Mission to Uganda Continues

Hello,

I just wanted to update you on our second last day here in Kampala, Uganda. We had church services in the morning and later we travelled with our host Pastor to the botanical gardens for some relaxation and swimming.

We had lots of fun as the over 300 students got to mix and mingle and learn from one another.

Our journey and mission here ends today as we head home by bus and expect to arrive around 3:00 a.m. after a long journey on a bumpy road.

We covet your prayers for a safe journey home and appreciate your prayers for the missions trip thus far.

I pray you all had a blessed Resurrection Sunday.




God bless you!
Pastor Jonah

Cross - Cultural Mission to Uganda

Hello,

The youth group from Kericho began its cross-cultural outreach to Kampala Univeristy on April 9, 2009. Our travel to the Kenyan - Ugandan border took 10 hours and we took many photos along the way.

We have been very busy with various outreaches to the students in large group session. Today was our third day in Uganda and it has been very fruitful. We visited dorms and houses of the Kampala University students. Then we went to a high school not far from where we are staying.

We want to praise God for his goodness by allowing us to visit and evangelize there. The students of Newcastle High School were receptive to our sharing the gospel and we praise God for that!

Enjoy the slide show of our travels, our prayer preparation, break times and evangelism. God bless!



Jonah

Fun with our Leaders

Hello,

I had a great fun day today. Some of our leaders were here. See them in the picture below in traditional dress.

From Fun with Our Leaders

We had lots of fun seeing them in this kind of attire that we wore about 50 years ago. Sometimes I am surprised how quickly we have changed and learned new things. I guess God is our sight, as our tribe was quickly able to pick up and accept what the missionaries were teaching us.

I will be heading to Uganda tomorrow to lead some of the youth to visit various sites and to evangelize. I was not planning on this trip but the person who was to accompany the youth has not been to Uganda before. He is paying part of my fare. Look for more pictures in the coming days.

Here is a photo slideshow of a cultural event, held in late March and featuring Masai dancers & other Kenyan dancers.



God bless and have a great day!
Jonah

Planting & Teaching In Kericho

Hello,

We are working very hard to see that the farmers get what they need at this time. Right now we are seeing lots of needs inside and outside of the community but we are glad the rains are here.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is about to start and we distributed seeds and fertilizer to help a few people farm their farms. We are really thinking we need to expand this farming project as we did not expect to see so many who had not farmed this planting season.

I will add more pictures later this week. Otherwise have a great day and God bless.

Jonah

Lots of Rain!!

From Lots of Rain

Hello,

It is raining lots here! We are so excited as we know that the crops will grow and become strong in the coming months.

We are blessed with Rains - From Lots of Rain

Our worry though is that some farmers were not able to buy enough seeds and fertilizer for this season. Please pray that all will be well and done. I am praising God for what the Lord has blessed us with this week.

Fertilzer & Seed - From Planting 2009

Otherwise have a great time and continue to pray with us.

Tea Fields on Horison - From Lots of Rain

God Bless
Jonah

Touring Kericho

Hello,

I had a great visit on Friday with a team from Kabarak University (www.kabarak.ac.ke). They were here on a fact finding mission of different companies in Kericho, Kenya.

From Touring Kericho

From Touring Kericho

It was lots of fun showing them things, touring and learning together. One of the places we visited was James Finlay Tea (www.finlays.net) There were tea and flowers at the same company.

From Touring Kericho

From Touring Kericho

We also visited a tea packaging company (www.ketepa.com) Later, we had tea at the Kericho Tea Hotel. It was the best tea ever, for all of us!

From Touring Kericho

I invite you to visit Kericho someday. I know you will love it! Please enjoy the rest of the photos.





Jonah


P.S. I was happy when my friend invited me to be their photographer so that I could enjoy the tours too.

A Week in Ministry

Hello,

I wanted to share my week, last week, in pictures with you. These are in addition to what was posted in the blog post Visiting Day. Early in the week, we distributed some seeds and fertilizers to people who could not plant this year because of one reason or the other. Some of the families are looking after orphans and some are not, but the needs are more than the people can bear so we had to do something to help them.

Little boy holds tight to the donated seeds. From Last Week

Mama & family accept seeds for planting. From Last Week

I also shared an especially exciting day with a church I started way back in 1997. Initially, it started as a Sunday School and I am so glad to see that it has grown to become a big church! What a blessing.

Wearing some of the medals. From Last Week

Lastly, we celebrated the wins of medals by our college athletes by having Holy Communion. Imagine. These students won in every sport in which they participated, volleyball, athletics, archery. You name the sport; they won a medal! The only games in which they did not win, were longs tennis and scrabble. These were games in which they didn't compete.

Holy Communion From Last Week

In short, that was my week. Praise God with us for the glorious week!

Jonah

***If you can help with seed planting & harvest; buying food for the widows or the school needs, please email us at (contact information in side bar at right).

Visiting Day

Hello,

One of our girls that we supported to go to high school is doing very well. The school had a visiting day early this week and I was able to get to talk one on one with her.

From Visiting Day

She is so excited to be in school and she gives all the credit to God. I was so much touched to see her longing to meet anyone to visit her, but she had none. What a joy it was when she saw me coming. She was very excited and she shared with me some of the challenges she had after joining the high school where she boards.

Of course she needs many things. But the most pressing right now, is a change of clothes, other toiletries and even text books. I was told she is doing very well and she was among the top students in her class. Please continue to pray for and her needs. I would like to visit her again this week and be able to take to her some of the pressing needs. I hope I can get them.

From Visiting Day

In the pictures you can see the total number of students at the school. In one of the pictures you see a child with her mother who visited her. But Chepkemoi had none. She was glad to join with the rest in the enjoying the spirit of the day by taking pictures. You can see Chepkemoi (in photo below) near a visitor's helicopter. The helicopter belongs to a senior leader in the government. What a joy this was.

From Visiting Day

Thanks again and praise God for this JEWEL OF HOPE!
Pastor Jonah

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Our Sufficiency is in Him: Planting 2009

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

Hello,

Farming is going on right now, all the farms have been made ready for another planting season.

The rains are starting again and we are praying that we get enough as we have had a dry season. This weather for us is sometimes what we call winter & it is extremely cold right now.

Preparing the land - From Planting 2009

We are trying as much as we can to reach more people to help them in in farming by buying seeds and fertilizer so they can plant crops and harvest them for food. We still have to the middle of April to reach more farmers with the seeds and fertilizers they need.

Preparing the land - From Planting 2009

We are trying to do this because we cannot distribute food again to them next year. We want them to have enough for their families and even some left over to sell so that they can pay for their basic needs like other foods (sugar, flour, greens, oil), school tuition, candles, etc. With the famine in the land we really need outside help from mighty men and women of faith. If you can help at all please let me know. I would be so blessed to hear from you.

Seed & Fertilizer for distribution - From Planting 2009

Otherwise we are grateful to God for the rain. The famine here has been covering the whole country and so we are blessed by God with rain so that Kericho could continue to plant and harvest if we have seeds and fertilizer. No matter how much land we may have, we can do nothing unless God provides the seeds and the fertilizer, the fertile grounds, the rains to water the soil, the sun to nourish and grow the seeds and the labour to bring in the harvest when it is ready. We are relying on God for all our blessings.

God Bless
Pastor Jonah

Relief Work in the Village

Hello,

These are some pictures of the relief work that has been going on here in the village. We are trying as much as we can to provide a balanced diet to families as they cope with so many needs.

From Relief in the Village - Part 3

From Relief in the Village - Part 3

There are indeed lots of needs here and we do hope that we can meet them, one at a time as we transverse the community and find those with the greatest needs.

From Relief in the Village - Part 3

From Relief in the Village - Part 3

In the pictures you can see the students that we helped last week. They are coming from the river as they learn to live outside the school community. One thing I have learned is that they are doing very well in school.

From Relief in the Village - Part 3

Praise God for that!

Otherwise have a great day!
God Bless you all and thanks again for your support.

Pastor Jonah