Hello, March 2007
First of all we want to thank each of you for praying for our safety and for the guidance of the Lord.
The work has been very busy getting it back started up with some of our men that we left with responsibilities while we were gone on furlough, caused some problems of which most we have been able to settle and others will take a long time for it to pass through.We were able to get the Bible College up and running in January by moving it to Kisii town where we live.Next month we are having our first graduation for the ones that finished last term and of six that finished classes only three of them may graduate because of problems and grades.We are hoping to reconcile these men back in a good way to continue working for the Lord together.
God impressed on our hearts while we were on furlough to start a church in Kisii town when we came back to Kenya.We did some searching around and have a Kisii Municipal Youth hall that became available and we are able to enter into that building in April.We will pay less than $100 per month for the building that is about 40’ by 100’ and we were looking forward to starting a church there and using that facility that is in the middle of our town of 75,000 people.But God has shown us different plans for starting the church.
Another church that was started here over 20 years ago by a fundamental Baptist Missionary, started having troubles between themselves a little while back.They called the founding missionary, who is still in the country, to help them.Through some discussions they came to the conclusion of closing down the church if I could start a new church right away in its place.So the property and buildings were handed over to me to start the new church.I will need to raise the $18,000 to reimburse the missionary for his money into this property and help him as he starts a new church where he is living now.
So God’s ways are not our ways, but if we do not try to find His ways, he will not show us his ways.
I started meeting with some of the old church members in their homes and started some Home Bible Studies to spread the news of the starting of the new church on Easter Sunday, April 8th.This Sunday I met with 27 adults and 11 children, with two men being saved on Sunday in two Home Bible studies.There is yet another Home Bible Study on Saturday afternoon in a new neighborhood.
God is opening so many doors.
The next blessing that is really great is that we are still being considered for the Kisii Municipal Youth Hall and we can renovate it any way that we want at our expense.That means that it can be partitioned with dorms, and classrooms to meet the needs of our College while not having to break it down for church on Sundays.We opened classes with 21 students and the classes are going well.
A few more things to pray for this week are the funerals of two will buried next week-end.One is an older daughter of a church member who died of TB.The other is the owner of our house, where we have lived since 2001. Please pray that there is no problem with his children and that we will continue to stay here.
Also for the last two weeks we have been helping a member from Rongo.She has TB of the spine and she has not been able to walk for three weeks.She needs surgery to relieve the pressure and put in a disc that has deteriorated.There are no doctors (orthopedic) here and we are trying to get a referral to a hospital two hours away.Her name is Lilian Odak.Please pray for her.I am not sure about this kind of surgery here.Her and her husband have four children and one of them is only two months old.
Thank you again for your prayers
May God bless you.
Luke, Tonya, Abigail, Breanne, Caleb and Kay-Leigh
