Thank you for praying for Bro. Tom's family. Rose and her children are doing well. And we are sorry for the delay in getting this update to you. The funeral was on June 30, 2009; and there were approximately 600 people in attendance. There was a bit of excited emotions among the family members concerning different traditions; but the Lord enabled us (as the church where Tom was a member and other Christians who had fellowshipped with Tom in Bible College to advise in the situation) and we were given the final word that helped to solve the problem that arose. Praise to the Lord who always gives us the victory.
Tom was a member of two different Independent Baptist Churches in the five years that we knew him. He was baptized by Ben dyer prior to starting the Bible Baptist Church of Bomwanda. He was a faithful member and served as the treasurer. He was an insurance salesman for 15 years, and he used some of the teachings that he received in Bible study and from Bible College to relate to the field of insurance when teaching new recruits about character and about selling the product in concordance with soul winning. He was able to apply many Bible truths to the youth of Kenya in different associations of Athletics as well as being the youth leader of Calvary Baptist Church during the last 6 months he was alive.
He was a great asset to the church at Calvary Baptist Church in which he was a member for only a year. He was involved with teaching youth and adults, and he was much respected among the members. After another year, and with some milestones reached in his life, I had considered him to be the future national pastor of the church, during the time of us going on furlough in 2010. He graduated from our Bible College in November 2008, which is a three year program that deals with Basic Bible knowledge and learning how to preach. And he had started the Pastoral classes that follow the three year program.
Also during the court case that we experienced over the last two years with the church in Rongo, Tom helped me with details and procedures because he had taken two years of Kenyan Law. The other pastor and those that were advising him made Tom their enemy because of his stand on the truth of the Word of God. But that did not bother Tom; his only desire was to help the work of the Lord to continue in Rongo.
Tom was the kind of guy who, if he had a spare minute, he would come by the house or call me to meet him somewhere just to talk and fellowship with me and our family. Many did not believe that he was dead because of his personality, his friendship, and his testimony for the Lord. We will certainly miss him here, and we thank the Lord for allowing us to have the opportunity to know and work with Tom. And we know that we will see him again someday in heaven! Praise the Lord!
Please keep the Maronga Family in your prayers.
The Word of God was Preached, and Gospel was clearly given. Mrs. Rose Maronga Lowering of the Casket
Friday, 7 August 2009
Bro. Tom Maronga’s Funeral
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Family Picnic & Fun Day!
FAMILY FUN DAY! What can be better than having fun? We try to reserve Friday afternoon and evening for family time. As many of you (those in fulltime ministry) know, you do not work a 9 to 5 job; you are on call 24/7. So, we "TRY" to keep Fridays for family day whenever possible; and we encourage every family to give it a try! It does not have to cost anything! But your children will thank you for giving them your full attention! Sometimes we just do popcorn and movie night, sometimes game day (water games outside & table games in the evening), and sometimes we just have a picnic (even if it is just in our own backyard!). So, on this particular day we explored the top of Manga mountain (it is located just 30 minutes outside of Kisii Town) together!
As you can see in the pictures, we felt like we were on the edge of the world! And we had a great time playing Frisbee and trying to keep the Frisbees on top of the mountain with us!
Luke and the children. Miss Shauna Brockman. Frisbee Time. Exploring nature.
We hope that everyone has a wonderful day with YOUR OWN family!
Serving Him in Kenya,
The Shelby Family
Teaching at Bosire Academy
Please remember us as we continue this ministry, and that the Lord will continue to open even more doors for this kind of ministry.
We also want to say thank you to Miss Shauna Brockman; because she was a great blessing not only to our family, but also to these children. After teaching the first week, we would hear children following behind us as we walked through town; and they were ALL saying, "How are you, Shauna?" She made a great impression on these children, and they will never forget her! Thank you, Shauna, you were a real blessing!
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Words of Comfort for Rose Maronga
I just wanted to share with you some of the things that I have been sharing with Rose Maronga. They have helped her in her time of grief, and I pray that they will be a blessing to one of you as well. We never know what God might use to touch someone's heart, and since He has placed these thoughts and verses on my heart; I felt that I should share them.
Death/Grief
Grief is the price that life will require of each of who lives long and loves deeply. When we lose a loved one, or when we experience any other loss, darkness or depression can overwhelm us for a while; and it seems as if we cannot summon the strength to face another day. But with God's help, we can! During times of heartache, we can turn to God, first for solace and then for renewal. When we do, He comforts us and, in time, He leads us.
2 Kings 20:5 Psalm 23 Psalm 30:5 Psalm 48:14 Psalm 73:26 Psalm 126:5 Isaiah 25:8 Matthew 5:4 John 3:15 Romans 8:38, 39
Romans 12:15 1 Corinthians 15:55
We cannot always understand the ways of our Almighty God. But if we accept by faith His holy will—without looking back on what might have been—we will be able to be at peace.
~A Prayer~
Dear Lord, You have promised that You will not give me more than I can bear. You have promised to lift me out of my grief and despair. I thank You, Lord, for sustaining me in my day of sorrow. Restore me, and heal me, and use me as You will. ~Amen
Help in Troubles
People of every generation have had experience with adversity, and this generation is no different. Thankfully, although the world continues to change, God's love remains constant. And He remains ready to comfort and strengthen us whenever we turn to Him. When we are troubled, we must call upon God and, in His own time and according to His own plan; He will heal us. When we find ourselves overtaken by the frustrations of life, we must catch ourselves, take a deep breath, and lift our thoughts upward. Although we are here on earth struggling to rise above the distractions of each day, we need never struggle alone. God is here—eternally and faithfully, with patience and love—and if we reach out to Him, He will restore perspective and peace to our souls.
Psalm 9:9 Psalm 18:2 Psalm 18:28 Psalm 31:24 Psalm 32:7 Psalm 34:19 Psalm 37:39 Psalm 42:11 Psalm 73:26 Psalm 112:7-8
Psalm 120:1 Psalm 126:5-6 Psalm 138:7 Ecclesiastes 3:4 Isaiah 43:2-3 Lamentations 3:31-33 Nahum 1:7 Matthew 11:28-30
John 16:33 Romans 5:3-4 James 1:3-4
Often, in the middle of our greatest problems, we stop short of the real blessing God has for us. And as we are reminded through our burden of our utter weakness without Christ, we are then given the strength to go on.
God's Protection and Support
We know that life is not always easy. Sometimes it is far from it. But as Christians we also know that we are protected by a loving God. In times of trouble, God comforts us; in times of sorrow, He dries our tears. When we are troubled, pr weak, or sorrowful, God is as near as our next breath. Let us build our lives on the Rock that cannot be shaken…let us trust in God!
Deuteronomy 33:12 Job 11:18-19 Psalm 4:8 Psalm 16:8 Psalm 27:1 Psalm 55:22 Psalm 91:9-10 Proverbs 1:33
Proverbs 3:24 Proverbs 18:10 Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 43:1-2 Romans 8:31 Philippians 4:19
The greatest lesson that we have to learn is the fact that God, and God alone, is enough for all our needs. Every trial or sorrow that we pass through is meant to teach us this; and this lesson will be the ultimate discovery of our whole Christian life. God is Enough!
~A Prayer~
Dear Lord, You have promised never to leave me or forsake me. You are always with me, protecting me, and encouraging me. Whatever this day may bring, I thank You for Your love and for Your support. Let me lean upon You, Father, this day and forever. ~Amen
Saturday, 13 June 2009
April – June Prayer Letter
Dear Prayer Supporters, April—June 2009
Hello from Kisii, Kenya. This year, God has continued to give us renewed strength and opened opportunities for us to serve Him, and we thank you for your prayers for our family and ministries. Please visit us at our website www.shelbysinkenya.org to see a full view of our ministries as well as our schedule of events. Please subscribe to our blog post for more frequent updates. God bless you.
Alaro Orphanage Project
Please pray for a new orphanage project that we are starting to develop. We are still trying to get the legalities in place for the property and the government regulations. About two acres have been donated with another five acres that are available if the need for the project will require more land. At this point there are 12 orphans and a school with about 70 students. We are working with a Baptist Church in Germany and a national of the area who is trying to get the project off the ground. The project is an hour's drive from Kisii; and we have started a Bible Study in this village, to teach basic Bible Doctrines with the desire to start a church.
Prison Ministry
Co-Labourers
We will be having some visitors this summer to assist in the work with us. Please pray that God will show them His will for their lives. Shauna is a single teacher who will be with us for a month, and she will assist us in Vacation Bible Schools, the orphanage, and other youth ministries. Also please pray for Kenneth and Kristy Ralph as they are finishing up their deputation. They should be arriving in September to assist us in the ministry. Please pray that they get the support that they need this summer to wrap up their deputation soon.
Other Prayer Requests and Needs
Land in Kisii—$4,000 remaining Photocopier—$1,500 New Vehicle
Calvary Baptist Church South Nyanza Baptist College National Pastors
For souls in Kisii,
Luke and Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya
Friday, 12 June 2009
Urgent Prayer Request
Dear Praying Friends,
Many of you will remember that we asked you to pray for Bro. Tom Maronga (our Youth Pastor at Calvary BC, Kisii) about a month ago. He seemed to do better and was at home for the past 3 weeks. Late last night his family rushed him to the hospital here in Kisii Town, but there was not anything the doctors could do. He went home to be with the Lord at about 5 AM today (6-12-09).
So, we are asking you to please lift up his wife and family in your prayers. His wife's name is Rose; they have 4 children, and have been caring for some orphans as well. Please pray that they will be able to see the Lord working in their lives even in the middle of such tragedy. Please pray that the Lord will give us and our church family here, the wisdom and right words to say, in order to help this precious family through this difficult time in their lives. Please pray also that some of Bro. Tom's extended family might come to know the Lord as their Savior.
Thank you for your prayers for this family,
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Ladies’ Retreat at Camp Lukenya!
We had an absolutely wonderful time at the Ladies' Retreat at Camp Lukenya! There were 147 ladies from 13 Independent Baptist Churches represented at the meeting!
We want to thank everyone who prayed for our safety while we made the 9 hour trip to the camp on Saturday and for our return trip to Kisii on Tuesday. The Lord blessed, and we made the entire trip without difficulty! Thank you for your prayers!
Our ladies and I truly enjoyed our time together and enjoyed getting to fellowship with other Christian Women of like faith. All of the sessions were centered on the thought, "Experiencing Daily Joy!" Each speaker did an excellent job. We all learned so many things while we were away, and we would like you to pray with us, that each of will take these truths from the Bible and put them to work in each of our daily lives. Each of our ladies came away with something different, that God had spoken specifically to them about. And I will have some of them share their testimonies with you soon.
(10 of us from Calvary BC, Kisii went to the Retreat. 1 lady is missing from the picture above. But from left to right they are: Ferister, Rose, Jackline, Alice, Tonya Shelby, Milka, Jane O., Joseph [child], Robinah, and Jane W.)
Of the 10 of us, 8 of our husbands are saved and faithful in church; but there are 2 of our ladies whose husbands are not saved. Please pray that their husbands will be able to see such a change in these ladies lives that they would desire to have a relationship with Christ themselves. Please pray with us that Geoffrey and Josiah will be saved soon. This is great burden on our hearts, and we believe that if we join together in prayer—God will hear and answer that prayer!
Thank you so much for praying for our trip!
May God richly bless each of you,
~Tonya Shelby