The Maasai & the Famine

Hello,

These are few pictures of the Maasai people that I got from a friend.

From Maasai Fight Famine

From Maasai Fight Famine

The Maasai have found ways to stay above the famine by using blood as one of their foods.

From Maasai Fight Famine

I guess this is the best way for them to run away from the food crisis hitting the country of Kenya. But I guess with all the problems with pests, raw blood might not be so good to eat.

Second Day of Relief in the Village

Hello,

My second day of giving relief was very touching this morning. A woman named Ruth had her prayer requests for that day answered. I was really amazed when I heard that. In His Word (Bible) we hear every time that He has good plans for us and I understood that specially today.

I hope you can zoom in on the woman in the picture.

From Relief Continues in the Village

She is sick, broke and has debt. But she was glad to see me going to her home and giving her what she was praying for that very hour, WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE FOR THAT DAY.

She has grown up children (teenagers). One is even joining high school this year but I foresee hardship in raising funds for studies as well as food for the family. This is a hard life for her. But with God she can look forth and say `` I praised God when I saw you coming, as I knew God sent you``.

Please pray for Ruth:

- to be healed. she has a swelling in her leg.
- thirst to know more about God.
- the need for her to look unto God for her basic and other needs.
- support for her to visit a doctor.
- the continued provision of food. (we can help farm a few crops as well in her small garden).

I want to end this email but I don't have words to express my thanks to you for your financial and prayer support. Pray for us as we zero in to see those who really need the relief food as for sure we can't feed everyone in the village. But i know we can help those who are sick, old, disabled, widows and those really needy cases.

That is why we deliver the relief food right to their doorsteps, measured correctly according to the families they have.




Thanks again and God Bless
Jonah

Asante (Swahili for Thank You)

hello,

From Relief

it is with great excitement that we write this email.
thank you so much for the gift of food, (unga (flour) wheat flour, sugar, and oil.

From Relief

we want to send our thanks to all of you who participated in this. you became a blessing to us this afternoon. May God really bless you.

From Relief

we are students at Kenya Highlands Bible College. we live outside the school due to tuition problems as we come from not so strong families financially. but we thank God we can study here. otherwise God Bless. this is truly a blessing

***those are the words of the students that i was asked to deliver to u for the gift of food which you made possible. these students usually go without lunch and this is the exam week. what a joy this is to provide a weeks supply of food for them. look at the prayers

From Relief

and the excitement at the same time.

From Relief

food relief continues tomorrow, more into the village. we are going to buy 3 90 Kg. bags of corn. i will write more.

God Bless
Jonah

Click the link to see all the photos http://picasaweb.google.ca/kerichojoy120/Relief?feat=directlink

Reflections

Hello,

I hope u are doing great.

I just wanted to tell you that we had the burial of my grandmother a week ago and it is now a time of reflection on the times that we had together. I have now accepted that she died.

From Pastor Jonah's Grandma's Funeral

The week of the burial my mind was still hovering here and there. But I'm glad that now I have accepted that she has died and I hope to meet her in heaven someday.

I am writing this to thank you for your prayers. Without them I could not do much as u know I was vested with lots of work during this time of mourning. We had to look for microphones, battery to power it, tables, etc. it was time consuming but we are glad God came and helped us. So many people came and joined us too; villagers and many friends from far and near.

From Pastor Jonah's Grandma's Funeral

Please continue to pray for us as we come to terms to the reality of her death as we really loved her for the 120 or so years she lived here.

From Pastor Jonah's Grandma's Funeral

Because He lives
Jonah

Praising God for Education Needs Met - Repost

February 22, 2009

Students are still in need of school fees and other school necessities. We need to hear from you if you are able to assist these students to get another year of education.

Original posted February 8, 2009

This is an update on the post "Getting Back to School", dated January 9, 2009. Please continue to pray that these scholarships would be received soon and that the additional need for supplies, bedding, etc. would be met.

For Beatrice - Already admitted to Secondary Girls School. School fees to be paid by scholarship.

Spent on her expenses kshs 2900 as follows:
- school uniform:- skirts kshs 1000
- sweater,socks and blouse kshs 1050
- utensils and pens kshs.220
- fare and lunch kshs. 400
- other kshs. 230
Other expenses met by friend, relative and well wishers.

For Moureen - Has joined Secondary school and been recommended for scholarship.

Used 300 Kenyan shillings on her expenses.
Other outstanding needs are a mattress,blanket, bed sheets and miscellaneous for total cost kshs3800. she will be a day scholar until we get funds to meet these expenses. Other expenses met by relatives and well wishers.

The other child Chelangat has changed schools and we are waiting for a vacancy.

This child is a total orphan and has no adult to assist so the expenses are high. this may cost kshs 8500. Pray much pray for this child.

Note: The two scholarship orphans are attending school free after making arrangements with the head teachers until we get funds. We rely on scholarships from NGOS and hope this (funding approval) will soon go through.

God bless you.

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&