Grasshoppers and Ministry

It is May 23.

Tuesday it was a blessing to be in the ladies’ class with good help from one of my students who finished Bible School with her husband last year. It is encouraging to see how far she has come. This week she is to start teaching some of the lessons we had in Bible School to the ladies in our group. She and her husband are like dorm parents to our boys in the dorm. The two girls we have live with Pastor Ndegwa.

There have been lots of grasshoppers this year, two kinds; one of which is eaten with great appreciation by Zambians, but NOT Kenyans! So, their only predators in our yard are our dogs! We also have had a lot of Nairobi flies. They are small, thin, black and red bugs that put their tail up like a scorpion and sting you – often you don’t feel it. Then, when the sting itches, you scratch, pop a blister, which spreads the "itch" more on your skin! Our two girls had popped blisters all over their faces, and are now healing! They (the bugs!!) get inside the clothes on the line. I have decided the best way to get rid of them is to scorch them in the dryer!

Thursday we went to visit the grandmother of two of our boys in the dorm. (Our US visitors went with us). We called the family to come and hear the Word. They told us they had a deaf girl working for them. When she came, we already knew her from deaf church! She doesn’t come often due to lack of funds. She was excited to see us. We had a good visit. We were so thankful for a huge stalk of a bananas, fifty avocadoes and some dried corn they gave us to help us feed the guys in the dorm.

Saturday some of our teen girls from church came for knitting and Bible Study. It was good… I really enjoyed it.

Ten in deaf church today with a good time in the Word.

The boy who decided to leave the dorm last week has threatened Pastor Ndegwa with his Mungiki friends. Today they came to church and asked Ndegwa why Patrick left. He told them Patrick was asked to leave because of not going to school for a week (this is second offence) . He is causing trouble, but the Mungiki guys see it was his own fault. We would appreciate prayer for Ndegwa’s safety. It is so disappointing after having had this boy for three years. But, he heard the Word and made his choice like Ps. 1: 1-3 (which he had memorized).

Pray for us as we go May 31, Lord willing, to check on our work permit again.

Sandy for us both
--
Terry & Sandy Washer

Hi Y'all, from Terry and Sandy

Hi Y'all,

It is May 16. Several days this week were a challenge to get office work done, with electricity off more than on…

We had new ladies at our ladies’ class on Tuesday. It was quite a rebuke to me that on Monday I had just taken the names of two of the visitors off of my prayer list….and then they showed up at class for the first time!! So thankful the Lord doesn’t give up on us and helped me with teaching that day.

There were 12 of us in deaf church today… thankful for the good service and lesson.

Dad has taught on Wednesday night for two weeks, and has done well. I am so thankful.

Our visitors from USA arrived safely. We took them up to Outspan to go to Treetops. They came to our Youth In Training church this evening and then up to see the Mathaithi plot. It was a sweet time in prayer as we committed the needs for development to the Lord. Luke led in prayer.The well men worked everyday this past week. They are cutting into stone, but at least now, when you look down, you can see water at the bottom. How much is due to the rain we don’t know at this point.

It was a disappointment Friday, to lose one of our first boys to come to us three years ago. He has been "walking, standing, sitting.... in the counsel of the ungodly..." and has been asked to leave. We are SO saddened about this. But, that is part of this work.. and we keep going.

Will keep it brief. Much love to you.. Sandy for us both

--
Terry & Sandy Washer

Everybody OUGHT to KNOW-The Fields News

Everybody OUGHT to KNOW

May 11, 2010

Greetings to e-mail Friends, from Dave and Elwanda Fields, Box 1082, Karatina 10101 Karatina, Kenya 07-222112314

MINISTRY

It seems that each class in Bible School wants to know this chorus that has been lying dormant for many years. So I'd better copy it here:

Ev'ry body to know WHO JESUS is!

HE'S the LILY of the valley.

HE'S the BRIGHT and MORNING STAR.

HE'S the FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND -

EV'RY BODY OUGHT TO KNOW!!

If short term workers, longer term workers are counted, KENYA IS BOOMING!

(1) Luke and two friends in May.

(2) Many people, with or without our first son Stephen (Pastor Steve in North Georgia) are planning to come in July, I understand. Meeting so many people for the first time is exciting but please don't ask me to name and explain about each one in the future.

(3) Pastor Harrison is occupied for, and in, various parts of Kenya in interest of our Antioch Ind. Baptist Churches and Bible Schools.

(4) Deacon Fred and wife are busy telling others who Jesus is. Yesterday, a woman who was so much in need heard, believed, and professed Christ as her personal Savior. He helps me in various ways in and out of the classroom.

(5) Brother Godfrey is with Dave in classes and many other places plus at computer in our home. He sends all e-mail letters. I hear weddings bells ringing for him but he does not indicate that he is hearing.

We are racing with time as we have so many subjects to teach and to be sure that students understand. We need prayer for that. This morning, with seniors and juniors in Bible School, "I have a question" was heard many times. We welcome them.

Dear Friends, you have no idea what an encouragement we received when a North Carolina greeting card came by post today. There were so many names that are familiar and that was exciting to me. Thank you, Mildred.

FAMILY

Our May baby was Barbie back in the very early fifties. Now she has children and grandchildren. She tries to help each of them in South Georgia or wherever they are. She was almost holding on to the foot of our second son Paul. They were very close together in age.

Paul and Marla are missionaries in Paraguay, South America. They also have children and grandchildren. The mothers are home-schooling children and that is not easy. Years ago I had tried it to help Sandy but gave up. She did it and they all did well in higher education.

Joy Washer, Terry and Sandy's youngest, and Brian Collins are to marry in July, Lord willing.

We are much in prayer for Tammie, wife of Kevin (financial secretary for IFM). She had a bad injury while bicycle riding.

Independent Faith Mission P.O. Box 7791 Greensboro, NC 27417-0791

With several other things to write, we had better just say THANKS to you who PRAY or PRAY and SEND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

LOVNG GREEETINGS TO ALL WHO RECEIVE THIS,

Dave and Elwanda

Washers Update

Hi Y'all,

It is May 11. I didn’t write last night due to feeling pretty yucky with malaria. … feeling some better today.

In the routine goings of things, I found out that one of our new students is a trained seamstress. She was going to teach the ladies today how to cut out a shirt with no pattern. I would love to have been there, but couldn’t.

Wednesday night the mother of Anne , the girl who is living at Pastor Ndegwa’s house, came to church for the first time. It was so good to see her again. We had met her on visitation. Come to find out she is a sister to one of the ladies who attends all the time!

Our ladies knitting group at the church has not grown in number, and the mother of the boy we took in last week, left to be with her husband. We will miss her. She came on Wednesday night to say “thank-you” for taking her son in.

Thursday we had some good contacts with people with visited at the hospital... one a relative of a man in our church. Then, Saturday, Sam's wife (he is one of our Kenyan "kids" from years ago), safely gave birth to a baby girl.

Saturday morning we had a meeting here with our YIT leaders, which went well. We are thankful for a good working team.

Sunday we had eleven in deaf church, with a young couple coming together for the second time. She is hearing, he deaf, with a newborn. They don’t live near, so it is a challenge to come. The message was good. We trust they will come again.

We had a nice Mother’s Day meal here with Papa and Mama . It was special to have Mama for another annual celebration! She is 89 this year.

This morning three young guys arrived safely from GA. and plan to be here for almost three weeks. We trust their experience witll be a blessing, enriching and heart opening to the needs.

Today we had our regular Tuesday afternoon class. I wrote above that the group hadn't grown. Well, today we had three new young ladies...two of whom we had met on visitation and had contact with off and on (mostly off!). So, I was so thankful to the Lord for His help in sharing the Word in Swahili with no pre-planned lesson (not the way I usually do things). Kennedy's wife was such a help in the meeting.

All for now, and have a blessed rest-of-the-week.

Sandy for us both

--

Terry & Sandy Washer

tswasher@gmail.com

Answers to Prayer-The Washers

Hi Y'all,

It is May 2.The rains have been very heavy and the Ragati River is VERY full.

Regarding the two we wrote about last week: The girl, with her own approval and that of her mom, is living with Pastor Ndegwa and Carol on a three month trial basis. She starts school tomorrow. Several wrote that they would pray, and we thank the Lord for what we believe is His leading for the present.

The boy: his Dad came back to see the family. He has some work. He and his wife talked to Pastor Ndegwa on Friday, and said they are happy for him to be in the dorm. So, he is there, and does have an uncle in the dorm also. We now have two smaller boys and pray they will be good friends.

Saturday we had all eleven of the kids over for a video and then took them out to eat for a simple lunch. They seemed to enjoy it and we did, too.

Bible School started up this week again, plus ladies’ meetings. It takes a little while to re-adjust to the schedule. I do thank the Lord for helping get most of what I needed to do during the holidays.

I am so thankful for God’s provision of a sewing machine, through a supporter, for one of the ladies graduating this year. She is doing well with learning (her picture was in our last prayer letter), and I trust it will be a tremendous help to her. We will wait and give it to her at the end of the school year so as not to stir up “attitudes” and wrong motives.

Blessings from the Lord be yours,

Terry and Sandy