Happy Valentine's Day

Monday morning,  Happy Valentine's Day


Dear Praying Friends,

Wow! We had a whirlwind tour! We left a bit late Friday morning as our driver, Joseph, who lives next door had to help his neighbour with her van. We went to the market and bought cabbage to take up country where there is drought. We left about 9:30 am. We went through several routine police checks, and had to pay a small fine at a speed trap for going 90kmph instead of 80.

We arrived about 1:30 for lunch with Joshua and Julia in their home. We walked over to see the plot of land they have a downpayment on, and a balance of $5,500. It is about 1/2 acre, with full evidence of the curse on mankind on it, LOTS of thorns. With some levelling, it will provide a place near town, where they can have a small church building and a flat space to do AWANA.

At each stop, we were privileged to deliver Study Bibles, Study New Testaments and Halley's Bible handbooks to the leaders. Thanks for your donations, and for favor at the airport, where KLM allowed us three extra containers at NO CHARGE!

We then drove on to Kataooni (kah..ta..oh..nee) which was a long, dry, dusty ride. The further we drove, the more evidence of drought there was. It last rained in December, and this is their hot season. Jackson and Elijah had plowed some land with oxen, and planted, but got just enough rain to germinate the crops, but then the rain stopped. The Kenyan government sends in relief food, but as you can imagine, those are just survival rations.

We stopped under the Baobab tree where we went with Eric, Jennifer and the team, 2 years ago, then drove to Jackson and Elijah's nice little homes they have personally built. We had a good meal of rice, beans and potatoes, in a stew, and chapati (round flat bread, sort of like pita bread). We left after dark and headed back to Mwingi to our hotel, and were glad to get a shower and get to bed.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Kitui, a couple of hours away and met Patrick Kitema there. He went with us to Isovya, the small orphanage/training school for teaching young women to be seamstresses, and young men to be carpenters and masons. The drive there was likewise, long, slow and dusty. At some places you have to negotiate over large rocks, and gullies, and just crawl at 2 or 3 miles an hour.

After a program there, of lively singing, and rythmic shuffling (sort of like a dance) I spoke on a clean, educated pig but nevertheless a pig inside, a dirty, indifferent pig with full testimony to being a pig, and then a CHANGED pig, one that has receive a "cat nature" to replace his "pig nature". This pig is not changed by education, or culture, he is changed by a new nature. We are too, 2 Cor. 5:17, Romans 6, Col. 2 when we, by faith, receive the new nature of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit to be a new kind of being, that is able to worship God in Spirit and Truth, and is able to overcome the self-centred, selfish world system, the flesh and the devil and live a life of ongoing, progressive repentance and conformity to the character and Spirit of Jesus Christ. One young woman, Carol, made a profession of faith.

The well there is at 39' deep, and has water, and is lined with brick and concrete, but needs to go another 11' deeper. This will provide more water to make more bricks, and build a dormitory for the guys. We left there at dark and drove to Patrick Kitema's and Elizabeth had prepared a meal of rice, soup, chapati and we went back to the hotel, exhausted.

Sunday morning we had fried eggs and bread and coffee for breakfast, and went to church. Patrick taught from Galatians for Sunday school, then after a break, we sang and I preached from Genesis 35:5 and part of the story of Jacob , and God's supernatural intervention in his life, much as He has done there at Kitui to provide, land, victory against demon possessed people, and confrontational Muslims, and now to have a beautiful, brick shell of a church on an increasingly attractive piece of land, with a fence around it. From a stranger in town, to a growing ministry. The "potty" was upright poles, with tyveck around it. Patrick invited anyone who did not like it especially, to donate concrete, and a better one would promptly be built!

After a lunch nearby, we did the long journey home. We stopped by Blue Post for a pit stop, and to look at what we might buy tomorrow as we head out, of course, we were thinking of you. We got home about 9 pm.

We are heading to Bible school class with Papa and Mama this morning and tomorrow morning, then we will head for Nairobi and eat lunch with Terry and Sandra, and shop at the Sarit Centre and the "roundabout" market, for last minute trinkets, then head to the aiport about 4 pm. Our drivers see us through customs, then head home before dark, and we fly out about 11:30 pm to London, Whitney goes to Paris, then we meet again in Atlanta on Wednesday pm and Travis Crouch will drive us all home, Lord willing.

Nixon and Whitney have been great, adjusting to heat, food, accomodations, lots of new places and people, and a continuous, sustained pace. They have been able to see where our pastors live, the difficult circumstances they minister under, the financial need for just basics, and the need for encouragement and prayer as they work. They have also seen the fruit of perseverance, and God's provision in various places, and been able to witness ministries developing in a new town, with rented rooms, to church owned property, Mabate buildings ( a church building made completely from roofing material, top and sides) to more permanent structures.

Elijah and Dorcas named their little two month old "Steve", and I got to hold him and give some money to take the little guy to hospital, as he was very congested.

Well, we have had our oatmeal breakfast, and coffee, and head of at 7:40am for class at 8am-10am to Mama and Papa's classes.

Thanks for your love and prayers.

Steve, for the team here.
See you SOON! Lord willing.