April Report

By James Taylor |  May 7, 2009

 

 “Our vision is to be a ministry of eternal significance that impacts the cause of Christ through the advancement and multiplication of His churches.”

 

The Amazingly Crazy Month

 

     There really is no way that I could describe the events of this month! It has been a month of trials and great growth on many fronts. We have had highs and extreme lows but through it all God has been in control and with us. We are so grateful to those who read our updates and are taking this journey with us as we serve the Lord here in Kenya. Many are right in the midst of all that is happening as it happens and we cannot express in words what it means to know that so many are praying.

 

     As I reflect over the month I see just how much God has done and is doing; and, once again, I am humbled to have the privilege to serve our great God.   There is no good place to start or finish this month so I will hit the highlights of the month in order and give each a little bit of explanation.  Thank you so much for reading the reports and praying for our family.

 

*Kilifi Preacher

 

     Moses, Raymond (our guest), Ricklynn, and I went to Kilifi to visit Bernard Mutanyi who is a preacher from one of our churches in Western. He is eager to start a church in Kilifi and has asked us to pray about helping him.

 

*Orma Translators

 

     While in Kilifi God put us in contact with the translators that are translating the Bible into Orma! The Orma is one of the unreached people groups we have been praying for, and God has now given us a contact for them. Joseph who is the head of the “Orma Project” invited me to go out among the Orma with him when he does some of his field research. When the Bible is complete, they hope to start using it as a text for literacy programs among the Orma to both educate and evangelize.

 

*Mazeras trip with Raymond and Family

 

     Our entire family and Raymond went and spent the night in Mazeras to visit a clinic and do some teaching. Raymond is praying about possibly doing bush clinics in the country so the visit to a local clinic gave him some good information about health care and needs.

 

*Watamu Group

 

     We visited Daniel Mbuvi and a group he has been having a Bible study with in Watamu. Daniel is a preacher that studied under Lynn Rayburn and Ernie Hopper. We met with him and the group he is teaching about how we might help them. It was a great meeting and there is real potential for a church to be started in Watamu soon.

*Ricklynn and Mama Esther’s Baby

 

     We had our first loss as a church this month. Ricklynn and Mama Esther had their baby and he lived for just a few days. There is no way to describe in this report all that was involved with helping this family through this situation. I can say this, that God taught us so much! Our hearts were broken and knit together as a church as a result of this situation.  If you would like all the details, you can visit our Google group and read about “the 40 hour day” and “Worthless doctors, baby coffins, broken elbow, and more worthless healthcare”.

 

* Lydia’s Arm

 

     In the midst of all our dealing with Ricklynn’s loss, Lydia shattered her elbow by jumping off a toy. She required surgery to insert four pins in her arm.

 

 

*Land Rover Defender 4X4

 

     We were able to get our 4X4 this month. It is really going to help us get to the interior villages.

 

* Angie Clark From France

 

     Our good friend Angie Clark whose family serves as missionaries in France came to spend a week to help us out with all that was going on.

 

*Money Stolen

 

     While in Nairobi we became aware that someone was making withdrawals from our account from Belgium! They managed to get $4,300.00 from our mission account before we were able to lock them out. We have been working with the bank and others on this issue but have concluded the money is gone.

 

*Roof on Buildings

 

     We put a metal roof on our two buildings this month with the help of  Fellowship BC, Idama, WV. They gave half the funds  and the church here raised the other half.  Now we are ready for the rainy season.  Thank you, Fellowship Baptist Church.

 

* South Africa

 

     Lydia and I made a trip to South Africa for a week to have her arm worked on by a specialist. He removed her pins that were literally sticking out of her arm and advised us as to what to do next. We are grateful to Dr. Wells in S. Africa, Dr. Varela in Arkansas, and Christy Vickers for all their help with Lydia!

 

* Moses Growth

 

     Moses has been preaching on the Sundays and Thursdays that I have been gone and taking care of our people. I suspect  before too long he will be the pastor here in Malindi.  Amen!
 
Family Matters
 

 

            As James said, we cannot even begin to give all the details about this month, but let me say the experience with Ricklynn and his family has forever changed me.  The Lord has taught me so much through that experience that my heart will never be the same.  We truly have grown to love all of the families at the church and I too am humbled to be used by God in this aspect. 
    Lydia has been quite a trooper.  She went from a bad surgery to a good surgery and now on her way to recovery.  She is doing very well now after her second surgery.  She isn’t having any pain now and will get her cast off in a couple weeks.  It’s going to be a long while before she gets good use of her right arm again, but after some physical therapy she will be fine.  The other children are all doing great.  We are very close to finishing school.  Only about two and a half weeks to go.  Yeah!  We got a little behind with all the craziness, but they have managed to work hard and get caught back up so that we can finish on schedule. 
    We had a great visit with my good friend Angie Clark.  She just came on the spur of the moment.  It was such a surprise.  I think we both needed the encouragement.  I’m thankful to have a friend like her.  I’m also thankful that her husband was so sweet to take care of their four children for a week so she could come visit and help me get things back in order.  They are finishing up their language school in Paris and will be moving south of Paris I believe to begin working. 

Josiah has really made some good friends recently.  Pictured to the above is his friend Richard.  Richard was home all month from boarding school.  Richard is a very sweet boy.  He came nearly every day to play with Josiah.  The cool thing about Richard is that he is Esther, the witch doctor’s sister’s little boy.  The Lord just keeps giving us open doors into this family.  The witch doctor and Esther were very unfriendly when we first came.  Now we have had dinner together and even greet each other often.  Maybe someday the Lord will use us to reach Richard and his family.   

 

            I also had a ladies meeting here in Malindi that went well.  We studied the Virtuous Wife of Proverbs 31.  Those women had never read this before.   They have a long way to go in their growth, but I’m hoping these meetings will encourage them more towards starting a personal daily relationship with the Lord, not just a Sunday morning acquaintance.   

 

 

            As always, I’m fearful we will forget to thank someone for their kindness, so I do want to thank the many people who send cards, e-mails, and even care packages.  They mean so much to us to know that there are people praying for us regularly.  Thank you so much.  I also want to thank our sponsoring church for being so good to us.  We know they are behind us in everything we do.  God has truly blessed us with a great church. 

 

 

 

 

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