Dear Friends and Prayer Supporters, April / May 2018
God is Amazing!! We are standing in awe at the mighty things that He has done recently. There is so much to write about how He has been good to us. Thank you for your prayers and support for our family and ministry, because it is through you and all of God’s blessings that we can share His goodness with others.
1. Abigail and Breanne are now in the Amazon Basin with the SMART TRIP with BIMI for several weeks. They needed to raise $3,900 each (base support only) to go on the trip, and God blessed them with $5,500 and $6,000 (which took care of ALL the other added expenses above what the base support covered)! God provided for ALL of their expenses to get ready for their trip and so much more. It was an awesome experience for us as parents to see our daughters praying and depending on God to meet their every need. Thank you so much for being a blessing to them. God bless you!
2. On April 15th, we started our newest church in the town of Isebania with a week of soulwinning, street preaching, and passing out tracts and flyers. There were 114 people that got saved, and there were 24 in attendance for the first service. They were given a place to meet free of charge, and we are able to put up our own structure. Right now we are using a tent until a structure can be built. Pastor Paul Isedia was over 70 years old when he finished Bible College. A few years earlier he had been very sick and knew that he was going to die. He bought the wooden planks to build his coffin and had everything arranged with his family on how the funeral would be handled. He had done everything except dig the grave outside his home, as is the custom here. Then he started getting well. A preacher came to his home and led him to the Lord! Since then, he has been on fire for the Lord. God will use him to do a great work there and reminds us that it is never to late for God to use us in His service!
3. During the month of April, we have been doing a soulwinning class in our church in Kisii. To several who have been in Bible College, it has been a good refresher course; but to others it has really helped them to get a burden for their friends and family. At the same time, we started home Bible Fellowships at a few of the members homes. And it has been a great tool to evangelize their neighborhoods. During the month of April alone, 35 people came to know Christ as their Saviour on soulwinning and at these home Bible Fellowships. God is so very good!
4. The funds have also come in the for the building projects that were delayed because of the political turmoil last year, and we are ready to build! The skeleton frames and the roofing will be finished this week. We are building a church building for the church in Rongo, which is the first church that we started back in 2001. It has gone through a lot of difficulties; but over the last 3-4 years it has been doing very well under the leadership of Pastor George Okoth. We will also be adding on to the church building at Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii Town.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers for our ministry and family.
For Souls in Kenya,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
