Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Prayer Partners and Supporters,
We thank you for your prayers for Tonya as she was in the USA getting more treatments and B-12 shots, in October, to use here. She should have enough to get her through until May of next year, when she is scheduled for another round of tests.
We are finishing the year for the our Bible College, and on November 30th we will have a graduation for two students. First, is George; he is not married, and he is 22 years old. Second, is Christopher; he is a grandfather getting close to 65 years old. He only knows the year he was born, because it was before they started keeping track of birthdays. George is helping me with visitation at our church in Rongo, since the previous assistant Pastor of the church passed away in August.
The Lord is continuing to bless in Kisii, and we are getting ready to start the work on the new church building. The church has nearly raised the equivalent of $3,000, which is half of their commitment to this project. We are getting the blueprints drawn up, and all the legal paperwork finished; so that we can start building in January. We have planned the last fund raising for the year on December 1st, along with a ground breaking service. We have invited our other pastors to take part in this, so that they can see the importance of this special day. We currently have $900 that has come in, and an additional $2,000 has already been promised. So we need to raise $3,100 by January, so that we will be able to begin the work. We have chosen January to start the work, because it is the longest dry season with no rain. The dry time will only last for about 4-6 weeks, so we have to get as much done in that time as possible. Please help us to raise the remaining amount.
In October, we held our first Mission's Conference for our church in Kisii. It went very well, and they committed over $100 each month to be sent to missionaries that are Kenyan nationals who are working in the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and one that is going to Sudan. We also do a simple commitment card to write down what they expect to give as a tithe, and the total commitments that they gave were tripled from last year to almost $500 a month promised. This has been really amazing to see, we have never seen this kind of giving by any church in Kenya (even in Nairobi) for the size membership that we have. We have about 15 families in this church. They have given lots of testimonies of how the Lord has blessed them through their giving through this past year, and these testimonies have been an encouragement to others.
We received an offering of $3,100 from Sackville Independent Baptist Church in Canada. This offering is for some of the finishing work for the Orphanage in Sidundo. We have purchased beds, we are finishing the toilet block, and we are getting electricity onto the property. Please pray that we can get as much work done as possible through the month of December, so that we can move around 20 girls into their dorm room by January!
Thank you for your prayers and support for our family and ministries.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke and Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya
Thursday 21 November 2013
Thursday 18 July 2013
July 2013 Prayer Letter
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Supporters, Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings from Kenya! Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for our family and ministry in Kenya. We had a good time visiting with other missionaries for the 4th of July. God bless America!!!
Orphan Ministry:
We are currently using much more money to help meet the needs of the children than we have coming in. We have received gifts and one time offering gifts for the orphan ministry, but it is not enough to take care of the feeding program that we have in two different locations for over 50 children. There are 13 boys between the ages of 8-17 that we are taking care of at our orphanage in the village of Sidundo. Currently, we are using over $500 monthly for the basic feeding program and for the running of the orphanage; and we have paid almost $300 in school fees for a few of the older children, that we have been able to help during the first half of this year. At this time, we have less than $200 coming in on a monthly basis for this ministry, and this is causing us to cut back in some of our other ministry areas. Please pray with us that the Lord will send in the needed funds for this ministry.
Visiting Some of Our Churches:
We were able to visit some of our churches in April and May. We have one church in the village of Nyarenda that has a preaching point about an hours walk from the church, and several people are coming from all that way every week. We are planning to open a new church there in a few months. The rains have caused flooding through most areas of the country and in low lying areas next to rivers as they flow into Lake Victoria. Here is a picture of our church in the village of Sidundo. They had to meet under a nearby tree for three weeks before the water subsided. But the church continued well with an average attendance between 80-90.
Faith Baptist Church in the village of Erandi is also doing well; but we are praying for the men to be faithful, and to help Pastor Livinacs in leading the church so that it can grow. We will be planning a meeting to encourage this church soon. Please continue to pray for each of the churches under our ministry.
Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii has been doing very well with their giving (this is an area where 90% of the people are making under $50 per month). Since January, the offerings have been averaging over $250 per month. They have begun raising money to build a church building of 50ft. by 35ft. It will seat 200 people, and the existing building will be divided up into Sunday school classrooms. The total cost of the project will be $12,000. We have agreed to share the costs of this project with the church; sister churches and Calvary Baptist Church will work together to raise half of it, and then we would provide the remaining half. The church has raised $1,100 already towards this project, and they are trying to raise the rest of their part through the course of this year. We need your help to raise the remaining amount of $6,000 by the end of the year. We would like to be able to begin construction in early 2014.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Dear Supporters, Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings from Kenya! Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for our family and ministry in Kenya. We had a good time visiting with other missionaries for the 4th of July. God bless America!!!
Orphan Ministry:
We are currently using much more money to help meet the needs of the children than we have coming in. We have received gifts and one time offering gifts for the orphan ministry, but it is not enough to take care of the feeding program that we have in two different locations for over 50 children. There are 13 boys between the ages of 8-17 that we are taking care of at our orphanage in the village of Sidundo. Currently, we are using over $500 monthly for the basic feeding program and for the running of the orphanage; and we have paid almost $300 in school fees for a few of the older children, that we have been able to help during the first half of this year. At this time, we have less than $200 coming in on a monthly basis for this ministry, and this is causing us to cut back in some of our other ministry areas. Please pray with us that the Lord will send in the needed funds for this ministry.
Visiting Some of Our Churches:
We were able to visit some of our churches in April and May. We have one church in the village of Nyarenda that has a preaching point about an hours walk from the church, and several people are coming from all that way every week. We are planning to open a new church there in a few months. The rains have caused flooding through most areas of the country and in low lying areas next to rivers as they flow into Lake Victoria. Here is a picture of our church in the village of Sidundo. They had to meet under a nearby tree for three weeks before the water subsided. But the church continued well with an average attendance between 80-90.
Faith Baptist Church in the village of Erandi is also doing well; but we are praying for the men to be faithful, and to help Pastor Livinacs in leading the church so that it can grow. We will be planning a meeting to encourage this church soon. Please continue to pray for each of the churches under our ministry.
Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii has been doing very well with their giving (this is an area where 90% of the people are making under $50 per month). Since January, the offerings have been averaging over $250 per month. They have begun raising money to build a church building of 50ft. by 35ft. It will seat 200 people, and the existing building will be divided up into Sunday school classrooms. The total cost of the project will be $12,000. We have agreed to share the costs of this project with the church; sister churches and Calvary Baptist Church will work together to raise half of it, and then we would provide the remaining half. The church has raised $1,100 already towards this project, and they are trying to raise the rest of their part through the course of this year. We need your help to raise the remaining amount of $6,000 by the end of the year. We would like to be able to begin construction in early 2014.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Monday 10 June 2013
April-June 2013 Prayer Letter
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Supporters, Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings from Kisii, Kenya. It has been a very busy few months, with a lot of traveling and tight scheduling. Thank you for your prayers! I have had a few bouts with Malaria since the beginning of the year, but we have been able to catch it early enough so it only lasts about a day or two. It has been nothing like it was last year. Tonya has been doing better as well, and she just finished her follow-up trip to the States this month. She was able to get her blood work done and pick up the supplies she needs for her B-12 shots and other supplements. Her tests came back with good results. Her B-12 levels were 4 points into the normal range for the first time in several years! Her doctor is still concerned with her ferritin level (stored iron in the body); it is still within the normal range, but has dropped to 1/2 of what it was six months ago. Her doctor wants her to definitely return to the States again in six months, and he says we should be prepared for her to have either an iron infusion or blood transfusion at that time if her ferritin level continues to drop at this rate. We are, of course, trying to add iron with diet as much as possible; and we are praying that the Lord will continue to strengthen her and her blood in the coming months.
Men's Conference:
We held our first Men's Conference in March, where we taught on fatherhood, leadership, relationships, and serving The Lord as laymen. This is the first time that we have done this without the emphasis being towards pastors only. We had over 30 men from 8 different churches present for the sessions for the three day conference. Many of these men accepted the challenge that was presented to them, and they chose to sign a resolution along with their wives before the church; they decided before their church family to take up the responsibility that God has given them to be godly leaders in their homes. We praise the Lord for the changes He is bringing about in each of these families!
South Nyanza Baptist College:
Both of our Bible College branches are doing well, and we opened this year with 16 new students and some new pastors that have joined with us for fellowship and training. Our four teachers, who are national pastors, are assisting me and taking on more leadership roles in the college; and it is a blessing to see these men continue to mature in the Lord. This will open more opportunities to add an additional Pastoral class that we have not been able to finalize because of past schedule conflicts. Please pray for: classes, new students, and the challenges of opening new branches.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Men's Conference 2013
South Nyanza Baptist College - Kisii Branch 2013
Dear Supporters, Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings from Kisii, Kenya. It has been a very busy few months, with a lot of traveling and tight scheduling. Thank you for your prayers! I have had a few bouts with Malaria since the beginning of the year, but we have been able to catch it early enough so it only lasts about a day or two. It has been nothing like it was last year. Tonya has been doing better as well, and she just finished her follow-up trip to the States this month. She was able to get her blood work done and pick up the supplies she needs for her B-12 shots and other supplements. Her tests came back with good results. Her B-12 levels were 4 points into the normal range for the first time in several years! Her doctor is still concerned with her ferritin level (stored iron in the body); it is still within the normal range, but has dropped to 1/2 of what it was six months ago. Her doctor wants her to definitely return to the States again in six months, and he says we should be prepared for her to have either an iron infusion or blood transfusion at that time if her ferritin level continues to drop at this rate. We are, of course, trying to add iron with diet as much as possible; and we are praying that the Lord will continue to strengthen her and her blood in the coming months.
Men's Conference:
We held our first Men's Conference in March, where we taught on fatherhood, leadership, relationships, and serving The Lord as laymen. This is the first time that we have done this without the emphasis being towards pastors only. We had over 30 men from 8 different churches present for the sessions for the three day conference. Many of these men accepted the challenge that was presented to them, and they chose to sign a resolution along with their wives before the church; they decided before their church family to take up the responsibility that God has given them to be godly leaders in their homes. We praise the Lord for the changes He is bringing about in each of these families!
South Nyanza Baptist College:
Both of our Bible College branches are doing well, and we opened this year with 16 new students and some new pastors that have joined with us for fellowship and training. Our four teachers, who are national pastors, are assisting me and taking on more leadership roles in the college; and it is a blessing to see these men continue to mature in the Lord. This will open more opportunities to add an additional Pastoral class that we have not been able to finalize because of past schedule conflicts. Please pray for: classes, new students, and the challenges of opening new branches.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Men's Conference 2013
South Nyanza Baptist College - Kisii Branch 2013
Sunday 10 March 2013
March 10, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and for Kenya throughout this past week. It seems like everything is back to normal in Kenya for the moment. We have not had any more reports of trouble since yesterday.
The opposition party still plans to take the election matter to court, so we may still see some tense moments in the days to come. Once they take their petition to court, the court will have 14 days to make a ruling one way or the other. March 26th is the day that is scheduled for the swearing in ceremony for the new President. So the court case could cause a delay for this date.
And we are happy to report that all of our churches were able to meet for services all across our region (Nyanza) of Kenya without any problems! After talking with many people all across this region, we are hearing the same thing from all areas; the Kenyan people just want peace to prevail, and they are willing to sit back and let the court decide the entire matter. This is a great answer to prayer!
Thank you everyone for praying!
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and for Kenya throughout this past week. It seems like everything is back to normal in Kenya for the moment. We have not had any more reports of trouble since yesterday.
The opposition party still plans to take the election matter to court, so we may still see some tense moments in the days to come. Once they take their petition to court, the court will have 14 days to make a ruling one way or the other. March 26th is the day that is scheduled for the swearing in ceremony for the new President. So the court case could cause a delay for this date.
And we are happy to report that all of our churches were able to meet for services all across our region (Nyanza) of Kenya without any problems! After talking with many people all across this region, we are hearing the same thing from all areas; the Kenyan people just want peace to prevail, and they are willing to sit back and let the court decide the entire matter. This is a great answer to prayer!
Thank you everyone for praying!
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
March 10, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and for Kenya throughout this past week. It seems like everything is back to normal in Kenya for the moment. We have not had any more reports of trouble since yesterday.
The opposition party still plans to take the election matter to court, so we may still see some tense moments in the days to come. Once they take their petition to court, the court will have 14 days to make a ruling one way or the other. March 26th is the day that is scheduled for the swearing in ceremony for the new President. So the court case could cause a delay for this date.
And we are happy to report that all of our churches were able to meet for services all across our region (Nyanza) of Kenya without any problems! After talking with many people all across this region, we are hearing the same thing from all areas; the Kenyan people just want peace to prevail, and they are willing to sit back and let the court decide the entire matter. This is a great answer to prayer!
Thank you everyone for praying!
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and for Kenya throughout this past week. It seems like everything is back to normal in Kenya for the moment. We have not had any more reports of trouble since yesterday.
The opposition party still plans to take the election matter to court, so we may still see some tense moments in the days to come. Once they take their petition to court, the court will have 14 days to make a ruling one way or the other. March 26th is the day that is scheduled for the swearing in ceremony for the new President. So the court case could cause a delay for this date.
And we are happy to report that all of our churches were able to meet for services all across our region (Nyanza) of Kenya without any problems! After talking with many people all across this region, we are hearing the same thing from all areas; the Kenyan people just want peace to prevail, and they are willing to sit back and let the court decide the entire matter. This is a great answer to prayer!
Thank you everyone for praying!
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Saturday 9 March 2013
Election Results May Elicit Strong Response - News from the US Embassy Nairobi
This is to inform U.S. citizens in Kenya that on March 9, 2013, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of Kenya’s presidential election. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has received reports of violence in Kibera, Kisumu, and Kakamega. The police are responding; however, these demonstrations could spread or erupt elsewhere with little or no warning. U.S. citizens should avoid crowds of all types, and are advised to avoid common gathering places and protest sites, such as downtown areas, stadiums, large parks, and slum areas. Also, expect major traffic congestion and possible road closures. U.S. citizens are advised to use extreme caution and monitor local media for the latest information on demonstrations and traffic disruptions.
Election Results May Elicit Strong Response - News from the US Embassy Nairobi
This is to inform U.S. citizens in Kenya that on March 9, 2013, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of Kenya’s presidential election. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has received reports of violence in Kibera, Kisumu, and Kakamega. The police are responding; however, these demonstrations could spread or erupt elsewhere with little or no warning. U.S. citizens should avoid crowds of all types, and are advised to avoid common gathering places and protest sites, such as downtown areas, stadiums, large parks, and slum areas. Also, expect major traffic congestion and possible road closures. U.S. citizens are advised to use extreme caution and monitor local media for the latest information on demonstrations and traffic disruptions.
March 9, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. This morning, Saturday, March 9th, at around 2:30 AM the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finished tallying the results for the Kenyan Presidential Elections which took place on Monday, March 4th. It has been a very peaceful process so far. There has been celebrations taking place in various places around the country throughout the night, and it appears that all celebrations have been peaceful. The official announcement for the next President took place at 2:30 PM from the IEBC Commissioner. They announced that Uhuru Kenyatta to be the fourth President of Kenya.
Now we will wait to see what the opposition's response will be. The Kenyan people want a peaceful aftermath, but they are waiting to see how the opposition leader is going to react. Please pray that he will step up, accept the IEBC results, and continue to promote peace across the country. He received over 5 million votes during the election, and these 5 million people are awaiting his reaction.
The new President, Uhuru Kenyatta, also faces some challenges ahead. He has been indicted by the International Criminal Courts (ICC) with crimes against humanity from the elections in 2007. He and his running mate both claim innocence to these charges, but they will be required to face the ICC later this year. Because of these charges, the USA, UK, and other nations warned that there would be consequences to Kenya if Uhuru Kenyatta was elected President of Kenya. Exactly what those consequences will be is still unknown, and at this time we are not sure what affect they will have, if any, upon our family or other missionary families living and working in Kenya.
Thank you again for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. This morning, Saturday, March 9th, at around 2:30 AM the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finished tallying the results for the Kenyan Presidential Elections which took place on Monday, March 4th. It has been a very peaceful process so far. There has been celebrations taking place in various places around the country throughout the night, and it appears that all celebrations have been peaceful. The official announcement for the next President took place at 2:30 PM from the IEBC Commissioner. They announced that Uhuru Kenyatta to be the fourth President of Kenya.
Now we will wait to see what the opposition's response will be. The Kenyan people want a peaceful aftermath, but they are waiting to see how the opposition leader is going to react. Please pray that he will step up, accept the IEBC results, and continue to promote peace across the country. He received over 5 million votes during the election, and these 5 million people are awaiting his reaction.
The new President, Uhuru Kenyatta, also faces some challenges ahead. He has been indicted by the International Criminal Courts (ICC) with crimes against humanity from the elections in 2007. He and his running mate both claim innocence to these charges, but they will be required to face the ICC later this year. Because of these charges, the USA, UK, and other nations warned that there would be consequences to Kenya if Uhuru Kenyatta was elected President of Kenya. Exactly what those consequences will be is still unknown, and at this time we are not sure what affect they will have, if any, upon our family or other missionary families living and working in Kenya.
Thank you again for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
March 9, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. This morning, Saturday, March 9th, at around 2:30 AM the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finished tallying the results for the Kenyan Presidential Elections which took place on Monday, March 4th. It has been a very peaceful process so far. There has been celebrations taking place in various places around the country throughout the night, and it appears that all celebrations have been peaceful. The official announcement for the next President took place at 2:30 PM from the IEBC Commissioner. They announced that Uhuru Kenyatta to be the fourth President of Kenya.
Now we will wait to see what the opposition's response will be. The Kenyan people want a peaceful aftermath, but they are waiting to see how the opposition leader is going to react. Please pray that he will step up, accept the IEBC results, and continue to promote peace across the country. He received over 5 million votes during the election, and these 5 million people are awaiting his reaction.
The new President, Uhuru Kenyatta, also faces some challenges ahead. He has been indicted by the International Criminal Courts (ICC) with crimes against humanity from the elections in 2007. He and his running mate both claim innocence to these charges, but they will be required to face the ICC later this year. Because of these charges, the USA, UK, and other nations warned that there would be consequences to Kenya if Uhuru Kenyatta was elected President of Kenya. Exactly what those consequences will be is still unknown, and at this time we are not sure what affect they will have, if any, upon our family or other missionary families living and working in Kenya.
Thank you again for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. This morning, Saturday, March 9th, at around 2:30 AM the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finished tallying the results for the Kenyan Presidential Elections which took place on Monday, March 4th. It has been a very peaceful process so far. There has been celebrations taking place in various places around the country throughout the night, and it appears that all celebrations have been peaceful. The official announcement for the next President took place at 2:30 PM from the IEBC Commissioner. They announced that Uhuru Kenyatta to be the fourth President of Kenya.
Now we will wait to see what the opposition's response will be. The Kenyan people want a peaceful aftermath, but they are waiting to see how the opposition leader is going to react. Please pray that he will step up, accept the IEBC results, and continue to promote peace across the country. He received over 5 million votes during the election, and these 5 million people are awaiting his reaction.
The new President, Uhuru Kenyatta, also faces some challenges ahead. He has been indicted by the International Criminal Courts (ICC) with crimes against humanity from the elections in 2007. He and his running mate both claim innocence to these charges, but they will be required to face the ICC later this year. Because of these charges, the USA, UK, and other nations warned that there would be consequences to Kenya if Uhuru Kenyatta was elected President of Kenya. Exactly what those consequences will be is still unknown, and at this time we are not sure what affect they will have, if any, upon our family or other missionary families living and working in Kenya.
Thank you again for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Tuesday 5 March 2013
March 5, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. Yesterday, Monday, March 4th, the Kenyan people turned out in very large numbers to cast their votes. There were some some places where there was some violence (Mombasa/Coast Province, Northeastern Province, and in the town of Kisumu), there were over 20 people hospitalized after being trampled, and 15 people were killed (police officers and some of their attackers). But our area of Kisii has remained peaceful and very quiet.
The vote counting began last night (March 4th) around 5 PM, and is still continuing today. The government has said that they will announce the new President today, but they are unable to give an estimated time. They have had some difficulties with their electronic equipment for sending the counts to the main tallying center in Nairobi, and so there are only about 30% of the polling stations which have been reported. So it looks like we still have a ways to go!
In 2007, it was the actual announcement of the President that sparked the violence, so please continue to make this a matter of prayer. The candidate that lost during the 2007 elections and caused much of the violence, is currently losing again. So please be in much prayer.
If you you would like more frequent updates, please feel free to follow us on Facebook (please let us know your name and which church you are from when making a friend request), Twitter, or at either of our Blogs: Ministry - Prayer Letters and Updates or Family - Shelby Summaries.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. Yesterday, Monday, March 4th, the Kenyan people turned out in very large numbers to cast their votes. There were some some places where there was some violence (Mombasa/Coast Province, Northeastern Province, and in the town of Kisumu), there were over 20 people hospitalized after being trampled, and 15 people were killed (police officers and some of their attackers). But our area of Kisii has remained peaceful and very quiet.
The vote counting began last night (March 4th) around 5 PM, and is still continuing today. The government has said that they will announce the new President today, but they are unable to give an estimated time. They have had some difficulties with their electronic equipment for sending the counts to the main tallying center in Nairobi, and so there are only about 30% of the polling stations which have been reported. So it looks like we still have a ways to go!
In 2007, it was the actual announcement of the President that sparked the violence, so please continue to make this a matter of prayer. The candidate that lost during the 2007 elections and caused much of the violence, is currently losing again. So please be in much prayer.
If you you would like more frequent updates, please feel free to follow us on Facebook (please let us know your name and which church you are from when making a friend request), Twitter, or at either of our Blogs: Ministry - Prayer Letters and Updates or Family - Shelby Summaries.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
March 5, 2013 - Update/Kenyan Elections
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. Yesterday, Monday, March 4th, the Kenyan people turned out in very large numbers to cast their votes. There were some some places where there was some violence (Mombasa/Coast Province, Northeastern Province, and in the town of Kisumu), there were over 20 people hospitalized after being trampled, and 15 people were killed (police officers and some of their attackers). But our area of Kisii has remained peaceful and very quiet.
The vote counting began last night (March 4th) around 5 PM, and is still continuing today. The government has said that they will announce the new President today, but they are unable to give an estimated time. They have had some difficulties with their electronic equipment for sending the counts to the main tallying center in Nairobi, and so there are only about 30% of the polling stations which have been reported. So it looks like we still have a ways to go!
In 2007, it was the actual announcement of the President that sparked the violence, so please continue to make this a matter of prayer. The candidate that lost during the 2007 elections and caused much of the violence, is currently losing again. So please be in much prayer.
If you you would like more frequent updates, please feel free to follow us on Facebook (please let us know your name and which church you are from when making a friend request), Twitter, or at either of our Blogs: Ministry - Prayer Letters and Updates or Family - Shelby Summaries.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
We are doing well, and we want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and for the country of Kenya during the election process. Yesterday, Monday, March 4th, the Kenyan people turned out in very large numbers to cast their votes. There were some some places where there was some violence (Mombasa/Coast Province, Northeastern Province, and in the town of Kisumu), there were over 20 people hospitalized after being trampled, and 15 people were killed (police officers and some of their attackers). But our area of Kisii has remained peaceful and very quiet.
The vote counting began last night (March 4th) around 5 PM, and is still continuing today. The government has said that they will announce the new President today, but they are unable to give an estimated time. They have had some difficulties with their electronic equipment for sending the counts to the main tallying center in Nairobi, and so there are only about 30% of the polling stations which have been reported. So it looks like we still have a ways to go!
In 2007, it was the actual announcement of the President that sparked the violence, so please continue to make this a matter of prayer. The candidate that lost during the 2007 elections and caused much of the violence, is currently losing again. So please be in much prayer.
If you you would like more frequent updates, please feel free to follow us on Facebook (please let us know your name and which church you are from when making a friend request), Twitter, or at either of our Blogs: Ministry - Prayer Letters and Updates or Family - Shelby Summaries.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Thursday 28 February 2013
February 28, 2013 - Update/Prayer Request
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we are preparing for the upcoming Kenyan Presidential Elections. We are writing to you all to ask you to pray with us about these upcoming elections on Monday, March 4th. We are praying for a peaceful election process and for things to remain peaceful after the new President is sworn into office. Please pray with us concerning this matter.
During the last elections here in Kenya in 2007, we saw widespread violence for nearly 3 months after the elections. And there are still many villages that have not fully recovered from that time, which was 5 years ago. During the last elections, the Kisii area was peaceful; but all roads leading into and out of Kisii were closed off for a full 3 months. No supplies like food and fuel were able to get through during that time. We were also without water, electricity, phone and internet service for a large part of that time as well!
We have prepared for the same this time around, and we have made sure that we have sufficient supplies just in case there is widespread violence again. But we are asking for all of you to pray with us for the country of Kenya and its people during this time. And we will try to get updates to you as we are able to. We have already been trying for three days to get e-mail to go out; so we know that the government is already closing off some communication.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
pastedGraphic
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
We are doing well, and we are preparing for the upcoming Kenyan Presidential Elections. We are writing to you all to ask you to pray with us about these upcoming elections on Monday, March 4th. We are praying for a peaceful election process and for things to remain peaceful after the new President is sworn into office. Please pray with us concerning this matter.
During the last elections here in Kenya in 2007, we saw widespread violence for nearly 3 months after the elections. And there are still many villages that have not fully recovered from that time, which was 5 years ago. During the last elections, the Kisii area was peaceful; but all roads leading into and out of Kisii were closed off for a full 3 months. No supplies like food and fuel were able to get through during that time. We were also without water, electricity, phone and internet service for a large part of that time as well!
We have prepared for the same this time around, and we have made sure that we have sufficient supplies just in case there is widespread violence again. But we are asking for all of you to pray with us for the country of Kenya and its people during this time. And we will try to get updates to you as we are able to. We have already been trying for three days to get e-mail to go out; so we know that the government is already closing off some communication.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
pastedGraphic
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
February 28, 2013 - Update/Prayer Request
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we are preparing for the upcoming Kenyan Presidential Elections. We are writing to you all to ask you to pray with us about these upcoming elections on Monday, March 4th. We are praying for a peaceful election process and for things to remain peaceful after the new President is sworn into office. Please pray with us concerning this matter.
During the last elections here in Kenya in 2007, we saw widespread violence for nearly 3 months after the elections. And there are still many villages that have not fully recovered from that time, which was 5 years ago. During the last elections, the Kisii area was peaceful; but all roads leading into and out of Kisii were closed off for a full 3 months. No supplies like food and fuel were able to get through during that time. We were also without water, electricity, phone and internet service for a large part of that time as well!
We have prepared for the same this time around, and we have made sure that we have sufficient supplies just in case there is widespread violence again. But we are asking for all of you to pray with us for the country of Kenya and its people during this time. And we will try to get updates to you as we are able to. We have already been trying for three days to get e-mail to go out; so we know that the government is already closing off some communication.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
pastedGraphic
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
We are doing well, and we are preparing for the upcoming Kenyan Presidential Elections. We are writing to you all to ask you to pray with us about these upcoming elections on Monday, March 4th. We are praying for a peaceful election process and for things to remain peaceful after the new President is sworn into office. Please pray with us concerning this matter.
During the last elections here in Kenya in 2007, we saw widespread violence for nearly 3 months after the elections. And there are still many villages that have not fully recovered from that time, which was 5 years ago. During the last elections, the Kisii area was peaceful; but all roads leading into and out of Kisii were closed off for a full 3 months. No supplies like food and fuel were able to get through during that time. We were also without water, electricity, phone and internet service for a large part of that time as well!
We have prepared for the same this time around, and we have made sure that we have sufficient supplies just in case there is widespread violence again. But we are asking for all of you to pray with us for the country of Kenya and its people during this time. And we will try to get updates to you as we are able to. We have already been trying for three days to get e-mail to go out; so we know that the government is already closing off some communication.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our family and the country of Kenya during this time.
Serving Him in Kenya,
pastedGraphic
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya
Numbers 6:24
Sunday 10 February 2013
A Wonderful Sunday!
Another wonderful day at church today! It has been a VERY long day, but we are VERY excited to see the way our people are just soaking up God's Word & the teaching & preaching on how to have a godly Christian home.
Luke preached about the choices we make as husbands & wives that will affect our families either to the good or bad, & that it is important to take responsibility for those choices. We also had 2 visitors & 1 saved today.
Then we had our monthly ladies meeting, and like good Baptists we ate & then I started teaching about God's plan for every wife, & what the wife's responsibilities are. I had been teaching for about an hour when I said "okay we need to stop here for today, & we will have to continue another day." And every lady there said "oh, no, mama. You just keep going we want & need to hear what you are saying." So, I continued almost another hour!! By the time we stopped and all questions had been answered, we only had about 30 minutes before our evening service was supposed to start.
Almost all of the ladies stayed around to continue talking, fixing each others hair, painting each others fingernails & toenails, & talking about other things that they could do that might please their husbands. They were really excited!
Then it was time for the evening service. For the months of February & March we are doing an intense focus on the Christian home. And last week we started a series of lessons & a 40 Day Love Journey. It was amazing to see some changes in some of our couples already, after only 1 week.
After all of that, we got home at about 7 PM. Just in time to get the computer booted up, Internet on for a Skype call with our home church (Bible Baptist Church in Jacksonville, AR) for a short time during their Missions' Conference. It was great being able to take part with them in their service today.
Then supper some here, clean up, & now it's 9 PM, and I think I have used up the last of my energy typing this post!!
Good night. May God bless all of you with a wonderful day like ours!
Luke preached about the choices we make as husbands & wives that will affect our families either to the good or bad, & that it is important to take responsibility for those choices. We also had 2 visitors & 1 saved today.
Then we had our monthly ladies meeting, and like good Baptists we ate & then I started teaching about God's plan for every wife, & what the wife's responsibilities are. I had been teaching for about an hour when I said "okay we need to stop here for today, & we will have to continue another day." And every lady there said "oh, no, mama. You just keep going we want & need to hear what you are saying." So, I continued almost another hour!! By the time we stopped and all questions had been answered, we only had about 30 minutes before our evening service was supposed to start.
Almost all of the ladies stayed around to continue talking, fixing each others hair, painting each others fingernails & toenails, & talking about other things that they could do that might please their husbands. They were really excited!
Then it was time for the evening service. For the months of February & March we are doing an intense focus on the Christian home. And last week we started a series of lessons & a 40 Day Love Journey. It was amazing to see some changes in some of our couples already, after only 1 week.
After all of that, we got home at about 7 PM. Just in time to get the computer booted up, Internet on for a Skype call with our home church (Bible Baptist Church in Jacksonville, AR) for a short time during their Missions' Conference. It was great being able to take part with them in their service today.
Then supper some here, clean up, & now it's 9 PM, and I think I have used up the last of my energy typing this post!!
Good night. May God bless all of you with a wonderful day like ours!
Friday 1 February 2013
January - February 2013 Prayer Letter
Printable Version (PDF)
Dear Supporters and Friends,
Thank you again for your prayers and special offerings for Tonya as she went to the States for some blood tests on her iron and B-12 levels. She is doing better with less headaches and more energy. She is taking B-12 injections twice a week, and it is helping. They do cause some nausea, but she is coping with it. The doctor wants her to return every six months to be tested; to see if the B-12 shots are improving her blood development, and to see if the shots need to be reduced or increased. It is hard to get the injections here; and when we have gotten them, they are very expensive, and they have lost their potency due to sitting on the shelf in this tropical heat. So she will be getting a new batch of injections on each of her trips State side, as well. Please pray for her next trip, which will only be for two weeks this time, at the end of May.
We opened the year with 11 new students in January, and we are expecting a few more to start in February. They were late due to sickness and schedule conflicts. Please continue to pray for all of our ministries to continue to grow, and for the local churches to help support their local ministries.
Orphan Ministry Update:
We were able to visit all 52 children, whom we are helping through our feeding program at two locations Sidundo and Kuresoi, with a Christmas package of food and toys. They were really surprised! And it was such a blessing to see all those smiling faces, who have gone through so much in their short lives. Also please pray for the upcoming elections to be peaceful on March 4, because during the 2007 elections is when a lot of these children lost their parents.
During the last week of January, we were able to invite 13 boys to start staying at our first orphanage and to start taking care of their full needs. We do not have permanent parents at this time, but we are praying for a couple who will see the desire to help in this ministry. We have about 10 men and women, from Calvary Baptist Church in Sidundo Village, who are sharing the jobs of cooking, cleaning, and sleeping with the boys. We have done medical checkups on all the boys; over half had to be treated for malaria, and most of them had skin problems that have to be cared for.
Special Request: We are always seeking ways to save money and to be good stewards of the financial resources that the Lord has given us, and this has brought us to this special request. Please let us know, either by regular mail (Luke and Tonya Shelby, P.O. Box 9215, Chattanooga, TN 37412) or by e-mail (mail@shelbysinkenya.org), what your preferred method is to receive our Prayer Letter. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you prefer to receive our letters by regular mail; and if we already have your e-mail address, then you will continue to receive it both ways. If you prefer to receive all of our updates by e-mail only, then we must hear from you; please include your preferred e-mail contact information, so that you are able to receive our letters in a timely manner. We want to thank you in advance for your help in this matter.
For Souls in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Dear Supporters and Friends,
Thank you again for your prayers and special offerings for Tonya as she went to the States for some blood tests on her iron and B-12 levels. She is doing better with less headaches and more energy. She is taking B-12 injections twice a week, and it is helping. They do cause some nausea, but she is coping with it. The doctor wants her to return every six months to be tested; to see if the B-12 shots are improving her blood development, and to see if the shots need to be reduced or increased. It is hard to get the injections here; and when we have gotten them, they are very expensive, and they have lost their potency due to sitting on the shelf in this tropical heat. So she will be getting a new batch of injections on each of her trips State side, as well. Please pray for her next trip, which will only be for two weeks this time, at the end of May.
We opened the year with 11 new students in January, and we are expecting a few more to start in February. They were late due to sickness and schedule conflicts. Please continue to pray for all of our ministries to continue to grow, and for the local churches to help support their local ministries.
Orphan Ministry Update:
We were able to visit all 52 children, whom we are helping through our feeding program at two locations Sidundo and Kuresoi, with a Christmas package of food and toys. They were really surprised! And it was such a blessing to see all those smiling faces, who have gone through so much in their short lives. Also please pray for the upcoming elections to be peaceful on March 4, because during the 2007 elections is when a lot of these children lost their parents.
During the last week of January, we were able to invite 13 boys to start staying at our first orphanage and to start taking care of their full needs. We do not have permanent parents at this time, but we are praying for a couple who will see the desire to help in this ministry. We have about 10 men and women, from Calvary Baptist Church in Sidundo Village, who are sharing the jobs of cooking, cleaning, and sleeping with the boys. We have done medical checkups on all the boys; over half had to be treated for malaria, and most of them had skin problems that have to be cared for.
Special Request: We are always seeking ways to save money and to be good stewards of the financial resources that the Lord has given us, and this has brought us to this special request. Please let us know, either by regular mail (Luke and Tonya Shelby, P.O. Box 9215, Chattanooga, TN 37412) or by e-mail (mail@shelbysinkenya.org), what your preferred method is to receive our Prayer Letter. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you prefer to receive our letters by regular mail; and if we already have your e-mail address, then you will continue to receive it both ways. If you prefer to receive all of our updates by e-mail only, then we must hear from you; please include your preferred e-mail contact information, so that you are able to receive our letters in a timely manner. We want to thank you in advance for your help in this matter.
For Souls in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
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