October 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Supporters and Friends, October 2012

We want to thank you for your prayers and support for our family, and our ministries that God is continuing to bless. Over the last few months it has been very busy, and it has been difficult to get a letter out. Electricity and internet have also been a problem in trying to get a letter out. I know that it has worried some about the lateness of our letter; so we have tried to give you a few of the highlights, and we will fill in on other details later. I know that this is a long letter, but please pray for God’s continued guidance in these areas of our ministry as well as for our family.

Orphan Ministry Update:
We are now feeding over 40 children on a daily basis in two of our village churches (Kuresoi and Sidundo); and at the Orphan Home Project in Sidundo, the buildings now have windows, doors, and locks on one dorm building and the kitchen/dining room.  In May, we also discovered that there was already a well dug on the property more than 20 or 30 years ago.  So we re-dug it; and the water supply is enough for the college classes and even for the orphans, once we are ready to start housing them on the property.  Our plan is to start with 10 boys and to work through the things that will be needed to take care of them.  We will be meeting shortly with the guardians of these boys, whom we think would be the most needy, to prepare for the boys beginning in January.  Please pray that the necessary funds will come in on a monthly basis to care for this ministry.

Current orphan support: At this time, less than $100 per month is coming in specifically for the orphan ministry.   We are currently using close to $350 on a monthly basis for just our feeding program.  We have received a few large offerings throughout the year that has enabled us to continue working on the project buildings in Sidundo a little each month, as we continue to help the children in our feeding program.  Our plan, for housing ten boys, will need more funding by January.   Please try to help on a monthly basis, as we try to move forward in the goal helping these precious children in our village churches.  We are praying that the Lord will enable us to visit each of these 40 children individually in the coming weeks, in order to give them a Christmas package filled with food and many other needed items.

Bible College, Graduation, & New Students for 2013:
We are finishing up the 2012 year of classes, and we will be having 5 graduates, who finish the three-year course, this year.  Graduation will be on December 1st.  There are already 10 new students signed up to begin classes in January 2013, and we have several more appointments to interview others as well. Classes have continued to go well throughout the year in Sidundo and in Kisii.  We thank God for the faithful pastors who are helping to teach and train others.  There are several churches also who have not had students in our college this year; and before classes start in January, I will be meeting with them to encourage them in training up men and ladies to serve the Lord.

Calvary Baptist Sidundo:
Continue to pray for Calvary Baptist Church in Sidundo as they still do not have a pastor.  We are working with about 5 men who are called to preach, and they are doing very well in different areas. They are alternating the teaching in Sunday school, Bible Study, and the Preaching services.  Visitation is going well as the twelve students divide themselves 3 by 3; and the average attendance is running between 80-90, and several are being saved nearly every week.

A Busy August:
August was a full month for us. We had a week of VBS at Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii Town. And our Fifth Annual Ladies’ Conference was the last full week of the month. We had 38 ladies this year, and they came to Kisii from 8 of our churches for a week of refreshment and encouragement.  Our ladies from Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii did a lot of the teaching for this meeting, and it was a blessing to see their growth and willingness to teach others. It was a wonderful week! Please pray for Tonya as she continues to minister to the ladies in all of our churches, and pray for the Lord to continue to give us faithful ladies that are willing to serve Him in their own local churches and communities.

Tonya’s Medical Furlough & Update:
We want to thank every church and individual family that has been praying for Tonya’s health throughout this year. And we want to say thank you to each and every one of you who have helped with the expenses of her medical furlough. Tonya is currently in the USA receiving medical care due to some drastic drops in her blood levels. The doctors have been keeping a close eye on her blood for the past year; and after her last labs, they determined that she must return to the USA for further testing and treatment. After returning to the USA, the doctors have ruled out the need for a full transfusion, but have diagnosed her with an extreme B-12 and Folate deficiency. We have learned that these deficiencies are actually more dangerous than the Iron deficiency that we have been watching over the past few years. She is improving slowly, and she is scheduled to return to Kenya on November 26th. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

Luke’s Malaria/ Typhoid Update:
I know that we wrote about this, and many have seen the news on Facebook; and we thank you for your prayers.  For those who have not heard anything, I had a bout with malaria starting in June, then again in July where after several courses of treatment; I started feeling better.  It took two weeks to get some relief, I lost a lot of weight, and for several days I did not even know what was going on.  That was the worst part of it.  Then I was sick again in August, I took another round of treatment for about a week.  Then again in September with a bit different symptoms of being a bit sluggish during the day and severe chills every evening for about two hours and uncontrollable shaking again for about a week.  I was then advised by some of our Kenyan friends to get checked for Typhoid as well as malaria.  After being checked by a doctor, we were told that I had both malaria and typhoid; so I took the medicine for both, and I am feeling quite a bit better. The symptoms have not come back yet this month (October). We thank you so much for your prayers during this time. We praise the Lord for His healing and protection.
 
For Souls in Kenya,
 
Luke & Tonya Shelby

October 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Supporters and Friends, October 2012

We want to thank you for your prayers and support for our family, and our ministries that God is continuing to bless. Over the last few months it has been very busy, and it has been difficult to get a letter out. Electricity and internet have also been a problem in trying to get a letter out. I know that it has worried some about the lateness of our letter; so we have tried to give you a few of the highlights, and we will fill in on other details later. I know that this is a long letter, but please pray for God’s continued guidance in these areas of our ministry as well as for our family.

Orphan Ministry Update:
We are now feeding over 40 children on a daily basis in two of our village churches (Kuresoi and Sidundo); and at the Orphan Home Project in Sidundo, the buildings now have windows, doors, and locks on one dorm building and the kitchen/dining room.  In May, we also discovered that there was already a well dug on the property more than 20 or 30 years ago.  So we re-dug it; and the water supply is enough for the college classes and even for the orphans, once we are ready to start housing them on the property.  Our plan is to start with 10 boys and to work through the things that will be needed to take care of them.  We will be meeting shortly with the guardians of these boys, whom we think would be the most needy, to prepare for the boys beginning in January.  Please pray that the necessary funds will come in on a monthly basis to care for this ministry.

Current orphan support: At this time, less than $100 per month is coming in specifically for the orphan ministry.   We are currently using close to $350 on a monthly basis for just our feeding program.  We have received a few large offerings throughout the year that has enabled us to continue working on the project buildings in Sidundo a little each month, as we continue to help the children in our feeding program.  Our plan, for housing ten boys, will need more funding by January.   Please try to help on a monthly basis, as we try to move forward in the goal helping these precious children in our village churches.  We are praying that the Lord will enable us to visit each of these 40 children individually in the coming weeks, in order to give them a Christmas package filled with food and many other needed items.

Bible College, Graduation, & New Students for 2013:
We are finishing up the 2012 year of classes, and we will be having 5 graduates, who finish the three-year course, this year.  Graduation will be on December 1st.  There are already 10 new students signed up to begin classes in January 2013, and we have several more appointments to interview others as well. Classes have continued to go well throughout the year in Sidundo and in Kisii.  We thank God for the faithful pastors who are helping to teach and train others.  There are several churches also who have not had students in our college this year; and before classes start in January, I will be meeting with them to encourage them in training up men and ladies to serve the Lord.

Calvary Baptist Sidundo:
Continue to pray for Calvary Baptist Church in Sidundo as they still do not have a pastor.  We are working with about 5 men who are called to preach, and they are doing very well in different areas. They are alternating the teaching in Sunday school, Bible Study, and the Preaching services.  Visitation is going well as the twelve students divide themselves 3 by 3; and the average attendance is running between 80-90, and several are being saved nearly every week.

A Busy August:
August was a full month for us. We had a week of VBS at Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii Town. And our Fifth Annual Ladies’ Conference was the last full week of the month. We had 38 ladies this year, and they came to Kisii from 8 of our churches for a week of refreshment and encouragement.  Our ladies from Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii did a lot of the teaching for this meeting, and it was a blessing to see their growth and willingness to teach others. It was a wonderful week! Please pray for Tonya as she continues to minister to the ladies in all of our churches, and pray for the Lord to continue to give us faithful ladies that are willing to serve Him in their own local churches and communities.

Tonya’s Medical Furlough & Update:
We want to thank every church and individual family that has been praying for Tonya’s health throughout this year. And we want to say thank you to each and every one of you who have helped with the expenses of her medical furlough. Tonya is currently in the USA receiving medical care due to some drastic drops in her blood levels. The doctors have been keeping a close eye on her blood for the past year; and after her last labs, they determined that she must return to the USA for further testing and treatment. After returning to the USA, the doctors have ruled out the need for a full transfusion, but have diagnosed her with an extreme B-12 and Folate deficiency. We have learned that these deficiencies are actually more dangerous than the Iron deficiency that we have been watching over the past few years. She is improving slowly, and she is scheduled to return to Kenya on November 26th. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

Luke’s Malaria/ Typhoid Update:
I know that we wrote about this, and many have seen the news on Facebook; and we thank you for your prayers.  For those who have not heard anything, I had a bout with malaria starting in June, then again in July where after several courses of treatment; I started feeling better.  It took two weeks to get some relief, I lost a lot of weight, and for several days I did not even know what was going on.  That was the worst part of it.  Then I was sick again in August, I took another round of treatment for about a week.  Then again in September with a bit different symptoms of being a bit sluggish during the day and severe chills every evening for about two hours and uncontrollable shaking again for about a week.  I was then advised by some of our Kenyan friends to get checked for Typhoid as well as malaria.  After being checked by a doctor, we were told that I had both malaria and typhoid; so I took the medicine for both, and I am feeling quite a bit better. The symptoms have not come back yet this month (October). We thank you so much for your prayers during this time. We praise the Lord for His healing and protection.
 
For Souls in Kenya,
 
Luke & Tonya Shelby

The Nile Monitor

This is similar to the critter that we found on our church property in Sidundo. A Nile Monitor Lizard at least 6-7 feet long. Not sure exactly because it is still there. Some of the students went after it with a machete and cut two feet of its tail off (so now I guess it would only be 4-5 feet long).



There are others that have been seen burrowing down under some of the ten or so termite mounds on our 5-acre property. They hatch their eggs in the termite mounds, and then the babies can eat the termites as soon as they hatch. And yes, our kids have already asked if they can keep one (a baby)!!

The Nile Monitor

This is similar to the critter that we found on our church property in Sidundo. A Nile Monitor Lizard at least 6-7 feet long. Not sure exactly because it is still there. Some of the students went after it with a machete and cut two feet of its tail off (so now I guess it would only be 4-5 feet long).


There are others that have been seen burrowing down under some of the ten or so termite mounds on our 5-acre property. They hatch their eggs in the termite mounds, and then the babies can eat the termites as soon as they hatch. And yes, our kids have already asked if they can keep one (a baby)!!

Anything is possible with God

September last year there was a terrorist bombing in Kampala, Uganda, which killed about seventy-six people during the World Cup final. Al-Amin Kimathi one of the suspects of the thirty-eight that were arrested for the bombing was released from his charges of murder and terrorism on September 24, 2011. Most of those still on trial are charged with terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and the consideration of committing terrorism.

The government systems of countries all around the world today are finding different ways to prevent danger to come to those in the local communities. I understand the necessity of their laws and regulations, but does some of that stuff really work? I mean, when someone violates the laws or rules there are consequences, which that person has to under-go, but what does politics, have control over to keep that person from doing it again? The answer is that there is nothing THEY can do. The government cannot do anything to prevent Satan from accomplishing his goal. Only God and His servants can win that battle. We need to pray for those who think it is right to kill others. We need to reach out, wave them over to the road we are on, do anything to get their attention, and have faith in that ANYTHING is possible with GOD.

From your missionary friend,

Abigail Shelby

Medical Furlough for Tonya

Dear Praying Friends & Family,

Please keep our family in your prayers, especially Tonya.

We are writing to let you know about Tonya's need for a medical Furlough.  We had talked about her health trouble early this year, February or March, I believe.  The prices of tickets were very high at the time that we wanted to plan a trip (June-July), due to the Olympic games in London.  We were then told about trying a gluten free diet to see if that would help.  So her doctor agreed that it would not hurt to try that if the cost was too much to travel in July.  But he said that if we did not see a change for the better she would need to return to the USA for treatment (that treatment being either a full transfusion or multiple iron and vitamin infusions over the course of 8 weeks).  She gets her blood checked almost monthly.  And she has been on the gluten free diet since March.  Her blood work was holding steady or only dropping a tenth of a point here and there.  So we thought that she was doing alright.  But the past few weeks she has noticed a definite change in how she feels, and she has started passing out frequently.  And then we got her last blood work results back the first of last week.  Her iron levels have dropped a full 3 points, her red blood cells are also pretty low this time (which shows that her body is now using up the stored iron in the red cells).  After talking with her doctor, he says that it is very important to get treatment as soon as possible.  The infusions are not possible here, and the transfusion really isn't either due Tonya's somewhat rare blood type.  So we have a ticket reserved for her for the dates of 25th September - 27th November.  She will be flying directly into Little Rock, AR, which is where her doctor (a hematologist) is.  The kids and I will try holding down the home front while she is away.

We normally do not send email requests like this; but the plane ticket alone is $1,700 (that is round-trip from Kisumu, Kenya to Little Rock, AR), and that does not take into consideration the cost of living in the USA for at least 8 weeks.  If anyone feels led to help with this medical trip, then we thank you in advance.  Please feel free to send messages of encouragement to Tonya at mail@shelbysinkenya.org.  And if the Lord leads to help financially, please mark your check clearly with a note for "Tonya Shelby's Medical Furlough" & send to: BIMI, P.O. Box 9215, Chattanooga, TN 37412;  or you can send it to our Home Church: Bible Baptist Church, 3301 North First Street, Jacksonville, AR  72976. 

Thank you for your prayers during this time.

Serving Him in Kenya,

Luke and Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya

Sports can be a moulder of character. (By Breanne)

Sports can be a molder of character if one lets it do its work. One of the most important qualities that can be derived from sports is teamwork. I learned the lesson of teamwork a few years ago, as we played soccer almost everyday. The team captains chose their own team members, another player, Faith, and I were not the best teammates; of course, they always put us on the same team! One reason we never we never worked well on the same team, was because we both liked to be in the front getting goals, not guarding our own goal. But the main reason was because we were both hot-headed. Strife began to slip into our team, every time we played together we lost worse than the time before. I realized that I was not having good sportsmanship, and I am sure Faith realized it too. Though we never spoke about having good sportsmanship, we both began to try working together. Teamwork is not something learned overnight, and it was quite a few games before we both got in the "groove" and began to win again. Faith and I now work well together, but better still, I learned an important lesson; whoever you play with, treat them with respect, and adjust your abilities to match those of your teammate. Learning the simple lessons that sports offer, will improve your character.

Two Types of Cars (By Breanne)

Every car tends to have its own personality, this personality is what makes a Mitsubishi Pajero and an Izuzu Filly absolute opposites. First, our Filly, or more specifically, Momma's Filly, is a van that is always clean, neat, and white; it is quite spacious too. Of course one would not expect a man's vehicle to be neat, and it is NOT! Our Pajero (Daddy's car) has candy wrappers in the floor, old soda bottles, grimy tools, and who knows what else! The seats probably have not been vacuumed in years and it smells of mildew. Second, my dad's Pajero seemingly falls apart each time it is driven. One cannot even imagine how many times the mechanic comes to fix it in just one month; unlike our van, which holds together well on rough roads, even though it does not have four-wheel drive. Lastly, if our Izuzu Filly were a person she would be a white-gowned young lady with dark lashes. On the other hand, our Pajero is like an old man, run-down with years, he would have a gray beard and would eventually die of pneumonia. A smooth ride in our van is much more relaxing than bouncing around in the back of our Pajero that rattles with tools.

Recipe: Carrot Soup

Carrot Soup

★★★★

Makes: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled, sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled (1/8 tsp = 1 clove)
• 1 whole clove
• 4 cups (about) canned vegetable broth or water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/4 cup chilled whipping cream
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Homemade Croutons

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and cloves and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth. Cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Remove cloves from broth and discard. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to same saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin to desired consistency with more broth. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Whisk cream in medium bowl just until slightly thickened, about 10 seconds.

Stir soup over medium heat until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle cream over. Top with parsley.

Nutritional Info:

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Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrot-Soup-1965

Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes 3 Ways - Plain, with Apples or with Pecans!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes 3 Ways - Plain, with Apples or with Pecans!

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups GF flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• Extra oil for cooking pancakes
• For Apple Pumpkin Gluten-Free Pancakes - 1 medium, cored, finely chopped apple
• For Pecan Pumpkin Gluten-Free Pancakes - 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Plain Pumpkin Pancakes-Combine milk, pumpkin, eggs, oil, vinegar and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.

In a separate medium mixing bowl combine gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt and xanthan OR guar gum.

Whisk until thoroughly combined.Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour about 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium high heat. Pour 1/4 cup pancake batter into preheated skillet and smooth into a circle with a spoon. Cook each side of pancake until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon oil to preheated skillet before pouring batter into skillet for each pancake. Serve warm.Yield- About 12 4-inch pancakes

Gluten-Free Apple Pumpkin Pancakes-Core and finely chop one medium apple (no need to peel.) Spoon pancake batter into preheated, oiled skillet. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon chopped apple on top of pancake- one side only. Flip and cook as for plain pancakes.

Source: http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/breakfast/r/glutenfreepumpkinpancakerecipes.htm

Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager