Building a Peaceful Future

Hi,

We continue to have a great time at the conference and are enjoying every bit of it! We have about 200 students gathered here from various schools and places. The students come from as far away as Sudan and we are enjoying the time together with them.

Yesterday was very touching as we had World Gospel Missions representative and spouse in Kenya with us in the evening. The students were challenged to wait on God in all that they do. This missionary couple, we call them Laboso and Chebaibai, have been married now for 33 years and are very excited to serve in Kenya.

Please continue to pray for us. Especially so that the lessons that the students learn will stick with them for a long, long time.


Have a great day!

God bless.

Peace Building

Hi,

There is a gathering of students here at the Bible College this week to learn about peace building,and HIV and AIDS.

Many of you will know that we had a lot violence last year in Kenya. We are hoping that the counselling and teaching we are doing will help to prevent a recurrence of violence in future. Our anti violence activities are focussed on the youth who are the main actors/perpetrators of violence.

We are working together with our partners ALARM alarm-inc.org, and Walter Reed http://www.usamrukenya.org/hiv.htm

We want to remain in God's presence and have our children and youth be in God's presence. That is where we are all strong and united in the bonds of peace and love.

Pray for us as we proceed this week.

Many Blessings,

A Message of Hope

Hi,

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is here again. We have been busy working to prepare the materials for over two months now. Praise God they are ready for distribution!

Here is the desk where I've been working at the computer writing these books.

Here I am holding the finished product.

Hard at working packing the booklets for distribution.

We are going to have over 500 teaching centers and over 10,000 kids will be learning about Christ through these booklets. We also hope to reach some rehabilitation boys in VBS in a few weeks with these teachings and the message of hope.

Please pray for us as we continue to distribute these books. It is a difficult work and we do hope we will make it.

Many blessings to you all and to those in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers for Water!

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Water is so essential to one's life that without it we cannot do much, either in our surroundings or even for our crops and animals. Marigat is an area that is dry, although there was a great change in vegetation this time when we visited. This time we saw some green vegetation and a more fertile soil.

This trip was a blessing to me and I felt really good, after going there for several years now, I was at last, able to take goods news. You can see how dusty the road is on the way to our destination of Marigat.

We pass the equatorial line that divides Kenya into two parts, north and south.

A word of prayer accompanies our mission here. As always prayer is so much needed and in this case we are praying that today we will find water potential in this dry land.

Did you know that Kenya has ostriches?

I don't understand it all but the car and many other things are needed to conduct the survey. I stand by.

Even a rooster comes to look at the work.

The drought in this land has been too much for many cattle and local wildlife.

I was happy to travel with a water geologist (this is the person who works on water) and conduct a survey on water availability in this very dry land.

After travelling most of the morning, we arrived and we were so much welcomed by the host pastor and community leaders. I was so happy to be with them and share the joy's of finding water at last.

After the hard time we had driving there and the long journey. What a joy we had! It is really a great joy to see hope of getting water after so many years of prayers.
Thanks so much for your prayers. The years of praying and hoping for a well has been an endurance race for us. It is not yet finished but we give praise to God for helping us this far!

The Kids of Kericho!

Dear friends, I want to share a wonderful poem written for the children I minister to in Kericho. This poem was written for the Missions of Hope, by my good friend Stuart, from England. He has such a heart for the children and we appreciate so much his prayers and the prayers of his lovely wife, Michelle.

THE KIDS OF KERICHO!

MANY HAVE NO PARENTS

THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO

STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVAL

THE KIDS OF KERICHO

MY HEART IS FULL TO BURSTING

I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW

AND SAY A SIMPLE PRAYER OR TWO

FOR THE KIDS OF KERICHO

IF I WAS TO WIN THE LOTTERY

THATS IF I HAD A GO

I KNOW THERE'D BE A BIG FAT CHEQUE

FOR THE KIDS OF KERICHO

I PRAY FOR PASTOR JONAH

MY LOVE FOR HIM DOES GROW

I SEE HIS HAPPY SMILING FACE

WITH THE KIDS OF KERICHO

I SIT HERE IN MY WHEELCHAIR

IN SURROUNDINGS THAT I KNOW

BUT MY HEART IS THERE IN KENYA

WITH THE KIDS OF KERICHO

BEFORE I LEAVE THESE PASTURES

I PRAY MY STRENGTH WILL GROW

AND FATHER GIVE ME PLENTY

FOR THE KIDS OF KERICHO

by STU

Light

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

Hello,

I have had the chance of getting a new lamp for my house and I am so happy. This has really helped me to study with ease and I will not need to buy kerosene again for my lamp.

[Caption: a kerosene lamp]

[Caption: the new battery operated lamp].

I will only need to buy batteries and 'there', I get the light.

This kind of lamp was started by a few boys who were touched by the great need of the villagers because this kind of lamp saves a lot of power and money that could be used for buying food or paying school fees.

[Caption: Study made easier by the new light]

Enjoy the pictures.

Crosses for Missions

This is a post from my friend and patron Joyful Servant . I am happy to hear of this blessing and invite all my readers to order one or two crosses for yourself or your loved ones. God bless!

I am excited to reveal a new opportunity to my loyal readers and to new readers.

Many of you know that I am deeply involved in missions to poor villagers, mainly to the widows and orphans in Kenya. We operate on very few donations to try and bring relief to the many people in the village who struggle to eke out a living in a country hard pressed by famine and poverty. Pastor Jonah's time is strictly voluntary as is mine. I try and support Pastor Jonah and other village leaders as best I can, including through helping build a web presence for the Missions of Hope.

Recently, I was blessed with a donation of hand crafted crosses with a request to sell them and use some of the profits for the mission field. I cannot tell you how happy I am about this blessing because it provides an exciting opportunity to help the mission field in Kenya in time for Christmas. The villagers will be so happy that they can celebrate Christmas like others throughout the world if we can sell enough crosses to help them. At the same time, you, the reader will have a chance to do some Christmas shopping and buy stocking stuffers for one or two of your favorite people. "Yes" Christmas will soon be here!!!

I have a very limited supply of crosses to sell. So if you want one please be quick to speak up. You will see from the two photos that these crosses are designed to be worn by men and women alike. My small shipment will be arriving very soon and then I will be expecting one more smaller shipment. I am hoping to sell at least the first shipment in time to be able to get your cross to you in well enough time for your Christmas tree. The price for each of these handcrafted crosses is $25.00 (US) plus $5.00 for shipping and handling.

Your hand crafted cross will come with a card which reads:

100% hand crafted by Christians in the USA

The Disciple's Cross is made up of three distinct components. The simulated leather cord reminds us of the leather straps used to beat our Savor; the wrapped wire stands for the thorn branches twisted into a crown to mock the King of Kings; and, of course, the nails represent the large spikes that were driven into the hands and feet of the Lord of Lords.

As you carry your Disciple's Cross with you, consider the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and take up your cross and follow him.

(c) 1994 By Disciple's Cross. All Rights Reserved.

Matthew 15:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

These wonderful crosses will be cherished by your loved one (or by you) for years to come. Profits made from the sale will be used to make a jiko stove/oven in the village of Kericho to help make the lives of village women safer, healthier and just a little bit easier. You can read more about the Jiko Stove Project here and in the blog here Missions of Hope.

[One of the women who received a jiko stove in 2009]

To order your crosses or crosses now, please send me an email with your complete shipping address and remit payment of $30.00 (US) via Pay Pal (includes price of the product and shipping charges) to kerichojoy{at}gmail{dot}com. Funds must be received before crosses are shipped.

The crosses come in several different colors but there is only one cross in each color. Let us pick the color for you and it will be an adventure, like a "surprise box". You won't be disappointed.

If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you.

God bless you and thank you for your support