We are looking for volunteers! Are YOU interested?

We are excited about having a group coming to work with us in building a church building for Bible Baptist Church in Rongo, and we were looking for volunteers to help!  Are YOU interested in using your skills or tools to serve the Lord? This trip is being organized by a BIMI CLAIM Team headed up by Bro. Philip Smith, who has also helped us with other projects in the past.  The dates for their next trip to Kenya are October 10-24.    The frame for the building and the roof is already in place, and we will be building the walls, pouring the floor, building the baptistry, and other things to get it ready to have the first service in the building while the Team is still here. Other opportunities will be soul-winning, preaching, teaching in schools, visiting in homes, and other ministries.   Depending on the number of volunteers, we may also be able to build an extension onto the back of Calvary Baptist Church in Kisii town, and we will also attend there for one of the Sunday services. Please let us know this week if you would be interested, and please contact Bro. Philip Smith (email: claim4god@gmail.com / phone 289-928-9327) BEFORE September 18th.  The cost for the trip will be approximately $1,900, but it could be cheaper based on ticket prices.   The deadline for September 18th to purchase the tickets for the trip, so that everyone can get connected to arrive at the same time.  We live 6 hours drive from Nairobi airport, and there is a need to know a number of people coming for us to book rooms and organize transportation also. If you are not able to come, please pray for safety on the trip and that God will bless all of the arrangements and accomplishments for His honor and glory.
Serving Him in Kenya,

Luke & Tonya Shelby

Orphan Project - Day #12

Group #1 of the CLAIM Team flew out @ around 8 AM today, the kids & I drove to Nairobi to be with Luke a few days & to get some rest before heading back to Kisii, & group #2 is on their way to the airport right now. Their flight is scheduled to leave close to 11 PM.

Orphan Project - Day #11

The CLAIM Team headed to Nairobi & Miss Katie, our children & I headed home to Kisii this morning. We made it to Kisii without any trouble. Luke & the Team were broke down on the side of the road for a little while, but they got everything back up & running. They should be getting into Nairobi right about now. Please pray for them & all of their flights tomorrow. What a wonderful group of people! We thank the Lord for allowing us to get to know them & work alongside them for this short time.

Orphan Project - Day #10

Please pray. We have 2 Team members who are very sick today. I just took one of them back to the guesthouse to rest. The church was already full when I left. And there were so many children that I was not able to get a count. But I will be sure to try to post more this afternoon once church is over. Thank you for your prayers!

Our last services today with the Team here @ Sidundo. Not sure of the total count, but I know there were 175 kids! 4 adults were saved also. 1 of them was a young man named Henry. Some of the Team has been witnessing to him since the 1st day, but he said he just wasn't ready. Well today he finally took that step! He is now 1 of our brothers in Christ! It was amazing to see the change in his countenance afterward! Praise the Lord!

The 2 Team members who were sick are feeling much better. I believe everyone is mostly packed & ready for the trip to Nairobi tomorrow. They will be on the road by 7 AM, so please keep them in your prayers over the next few days as they make their way to their homes. The children & I & Miss Katie will head back to Kisii tomorrow too; after we go through the houses & make sure that everything is packed up.

Orphan Project - Day #9

The roofs are on all the buildings! The trees are all planted! The Jesus Film was able to be shown in full tonight to around 368 people! We praise the Lord for His goodness. And we thank you for your prayers. The Team was able to meet the orphans that will be living in the home they built & they were able to take pictures & give out gifts to each of them. What a blessing the CLAIM Team has been to our family & the village if Sidundo!

We are looking forward to a great day of services tomorrow!! Please be in prayer for each person that will be teaching, preaching, or helping out in some way during Sunday school, church, & junior church.

Orphan Project - Day #8

Wow, where has the tome gone? The project is almost complete (just need the metal roofing sheets-please pray that we are able to get them), 400 trees have been planted & watered, VBS went very well (around 160 kids/175 with the adults & workers included), tomorrow we will make a couple of special visits, we will have a time to sit down & get to meet all the orphans, & we will be showing the Jesus Film one more time! A lot has been accomplished, but we are not done yet. Please keep us in your prayers!

Orphan Project - Day #7

We were able to water all of the trees that we planted (that takes a while when they are on the perimeter of a 5 acre plot)! The Girls' dorm is almost finished; I believe they have just a couple of more rows of bricks. The trusses are all finished & ready to go up. Please pray that we are able to get the metal roof sheets tomorrow (the hardware stores are giving us a hard time getting the supply we need).

We had our first night of VBS! Bro. Dan taught on Jonah & the whale, & Miss Stefanie taught about the 3 Hebrew children. We had 106 on our first night (the normal teacher said that we would only have around 60)!! Almost all of them said that they would bring a friend tomorrow night!

Orphan Project - Day #6

I was told that around 70 trees were planted today. The boys' dorm was finished, & the girls' was started. Miss Katie & I spent the day driving to Siaya searching for food supplies & bottled water. So I am sure that I will be surprised by the progress when I go to the site tomorrow! The buildings are going up so fast!

Sorry I forgot to say that the mid-week service went well also. Thank you for your prayers.

Please be in prayer with us about the meetings & work over the next few days. Tomorrow we will begin VBS, & Saturday we will show the Jesus Film again. Please pray that we are able to show the whole thing this time.

Orphan Project - Day #5

We were able to plant 125 more trees, & the boys' dorm is almost finished (just 2 more rows of bricks & then the trusses can go up). Please pray for the Team as a few of them are having some health issues due to the intensity of the equatorial sun, & Bro. Phillip (the Team leader) has a kidney stone.

Orphan Project - Day #4

We planted about 50 more trees. The kitchen/dining hall is ready for it's roof tomorrow. All of the bricks, gravel, sand, & cement have been delivered. The wood for the trusses of the 2 dorms & all of the metal roofing sheets will be delivered tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will be having a ladies' meeting @ the church where we are building the orphanage. Please pray as I teach these ladies what God has laid on my heart. I can't wait to see what God has in store. It is still hard to believe that He allowed me to lead 22 young people to Him yesterday!! He is so good!

Wednesday will be mid-week service. Thursday & Friday will be a mini VBS time, Saturday we have plans to meet with all of the children who will be benefitting from this orphan home. We also wanted to let the CLAIM Team to be able to meet the children whom they will be helping. Please pray for these meetings & for all of the building that will continue being done throughout all these things.

Orphan Project - Day #3

Where do I even begin? God is so good! The church has been praying fir 200 in attendance for their 1st service in their new building & on their own property. The day started with people coming slowly by slowly, because of all the rain. But by the time preaching started, there were over 290 in attendance!! The building was completely full, and all of the children had to meet outside. We had 18 adults & 22 children (10-14 year olds) come forward for salvation!! Praise the Lord! The devil has been fighting us all week, but it is all worth when. God gives us an amazing victory with all these precious souls!