Reflection & Planning

This week has been quite busy for me and my colleagues. We were all able to attend a small bonding and goal oriented meeting. We were to sit together and evaluate what we did together in the past year and what we are to do in this year 2009.

Every year we re-evaluate and recheck our goals and programs to see that we can achieve them. Some of the goals that we had last year were not achieved mostly because the plans that we had were ran over by the (high) inflation rates that we had in my country.

One thing that I learned is that everyone is a leader in whatever point of life or place we are in. That is the greatest of lessons that I learned throughout this period.
We did also learn some fire drills and it was fun though a bit scary too.

But I guess this was helpful as we have experienced a lot of fire disasters lately.

It is my prayer that most of the goals that we have set for this year can be achieved with God's help. Please continue praying for us.

Jonah

Comfort for those Who Mourn

just wanted to update u that i lost my grandmother. she has been sick for a while now due to old age and lack of blood in her system. she is over 100 years old and some estimate her to be born around 1895 or thereabouts, as her first born was born in 1918.


From Pastor Jonah's Grandma's Funeral

she was okay for a while after receiving medicine, then surprisingly she became very sick on her visit to her daughter in Kipkelion about 70 miles from kericho. she died (saturday, february 7, 2009) and transport and funeral arrangements are on the way.

******************************************

the death of my grandma was very touching for the many in my community. it was sad for us. at the same time, we had a celebration for the life that was well lived, as it touched so many in my village. we received people arriving since Sunday when this event (her passing) took place...up to today (Thursday). some bringing firewood, others water and others cooking in the kitchen. it was a very good gathering of the community, meeting and helping each other.

i also want to thank God for my church who came to help out in my home. what a pleasure, and a blessing this was. i don't have much to say about this. i think pictures will do it for me.
(note: you can click on the slideshow to see the photo captions. you can also set how fast the pics change by using the - or + signs when u open the slideshow.



God Bless
and thank you for the prayers.
Jonah

Isaiah 61:1-3 (KJV)

¹The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

²To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

³To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Farming

Hello,

The farm fields have been ploughed ready for this year's planting season. We are really so grateful for people who have been touched to help us in this project.

From Farming

We are looking forward to harvesting over 20 bags of corn and we are sure that this will help us with food needs for part of this year and next year. Corn/maize takes about 8 months to ripen and that is when it is taken into a store (a store is a building that is made up of wood and easy for easy circulation of air- it is not a mall) for safe keeping and to completely dry.

From Farming

Here is a picture with our corn store from last year's harvest.

From Farming

Kenya is now facing a food crisis and we do hope that this will be solved soon so that people can get back to planting. my part of the country where i come from is usually referred to as the food basket of our country and it is imperative that we do plant so that we can feed the country.

Otherwise enjoy the pictures. we would soon be planting corn and beans.
Watch this space for more pictures.
God Bless
Jonah

Kenya petrol tanker explosion kills 100

hello,
as i write to u now ....we are hearing helicopters hovering around us .... i was here in nakuru visiting a friend who is going abroad today and .....we meet this incident that we heard a little bit last night and it is so hot on the news now..
over 111 are dead and i have had a chance to visit Nakuru referral hospital here...where i saw so many injured....
am going to be heading home in a moment but wanted to request for your prayers....as this is a disaster that has affected the whole country and mostly the people group that i come from....i met some of the people that come from kericho my hometown and i had to comfort them in the hospital.
Most of the bodies are burned beyond recognition and i don't know what the culture will say here as we don't cremate people ... (though this is a practice found worldwide)
have prayerful day
Jonah
p.s
here is a link for cnn, bbc and others local kenyan channels
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/01/kenya.explosion/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7863294.stm

local news
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/522578/-/u1tufi/-/index.html
standard
http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144005519&cid=4&

Kenya Updates

hello friends,

i hope your day is getting better for u..
just wanted to update u on news making headlines here in kenya....
students were able to start going to school today after the teachers called off a two week strike that paralysed education in primary (grade) school and some part of high school. (we praised God for this agreement)

at the same time hunger continues to bite many Kenyans....we are told over ten million people completely lack food which is very sad for us....Pray that farmers are able to plant this year. we thank God for the rain that has come to several parts of Kenya...the challenge now is just getting the money to buy seeds and fertilizer for most families.

Yesterday a Big mall in in the central Business district of Nairobi got fire and almost 46 people are dead....the name of the chain is Nakumatt Downtown. Rescue efforts are ongoing now . Please check the links below for more info.

That is the news from here,
have a great evening
God Bless

p.s
links to the above stories are here
Fire in the store ..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7859899.stm
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/521746/-/u1t7lj/-/index.html
http://www.eastandard.net/news/InsidePage.php?id=1144005357&cid=159&
Hunger
http://www.eastandard.net/hunger/InsidePage.php?id=1144005324&cid=562&

Obama Inauguration - We're Praying for You

Hello Friends,

I just want to take a minute of your time to thank you and wish the new president-elect the best of luck in leading your great country.

This election and finally the inauguration has attracted the world's attention and we surely wish u all well. Just a few minutes ago, i got a glimpse of CNN, and was amazed at how many people are bracing the cold to see Obama's inauguration (i guess it was so early there).
This is a new thing and we do hope that your country will prosper again and meet the challenges that are right ahead . Just know that we are praying for you and wishing u all God's Blessings.

We applaud your democracy as we in Kenya failed miserably in this test last year....

God Bless again
Jonah
p.s
Kenyan's are celebrating too. What joy this is!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_re_as/obama_world_celebrations

Urgent Prayer Requests

this is just a short to let u know that Kenya is experiencing the worst famine disaster in years. food and maize (corn) in particular has not been harvested in so many places due to drought and the violence that came early last year.

staple food prices have increased over 100% in the last 6 months alone, and most incomes have remain the same or even reduced due to economic recession. the government was not able to give economic bailout as expected during this time due to its weak economy.

my city and other towns have become very dusty as it had not rained for so long.
please pray for the following:

please pray for the following
- For the rain to come
- Food to be available
- The prices of food to come down
- The economic recession globally to boom again.
- For the grace to go thru' this very hard period as there so many people waiting on someone to help.

i have to end here. Please pray. Pray.
God Bless
Jonah
p.s
i have attached daily local news articles with this info
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/515792/-/u1ag48/-/index.html
http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144004275&cid=

Sh37bn plea to save victims of famine

By MUCHEMI WACHIRAPosted Friday, January 16 2009 at 17:36

In Summary

• Post-election chaos, drought and global economy blamed for national food crisis

The massive task facing the Government as it tries to save 10 million Kenyans from starvation was laid bare on Friday when President Kibaki declared the food shortage a national emergency.

Related Stories

• Kenya seeks Sh32bn food aid
• Famine-hit area receives aid
• Leaders in strategy to end famine
• 700 bags of bad maize destroyed

standard newspaper

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144004275&cid=4

Kibaki declares famine a disaster

Updated 3 hr(s) 41 min(s) ago

By Isaac Ongiri

President Kibaki has declared the current food shortage a national disaster and sent a passionate appeal for international help.

And the US, China, Japan and 27 EU countries through the France Ambassador Elisabeth Barbier promised to respond to the distress call. However, they told Kibaki reports of irregularities in the maize sector must be handled.

The President said the country urgently needed Sh37 billion to boost food security before the next harvest in September.

More than 10 million people need relief food.

High School Kids in Kericho

I wrote about the school needs for 5 dear orphans in Kericho, Kenya. The orphans range in ages from 13-16 years though it is difficult to know some of their precise ages due to lack of documentation.

The amounts below are the amounts needed if the students are to enroll in school this month.

- $1851.95 (US)
- 2165.40 (Cdn)
- 1172.90 (British Pounds)
- $1348.85 (Euros)
- $2580.96 (Aussie)

See the full post concerning the school needs here http://jonahsmissions.blogspot.com/2009/01/getting-back-to-school.html

We are seeking God's provision for these dear ones. If the funds are not received soon, these children will not go to school this term which starts February 2-6, 2009.

Please pray for these dear ones. Here are their photos:

Mercy

Evaline

Beatrice

Olivia

Victor

The Railway in Kenya

travelling by rail in Kenya is great.

though this rail was built more than a century ago by the British explorers. i am told it was completed in the early 1900.



the government has been thinking of changing the face of this rail for a while now. it seems a lot is needed to be done to make this one look like the great railways linking London and Paris and those railways in the cities of Moscow and Singapore. i loved traveling 'under' the roads, buildings, etc. while i was there. it was cool.

the ones in Kenya are a favorite for tourists who love to travel on them as they remember the exploration times of the first explorers. i took these pics in Kisumu where i had taken Siele to get some government documents. it was his first time to be there. here is a slide show of the railway in Kisumu and Siele.



i've also included information here about the rift valley railways.

have a great day and God Bless

http://www.riftvalleyrailways.com/

"The change is happening! The latest trend of moving around Kenya and Uganda in comfort is finally here! If you live, or maybe visiting Kenya and Uganda, you can now truly travel around in style. On this site, you will find useful information aimed at making it easier and more comfortable for you to travel around these two East Africa countries. The railway system has been revamped and made an affordable, convenient and comfortable way of traveling in Kenya and Uganda. Since 1899, the railway held that promise. Now it's a reality! Click here to read the fascinating history of the "Lunatic Express". Through www.riftvalleyrailways.com, you will be able to access train schedules for Kenya and Uganda, fares for both passenger and freight, updates on train movements, and much more. If you are a business person, take advantage of the cost savings and peace of mind available to you by using the new railway system to transport your goods through out Kenya and Uganda. If you simply want to travel around in style and comfort, whether on holiday or business, use the railway system and get your money worth. Traveling around Kenya and Uganda will never be the same thanks to the newly re-furbished railway system. ‘'My family and I no longer have to endure the hassle of driving to Mombasa for our holidays! We simply book our tickets, get on the train, have a meal on board, relax and arrive in Mombasa fresh and ready to start our holiday. Excellent value for money!''. Mr. John K., Nairobi

Getting Back to School

hello,

with high schools opening soon there is great need for books, textbooks, bags, pens, shoes, shirts, sweaters, rain coats, soap, lotion. etc. these are the top needs as the students begin the new school year in february 2009.

this year five of our orphans qualified for higher level grades and were called to various high schools to go and study.

the form one students are to report to school in February and i hope by then we can be able to send these kids to high school. getting an education will help them so that their lives will be like ours where they are able to go to high school, then college and later find work. so far, in january we have managed to cover the basic school cost of several primary children and now we need to concentrate on these 5 older students who start school soon.

i've listed the cost for all items* for each of the 5 orphans who have moved on to higher grades below. you will see the cost in several currencies, for one student and then for all 5 students.

One Student
- 28,150.00 (Kenyan Shillings)
- $370.39 (US)
- $433.08 (Cdn)
- £234.58 (British Pounds)
- $269.77 (Euros)
- $516.19 (Aussie)
- $538.88 (Singapore)
- $2827.92 (Hong Kong)
- 32,892.40 (Japanese Yen)

Five Students
- 140,750.00 (Kenyan Shillings)
- $1851.95 (US)
- 2165.40 (Cdn)
- 1172.90 (British Pounds)
- $1348.85 (Euros)
- $2580.96 (Aussie)
- $2694.44 (Singapore)
-$14,139.56 (Hong Kong)
- 164,462 (Japanese Yen)

Fee Payment Schedule

The school year is for a total of 9 months with 3 terms (3 months each) per year. Half of a full year's payment is needed up front. The remaining half can be paid in 2 parts if needed.

Minimum due January 2009

1 student- 14,075. 00 (Kenyan shillings)
5 students 70,375.00 (Kenyan shillings)

a payment would then be needed again about 3 months later (march/april 2009). we have opened an account to try and set aside money for these students to help us plan ahead. we really need your help and we gratefully accept what u can do to help these kids.

we can receive funds through money gram or western union (see the information in the right side column). if u want to send funds through international bank to bank transfer, let us know and we can tell you how to do that. i also have a mailing address but that method is very slow and is insecure as cheques can be lost in the mail.

the photos below show the school kids lined up to return to boarding school.



i want to let you know that everything here in kenya has gotten harder since last year. the costs of everything has gone up and education fees have also gone up very recently making it even harder to get an education.

the December 16,2008 issue of The Standard, Online Edition described in graphic terms what happens to children who do not get an education or who have to walk far to go to school.

"The children are often sucked into the informal employment sector where they are exploited by their employers, and exposed to physical and sexual abuse.

Ms Phelomena Elizear, the secretary for Embakasi Constituency Right to Education advocacy group, says distance to learning institutions present a big challenge to the girls. "Parents are reluctant to send their children to school because they are at risk of being waylaid and raped," she says. The problem is compounded by insecurity and poor infrastructure."

click the news link for an article in the Daily Nation news for more information on school costs http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/512242/-/u18940/-/index.html
we want to do what we can to help these kids that God has entrusted to our care..and will send them to boarding school as God enables us through your help. please pray with us and, if you can, send us your support today. May God richly bless you.

Because He lives
Jonah

* books, textbooks, bags, pens, shoes, shirts, sweaters, rain coats, soap, lotion. etc