EastKenyaMissions.com

August 24 Wednesday

Mark Purington, his daughter Sarah, and Jeremiah the geologist all came in on Tuesday afternoon to do a water survey in Singuaya. We loaded up the Land Rover and the Van with Mark and his team with their equipment and our family and headed to Singuaya first thing Wednesday. Kenya wanted to go out to Singuaya and tell them good-bye before we left so this gave us a great chance to all go out together. Mark, Sarah, Jeremiah, and a few church members did the water survey while we visited with everyone. The survey took a couple hours and the results were that water is available at about 50 meters down. There was water again at 100 meters but Jeremiah the geologist suspects that it may be salt water. All this was good news so it seems the project has potential.

While we were doing the survey some of the teen boys in the area showed us some bush babies and squirrels they shot out of trees with sling shots. They were planning to eat them, they said it was really good. Kenya was looking at them and made a sigh and said poor thing. Then Mama Martin said, “don’t be sad it is food”. It was so funny and she was serious.

We got the survey completed and took a water sample to test if the current water supply is contaminated or not. After we gathered in the church and shared the findings we prayed together and Kenya left with the kids and the visitors. I remained behind to talk with William, Jonathan, and Mzee Philip about a few things. We had a good meeting followed by some Kumbu. It was my last chance to have the Minnows in coconut milk soup and it was good. After we ate together I said my good-byes then headed to Singuaya Primary with William to meet with a group that he is meeting with. The church in Gandini has sent him to the next village over to try and start another church.

When we arrived there were over fifty people present. They had prepared chicken and rice for us already. We had arrived late but everyone was still present. We greeted everyone and I shared from the word for about 45 minutes then we ate. The group seems to have a desire to learn. Pray for William and Jonathan as well as the Gandini church they have such a huge opportunity in their area to start multiple churches but they need to grow spiritually and as leaders. All in all it was a great day! I got back in the evening and visited with Mark before we called it a night.

August 25 Thursday

I ran Mark and his team to the airport in the morning and came back to the house and began working on appointments and mission finances for the month. We are getting our schedule all lined out and pastors have been so gracious to accept the dates we have requested. We really want to get our schedule worked out so that we can work the plan once we are there and visit with everyone.

Bible Study was great and we had really good attendance. Godfry did a good job teaching.

By the way the water in Gandini is most definitely contaminated. It stank and turned black as Mark said it would if it was contaminated.

August 26 Friday

It was another day of office work getting things ready to go. There is so much to do but we really made a dent in it on Friday. I also got the garage all back in order. Kenya had a great activity for the kids on family night involving painting your hands. The kids loved it!

August 27 Saturday

Saturday was Sarah’s Birthday the big 05. In our family the official age you do not have to take afternoon naps anymore. Even though since it was summer, naps were suspended. We had Rebecca and four other Peace Corps volunteers come spend the day with us as well. We cooked out and had a good time visiting with them. I ran them down to the beach to enjoy the waves a little. In the evening I ran to see Daniel to give him the baptismal certificates for Jimba and passed by to talk with Alphonce a little.

August 28 Sunday

We had a good service followed by a business meeting where the church called Godfry as their pastor and Ricklynn as the treasurer. I was glad that it worked out and pray that God will continue to bless this church. I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as their pastor.

August 29 Monday

Today has been nothing but preparing for our departure. tomorrow we are taking the kids for a special day out. We know it will be busy once we get to the states so we wanted to take a day to be together.

James Taylor

East Kenya Missions

August 20

    We have been planning for a choir fellowship for a long time and Saturday was the appointed day. We invited 15 from each area to come for the choir fellowship and asked them to bring a program to share with everyone. There were choirs form Malindi, Jimba, Bokole, Magangani, and Singuaya. The choir kids from Gandini did not come because of the funeral. We had a good representation from the church in Malindi present also.

We started with introductions from the different churches then a general welcome from me. Then we passed out the t-shirts to each choir. We purchases five different colors for the various areas so that each choir would stand out together. The kids were super excited to have the t-shirts. After the t-shirt distribution we all sang together for a little while to get warmed up and to just bring our voices together.

After we sang for a little while each of the churches presented their programs. They all did great! We had singing, dramas, reciting of poems, and sharing of memory verses.  All the choirs really did well but the Bokole and Magangani choirs really shined. They had put a lot of effort into their dramas and songs. After everyone presented their programs we had a short devotion then lunch. Kenya had spent the entire morning cooking a huge pot of beans and a huge pot of rice. She did a great job on the food and I know it was a lot of work for one person.

We had a great lunch together and everyone was super happy with the day. I really think this choir fellowship will encourage the young people and also help them learn from one another. The day was a total success.

August 21 Sunday

Brother Scott and I went to Jimba with intentions of starting the Jimba LBC. The Bible study in Jimba has been meeting for several months now and Daniel has been doing a great job leading them. The timing seemed right to move forward with establishing the church.

When we arrived there were slim pickings but that is common here as usually everyone is late. Around 10:00 we decided to move forward with singing and teachings on Baptisms as more people continued to arrive. After we sang I taught for about 45 min on baptism and I really felt like it went well. After the teachings we prepared to go to the ocean for baptisms. There were 33 on Daniel’s list that had said they wanted baptism but not all of them arrived.

It was a good 45 minute walk to the beach but when we reached the beach it was sooooo beautiful. I wanted to post a picture on FB and say that we were getting ready to baptize in paradise. We got everyone gathered around and I went over what the process was going to be once we were in the water and showed everyone what I would do. We read from Matthew 28:18-20 then went to the ocean.

We baptized 26. After the baptisms we gathered back on the beach and formed a circle. Those that were baptized along with Daniel, his wife, and another man that had been baptized in Magangani last year formed a circle for the covenanting together. Those present covenanted together to carry out the great commission and serve the Lord in Jimba. They then agreed on the name of the church as Jimba Landmark Baptist Church, called Daniel as their pastor, and selected Emanuel as the Secretary/treasurer. Brother Scott and I presented the church with the remaining shillings they need to complete their building. Daniel led the church in closing prayer. It was a great service. Please pray for the church in Jimba that God will continue to lead them and add to their number. Also pray for them as they complete their building.

On the way back home Brother Scott and I had an accident with a motor cycle. I was turning on to our road to come home and a motor cycle hit the side of the Land Rover. I looked before I turned but only saw a bicycle but there was also a motor cycle and when I saw him it was too late. Brother Scott later said that he saw the same thing and was just as shocked as I was when we were hit. We got out and took the two men that were on the bike to the hospital which is normal practice to ensure they are ok. They only ended up having some scratches and bruises. Thank the Lord for that. I felt terrible but was thankful that they were not hurt badly. There were probably thirty or so people came in to check on the two while we were waiting for them to get there scrapes cleaned up at the hospital. We found out while waiting that the two were brothers when their dad arrived and greeted us.

 
Once the men were treated Brother Scott and I went off to the side and discussed what we were going to do to work out the situation. We came to an agreement with about twenty guys present that I would take his bike to our mechanic and have it fixed and that I would compensate them for the loss of work. Everyone was happy with the agreement and we discussed the compensation once we got to the young men’s house with their dad. I compensated the driver for three days work and the young man for one day as well as enough money to help with bandages. The family was very nice through it all. They all claimed to be saved and everyone acted like saved folks, I hate to say it was a good accident but really the Lord was with it all. When we left the family to go home I prayed with the family and we all said our good-bye like we were old friends. Praise the Lord for his wisdom and for his direction through this situation.

August 22 Monday

I ran to town first thing and took the motor cycle to one of our mechanics to have it repaired. He said he would have it done by the end of the day so we left some money and ran the driver of the bike back home. Abigail and I ran to town and did some errands then returned and I spent the day visiting with the children. We had a good time playing “drawing gestures” and swimming. We all went back to town in the evening and took the driver of the motor bike to pick up his bike. The mechanic did a good job and the bike was back in good condition. The motor bike driver was please with the work and we said our good-byes. I was so glad that everything worked out with this situation. It could have been very bad, but again the Lord was gracious.

August 23 Tuesday

Today has been an office morning working on updates and getting finances together. We are preparing to go and take a picture now for our prayers cards for furlough. Also we are picking up the missionary that is helping us with putting a bore hole in out in Singuaya. He is coming in with survey equipment to see if there is water and how deep it is to see if a bore hole is possible. We plan to do the survey all day tomorrow then they will leave on Thursday morning. We also have a Birthday Girl Today! Lydia is 7 today! Lydia and Sarah decided that they would have their Birthday parities in the states since we are so close to going home. They are wanting to go to Chuck E. Cheese for their birthday!

James Taylor

East Kenya Missions

Last week the Nyati class of LBBI met on Thursday and Friday and we had great classes. We continued with the book of Acts taught by Brother Lynn Raburn via video. I also spoke to the men about the need to move graduation ahead with our departure and the need to finish several classes that we have not gotten to. Everyone was fine and very excited that Brother Scott would be continuing classes by using videos. Brother Hopper let us use several video taped classes that he has in our absence. Brother Scott is planning to teach one of the classes next year but still is concentrating his efforts on learning the language. Lord willing when we return the men will be ready for graduation from the Basic program and the Kipepeo class will be well on their way as well.

I am so glad that Brother Scott is going to be able to continue the school work with the videos. We both believe and know that the school is the key to the continuation and multiplication of this work. We are working with a great group of men that enjoy studying the Word of God and are like sponges absorbing the teachings. It is awesome to watch them using what they are learning and working side by side.

Alphonse taught the evening Bible Study on Thursday and did a great job. It was so awesome how he spoke of all of us working together as a team here on the coast.

August 13 Saturday

Brother Scott and I headed out in the morning with Juma going to visit the office of the Chief in Cha Ngombe. Juma has been meeting with folks there for a few months and they have reached a point they would like to put up a structure to meet in but the Chief wanted to know who Juma was and who he was working with because he is of another tribe than those of the area. Juma is Duruma and the tribe in Cha Ng’ombe is Rabai. Since Juma is an “outsider” it was needful for us to go and to affirm who he was and his intentions. Juma himself and those he has been working with already visited the chief but they still wanted someone to “vouch” for Juma.

When we arrived the chief was out but had left someone for us to meet with. We spoke to the chief investigator of the area and had a nice conversation. We signed the guest book and that was that. Juma said that there would be no problems now and even the government official said that everything was fine. After we finished with the chiefs office we went to visit with the family who welcomed Juma into the area. We also got the how story as well.

Juma had been working on his LBBI last year and met one of the young men. He saw Juma working on his school books and asked him about Juma’s church. From there it started Juma going into this area weekly to teach and share the Bible with this family. The Mzee of the boma that Juma is meeting at is/was known as the local Mganga (medicine man or witch doctor). Juma said that they have been very receptive to the teachings and the Mzee has given them a place to meet. Pray for Cha Ng’ombe the God will continue to lead Juma and the Holy Spirit will break down strong holds. We had some coconuts together then headed out.

Being in Cha Ng’ombe with Juma shows me how he has a heart to serve. When I reflect on how far he has come I have to cry and say praise God! Juma was our first convert here in Malindi and God has truly worked through him and continues to.

On the way back to Malindi Brother Scott and I had a good time planning and talking about the work and the directions we are going in. We spend much time dreaming together and sharing thoughts. I love those times of just being and fellowshipping in the Gospel.

August 14 Sunday

We had a good service in Malindi I finished a series on finding your part in your church. It went very well. I have enjoyed the series and seeing the fruit of obedience as a result. I spoke to several folks after services because they will be traveling and will be gone our last service. The schools have closed for the month and it always affects our attendance in the city negatively. In the villages attendance increases.

We also had Rebecca with us again, who is a Peace Core volunteer that has become a good friend. She came home with us and ended up staying over night so she could attend the evening English services with us at Brother Scott’s. Christian and Christine also attended the evening worship, it was nice to see them.

August 15 Monday

We took our day off and ran to Mombasa so we could see Kenya’s blood pressure doctor before we leave. We needed to get some prescriptions written for medicine we will be carrying home. We also had a few dentist appointments. Kenya ran down into the market to get a few clothing items for our departure as well. In the afternoon brother Scott and I also worked on making some appointments for our furlough.

August 16 Tuesday

I worked all day on Tuesday in the office looking at maps and our supporting churches trying get a plan together for our furlough. I also sent out several Face Book messages and Emails trying to start filling our schedule up. It would be nice to be able to work the plan once we are there and know where we are going. We really want to visit as many of our supporters as possible if not all and then also see some new churches. We are planning to visit association meetings and the national meeting during our furlough. In the midst of that we want to be with our sending church in Monticello AR and visit with our families and friends in Indiana. It is going to be an awesome furlough!

August 17 Wednesday

In the morning I continued with office work and appointments. In the afternoon I met with Ricklynn and Godfry to discuss First Landmark in Malindi and the calling of a pastor as well as the over all state of the church as I see it. We had a great lunch and meeting together. I really thing they are going to do well. Pray for the church that they will make a wise decision. I am recommending that they call Godfry as their pastor but it is a decision that they must make as a church. Ricklynn, Godfry, and I discussed all this together.

After the meeting with Ricklynn and Godfry I ran home and Brother Scott and I went to Gede and Jimba to meet visit with Alphonse and Daniel. We had a good visit with Alphonse at his little shop then we went on to Jimba. Daniel was in town but we were able to meet with Emanuel who is one of the faithful men that Daniel is working with, who seems to be really growing. Emanuel showed us the progress on the Jimba building and the budget to finish building. We passed by and greeted Daniel along the way because he came in a bit late but he said everything was a go for baptisms and starting the church on Sunday.

August 18 Thursday

I got up in the morning and ran to Singuaya to meet with Jonathan and William about LBBI, the well project we are looking at doing, and the children that were to come to the Choir fellowship we were having in Malindi on Saturday. We had a good time meeting and while we were talking one of the neighbors came and asked if anyone wanted to buy a dik dik that had been trapped and killed. I over heard the chatter and asked William what it was all about. He told me and I asked if we could see it. We went and looked at the already skinned dik dik and he told me that the meat was sweet and they wanted 200/= for the whole thing. I told him let’s buy it and eat it now, so we did.

While we were waiting for our dik dik lunch there was a commotion near Williams. Ladies were calling for Jonathan to come. William said that it was probably because a mama had died that they were calling him. I was a bit confused and unsure if we should do something. Mzee Philip said there was nothing to do it was just part of life. The handling of death and the frequency of it makes it as Mzee Philip expressed it as just part of life. Jonathan soon returned to sit with us in the shade and visit and said that the mama who had died was his Aunt.

I asked the men what do we do now. They said we would need to go to look at the body then come back and continue our visit. Others in the village were also slowly coming and going. I asked why people needed to come now and see the body then later do the same thing at the funeral. Mzee Philip said everyone had to come and see the body first to confirm she is dead then go home and get ready for the funeral. Culture and customs are so interesting. When we went to see the body the little mud house was filled and the body was there on the bed with white gauze tying the mouth shut. We went in and stood for about a minute then went out greeting folks as we walked then went back to visiting. I asked about the white gauze because just to be honest it looked weird. Jonathan said that when she died her mouth and eyes were open and they had to shut them for the viewing of the body.

After viewing the body Mama Faith brought out the Dik Dik stew and Ugali. It was really good! The meat was tender. We ate the front half and the back half William put in the sun to dry out the blood so I could take it home for everyone at home to eat also. I called ahead and told Kenya I was bringing home some meat for us and to get the grill ready. The over all day went great although it was a bit odd.

When I got back to Malindi I ran by and picked up the Choir t-shirts that I ordered for the choir fellowship. They turned out really nice. When I got to the house we loaded up and went to Bible study. When we came back to the house it was time to roast some dik dik on the grill. Brother Scott and I roasted up the meat while we talked and to be honest we did not think it was going to be good judging by appearance. When Kenya brought a knife and fork out to cut the meat open to be sure it was done we had a whole other perspective. It was juicy and cooked throughout. We dished it out and everyone enjoyed it. So the verdict for us is that if you get a chance to have dik dik go for it!

August 19 Friday

Kenya and I ran to Mombasa for another dentist appointment and to get our passports all up to date for travel on the first. Everything went smooth and we were back in Malindi in the afternoon. I ran in to the church to set up tents for the Bokole choir. They wanted to come in early to stay so they would be ready for the choir fellowship on Saturday morning. Once I got everything set up I waited for Juma and the choir children to arrive then I headed back to the house. Our friend Rebecca and her friend Zahara came by to stay with us on their way to Nairobi.

We had a good time visiting. Zahara is a Jew and during supper asked us what kind of meat we were serving before we ate. She came in my office before and after supper and was looking at my library. I welcomed her to use any books she might like to read. She had several questions about various books I have and it was neat to talk with her. I have a book called Hebrew English New Covenant that she was interested in because it is written in English and Hebrew. She read a little but admitted that she did not understand it all but only bits and pieces. I told here the book was showing how Jesus fulfilled the OT prophesies in the NT. She really did not comment just listened. We all watched a movie together then called it a night.

James Taylor

East Kenya Missions

Things are really starting to get tight with time. I will hit the highlights of the past few weeks. We are currently gearing up for the summer groups, interns, and Vickers visit. There is much planning and preparing in the midst of the everyday tasks. Thank the Lord for His strength and for granting sanity…we truly are blessed and need God’s wisdom in the midst of this great work.

May 6

We were able to finish up the Monthly report and mission finances to send to our treasurer for the month of April. This is no small task for sure but we know is vital to stay connected and remain transparent with all that support this ministry. We have some amazing churches that support us and we are blessed by their generosity. I am so excited about our furlough later this year. We are looking forward to seeing our supporters and saying thank you face to face with as many as time will allow. We always know that the Lord is with us and that there are literally thousands praying for this ministry. Thanks!!!! oooops side tracked…

For family night we had a cook out trying out a new way to cook on the grill that Kenya read about. Our food was great and Uncle Scott and Aunt Missy joined us and we all had a good time of fellowship.

May 7

We worked at the church together as a family along with some of the kids of the church. I was so blessed to have Kenya and the kids at the church working hard for the Lord. We cut the grass with “slashers” because that is what people use here so we want to make sure that we are doing what everyone else does and would do even without us. It is a good day’s work to cut and clean the church plot. We went out for lunch/dinner after we finished at Shukarani.

The kids and I slid away in the evening to pickup Mother’s Day gifts for Kenya. The kids were so cute picking out things to give Mama.

We also confirmed Mike Vickers and his wife will be with us the first week of June to do a short survey trip. Mike and his wife are members of Flatwoods Missionary Baptist Church in Mountain view AR. Mike has already been with us before for a two week trip in 2010, but this will be the first time for his wife to see the field here. They believe that God has called them to work here in Kenya and potentially here on the coast. Pray for the Vickers that God will give clear direction for them and what He has planned for their lives. This trip is so important for them to confirm all that God is doing in their hearts.

May 8

First thing we woke Mama up with gifts and a new outfit for Mothers day. All the kids presented their gifts one at a time.

Sunday services went well at Malindi. Brother Scott preached for us and did a great job. It is good for the folks here to hear from Brother Scott. Also so he can establish himself with the people and show our unity. After services Brother Scott, Missy, Kenya, and the kids all loaded up and we all headed for Singuaya to meet with the church in Gandini. It was to be the first time Missy went to Singuaya, but we had car trouble along the way. We were cruising along at 70 clicks an hour then the back wheels locked up sending us into a side ways slide across the sand…Praise the Lord it was on a sandy area not a hill or worse! We got out to find a hole in the rear differential where some metal inside the diff had been thrown nearly through and had obviously seized up the gears inside. Thankfully we were all ok and the metal in the diff released the wheels so we limped back to Malindi and send word to the church that we would not be able to make it.

We had our English service at our house and talked a little about starting to invite others to the English services in the evening and what kind of changes that would bring. Brother Scott and I originally had planned to work among the international community and even envisioned starting a church among the expatriates, perhaps this is the beginnings of that?

After our services we took Kenya and Missy out for dinner for Mother’s Day at the Indian restaurant.

May 9

Monday was our Day off. I did put the Land Rover and small motor Bike in the shop. We are trying out another shop in town. It is run by two German men, father and son. The father is husband to one of the ladies that comes to the ladies Bible study every week here at the house. Christian is the son and Frits is the father. Christian said when we start the new fellowship on Sunday evenings he will be there. He is a believer but has no where in Malindi to worship as an English speaker, pray for this new Sunday evening Bible study that God will bless it and use it to reach a group of people in Malindi that have no opportunity to worship in a culturally appropriate atmosphere. Des, Linda, and Tomas came over for a cook out also. It was so good to see them. They have been in Nairobi for a few weeks and are unfortunately going to be moving there this August to put Tomas in an international school there.

May 10

Tuesday morning I met with Jonathan from the Gandini LBC. Since we were unable to make it to the church Jonathan came in to talk and to see if we were planning to return the next Sunday. The visit went well and we talked about the water project in Gandini, William’s progress, starting another work in Ulaya, Children’s SS material, the groups this summer, and the over all progress of the church. It was a great meeting. We had lunch together in town then he went on his way. I returned to the house to work in the office on some more planning and studying.

May 11

Primarily I worked in the office but did go out to show the container to a potential buyer that Juma brought from Mombasa. We decided to sell the container I was using as an office at our old house. It was good there but we really have no need for it here at our new house and it was going to be expensive to move it. After much thought we decided to sell it…anyhow, the man Juma brought did buy the container and planned to move it the next day. I returned home and continued to work in the office.

May 12

Thursday was a great time in the Office doing some much needed planning and preparing. I was called out to go and move the container from the old house so the man who bought it could get it on a truck. I let Dansen, a young man that attends the church in Malindi, use my truck and some chains to help move the container.

We had a good Bible study at the church then I ran down and helped with the Container removal. We worked on it for a few hours and successfully got it out of the compound and in the middle of the road. We left it there for the truck to pick it up later. After we finished we went to Dansen’s home and visited and had supper together. It was the first time I had been to Dansen’s place. When his children saw me come in they came running and gave me a big hug, it was really sweet. We had a great visit and I ended up getting home at almost 10:00pm.

May 13

Brother Scott and I headed out in the morning on Friday for Mombasa to meet with Jack Owen who is the director of a ministry called The Water Project. Along the way we got a lot of work done on the groups this summer and put a good itinerary together. We checked first thing on the copy machine I have been waiting on for three months, that still was not there. Then we went on to our meeting with Jack. It was a great meeting, we learned a lot about the process and continuation of putting in a well or bore hole in an area. Although Jack and the ministry he works with really could not help us directly he again gave us some good direction. After our meeting we passed by to pick up a part for our water filters, without success then went on for lunch. After lunch I had a dentist appointment while Brother Scott picked up some things from Nakumat. We had a good visit with the drive home to Malindi.

I spoke to Brother Hopper by phone in the evening about several things. I was good to hear that he and Cissy are doing well and that he has recovered from his slight heart attack and surgery.

May 14

Saturday was another work day at the church in Malindi. Then out for lunch. We met Des, Linda, and Thomas at the beach in the evening so the kids could play together. I had a great visit with Des and invited them to the Sunday evening fellowship we are starting on Sunday evenings. Des really has no interest in God or religion due to family history according to his wife. He really got quiet when I mentioned anything about the Lord. Pray for this family our window of opportunity to share Christ with them is narrowing. They are really good friends and we long to see them saved!

May 15

This past Sunday we had great services! I preached a tough message but a needed one that I am praying the Lord will use to bring some much needed change and growth to the church in Malindi. After services we all loaded up again and made our way out to Singuaya to visit the church in Gandini. This time we made it with no problems. The visit with the church went great. We discussed the results of the meeting with Jack Owen and what to do next. We also talked about groups this summer, William, the building, working on a choo, the starting of a work in Ulaya, and a few odds and ins. It was a great meeting and the church seems to be doing well. After the meeting we went to Mzee Philips place to visit and have lunch together. We had Kumbu (Omena or Minnows) with ugali. It was Brother Scott, Missy, and Kenya’s first time to have Kumbu. Kenya said she nearly got sick at just tasting the soup so she did not eat any Minnows. Missy seemed to have a similar story and brother Scott gave them a try. I assure you for me Kumbu is a gourmet meal compared to Goat guts, Kenya disagrees but I can eat Kumbu anytime. We did not get home from our Singuaya visit until around 7:30pm so we decided to have our evening service on Monday this week.

May 16

Monday was our Day off. We ran all the kids bikes to be repaired. Now they have a place to ride them so we took them to be serviced. We had our evening services.

May 17

Tuesday was a busy day I ran the Van to town and left it at the shop to get some things worked on. Then I met with Alfonse and discussed the groups coming to Magangani this summer and just over all how he and the church were doing. It was a good visit. Then I ran to the church and met with Karat and his brother Joseph about taking a group to their village this summer and showing the Jesus film and giving Bibles out at a local school. We got a good plan together and I think it is really going to be a blessing. Pray for these opportunities among the Masai that God will bless and help us truly minister and share the gospel.

Kenya picked up the bikes from the shop and did some other running in town. Brother Scott and I got the chance to talk in the evening about a few things then I finished up the mission finances and got the email report out.

May 18

Today is another Planning day and getting this update out. I am sorry for getting behind on these updates and I hope that folks are still reading them. They take bear minimum of two hours usually to write, the last one took four or five hours. I think there is value in sharing the details, not every detail, but general details. Thanks for taking the time to read and please continue to pray for the work here. I believe this summer really is going to open up some doors and we are going to gain some momentum in the over all work. Our interns will be here in a week or so followed by the Vickers, then the first of two 516 Mission teams so pray pray pray that God will use us to impact eternity!

James Taylor

East Kenya Missions

April 8

Brother Scott, Missy, Kenya, and I ran to Mombasa to get a few things while Gertrude substituted for school. We met up with some missionary friends that helped us unlock an Iphone that our pastor gave us. It works with our system here great but you have to know how to get it all in sync with the Kenyan system and our friend Josh is a tech wiz and hooked us up. We went to have coffee with Josh and his wife Maggie. It was nice to have some adult time and conversation with big people.

I ran by the skin doctor to have some places I was concerned about looked at. The doctor gave me some medicine to put on few spots but did not think there was a major concern. With the sun here and my skin and speckled spots all over I really want to be careful. I know, Brenda (Raburn), “Use sunscreen!”

We ran by the new Bible league office, met with the folks there, placed an order for some books, and enquired about Swahili Bibles. We also ran by Nakumat to get some snacks and things for our trip to see Karat’s family and going on to Nairobi.

April 9

In the morning we went to meet with the Land agent and Personal assistant of the owner of the house we were trying to get. The house really is more than just homes for our families but will serve as a mission compound. We can house our teams that visit and other guests. The house meeting took us several hours but everything looked good. It looked like we would get the house upon our return from Nairobi.

Kenya and Missy made a visit to the hospital with one of our church members whose friend’s baby was sick. They had a really good visit.

April 10

We had good services at First Landmark in Malindi followed by a short business meeting. Then we loaded up in the van and ran to Magangani for baptism services. It was a special day for baptisms because it was to be Alfonse’s first time to baptize. Also it was Scott and Missy’s first chance to meet the folks at Magangani.

We arrived and greeted everyone and had introductions for Scott and Missy. Everyone was excited to see Scott and Missy. After we prayed we loaded up about twenty of the people and headed to the ocean for baptism. All the way to the ocean and back there was much singing and even more sweating! Our AC went out on the van so twenty five plus people in the van produced some heat.

The baptism service went great and Alfonse did a great job. It was a blessing to see Alfonse out in the water and baptizing. I know that he really is working hard and trying to serve the Lord there in Magangani.

In the evening it was all about loading up the vehicles for our two nights in the village and five days in Nairobi. We took both cars so we could put the Land Rover in the shop.  Plus we carried Karat and Relly, another church member and her children with us.

April 11

We rolled out at 4:00am first picking up Relly and her kids then heading out of town. We were on the road all day. We stopped and had lunch in Emali just before we cut off south to head toward Karat’s home area. We also left Relly there to go to visit her family. We had another couple hours on the road before we got to Karat’s place. The road was great until we left the road and went into the bush to reach Karat’s village. The off road was not too bad since it was dry, but the dust was amazing. It was so thick and like powder. There were several times that we lost Kenya and Missy who were in the van following Scott and I in the Land Rover. The dust just swallowed them but we made it to Karat’s only loosing one hub cap in the process.

When we arrived at Karat’s Boma all the women and men from the boma came out to welcome us by singing. It was a great welcome. It was awesome to see several of the men that we normally fellowship with in Malindi Saitoti, Paulo, Joseph and to get the chance to meet their families. We went from entering the boma straight to one of the houses where we were given “Maziwa Mala”. Sounds nice right… wrong…

Let me give you a quick class on the classification of MILK in the Masai way of looking at it. There are three classes. First there is MAZIWA FRESH (Fresh Milk) which means it goes from the cow to be boiled then put in a gourd to cool to room temperature then poured in your cup to drink. Next you have your MAZIWA LALA (Butter Milk) which means it goes from the cow to be boiled then put in a gourd to cool to room temperature then set aside for a day or two then poured into your cup to drink. It has the consistency of watery cream of wheat. YUUU…MMMY Last but not least you have you everyday MAZIWA MALA (Curdled Milk) which means it goes from the cow to be boiled then put in a gourd to cool to room temperature then set aside for three days then the gourd is shaken vigorously to prepare the contents for exit into your cup to drink. The consistency of this is watery followed by large and small clumps. It goes down smooth… if you had a strainer in your throat! It goes down swallow by swallow.

Ok back to us sitting in the mud hut being given our “welcome MILK”. We were at first all poured MAZIWA MALA and everyone gave it a shot the pictures tell the story of how that went over. I drank my cup and Kenya’s cup so they brought out some MAZIWA LALA for us to try instead noting that the kids did not want the other. It was quickly passed around and I got to drink that also. Last they brought some MAZIWA FRESH out – it got a better reception. In all I think I drank four cups of milk one FRESH, one LALA, and two MALA. Oh yes I left out an interesting detail and what made the experience even more enjoyable we were covered, surrounded, and drank our “milk” with ten thousand flies! Nothing says welcome like spoiled milk and an army of flies. GOOD TIMES, Hey and that was in the first five minutes. Everyone was rethinking the two nights at that point I am sure.

Saitoti took us to meet his wife and to pray for his mother who was sick. It was cool to go inside his little hut that was a traditional style Masai home. His last born baby was also inside and we got some great snaps of them then prayed together especially for his mother.

After the “Milk” welcome which was really an honor and I know done with great respect, we went to setting up our tent and luxury accommodations near a dried up river bed. While we set up the tent there was a spear throwing exhibition going on also.

April 19 Tuesday

We signed the deal on the house after we did a walk through to confirm the repairs were done that were needed and did an inventory of all the furnishings. We had to deposit money for deposits, pay agent fees, pick up keys bottom line is it took the entire day to get things all sorted out.

April 20 Wednesday

We moved the entire house all on Wednesday! Everything went pretty smooth minus me doing a face plant on the pavement in the drive way. We were almost done for the day and I went out to get something and tried to jump over the trailer that was connected to the Land Rover but my foot got caught by the trailer and I was all tangled up but thankfully my face stopped my fall then bounced as I yelped in agony. I managed to get untangled from the trailer and cover my head as everyone rushed out to see what I was yelling about. I had a huge goose egg on my head and some serious road rash on my forehead and nose. I felt like I was going to puke and black out but thankfully it passed and it was back to work. Good thing I have a hard head, at least this time.

We stayed at the new house since everything was there. I managed to bounce my face off of a bed frame in the new house to add a black eye to my already hideous face situation. Thankfully it was time for bed! It was a miserable night of sleep with no AC and the mosquitoes nearly carrying us away. Yes, it was my fault I wanted out and done as quick as possible so we could return to some normalcy as quick as possible.

April 21 Thursday

Kenya, Missy, and Brother Scott stayed at the new houses and tried to get things in order while I worked with Juma on moving little building items, outside toys, and playground equipment. We worked up till time for Bible study and were successful in getting done with what we planned. Bible study went well. Then we worked at the house.

April 22 Friday

On Friday Juma and I worked on moving my office, taking down the fans in the house, and getting odds and ins done inside the house. Pretty much everything in the house was done by the time Juma and I left. Everyone else was still working hard at the new houses to get things in some type of working order. The A/C men came to transfer our units from the old house to the new so that was great!

April 23 Saturday

On Saturday I took all the kids with me to go to the church to cut the grass and clean up the church plot for Easter Sunday. Kenya was able to work at the house without the kids distracting her. We also had lunch with Mr. Mbuu, our landlord. Please pray about a little situation with our new landlord. He has retained the right to one of the guest houses on the property to use when he is in Malindi doing business but he did a lot of business on the compound while he was here and a lot of drinking. We had lunch with him and discussed the issues we had with him but he ended up having a bit much to drink and excused himself. Pray for this situation because the compound here is amazing and our agreement is good with the landlord but he is not honoring what we agreed to and was a little short when we addressed it over the next few days. Pray God will work out the communication issue and that the Landlord will honor his agreement with us otherwise there is no way we will be able to stay here long term with the behavior we saw from him his first visit.

After lunch with Mr. Mbuu we worked more on unpacking and organizing the house. The AC men managed to get one unit in each house so we could have some coolness for the weekend and we were all grateful!

April 24 Sunday

We had a good Easter service. The attendance was down because most people were traveling out to the villages but we had a slew pot of kids. I think we had 60 kids and 25 adults. After services we had a fellowship with juice and cookies for everyone. It was a good time to just talk and visit with one another. The kids played soccer and volley ball while the adults just talked, it was a nice afternoon.

We stopped and had a nice lunch at the Indian restaurant before heading home. In the evening we had a worship time together and Brother Scott brought the message. Our hope is to expand this evening worship time to include other English speakers and Lord will it may grow to be the start of an international church. Pray for the possibilities. I know our kids are excited about it!

April 25 Monday

When I got to the old house Juma had taken the Makuti roof off of my old office container and was waiting for me to continue on. He and I took down the electric fence and worked on the yard a little and filling holes in the house. I was back at our house late afternoon to help work on some things there.

April 26 Tuesday

I went to Jimba and carried the Makuti and poles to Daniel for use in Jimba to get the group there in the dry for Sunday Bible study. I picked up Alfonse in Gede on the way. We had a great time visiting before dropping off the Makuti. Daniel and his wife talked with me about one of their daughters getting married and what we needed to do for a wedding. I told them I would get back to them but shared some immediate thoughts. In the afternoon I was back to the house which was starting to look like a home.

April 27 Wednesday

Kenya took the kids and went to clean the old house really good. Brother Scott and I worked on getting the washer all up and going and managed to get it working good and got a laundry area built. I took some time to study and get things ready for school also.

April 28-29 Thursday and Friday

Brother Scott and I took everything to the church to set up for school first thing Thursday. We had classes on leadership Thursday and Friday both. Bible study went great on Thursday and classes were good both days as well. The Nyati and Kipepeo classes both came for classes and we were able to finish up the classes on leadership.

April 30 Saturday

On Saturday the kids and I went to the church again to work and get ready for Sunday Services while Kenya worked on the house.

Saturday evening we had a little issue with the night guard having an ulcer attack and crying out for help. At first he was outside the gate saying he needed help but I told him he needed to get in the gate otherwise I could not help him. Brother Scott and I stood a safe distance from the gate telling the guard to come in and we would try to help him but we would not step out of the gate. I have Obed’s number who is the police officer that is a member of our church and I almost called him thinking there may be some people waiting outside the gate for us. Finally the night guard got in the gate and we ended up taking him home and chaining the gate up for the night. After took him home I went out to pick up our friend, Rebecca at the airport. She is a peace corp volunteer who asked if she could stay the night with us as she was returning from a visit to the states. It was a crazy night but ended fine.

May 1 Sunday

Services at First Landmark were good. We had a good turn out in attendance and I was shocked. We also had a business meeting after services that went a little long but not too bad. Pray for the group in Malindi they need to gel together.

After church we had lunch on the way home at Shukarani then I put our trampoline together that we have had since arriving but have never had a place to put it up. The kids were super super excited and they had a great time jumping once it was up. This new compound is going to be great! We had our evening service and Brother Scott spoke about the expansion of the evening worship time and changes we needed to make. The kids were all for it and were excited at having a regular English service.

May 2 Monday

We had to do a water repair in one of the guest houses then I spent the day getting the garage in order and Kenya continued to get things in order also.

May 3 Tuesday

Our family ran to Mombasa for the day while Brother Scott and Missy started their language classes with Gertrude. We did our monthly shopping. Kenya and the girls did the grocery shopping while the boys and I ran some errands in town. We went by the Bible League and picked up some books and passed by to check on our copy machine before picking Kenya and the girls up to go for lunch. After lunch we traveled back to Malindi.  Brother Scott and I spent the evening doing some planning and talking about this summer and all the activities. We talked up until about 9 then called it a day.

May 4 Wednesday

Yesterday I worked in the office the first half of the day on emails and starting this update. With our internet being out and the move, the Nairobi trip, sickness, and the endless list of repairs and issues with the new house I am so far behind on things. In the afternoon Kenya and I ran to town to finish up the old house and give the landlord the keys and talk to her about leaving our container there until we can sell it. She agreed to let us leave it and even said she may know a buyer. We spent an hour or more at the post office dealing with a problem on a couple boxes then picked up some meat on the way home.

The day was pretty much over I tried to spend a little time with the kids before bed time. We got two boxes at the post office so that was a great after dinner activity. One was from our kids’ adoptive families at our church and the other was from Jessica and Derrick Moore, Jessica came on the Holland’s Chapel group last year. The kids were super excited and loved all the goodies as did mama and baba!

May 5 Thursday

Today I have worked on this update and that is it. This move and everything has really been serious work for everyone. There are still a hundred things to do but we just keep plugging away at it. Pray for us to get things in order so we can get focused on the work at hand. We have to live here so it is necessary to set up all the housing issues but we also have ministry things that need to be tended to. We need the Lord’s helps to accomplish His will.

James Taylor

East Kenya Missions

[Show as slideshow]

  March 31
            Brother Scott and I started the morning off in the office looking over finances and considering the compound with the two houses on it. The move for both of our families is going to be quite an expense with deposits and everything involved. We also have to consider the expenses of getting Brother Scott and Missy set up with the government and everything. This next month is going to be a very expensive month! Thank the Lord that there are funds in the account to cover these expenses, the Lord knew in advance. However it will deplete a lot of the funds in our missions account.
     We also looked at our monthly income and we are still running at a deficit but with Brother Scott on the field now we are confident that churches will begin to come on board to cover the deficit and increase support to cover work fund expenses. One thing we need to be looking and preparing for is a vehicle for Brother Scott and Missy. We will share the vehicles we currently have until we have the funds to buy one but we will need around $15,000.00 for a vehicle. Slowly, slowly the Lord will provide and we would just ask everyone to pray about this.
            In the afternoon Brother Scott and I ran to town to do a little business.  We passed by a Music shop and got some guitar strings. We also looked into getting Kenyan drivers licenses for Brother Scott and Missy. Insurance is due on the Land Rover so we ran by to check on that as well. It was a busy after noon. Oh, and we passed by the hardware store to pick up some stuff for the work trip planned for Bokole on Friday.
            We got back in time for Bible study.  We had a good time in Bible Study. Afterwards we worked on getting things ready for the trip to Bokole to help them with their building. We planned to leave at 7:00am on Friday and return on Saturday. We had to pack the tent, beds, tools, and drinking water and so on.
 
Friday and Saturday April 1-2, 2011
            Juma, Andrew, and I headed out at 7:00am for Bokole. Before we left town we bought some mahamri and juices for on the way. We went to Timboni and picked up Daniel Mbuvi with two men from Jimba, Emanuel and Steven. Then we passed by Gede and picked up Alfonse and a young man from Magangani named Evans. We all ate mahamri and juice as we made the two hour trip to Bokole. It was a good little drive. We had to stop along the way because it rained and we needed to put the mattresses we had on top inside.
            When we got to Bokole first thing we greeted everyone then set up the tent and got to work. We all knew that our time was limited since we were only staying until Saturday afternoon. Juma showed us the building and the place that they wanted the choo to be dug. It was so so so Hot but the work had to go on. We all dove in and started working. I was on the choo team we were the “Hole” crew. I think as fast as we drank the water it leaked out of our bodies as sweat then turned to mud mixed with the dirt we were slinging. Andrew, Emanuel, Steven, and I were in the hole and the others worked on putting mud on the walls of the building. We stuck with our jobs for Friday and Saturday both.
            At the end of Friday we had gotten quite a bit done on the church building, but the choo, well it was hard ground and digging it by hand proved to be hard labor. We all walked down to the river to bathe and thank the Lord that it rained a little during the day and there was a lot of water in the river. It was refreshing! Of course after we bathed in the river we poured sweat on the walk back to Juma’s but at least we got some of the sweat off. We visited a little before we ate then we all called it a night. The tent was perfect and we all slept great.
            Saturday we worked half a day and accomplished much. We were able to get the choo ready, the entire church building mudded, and even put a nice floor in the church with the rock we busted out of the choo hole we dug. The entire trip was GREAT! I loved hanging out with the guys and talking about the things of life and the Bible while sweating and cracking jokes. This was one of those trips that builds relationships. I got to know Andrew a lot on this trip and we were for sure a great blessing to the Bokole church. Juma was super happy with all we got done. There were so many church members that showed up also, it was great. I will let the pictures that follow tell the story also.
            We got back to Malindi at around six in the evening exhausted but BLESSED!
  
Sunday April 3, 2011
            Sunday was a great service! It was a long service but it really went well. We were able to baptize three! One of the ones baptized was Karati! He is our Masai friend who has been coming for about a year now. Karati is a tall drink of water and he gave us a little bit of a challenge to dunk him. When I went to baptize him his head hit the back of the baptistery and I had to give it a little UMMMF to get him down. It was funny but praise the Lord for Karat’s decision to follow the Lord! We also baptized Obed and his wife. Obed is a police officer here in Malindi. He and his wife have been coming since the first of the year. We met Obed and invited him to services last summer when the Holland’s Chapel group had items stolen from their rooms. Isn’t it great how God can use bad situations for his good!
            After services Brother Scott, Andrew, Karat, and I ran out to Singuaya to greet the church. This was the first time to go out since the threat and the big meeting with William. It was a crazy trip out to Singuaya including some power sliding around the corners but we made it. When we arrived the church was still waiting for us. We greeted everyone and then I gave them opportunity to share anything that was going on. William was present in the service which was a good sign he was back to his normal self. It was good to see him in the church and happy.
            We talked about several issues. One about the church adopting a constitution, about them starting another Bible study, having baptism services again for some folks that need baptism, and several other little items. It was a great meeting and good fellowship. The attendance was pretty good also. After services I had to council with a couple that is divorced but are trying to get back together. It was a great opportunity. Brother Scott got the opportunity to pray over a little one that was sick.
            We all went to Mzee Philips after the meeting and visited and had lunch together. We had Ugali made with American yellow cornmeal! The corn was from the Red Cross relief food brought in to help those in the area. We also had beans. The meal was great. After we visited and prayed together it was time to head out. We were pressed for time to get Karat back to work so we did some more power slides and made it safe and sound to Malindi. Jonathan said before we left that our Land Rover was not a car but a plane because we do not touch the ground when we leave for Malindi. It was funny. It was a great day in Gandini. I am sure there are still underlying issues but there is hope.
            In the evening we watched English services together before calling it a night.
Monday April 4, 2011
            Monday was our day off and a great day to relax. We watched Yogi Bear with the kids then went out for lunch together at Shukarani. In the evening Brother Scott, Missy, Kenya, and I played some games together while the kids played. We had a great time with some adult fellowship and fun! We are so glad that Brother Scott and Missy are here now. Not just to play games with…the fellowship is all around sweet.
 
Tuesday April 5, 2011
            Tuesday as usual was filled with meetings and phone calls catching up on the weekend’s events. We also did some work towards the new house. I spoke to our current landlord to give our one month notice.  She took it well and was understanding. We got a few other odds and ins done in town. Solomon and Maitha Mbaya came by to greet us, it was good to see them. They are members of the church in Magangani. It was a busy day but productive.
 
Wednesday April 6, 2011
            I worked on getting the report finished yesterday morning and started this update. I also did a few emails and got on face book to look at Daniel Mbuvi’s facebook page. With the age of technology it has opened the world. Daniel is trying to use Face book to solicit funds from the states.  His face book profile and even the report of the work he is doing is not exactly true, it is stretched to make him look like he is doing more and better then he is. Please pray about this situation.
             We are working with the men here and are trying to build their faith in the Lord and sometimes that means not giving them what they think they need immediately. We try to partner with the local leadership and the pastors and work together as the Lord leads and supplies. Faith can be short circuited or misplaces when money becomes the bases of the relationship. I pray for Daniel that he will trust God to meet his needs and that God will help him put his trust in him and not in America or in money. We are trying to follow the Biblical principles of indigenous church planting so pray that those who read the things written will give us the opportunity to help them understand the situation and goals before simply writing a check.
            Daniel Mbuvi actually came by to later in the morning to try and do some of his memory verses for LBBI then we went to his place to visit a little about the work in Jimba. He is doing well with the Bible study group.  I am so glad! It has been a long time coming. After I left Daniel’s I passed by Gede and visited with Alfonse at his little shop where he sells clothes. He is doing well and loving being in Gede close to the church and having a good place to live. He is planning to go to Msabaha to see what is going on there and if there is an opportunity there or not. We had a great visit and Lord willing we will visit with Alfonse on Sunday and be with him when he baptizes for the first time! I ran back to Malindi to our insurance company. Trying to get our insurance renewed this year has been a little harder than usual but we took a step closer. We also talked with the land agent about the houses we are looking at and are still in process of coming to an agreement.
            Brother Hopper called in the evening to tell us that he had a heart attack! He said that he was well but they are still running tests at the Nairobi hospital. Please pray for him!
 
Thursday April 7, 2011
            Today I got up and got things ready to go up to the church to show the Jesus film for the Masai of the area. We have done it before and even right now as I write there are over 25 Masai men in front of me watching the Jesus film in the Masai language. I actually brought our TV down to use since during the day time the projector is not as good. The TV is working great! We have listened to some gospel music in Masai, I shared a little from the Bible and when the cinema is over we will have an invitation. I pray even now that someone might be saved today when this cinema is over!

 
 
James Taylor
East Kenya Missions

Saturday March 19, 2011
            Kenya and the kids went to play with Tomas and swim while I stayed at the house to work on my lessons for LBBI. The week proved to be a wash as far as getting lessons ready for classes. There was much accomplished but I still needed to be ready for school on Thursday and Friday. The men had decided to try and go out to Singuaya to meet with William to discuss the treat and all that was going on so we did not have visitation.
            I closed up everything, turned off my phone, put some ear plugs in (I do that a lot to block out the noise around me) and anchored in to study all day since everyone was gone. I really got some good studying done and was able to put materials in Swahili as I went along. I got a couple hours in then had to give the keys to the teens so they could have choir practice. I went back to the gate to get the keys from the teens and Godfry was at the gate. He was not able to go with the other men to Singuaya because of work. He said that Andrew, Ricklynn, and Juma had gone to Singuaya to meet with William but when they finished they went to catch a Matatu home only to arrive in time to see the dust of the last car of the day leave. They were stranded and needed to get back to Malindi. He said they had tried to call so I explained why my phone was off.
            I called Ricklynn and told him to hold tight and I would come get them. I knew in my mind Juma needed to get to Bokole to preach in the morning and Ricklynn needed to go to Msabaha to teach so they had to get back. I closed down the office and my chance to study and headed out to Garashi to pick up the guys. I buzzed in, snatched the guys up, and high tailed it home. It was a fast trip that cost me a few hours of study. They were not able to see William. He had “gone to work” even though he knew the men were coming. They believed he was hiding himself because he knew he had done wrong. They were able to meet with some church members and one of the village elders to discuss the issue and left messages for William to contact them. Even though they had not seen William it was not a total waste.
 
Sunday March 20, 2011
            We had a really good service in Malindi. After the services we had a meeting for those who wanted to join the church. It was not a long meeting but we had about ten that stayed after. I went over a few things, gave out doctrinal statements, and spoke briefly on baptism. We had planned for baptisms the following week. So I welcomed any that felt that our church was where God wanted them to be baptized. The meeting went great, we only had one question. Two that have been coming for awhile agreed to baptism immediately.
 
Monday March 21, 2011
            For our day off we just hung out at the house and wrestled and relaxed for the day. It was a nice day together. I did fix the horn on the Land Rover. It has not been safe to drive it without a horn with all the bicycles, motor cycles, pull carts, people, cows, goats, dogs, chickens…well you get the point.
 
Tuesday March 22, 2011       
            Juma and I started the day off with an 8 mile run on the beach that was great!
            I was able to get a little reading and office work done before the bell started to ring.
            I had a great meeting with Karat about baptism and his need to be baptized. He seems to understand but there is still something there that is hindering him inside. I thought he might get baptized this week but still was not sure. He also talked to me about a possible trip to his place in May for a celebration. I told him I needed to wait to speak with brother Scott when he and his wife got in and to talk it over with Kenya.
            Alfonse came by and talk to me about helping him move to his place on Wednesday or Saturday. We decided that we would do it on Wednesday at 8:00am. His dad has been really sick so he was not able to go out to Singuaya with the other men. He is trying hard to get transitioned down to Gede near his church and to start up his clothing selling business but with his dad’s sickness and running home and everything it has slowed down the process. He said the place he found was nice and he even rented a small place to sell his stuff. 
Wednesday March 23, 2011
I worked in my office on my LBBI studies and administrative work from morning until about 2:00am in the morning but I got it all done and ready to go for classes. There is so much involved but it felt good to lay down knowing that I was ready. Alfonse did not come by in the morning so I assumed he must have ran home to see his dad, but I was glad that he did not come by since it gave me time to focus my efforts on the studies at hand.
 
Thursday March 24, 2011
            Juma and I carried down the table and chairs to the school and got things set up.
            William was the first one in. We invited him in to meet with all of us about the issue of the threat and everything. It was his chance to explain to everyone what was going on and why he wrote the message. All the men were present the Nyati class-Daniel, Ricklynn, Godfry, Alfonse, and Juma Kipepeo class- Andrew and Jonathan. We waited for quite a while in the morning for everyone to arrive before we began.
            Once everyone was present we started the meeting. It was an all day meeting from 9:30am-3:30pm. Everyone spoke multiple times and they put William and me on the hot seat to explain the situation. When William began to speak he buried himself in lies upon lies and the men just did not buy it. He tried everyway possible to deceive and manipulate the situation but he just could not deny the truth. By the end of the day the men had gotten the truth of the matter. William was exposed and he knew it.
            The root of the issue is money. William wants a salary, has become bitter, and is what Jesus described in John 10 as a hireling. The men came to this conclusion themselves. It was a long meeting and ended with William asking for forgiveness and saying he was wrong. He affirmed his belief and alignment doctrinally with us because some of the things he has done recently are contrary to what the Bible teaches. We advised William to continue in the church in Gandini as a member and to work on repairing his testimony first with his family, then with the community. He needs to continue to rebuild relationships with all of us as he has done much damage to our ability to work together. We told him we would contact his church to ask of his progress since they know him and they would be the ones to recommend if he should return to school or do any other ministry. We told him that time needed to pass before he could be trusted since this is not the first instance of asking for forgiveness only to bulk later when he did not get what he wanted.
            Everyone affirmed their desire for William to succeed and to put this behind us to move forward. We prayed over William asking for God to work in William’s life and to restore him and use him in great ways. After the meeting ended we ate our very late lunch and said good bye to William while we continued on with other business. I walked William to the gate and assured him that we all wanted him to succeed and would be praying for him. We shook hands and he departed.
            It was a long and grueling day of talking around and around. Bringing out every single detail, confirming, and affirming the words but in the end all minds were clear and everyone was able with clear conscience to say this is finished. The church in Gandini sent word with Jonathan who is leading there that they were with us. They wanted me to know as a missionary that there was not a problem with them and that this was an issue William had with them and with me so I should not fear coming at anytime as usual. This was good for all of us. The men were just amazing. They all want to see the church in Gandini continue and be strong. I think that Jonathan and William realized that the resolve of all of us together is to see God’s work move forward and that we can not afford to play games but must be in unity.
            There were so many things taught in this. I saw a huge jump in maturity among the men through this. The authority of the local churches was in constant discussion and solidified. The recognition of the work being God’s not oar’s and that it was a work we were all to do together and according to his will was exemplified. The sweet fellowship of unity and genuine desire to follow scripture was personified. Passing through valleys and difficult times is not desirable except for the fact that you can not learn the hard lessons or know what is under the fluff without them. I praise God for all that happened on Thursday and how it was all handled. Now I pray that William will truly repent and allow God to use him. He has so much talent and could, like anyone who yields, change eternity if he would. Pray
            After William left we continued to meet until time for Bible study at 5:00. Everyone gave reports on how they were doing in the various areas. We all rejoiced at what God was doing. We also tried to encourage Jonathan and the church in Gandini that all of us were praying for their church and wanted them to know we were available to help them stand strong. There were a few questions asked about church planting and our over all direction. It was so good.
            We had a short Bible study then called it a day. A LONG but PRODUCTIVE DAY.
 
Friday March 25, 2011
            We came Friday ready for our studies. I invited both classes in for studies on Leadership. The Nyati class had some tests to take then, we discussed their revised curriculum so they would know the process from now until November when they will receive their Bible Basics diploma. Our studies went great. I think that we were challenged to evaluate this matter of leadership and realize that it is serious business and more than just standing in front of people.
            We got the call Friday night at around 11:00pm that Brother Scott and Missy had made it to Nairobi and were at the Hoppers house. PRAISE THE LORD!
 
Saturday March 26, 2011
            Alfonse came by at 8:00am so we picked up all his stuff from a few different places then took it to his new place that he rented in Gede. When we got to the place he rented the landlord was not there and the door was locked so I left him there to get that all sorted out while I went to Jimba to help brother Daniel Mbuvi with putting in some new benches for the Bible study. He said that he had gotten some off cuts and trees that we could use to make benches. I brought some nails and tools and the two of us spent about three hours putting in some benches. When we finished it looked pretty good not to mention it was a sweet chance to fellowship and talk to Daniel about the work there. I told Daniel I was so glad to see him serving the Lord now and that I knew God was going to do great things in Jimba.
            When I got back to Malindi I helped Godfry take water from our house to the church for the baptisms. We asked our neighbors about hooking up our water hose but they said they did not have water. We had water at the pipe down stairs, thank the Lord, so were able to get it all filled up. After we finished we had some lunch then it was almost time to go and pick up Brother Scott and Missy from the airport. I called a good friend of mine and spoke to him for a while before taking a shower. Then we were off to pick up Brother Scott and Missy.
            After picking up Brother Scott and Missy we all went to the house and visited a little then went out for dinner. While at dinner I got a text from a police officer who has been attending our services with his wife that they wanted to be baptized on Sunday if he did not have to work. He never knows his schedule but he comes when he is able. When we got back to the house and got the kids down I think we stayed up until about 2:00 visiting and talking about everything. It is so awesome having them on the ground! Pray as they look for a house and get settled in.
  

 
Sunday March 27, 2011
            Sunday services went great! Ricklynn showed up during Sunday School. I was a bit shocked since he was suppose to be in Msabaha. After SS he said the folks at Msabaha had told him not to come this week because they were having a meeting. I asked Ricklynn his thoughts and he said that he was in doubt that they wanted to start a church there. He thought they wanted the missionary to come to bring them assistance and stuff rather than a true desire for teachings. I told him we would talk to Alfonse this week since he was the first one to meet with them. It appears that he was using me as a missionary and showing the cinema as a means to get into the village and now it was backfiring since I have yet to arrive. We put that off to the side and I encouraged Ricklynn to not let it bother him that if it turns out to be a closed door no worries we have plenty to do in Malindi.
            The worship service went great. We baptized 5 ladies during the service. We have another four that Lord willing we will baptize next week because they had to work or were traveling. After the baptisms Brother Scott preached and I translated for him. It was a great service.
 
 
 
            After he had lunch we all went together and looked at a place that has two houses on one plot that potentially could be for our family, Brother Scott and Missy, as well as ministry use. The house was nice but it was the first one for Brother Scott and Missy to see so Kenya took them on to look at several other places while I took the children home to play rather than looking at houses, I think they were glad. Brother Scott and Missy found a place they liked and even talked to the land agent about signing the deal on Tuesday.
 
Monday March 28, 2011
            Monday was our day off we went to Mombasa for our monthly shopping. I took the kids to the park to play while Kenya, Missy, and Brother Scott did all the grocery shopping stuff. The kids and I had a good time. I took some pictures of the while they played.
            After the grocery shopping we went by and got Brother Scott and Missy both phones and lines hooked up. Now they can communicate freely. We had a great lunch looked around at a shop then watched a movie with the kids before heading back to Malindi. The land agent talked with Brother Scott while we were in Mombasa and said that he would come by because there had been some “changes” with the house they looked at.

 
Tuesday March 29, 2011
            Yesterday was a busy day. I got my run in although it took a lot out of me. I think it was the hottest time I have run in so far. I left the house at 5:15am while it was still dark but the humidity and temp was terrible not to mention no wind not even on the beach. By the time I finished the first two miles I was soaked in sweat and the air was heavy. Anyhow… I survived it but I think I got a little over heated.
            It was a steady flow of people, calls, and office stuff all day yesterday. Brother Scott and Missy talked with the Land agent and there are some “repairs” that need to be made before they could get the house and they anticipated it to take three months so that house was out for now at least. So they were back to house hunting.
            I met with Juma in the morning about going out to Bokole on Friday and Saturday with some of the other brethren to help them dig a choo (toilet) and put mud on the church walls. We also talked about Cha Ng’ombe and the progress and about the situation in Msabaha and why it seems to be collapsing. It was a great conversation. Juma gets it! When the Bokole church and Juma get the church started in Cha Ng’ombe it is going to be huge and will be a shinning example of how it is supposed to be done. Pray that God will bless that work and continue to give Juma wisdom and to raise up someone to lead in cha ng’ombe.
            Karat and his brother came by to talk about the possible trip in April to their place. I told them I would call them tomorrow about it that we were still unsure. David came by, it was good to see him since he has not been to church since his accident on a motorcycle. He was using a cane but said his leg is getting better and has stopped swelling so that was good.
            I sent out a boat load of text messages to folks that we have not seen in a while and to the men about going to Bokole. I spoke to Daniel Mbuvi by phone and he said they had a great Bible study in Jimba with 30 present. He and two young men from Jimba will be going with us to Bokole. I also spoke to Alfonse by phone about the situation in Msabaha and he said that he would call the ones that originally invited him and see what was going on. He was fearful also that they had alternate motives. He got all set up in his place and was trying to set up his little shop now. He said that he and two young men would be coming from Magangani also to help in Bokole.
            Ricklynn passed by also to talk about the Msabaha situation and about him going to Bokole. Brother Scott and I were able to do some work together in the late afternoon on some finances and to go over how to deal with exchange rates and all that. In the midst of all the days events I managed to get some emails out also. It was a very productive day!
            While we were eating supper together we discussed the possibility of taking the houses that are together on one compound and decided to try to pursue them. We spoke to the agent who said he would work on the details. Rebecca came in and stayed with us last night so she could use the internet to register some of her students for exams. She is the peace corps volunteer  who teaches outside of town at a little school. She is really nice. We always enjoy hosting her and visiting with her when she is in town. 
 
Wednesday March 30, 2011
            Well today we have yet to see the Land agent about the house he called and said he needed to come by and talk to us about some “changes” on this place. We will see what he says but it is not looking good. We may need to find another agent who has his facts straight on the houses he is showing. I am working on this update and our monthly report today. Lord willing I can get them both done and the land agent will come by about these houses we looked at. The place was really sweet but I am sure the Lord will open the doors if it is the right place. I need to run to town today to pick up some things for this weekend and I still have a pile of books to grade behind me and well there is always something to do. Praise the Lord for letting us be a part of his great work. Pray for this housing stuff especially for Brother Scott and Missy. If this double house deal does not work out we will more than likely stay here until furlough then close up this house when we leave. We will see how it all turns out.
 
 
James Taylor East Kenya Missions

    I realized today that it has been two weeks since an update, oops. Although there really is not a lot to write about, just life in general I suppose.
 
February 23
      Work all day and night on Bible institute lessons.
 
February 24
      I was up before the crack of dawn to get everything ready for classes and crying the blues because we were out of water. I seriously wanted to cancel classes but just did not want to let the guys down. When class time rolled around Juma, Ricklynn, and Daniel showed up for classes. Ricklynn showed up with some water jugs but we had no water in the pipes, not a drop. He was going to have to leave school to search for water. Godfry was working for another hour and was coming in late. Alfonse was at the police station filing a report because someone tried to break in near his work place. It was all just a mess and on top of that none of the guys had their books or verses ready, end result…cancelled classes. I should have went ahead and cancelled when I was thinking about it. We will pick back up next month. Good news is I got some good studying done so I am nearly ready for next month.
      I had a good visit with Ricklynn talking about the Bible study in Msabaha. I also talked with Daniel about the Bible study in Jimba. So the day was not a loss just accomplished different things.
 
February 25
      I visited with Karati a little and with Alfonse on Friday. The big thing I did was carry water up the stairs… it was a bummer but needed.
 
February 26
      We traveled all day to Nairobi and arrived in Nairobi at around midnight. We had a little car trouble along the way but we made it.
 
February 27
      We ate an awesome breakfast at Java house and attended services at Makina Landmark BC in the Kibera slums. After services we visited a little then went to town to look at some shops. I took the kids to the movies and to play while Kenya shopped. Eddie Williams met us for dinner then we went to stay at Brother Ernie Hopper’s place. Our purpose for coming to Nairobi was to visit with Eddie and the Hoppers. We knew it would be our only chance to see Eddie and Hopper at the same time.
     
February 28
      Kenya spent the day with Cissy Hopper in town and Eddie and I took the kids to play and have the van looked at. We wanted to go to a place the kids love called Jolly Rogers but it was closed on Mondays so we took them to Crocodile Village. They had a park and restaurant. It was a good time to just watch the kids jump and play and Eddie and I were able to sit and talk about life. It was really good!
      We met Ernie, Cissy, and Kenya at Little India for supper. We used to love going to Little India so it was nice to get the chance to eat there again. The food was so good! We went back to the Hopper’s and sat out on the front porch and talked a bit. We had to say our good-byes to Eddie before we went to bed since he was flying out first thing in the morning, but we were glad for the time together.
 
March 1
      I spent the morning visiting with Ernie and just talking. It was really nice to bounce thoughts off of him. Kenya and I took the kids to play at a nice play ground not too far from Ernie and Cissy’s place and they joined us for lunch. Kenya ran to get her new passport after lunch while the kids and I shopped at a little toy shop.
      In the evening we went to visit with Julius Ayugu and his family. They are really good friends from when we lived in Eldoret. We had planned to just passed by and greet his family but we ended up having a huge meal. They fixed all kinds of food! It was so nice to sit and visit and talk about how their family was and just be together. We went back to the Hoppers and packed up to leave out first thing in the morning.
      It was a short visit but we were glad to have seen everyone. We hope to go back to Nairobi in April for a big sale that a school has there and to see the Hoppers again.

March 2
      We left Nairobi at 4:00am so we could beat the traffic. We passed through Mombasa and did our grocery shopping for the month then on to Malindi. We ran in the house, got cleaned up, and went to Josiah’s friend Thomas’ birthday party. It was a mad dash across country but a nice evening with Thomas and his family. After the birthday party it was time for Josiah and Thomas to go to Tennis lessons. It was a crazy day.
 
March 3
      Thursday was an office day. I worked most of the morning on mission finances and got them sent off. I worked in the afternoon on preparing for the Thursday evening Bible study.
 
March 4
      Organized my office it was a complete disaster and sent some emails.
     
March 5
      I worked with Godfry on cleaning up the church yard in the 110 degree heat. It was a scorcher. In the afternoon I ran to Jimba to see if Daniel had gone there last week and to greet the folks there. Along the way I thought I would get some fuel so I stopped in Gede to fill up the tank and the gas guy broke my key off in the gas tank lid. I did not have a spare so Kenya had to bring me a key from Malindi. After I got back on the road I ran to Jimba and visited with one of the old Mamas from the group. It was a great visit. Daniel did come last week on Saturday and Sunday so that was great. About the time I was going to leave Daniel showed up. We sat and talked a little more then another one of the mamas came. I passed by Daniel’s and greeted his wife. I told Daniel and his wife both I really thought they had a good opportunity in Jimba and that I was praying for them. I really hope they will work hard in Jimba, Daniel could use some success in his life. He has the potential and ability to do a great work for the Lord if he will yield himself.
     
March 6
      Services went well in Malindi we had a good attendance, except for Adult SS but we are working at it. The teen class is growing and doing well. I started a series this week on God having a plan for our lives. There are so many in the Malindi church that need to be baptized and join the church. We had a business meeting after church that went well.
 
March 7
      Yesterday was a good day off. We had Samuel’s birthday party also. Thomas and his family came along with a new lady that Kenya met who has three little girls. We had a great time. Samuel was super cute.
 

 
March 8
Well I waded through some emails today and still need to answer the ones left in the inbox. I took a little while on this update that is really patchy but I hope gives a little of what has been happening. I must get organized. It was once one of my strengths? I had a great visit with Billy Howard on the phone this morning, I love that guy. I am hopeful that I can get the monthly report done this afternoon then start working on school things for next week.
 
James Taylor
East Kenya Missions

Today I am working on lessons for the Nyati class next week and this update. I hope to get a few things done for school next week and get ready for my trip to Singuaya tomorrow.