Rendille

I visited 23rd. September to 1st. October 2014 having delayed a couple of months because of my operation.

(1) Peter Kivati accompanied me. He and his wife are fairly new members of TBC Nairobi. Before he came to see the Reformed Faith as the Biblical Faith he was active in ministry with Life Ministries (Campus Crusade). Seeing the way we preach and evangelize has revolutionized his thinking. He is due to start the PTC in January and has long desired to work amongst an unreached people like the Rendille. It was such a wonderful opportunity for him and we pray the Lord will lead him and the church as we consider the future.

(2) We spent a few days in Korr, the main centre for the Rendille people. We have a church here with about 15 members and we are in the process of putting up a permanent building. Most of the members rely on Nairobi financially, either because of the work they are doing in the church or school, or they are widow or destitute. Sarah recently moved to Nairobi with her children because it is where she can find work to support the family. The 3 leaders are trying hard, regularly visiting in Korr and in the all the goobs (villages) that surround it. We have encouraged them to walk the 20+ kms. to Farakoren and Dubsahaay Chaule, goobs where we are the only ones ever to have preached. But they are untrained, and 2 of them have no formal education. So the church is weak, but still we believe the Lord is able to use them so long as they are true to the Scriptures and so preach the truth as it is in Jesus. We had been hoping that Khobocha would start training for the ministry in the PTC next year, but he has decided to train as a teacher so that he can help his family to come out of their poverty. So we continue to wait prayerfully for the Lord to raise up a man able to lead the work in the Korr region. Stephen Silamo has recently rejoined TBC Nairobi and he and his wife would like to return home to minister in Korr. He is presently studying and has the opportunity of an hour each week on the public radio channel in which he is going through the Gospel of Mark in the Rendille language.

(3) Lekuchula is one of the first places I visited back in 1998, about 25 kms. south of Korr at the foot of Bayo mountain, and I have visited regularly. This was frankly an awful visit with a very nasty public dispute about the 3 teachers we employ in the Nursery and small Primary School. We had also been told that nothing takes place Sunday to Sunday although we had recognized a leader there. One lady who has been such a great support seems to have been covering this up. There is a lot of drinking of vodka-like spirits as seen in the discarded sachets and small plastic bottles lying around. When we challenged one of the leaders of the goob about this he simply lied through his teeth that there is no such thing. This scourge is happening in many parts of Kenya, and of course we know the fruit of it. How desperately the gospel of saving grace is needed. We need to get the School registered with the Government (now County not National) in order to have a continuing influence in the place until the Lord raises up a preacher here.

(4) Ndikir is the goob where Brother Raphael Bulkash and his family live amongst the section of the Rendille called Ariaal whose first language is Kisamburu and not Kirendille. He has seen very little tangible fruit although the word of God has been spread far and wide. A charity called Kind Fund, working with us, has a private school here and with permanent classrooms now being put up we believe this will give stability to the community. We are looking to see how we can put up a permanent house for our faithful brother and his family. Raphael’s younger brother Samuel has been helping in Ndikir for a couple of years since finishing High School and he was also set to start the PTC in Nairobi in January but has decided to train as a teacher. Raphael comes down to Nairobi every other month to record radio programmes in Kisamburu to be aired over TWR.

(5) In my evaluation of this most recent visit we were encouraged by the faithfulness of the few brethren. But the work is hard and demands faith that the word of the gospel will bring forth fruit in the Lord’s own time. The Rendille are very resistant to change being very satisfied with their own traditional religion, believing they are good people before God. There are challenges from the few other churches that are working in the general area. I have read one report of more than 90 baptized by an American visitor, yet when I asked the pastor on the ground he said he has only one man and possibly a few women who are saved. We are having to ask questions. Are we putting our efforts where we should or are they too widely spread? Should we give up some things we are doing? Are we preaching exactly the right message, with the right emphasis? For example, should we be even more forthright in showing the emptiness, even idolatry, of the traditional practices? Most others seem to ignore them and just want people to profess faith in Christ.

I am sorry that there are no photos with this report on Rendille. I am not able to format them at the present time, but I have put an album on my Facebook for those who are my friends.

RENDILLE

The first 10 days of the New Year I spent ministering in Rendille in north Kenya. It was a whole year since the last visit at the beginning of 2013. I went with Joseph Ochola, with whom I have been together in the church since 1975, and two young men who are members of TBC Nairobi (Mbati & Johan). We do give thanks to the Lord for safety in travel, for good health throughout, and for a profitable and very busy time.

We arrived at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Korr and spent time there until early Monday afternoon. So we had the Lord’s Day with the brethren.

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We visited the surrounding goobs (= villages) of Galdeylan Sulate, Matarbah, Urowween, Dubsahaay Chaule, and Nahgaan, where there are contacts and also took the opportunity of preaching to men at their resting place on a lugga (dry river bed), and to women and children in the goob.

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Monday night we spent in the Lekuchula goob and also visited Goob Lethore and Lagarama, where we run a Nursery School.

From Tuesday evening to Friday morning we were centred in Ndikir, the 3rd. place where we are praying a church will be established. We also visited contacts in Sokoteey and Losidan and went to see the Government Education officials in Laisamis, the town on the main road.

YOUNG MEN

Khobocha, and another young man in the church named Diba, both of whom have just completed their Secondary School and are awaiting exam results, have decided that instead of seeking to earn money by working as untrained teachers for the present, they will give themselves fully to the church and evangelism in the coming months. Their decision was severely tested by other opportunities but the Lord has given them grace to exercise self-denial in order to serve Him. May He use them for encouragement and outreach, as young as they are (not yet 20 years of age!).

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It is a truism that the young men are the future leaders of the church. 5 of them are children of church members, 4 having attended the High School Camp in Nairobi. Matthew & James are our Nursery School teachers and after the service told me how challenged they were by the word I preached from Ephesians 5:25-27. Please PRAY for their salvation, together with many others.

LEADERSHIP

In Korr there are 3 leaders we call ‘Evangelists’, none of them trained apart from ministry they received when they were in the church in Nairobi.

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GODANA DABALEN, wife Gurguru, 6 children, plus 2 of deceased brother. 3 oldest children (back) are in Secondary School, were at High School Camp in Nairobi, Nakuru & Khobocha professing saving faith in Christ. Grace (centre) is deaf as a result of meningitis and is about to go to a special school in Isiolo. Pray for Khobocha as he awaits his exam results and devotes the next months to serving in the church.

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RUYGON NADESOL, wife Christine, 5 children. Arobo is oldest and is starting Secondary School.

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JOSEPH OGOM, wife Mary, 4 children. Of the 3 leaders Joseph has a few years of education in Primary School and so is literate. His wife has struggled with TB and now he has been infected and so is not as strong as usual.

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MARIO GAMBARE is the leader in Lekuchula, and also teaches in the Nursery School. He has no training and we are considering how we can help him and Joseph Ogom considering they only have a few years of Primary School education. He also wants to be a full-time evangelist.

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RAPHAEL BULKASH is the leader in Ndikir, is a member of the church in Nairobi and was trained in the PTC. He has a motorbike and is able to travel widely. His younger brother Samuel is now working with him in the ministry and hopes to join the PTC in 2015.

WAZEE

These are the married men who collectively are the decision makers. In the centre of the large circle of huts is a bare piece of ground encircled with a hedge of thorn-bush branches, called the ‘nabo’. Here they will meet in the late evenings to perform their ritual prayers and discuss communal matters. Apart from going to preach to them where they are in the day time at the lugga, playing their game (we call it Mancala), carving, talking or napping, I love to have the opportunity to talk to them individually.

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Mzee Limongoi is from Lekuchula, says he is 60 years. I have known him for 15 years and often talked with him about the gospel of Christ. He arrived after I had finished preaching, so I took him through Romans 5:8 – we are sinners, God loves sinners, and has shown it by Christ dying for us. He told me as he has told me before that he does believe in Christ, yet it is so hard for him to leave the traditions. The ‘new moon’ ceremony had been just a few days previous and I asked him if he had performed it. Yes, he had blown on his animal horn, prayed to the moon, ‘God, God, you have come back to life,’ and put special mud on his forehead and chest. This is obviously idolatrous. I asked him, ‘If Jesus Himself were to tell you to leave such traditions would you do so.’ Without hesitation he said he would. Then I informed him that the Lord Jesus has sent me and is speaking to him through me. His answer surprised me: ‘Others have come saying they have a word from God but I do not believe because of their bad lifestyle.’ This of course was just another shift as he knows me so well.

Such men need to be constantly talked with and instructed, but almost no one is doing it – the concentration is on the school age children. One of the most encouraging pieces of information I heard was from Goob Nahgaan near Korr where under the ministry of the AIC 2 Wazee have left the traditions. I hope it is true and marks the beginning of a sincere turning to Christ.

Mzee Lepakio is from Losidan and gave me such a warm embrace when we met at the wells. At the visit last year he is the one who said he wants to be like our evangelist Nadesol, although illiterate, knowing the word of God, so he can tell it to his people. I have encouraged our brother Raphael at Ndikir to visit him regularly to give personal instruction in the faith. A number of such Wazee said they need to be visited regularly if they are to understand and follow this message.

SPECIAL NEEDS

I would like to bring a number of special needs before you.

(1) Wareiya lives in Goob Matarbah. She and her husband Sagante professed faith in Nairobi. When they returned home he went back to the traditions and married a younger wife. He no longer cares much for her and her children and recently she lost all her animals on which she has been depending (disease, straying & hyenas). She is looking to us for help and perhaps we can restock.

(2) Ntito lives in Lekuchula. She has been faithful in keeping the work going there for more than 10 years. The day before we arrived a neighbour lady, with whom she was very close, died. She is devastated perhaps because the lady leaves 5 young children and an irresponsible husband. Ntito herself is very poor, with very few animals, and a very old husband (she is a 2nd. wife), and we feel we must help in some way.

(3) Korr church building. Brother Joseph Ochola has taken over the project. The supporting pillars are in place and I left him behind to work on the lintel in the next couple of weeks. He will then return to Nairobi and we will consider how we can get the roof on.

(4) Lekuchula Church and Nursery School building (corrugated iron).

(5) House for Raphael Bulkash in Ndikir. He also needs a secure supply of clean water that can be delivered from Laisamis (20 kms. away) for about £100 for 3 months’ supply.

(6) Losidan hand pump. This pump supplies water to the School we sponsor and is in urgent need of repair to make it functional again.

(7) Solar MP3 players. Brother Nadesol had gotten hold of an MP3 player with Bible messages in the Kisamburu language (the Ariaal Rendille speak this language). The thought came to me that if we could get hold of solar powered MP3 players then we could record Bible readings in Rendille and other instructional material for the illiterate people.

Thank you for your continued prayerful and financial support for this ministry. We are represented in U.K. by the Alfred Place Baptist Church (Geoffrey Thomas) in Aberystwyth, and the registered charity T.R.A.I.N. (Kenya). In the U.S.A. we are represented by the Emmanuel Reformed Baptist Church (Tom Martin) near Philadelphia. Please also visit our websites www.trinitybaptistkenya.org and www.trinity.or.ke.

RENDILLE MACEDONIAN CALL

For almost one year we have had no trained leader in the church in Korr. The 3 evangelists have kept things going – 2 of them are basically illiterate, the 3rd. only has 6 years of education and no formal Bible training. We have prayed about this and considered who in Kenya we can send but so far we have not found anyone suitable who can go. Please make this a matter of urgent prayer. This community of about 60,000 is still very much unevangelized and through our many contacts the whole area is open to us. Big changes are underway in society with drilling for oil on the eastern border of Rendille. We need a dedicated man, with a passion for the lost, who will take Acts 20:24 seriously, and so tirelessly work to evangelize and build up the existing church together with the present leaders. Brethren, it is the Lord’s harvest and He has promised to raise up the labourers.

2013, No. 1 (24/1/13)

Dear Brethren

The New Year has started off differently:

§ Rain instead of the usual hot weather with clear blue skies

§ Very busy with a 10 day safari to north Kenya, and teaching PTC students

§ Many visitors to the services

Miathene

After preaching in our New Year’s Day service on Hebrew 13:8, I left with 2 of our young people for 10 days in north Kenya. Dominic has finished one year of the PTC. Jimmy is a fairly recent church member. We stopped for the night in Miathene (east of Mt. Kenya) with Paul Kianji, with whom I taught when I first came to Kenya in 1968! The church here has been in upheaval since one of the Pastors refused to accept his dismissal . We have been forced to go to court to seek to get him removed. The wheels of justice can go so slowly. I encouraged the other Pastors to re-gather the sheep and seek to meet in another place.

Rendille

(1) On 2nd. January we drove up to Korr, one of the main centres for Rendille people. I was a bit apprehensive because Patrick Ochieng’, the trained missionary leader, has had to go because of serious failures. But we found the 20 or so faithful members and the 3 evangelist-leaders together.

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[Joseph Ogom has just a few years’ education, so at least he is literate! Ruygon Nadesol and Godana Dabalen have no formal education. These are the ones leading the church. PRAY they may be faithful, especially in taking the gospel far and wide. Perhaps someone from outside can come to help them for a while until the Lord should be pleased to raise up more qualified leaders.]

We were encouraged by the 40 or so adults and young people who gathered for worship on Sunday morning. The place of meeting we call ‘the shade’ is behind Nadesol and Ogom. Further back is the permanent stone building that has stalled because of the problems. We also made some visits outside the town to the goobs that surround. Farakoren is more than 20 kms. west and we went with a young man named Gabriel who has just completed his Secondary Schooling. He is from a Catholic background but professes to be saved. He was in our High School Camp in Nairobi in December. We were able to preach the gospel to around 25 adults under a tree outside the goob. Afterwards as we drank delicious tea in Gabriel’s sister’s hut I asked her what she had learned from the preaching. It was encouraging to hear her say, ‘Everyone has sin and must change’. It was my opportunity to press on her that only the Lord can bring about that change. Before leaving some leaders requested that we bring a church so that there is regular preaching, and that we help them in supporting the Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher.

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[This is the Nahgaan goob (village). We are standing outside the hut of Ali Leeba (2nd. left). He professes to be a Christian but hardly ever comes to worship as he stays with his animals in the ‘foor’ = a temporary settlement as they move about looking for pasture for the animals.]

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[Timo Galgatho (1st. left) is inside her hut. She is a widow, baptized upon profession of faith in Christ. Widows do not remarry so can face hardships with children to care for. We asked her about the dried branches at the entrance to the hut which say she has participated in the ‘sooriyo’ tradition. She says she does not participate but the wazee (men leaders) force her. We have suggested that such believers come to the town at such times to be with other Christians.]

(2) On 7th. January we drove the 30 kms. south to the Lekuchula goob at the foot of Mt. Bayo. Again I was not sure what I would find as there had been rumours that another church had sought to take over our Primary School. This proved to be quite unfounded as we met with Mario and the 2 faithful ladies here – Ntiito and Nduruba. They told us they meet for worship on Sunday with up to 20 present. One of the things we have to seek to do soon is to help both Ogom and Mario with simple materials to help them in their preaching.

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[At the Lekuchula goob multitudes of animals – camels, cows, goats and sheep – leave early morning. We go under the tree outside the goob to have our devotions together.]

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Dominic & Jimmy are with a ‘moran’ (young unmarried men who look after the animals). He slaughtered a goat for us to eat.]

(3) On 8th. January clip_image002
we drove another 25 kms. south-east across the now dry Malgis River. Raphael Bulkash is labouring to plant a church among the 4 goobs of Ndikir. We were pleasantly surprised that the Government has built one classroom here as the beginning of a Primary School, has sent a Headteacher, and has listed Trinity Baptist Church as the sponsor! Spiritually Raphael is finding it hard with no positive spiritual response. However, we were so encouraged when we visited more interior Losidan where we also sponsor a Primary School. The village leader is an illiterate man called Lepakio. When we arrived he went from hut to hut waking people up to come and hear the preaching, and even stopped men from playing their favourite board game. On arrival we received the sad news that a lady had died a few days before after giving birth. She was a third wife and it was her first child. This was the occasion to talk about death. Why do we die? How does Jesus Christ save us from death? We also had to pay attention to a boy who had fallen into a fire and had a severely burned back. As we later drank tea with Lepakio I remarked that it is hard for him to follow the message of the gospel for it is a straight and narrow way and demands leaving the old life. His reply was gripping. ‘Did you not see how I sought to bring everyone to hear the Word? That is how much I desire it for myself! I wish I am like Nadesol, although illiterate like me, yet able to tell others the word of God.’ We pray that the Gospel is beginning to take root in a place where there is total spiritual darkness.

2013

Please pray for wisdom and strength, and especially for the Lord to use the following ministries in the first few months of 2013, in addition to the normal weekly ministries.

(1) Pastoral Training Course (PTC) in January & March.

(2) Resumption of Meaty Forum, 2nd. Friday of each month.

(3) AGM, 9th. February.

(4) Reformed Baptist Association of Kenya (RBAK) meetings 15-18th. February here in Nairobi.

(5) Ministry in Pokot North at the end of February.

(6) General elections on March 4th. that we earnestly pray will end peacefully, not like 5 years ago.

(7) 35th. Anniversary of beginning of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi, 15-17th. March, with Pastor Geoffrey Thomas as our guest.

(8) Reformation Conference in west Kenya (Mumias) 10-14th. April at which hundreds are expected to attend!

We thank God for your continued fellowship, support and prayers.

In Christ’s service,

Keith & Priscilla Underhill

2013, No. 1

Dear Brethren

The New Year has started off differently:

  • Rain instead of the usual hot weather with clear blue skies
  • Very busy with a 10 day safari to north Kenya, and teaching PTC students
  • Many visitors to the services

Miathene

After preaching in our New Year’s Day service on Hebrew 13:8, I left with 2 of our young people for 10 days in north Kenya. Dominic has finished one year of the PTC. Jimmy is a fairly recent church member. We stopped for the night in Miathene (east of Mt. Kenya) with Paul Kianji, with whom I taught when I first came to Kenya in 1968! The church here has been in upheaval since one of the Pastors refused to accept his dismissal . We have been forced to go to court to seek to get him removed. The wheels of justice can go so slowly. I encouraged the other Pastors to re-gather the sheep and seek to meet in another place.

Rendille

(1) On 2nd. January we drove up to Korr, one of the main centres for Rendille people. I was a bit apprehensive because Patrick Ochieng’, the trained missionary leader, has had to go because of serious failures. But we found the 20 or so faithful members and the 3 evangelist-leaders together.

Joseph Ogom has just a few years’ education, so at least he is literate! Ruygon Nadesol and Godana Dabalen have no formal education. These are the ones leading the church. PRAY they may be faithful, especially in taking the gospel far and wide. Perhaps someone from outside can come to help them for a while until the Lord should be pleased to raise up more qualified leaders.

DSC_0364

We were encouraged by the 40 or so adults and young people who gathered for worship on Sunday morning. The place of meeting we call ‘the shade’ is behind Nadesol and Ogom. Further back is the permanent stone building that has stalled because of the problems. We also made some visits outside the town to the goobs that surround. Farakoren is more than 20 kms. west and we went with a young man named Gabriel who has just completed his Secondary Schooling. He is from a Catholic background but professes to be saved. He was in our High School Camp in Nairobi in December. We were able to preach the gospel to around 25 adults under a tree outside the goob. Afterwards as we drank delicious tea in Gabriel’s sister’s hut I asked her what she had learned from the preaching. It was encouraging to hear her say, ‘Everyone has sin and must change’. It was my opportunity to press on her that only the Lord can bring about that change. Before leaving some leaders requested that we bring a church so that there is regular preaching, and that we help them in supporting the Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher.

This is the Nahgaan goob (village). We are standing outside the hut of Ali Leeba (2nd. left). He professes to be a Christian but hardly ever comes to worship as he stays with his animals in the ‘foor’ = a temporary settlement as they move about looking for pasture for the animals.

DSC_0358

Timo Galgatho (1st. left) is inside her hut. She is a widow, baptized upon profession of faith in Christ. Widows do not remarry so can face hardships with children to care for. We asked her about the dried branches at the entrance to the hut which say she has participated in the ‘sooriyo’ tradition. She says she does not participate but the wazee (men leaders) force her. We have suggested that such believers come to the town at such times to be with other Christians.

DSC_0357

(2) On 7th. January we drove the 30 kms. south to the Lekuchula goob at the foot of Mt. Bayo. Again I was not sure what I would find as there had been rumours that another church had sought to take over our Primary School. This proved to be quite unfounded as we met with Mario and the 2 faithful ladies here – Ntiito and Nduruba. They told us they meet for worship on Sunday with up to 20 present. One of the things we have to seek to do soon is to help both Ogom and Mario with simple materials to help them in their preaching.

At the Lekuchula goob multitudes of animals – camels, cows, goats and sheep – leave early morning. We go under the tree outside the goob to have our devotions together.

DSC_0367

Dominic & Jimmy are with a ‘moran’ (young unmarried men who look after the animals). He slaughtered a goat for us to eat.

DSC_0366

(3) On 8th. January we drove another 25 kms. south-east across the now dry Malgis River. Raphael Bulkash is labouring to plant a church among the 4 goobs of Ndikir. We were pleasantly surprised that the Government has built one classroom here as the beginning of a Primary School, has sent a Headteacher, and has listed Trinity Baptist Church as the sponsor! Spiritually Raphael is finding it hard with no positive spiritual response. However, we were so encouraged when we visited more interior Losidan where we also sponsor a Primary School. The village leader is an illiterate man called Lepakio. When we arrived he went from hut to hut waking people up to come and hear the preaching, and even stopped men from playing their favourite board game. On arrival we received the sad news that a lady had died a few days before after giving birth. She was a third wife and it was her first child. This was the occasion to talk about death. Why do we die? How does Jesus Christ save us from death? We also had to pay attention to a boy who had fallen into a fire and had a severely burned back. As we later drank tea with Lepakio I remarked that it is hard for him to follow the message of the gospel for it is a straight and narrow way and demands leaving the old life. His reply was gripping. ‘Did you not see how I sought to bring everyone to hear the Word? That is how much I desire it for myself! I wish I am like Nadesol, although illiterate like me, yet able to tell others the word of God.’ We pray that the Gospel is beginning to take root in a place where there is total spiritual darkness.

2013

Please pray for wisdom and strength, and especially for the Lord to use the following ministries in the first few months of 2013, in addition to the normal weekly ministries.

  1. Pastoral Training Course (PTC) in January & March.
  2. Resumption of Meaty Forum, 2nd. Friday of each month.
  3. AGM, 9th. February.
  4. Reformed Baptist Association of Kenya (RBAK) meetings 15-18th. February here in Nairobi.
  5. Ministry in Pokot North at the end of February.
  6. General elections on March 4th. that we earnestly pray will end peacefully, not like 5 years ago.
  7. 35th. Anniversary of beginning of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi, 15-17th. March, with Pastor Geoffrey Thomas as our guest.
  8. Reformation Conference in west Kenya (Mumias) 10-14th. April at which hundreds are expected to attend!

We thank God for your continued fellowship, support and prayers.

In Christ’s service,

Keith & Priscilla Underhill

2012, No.17 (31/12/12)

Dear Brethren,

First, we give thanks to our God for sustaining us through another year. The Church in Nairobi has grown and remains united. The ministry is well received with sermons digitally recorded and published for the website, as well as videoed. We have 2 men serving as ‘Interns’ with a view to ministry. There have been monthly meetings called ‘Meaty Forum’ where up to 100 young adults have gathered each time to listen to a panel on various relevant subjects, the last being on The Centrality of Christ. The Pastoral Theological Course (PTC) has continued with 4 completing their 3 years of study, and 4 more so far accepted to start.

Second, we give thanks to you brethren in the Lord who read this for your fellowship expressed in messages, prayers and giving. The following ministries remain almost totally dependent upon you:

  • The ministry in Pokot North, where there are 5 trained leaders, 2 of them Kenyan missionaries,
  • 12 churches with a total of about 200 baptized members, 10 primary schools, and 1 secondary school that we sponsor.
  • The ministry in Rendille, where there have been 2 trained leaders (I reported about the resignation of one of them in No. 16) and 3 evangelists. There is one established church, and 2 church plants amongst a people who are largely unreached with the gospel. We run 7 nursery schools and sponsor 2 primary schools.
  • The PTC of about 7 students who come to Nairobi 6 times in the year for 8 days of teaching.
  • Providing school fees for secondary school for needy children, especially those of our church leaders in different parts of the country.

High School Camp from 6th to 12th

121212 High School Campers

December we hosted more than 40 High School students, double the number we had anticipated. It was organized by our 2 Interns who dealt with 8 of the studies on ‘Our Distinctive Doctrines’. We designed this Camp especially for the children of our church leaders in various parts of the country, and they came from every direction. We do not want them to feel isolated but to have meaningful contact with young people from other likeminded churches. A number of parents reported that their children had been greatly impacted by the truth taught.

Elders & Deacons

On 28th December we had our very first day-long retreat for the Officers of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi. The main reason for calling it is because we 2 Elders feel overburdened and we wanted to put before our brethren the Deacons the need to take off our shoulders as much as possible that is not included under ‘prayer and the ministry of the Word’. There are so many opportunities before us beginning with the densely populated area around where the church building is located. There are more than 30 other churches that are in close fellowship with us, operating under our Government registration certificate. There is the monthly Meaty Forum and opportunities developing amongst University students. We have a 28 page magazine called Grace & Truth that we aim to publish 4 times a year. There is the possibility of a radio station and even a digital TV station. Then there are opportunities in South Sudan and Ethiopia. PRAY with us that the Lord will raise up labourers for His harvest field.

121228 Elders & Deacons

Rendille

I shall be on safari away from Nairobi for the first 10 days of the New Year, God willing. Two young men will accompany me, Dominic one of the Interns, and Jimmy a new member. Please PRAY for me as I shall need great wisdom and stamina.

(1) Our first stop will be Miathene where the dismissed former pastor has refused to step down but it seems he is now willing to talk with me.

(2) On Wednesday 2nd. we head to Korr where our Kenyan missionary has recently had to resign. 7 young people from Korr were at the Camp and I look for much encouragement from some of these who are believers in the Lord. There are 2 active evangelists, one who has just 5 years of schooling and the other none. There are more than 30 church members whom we shall seek to encourage in the Lord.

(3) Before heading back to Nairobi on 10th we shall spend a few days with our Rendille missionary Raphael Bulkash in Ndigir where he is seeking to plant a church.

Leave mid-April to mid-August 2013 God willing, we plan the following basic schedule:

Mid April Leave Nairobi for Liverpool, UK.

April 23rd Leave Liverpool for Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

April 26th to 28th Missions Conference in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA.

May in Lorain, Ohio with Jonathan and family.

End of May return to UK.

June through mid-August with children Deborah and Matthew in Liverpool, and visiting interested brethren and churches.

Mid-August return to Nairobi, Kenya.

We hope we will have the opportunity to see many of you.

In Christ’s service,

Keith & Priscilla Underhill

Progress Report No.4/12

From: Patrick Ochieng’
Subject: Progress Report  No.4/12
Date: 30/04/12

Dear Brethren,

Greetings in the name of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, to you all from my family and the entire Korr fellowship.

INSECURITY: The world is encompassed with trouble as Satan seems to rule the sons of darkness in a terrible manner. Just before I left Nairobi there was some news about the bandits attack of the lorry which was headed to Nairobi from Moyale. It is indeed shocking to hear such things happen in an area you may think people are illiterate and know nothing except to look after the animals.The very day by God’s providence our vehicle passed, five vehicles were attacked between Merille and Archers Post. Our vehicle of course was given some tight security as we were travelling with a senior government officer at Marsabit. As we proceeded towards Loglogo from Laisamis, two days ago the tanker belonging to the World Food Programme was shot at and caught fire. The consignment of food was burnt to ashes.  As Christians this shows how terrible sin is. All these people want is to kill, steal, and destroy properties. Sadly, it is still a matter of concern as the government seems not to do something in order to avert the situation.

LOGLOGO: I spent a whole week at Loglogo before getting transport back to Korr. Life was not easy there as it was expensive paying for a meal despite having to pay for the room. Thankfully the Lord provided for the resources from Nairobi and I was given some kind of comfort though worried about my family. At Loglogo, I had the opportunity to witness to the people I met about Jesus. I found out that we have not much utilised our time to preach Christ to the people. Christian people cannot pretend to be satisfied with merely going out to the few in their surrounding. The Lord’s command in Acts 1:8, ‘You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’, seems not to be heeded optimally.
As I was returning from Nairobi, the scripture which kept on ringing in my mind was Romans 8:28, “All things work for good…”Despite the difficulty in reaching Korr, I met with six ladies said to be from the Foor (Fora) who came to sell the milk under the shade.After the introduction based on my interpreter, a worldly man who too doesn’t have any religious basis at all, a broker for the transport system, I shared with them about Christ from the book of John 3:16. These poor ladies had startling questions about Jesus, for it was their first time to hear that name. After finishing to introduce Christ, one asked me, “Which goob (settlement) does Jesus come from?” Before I could answer, another lady shot another question, “Is he married, and does he have children in their goobs or his morans (warriors) are looking after the animals in their foor.”
Here is the place I have been cheated into believing that having so many denominations around the gospel must have penetrated to the inside areas where people don’t have time to visit….I doing personal research, I came to learn that there is no evangelism outreach at all from churches in the area. There is a vast opportunity for evangelistic work to be done, but the labourers are few. Given the famine situation around, most families stay away in the foor to look for pastures for their animals. Focus must be given to these areas or else our work will have no impact at all.

EVANGELISM:  We are very much willing to do as much as we can to fulfil our Biblical mandate to reach out to others, but the challenges we are meeting with are enormous. We are praying that the Lord bless His work with the provision of funds for the purchase of sugar, tea and milk when we visit further places. The transport system has been a major hindrance especially to some of our ageing evangelists. No matter how long it takes, we trust that the Lord will provide at His own appointed time.

DESERT LIFE:  By our Kenyan standards, life in the desert is more expensive than life in the urban areas including Nairobi. It is extremely hard to meet the family requirements therefore lacking the urge to want to pursue more in terms of person to person contact. We need to be dependent on God always.In view of the missionary life among the most needy people, it is tempting when people who have genuine needs come to seek for help. Our mode of dress and calling is being interpreted as those best suit to meet the people’s demands. .. It is inhuman to eat while others look or fail to welcome those whom the Lord has brought you to minister to. The Lord is able to use a sharing of a cup of tea to change one’s life.

INCOME GENERATION: In order for effective work in Rendille I wish to propose that an income generating activity be set up for the church. If for instance we start with the purchase of 20 or so female goats, in a year’s time the number will increase and the male animals will be sold and the income used to put in the church’s account for emergencies such as famine, hospital bills, etc., besides caring for the widows and orphans. This is what we have shared as leaders and we were in full agreement.

SCHOOLS:  We appreciate the efforts by the church in Nairobi for taking care of the schooling of our children. This help is being witnessed far and wide. We’ll continue to ensure that these children are led to grow in the word of God.
The tradition is hampering the development in some areas as the community leaders insist on employment of their own sons to teach. Clannism is very strong here.
We pray that one day they will learn to live as the Rendille no matter the clan affiliations.
Please pray for more gospel workers.
•    Pray that we should not be discouraged at all despite lacking some evangelism tools.
•    Pray that the work of evangelism may have a positive impact in the lives of the people.
May the Lord bless His work for His work for Christ’s sake!

In Christ’s Service,

Patrick Ochieng’

A Summary of My Trip to the Rendille February 1-10, 2012 (Jonathan Underhill)

The Journey
Our preparation begins the night before as I help my dad pack up the 4 X 4 Toyota Land Cruiser the night before we leave to go into the bush. We leave early in the morning leaving behind any semblance of civilization as the concrete jungle straggles out in an ever thinner chain letting the waist-high grass take over. Every so often a village appears ahead of us, a mere blip against the empty horizon. Our destination is the Rendille tribe who live in a mountain-encapsulated desert in northeast Kenya.

120206 08 Road From Namareey to Lethore

Mountain-encapsulated desert in northeast Kenya – Mt. Kenya (over 17,000 ft)

At first the trip is like any other, a hardtop road extending toward the horizon. After climbing up towards Mt. Kenya (over 17,000 ft), we plunge down into the Rift Valley.
Here the hardtop ends and we leave the road, choosing dirt over corrugated road. We plow through dust sometimes a foot thick. Then we hit the rocks. After a 10 hour trip, we arrive  at a collection of huts in Korr that will be our home for the next couple of days.

A Typical Day On The Trip

120207 01 Lekuchula - Animals Leaving in Early Morning

The voices of the herders rise above the movement of the animals coaxing them along the right path. (This is the village of Lekachula. The animals sleep in thorn bush enclosures within the village at night and make their exit as the day dawns.)

Dawn is our wake-up call. We hear the bells of the sheep, goats, cows, and camels tinkle softly as the animals flow in a never-ending stream towards pasture. The voices of the herders rise above the movement of the animals coaxing them along the right path.
(This is the village of Lekachula. The animals sleep in thorn bush enclosures within the village at night and make their exit as the day dawns.)
We turn sleepily to see the grey horizon turning to pink and then orange before the sun explodes into the horizon a glowing ball of fire against the blue sky. I am tempted to sleep-in, but my desire is overridden by the knowledge that people have already begun to congregate around our sleeping quarters anxious to have the first word with us.

120207 49 Ndikir - Sunset

The grey horizon turning to pink and then orange before the sun explodes into the horizon a glowing ball of fire against the blue sky.

Instead, I peer through the white cotton netting above me, finally lifting it up to take a picture knowing that my memory will fade and I will lose the clarity and connection I felt to God being out in his creation with His colors. We complete a morning routine prior to facing the inevitable crowd. This includes a quick wash and shave if water is available (not every location we visit has a permanent water source), a couple of cups of hot tea (made with drinking water we’ve brought along with us) with a couple of handfuls of dry cereal, and a
devotional time in the Word. On this particular trip, we went through First and Second Peter.
Reinforced physically and spiritually, we venture out to the gathered throng. Most of the people are here because they know that we have medicine (simple antibiotic and cures for common illnesses such as malaria) and want “the medicine that you gave me last time” for ailments varying from headache to scabies. I was saddened to see children with eyes swollen shut from eye infections or shaved heads, white as if they had come from a bakery, with scabies rashes. A little cheap ointment will take care of their problems and greatly improve the quality of their lives. Other sicknesses like malaria, dysentery, or typhoid are harder to cure and much more deadly. We help as God gives us guidance. I thank God that He is the Healer not only for their physical ailments, but also for their sins.
Once the crowd has thinned, satisfied with our help, we pile into the car for our next trip.

120207 36 Near Malgis - Dust From Car

Riding on the dirt tracks.

As we have several base camps, we do not have to pack up camp everyday. It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour along dirt tracks to reach our destination. How happy our local evangelists are not to have the walk to three or four hours it would take them usually! Along the way, we typically pick up someone walking towards our destination. This gives our evangelists a chance to witness to them right there in the car and possibly lead them to Christ or receive an invitation to their village. At any rate, we reach the village  that we intend to go to and before we’ve even parked the car, a crowd of curious children materializes as it were out of thin air and surrounds the vehicle saying, “Underhill, Underhill.” They recognize the car even before they can see us in it. After shaking numerous hands, we venture away from the car and into the village often leaving a sentry, so that the car is not damaged by their curious hands. They love looking into the sheen of the metal to see their reflections as they don’t have mirrors and may never have seen themselves before! Our entourage follows us into the village and we approach our contact’s hut. They are often outside the hut to welcome us in.

A Rendille hut.

A Rendille hut is about 5 foot high at its apex. Its door faces the west and is about 3 foot high and 18 inches wide, so I have to bend over double and twist as I enter. The Rendille do this to make it difficult for a marauding band to enter their huts and give them a good chance for self-defense. The hut has no windows and is a framework of sticks (There is a bush with branches that bend without breaking to form the curved dome of the hut.) covered with flour sacks and cardboard. As it rains so infrequently, having a watertight structure is of little importance. (When the rains come they bring out a plastic tarpaulin to cover the hut.) The floors are of mud. The more affluent have sheep or goatskins to sit and sleep on. Others use cardboard.
Typically, the “kitchen” is in the hut and consists of a couple of stones. Wood is the typical fuel. I try not cough as the kitchen fire roars to life to heat water to make us a cup of tea. Most do not have milk or sugar for the tea, so we bring along these items and make a quiet donation through our evangelists so that they don’t lose face. They are extremely embarrassed if they can not provide this hospitality. In each village, we make several of these visits depending on how many people we know in the village. The huts are small and group visits are not possible in this venue.

120203 10 Dubsahaay Dogo Nursery School

Sometimes our kindergarten schools meet under a tree in a dry river bed as this is the coolest and most comfortable spot to sit.

120207 14 Lekuchula - Wazee Under Tree

Not far away from them are the wazee, the group of the village elders, also under a tree, spending the heat of the day in the coolest spot they can find.

At some villages, we have kindergarten and even elementary schools. So, a visit to the village is not complete without a visit as we are the sponsors. My primary purpose for this trip is to see the schools, so I will discuss them at length in a separate paragraph. At the schools, everything stops and all attention is directed to us. Each guest is expected to speak and each of us has a chance to express the Gospel. The children respond by singing “church” songs that they have learned. I am touched when I realize the difference that I can make in so many childrens’ lives.
Sometimes our kindergarten schools meet under a tree in a dry river bed as this is the  coolest and most comfortable spot to sit. Not far away from them are the wazee, the group of the village elders, also under a tree, spending the heat of the day in the coolest spot they can find. We take the opportunity to walk over to this group of men and tell them about Jesus. They are the ones that “control” the spiritual direction of their village. They are deeply entrenched in the mila (the traditions of their ancestors.) However, they are receptive to any message about God.
One particular group responded to our challenge to follow the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus by saying that they were too old to change, but “you can hear our children singing the songs of Jesus in our village.”
This underscores the power of our provision of education to open the village for a total change of direction. Another group asked us to start a church and kindergarten in their village as we have done for others.

120207 43 Ndikir - Nadesol, KU, Raphael Bulkash, Patrick Ochieng Sitting Outside in Late Afternoon

Back to base camp.

By now we are all thinking about going back to base camp. Our water canteens are empty,  the sun is still beating down like a hammer on our steely heads. Our stomachs resonate like a snare drum. So, we head back to base and cook our daily meal. We bring whatever canned or dried food we can as there is no electricity for refrigeration and no fresh fruits or vegetables to speak of in the whole region. My dad insists on cooking as he says he has the routine down. He gets out our small propane burner and sets a metal pot on top of it. Then he measures out the precious water we have brought and ladles it into the pot. In goes some rice, corned beef or salmon, and peas or dried spinach. A tomato soup mix gives added flavor.
Two times during our trip a sheep was prepared in my honor. This provided a “fresh” alternative to our usual meal, but is not a sustainable diet for those who are not used to it. When was the last time that you ate a quarter of a sheep!?! Maybe it’s just desert sheep, but there is not as much meat on them as you would think. However, it is deliciously roasted over an open fire. I’m glad I can sit under a tree and not do the roasting! The fire seems almost unnecessary!

120209 09 Losidan - Nabo

The naboo. This is the sacred enclosure in the center of each village in which the villagers believe God dwells. Only married men, wazee, are allowed in here. Every evening prayers for health and protection are offered to their god, the moon. They keep a log “burning” or glowing 24 hours-a-day.

In either case, our meal is washed down with the usual cup or two of hot, sweet tea. This gave us energy for our evening “program.” In the evening we go back into the village around which we are based to visit the naboo. This is the sacred enclosure in the center of each village in which the villagers believe God dwells. Only married men, wazee, are allowed in here. Every evening prayers for health and protection are offered to their god, the moon. They keep a log “burning” or glowing 24 hours-a-day. They are very open to any word from God, so we have an excellent opportunity to tell them of the true and living God who made the moon and all creation.
The typical response to our message is “Thank you for that great message from God. We have been blessed by your message. However, we need time to think about it, and we need to hear it again and again.”

120207 48 Ndikir - Moon Rising

Trudging back from the village via the light of the moon.

We trudge back from the village via the light of the moon stepping over the low-lying thorn bushes and animal scat (my son, Noah, tells me that this is the correct word to use). We never saw any wild animals, but we are told that there are snakes, hyenas, and other animals in the area. Once a two-foot baby poisonous snake materialized out of a tree during one of our meetings. Within several seconds a man was beating at it with his stick and it was dead.

120208 01 Ndikir - Getting Up In Morning

Our bedroom under a tree.

Our bedroom is either in a hut or under a tree. I honestly felt more comfortable being  under the tree as the night-time breeze is actually cool! You’d think that sleeping would be easy given the country living, but it was not! The night air is punctuated by all kinds of sounds.
Typically I heard the braying of donkeys, the bleating of sheep, and the mooing of cows. I’m not sure what sound camels make or if I heard them. Once I got used to those sounds, I would hear sounds of people talking the night away or children playing together in the village. The warani (warriors) were nearby singing through the night to entertain themselves as they watched their herds of cattle. The warani are a group of young men that spend 14 years of their lives looking after the village’s cattle as the herds have to travel away from home to find pasture. It is an extremely lonely and dangerous life. Often they have to protect the herds from enemy raiders who want to steal the cattle. It is imperative that we reach the Rendille youth prior to their going on this adventure as they will be away from their village for 14 years. They love bright colored clothes and red paint on their faces.

120207 25 Lekuchula - Jonathan & Morans

The warani are a group of young men that spend 14 years of their lives looking after the village’s cattle as the herds have to travel away from home to find pasture.

The Education Programs
The vast majority of the people that live in the Rendille villages (goobs) are illiterate. They have never spent a single day in a classroom as they have never had any to go to. Over the past few years, Trinity Baptist Church in Nairobi has sponsored several kindergarten and elementary schools. The community is supposed to build the buildings and then the government provides the teachers and textbooks. Unfortunately, this model has not  worked in this region as it has in other parts of the country. Perhaps it is due to the lifestyle lived by the Rendille that does not require education. Why the push for education one might ask? I believe that in order for the church to grow in Rendille education is necessary. Without being able to read for themselves, Rendille believers will be reliant on others for their Biblical knowledge. When we are urged in the New Testament to “search the scriptures,” the implication is that we will be able to read them for ourselves. So, how
has Trinity Baptist Church sponsored schools and how can more schools be sponsored in the future? Kindergarten is the easiest level of education to provide and the most necessary due to the total lack of education in the region. The typical kindergarten consists of a high school graduate (the teacher), a cook (for the school lunch), and the students.
Materials are a portable black board and a few pieces of chalk. The site is the nearest shade tree to the village. Elementary schools typically start off as a shade with a metal roof and may graduate to a stone building as funding is procured. Other variations include a thatch building or mud building. Trinity Baptist Church has supplied materials to build temporary shelters and pay teachers while waiting for the government, government-sponsored groups, or organizations such as World Vision to lend support in building more permanent facilities. If we are to keep pace and lead the people in the Adventure of Becoming Like Christ (mission statement borrowed from Church of the Open Door, Elyria, OH), education is a necessary part of the adventure.
What does it cost to “run” a school under a tree, metal-roofed shade, or stone building? It costs between $50-$100 a month per class depending on the quality of the teacher and amount of materials and food needed. Can you imagine being a first responder and providing education to a whole village of children for under a $100 a month? The elders of the village have told us that “the name of Jesus is sung in our villages.” How wonderful is the name of the Lord!

120208 05 Ndikir - Primary School

It costs between $50-$100 a month per class depending on the quality of the teacher and amount of materials and food needed.

What has God revealed to me as my role in this adventure? Trinity Baptist Church is looking for someone to assist in the educational aspect of the ministry in Rendille. I believe that this is something I can do from location in the US. I believe that several visits a year to provide encouragement and training to local Christian leaders on the ground and establish working relationships between the PTA, local Kenyan government agencies, World Vision and other such agencies, and church supporters will provide an environment in which these schools can flourish. During my visit, I established contacts within the first three groups.

Now I appeal to you brothers and sisters in the Christian church. I believe that I am well suited for a role as an advocate for the Rendille people and potential supporters of the Lord’s work there. This is not a new desire for me. It something that the Lord has been whispering to me ever since I was a junior in high school. But now He is providing me with means that I can not ignore. He has shown me in numerous ways that He will provide for His work and I am confident in that fact. I believe that He has already chosen from among the readers of this report those who will help the work in Rendille and other unevangelized areas of the world, so that by aiding directly in church planting work and indirectly in education, God’s Word is going forth in irresistible power. I am reminded of one old man’s words, “please start a church here and a school.”

120205 13 Korr - J & Children After Sunday Service

At Home

Nairobi City.

In Nairobi, I spent some time with my mother in my childhood home. I made the mistake of posting a status on Facebook saying I had “arrived home” which sounded like I’d gotten back to the US, except I meant I was in my old room in my old house. I spent a couple of days meeting old friends and realizing that they are just as excited at this potential ministry as I am. My best friend, Oscar, and his wife, Catherine, were of particular encouragement as Catherine works at World Vision and was able to set up meetings for me with some of the personnel there. The skyline of Nairobi shows a city of mixed age. The round building just left of center used to be the tallest building, but is now overtaken by many newer facilities. In the foreground in Uhuru Park, one of the Nairobi’s public parks. Below is the house I spent my last few years in before I came to America. My bedroom is the one behind the extreme right second story window.

120131 03 Packing - House at Greenfields

At home.

This is the first update of several which will include the development of a video presentation with the sights and sounds of Rendille included.

Yours in Christ, Jonathan.

Progress Report

FROM: PATRICK OCHIENG’ – TBC KORR
SUBJECT: PROGRESS REPORT
DATE: 19:08:11

RECEIVED: 06:09:11

Dear brethren,

Greetings in the powerful name of Jesus Christ.
I consider it a real pleasure to give you an update of the development in the spiritual realm here in Korr. The Lord reign! As a church we constantly enjoy His mercies each time despite the prevailing challenges. It is amazing to see how the Lord have graciously kept His church. We are fully agreed that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, and that our hope MUST be built in the living foundation stone- the lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful experience we get in His word.

We are now through with 1 Timothy chapter four in our Bible study group. I took time to explain the proper meaning of verse ten the part which says, ‘who is the Savior of all men’. The term ‘all’ have been used out of context and the Roman Catholics have misled a majority into believing that universalism- salvation for all was effected when Christ died on the cross. Misinterpretation of the text indeed. We believe in particular redemption. I told them that Christ died to make salvation certain for his elect people, and God calls and justifies those whom he has chosen in Christ. Their salvation depends on God’s will, not theirs, though they do exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the cream of the gospel.

On Thursday we took time to pray for the work here in Kenya. We were disturbed by shocking news about the violence which erupted in most cities of England, including Liverpool where, according to the reports we have Pastor Keith acquired a house and that Mathew is currently residing there. We prayed for the peace to be restored and that the Lord be merciful to those who plan to do evil.

The Mission Aviation Fellowship- MAF brought some relief food to be distributed among the three churches- TBC, AIC and IPM. Each church received two sacks of flour, 30 kg of green grams, 30 kg of rice and 25kg of uji flour. All the glory to God. On behalf of TBC, I wrote the appreciation letter to express our heartfelt thanks for their good gesture. At least each family had something to eat for two days. What the Rendilles need at this hour of need is the small gift to sustain them. The word of God remains paramount in all spheres.

Beginning 22nd- 27th August 2011, there will be a youth retreat whose theme will be taken from Ps. 25:7. We have invited some other young people from local churches around.
At last the Member of Parliament brought the roofing materials for his house. Anytime next week our work may begin God willing. I think the reasons I gave were tangible as to why we settled on him. A week’s work is not a bother. It’s disheartening to see people continue to suffer for lack of food, despite Kenya for Kenyans initiative for raising hundreds of millions to help the victims. Since the fund was started, the Rendille people are yet to benefit. We are wondering whose cause the fund was initiated.

The Lord is blessing our efforts in reaching out people for the purpose of preaching the gospel. In a well attended service last Lord’s Day, one of the ladies who has been coming to our church for the last one year, made a profession and confessed her sins before the congregation and believed in Christ.

Please pray for more conversions. All we have witnessed are genuine because we ground them to the scriptures alone and exhort them to live by the word of God as their rule of faith.
– Pray for myself and all the people I minister to
– Pray for the youth ministry.

In Christ’s service,

PATRICK OCHIENG’