for this ministry and give all praise to God for what He has done and continues to do. May the Lord bless and keep you and your loved ones.


Update: July 16, 2008
Pastor Jonah reports that regular rains have returned to the Kericho area...Praise God as this will help to contain the already escalating food costs in the country. Thank you for your prayers for the nation of Kenya.

Women of Faith

hello everyone,

this week in my calender of prayer i've been thinking about great women. ..who have almost single handedly focussed on God and went to the mission fields far from home to minister to unknown people.

the two i've been thinking about most are divinah and debbie...the two gals are in the pictures posted here. in the first picture is debbie, a nurse and divinah who was a college mate of mine. these women both went out to minister to people in southern sudan near juba. they have been there for close to a year now.

the way they went there was a surprise..since our church did not have any links to the southern sudanese church...though our cultures are almost the same....(pastoralist). please continue to pray for them as they minister to the medical and spiritual needs of these people.....i am told they are working with an organisation there.... but your prayers are really needed for their safety and for the strength, diligence and and charisma to be able to work in the harsh conditions there.

the other picture is the one of the first licensed woman minister here in kenya; a lady in our church denomination. it was an exciting moment when this took place a few weeks ago and of course there was a celebration for her licensing a week ago.

what great strides these ladies are making for the Kingdom of God. we look forward to having more women taking charge of our political and spiritual needs in the future.....even here in Africa.....



enjoy the pics...
God bless,

Jonah

Comment: As I was uploading Pastor Jonah's newest blog entry about these great Kenyan women of faith on the mission field, the Holy Spirit brought to mind the great gospel song of grace and outreach, "Throw out the Life Line". This song was written by Edwin Ufford in the late 1880s. Here is a video of Mahalia Jackson (late great gospel songstress)singing this wonderful hymn. May it bless you richly and encourage you to pray for the safety and support required for those on the mission fields, near and far. Matthew 9:37 King James Version (KJV) Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.
- Sis PJ

The Cat That Did

hello everyone,

this a great (short) story......a story of a mother cat who saved her young ones from a burning house. i promised to blog this story when i blogged about Simba the dog some time ago.

the kittens were about 3 weeks old when they were rescued from a burning house by their mother.....the kittens sustained some injuries in the fire.

in the pic below you can see that one of them has two ears that do not respond normally......i was trying to get good focus on those ears in my camera...
i guess when these ones grow up they will appreciate their mother for saving their lives.....

I am grateful to the one who lives in us,

have a great day!

God bless
Jonah

Back from Rwanda

hello, i hope you are doing great! i have had a busy 10 days traveling and attending a conference. i was able to attend to a conference in kigali, rwanda for about 6 days. the sixth day actually was a visit to the city and the memorial center, where the remains of the genocide has been put aside for historical purposes. the visit to this site is scary, for those who are light hearted. this was my 4th visit to this place and so i was a bit hardened [prepared].

the greatest question that most folks need to ask ourselves is where were we in 1994? that [question] came back and forth in the conference. Brian Mclaren encouraged us to ask ourselves what we can do now in rebuilding the lost glory of neighborliness in our society...since what happens in your backyard, it ripples far and wide and the society needs to come to terms with that.

the conference was awesome. we had so many people from diverse backgrounds, some of them highly educated. sometimes u could feel out of place in front of all the phd's and masters degrees, but we were all serving our creator in one way or another. i face this reality when i presented a case for the post elections violence in kenya and what the church did. it was a frightening moment to answer for the whole country .....but i was glad to get God's inspiration to be able to present the case that was agreed to by the folks from home and there in Rwanda. The painful truth was that the church was divided, and we had little or no training on conflict management. Thank God we could pray.

The hardest part of the journey was travelling as we took the whole 2 days to arrive home. it was so tiring, i had to rest for a day or two so that i could continue with my normal duties again.
thanks alot for your prayers......

Because He lives
Jonah
p.s. enjoy the pics. there was a report about the american indians as well.....it was so nice.

Some needs met

Dear Saints,

A quick word to thank you all for prayers and for recent contributions for food. We praise our heavenly Father for his goodness.

Brother Thomas was able to buy 2800 Kenyan shillings worth of corn to distribute amongst 8 households of orphans. It cost him 300 Kenyan shillings to transport it from Kericho to the village. Pastor Jonah will also be able to put the $50. contribution from brother, Dan in USA to good use....The children and the overseers thank you so much!!!

Brother Thomas also reported that a family of 7 requires the following bedding: two mattresses, several sets of sheets and some warmer blankets. Brother Thomas has no email so if you can help, please let Pastor Jonah know.

We seek your prayers on this and other orphan and Internally Displaced Person needs as well.

Love and blessings. Because He lives!!
Sis PJ

Cooking with Jiko Stoves

Editor's Note: This blog entry was originally posted on April 12, 2008 and is being reposted to ensure the widest readership. If you would like to support this Jiko project or any other project described in this blog site (see sidebar), Pastor Jonah would love to hear from you at kericho120@yahoo.com God bless, sister Penny Joy

hello saints,

for the last few days i have met this woman who makes cooking pots or Jiko as we call it here (jiko is swahili for "stove"). this whole item is used for cooking instead of three stones, that most people use. i was really tempted to have this available in every home and am delighted, soon i will start with our own family. i so much wish and pray that this can spread to all the people in the community and my village. if you feel led to give toward this project, please contact me at the email on the sidebar.

Project Cost for making, delivering and installing one Jiko Stove:
Jiko (pot) Ksh.600
Cement 850
Bricks (20) = 300
Transport= 1000
Labor = 1000
Total: 3750 Kenyan Shillings or $61.00 US
Right now in Kenya the US dollar is worth about 58-60 shillings per dollar.

Most forests in Africa have been depleted ....and now the rain has become scarce, as people rely heavily on firewood from the forest. This is about 95% of the people living here in Kenya....as electricity reaches less than 10% of the population. (even me - am not connected..lol).

here in Kenya, only 1 million people have electricity attached to their homes,out of 34 million people. please pray that this firewood saving jiko can reach many homes and save our forest ....it uses less firewood. the experts talk about ...80% saving...on firewood. the jiko stove not only helps to save our depleting forests but is also more healthy for the women who do the cooking (and the children sitting with them) as they do not have to breathe in all the smoke.

have a great day
because He lives
Jonah

Editor's Note: On a pressing matter, I want to advise the readers that due to the inflation caused by political discord, the food prices for average Kenyans have now now tripled. many of the caretaker families and their caretakers are in desperate situations. We ask you to pray and to do what you can to feed even one child as this is good in the eyes of God. May God touch your hearts and bless you so you may be a blessing.

Reconciliation & Forgiveness

[Photo caption: Dr. Celestine, front, red shirt]

hello,

this past week has been really great...we have been bonding...with our friends from other communities and building peace from within. this was made possible through a meeting that over 16 denominations & and other opinion leaders were invited to...to think together about the future of our country. i was among those who were invited.

after the meeting, we felt like we were renewed afresh and that FORGIVENESS and RECONCILIATION was a must before the next step was made. we were taught that, forgiveness in itself was not understanding nor tolerating, but it was some kind of imaginative thought of letting go...of what happened and hoping for the best in the future thru God's help.

our main facilitator was Dr. Celestine

Musekura, who is the President of Africa leadership and reconciliation Ministries (ALARM). He is a graduate from Dallas Seminary ..but most of all....he is a 'graduate' of 'forgiveness' as he lost his own father to their [tribe's] rival communities....back in 1997,

after the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda. he told us he had forgiven those who killed his father, and that was fresh thoughts for us. at the end of the week, we felt that we needed to greet each other, and start the long way of foregiveness again....indeed it was a touching week.

Dr. Celestine has been tranversing the country teaching about forgiveness. i hope we 'catch' this and grab it [the vision] for ourselves. as we need this ....right now after the post-election violence. i felt really relieved......when i saw him fly out of Kisumu Airport to Nairobi on the way to another country. we need these kind of men ....the Most at now...

have a great day

God Bless

Peace, Jonah

What If?

Hello friends,

This is a quick note to introduce you to a wonderful praise singer from North Carolina, by the name of Kathy Duke. I do not know Ms. Duke personally but came across her amazing CD on CDBaby about a year ago. I was very moved by her song "What if" and wanted to share it with you but it never seemed to be the appropriate time. Recently, as I thought about the post-election violence in Kenya and the hardships suffered by the people in small villages in and around Kericho, this song came to mind and the timing seems to be right to share it with you now. As you listen to the words of this anointed song, I pray you would be moved to ask yourself "What If?", in relation to the orphan children of Kericho Village.

About 8 of the households with orphans, are headed by the orphans without any adult caretaker to help them. The other 30+ households are headed by women and couples. Since December 2007, these families have all been hit very hard by the soaring food costs in Kenya and inflation in general. The overseers of the missions have also been hard pressed to provide counselling and support for daily needs though they have a great amount of faith and pray that God's people will understand the need and be moved by the spirit of God to do his will....that of caring for the widows and the orphans.

It is heartbreaking to know about the suffering in Kenya when you know that the children are wondering who will help them and if God really cares for them? My heart is also heavy for the overseers and the enormous burden they face as they assist the orphans and their families with limited resources. God promises us that the "righteous will never be forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread". In North America, where we have opportunity to work and earn our daily bread, this verse is easier to comprehend than it is to starving people across the world,when their hands, though willing, seldom find adequate work to pay for their daily bread.

Think of the impact that your gift can make for the Kingdom of God and what your practical assistance will mean to an orphan, a widow, a poor family and the overseers. All of them need to know that God's people around the world love them. Your gift can communicate the love, grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father to the children and their families and pastors. You really can make a difference in the life of one person, one child, one family, one household. May God bless and guide you as you pray and as you listen to "What If". May the wonderful voice of Kathy Duke, fill you will the love and mercy of God.

Because He lives,
Sis PJ

Good news in Kenya

Finally there is good news from Kenya. The politicians have a greed to work together ...we are so excited, everyone is talking about it.....and the economy is expected to pick up again, although we hear there is some kind of recession in the world economy. Nonetheless we are a happy people. atleast everyone is thinking the same way....and that is the country we want to build.

We also give our thanks to you for your prayers ..and not forgetting the former united nations secretary Dr. Koffi Annan, Former president of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa and Nelson Mandela's wife Graca Machel. They all spent their time seeking peace that was almost going to be elusive for us here in Kenya.

U can get more information from this link from cnn.comhttp://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/17/kenya.cabinet/index.html

God Bless
Jonah

Healthier, Happier, You!!!!: ***Love and Pastor Jonah***

Pastor Jonah was recently interviewed by the author of the houseonahillorg.blogspot. Please check out the interview at this link.

Healthier, Happier, You!!!!: ***Love and Pastor Jonah***

Thank you to Dwana for creating time and space to help raise awareness of Pastor Jonah's Missions of Hope to orphan children in rural Kenya.

God bless.
Sis PJ

Here are the words to a lovely song I've seen on a number of Christian websites. I am not sure that the writer and songstress is actually a Christian but the song itself is thought provoking on a number of levels. If you're interested you can also follow this link to the posting by Pamela dated August 29, 2007. She gives a good critique of the song. Enjoy
http://blog.achristianhome.org/category/essays/

A Life Profound,
(a song by Mica Lee Williams)

There is a reason for believing in the seasons
To know that spring will always come around
It's to begin again though there seems no means to this end
Before one lays a body down
But things that die and wither soon will find new roots and tether
To gather strength beneath the ground

I think that
Far too many soon forget the sound of their own laughter
Far too quickly we move swiftly towards the ever after
But I will stake my claim and I will find the rapture
Of a life profound

I cannot manage to estimate the damage
Of holding deep regret that seeks to pull us down
I see my life as a vessel traveling swift and light
I seek my wrongs to right where I run aground
And the wind that fills these sails speaks metaphors and fairytales That never fail to set me safely down

I think that
Far too often we forget exactly what we're after
And far too soon we skip the book to read the final chapter
But I will savor in each moment I can capture
Of a life profound

When fortune wheels spin around it's good to stay in the middle of it
Cuz yes luck she is a tricky one, but there is joy in the riddle of it
And all that can be lost in another way can be won
And there in lies the meaning

Far too often we forget exactly what we're after
And far too soon we skip the book to read the final chapter
But I will savor in each moment I can capture
Of a life profound

Billy Graham Rapid Response Seminar in Kericho

[Photo caption: Pastor Jonah with other seminar attendees]

dear blog readers and supporters,

i hope you all had a blessed Easter season. as for us in kericho, kenya, we are happy that peace is here after a few months of instability.

over the weekend i attended a seminar here in kericho, which was planned by the Billy Graham Rapid Response Initiative. it was very educational especially for those of us who have no seminary training in rapid responses needed when there is a problem such as the magnitude witnessed in our country.

we learned some very important tenets for helping those displaced and trying to counsel them to accept the situations they are in at the moment..without promising a completely better future......we were taught to let those displaced to be calm and then start life from there again...it was a great one day seminar.

have fun

because He lives

Jonah

Sigilai's Story

hello,

i hope u had a great day. today we had a visit to a home, headed by their old father named Sigilai. he is about 80 plus years old. in the early 40's he was working for the British settlers here and was given a big land as a reward for fighting in their army as well as being a good servant to them.

[Photo caption: Sigilai is the one with the "hanging ears"]

prior to the election last year. he was in his farm in Nyahururu. the farm is about 60 acres large. he had over 200 cows and over 300 sheep and goats. he also combined harvesters, tractors, house and many children from his 2 wives. he narrated to us, that he was rich and had never thought of getting help from anyone before. he considered himself that the Lord had given him favor, as he had no problem with food, and he had children as this is seen part of the blessing here. he told us he had gone to the Red Cross ..but his name could not be called several times for him to get what they need there...and so he left for his son's house here in Kericho.

his story was touching. sometimes we would laugh. but at last he said that "All things belong to God who gave us His blessings to use His hands for His work". though he felt sad, we feel that he still needs some counselling and prayers and felt encouraged too that he is coming closer to admitting that he needs God.

we continue to visit the home of many people like Sigilai every now and then to encourage them to depend on God and leave vengeance to Him. I hope u are encouraged by this.

have a great week
Jonah

Simba The Dog

Hello,

i hope u re doing great in the Lord. i have been involved with a lot of work resulting from the post election violence and the displaced people ...over this past few weeks. our focus right now is encouraging people to go back to their homes and start life again.

as i travel, i take a keen interest, not only in the displaced people but the animals as well. the cows, goats and other animals have largely been taken care of because they provide food for the families, but the dogs and cats are not considered as important at this time.

i met a dog by the name of simba (means 'lion' in swahili). he had a big and deep cut on the face. it was the saddest experience i have ever seen and i felt really bad when i got to see this. simba i suppose was trying to protect the family but ended up almost losing his own life. this to me is an experience that most people have not witnessed in the most faithful animals on earth - dogs and cats. (i will post a story soon about one of the cats i've come across, named Caring, and how she saved some young children from a burning house).

as of now simba is getting better with the help of herbs that are being administered by its caretaker. the horrific experience of animals is another bad result of the post-election chaos we had in kenya. but peace is slowly coming back. continue praying for us.

have a great day
and God bless.

Jonah

Counting the Cost

TENT CAMP FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED KENYANS

hello everyone,

this first picture is of william standing in the place where his house once stood. it was burned with all his possessions. it is very hard for him to understand what happened. keep praying for him as i have been trying to convince him to accept what happened and take it easy. he does not know the Lord now and i am trying to reach him with love thru' this disaster.

i thank u all for all the contributions u made towards this achievement and work. please know you are always in our hearts here in kericho.

this picture is of me standing in front of a another destroyed house.

it has amazed me how much people can do to each other and i hope the world learns soon, to 'love thy neighbor as themselves'. help Kenya heal by praying...as that is the only way ...Jonah