Shelby Family Corona Virus Update #1

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I know that everyone is having a level of threat for the virus and it is affecting the daily life of people all over the world. We are keeping in tune with the news internationally and locally as well as assessing the situation on the ground with the local people. It does make things uneasy for us, especially since we have three adult children in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. My dad has been in the hospital since Thanksgiving for a brain tumor removal that he has still not recovered from. He had pneumonia last week and had to be intubated again to help his breathing with a ventilator. He was then moved from ICU, because they needed to use the room for a COVID-19 patient. There are other virus patients already in the same hospital. My mom has been staying with him in the hospital. I have told her that she needs to be staying at home when she can.

There has been a new level of travel advisory from President Trump being raised to Level 4. The major points for this level of advisory’s remains:

1. Urges Americans not to travel Internationally.
2. Informs Americans to return if they can.
3. Allows emergency medical travel to be allowed over the next 72 hours.
4. Americans that cannot travel to stay where they are and to not cross international borders.

We don’t know how long this will be in place, and I am sure that it will be there as long as it takes to ‘flatten the curve.’

As far as Kenya is concerned, there are 16 Corona virus patients as of March 22, in Nairobi, which is an 8 hour drive for us. There have also been several hundred that have been tested, but they have been negative. Others that have shown symptoms have come down with malaria and are being treated for it.

On March 22, the Kenyan government has banned all international flights effective on March 25th. Again there is no news about how long this will be in effect.

Other good news is that malaria drugs that are being tested right now show promise of treating the coronavirus are readily available here without a prescription. We understand malaria here that many in the US have never experienced. Our whole family has had it and will have it for life, and even our children in the states have some of the medication.

Tonya has COPD and would be in the category of people that have existing respiratory disease that could cause COVID-19 to be high risk. But as other results of blood types has come out, there have been a lot less patients with Type O blood. Tonya has Type O blood.

We are continuing to monitor the situation globally and locally, and we feel that staying here is our best option to staying safe in this situation. We have been here in Kenya during very trying times of Election Violence, where 1,300 were killed based on tribal ethnicity, and many other riots on the streets. People are afraid here, but they are calm and easing about their daily lives with caution.

Another concern is that of our support to continue with the downturn of economic activity globally, and the churches changing the way that they are holding services. We are trusting that God will keep us safe and not needing to take any extreme action until absolutely necessary.

Thank you for your prayers as we continue to manage our lives and minister to the Kenyan people the best way possible.

God bless you,

Luke & Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya

Safely Back in Kenya & Urgent Prayer Requests

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Dear Prayer Supporters and Friends, January-March 2020

We arrived back in Kenya in January, and everything is going well here. We have been able to visit 5 of our churches so far, and it is a blessing to see that God is blessing each of them. One of them, Agape Baptist Church in the Jogoo area of Kisii, celebrated its 1st Anniversary. There were a few visitors, and 2 got saved! Pastor Andrew Maiko is doing a good job. Continue to pray for him and his family.

One of the first things that we needed to accomplish upon returning to the field was to find the best solution to Tonya’s coping with COPD here in Kenya. We have been able to determine the main things that affect her ability to breathe in enough oxygen and to regulate her heart rate when trying to compensate for the oxygen levels are the following: high elevation, dust, smoke, and dead air at the heat of the day. We have been living in Kisii for almost 20 years at the elevation of 6,500+ ft. The pressure at that level has shown to be a problem for her. So we have been researching towns with the lowest elevation in our region of Kenya; and Kisumu, a town on Lake Victoria, is located at 3,700 ft. above sea level and is also half way between our 2 main centers of ministry. The humidity is higher here, but that doesn’t seem to bother her. We have decided to get an apartment there which is in easy driving distance to any of our works. All of our ministries with churches, Bible College, and orphans will continue normally, because we start each process with national leadership in place to make sure that each church is indigenous in nature. This small move will also assist us in helping other missionaries, who are coming to Kenya in the near future, who will be working with us with the goal of starting works in towns around us. We are still researching the best way to get air conditioning in our apartment.

Other issues that need urgent prayer in the light of the recent coronavirus that has recently taken center stage in the media:

• Tonya’s COPD places her in the high risk group.

• Our travel to the States for Abigail and Robert’s Wedding on June 6.

• Our travel here in the country while we finish moving into the apartment.

• My Dad is still in the Hospital in Little Rock, now in CCU, and has been moved in and out of ICU to get those rooms ready for coronavirus patients.

• Matthew Rose Family’s arrival has been delayed.

• Kenya shutting down non-essential business in the midst of renewing our work permit.

• $1,000 Still needed for Air Conditioning.

• $5,000+ Still needed for Shipping

We are praying for you during this time of uncertainty, and we covet your prayers as well. May God bless you.

For Souls in Kenya,

Luke & Tonya Shelby

Missionaries in Kenya