In the past few months, we have been able to place 1,020 Bibles in students hands, and new relationships being established between the schools and our local churches, giving opportunities to preach the Gospel and followup with Bible lessons. We are getting feedback constantly, but it seems that over 200 students have already responded to the salvation message!
Julius Korir
Julius Korir is an orphan who was raised by Pastor John Chirchir in the Tumaini Orphanage in the poverty-stricken village of Naibor. Julius is an adult now, and is one of our most productive evangelists.
Last Christmastime, around midnight, a band of cattle rustlers invaded the village and and attempted to steal the orphanage’s few cows. In trying to repel the rustlers, Julius was slashed in the face and lost his right eye.
Most young men would have been very bitter over such a tragic loss. However, Julius has had a very godly spirit throughout his recovery. His humble testimony of faith in God’s plan, and his forgiving spirit, has been a wonderful testimony to his community and to the churches in which he preaches. What a fine young man!
We took Julius to a mission eye hospital last week. They discovered that the retina in his good eye had also been damaged. The surgeon perfomed laser surgery to reattach the retina, and Julius’ vision is much better. Please pray for this fine young preacher! If you’d like to contribute something small to his eye treatments and installation of an artificial eye, that would be a welcome encouragement to Brother Julius, but in any case, please pray for God’s hand of protection upon this fine young evangelist.
Julius is just one of many fine young men which are emerging from the ministry of Pastor John Chirchir at Naibor. Please pray for Pastor John, also. He carries a heavy burden – but always has a smile on his face!
Over a dozen years ago, an African pastor and his family started taking orphans into their own home in the poverty stricken village of Mara Moja, Naibor.
They lived in a mud-walled hut, which they expanded to accommodate their growing family of orphans. They built other mud huts as needed to accommodate the growing need! These orphans might be poor, but they are the happiest kids you’d ever meet
As the “family” grew, some of the older orphans finished high school and are now serving the Lord in valuable roles. Two are ‘missionaries’ to the Northern Frontier region of Kenya. The daily Bible teaching and Christian fellowship which the orphanage family provides has provided a basis for effective discipleship of the next generation of Christian leaders!
God has provided a number of other concerned people who are partnering with the local African churches who are supporting this orphanage spiritually. The HALO Foundation in particular, has been such a blessing in providing food and other basic necessities, as well as educational assistance. Also, a number of individuals and churches have invested in this ministry at critical times!
RELOCATION to NEW FACILITIES:
The Cielo Vista Church in El Paso has provided funding for the recent relocation of the facilities from the mud huts to prefabricated semi-permanent facilities which was so badly needed!
We are so thankful for the young missionaries, Andrew and Abby Lettsome, who have done a fantastic job in getting the orphanage moved to a new site! You must take a moment to read their posts about this project! It will thrill your heart!
Building an Orphanage, Part 2: the Details
Fourteen years ago, a kindhearted group of church members from Shiloh Hills Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia visited Kenya. One of the projects which they tackled was building the first two classrooms of a new primary school in the poverty stricken bush country known as Naibor.
The Shiloh-Naibor Primary School has become a focal point of progress for the whole community, especially in Spiritual matters. Many lives have been touched through our ministry to the Naibor community through this school and the Naibor Baptist Church which shares the same compound.
In spite of the grinding, hopeless poverty of this region, the children work hard in their studies, hoping for a better life through the doors which education opens in this modern world. They eagerly attend the chapel services and soak up all the Bible teaching we can give them. One of our Bible Institute students, John Chirchir, who lives in that area, teaches Bible lessons to the students and faculty of Shiloh-Naibor School at least twice a week.
John is a fine young man who was raised in that area. His oldest child is a student in the Shiloh-Naibor School. John loves children, and even though he is very poor himself, he spends much of his meager income trying to offer the kids in his village a better life. He has formed a children’s Bible Club in his village, and rides his rickety bicycle many miles deeper into the bush several times a week to preach to another small congregation at a place called Mogwooni. John is about half way through his studies in the Mt. Kenya Baptist Bible College, making very good grades.
In addition to spiritual support, we try our best to offer the Shiloh-Naibor School help with the most basic needs. Recently, I received a special offering from an unexpected source which enabled me to invest over $500 in some badly needed books and other basic needs for the School. The whole community was overjoyed at this small investment! You’d have thought I gave them $10,000! (I wish I could!!!)
Ereri SchoolAbout five miles away, there is a brand new settlement area which is similar to the Naibor community. Through the generous efforts of a team from Orlando Baptist Church, we have planted the first and only church in the Ereri Settlement area. The Orlando Team also built a Kindergarten classroom – which has already been expanded to house 1st grade as well! The Ereri Church and community are struggling to pool their pitiful resources to build another classroom. We would like to assist this school! Any donations to this project would be an outstanding investment in the spiritual as well as the material progress of this new community!
Pastor James Ndegwa has a large family to support: wife, 5 children, brother, and mother. He was injured by a wild animal a few years ago, and is in constant pain. Medical treatment is expensive, and Pastor Ndegwa has no resources of his own. Please pray for him.
Jerry & Sherry Daniels