Pauline Baptist Church

Wednesday was a great day. I spent some time planning for the month, studying, and I think we have a workable schedule for the month so that we can get around to see everyone and continue the work here in Malindi.

5/7/09

Kenya and I went to Mombasa first thing on Thursday morning to do a few things. I had to get to the dentist to have a filling fixed. They put in a temporary filling a last month to see if it would fix my issues with the plan to put a permanent one in after a few weeks. Well with everything happening I pushed two weeks into nearly six. Thank the Lord the temporary lasted longer than they said it would. Moses and Derrick went with us also so Moses could take Derrick to his cousin who is a truck driver who goes back and forth from Eldoret to Mombasa nearly every week. Derrick was going to travel back to Eldoret to go to school there. Moses has been trying hard to find a good school here in Malindi but the education level here on the coast is very poor and even the private schools are not that good. Moses and Mama Derrick decided the best thing was to send him to Eldoret to attend school there and stay with his grandpa and grandma. Moses spoke to me about it a few months ago and earlier in the week. I know they are trying to do what is best for Derrick's future but I cannot imagine. There are a lot of kids here that attend boarding school so it is not much different from that but at least Derrick is with his family and they will take good care of him. Pray for Moses and Mama Derrick I know it is going to be hard.

Kenya and I spent the day in Mombasa with dentist visits and shopping. We returned just in time to head to Bible study. I am teaching through 1 John on Thursdays. We had a good service.

5/8/09

I met with Gertrude a little in the morning and talked with her about some of the translating she is doing and tried to encourage her and give her some direction on some things to help her. Then I made some calls to see how folks were doing outside of Malindi and made plans for visits.

I spoke with Lawrence who was saved a few months ago but was only with us a few weeks because he moved to Mombasa. We have maintained contact with him and have visited him in Mombasa. When I called him he said that he was now in Lunga Lunga past Mombasa near the Kenya and Tanzania border. He said he had a friend from college that was a chief there and he called him there to do some work and to try to help him make a new start. Lawrence and his wife had good jobs in Nakuru before the post election violence here in Kenya last year and were chased out of town and lost everything. Lawrence has been struggling since to get back on his feet. Lawrence always seems to be open with me and stays in touch. He said his children will and are continuing school in Mombasa, but his wife was in Nairobi with her parents. I asked him if she was visiting or if there was a problem. He said I can't lie, pastor we are having problems. I asked him if they could be reconciled and he said that is why she was with her parents to decide what to do. I told him we would pray for him and his family. He said he was coming to Mombasa next week and I told him I would come to see him. Lawrence is like many others in this country, whose lives were completely changed by the post election violence. Pray that God will help us minister to Lawrence as we can or provide someone near him who can.

I spoke with Bernard in Kilifi also to check in on him. He is the preacher from Western that is a member of Ricklynn's dad's church. We visited him last month and talked with him about possibly working with him in Kilifi. He came and preached for me on Easter while we were in Nairobi with Lydia. He is doing good. There is a group of fellas he works with that we have given some studies and he said they have finished them. I told him we would come by and see him on Thursday to visit and greet the young guys that have been doing the studies. The jury is still out on Bernard as far as what we can do with him in the future. He used to work for Hopper and was in school under Brother Hopper so I was able to get some information about his training and who he is. I am planning to call his pastor James Muhanji also to talk to him about Bernard. My hope is that if we do anything with Bernard maybe his church in Western will be involved and I can help them help him. Pray for us as we move slowly with Bernard.

Moses and I also went to out to visit William Karisa and Alfonze.We met Alfonze on the way he said he would meet us at his place after we visited William. As we went to William's we passed by and greeted Titus' wife. Titus hasn't been to church for a while and his wife still has not come, but they send their three kids every week. The kids are really cute and good kids. One of the little boys ran up smiling ear to ear to greet us when we stopped by the little hoteli (little grass roofed place with a table and chairs where they sell small food items) that his mom runs. Titus' wife said that she was going to come to see us in services. This is a big step for her to say that she will come some time. Moses neighbor is a Pentecostal pastor who has tried to get Titus' wife to his church for awhile but she out right refuses. So maybe the Lord is working on her. Their three kids are great! It has actually been a while since we have even seen Titus not just at church but in general. The past few times we have past their little hoteli he has not been there.

We arrived at William's place to find he had left. I called him and we scheduled to meet with him on Saturday. We left and went to Alfonse and Mapenzi's place. We all sat down and chit chatted a little. Alfonse told us that Mapenzi had gone out to her home to help with her father because he is really sick. Moses and I had talked before our arrival about this visit with Alfonse and that we needed to tell him that he had to deal with his situation with he and Mapenzi. They are living together but are not married and do not have any kind of agreement with the family. We became aware of this and have been trying to encourage and help Alfonse to fix this issue. We spent a lot of time talking through this issue with Alfonse and the end result is that if he does not deal with it this week the church will have to take action. We really want to see Alfonse grow but this is sin and he and Mapenzi know that they are not doing right Biblically and even traditionally. The end result was Alfonse making a plan for he and Moses to go to Lengo Mbaya where he and Mapenzi are from and have a meeting with her family to make a formal agreement of marriage. It was so good to see him make a plan and I know this is not going to be easy for him but it is what he needs to do to get his relationship right with the Lord. Pray for Wednesday next week when he will go to make the agreement.

After visiting Alfonse we headed home. Moses and I talked about the visit and how it went. These times are really good times of teaching and mentoring with Moses. I try to tell him why I asked certain things and what my hope was with the questions and just evaluating the whole situation with him. These are times that are so valuable to his training. I also just enjoy visiting. As we walked we talked about a motorcycle that he is going to be buying to use for business. He is selling his two bicycles and moving up to a motor bike not for him to ride but to rent to someone else so he can make money. This is a very good business here Malindi so it is great to see Moses looking ahead. When we got home it was almost Judo time.

5/9/09

Saturday morning Moses and I started off with a visit to see William. I had determined before arriving at Williams that I was going to be direct with William and just lay things out that I saw in his life in hopes that we could start addressing some of his deeper issues. Right now William is living in Malindi by himself and just basically surviving. His wife Lois and son Hakika are staying outside of town with her sister and his wife Josephine or Mama Faith is out in Singuaya with his other three kids. They are all surviving but that is it. There is no work here so he is not helping his family by sending money to them they are just all doing their own thing. I have been praying for William for a long time that God would help us to know how we can help him and I felt the Lord wanted us to just be blunt with him.

We spent over two hours visiting with William and discussing his spiritual condition, testimony, and family. It was a really good. He knows where he is but I honestly believe that he does not know how to change and he must change in order for God to bless him. Since he has been with us we have seen no real change in him. He is faithful to attend services and we like him but he just is not making strides in areas of his life that are goofed up. We really tried to shoot straight with love and sincerity. He took it all well because he knows we love him and want the best for him. We may be making a trip to Singuaya this week and to Merekibuni to get and talk to Lois. Pray for William, he has so much potential. I hope that this open dialogue will open up the way for change in his life. We challenged him with scripture and love, now he has to respond or reject.

When we got back from William's I took care of the kids for Kenya so she could finish getting ready for her ladies meeting at 4:00. She was just finishing up some details. The kids and I played and had a good time. When Kenya went to here ladies meeting the kids and I got her Mothers day cards all ready to go. Kenya returned later and said the ladies meeting went well. I am so glad that she is doing these meetings every two weeks. The ladies love it and Kenya really enjoys it. You know we are all made to minister in some way! God has gifted Kenya in more ways than she knows and I love seeing her uncover more and more of her gifts and helping the ladies to see theirs.

5/10/09

I made Kenya Breakfast in bed and the kids and I ate while Kenya took extra time to just get herself ready for the day in some peace.

When Moses arrived at church he shared with me that on Saturday evening Alfonse called him over because him mama had come to town to see him. Alfonse tried to call me also but I was taking care of our children while Kenya was at the ladies meeting. Moses said he went over with Alfonse and his mother and they talked about Alfonse and Mapenzi's relationship. Moses said that Alfonse mother refused Alfonse to marry her because of their families relationship. Moses said that it was confusing but there is some reason in the family relationships that Alfonse's Mama said that it was not appropriate for him to be with Mapenzi. She did say that Alfonse used to serve the Lord but for the past five years and since he has been with Mapenzi he has not served God. She like us wanted to see him back serving God. She said he needed to ask forgiveness for this inappropriate relationship and get back to serving God. She stressed that she did not approve of the relationship or a future relationship. Moses told Alfonse he had some big decisions to make and we would pray and come see him on Monday. Pray for Alfonse as his situation just became more complicated. I pray that he will make the right decisions. We will be meeting with him on Monday about all this.

We had great services at church. We did have a slight interruption from a man named Don from Florida. He came in and asked me if he could talk to me. I went outside the gate and spoke to him a bit. He is a Christian man that is affiliated with a church called Four Square that is in California which he described as an Assemblies of God. He said that he was here on his own with no support or anything. He said he had worked up in Sudan doing something, then went to Nairobi for a bit, then came out here to Watamu and married a Kenyan lady while here. He has been out here on the coast a couple years. He came by to greet me and tell me that he had heard about our ministry. The information he had was all mixed up and even some was just not true. We have had several Pentecostal folks coming around looking for "ministry jobs" even an ACK preacher looking for a ministry or mission to join. We always listen to them but always tell them our purpose is seeking the lost and they are welcome to our services for teaching anytime but that we do not have positions available. They usually do not like our answers and want to press us that we are all just Christians and serving God. The Ecumenical mentality is rampant here. Anyhow I think Don is connected to some of the folks who have tried to come our way and they are sharing inaccurate information. So Don came by, I think, with sincere intention to try and help us. After he heard our us using Swahili in our services and finding out that we are not fresh in the country he actually realized quickly what was going on. He currently is working with a existing church and just helps any church or Christian he can. He does not know Swahili or anything and sounds like he is a Christian guy just trying to serve the Lord somehow. He said that there was only one other American couple in Malindi that he knew of. They are an older retired missionary couple that we actually knew recently heard of. We got their contact from their nephew who was in language classes with Jason and Angie Clark in France. While Angie was here we met the nephew who is doing mission work in another African country. Anyhow I am not sure what the future connection if any with Don will be but it was nice to meet him. It seems, well no by his testimony he is a non-denominational "general Christian church" fella.

After Don left I went back to Sunday School. We had a good service. It was so good to see Moses and Ricklynn doing so great in leading the services. I determined this week that I am going to hand over more of the service to Moses. I will have him handle announcements, opening, and everything. Right now I will continue to preach. I am trying slowly to work out of a job and God is making that transition happen not only in me, but I believe in Moses and the church. I preached on our circle of influence and how we need to reach out to our friends, neighbors, and acquaintances with the gospel. Especially those who have no church connection. The message I feel went really well. I was preaching to set up for this Saturday.

Moses is going to be teaching those who come how to lead someone to the Lord and how to do visitation. We are all going to make a list of our circle of influence and use that as a basis for our visitation and outreach. I shared this with Moses and he is the one who thought that a class on leading folks to the Lord and visitation might help folks. I agreed with him and told him he would do great at teaching the class. I love to see the minister in Moses coming out! I plan to go to Mazeras this Friday and Saturday so Moses will remain here and do the class on evangelism and visitation. I also will be going to Watamu next Sunday to be at the Bible study there. Moses will preach here in Malindi.

After services everyone just kind of visited for another thirty minutes before beginning to leave. When our family left there was a group of four men practicing some songs. Juma was one of them. I told Juma to lock the gate on their way out. I love it I love it I love it! They are acting like a church...because they are!

Then we took Kenya out to eat so she would not have to cook and then just relaxed all afternoon until time for our evening service. We listen to the services from our sending church and were blessed by the message.

Let me give the run down on how everyone is doing. To some these names will mean something to others maybe not but a comment that several share is that they know the people here so let me update you all on how everyone is doing and share a little for those who have just heard the names.

Ricklynn, Mama Esther, and Esther are doing well. Ricklynn's work is really slow now. He has a bicycle taxi called a Boda boda. Right now we are in low season for tourism and school just started back. Most people are pressed for money so they are walking or are gone because the hotels are closed. They seem to be doing well after the loss of their little one. The Lord put on Kenya's heart to buy them some food yesterday and give it to them. We do not know that they are without food but we are sure that right now it is tight on them. Ricklynn is the kind of man that would not ask for anything, he is a hard worker. The Lord continues to develop him as he leads our worship services.

Godfry, Mama Sedrick, Cedrick, and Bravan are doing alright. Godfry is Ricklynn's brother and he also has a Boda boda. Braven has been sick for a week or so but is a little better now. Kenya took Braven to the doctor while I was in South Africa. She said he was not well at all and with the shortage on work there was no money for Godfry to take him so Kenya helped them. Godfry is also a hard working man and has not once asked for anything. He has a sweet spirit about him. He is our churches treasurer and does a great job. Mama Cedrick works as a house girl for a family here in town. She works six full days a week plus takes care of her family. She like her husband has a sweet spirit. They work really hard with their kids.

Gertrude and her family are doing well. We have still not seen Jeff in services for a long long time. Gertrude and Jeff have three kids Ian, Ivy, and Judah. Ian and Ivy are teenagers and Judah is not quite two. Ian is attending secondary school in Mombasa but was home for break all of last month. He just returned to school last week. He seems to be doing well. Ivy is sweet she has one more year in primary school before she will also be going off to secondary school. Judah well little man is a handful for his mama. He is at home all day with a worker because Jeff works as a dentist and Gertrude is working here with us so he is a little spoiled. Gertrude tries with him but wow. Kenya and Gertrude talk a lot about kids and how to take care of them. Gertrude is really growing spiritually. The situation with Ricklynn really drew her in with the rest of the people. Because she is a little better off than the others, it always seemed she was on the outside and she did not know how to relate very well. I have her translating some materials and it is really helping with her doctrinal development also. It has been neat to watch her see the truth and grab hold of what is truth and let go of some things that she had "thought" was Bible.

Favor was with us on Thursday. Moses told me while I was gone she came and spoke to him while he and the other men were at the church doing some work. She told him some issues that she is having and asked him to pray for her. She has some spiritual issues that she needs to address but seems to want to change. She was not with us on Sunday so we will have to check in this week to see how she is doing.

Alfonse and Mapenzi as I shared earlier in the update still need much prayer and direction. I think Alfonse wants to get back to serving the Lord but he has to make some serious and hard decisions.

William Ngeyo is the physics teacher that was saved a few months ago. He has still not come forward for baptism. He is faithful to come. William also deals with some emotional issues that he is getting a handle on with the Lord's help and some books that I have loaned to him. We are to meet later this week. I want to mention baptism and church membership to him again.

Mama Patra still is coming each Sunday. She is really nice. She has been sick but seems to be doing better. We really need to go by and have a one on one talk with her to know where she is spiritually. Right now she is coming with her little girl and baby and they live up the road from us. Her husband has a tour van and is in tourism. That is about all we know about Mama Patra but I hope we will get to know her better soon. She just lives two houses down from us.

Jacinta has not been in services for awhile. I met her at her little kibanda (small shop)in town. She sells necklaces, bracelets, and that type of stuff. She lives up on the same compound as Favor and Mama Patra. Jacinta lives with her boyfriend who drives a tuk tuk and is not a Christian man from what we know. I think she is convicted about her situation. She professed to have gotten saved a few months ago but has not been faithful to services, again I know she knows that her situation is not right in God's sight. Pray for her and especially her boyfriend that God will give us a chance to witness to him.

Juma is doing great. He continues to grow. We have resumed his classes on Tuesday and Thursday. His kibanda is doing well that he started. He is really active in the church. He and I will be going to Mazeras together later this week. I pray it will be a good time for he and I to talk about his future. I am not sure what he feels God is going to do with him when he goes to take Mama Naomi to his house in Mazeras next month. I am anxious to see if he will return to Mazeras and we can work with him there to start a church or if he will continue here in Malindi. We will see what God has for him. I know that he still is a little frustrated because mama Naomi does not come from Watamu to Malindi for services. I hope once they get in their house she will be able to grow more in her faith.

Ronnie and crew are the little boys up the road that live on the same compound as Favor, Jacinta, and Mama Patra. Ronnie, Kelvin, and Tom are good kids. They come and play with Josiah often. They come faithfully every Sunday. Their mom has still not come but they do. Maybe the Lord will allow us to visit them soon and make connection with their family.

We have a group of Teen girls that come with Favor's daughter Margaret. They do well in services but are not faithful yet. Pray for them as we continue to develop our relationship with them.

Jonathan is William Karisa's brother. He is the fella that has Elephantitis. He was gone for a while but has started attending again. He is a really confused chap. I have talked to him about salvation and his testimony is not what the Bible describes. I have shared the gospel with him but he has a lot of different religions in him and he even used to be an Mganga (witch doctor). Needless to say Jonathan needs prayer and patience.

William Karisa I shared a lot already about him in the update above.

I think that that covers everyone and where they are. Please pray for the rest of the week. I also spoke to Silas Cross this week and he will be joining us as a Missionary Intern starting May 25. He will be spending a few months with us. Please pray for Silas that God will bless his time here and the Lord will help me share with Silas. I know this is going to be a great opportunity for us all to work together. Lord willing we will have other interns in the future and from them maybe God will call more laborers into the harvest. We continue to pray that God will bring others to this expanding ministry. Thanks for taking the time to catch up!