Thursday, December 18, 2008
Good news in Kenya
Gary and Judy Woods (now in Arusha, Tanzania) recently shared some particularly uplifting and encouraging news. About two weeks ago Gary received a phone call from one of the church leaders from the area where they formerly lived and worked in Kenya. The caller invited the Woods to be special guests at an upcoming service in which 65-70 people would be baptized into Christ! "Praise God that the work that we were a part of for so many years is bearing good fruit," writes Gary.
Labels: Church Planting, Kenya, Tanzania
¶ 5:53 AM Friday, October 31, 2008
Nairobi Reflections 2008
Keith Ham, leader of the Nairobi Urban Poor Outreach team (NUPO) in Kenya, recently took a break from his hectic schedule to look back over a year of unbelievable blessings and amazing growth for the team’s ministries. Here are a few of the highlights he shared with their supporters:
• At the end of 2007 four Hope Centers had been opened: Pangani, Kosovo, Bondeni, and the Academy (boarding school) in Joska. More than 1,200 families attended a huge Christmas celebration and took home food baskets. The HIV/AIDS outreach delivered Christmas hope and joy to many of those house-bound with AIDS, and the microenterprise department was in full swing, making regular loans to small businesses. “Everything about the faithfulness of God was all around us,” said Keith.
• However, 2008 began with a jolt of ethnic violence, the like of which had only been hinted at during all the Hams’ years in Kenya. They were “up country” at the time of the outbreaks, and returned to a Nairobi that was fraught with torment and pain.
• A supporting church had committed together to have a “Different Kind of Christmas” by encouraging its members to share some of their holiday funds with the Bondeni Hope Center. The church more than doubled its goal of $60,000. When it became apparent that the NUPO team would need to offer emergency food to the internally displaced people in Mathare due to the ethnic violence, the church sent the money immediately so the team could begin offering help. Another church raised $50,000 for food and shelter on one Sunday. With the help of these churches and others, the team never ran out of money to feed people and help many families move out of the refugee camps into ‘safe” dwellings. The team was even able to pay a few months rent for these families and help them furnish their homes.
• During this difficult time period the team was amazed at the people’s incredible openness to the Gospel. Every single day people were turning to Christ. Two more churches were planted, and ‘seed’ Bible studies established for the next churches to be planted.
• Two more new Hope Centers opened in 2008: Madoya and Mathare North. Plans are underway to open two more in early 2009. At last count, there are more than 2,3000 children attending school, receiving spiritual nurturing, food and clothing and giving the team access to their families through the Hope Centers.
• God continues to bring short-term teams of people who want to be involved on all levels of the work here: evangelism, leadership training, construction, working with children, medical clinics, etc. Two families have affiliated with CMF as permanent members of the team and another family is on the way.
• The HIV/AIDS program has also grown tremendously in 2008. The ministry is focusing on post-test clubs, where the members provide spiritual support and physical encouragement to one another. Hospice care is also available for those who are close to death.
• The micro-enterprise loan ministry now has more than 500 clients who have taken out small business loans. All the new business owners belong to accountability groups where members help one another with their challenges, both physical and spiritual.
• At the end of 2007 four Hope Centers had been opened: Pangani, Kosovo, Bondeni, and the Academy (boarding school) in Joska. More than 1,200 families attended a huge Christmas celebration and took home food baskets. The HIV/AIDS outreach delivered Christmas hope and joy to many of those house-bound with AIDS, and the microenterprise department was in full swing, making regular loans to small businesses. “Everything about the faithfulness of God was all around us,” said Keith.
• However, 2008 began with a jolt of ethnic violence, the like of which had only been hinted at during all the Hams’ years in Kenya. They were “up country” at the time of the outbreaks, and returned to a Nairobi that was fraught with torment and pain.
• A supporting church had committed together to have a “Different Kind of Christmas” by encouraging its members to share some of their holiday funds with the Bondeni Hope Center. The church more than doubled its goal of $60,000. When it became apparent that the NUPO team would need to offer emergency food to the internally displaced people in Mathare due to the ethnic violence, the church sent the money immediately so the team could begin offering help. Another church raised $50,000 for food and shelter on one Sunday. With the help of these churches and others, the team never ran out of money to feed people and help many families move out of the refugee camps into ‘safe” dwellings. The team was even able to pay a few months rent for these families and help them furnish their homes.
• During this difficult time period the team was amazed at the people’s incredible openness to the Gospel. Every single day people were turning to Christ. Two more churches were planted, and ‘seed’ Bible studies established for the next churches to be planted.
• Two more new Hope Centers opened in 2008: Madoya and Mathare North. Plans are underway to open two more in early 2009. At last count, there are more than 2,3000 children attending school, receiving spiritual nurturing, food and clothing and giving the team access to their families through the Hope Centers.
• God continues to bring short-term teams of people who want to be involved on all levels of the work here: evangelism, leadership training, construction, working with children, medical clinics, etc. Two families have affiliated with CMF as permanent members of the team and another family is on the way.
• The HIV/AIDS program has also grown tremendously in 2008. The ministry is focusing on post-test clubs, where the members provide spiritual support and physical encouragement to one another. Hospice care is also available for those who are close to death.
• The micro-enterprise loan ministry now has more than 500 clients who have taken out small business loans. All the new business owners belong to accountability groups where members help one another with their challenges, both physical and spiritual.
Labels: Kenya, Nairobi, Urban Poor
¶ 6:42 AM Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Maasai churches report good news
Dan Crum, leader of CMF’s Maasai team in Africa, recently shared the latest report from a meeting of the Maasai Advisory Committee, and it was full of encouraging news about the Community Christian churches there.
There are now 85 churches in 15 geographical clusters in Maasailand, 10 more than at the last report. Around 150-200 baptisms have been performed in the last six months alone.
The cluster of churches in the Elangata Enterit area is undergoing a significant revival. There are now seven churches there. This had been a very resistant, slow-growth area, so this news is particularly welcome. Several of the new and revived churches are still small and struggling, yet they are meeting consistently and are shepherded by the current leaders. Elders that were ordained several years ago are being referred to as leaders of these small churches. The Olepishet church is doing particularly well, and runs about 100 people, up from about 20 only six years ago.
Women’s events continue to be very popular in Maasailand. Nearly 200 women attended a conference at Olchurrai in August, and about 200 are expected at next month’s women’s conference at Miton.
About 2,000 people attended a five-day, area-wide fellowship held in Tumpelian in the area of Siria last month. It was well-received by the area councillors and chiefs; even the Chairman of the TransMara County Council (a local government representative) attended. Some chiefs, councillors and laibons (traditional African spiritual guides) gave their lives to Christ.
One of the outcomes of the gathering in Siria was that people agreed that a church building should be constructed for Ole Kimanu, one of the four elders of Siria who was ordained in 2000. Kimanu is a simple, friendly man, full of faith, who is very evangelistic and well respected. He was not interested in the church when it first began in Tumpelian; his testimony is a good account of how God is working in Africa, just with Africans.
There are now 85 churches in 15 geographical clusters in Maasailand, 10 more than at the last report. Around 150-200 baptisms have been performed in the last six months alone.
The cluster of churches in the Elangata Enterit area is undergoing a significant revival. There are now seven churches there. This had been a very resistant, slow-growth area, so this news is particularly welcome. Several of the new and revived churches are still small and struggling, yet they are meeting consistently and are shepherded by the current leaders. Elders that were ordained several years ago are being referred to as leaders of these small churches. The Olepishet church is doing particularly well, and runs about 100 people, up from about 20 only six years ago.
Women’s events continue to be very popular in Maasailand. Nearly 200 women attended a conference at Olchurrai in August, and about 200 are expected at next month’s women’s conference at Miton.
About 2,000 people attended a five-day, area-wide fellowship held in Tumpelian in the area of Siria last month. It was well-received by the area councillors and chiefs; even the Chairman of the TransMara County Council (a local government representative) attended. Some chiefs, councillors and laibons (traditional African spiritual guides) gave their lives to Christ.
One of the outcomes of the gathering in Siria was that people agreed that a church building should be constructed for Ole Kimanu, one of the four elders of Siria who was ordained in 2000. Kimanu is a simple, friendly man, full of faith, who is very evangelistic and well respected. He was not interested in the church when it first began in Tumpelian; his testimony is a good account of how God is working in Africa, just with Africans.
Labels: Church Planting, Kenya, Maasai
¶ 12:35 PM Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Eastsiders Serve in Nairobi
Forty-five members of Eastside Christian Church, Fullerton, Calif., recently returned from Kenya, where they served with CMF missionaries Keith & Kathy Ham and Wallace & Mary Kamau in the slums of Nairobi. Some team members presented dramas, preached and used EvangeCubes to share the gospel with people on the streets of Nairobi, while medical teams made home visits to Kenyans afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Prayer teams visited and prayed with people in their homes, while a fourth group helped install simple skylights in the roofs of the tin shanties where many of the people live. Tammy Leatherby, a trip leader, has put together an excellent website with details about the trip and personal reflections from the team members about their experiences. Take a look.
Labels: Kenya, Urban Poor
¶ 10:41 AM Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Joys and Struggles of Life in Turkana
Praise the Lord with us that 13 more people dedicated themselves to following Jesus on Sunday and were baptized. This brings to over 60 the number of new Christians in the last 2 months.
Please pray for us for wisdom as Turkana are facing more severe times. The prices for basic commodities have increased dramatically in the last 6 months. This drastically affects their ability to feed their families. With a disease called Lomol killing over 50% of the herds in the last year, people are struggling.
Please continue to lift in prayer those who have recently come to Christ as well as the daily struggles of all Turkana.
¶ 12:36 PM
Please pray for us for wisdom as Turkana are facing more severe times. The prices for basic commodities have increased dramatically in the last 6 months. This drastically affects their ability to feed their families. With a disease called Lomol killing over 50% of the herds in the last year, people are struggling.
Please continue to lift in prayer those who have recently come to Christ as well as the daily struggles of all Turkana.
