God’s Work in Kenya: Tumaini Baptist Church Opening, Outreach Success, and Family Blessings

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Dear Prayer Partners and Friends,               May-July 2025

Greetings from Kenya! We hope this letter finds you well. We would like to begin by offering our sincere apologies for the delay in sending out this update. Many of you were expecting our letter in May, and we deeply regret the oversight. During this time, Tonya traveled to the U.S. to be with Abigail for the birth of our second grandchild, while I spent time in the Maasai area with limited internet access, which caused some delay in sending this out. We appreciate your patience and are excited to finally share what God has been doing in our lives and ministry!

Family Update – A New Blessing
We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our second grandbaby, Nathan Cepec, born on May 25th, just a few days after Tonya was able to travel to the U.S. to be with Abigail and her family. Nathan was born four weeks early and required oxygen for the first 12 hours. But we are thrilled to report that he is doing wonderfully now! Abigail is recovering well, and they are just waiting on Nathan’s passport before returning to Guyana. We are thankful for the Lord’s timing and guidance during this special time for our family.

Church Updates:
We are Excited  to report that a NEW CHURCH, Tumaini (Hope) Independent Baptist Church in Kipkirui, officially opened on May 4th, with over 80 in attendance. This event was made possible through the combined efforts of 6 local churches in the area. In the weeks leading up to the opening, we were able to finalize the land and property details with the local community and the government. We built the church building, and on the opening day, we dedicated both the land and the building. It has been such a blessing to see the men and church members we have trained step up to take ownership of this new work. We are excited about the future of Tumaini Baptist Church, and as we continue to work together as a team, we trust God to enable us to accomplish great things for His glory.

In Siaya, we are making progress on the building project. The county government approved our request to move the remaining structures from the previous site, and we have transported some of the materials to the new location. Our next step is to complete the church building. Once finished, we will set up rooms in the existing structure to house children in the orphanage. We also had a successful Youth Rally at the end of June with 40 in attendance!

In Ilkerin, we have completed the church building for Nkirukoto (Faith) Baptist Church. The process took longer than expected as we waited for the land to be officially processed, but the paperwork is now in place. The church members have been working hard to clear the land and get things ready for future projects. We have built a 20 x 40 ft. church and will begin the fencing soon. We are also excited to announce that we plan to open a branch of our Bible college in Ilkerin in January, with a focus on addressing literacy needs and using a simpler approach to teach the Word of God. There are so many open doors in this area, and we are eager to reach the Maasai people and beyond. We are planning a  Thanksgiving Service on August 24th to honor the community and its leaders for donating the land to Nkirukoto (Faith) Baptist Church. This will be an opportunity for us to thank God for His provision and for the local leaders who have partnered with us in the ministry. Please pray that this event will lead to greater community engagement and a deeper impact in the Maasai region.

In Narok, we have the opportunity to purchase the land where Berea Independent Baptist Church is located. The land has been leased for the past few years, but the owner has now offered to sell it to us for just $3,800. The church has already built on this land, so no further construction is needed, but we must cover the process fees with the government. We need to raise $4,500 to complete this purchase, which will secure the land for the church's future.

In Raganga, at Raganga Independent Baptist Church, we held a powerful crusade that included showing the Jesus Film and a week of door-to-door visitation. Five local churches came together to support the event, and 14 of our Bible college students participated in a full week of soul-winning. By God’s grace, 55 people made decisions to trust in Christ for their salvation throughout the week. Additionally, we hosted a Youth Rally, further encouraging the next generation in their walk with the Lord.

Thank You for Your Continued Support!
We are incredibly grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. Your partnership with us in spreading the Gospel is what makes all of this possible. We could not be here or accomplish all that God is doing without your faithful prayers and support. As we continue with the work here, we ask for your continued prayers, especially for the new churches and ministries we are starting, as well as for Tonya’s health and continued recovery. Thank you for being such an important part of God’s work in Kenya!

May God richly bless you as you continue to serve Him.

In Christ’s Service,

Luke & Tonya Shelby
Your Missionaries in Kenya

Prayer Requests:

• Tonya’s health
• Bible College
• Laborers for the harvest
• Leadership transition at Calvary Baptist Church in Uwasi
• Purchasing the land for Berea Independent Baptist Church ($4,500)
• Fencing at Nkirukoto (Faith) Baptist Church in Ilkerin and Tumaini (Hope) Baptist Church in Kipkirui ($1,000)

Please use the KENYA LEGACY FUND 

account #501 for these projects. 

Thank you!

New Church Plant in Ilikerin Maasai Village: Faith, Walks, and New Believers

Nkirukoto Baptist Church: A New Beginning in Ilikerin Maasai Village

This week has been a truly exciting and exhausting week of ministry here in Ilikerin Maasai village. We have spent countless hours walking—sometimes through the homesteads and sometimes across quiet roads, with the incredible sight of wildebeest grazing in the distance! Every day, we’ve walked, visited, and shared the Gospel with people eager to hear the good news of Christ.

So far, we have seen 63 individuals come to Christ. It’s amazing how the Lord is moving in this community, and we still have more outreach to complete tomorrow as we follow up with others we've met along the way. Market day tomorrow will be another opportunity to meet even more people, engage in conversations, and invite them into God's family.

One particularly special moment happened a few days ago when a young man came to the house where we are staying. After hearing the message, he accepted Christ and went back home to share the news with his family. Today, his mother and brother came to church and both accepted Christ as their Savior! We’ve been invited to visit them tomorrow morning and meet the rest of the family. Praise God for the power of one person's testimony!

In a beautiful show of unity, the people of Ilikerin have chosen the name Nkirukoto Baptist Church—Nkirukoto meaning "Faith" in the Maasai language. Today, we held the first official service for the church, and it was a beautiful day full of excitement and joy. We had four baptisms, many visitors, and even more souls saved.

The work in Ilikerin has only just begun, but already we are seeing the fruit of faithful laborers and eager hearts. Please continue to pray for the growth of Nkirukoto Baptist Church, for the new believers to grow in their faith, and for the ongoing outreach in the surrounding villages.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are grateful for each of you who is walking this journey with us. God is doing incredible things here, and we are blessed to be a part of it!

Stay tuned for more updates from Ilikerin, and may God bless you abundantly.

#NkirukotoBaptistChurch #FaithInAction #MissionsInKenya #WalkingByFaith #NewBelievers #ChurchPlanting

Exciting Ministry Updates from Kenya: Land Dedication, Building Progress, and Outreach Initiatives Ahead!

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We have had a fantastic few months here in Kenya, filled with exciting progress and fruitful ministry. Recently, we were thrilled to host a group from our home church Bible Baptist Church in Arkansas for a short but impactful trip. They joined us in canvassing for a new Bible study in Chemilil, distributing tracts in Kisumu, participating in a church painting project, visiting our church in Kisii Town, and enjoying a memorable game drive where they saw lions and other wildlife.

Calvary Baptist Uwasi Land Dedication Service & Project Update: 

In June, we celebrated the dedication service for the new property of Calvary Baptist in Uwasi. It was a joyous occasion with an attendance of 108, including many visitors. We are grateful that three souls were saved during this special event. The land purchase and title transfer are now complete, and we've used over $8,000 for initial renovations and moving expenses. The church is now settled in their new location and filled with excitement for the future. Progress on their church building is moving forward steadily. We have laid the foundation, erected the metal frame structure with the roof, and are now preparing to raise the walls using bricks salvaged from previous buildings on the old property. Additionally, we are planning to install electricity on the property, a crucial step that will require approximately $600.

Maasai - Oltepesi Land Fencing & Ilkerin Plot Development: 

In August, we will begin fencing the land in Maasai - Oltepesi, a project that carries a cost of $750. This initiative is crucial as we continue to nurture spiritual growth among the community, particularly focusing on the leadership training of Bro. David and Bro. James, who are instrumental in leading the Bible study there. Please pray for their spiritual growth and readiness to serve God's purpose. We are also finalizing plans for a plot in Ilkerin, that was generously given to us by the community, with hopes to establish a church in the coming months.

Outreach Meetings in Buyangu and Ong’adi: 

Next month, we have outreach meetings scheduled in the villages of Buyangu and Ong’adi. These are new areas for our ministry, located in Vihiga and Nandi Counties respectively. Our focus will be on canvassing the area, engaging in soul-winning efforts, and identifying potential attendees for Bible studies, laying the groundwork for new churches. These efforts are led by Bro. Ezekiel and Bro. Marsden, recent graduates who are dedicated to spreading God's Word in these villages. In Ong’adi, situated on the edge of Kajulu Forest in Nandi County, we are pioneering a Bible study among a new (to us) language group, while also utilizing Swahili.  We have started working in a couple of different areas where the Kalenjin language is spoken. We are excited about the progress of First Bible’s project to translate the Bible into the Kalenjin language, which is expected by year's end. This will greatly enhance our ability to reach and teach in local villages. Please join us in prayer for the success of this project and its impact on sharing God's Word effectively.

Your prayers and support continue to be invaluable to us as we strive to spread the Gospel and strengthen Kenyan Christians through our ministry efforts. We are grateful for each one of you and the part you play in God's work here in Kenya.

May God richly bless you,

Luke & Tonya Shelby

Exciting Updates from Kenya! 🌍🙏

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Hello from Kenya. It has been an eventful three months, covering over 5000 miles and visiting pastors, students, and church members across 8 out of the 11 counties where we have churches and Bible studies. We thank the Lord for traveling safety, especially during a couple of harrowing times, traveling with our team between Maasai villages, we ended up pulling a small car through mud and rivers; we spent the night in our vehicles with 15 men, women, and children, while listening to hyenas and other wild animals through the night because the small car we were pulling had two front flat tires and two flat spare tires. God is good! Also when coming down the mountain from that Maasai area a few evenings later, we heard a noise from one of our wheels and found that it was only being held on by one lug-nut! God is so good!  More of these stories have been posted on our Facebook page. Be sure to connect with us there. We are incredibly grateful for God's protection!

During our recent travels, we have had the privilege to witness 41 souls saved in our new outreaches, including a powerful testimony from James Mochache. We had witnessed to him through the years because one by one, his son, nephews, brother and others have come to Christ over the last 10+ years; but until recently, he was a Bishop in an African cultural religion, when he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor already advanced to stage 4 and was hospitalized for 3 weeks. I visited him on Friday before going down into the Maasai villages and on the Wednesday afterwards. On that Wednesday, April 24th, James prayed to ask Christ into his heart!  After he prayed, he pulled me close and told me to tell his children that he said that they should follow the truth found in God’s Word that is preached by us, and that we must do everything that we can to get them into church. He passed away late the next night.  Praise the Lord for God working in his heart!  His salvation touched many lives, leading to 8 more receiving Christ during his hospitalization and funeral.  Please pray for the rest of his family.

Church Planting (NAROK - OLTEPESI - ILIKERIN) 

We were able to visit these church plants in the Maasai areas south of Narok almost to the Tanzanian border.  There was very good reception to the market preaching that we did and in the visits that we made in the members homes. We traveled with Bible  College students from our church in Narok, and then we added some members from our church in Oltepesi as we went to spend the weekend in the village of Ilikerin. Using flashcards and sharing the Gospel message from creation to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in their Maasai language, we witnessed over 300 adults attentively listening, we then had 3 preachers preach salvation messages, and many responded in the invitation. We are thrilled to report that 16 men and women got saved and trusted Christ as their Savior that weekend; with more individuals interested in hearing more, and who will be followed up on by the leaders of the church and Bible studies out there. The county government there has designated a plot of land for us that will be divided out officially in June. Please pray that in the next few months this Bible study can be offically started as a church in Ilikerin village.

SIX YEARS OF DISCIPLESHIP

We took this picture together after six years of discipleship in the Maasai area. Samuel started Bible college in 2018, pastored the church in Narok, and led Gideon to the Lord in 2020. The two of them led Fred to the Lord, and Fred is currently a 2nd year student in our Bible college. In January, Samuel and his family moved to the Maasai village of Oltepesi to work in the church that we started to help them continue grow and be grounded in the Word of God; and Gideon is now the pastor at the church in Narok. We met James in 2022 but only in passing, as he was at another church. Last year Samuel met David and James and began to teach them and that is when they started the Bible study in Ilikerin. The others in this story are Samuel’s pastor in Kuresoi and other teachers in the Bible college that have helped to make this possible. It is fun to have a little part in this story!

ORPHANAGE PRAYER REQUEST

We are excited to announce that Calvary Baptist Church of Sidundo and the orphanage have found a new home, thanks to your generous donations toward this urgent project. As of writing this letter, we have received $8,800, with more inquiries coming in. With these funds, we have acquired both the land and the building for just over $4,500. The new property features a 50x15 building divided into three classrooms, along with a well and an outhouse, all conveniently located on the main village road. While some rooms require renovation to accommodate the orphans, we have already dismantled the old church building, the partially completed new church building frame, and one of the orphan buildings. Our immediate focus is constructing the new church building while simultaneously working on the orphanage accommodations. Thank you for your unwavering support in making this possible.

MORE GOOD NEWS!

We received more exciting news this week: the Bible Study in Nyamiobo village has been generously donated land, and they have officially established their church, Nyamiobo Independent Baptist Church. It is inspiring to witness this group growing in their faith and actively spreading the message of Christ in their community. Thank you for your ongoing prayers for the Lord's work in Kenya. We will be visiting them next week, along with another church and Bible college branch in the vicinity.

We remain delighted about the ongoing work of God in various aspects of our ministries here in Kenya, and we are looking forward to what He has planned for the future! Your prayers are deeply appreciated.

For Souls in Kenya,

Luke & Tonya Shelby

Missionaries in Kenya

Urgent Prayer Needs & Exciting Updates from Kenya 🙏✨

 

Thank you for your prayers as we returned to the field. Despite mechanical delays on our flights from Little Rock, Atlanta, and New York, totaling 4 days of travel, we are grateful to be home. Please pray for Tonya's acclimation to the elevation here in Kisumu, Kenya. She has been improving a lot over the last two weeks.

Here are some specific prayer requests and updates from our ministries for 2024.

Church Planting: 

1. The Lord has opened the door for Ezekiel, a 2023 graduate, to start a Bible Study in Buyangu under a tree. I will be visiting there this weekend.
2. We have begun meeting with a group for a Bible Study in the village of Mibasi on Saturdays and some Sundays. Over 20 individuals have been saved in the last month in this village!
3. I will be visiting the new Bible Study started last year in Ilikerin Maasai village this month, staying for about a week. It's about 10 hours from home, and I'll be visiting 2 other churches along the way. Land has been donated to build a church building in Ilikerin.
4. We are discussing with the 2 other Bible Studies in Sigoti and Nyamiobo villages about when those churches will be started.

SOUTH NYANZA BAPTIST COLLEGE

We have started up our Pastoral Classes in 3 locations with 12 students who have graduated and are pastoring or looking for a place to start a church. This is a 2-year course that will ready them for any challenges they would face in the ministry.

Internship Program: We will not be able to start our internship program this year due to the prep work that needs to take place. We had two young people seriously interested in coming this year, but unfortunately, it was not possible. We are taking applications for next year. We ask those who are available to start preparing 6 months in advance. This program is geared for Bible college students who have been called to the mission field.

KENYA LEGACY FUND #501: We have received the money for the 1st phase of our College Dorm building and have started the site planning for this project. Thank you so much. Please use the account #501 for these projects. Thank you.

!!!ORPHANAGE URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!!

During our furlough, the 5-acre property given by the village community has been taken control of by the County Government for rice processing. The church and orphanage will need to move, so we have been dismantling buildings and storing materials at church members' homes while we look for a new place. We are considering a plot that had a nursery school that is now closed. We would need at least $3,000 to buy the land and start using it. PLEASE PRAY!!

For Souls in Kenya,

Luke & Tonya Shelby

Missionaries in Kenya

The Beginning of a New Church - Part 9

 I'm back with an update from Sunday...

The day started with rain & all the men were concerned that the rain would keep people from getting out & coming to the service, but God brought them in!  

They had a wonderful service & 10 precious people were saved in the village service! After the service, the people were so thankful for everything Luke & the team had done this week that they enjoyed a time of singing; and with the Maasai culture that means there was some jumping involved (I put a video of part of it at the end of this post, & it is all in the Maasai language, but the phrase they repeat a lot is "Nkai Nara" which means the God of Truth. They were celebrating being taught the Truth of the Word of God.

Our group loaded up & headed back to Narok town on the muddy trail/road.

Luke wrote the following: "We got back to town around 7:30. And it was amazing to watch both groups greet each other and tell each other the stories of the past few days. It was a great blessing and my heart is overflowing at God's goodness."

Berean Bible Baptist Church was started today with 19 baptized in Narok town. And the man that we asked you all to pray for specifically (the rastafarian man), DID come back, with a shaved head, & got baptized! God is still in the miracle business!

Once Luke gets back home, I will load some pictures of the new church.

Thank you so much to each & every one of you who took time to pray for us this past week, as none of this would have been possible without our prayer warriors holding us up in your prayers!

God is so very, very good!

The Beginning of a New Church - Part 8

Ok, one last post for today & then I will leave you alone for a day, but I will be back Monday to give a report on how everything goes tomorrow at both places!

The man that invited us to visit here in Olmesutye Village is Noah Sunkuyia. He's a second year student in our Bible college, & he has been part of the Bible Study in Narok Town that is being started as a church this weekend. The first picture below is Noah and his Mother.

Noah started telling the people here in the village everything that he was learning, and started a small Bible Study here in the village almost immediately. But we didn't know this part until this week. Part of the group was there to meet the team when they first arrived yesterday. We learned today that there are now over 30 people who have been meeting under a tree for a weekly Bible Study!

We also learned that even though this is an extremely remote village, there have been several charismatic groups that have come through here with their false teachings. So, one of the main things that Noah taught them is that it is a Baptist Bible study. So when the team arrived and gave introductions about where each of the men were from, Noah made sure that each one was Baptist, because each team member came from different churches we have started. This is also another reason we feel that God arranged for the team to stay over another day, & help Noah teach on some doctrinal basics for those who have been confused by some of the other teachings they have heard. Like we said, we knew God had a plan!

In Narok Town a man came to the service today and got saved, this man has the rastafarian hair (you can google it). After he got saved, he said that he would go home & shave it today and then come back tomorrow and get baptized after the first service! Please pray that this man, & all the others who have been saved this week will not be hindered in any way to come to church tomorrow.

The 2nd picture was taken while making door to door visits in the village this afternoon. Just a little while after the photo was taken, 9 Elephants were sighted in the village this evening. The villagers told everyone to get home as soon as possible! So everyone is back to the home where they are all staying for the night & praying that the elephants pass by quietly without any destruction to the village overnight. They were planning to have a Bible study tonight after supper (some time after 9:30), before heading to bed.

The Lord has been very good this week with both of the meetings going on in Maasai land, & we know of 42 precious people who have personally called on the Lord to save them. And we are looking forward to both services tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

ps. The video at the end isn't very good quality, but will give you just a little taste of the driving conditions this weekend.

The Beginning of a New Church - Part 7

Last night over 80 villagers came out to hear the preaching & watch the Jesus Film in their own language! Some people were still being dealt with around 10:30 PM. The phone connection was pretty bad last night, but I'm pretty sure Luke said 14 people trusted Christ as their Savior!

Then it rained all night out in the village & that meant that the path they travelled yesterday would be impassable until the sun was able to dry things up a LOT! So, they improvised & had more soul-winning out in the village.

Once they felt like the ground had dried enough to try to head out, Luke realized that there was some car trouble, which meant he & the men with him wouldn't be going anywhere today. So, they improvised again & decided to do more soul-winning, a service tonight & another one tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Even though this was not in our plans for the weekend, God knows & there is someone out there that needs to hear about God's gift of salvation. Please pray!

We are so thankful that they had planned ahead of time that only part of the team would travel out to the village, while the rest of the team stayed in Narok Town to continue visiting, preaching in the market areas, & preparing for the first service of the new church tomorrow! We haven't heard a report from those in town, but we are continuing to pray that many will be saved & invited to church services on Sunday!

Communication has been a little harder today in order to get messages back & forth, but everyone is safe & doing well.

The plan is for services to be held in the village & in town at the same time tomorrow morning. Then the men in the village will begin their travels back to Narok Town to meet up with the rest of the team, & hopefully they will be able to get in before the curfew hour that is still in place here. To give you a little idea about the conditions, he village is only about 40 miles from Narok, but it took them 8 1/2 - 9 hours to make the trip yesterday. So, please be in prayer for their travels tomorrow to go well & without any car trouble along the way.

And we will be praying that all of you have a wonderful day in your own local church!

The Beginning of a New Church - Part 6

They made it safely to the village and were greeted by a group of Maasai ladies who had been waiting patiently since early this morning. These sweet ladies prepared chai (Kenyan tea with milk) for the whole group who were traveling with Luke. 

They served them under a shade tree, so that they could all rest before entering the village. Then they were welcomed into the manyatta to begin to pass out tracts, preach, & prepare to show the Jesus Film in the Maasai language.

The film is still going at the time I'm writing this post. And we ask that you all pray that many will hear & accept the Lord tonight. For most of the people, this will be their first time they have had the opportunity to hear the Gospel message.

Please be in prayer for the meeting tonight & in the morning.