Going to a Village...

One of the most exciting places to go is to a village “in the middle of nowhere.”  There are so many things to do.  Usually we use the winding paths through the fields; sometimes there are steep hills, and streams to cross.  When we get to our destination, the adults go inside to fellowship, but we get to wonder around their homestead.  We love watching tiny chicks that are kept under a basket for protection from hawks and cats, and petting baby animals.  We have fun playing games with the kids, climbing trees after avocadoes or mangoes, and exploring everything.  Sometimes we go on walks with some of the other children; they take us through back ways, show us the river they fetch water from, and show us their work on the farm.  One time, we helped shuck maize.  Villages are away from the hustle-bustle of city life.

Written by: Breanne S.

A Trip to the Coast of Kenya...

Of all the places I have ever been, and of all the beautiful things I have seen, getting up early to see the sun rise over the Indian Ocean is the most spectacular of all.  It was family vacation for a week at the coast.  All sunburnt from the day before, we hurried out of bed before the sky began to turn in color.   The still heat and humidity of that early morning, instead of the crisp cool mornings we were used to in Kisii, were something I had not expected.  We made our way to the beach, about a ten minute walk, with each step the sky seemed to turn over more and more.  Once we reached the shore, we found that the tide was in, beating against the weathered rocks.  Slowly by slowly the sun began to peep out from under the crashing waves, the rays giving only a glimpse of the Lord’s return would look like. Moment by moment the sky grew more and more brilliant with golds and reds and oranges reflecting off of the tall, fluffy clouds.  Each gleam of light amplified a thousand times in each rippling of the vast sea.  The glistening of the spraying foam against the lit sky was stunning.  It was not long before the sun was up full and bright; the beauty of the first rays of dawn had passed away, but it had been captured both by camera and a long-lasting memory. 

Written by:  Abigail S.  

Paradise Lost...

My family and I had gone to a place called Paradise Lost.  It was a place that had beautiful scenery such as a very large wooded area, a spectacular waterfall, a large lake that we took a boat ride on, and a huge cave that seemed to go all the way back to the middle of a cliff that was there.  We drove through a coffee field in order to get to the place where we were going, and when we got to the parking area we all got out of the vehicle and walked around a little bit.  We went toward the lake, found a picnic table, and had ourselves a picnic lunch.  After our picnic lunch some of us went to the place where we would get onto a boat for our boat ride.  We paddled around the lake for a while then headed back to the dock.  We then went hiking through the woods.  As we approached the falls the ground around us began to feel soggy.  We got to the falls and we beheld a sight that we had not seen in a long while.  My parents took pictures of us around the falls then we went toward the cave.  We walked into the cave but realized we needed to get flashlights, so my dad and I went back to the vehicle to get flashlights.  When we got back to the cave we gave each one of the family a flashlight and headed into the cave.  Once we got so far into the cave the air started to get warm; we kept going as far as we could go and into a humongous cavern which must have been at least the height of a two-story house.  We walked out of the cave into the fresh air and went to where the horses were.  When we got there all of us children each got a turn to ride the one horse that was healthier than any of the other horses.  When we finished riding the horse we all went back to the vehicle.  On the way to the guest house where we were staying almost everyone fell to sleep because of the long but fun-filled day.

Written by: Caleb S.

Going to Market...

The market is the place to go to not only buy fruits and veggies, but everything!  From clothes to curtains to electronics and toys, some of their wares aren’t very good quality, but they’re cheap.  The stench is horrible as the intense sun beats down on the stinking mud—mud filled with rotten vegetables and manure from the market’s “garbage collectors”: goats, sheep, and cows.  And I can’t forget the nauseating smell of the fish, the strongest smell in the whole market.  People are everywhere—jostling; arguing; calling out prices; and when I am around, exclaiming “Mzungu!” (white person!).  One could easily get lost.  There are so many people that the road narrows to only one lane of halting traffic on market days.  There are many areas of the market: there’s the tomato row, the cabbage place, the watermelon section, the onion lane, etc.—proves the point that “birds of a feather, flock together.” 

Written by: Breanne S.

Walking in Kenya...

In these hills, adventure thrives, whether we go to a church member’s home for a late afternoon lunch, or go to the market for fruits and vegetables, or go on visitation. There is no telling what you may come in contact with on our walks in the area. Footpaths are the commonly used means of transportation; these paths wind up and down, and twist around every which way through the forests and across rivers. With the scorching heat of the day followed by the drenching downpours in the afternoons, the stench of the garbage and open sewers are normal. Crossing a garbage filled stream on a single plank of termite infested wood can be intimidating, but since it is something that I have grown up doing, it is not much of a problem. Since the way is normally slippery and muddy, every single step must be taken with the utmost caution and awareness. Each bend leading to an adventure, the walks that I have gone on with my family and friends are unforgettable. ~ written by Abigail

January-March 2015 Prayer Letter

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Dear Praying Friends, January-March 2015

We want to thank you for your good response in scheduling meetings for our return to the States for our upcoming furlough. Please pray for us during this furlough as we will need to raise more family support, since our two oldest daughters will begin Bible College in the fall and ministry support for our Church Planting, Bible College, and Orphan ministries that are all continuing to grow as God opens more doors for us to minister.

We had a great day for the Dedication of our Church Building at Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii Town. We had 253 in attendance with 46 first time adult visitors, and Missionary Joel Weaver preached for us that day. We invited everyone who had helped bring materials, who had given monetary donations, and those who worked along side us to build this building over the past year. We have many open doors and opportunities for follow-up for soul-winning in the coming weeks. I know that God has a big plan for this church to reach Kisii Town (which has a population of over 200,000) and the surrounding villages in this part of Kenya. It is a blessing to see people saved at our church nearly every week through its different ministries. God has truly blessed us, and we have seen over 50 precious souls accept Christ in this building since we started using it in November 2014. We praise the Lord for His goodness!

Please pray for our Bible College as the classes will continue, while we are on furlough, under the leadership of five of our Kenyan Pastors. Tonya and I will be traveling back to Kenya in November 2015, for the next graduation for the 13 students who are finishing the 3-year course. Several of these graduates are from the church here in Kisii Town; we are excited about the many possibilities of this class, and the outreach that will be possible in starting more churches around Kisii Town through these faithful men and women.

Please pray for the following villages: Nyamiobo, Siruti, Nyangera and Muhkobola. Bible studies have been started through the ministries of some of our churches and College students in each of these villages. Pray that they will be faithful, and that God will raise up churches in these villages that have had no Gospel witness up to now.   
 
We have already been contacted by many of about scheduling meetings for May 2015-May 2016, and our calendar is filling up quickly. If you have not yet contacted us by email, please do so: mail@shelbysinkenya.org. Thank you for your prayers for our family and ministries!

Serving Him in Kenya,

Luke and Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya

Dedication Sunday - March 1st - Calvary Baptist Church, Kisii Town

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for this special day for our church in Kisii.  In preparation for this special day, our people spent many hours praying, inviting friends and family, and going on visitation.  As a result, we had eight precious souls accept the gift of salvation on Saturday!  

On Sunday, we had 253 in attendance, and 46 of those were first time adult visitors!  We praise the Lord for all of these new prospects, and we ask that you continue to pray for these people; as we will be visiting each of them in their homes over the next few weeks.  We would love to see them come to know Christ as their Savior too.  Today, was also the first day of our "Spring Campaign."  And this was a wonderful start for our six week campaign.  We cannot wait to see what the Lord is going to do.

We want to thank Missionary Joel Weaver, for coming all the way to Kisii, from Nairobi, to be our special speaker for the day.  They were the first Independent Baptist Missionaries to come to the Kisii area, and they were here from 1985 -1989.  They have been good friends to us through the years, and they were a help to us with advice and initial contacts when we moved to Kisii in 2001.

Thank you again for your prayers for this church and their special day.  May the Lord bless each of you in your churches today as well.

Serving Him in Kenya,

Luke and Tonya Shelby Family

Your Missionaries to Kenya

During the service this morning.