Solio church planting !!!

03 August, 2010


Dear Friends,

We left a little after 9am for Solio today. It is about 50 miles from here, and is on the North end of the Solio ranch where we view rhino, and other game. The government took about 6,000 displaced Kikuyu people and gave them each 4.5 acres in seven separate villages on the savannah plains near Solio. The government has provided tractors to plow fields, is building schools, and small hospitals for each village, but requires them to pay a little for the land, and for plowing etc. over the next five years.

Michael and Wilson (sometimes) have been going up weekly on Monday to minister at the fourth village. We pray we will be given 2-4 acres there to build a church and begin the ministry on weekends, and move Michael and his wife and three children there. That land decision may be in the next two weeks, so please pray about that. Mike sent 4 pictures from our trip. (See the previous blog post today...Admin.)

Presently Michael and about 10-15 people meet in a little compound of a man there called Michael. This man has offered us the opportunity to build a small building out of roofing, on poles immediately, while we wait for land and other things to come together. Another older man named Joseph, gave us his testimony of how he was saved when the Karatina team came to evangelize. He has offered two of his acres, if we are not given land by the government!!

When we arrived, the man in charge of all the managers of all the 7 villages met us, and took us to greet and attend a parent, teacher children's gathering, on their last day of school. They teach in small buildings made of roofing material, while they build a block building for the school. We saw, but did not enter the hospital. We then looked at the Nursery for trees they will plant in October, when the rains start. They had a million seedlings there he said. We saw the bore hole and water storage tank. The well is 210' deep. Then we went to Michael's ("Solio Michael") plot of land and sat and talked and took pictures. We donated a NASB study Bible to the manager, and Joseph, the new convert. Michael asked us to come and bless his home and their present church site. Charlie led in that prayer. Mike led in a prayer with the school kids, and parents when we met earlier. The wind there was strong and steady, so trees will help provide wind breaks. We saw some corn, but it was stunted, and not doing very well.

All of us enjoyed getting to see a church in its infancy beginning to grow. Wilson, the manager at Solio said our groups were the first to come evangelizing. We estimate that we can quickly get a roof on poles for a temporary shelter, and church at Michael's home. We estimate about $15,000 to build a church and pastor's house, and a Sunday school room, to get started.

We stopped by a place to eat, and got to see baboons, take a 5 minute horse ride, and have a good chat.

Pray as our team goes to Nairobi tomorrow to take Donna and Anna. We will spend the night and take them to the aiport early, 5:30am.

Tomorrow is the voting on the referendum on the new constitution, PLEASE PRAY for God's best will, and the best for Kenya. There is much to be concerned about if the wrong decisions are made.

Papa and Mama send greetings, as do many of the people here. The Bible school students thank those of you who help them be able to come to school.

Mike and Charlie start home Sat. and I leave Wed. am.
Thank you for your prayers and generous gifts, and involvement.

Love and prayer,
Steve Fields